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Right now, I feel like I'm in a my childhood, you know? Back in the womb. Hot in there.
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Hey, what's going on everybody?
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For First We Feast, I'm Sean Evans and you're watching Hot Ones.
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It's the show with hot questions and even hotter wings.
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And today we're joined by Michael Che.
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He's a stand-up comedian and actor who's received five Emmy nominations for his work as head writer and cast member on Saturday Night Live.
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Also, be sure to check out his new sketch comedy show That Damn Michael Che, which is currently streaming on HBO Max.
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Michael Che, welcome to the show. Thank you.
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I It's so weird to hear people say that out loud, you know?
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I can't believe I'm here.
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How are you around spicy food?
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I don't I've never seen any of these at my local bodega, but um I like spicy food.
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I think I like spicy food.
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That might all change tonight.
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I'm like nervous, but I'm eating uh fish sticks, by the way.
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First first uh fish stick guest of all time.
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I just didn't want to eat chicken on camera. Mhm.
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Uh this ain't [ __ ] Can I say whatever I want? Yes, let it fly. I killed a man in 1972. Wait, not that one. Not that one. Well All right. That was easy.
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So, for what it's worth, I watched That Damn Michael Che in one sitting and it really is like the perfect canvas for you to explore concepts that are maybe darker than the things you can talk about on network television. You liked it?
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You watched the whole thing? I did. I did. Blows my mind.
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You want to know my favorite sketch? Yeah, what?
2:00
I like the Billy Porter superhero one.
2:04
Yeah, that I just thought it'd be fun. You know what?
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I got that actually from a very unhelpful TSA agent.
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But that yeah, that was a fun one, too.
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Billy Porter is amazing, isn't he?
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It made me wonder like does the idea of that come first or does Billy Porter come first and then you write for Billy Porter cuz it did have like a really nice connection.
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the idea and then we were like, "Oh man, Billy Porter."
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You know, Billy Porter is so good that he's like if you're not if you're you're not using him, you're using a Billy Porter type, you know, like you kind of oh, Billy Porter would kill this.
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And he actually said yes.
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A lot of the casting on it was first choices, so that was really lucky that they said yes.
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And that's just like a funny concept, the idea of like a superhero that never really gets around to saving the day because they're just serving out that attitude. It was great. He made his own costume.
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He cares more about costume than his entrance. I bet hot ice cream.
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I'm going to kill this [ __ ] So naturally I have to ask you about the Hot Ones Saturday Night Live sketch.
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With a sweat-soaked Maya Rudolph playing the role of Beyoncé and then Mikey Day playing the role of this show's incessant bald host. He nailed you.
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Mikey's such a good like I used to write with him sometimes, you know, on sketches and you'd be in the room and he's always in his head and and trying to get everything perfect.
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I don't think anybody approaches it as thoroughly as Mikey does. He's so good.
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So like he probably watched hours of footage to make sure he got that right.
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But yeah, he's he's amazing. I can tell.
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What can you tell us BTS on how that sketch came to be and do you remember how it played at the table read?
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It was To me it was the funniest sketch of the episode.
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It was we knew it was going to be funny cuz first of all, it's Maya and she nails Beyoncé all the time.
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And then too, it's just like a fun Have you asked Beyoncé to do this?
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No, but I do imagine that were it to go down like that, it would it would be similar to this sketch.
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My favorite part is when she had to get the wig off to The ice cubes?
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The ice cubes and the wig are so funny. She probably hated it. Yeah. I don't taste a thing.
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Okay, this one has got like um A little bit. Yeah, it keeps going. Yes.
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It's uh very peppery, this one. Mhm. But it's still nothing. There we go. It's still nothing.
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So I'm very interested in the chapter of your life before comedy, when you were training to be a painter and then selling t-shirts with the acrylic Still going. A little bit.
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It just Yeah, it keeps rolling. It rallies through. That's just a train.
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It's a spice train that's going to keep rolling. Ain't [ __ ] though.
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And you were selling t-shirts with your acrylic portraits printed on them from a folding table on the corner of Prince Street and Wooster. Yeah.
