AND HERE’S MODI
AND HERE’S MODI is an inside look at the man behind the microphone. Hosted by comedian, Modi (@modi_live), AHM features a raw and unfiltered side of the comedian rarely seen on stage. He always finds the funny as he navigates the worlds of comedy, trending topics, his personal life and spirituality. AHM is co-hosted by Periel Aschenbrand (@perielaschenbrand) and Leo Veiga (@leo_veiga_).
AND HERE’S MODI
I Guess You Had To Be There
Episode 139: The AHM crew takes some questions and discusses the philosophy of an (in)famous joke.
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welcome to, and he is modi welcome back to.
Speaker 2:And here's modi. It's leo modi and perriel. Wow, it's my show.
Speaker 1:Now buckle up thank god, thank god, wait have you seen that.
Speaker 2:Show that movie with tom hanks. Uh, the pirate, the pirate movie, tom hanks is the captain of like a cargo ship and the. Somali pirates take it over and there's this amazing scene where the guy who's the pirate? He goes look at me, I'm the captain. Now you know what I'm talking about. I'm going to put it in. I'm going to find that and I'm going to put it in.
Speaker 1:Anyway Gesundheit.
Speaker 2:Gesundheit? No, because I wasn't here for one of the episodes and I got a resounding. I've never gotten so much feedback on an episode period, let alone negative feedback.
Speaker 1:Okay, so that we know is a thing If people like something, if someone likes an experience, they will share it with three people. If someone dislikes an experience, they share it with 12 people.
Speaker 2:That's a known like this has been market research with Modi Exactly.
Speaker 3:Oh, my God Okay.
Speaker 1:So on this week's par show.
Speaker 3:I would like to read. We got a bunch of questions. I posted on the podcast, instagram, and I said that you know you can ask us anything and if the questions for you. So I'm going to read you some questions and you can say if it's an interesting question or if you want to answer. I would also like to shout out if you want advice for Modi or Leo or me, write in relationship advice. You don't want you giving.
Speaker 2:I don't think people want me giving them advice Of course they do, I don't know if that's true or not?
Speaker 1:Every comedian I work with says please manage me. So of course they want your advice. Go ahead.
Speaker 3:Okay, what is the one thing regular people just don't get about? Being a comic and doing standup comedy.
Speaker 1:Oh, this I'll give it to you. They don't understand that when we're offstage, we're offstage.
Speaker 2:That's a good answer.
Speaker 1:A good comic when he's offstage is offstage. If you have a comic who's on at a dinner table, I promise you onstage he will not be funny. I don't mean be boring or be lame, but we're not on right and they don't need to try to show us what they have.
Speaker 3:That's funny, right they also don't need to say tell me a joke that's a.
Speaker 1:I think that was read the question one more time, which I want to.
Speaker 3:I want to hear the question again what is the one thing regular people just don't get about?
Speaker 1:being a comic and doing stand-up comedy, so something else I would say is like when, when we're in a conversation with, with regular people, yeah normies non-civilian civilian, and I hear a laugh I always see where that laugh comes from, and then I'll refocus and go. What did he say? He said that the blah blah, blah, blah, the da, da, da, da. I'm like, oh yeah, and I might just text that to myself.
Speaker 2:So I will say I think knowing how to interface and interact with artists not just comedians, but like musicians or dancers or anyone who's a performing artist I think, um, I think a key in in working with them and understanding them and just hanging out with them is, like they don't want to be that a hundred percent of the time.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 2:And they don't want to talk about it a hundred percent of the time. And I think just if you approach them differently and disarm them, it disarms them really, and then you get like to see a whole nother side of them.
Speaker 3:And do you also think like do you have to like temper yourself when you're around people who aren't comics Cause we say some?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah to you, brutal, brutal. You should sit at the comedy cellar when all the big comedians are sitting together like big names and they're just like and you did this and you're awful, and no one thinks you're funny. It's like rough.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you have to. You can't be like that with other. Leo's totally made that he's not a comic.
Speaker 2:Don't speak to him, like you know like a dog.
Speaker 1:At the end of the day, I'm like pulling back. No, uh, do we tempt? Yeah, you, you don't speak to people who aren't. When doctors talk to each other, they have their own language too, because they they understand something, especially specific doctors of a specific thing, right they? Have their own lawyers when they get together and they you, you know have that.
Speaker 3:But one thing actually it's funny that you said that, because I find that when I go to new doctors and I tell them that I'm a comic and I'm a writer and I'm a this, they're actually they have like all of these questions.
Speaker 2:Oh, everyone has a song in their heart Like, they're like. Like you go to your doctor, you're like, oh, I'm a comedian, whatever. And then they're like like you go to your doctor, you're like, oh, I'm a comedian, whatever. And then they're like oh well, I have the five minute bit I've been working on. Can I like?
Speaker 1:and they always say to you here's something you should never say to people don't ever start.
Speaker 2:You could use this for your act.
Speaker 1:Yeah, right that, yes or when people begin a story, you'll find this funny. Yes, yes, when people begin a story, you'll find this funny. Yes, yes, you'll find this funny.
Speaker 2:If you're saying you'll find this funny, there's a good chance I'm not going to, or you, approach Modi in any social situation. You go, you must be getting a lot of material, huh, yes.
Speaker 1:Right, oh God, I'm in like a supermarket.
Speaker 3:It's so funny, there's no material you could use this for your shtick you could use this for your shtick. That you can use this is amazing you can use this.
