Ayaan talks with Andrew Doyle about the need for comedy in today’s world, how the culture wars affect politics, and the dangers of the social justice movement.
Andrew Doyle is a writer, broadcaster and comedian. He is the author of the new book Free Speech and Why It Matters published this year by Constable. He has also written two books under his satirical persona Titania McGrath – Woke: A Guide to Social Justice (2019) and My First Little Book of Intersectional Activism (2020). He is soon to be joining the presenting team on GB News, Britain’s newest television news channel.
Candice Thompson is a comedian, writer, actor and host of the podcast Nosy Neighbors which breaks down the most absurd neighborhood app posts of the week. She and Bridget discuss how everybody wants to label you so they know what to think about you, why they don’t trust groups, their paths to stand-up comedy, their worst comedy bomb experiences, why hemp is the buffalo of plants, normalizing knife fights, and why people are so staunch in their defense a celebrity they’ve never met. Candice shares her experience being a light skinned black girl, and the complexities of being mixed race in a country obsessed with race, her exploration of nutrition and spirituality, and why she got kicked out of a wedding for a stand-up set. It’s a hilarious conversation that goes from lentils to racism to fat shaming, why our bodies are miracles, people who take pride in their victimhood, and the etiquette of throwing away dog poop.
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Sarah Rose Siskind is a science comedy writer, psychedelic educator, comedian, and co-founder of Hello SciCom, a company that combines science communication and comedy to help scientists and tech companies revamp their content. She and Bridget discuss homelessness, how little we knew in our 20s, sobriety & pharmaceuticals, why D.A.R.E. is a terrible program, pandemic-induced anxiety, why mental health issues are like spousal abuse, and why people shouldn’t treat weed as a cure-all. They swap crazy Burning Man stories, discuss classism, agree that art is one of the things humans do right, commiserate over comedian-brain, and highlight the importance of knowing your audience in any given situation.
Yannis Pappas (stand-up comic) stops by to mock everyone and everything with Bridget, including: Bill Gates, white people presenting as POC, China, Tom Cruise, the two cults running this country, Scandinavians, and comedians being taken seriously as political pundits. He and Bridget also cover how things have changed since he became a dad, what Kurt Cobain would be like if he were still alive today, their ideas for reality shows, the ability of the Irish to repress their emotions, Joe Rogan’s stamina, why oxy is a man’s drug, and why everyone should drop out of college and start a podcast. Special guest appearance by Tim Dillon.
Sarah Tollemache, stand-up comic and podcast host, joins Bridget for a hilarious conversation about anything and everything, including what they miss about live stand up, defending their right to be hyperbolic, worrying about being caught in the background of a viral video that would get them cancelled, and their shared fascination of black market arms dealing and money laundering. They discuss their ability to create for themselves rather than the gatekeepers, why corporations that stand up to woke public pressure tend to be European, the stereotypes of traveling, why Bridget should go into PR to advised celebrities who are being cancelled, and swap restaurant industry horror stories. Check out Sarah’s podcast Vadge here.
Ryan Long, comedian and filmmaker, connects with Bridget from New York and they discuss his move from Canada five months before the pandemic hit, why NYC is a sadboy town, the challenges of being a self-starter and your own boss, the outrage economy, why good editors are so hard to find, and why Canada is dead to him. In the middle of their conversation Bridget receives breaking news of the lockdown at the Capitol on January 6th but that doesn’t derail the conversation. They delve into how Hollywood woke culture feels like a last ditch attempt to maintain their status as gatekeepers, why Millennials are really just young Boomers in disguise, the difference between British comedy, American comedy, and Australian comedy, and how finding a way to turn something you might get mad about into something funny is a means of undermining your anger.
Colin Quinn (stand-up comic, actor, writer, Saturday Night Live alum) stops in to talk about his book Overstated – A Coast-to-Coast Roast of All 50 States, and he and Bridget manage to cover, the election, why Bridget should be a criminal profiler and write a book about U-Haul rentals, Colin’s plans for modern-day Constitutional Conventions, the fact that everybody’s crazy now and nobody seems to notice, and they compare psychic experiences (Colin’s involves OJ Simpson). They discuss how odd it is that our society has reached a place where people on the extreme left and right give people in the middle sh*t rather than vice versa, Colin’s elaborate plan to become best friends with Jeff Bezos, how he almost starred in Crocodile Dundee 2, why giving your opinion can be very expensive, and learning the meaning of the word “consequences.”
On Independence Day, when so much seems to be going wrong, perhaps we need to take a step back, share a laugh, and then focus some attention on those whose dedication makes this and every Independence Day possible. This episode meets both of those needs as Dave sits down with comedian David Deeble to bring the blood pressure down a bit by looking at the lighter side of life. Everything is fair game, from rioters toppling garden gnomes, to the proper placement of deer crossing signs in this freewheeling and fun exchange.
Then, Dave talks with new Ricochet Member Nick Plosser, who has started his own podcast called The Half Percent. The podcast provides a needed outlet and opportunity for active duty military, veterans, guard and reserve troops to tell their story, share their experiences, and bring you into the world of that half percent of Americans who are serving their country in uniform at any given time. Nick is an inspiring gentleman, and has even persuaded Dave to be a guest on an upcoming episode of his podcast (we understand there will be humor and bourbon involved, though we’re not sure which comes first). If you’re looking for reasons to celebrate Independence Day, this episode will do the trick.
Comedian Ryan Long joined host Ben Domenech to discuss cancel culture within the comedy industry and Long’s perspective on the recent protests. Long’s work can be found in his podcast “The Boyscast with Ryan Long” or on his YouTube channel.
Long argued the hypocrisy of woke white women demanding change for women and transgenders has moved the political conversation far away from the original discussion of police brutality and racial equality. The left, more generally, has taken an issue that began with a specific need for change and escalated it to involve many unrelated, larger issues.