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What's the most memorable transaction that you ever made on the sidewalk there?
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Oh man, I met so many people.
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I met um Conan O'Brien, Billy Crystal, I met Tommy Hilfiger, I met Andre 3000? Andre 3000? How'd you know that? Yeah, I met Andre 3000.
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He bought a He bought a little like Jimi Hendrix shirt from me.
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I I painted a Jimi Hendrix shirt.
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Oh man, yeah, that's great.
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I wasn't that good, to be honest with you.
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I think it was just more people wanted to be supportive. I'm just saying, man. Um I'm unimpressed.
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I think this I think I'm going to get through all of this.
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I might just go back for seconds. Hell yeah. We are guests.
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We're just here to feed you, Michael.
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It tastes like like pineapple.
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Like it's sweet as a pineapple.
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Ah, this is going to suck, man. I I already know it.
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Cuz like that I just realized we got like six more to go. That's right. That's right. And they get hotter. It's a marathon. Yeah.
6:07
What's the difference between bombing on stage as a stand-up and then having a sketch bomb on live TV?
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Like is one more gut-wrenching than the other? Yes.
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There's nothing worse than bombing on live TV because there's no exit strategy.
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See, if I'm bombing on stage doing stand-up, I could change the subject.
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I could make fun of me bombing.
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There's always a way to relate to the people.
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Like stand-up, the number one rule is just be present.
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If people see that something awkward's happened, call it out and then people will be like, "Yeah, that's is what's happening."
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Just the truth always kind of get you back on track.
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In a sketch, sometimes if it starts bombing in the first 30, 40 seconds and we know what's coming next, there's no tap out.
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You got to actually do the words.
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The audience has checked out.
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The only thing that is better about bombing in a sketch though is that everyone knows it's bombing.
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So, it's a little bit of camaraderie on set. Right.
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You know, like if it's bombing and sometimes you just take a look at Kenan's face and then it makes you laugh and then everyone just realizes they're seeing something bad.
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So, a lot of sketches you'll see when they they they make fun of us for breaking or whatever.
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Lot of times breaking is just because we know what's coming next and how bad it's going and then it becomes fun.
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So, sometimes that could save the sketch.
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So, but I would definitely take bombing in the sketch over bombing on stage. Oh, ginger. I love ginger. I love goat, too. This is easy. Wow. You have medics, right? Yeah, actually we do. All right, good.
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It's kind of a new development.
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but I think we do over here.
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You should just Yeah, that makes sense, but also I won't need them. Crushing it. Crushing it.
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All right, Michael, we have a recurring segment on our show called Explain That Gram.
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We're going to deep dive on our guest's Instagram, pull interesting pictures that need more context.
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So we'll put the picture up on the monitor, you just tell us the bigger story.
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That's me at WrestleMania 35.
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You can't tell by the shirt, but yeah, that's where I was.
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WrestleMania 35 in the Andre the Giant Battle Royal looking down the barrel at Braun Strowman.
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That was the most fun I've ever had.
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It was MetLife Stadium, 80,000 people all booing me and Colin. It was awesome.
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All I've ever wanted was to be a bad guy wrestler, and these people genuinely hated me. It was fantastic.
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Yeah, you used to watch wrestling with your grandfather, right?
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How the [ __ ] did you know that? Yes.
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Yeah, he couldn't have told you.
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He's been dead for 10 years, but no, yeah, I used to watch it.
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I think like it's how I learned how to talk, honestly.
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You know what One thing that I noticed, those ropes are not rope. It's like bridge cables.
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You see the guys they're so good at it that it looks easy and simple, but like the mat is a wood plank, and the ropes are hurt.
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When you run against the ropes, they got welts on their back from just doing the easy and simple things, and the ring is loud, and the crowd is deafening.
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It was so exciting to to do it. And look at my face.
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It didn't scare him one bit, believe it or not.
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But he was such a nice guy, and and he punched me, and I dropped, and I was so scared cuz, you know, I'm an older guy and delicate.