Speaker 2:Wait. I have a question that someone emailed me directly and I actually have some hot opinions about this. What is?
Speaker 3:it. I'm not going to read the name no, no, no, hi.
Speaker 2:I love Modi. I saw you in Pennsylvania and I brought and you brought and you brought Mashiach energy big time. It was the first time we laughed since October 7th and it felt like a giant release. So much love. Serious question, kind of personal and sorry if this is an overstep. It's not meant to be. We're off to a great start, love it.
Speaker 2:Was it more of an issue for your Jewish parents that you married a non-Jew or that you married a man? My son is entering dating age and we are having all kinds of conversations. He asked me what if I dated a man? And I replied as long as he's Jewish? My response comes from a pain three generations deep, a grandchild of Holocaust survivors. I'm wondering how you navigate that and how did you navigate that? Thank you again.
Speaker 2:Much love and no disrespect. None disrespect taken. However, I just want to say if you're already doing the mental gymnastics to be like, okay, my kid is gay, at that point, if he brings home a non-Jew, like, really, is that where you're going to draw the line? You should just want your kid to be happy and like also, if they're gay, they're by default a sort of out of the box couple. You can raise the kids however you want. You can find them a good Jewish school. First of all, we never mentioned the idea that the partner could convert. If it's so important, they could convert and they can keep a kosher home where they could find a way and a groove that works for them I would like to add to this that because people.
Speaker 2:I get offended. Sometimes people say to me like I've gotten comments like not only is he gay, he's also married to a non-jew, as if it's like a layer, like a double, like it's like an insult.
Speaker 3:So I want to say that you two, like there are two couples I'm very close to you two and another couple who Noam and Juanita, and you and two people who aren't Jewish who bring so much more.
Speaker 2:To the table.
Speaker 3:Mashiach energy to the table than so many couples where both of them are Jewish. So my advice to these people is don't presuppose that just because somebody's not Jewish that they're not going to.
Speaker 2:I guess I have more. I feel it a little bit more. If you're concerned that your straight child is going to marry outside of the religion because you want them to have children and you want those children to be Jewish, I get that. But if they're already a gay couple and we're already on this different path, if they decide to have kids, it's going to be in an unorthodox way, no pun intended, and you can choose your own adventure from there. And I think, yeah, there's so many people like me or Juanita who are not Jewish but are very much for the Jews.
Speaker 2:For the cause, for the cause and who bring more to the table than just being Jewish.
Speaker 3:Juanita does Jewish holidays like to another level than many Jews who I know Also it seems a little prejudiced to me.
Speaker 1:I'm just going to say say that I think they were asking from a very nice place you can come from a nice place and still be prejudiced and uh. So just read me the first part of that question.
Speaker 2:First part was it more of an issue for your parents that you married a non-jew or that you married a man for my parents.
Speaker 1:So let's just take that when I got married I was 45. No, yeah, no, you know, I met you when I was 45. My parents with the age, at the age where they're they're more concerned about themselves than other people your parents are in your business till a certain time that then they're worried about themselves more, and so they were were just happy. I found that they were happy. I was happy. They'd never seen me with anybody. I never brought people home. I was I. Finally, I brought somebody home. They saw a happiness in me and they fell in love with him right away, and so that was the parent situation.
Speaker 3:It says a lot about your parents. It says a lot about my parents.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they're like. This is what it is.
Speaker 2:The second part of the question was the second part of the question was that was it. That was basically the question, so that's it Because her son asked what if I bring home a man? And she said as long as he's Jewish.
Speaker 1:I always say, as soon as your kids tell you that they're gay, they're bringing home somebody who's not Jewish, they're going to begin with. What would make you happy? Yes, and then take it from there. Never make it about you. I can't believe the Shonda. I'm the family. I can't believe you're going to do this. What would make you happy? Let them start talking and give your advice. And it's funny I recently spoke to a Chabad rabbi in Florida who I said to him your synagogue must have many couples that are interracial, that are interfaith, Interfaith. You know, some guy's Jewish. There's a Chabad house down the block. He wants to go Saturday. His wife isn't Jewish. What's his guy? He says to me I focus on what people do, don't do. He wants to come to synagogue. I like that. That's what he focuses on. He wants challah delivered to his house every Friday. That's what I focus on. He wants to light candles. I focus on that. I don't focus on what they don't do, and that's how you function.
Speaker 2:It's you know and again. But do you see what I'm saying about? Like raising Jewish children? I understand if they were a heterosexual couple. But if we're talking about a gay couple and your question is raising Jewish kids in a Jewish family, at that point can't you just make up the rules as you go along?
Speaker 1:If we've already done the work to get there, it's what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:You've already done the emotional work to be like, okay, my son is gay. And now? Your hang-up is going to be that he's bringing home a non-Jew.
Speaker 3:I mean, let's start with. The first problem is that that shouldn't be emotional work.
Speaker 2:I disagree with you on that actually.
Speaker 1:Again, ask the kid what would make you happy. That's right. And then tell them, even though you are bringing home Christian, I'd like you to still come home for Passover and Rosh Hashanah and come home for the holidays, and then it comes together. You know it'll come together. The easiest way to answer this is this what's the number one goal? Number one goal is Moshiach.
Speaker 3:Is living in the.
Speaker 1:Messianic era. So when I do events for like Jewish education, say, the number one goal is Jewish education. All Jewish kids should have a Jewish education. It's not the goal, it's a part of the goal, it's something to bring it Right.
