Life is Happening Around You

T.J. Miller on Getting Out of Your Head, Ignoring Internet Mobs, Bitcoin & More

Episode #495

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The internet is not your friend.

The free press is collapsing on itself. If you look at the articles for Dave Chapelle’s (brilliant) new special, the press says it’s “Unfunny.”

But it has a 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Only one headline got it right.

CNBC said,

 

The other papers are “outraged.”

But are they really?

Journalists are competing for clicks. Just like the rest of us. (Please subscribe to my podcast). 

But we all have different strategies to get (or EARN) your attention.

And the mainstream media has chosen it’s method…

I want to whisper to these “journalists.” As if they’re Paris Hilton, Britney Spears or Lindsay Lohan, pantyless in the early 00’s stepping out a black SUV, legs wide open into a crowd of paparazzi…

“Your agenda is showing…”

“News” stations are competing for the dollar. Just like everyone else.

They want you to believe outrage = virtue.

That’s a myth.

The truth…

Fake Outrage = fake virtue.

Journalists are competing for clicks. We all know it.

So VICE writes this:

“You Can Definitely Skip Dave Chappelle’s New Netflix Special ‘Sticks & Stones’”

And The New York Times said:

“Comedy is changing. Dave Chappelle’s latest Netflix comedy special, “Sticks & Stones,” makes us wonder if he can keep up.”

“People are being irresponsible with their journalism and their writing,” T.J Miller said. “But the real thing that I think is so tragic… is that this happened when Hitler took over. He said, ‘The Jewish Press’ is lying. And there was enough there for the public to say, ‘Yeah, the press does lie.’”

 

Critics 17… Audience 38,749

So what happens from here?

A few things.

The comedians keep making jokes. They elevate awareness. The press continues its attempts to silence and shame. The president changes his language. From “Fake News” to “Corrupt News.” And people debate issues that literally don’t impact them at all.

We lose more touch with reality. And forget where life is.

That’s where T.J. comes in. He’s a stand-up comedian. But also a clown. And an improver. And an actor.

He does something different with every show.

He plays the trombone.

Or has someone in the audience play the trombone.

He’ll do crowd work.

Or change everything when he finds out someone is celebrating their birthday.

“I always say, ‘I’ll never perform for this exact audience again. And no audience will see this exact show again…’”

That’s how he stays alive. He takes out monotony. And inserts randomness.

I’ll give you one example.

T.J. did a show in Rahway, New Jersey. And the mayor was there.

“I was like, ‘Mr. Mayor, how are you? Welcome to the show.’ And all this stuff. Then I licked his hand. And I was like, ‘I just licked a mayor! How many of you have ever seen someone lick a mayor? I’m a mayor licker! You taste like good infrastructure and a driven campaign agenda.’

The crowd couldn’t expect this.

So they’re laughing. And happy. Because they know they’re only here.

They’re in a room with T.J. Miller yelling, “I’m a mayor licker!”

  • How to make extra income on the side (and where to find 177 more researched examples) [0:00]
  • Episode Preview [1:30]
  • I welcome T.J. to the podcast. And he already makes me laugh [4:56]
  • How T.J. broke a new personal record for comedy [5:15]
  • Why some bits kill the first time. But bomb the next day [9:22]
  • Warm-up your audience. T.J. gives an example of some one-liners he uses [11:16]
  • T.J. formula: little laugh, little laugh, then this leads to a big laugh [12:33]
  • T.J. says a joke from his archive – TJ. [12:56]
  • The upside of there being too much content online [13:20]
  • What matters more? Persona or delivery? [14:07]
  • The importance of getting out from behind your screen. And going to something live [15:52]
  • Diversify your skill set. How clown school and improvising made T.J. more successful [17:27]
  • How T.J. makes every live show different and unique for the audience. [20:02]
  • The difference between being a clown and a stand-up [22:52]
  • The weirdest thing T.J. does in his shows [26:28]
  • The importance of repetition. And practice [27:51]
  • T.J. makes fun of Anthony Jeselnik. And says why he “never sees him finding unconditional love in a partner that he feels respect for” [28:21]
  • How T.J. got a weird, wide-ranging “swath” of fans [30:17]
  • How to be authentic in the moment [32:00]
  • Why improv makes the audience feel special [33:34]
  • Why it’s a bad time for comedy [35:59]
  • Why the media is wrong about humor [37:54]
  • The internet is not your friend [41:34]
  • Irresponsible journalism and why the free press has collapsed on itself  [44:10]
  • T.J.’s conversations with The Winklevoss twins about bitcoin [48:34]
  • Why fear of the internet is similar to people’s fear of crypto today [49:55]
  • Will the dollar collapse? [52:05]
  • Why T.J. has taken a “pretty strong position in bitcoin” [54:26]
  • What people don’t realize about bitcoin and the value of the dollar… [56:13]
  • T.J.’s podcast: “Cashing In” [58:29]
  • I ask T.J. who he wants to win in the 2020 election. And he reveals who he’s supporting monetarily [59:40]
  • The two issues T.J. would run on if he ran for president [1:03:52]
  • How to predict who will win the democratic primary [1:05:12]
  • We start to wrap. And I mention T.J.’s next movie “Underwater,” which comes out in January 2020 [1:08:03]
  • T.J.‘S development as an actor [1:08:52]
  • How and when T.J. is going to break his comedy record [1:10:13]
  • I thank T.J. for coming back on the podcast [1:12:58]
  • Why T.J. fired all his assistants [1:14:03]
  • We say goodbye and I tell you how you can claim a free copy of my new book, “The Side Hustle Bible” [1:15:32]

 

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