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I didn't think I was going to be able to take it, but I did. You did.
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And then he told me, "I didn't really punch you." But whatever.
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No, no, it was it was great. It was a lot of fun.
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All right, up next, I'm always curious about the comedians' perspective when it comes to hosting award shows.
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Like how would you distill the experience of playing ringmaster at the Emmys? Bad.
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Okay, I don't know if I could say that.
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Is that okay to say that I didn't want to host the Emmys and I did? We're cool with it.
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No, I I I was like I didn't want to do it.
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I always feel like you know, I just like doing comedy in a tuxedo just feels I look like I'm giving dinner specials.
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I think it was Ellen gave me the best advice.
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She was like, "Get all of the comedy done in the beginning because the longer the show goes, uh the more losers are in the audience."
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Like literally people have lost and they're nothing's funny to them anymore.
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So you kind of have to do all of the comedy up front and then the rest of it is keeping the show moving. I don't know.
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I think that's like self-deprecating comedian inside of me that's like I shouldn't be hosting.
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I should be in the back making fun of the host.
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A lot of people take this very serious.
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So I was just like I don't want to mess up your party, you know?
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It's like giving a toast at a wedding and you don't know the couple. Right.
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It just feels out of place a little bit.
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But hindsight it was fun.
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And can you guys open a window a little bit?
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All right, that was good. That was good.
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You know what I like about that one? That one is not hot.
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Is this where people start to fall apart?
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I'm witnessing greatness. yes. Witnessing greatness. No, this is easy. All right.
11:02
That one is the hottest one.
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That's That's how it'll go going forward here. But it's still easy. no problem. I can see it. I can see it. I can see it. It's no problem. No, it's no problem.
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It's not a It's not a problem.
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So a few months back you put together a slideshow talking about how you don't want to do any more interviews with a few exceptions and lucky for us one of those exceptions was Hot Ones.
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Is your disdain in doing press is that something that you've had since day one of your career, or is it kind of developed over time?
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Uh no, I I love press, again, like I said.
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This is This is a dream of mine.
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not No, you know why you know why here's my here's why I don't like press.
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It's because I never feel like they're on the side of the artist.
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They're always seem to be on the side of what's the headline, you know? So, why would I like it?
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If I was a headline, maybe I'd like it more, but they're always kind of want the the the juicy juicy thing.
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And also, I don't like talking about myself.
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I always feel weird and arrogant talking about myself constantly.
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This actually that was hot, like but then it goes away.
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Just in time for the next wing.
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Are you ready to dive in? Let's do it, man.
12:19
Let's go to the [ __ ] loony bin. Let's do it. I see now I get it.
12:26
Now I get the point of this game. Mhm.
12:33
This one's more sweet than hot. That's it.
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I think it's when you right when you start talking, you know? That's good.
12:44
Just like the last one, it'll build a little bit.
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I get emotional sometimes.
12:48
So So, you're a native New Yorker, which is different from a lot of comedians who come to this city because they want to pursue a career in acting.
12:58
They move here rather than you, who grew up and was born in the Lower East Side. Yeah.
13:04
Is there any special reason that you chose Nas's New York State of Mind to be your walkout song when you performed at Letterman for the first time?
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There's no more beautiful song than being a project kid, um listening to New York State of Mind back in 1994.
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Uh soon as you turn on Illmatic, and that you know, after the genesis and the New York State of Mind, that beat is primo. It's Nas.
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It It felt like he was talking directly to us.
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Like he made an album directly for us.
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And New York State of Mind is it brings me back to that moment of being a kid, you're just ready to take charge.
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It was like his moment, I feel.
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So, when I'm on when I'm coming on stage, I like to feel that.
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I still play it everywhere.
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I play it when I'm doing warm-up for SNL, played it for Letterman, I play it when I'm on tour. It just feels right.
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Dude, I don't know if you notice, but I am unaffected.
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This is like when when are we going to do the the Hot Ones? Funny you mention that. Is this hot? That was good. I like I like that one. Where can I get these?