Speaker 2:but then people say that what we're doing is a Chol HaShem, because so actually Mashiach won't come because we're doing this.
Speaker 3:So that's the rebuttal. They say but people can be wrong also right.
Speaker 1:And I can't believe you. Let Leo say and you go. You should have said what the hell is that?
Speaker 2:Well, no, because I'm really and it's sad that I know these words, people, because people send me comments and messages and I see it. I see what you people say. I know it's really not nice.
Speaker 3:I mean, I think that the Hashem is people sending messages like that, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly what is worse Someone who's in a consensual gay relationship or you sending mean messages on the internet?
Speaker 3:Sending mean messages.
Speaker 2:I think sending me messages is more of a.
Speaker 3:It's disgusting.
Speaker 2:That's preventing Mashiach I want to go back to what you said, because I don't speak to my parents because of the whole gay thing, so I feel like I have some leeway here. But you said it shouldn't be emotional work to get to the point where you accept your kid to be gay.
Speaker 3:Wait, wait, wait. I just want to clarify that. I think that that's emotional work. That is the job of the parents. When you decide to have children, you don't get to put that on children. That's not fair. They didn't ask to be born I agree.
Speaker 2:But I'm just saying I I totally understand when someone maybe has a, an image of what their child's life is going to look like and then, when it diverts from that, how it could be you don't get to do that, leo.
Speaker 3:You don't get to do that. That's not fair no, it's it's. I think, like I want ari to be a roller skater, like I had a dream that he would be a roller. That's not fair. No, it's it's. I think, like I want Ari to be a roller skater, like I had a dream that he would be a roller skater.
Speaker 2:That's a little different. I mean, I think, sometimes it comes from a place of your child.
Speaker 3:Just not true. Like we have ample evidence of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of gay couples who are living beautiful, fulfilling incredible lives. They're incredible parents. I I mean you want to make this argument like a hundred years ago, like maybe I could entertain it, but like it's just bullshit, like you don't get to have kids and then it's, it's a horrible thing to do to a child what would make you happy.
Speaker 1:That's all.
Speaker 3:That's right, I agree, I think that your job as a parent is what would make you happy. That's right, I agree. I think that your job as a parent is what would make you happy.
Speaker 1:It's still your values. On the child it's still your values, but that's what it is, as one doesn't have children. It's not. I mean, I see it, but that's what it is, do you?
Speaker 2:think that makes us more palatable to people, the fact that we have made the decision not to have children, like, okay, they're interfaith but they're not having kids.
Speaker 1:I think people are shocked that I don't have children.
Speaker 2:Like I think I do think it's like a little insidious, but I think that like that is kind of it makes it a little bit more easier for people to swallow. Who are these people, like the general public who comes to your shows?
Speaker 3:No Like religious people. Nah.
Speaker 2:I think so.
Speaker 3:I think if people are coming to your shows, they Just want to laugh. Yeah, they're okay, like they're fine.
Speaker 1:Just want to laugh. They're not looking to fulfill anything, they want to laugh.
Speaker 2:Wait, all right. What other questions do we?
Speaker 1:have Next question.
Speaker 2:So wait, what's our answer for her? To just ask what.
Speaker 1:Ask your child what would make him happy and take it from there, take the conversation from there.
Speaker 3:And I think that also, when you come to something from a positive way, it's much more productive than to come to something from a negative way. When you make somebody feel welcome in your home, if you have somebody who's in your home, if you have somebody who's not Jewish who comes to your house and you make them feel welcome and part of they're going to be much more amenable to being part of something that's important to you instead of making them feel alienated.
Speaker 1:Okay, next question.
Speaker 3:Okay Modi. Yes, how old were you when you realized you were funny? Who was that? One person or people that were your first best audience?
Speaker 1:So this question is I knew I was entertaining. Funny, I didn't know until again. Donnie Moss, I always tell the story. My friend, when I was working at Merrill Lynch and coming home imitating the secretaries, and he said you should be doing this on stage.
Speaker 3:But it never occurred to you before that Like you must've been doing these in, like your parents, like you made them laugh.
Speaker 1:Yeah, entertaining, it's more entertaining. I didn't think it was funny, it was just more entertaining.
Speaker 3:When you were a kid in school, were you like the class clown? Were you making people laugh?
Speaker 1:I wasn't the class clown? I was the class. What do you call it?
Speaker 2:Personality hire.
Speaker 1:Personality hire. Yeah, Modi was a personality hire. A personality hire. I knew how to get along and not upset people and be helpful, especially in school when my grades are struggling and I'm dyslexia and ADHD and all that stuff and there wasn't diagnosis. I was surviving.
Speaker 2:But you had the street smarts to be a good teacher's pet, kind of yes, and so maybe you didn't do well on the test and everything. But you went to after hours and you went and got help and you were nice to them and you were polite.
Speaker 1:But funny and stand-up comedy. I never thought about that. I never been to a comedy club until the first time I was there. My friend Donnie Moss says do this on stage. And that's the first time. That's when it clicked. That's when it clicked. Yeah, Good question, Nest.
Speaker 3:What goes into making a comedy show. That is to say, on what do you base your material?
Speaker 2:A lot of emails.
Speaker 3:People watching, politics, societal norms et cetera.