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Can I What can I These you can take home with you.
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We'll pack them up for you.
14:31
These honestly, this that one that you just said was the hottest one was honestly not that hot.
14:36
So, we sent a lot of hot sauce, like I just mentioned, to 30 Rock after the Beyoncé Hot Ones sketch.
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And then we got a quick request to re-up on it.
14:43
Does hot sauce help the creative process at all, or is it just writers kind of keeled over after eating the bomb like we just did? I'm sorry.
14:53
I I'm trying to remember something.
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That [ __ ] ain't [ __ ] I've had hotter ice cream. That's good. That is a good sauce.
15:02
No, I I think there I think there was a few cast members and writers that I'm sorry.
15:12
I'm just I think I um When are we going to do the the Hot Ones?
15:20
I had a That's is interesting question.
15:22
I'm I'm just trying to give you the right answer. Yeah. Yeah.
15:26
I remember a lot of uh Is this where people start to fall apart?
15:32
I don't I don't remember I don't remember. I don't remember.
15:38
Do you have a favorite reaction from a host to a sketch that you've pitched?
15:42
Well, sometimes people who come in with an idea of the show or what they want to do in the show, uh they might they might not really know what they're talking about.
15:53
Or if that, you know, might not even be possible.
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Cuz they don't do this show, you know?
15:59
So, I will pitch something and they'll be like, "Well, that guy's crazy."
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Then I can write whatever I want by myself. I'm not on the hook.
16:08
You don't want them to be like, "Oh, he's [ __ ] hilarious.
16:09
Hey, can you write my unicycle idea?"
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And you're like, "Uh no."
16:15
But so that, you know, I try to like pretend to be bad at my job so that I could be good at my job. Does that make sense? Thinking. That's interesting.
16:24
psychology, but in backwards. All right, Michael J. How are we doing?
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I don't Sniffing is not good.
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But um other than that, I'm good. I'm fine.
16:40
This next one is the scorpion disco.
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Why do they call it that? All right. It's more salty.
17:09
Yeah, and maybe a a kind of uh kind of a reprieve after the last one.
17:15
So, before making it in comedy, what was the most common buyer complaint that you ever got working as a customer service representative at Toyota?
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How the [ __ ] do you know that?
17:26
Um A lot of people will write me checks for a car knowing they don't got the money uh for that car in their account and then make it seem like I took the money somehow and I remember that was always like the funniest complaint.
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Is as you're as you're making a transaction, they're like, "Well, the Well, the check should clear."
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I'm like, "Well, it's not.
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The bank doesn't know you."
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And uh that was always the worst cuz the salesman is always on the side of the customer, so they make it seem like, you know, you're messing it up.
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But usually it was just cuz they couldn't yell and they just find a person to yell at.
18:05
You're You're the first line of complaints.
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That's the worst part of it. You know what I mean?
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Do you have any uh insider trade secrets when it comes to not getting ripped off at the dealership? No.
18:16
They're going to rip you off.
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They're going to rip you off because cars are not that valuable.
18:25
So, anything you're paying it ain't worth it. All right, Michael Che.
18:34
Man, this was so much fun. I want to thank you. I tell you what, Sean.
18:44
I tell you what, I raise you. Uh-oh. I raise you. Okay.
18:51
I don't know if anyone's done this before, but I say we put a dab of all of them on one wing.
18:57
Has anyone done that before?
19:00
Paul Rudd and now uh and now you, Michael Che.
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That's what they call me, the black Paul Rudd. Oh, it's like paste. God damn. Oh, there you go. There you go. Is that it? That's That's good. Yeah, man.
19:12
You didn't think you was [ __ ] with a gangster, did you?
19:16
I knew I was [ __ ] with a gangster.
19:18
Yeah, well, you are [ __ ] with a gangster.
19:20
Oh, [ __ ] Well, that might be a lot, but don't worry about it.
19:24
That's what the That's what I want the Context people to know is when I'm You see me sweating, and it looks like I'm maybe even crying, it's because I had a rough week.
19:35
Yeah, you know what I'm saying?
19:37
Can you And you play some good montage music to this?
19:41
Oh, don't Yeah, don't worry.
19:41
You know what I'm saying? We'll do that. We will.
19:45
Wait till you see how this thing comes together.
19:47
I got dinner reservations, too. You do?
19:49
Where are you going tonight? Uh, I don't know. Uh, Baskin-Robbins.
19:56
I might be right behind you in line. Probably Baskin-Robbins.
19:59
Paul Rudd is the nicest guy. He's a really nice guy. the nicest guy.
20:02
And you know who else is super nice? Who? Jon Hamm. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
20:05
We got to get Jon Hamm on the show. Yeah. Mhm. All right, Michael. Get that sauce.
20:15
You know what I'm saying? Cheers. Cheers. Mhm. Mhm.
20:25
It's like they cancel each other out.
20:28
I got first it does cuz we worked in reverse order, but when you work your way through that, you get some of the different notes. Michael Che. Hot sauce G.
20:43
Am I a gang Am I Am I on the short list of Gs? Top of the list.
20:46
Top of the list, Michael.
20:48
And you know, thankfully though, we've reached the touch the milk. I noticed that. No water, no milk. G'd up, Michael Che.
20:56
You know what I'm saying?
20:59
We've talked about a lot about your life, a lot about your career, but one blind spot.
21:03
don't uh Don't lick your lips.
21:06
Yeah, that's good advice. That's good advice.
21:08
If you on this show don't lick your lips. A smart man, Michael. Smart man.
21:14
What did you mean by this quote?
21:14
"Humor and food are two things rich in a poor community."
21:19
See, when you grow up very poor, you don't have you can't just go to toy store, get whatever you want.
21:25
You can't just go shopping whenever you want.
21:29
The way we show affection is to cook and to make you laugh.
21:35
And that [ __ ] gets you through. Oh, man.
21:38
I get emotional talk I'm going to pass. I'm sorry.
21:42
Um Is that that's a That's supposed to help, right? Yeah. Yeah.
21:50
Well, well, we don't need it. We don't need it. It's It's a Oh, man. Uh Looks so good.
21:59
Uh It's two things of showing love, you know?
22:05
It brings you back to your childhood.
22:09
Right now, I feel like I'm in my childhood, you know? Back in the womb. Hot in there.
22:16
This is not how you show love. No.
22:18
This wouldn't be the food I would show give to someone that I loved. But, you know what? It's a meal. There were laughs.
22:25
I feel the love in this studio.
22:27
And look at you, Michael Che, taking on the wings of death.
22:28
Even a 10-stack, last dab, and now totally unaffected This is fake.
22:35
There's nothing left to do but roll out the red carpet for you, Michael Che.
22:39
This camera, this camera, this camera, let the people know what you have going on in your life.
22:42
This show's This show's fake. It's a sham.
22:45
All this [ __ ] This is sweet sauce.
22:48
I got a lot going on, guys.
22:50
Tomorrow, I'm making a visit to my cardiologist.
22:54
We're going to talk about ways to improve upon my lifestyle. Oh, man. And don't burp. Don't burp.
23:02
It's just like a comes back. Burps. What time is it? We did it, man. We did it. I LOVE YOU GUYS.
23:15
I COULDN'T have done this without you and I wouldn't have. Oh, man. That was good. That was good. That was easy. Did it hurt? Of course it hurt. Of course it hurt.
23:31
What the [ __ ] is wrong with you, DUDE? OH MY GOD. HOW DO YOU DO THAT?
23:36
WELL, you know, most people don't want to pour the last 10 sauces on the last one. challenged me. This was actually fun. This was so much fun.
23:45
I don't know what I'm talking about anymore.
23:47
Quickly, we're going to get our intro shot.
23:49
So, it's just you guys in the back. Okay.
23:56
Hey, what's going on, Hot Ones fans?
23:57
This is Sean Evans checking in with a very exciting hot sauce update.
23:59
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24:04
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24:12
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24:16
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24:24
We're having the remix of the remix.
24:27
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