Speaker 2:All of those things you don't really get into politics, though that much I don't, Although I'm dying to. I think there's such good stuff coming out now Is this administration going to bring out some partisan stuff coming out is this administration gonna bring out.
Speaker 3:This is gonna bring it out really, really. I think tonight I'm gonna even hit them with it a little bit do you have stuff that like, or topics or subjects that you really like to talk about, like that's particularly fun for you to make jokes about, or is everything kind of like fair game it's a laugh.
Speaker 1:It's whatever it gets for me. I don't know. Topics pop up to me. They add on I work it out with leo, I get a little buzz on and I get on the treadmill and think it through and by thinking through, he's screaming on the treadmill. No that was singing, that was no, you're but that's, that's how I you talk it out I talk it. That's how I you talk it out. I talk it out, dude, I do, I do talk it out to myself a lot.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you talk to yourself a lot yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, modi doesn't write in like a traditional sense, where you think like a comedian sits down and was like okay, I'm going to write for an hour. That doesn't happen. Modi is just constantly rehearsing in his's how he's so good nest.
Speaker 1:How much can we just nest and following when, when you, when you are at a retail store and like you're waiting to pay, they're like nest, nest or they go following, like it's it's the following guest following guest.
Speaker 3:They just go following nest, okay, okay you're gonna like to answer this, so I'm gonna read this. This is I'm giving you one. How do we keep Mashiach energy going in such troublesome times?
Speaker 1:find a comedy show invite a few friends to go to it with you. Mashiach energy going in such troublesome times. Find a comedy show and invite a few friends to go to it with you. Send a friend a clip, make a phone call. It's so easy to just find a little bit help, just help somebody.
Speaker 3:Help. You always say you can do anything for smiling at somebody. Smile at somebody your shirt's so nice.
Speaker 1:I love what you did with your hair. You look great. That creates Moshiach energy.
Speaker 3:Send a meal to a Holocaust survivor, help somebody across the street, like you always say, like you can do anything.
Speaker 1:Anything that creates a little bit of Moshiach energy, that's it.
Speaker 3:Don't be a bitch to people. Don't be a bitch. Still working on that. So that was it. That's the whole question. So good, that was the question. That was one of them. Is there any chance of having a whole show in Hebrew?
Speaker 1:I've done that twice. You have. Yeah, it was very, very hard. I imagine it's hard. It was very, very, very hard. One time I did it I remember it was at the JCC of New Jersey. At the JCC of New Jersey, the good thing was, the entire audience were all people who were Americans, americans that Israelis that moved to America.
Speaker 3:Right, right right.
Speaker 1:So it was all performed for, like your mom and dad, right right, right, right right they all know.
Speaker 3:An hour you did in Hebrew.
Speaker 1:I did it like probably an hour.
Speaker 3:I'm doing a show in February. That's in all Hebrew. But it's only, like you know, 15 minutes and I'm already like how am I going to do this? It's hard.
Speaker 1:It's very just. Everybody listening is going to be American-Israeli, right, so just talk about your parents.
Speaker 3:Is there a chance of having a whole show in Hebrew? Is the question.
Speaker 1:I feel like, don't rule it out, I'm not ruling it out.
Speaker 3:Anything is possible.
Speaker 2:Someone wrote big fan. I have been to several of your shows asking for a friend. Will your upcoming shows have all new material?
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, the shows that are on now is all new material and it's nothing. The shows that are on now is all new material and it's nothing to do with the past special or anything that we put up on Instagram. Pause for Laughter is a brand new hour and 10 minutes.
Speaker 3:But you can also tell, because it's a different title of the tour. No, people didn't know that. People don't understand.
Speaker 2:I give it to them. They don't understand what's happened, like the timeline of the material and all that stuff author said to me he didn't understand that at all.
Speaker 1:Okay, he goes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he didn't understand that, um so do people think you're just going and keeping on doing the same jokes over and over and over? I think so. I think people I I have been struggling with this recently that I think, in terms of just like the brand and trying to figure out what to post and like all that stuff, I think that people think that you just go on stage and do like Ashkenazi, sephardic stuff all day long. God forbid, and I'm like trying to tell you no, that was a bit that you probably saw one time. Um, but that's not. First of all, it's not in the act at all anymore. No, but it's crazy, like what people's perceptions are yeah, and the new show is amazing and it's.
Speaker 1:But but like, like um, know your audience and pause for laughter. Two different shows. People don't understand that, like, author didn't get that. It's like wow, but it's, um, it's, it's. But they should watch the old stuff, sure.
Speaker 3:I'm saying that. That's how you can tell in general, usually when a comic is doing all new material.
Speaker 2:People aren't perceptive.
Speaker 1:People don't know that they're also not in the comedy world.
Speaker 3:I'm trying to help them.
Speaker 1:Right, right, right. So just so tell them that every, every show, every tour has its own name. It's all new material.
Speaker 3:That's what I'm saying is that if it has a different name, it's a different tour, it's different jokes. People came up to me with a beacon.
Speaker 2:It is hard because people like, when you go see a musician or a band or a singer, you kind of want them to do songs that you know and I do think there's a little bit of that at play with live comedy Agreed. You kind of are like, oh, I hope he does this bit, but you don't want him to do all the same thing Exactly. Most people don't go to a lot of comedy shows. I think that's a fact.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 2:And so I feel like it's from like a consumer standpoint, I kind of get like the confusion. Okay, it's from like a consumer standpoint, I I kind of get like the confusion okay. Well, we're clearing like the one percent of people who have sat through comedy and seen live comedy, like we're at the outlier of the outliers. We're definitely not like so for someone who goes once or twice a year and they buy tickets to something, yeah, they want to know that they're seeing something different except they also want to see some of the same.
Speaker 2:Right, it's a hard thing to juggle and when I speak to people for private events not so much now but before they would always ask is it going to be new? Is it going to be what we saw? And I would be like you know that's a sticky question to ask because if he goes up there and he does none of the bits that you recognize, he's going to get off stage and you're going to say I none of the bits that you recognize. He's going to get off stage and you're going to say I wish you would have done the Hetzel a bit. But if he goes up there and does all old stuff, you're going to be like we've seen all of that before. And that's where the art of being, like I said, being a comedian and, being a professional, he has to read the room.
Speaker 3:Has to read the room. Speaking of reading the room, how much effort does it take to walk the line between what you know is funny and relatable and what might be uncomfortable topics, a couple of topics. Yeah, I mean, I feel like that's not so much your. You don't really do other. I mean people do, though right, like you, you don't know if you're stepping over the line until you step over it, though, right, that's why cancel culture has was such a problem for comics um is cancel culture.
Speaker 2:Still such a.
Speaker 3:Thing I think it's less post I think it's helped comics.
Speaker 2:It's helped comics more than it's hurt comics I think there was like a year and a half where people were scared and then it quickly was like there were comics who said that they stopped going to perform in, like certain states and colleges, because you couldn't say anything. I think it's changed. I think we haven't even processed how quickly. I wouldn't say a backlash, but like definitely a backpedaling of a lot of those like you know you have to be politically correct all the time. Like how fast that changed overnight.
Speaker 3:I mean okay, Next.
Speaker 1:That's it.
Speaker 3:Let me see if I'm missing anything. I think those were the best ones. I think those were easy. Those were easy were the best ones, I think.
Speaker 1:Those were easy.
Speaker 3:Those were easy.
Speaker 1:Very, very, very easy.
Speaker 3:You want harder ones.
Speaker 1:Yes, send in harder questions.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 1:But those were very easy and thank you for sending them in. Next topic what do you have on there?
Speaker 3:I sent you guys a joke.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 3:A Holocaust joke? Yes, that Ricky Gervais told Jerry Seinfeld and Ricky Gervais said that. Or the person who posted said this is the most philosophical joke in the world. Will you do the honors of retelling the joke? No, I think we should play it. Okay.
Speaker 1:Edit it in here, and then we can just discuss it afterwards.
Speaker 3:That's great.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Can I try to say it? Sure, go ahead. A Holocaust survivor dies and goes to heaven. He meets God and tells him a Holocaust joke. God doesn't laugh. The Holocaust survivor says I guess you had to be there. Did I do a good job? Great job, great job, you killed it.
Speaker 3:For something I heard once a few hours ago. You did very well today, Leo, I have to say.
Speaker 2:So I guess what's the thing that was God at the Holocaust.
Speaker 1:So obviously there's a whole thing about like it's basically him saying God wasn't there. It's an amazing joke because it's going to spark conversations. As long as people are talking about the Holocaust, it's good. As long as people are talking about it, whatever it is is great. It's an amazing joke because it's you know, it's saying God wasn't there.
Speaker 2:What is the like what? What is there? How was god there?
Speaker 1:how? We don't. We don't know, we don't know how, we don't know what trip, what. What made the holocaust happen? We know that. And again, god is not a person saying, okay now, holocaust, it's's an energy, it's oneness. Oneness was off, the world was off and that happened, and that something happened to cause that.
Speaker 3:But where? So, okay, but just for a little bit of context, I posted this joke and somebody wrote and said can you please share this on the podcast and have Modi talk about it? Right, and I think the question is is how could God have been there Like and that and let that happen, let's discuss the joke, not the concept.
Speaker 1:So I don't know how God was there. There were miracles that happened in the camps. Okay, people that did survive. I just sat through a shiva of a Holocaust survivor and there were people talking about the miracles that happened in the camps. Okay, people that did survive. I just sat through a shiver of a Holocaust survivor and there were people talking about the miracles that happened in the camps. Why they were camps is a different story. Okay, okay, and it's not like, but the joke, the joke Good, good. Back to the joke. The joke is would spark a conversation.
Speaker 3:Right. So Seinfeld said it's a novel in a joke.
Speaker 1:It's a novel in a joke. You could write a whole book about this. Was God there? He wasn't there. What is God? Who is God?
Speaker 2:Is there a God? It's all of that. I have heard like religious people who like debate these things, who like do believe in God, who are like you know the argument of like oh, look at all these bad things that happened. How could you say there's a God? That's actually like a horrible argument because free will and we make our own problems and stuff. But six million, that's a lot of people.
Speaker 1:It's a lot of people, so whatever happened that made that happen was it's not something I talk?
Speaker 3:about, but it's the joke. You're saying the joke. Back to the joke, back to the joke. It's not something I talk about, but it's the joke.
Speaker 1:You're saying the joke. Back to the joke, back to the joke.
Speaker 3:It's a great joke Because it says so much in so little, right. Like the comment, like it's so layered, right.
Speaker 1:A. The Holocaust survivor has a sense of humor.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 2:That was actually my big takeaway from it.
Speaker 1:He has a sense of humor, you know, and then and then it's. It's funny because even later the video's even later, because Ricky Gervais doesn't believe in God, right, I don't know about Seinfeld, but I know Ricky Gervais yeah, that's right is a atheist, talks about it. He's an atheist, does not believe in God.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's like part of his whole brand, part of his whole brand.
Speaker 1:yeah, but it's a great joke that brings up all kinds of. It's a great joke. It's a great joke.
Speaker 3:It reminds me Gilbert Gottfried used to tell this joke. It's different. I'm sure you know this that this mother was at the beach with her baby and the baby got taken to shore. And the mother just starts screaming and praying please God, please God, I'll do anything got taken to shore and the mother just starts screaming and praying please god, please god, I'll do anything. Just please give me my baby back. And suddenly the baby comes back on the land and she picks it up and she says he was wearing a hat, waveboard him, took him on, waveboard him back.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's, uh, it's a great joke I know why? Why do you see those two jokes as the same?
Speaker 3:Because I think that in that joke there's also a novel, like I think that in that joke it's so layered of. So much happens in that joke. It says so much about our culture and hope and laws and just asking God for stuff yeah, and just asking God for stuff yeah, and just asking.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, on the asking God for stuff joke, that's not even the one you would go to. You would go to the one about the rabbi whose synagogue is failing and he needs money and he says praise to God, please, let me win the lottery, please. If I win the lottery, I'll be able to pay off the synagogue mortgage. I'll be able to make lunch, the lottery I'll be able to pay off the synagogue mortgage. I'll be able to make lunch for people. I'll be able to help the poor. If I just let me win the lottery. And the week goes by, he doesn't win the lottery, and again and again and it just doesn't work and he's screaming to God, please, not for me. And God finally goes do me. That could be layer two. You need a vessel. A vessel needs to be built.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, those are like the God jokes, yes.
Speaker 3:They're fun.
Speaker 1:They're fun and they do spark a conversation. And again, anytime you talk about the Holocaust, I'm okay, talk about it, start the conversation. Yeah, very important, yeah.
Speaker 3:That was like when I got dressed up as a hot dog for Halloween. And I had a little sign on me that said my name is and I wrote Anne.
Speaker 1:And Frank oh, I get that. Wow, I think that's a little different.
Speaker 2:Perry, that's funny. And this, I think that's a little different, perrie, that's funny.
Speaker 3:Speaking of it's not, because this woman started yelling at me on Broadway and 78th Street and she said are you making fun of the Holocaust? My grandparents were Holocaust survivors. And I said, first of all, so were mine, and no, like God forbid, I would never make fun of the Holocaust. And I said exactly what you just said, which is that I'm sparking a conversation about the Holocaust and, by the way, it's a brilliant idea.
Speaker 1:It was brilliant. And speaking of hot dogs, yes, we want it. Yes, a great way. A&h Provisions Best Glot kosher foods and, of course, best hot dogs in the world Even the guy in the center. This is so delicious and it's. Kosherdogsnet is the website and promo code MOTI for 30% off your first order. Get some. They're amazing. And thank you again to Weitz and Luxembourg, the law firm that not only does well, they do good, very philanthropic. Thank you, arthur and everybody from Weitz and Luxembourg, and WeitzLuxcom. Done, all right, okay, okay Next.
Speaker 3:Okay, now I thought we could do a little segment called story time with modi. Oh, okay okay, um, and I was trying to think of what stories would be appropriate and fun to tell, and I looked at leo for some guidelines and he just told me to keep it PG-13.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 3:Okay, so the first story I thought could be appropriate, given what's going on in the world, is the story about when you met Donald Trump.
Speaker 1:Oh, when I first met Donald Trump, I met Donald Trump the Saturday after 9-11. We had these shows in. I had my first Atlantic City show. It was a part of like a whole tour with Stuttering John and guys from the Howard Stern show and Jim. I don't remember who was on, but I think it was a bunch of guys from the Howard Stern crew.
Speaker 3:And you couldn't get out of the city because all the planes were grounded right.
Speaker 1:We were going to drive anyway, but Donald Trump drove down. He said he hasn't driven to Atlantic City in years and he came to the show Back then. He was a big fan of Stern, and then we had lunch with him the next day and was sitting there. So I don't know exactly if he was married to Melania or not or whatever the what was, but she's sitting across from me and I keep saying, hey, you look very familiar, you look very familiar. There were like banners of her face throughout the entire hotel and on the back of the key. You know, the key that you get in and out of your room was was her face. Really, I swear to you and, and like everything I keep asking, you look very familiar.
Speaker 2:John would like be kicking me under the table and uh, but that's like the episode of the crown where the queen mother goes to that castle and he's like you look very familiar, it'll come to me.
Speaker 1:She's like I'm the queen bitch but, but we, he came backstage and the whole show is a fundraiser and I have a picture of me and him and we're holding a um, one of those water, water, uh, you know those water dispensers where you pick up the big uh, yeah the, the big jug of water. You flip it over and we were filling that with money. There's a picture of me and him holding it together.
Speaker 2:Oh my, Speaking of Melania and Trump. The Jimmy Carter funeral. Did you see that footage of all the ex-presidents sitting together. Yes, I just want to say, as someone who can hold a grudge, surprising to no one the fact that Kamala can walk into that room and just not lose her shit. It's so crazy to me, I do. You see, you saw karen pence, though would not shake trump's hand or say hi to him, or she just completely ignored him can you blame her? Yeah, they were almost lynched because of that man.
Speaker 3:I mean, and he just like walks in and like nothing.
Speaker 2:Meanwhile he was talking to Obama like they were pals.
Speaker 1:And George Bush gave him a how you doing. Like a little flick it all shows you that it's a big game. Yes, it's a big. It's a big.
Speaker 2:I don't think it's a big game.
Speaker 3:It's a big game. It's a big game. It's a big game. It's a big game. These people are traveling together. They're going to each other's weddings.
Speaker 2:Who's these people?
Speaker 3:All of these ex-presidents and people.
Speaker 2:I agree with you, but I don't think. I think Trump is an outlier there. I don't think.
Speaker 3:Well apparently not. It was like they were all together.
Speaker 2:Well, that's because it's a state event.
Speaker 3:It's a state event, it's a state funeral. They all have to sit together. It could have been much more somber, like. It was very um.
Speaker 2:They were very familiar with each other that was not the first time that they were chatting. Well, michelle obama didn't go, she like refused to go. I want to tell you that, which I wouldn't go either we know you wouldn't go I'm in shock that donald trump didn't bring't bring Elon Musk instead of Melania. As his plus one. As his plus one. Could you imagine Elon Musk just jumping down the aisle?
Speaker 1:With his Asbury jump and it would have been amazing. And it would have been I think Trump knows it's all anybody would have talked about and like he didn't want to really steal everything from Jimmy Carter.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, I'm sure he's that considerate of other people.
Speaker 1:I was on the plane when this happened because you know I don't watch the news but, like, jimmy Carter's drive through Washington began at the same time that Donald Trump went and spoke at Mar-a-Lago he had a conference at the same time went and spoke at Mar-a-Lago he had a conference at the same time. So I was watching like that on the TV that had live, you know, on the back of the Delta chair, and it was just so crazy.
Speaker 2:Meanwhile didn't like Jimmy Carter have to like give up his peanut farm so that he could take office. Meanwhile, like Trump, is like slinging stakes in university courses and bankruptcies and hush money and et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Yes, yes, crazy. So Jimmy Carter would have loved that he was at his funeral. This guy who has a plane with his name on it, he who had to give up his peanut farm.
Speaker 1:Yeah, as someone who lived through the Jimmy Carter thing, so I will tell you what's really funny. So when you hear Jimmy Carter, it doesn't really mean anything to you. It's like me hearing. I was raised in my personal particular household that he was very bad, okay, so I lived through the Jimmy Carter administration and what was your takeaway when I hear Jimmy Carter, what do you hear?
Speaker 1:So right away in my head there's the blink of the Sadat and Menachem baking, shaking hands, that, that, that, and then right away, the next beep is hostages. When Jimmy Carter was in office back then there wasn't Instagram. It was every night you sat at the TV and watched the news. It was every night you sat at the TV and watched the news. And it began with today is the 320th day that the hostages are held in Iran and he never got them out and he had a failed attempt to get them out. And when I hear Jimmy Carter, it's synonymous with the words hostages and it's so crazy like his death. And now the hostages and, god willing, by the time this thing airs, they'll all be freed um and uh and and so to jimmy carter, to me is is hostages, is like I remember that it was such a how many people were in iran.
Speaker 1:It was a lot. They had a lot of hostages there and they were super innocent students and they were masked the whole time and it was so horrible. It was such a horrible thing to live through.
Speaker 3:Today we're like almost numb that there's hostages 53 United States diplomats and citizens were held hostage from Novembermber 4th 1979 to january 20th 1981 in iran, jesus that's how many years?
Speaker 1:over a year, a year and change. So yeah, two years um what?
Speaker 3:why was jimmy carter um very bad in your house?
Speaker 1:In your house. Well, you're from Georgia, so that didn't no, no, but this was.
Speaker 2:No, this was not from Georgia people. This was from when I lived in Florida. I don't know why I don't know, he was Democrat. Yeah, that's why Maybe that's why, yeah, the baby killer. Next question.
Speaker 1:Yeah, perrion, yeah period he was yeah, my parents were what? We call single issue voters and then Reagan came with all that charm and no second term for Jimmy Carter, all that charm, and killed it. He I mean we're like yes he was a personality hire right. Jimmy Carter. When he spoke he spoke softly, he spoke very nice and then he spoke very nicely. And then Reagan coming with zingers and jokes and he looked like you know Reagan was an actor. It was easy to look at, it was fun.
Speaker 3:Reagan, though he really dropped the ball, oh he dropped the ball.
Speaker 1:So when I think of Reagan. I think of AIDS yeah of course, yeah, it's the first thing, I think of Reagan, I think of AIDS, yeah, of course, yeah, it's the first thing I think of.
Speaker 3:I mean, hundreds of thousands of people died on his watch. Okay, that time I performed in Rotterdam. Can you finish this sentence?
Speaker 2:Oh, is that when you got really sick? No, don't say that.
Speaker 3:Why this is such a funny story.
Speaker 1:No, but I will tell you. I remember performing in Rotterdam and they had Rotterdam. Those of you who don't know it's like the background of the stage. You know, instead of a brick wall they had the skyline of Rotterdam. Rotterdam has a skyline. There are big buildings in Rotterdam because they had to rebuild Rotterdam after World War II, because they were going to fight the Nazis in Rotterdam and the Nazis destroyed them. So my opening line was it's great being here in Rotterdam with the skyline of Rotterdam brought to you by the luftwaffe, the german, the german air force, and that got a huge, huge bit like laugh. And but the other story is about it's not a good food poisoning.
Speaker 1:Next question it's not, it's not cute.
Speaker 3:I like this story of how you got the part in the Sopranos. I feel like this is not prominently featured on this podcast ever.
Speaker 2:I want to make a public admission here.
Speaker 3:Don't you dare. I've never seen the Sopranos. Oh my God, that is a crime against humanity.
Speaker 2:I know, I know. I know and you will love it will I because I've seen clips and like I get the references and I understand the characters, but I've never like watched do you like?
Speaker 3:like movies like goodfellas and that like, do you?
Speaker 2:you're like, do you have taste? Do you like goodfellas?
Speaker 3:do you like the best movie that's ever mafia movies he's not, I will tell you that much.
Speaker 1:He's not big on mafia movies. He's not. I will tell you that much he's not a big.
Speaker 2:I don't like watching people get whacked no you have to watch, I know, but there's so many episodes and like I never saw it, like while it was on, because I wasn't allowed to watch television, and so like then I was too late well, you were probably too little when it was on to watch it. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Like that was not appropriate. I'm just telling you like this show is.
Speaker 2:Iconic, it's like. It's like one of the best shows that's ever been on television, I know, not to mention that your husband is on the show. Yeah, would you like to tell us about your episode?
Speaker 1:How did I get the audition?
Speaker 3:I got the audition.
Speaker 1:It asked for jewelry jewelry salesperson and I didn't know that it was in a mall in New Jersey and so I thought it was jewelry would be in 47th Street and it says Jewish.
Speaker 3:I don't know if it's an israeli no, no, it didn't say israeli, it said jewish. It's a jewish jewelry salesman, was the description right you were selling tony I know what I did.
Speaker 1:I was selling tony and I had a whole like three pages of dialogue and then they cut it down to three lines. I always say I'm the only one that got whacked in the editing room. That's funny, but yeah, but I walked in and you know everybody's there and these are all for smaller parts, so they're just they're not looking to like if this is going to happen, it's going to happen. I walked in and I, right before I, found out it's not on 47th street and somewhere in whatever. So it wasn't a religious person selling jewelry, it's a diamond dealer. So it said that there was a diamond dealer. When I got the the the sides for it and I walked in and, with an israeli accent, I spoke to them. I go what kind of a diamond are you looking for? Is it religious? Is it not religious? Is it what kind of? And by the time I, by the time I left the building, they already called and I had the role because they wanted something authentic. Yeah, they thought I was.
Speaker 2:This is really not that I'm not more than once, I would say two or three times like Sanos, like mega fans have sent us pictures and like memorabilia that they want modi to sign and they're like. I have autographs from every single person who has ever been in any episode of the sopranos at all and I want you to like be a part of my collection no way that and um, oh that, and grand theft auto, grand theft.
Speaker 1:I was in grand theft auto what's that's a video game?
Speaker 3:it game, it's a video game.
Speaker 1:It's like the most popular video game of all time. Yeah, and people who are crazy fans have, like, found a way to get to me.
Speaker 3:What did you do in Grand Theft?
Speaker 1:Auto I was.
Speaker 2:He played a Hasidic Jew. Yeah, he voiced a Hasidic.
Speaker 1:Jew Actors Toolbox, method I had a method on that one inside the Actors Studio.
Speaker 3:Have you posted that clip of him from the Sopranos? No. Oh my God, it's so good, is it yes?
Speaker 1:I was so embarrassed that it was chopped down to nothing, are you?
Speaker 3:crazy, it is so great. First of all, guy and I watch the Sopranos like every four to five years.
Speaker 2:That's us, with Sex and the City or the Crown.
Speaker 1:I'm in the Crown again. I'm rewatching the Crown again.
Speaker 3:Have you watched the whole Sopranos?
Speaker 1:While it was happening.
Speaker 3:All right, listen, I don't know what to tell you. Should we try?
Speaker 1:it. We could. It's so good. No, but I get a lot of the soprano clips on Instagram and I always watch them, don't?
Speaker 2:And they're so satisfying, I have to pee again.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but we're running out of time. Well, we're done, we're actually finished, yeah.
Speaker 3:There's a whole gay thing in there. That's amazing.
Speaker 1:Who was gay in the Sanos um? You were next question on that. Note modi livecom for shows near. Yeah, I'm not gonna read off all the dates but there's a lot off the top of my head.
Speaker 1:By the time this hits, we're gonna be done with um houston and austin, and I'm sure the shows were mashiach energy baltimore, um los angeles, los angeles, I'm coming to you, oh my god, the the 20th of march. It's going to be an amazing show at the wiltern and then we have shows in baltimore in um las vegas, las vegas, las Vegas, las Vegas. Las.
Speaker 3:Vegas it's going to be great.
Speaker 1:Tampa Phoenix, toronto.
Speaker 3:Toronto.
Speaker 1:Buffalo.
Speaker 2:Pittsburgh Go to moricom.
Speaker 1:Find not only like, if it's near you, find it. If it's near a friend of yours, give them the link. Say Mori's coming to you, go watch him, get some tickets for a few friends. Be the friend that brings the friends. Are friends of the comedy show that's Mashiach Energy. Thank you, periel Ashen Brand, where you can look at her Instagram for whatever you need from her, and Leo Vega, thank you. Thank you very much, thank you.