Murray Hill Boy: Viral Skits, Real Talk & The Power of Being Yourself

0:00It's horrible. I mean, the whole point of a parent is to unconditionally love your child. So if your love has conditions, what kind of a parent are you? Yeah, no, I agree. I agree with you. And, you know, as a young person, like, my family support was so crucial at that time because I'm coming out to my high school. I'm dealing with like... It's an awkward time. You're 16. I'm going through puberty. I'm having my first sexual experiences. I'm dealing with the ignorance of kids my age. I couldn't imagine going through that and then coming home to a house where that ignorance was magnified by adults.

0:44Welcome back to the BILF pod where authenticity trumps authority. We are here with Max Cohen, who is digital creator, social media personality. Oh, stop. What else do you have under? Is there anything else I'm missing? No, that was the entire list. Oh, that's it? Yeah. Live speaker. Baller. Yeah. Part of the tribe. A co-hane. Future model. Yes. Entrepreneur. Voice of young Jewish people everywhere. I love that for you. You're just everything. A jack of all trades. And humble. And humble. I could tell. I get the vibe as soon as I see you. I love it. So, you know, my girlfriends follow you. And they showed me who you are.

1:19Like, we can resonate. We can have a long conversation. A really long conversation. In my past life, I was a Jewish stay-at-home mom with three sons. They all went to Michigan Ross. and my husband never sees me. I'm dead. I'm dead. But that was my past life. In this life, I'm 25. And a content creator. And a man. And a man. Okay, well, good. I'm glad that - With no kids. Okay, I'm glad that we are single? Single. Long walks on the beach? Yeah, sure. Short walks, anywhere. And just walks. We didn't have to walk. We could sit. Okay, I love it. We could sit inside. I'm dead. I'm easy. I'm easy. I'm so, you are hysterical.

1:53Now tell me, where did this like schtick come from? You like how you schtick? I like threw it in there. Yeah, no, I mean, it is a shtick. It's like the culmination of everyone I've ever met in my life. I have like a very Jewish upbringing and lucky to have a lot of friends and a lot of friends with parents. And I don't know, I'm just kind of like a sponge and I just soak in all the crazy people that I meet and just kind of spit it back out in this kind of funny, kind of realistic way. How many years ago did you start this, like the Murray Hill boy? It's been a year and a week. And how many seconds?

2:28You know this too? No, but I literally started middle of January of 2024. And just from a culmination of like different just experiences, because being Jewish is an experience. I mean, I was a, I did the school play once a year in like high school and middle school. So I guess I've always had that funny bone, comedic bone in me. But I was working at a law firm out of college as a paralegal and I couldn't stand it there. And my friends were like, you're pretty funny. Why don't you just make a TikTok video? Everyone's doing it. I was like, no, come on. That's so cringy. And I was very lucky that six videos in, I was going consistently viral.

3:07And three months later, I quit my job. What were they about, though? Do you know what they were about? So my first videos were just like me talking. And they were going pretty well. And then I was like, maybe I'll do a skit. So I did me in my flex bedroom, like put on lights, put on music in the background. then it was like the worst guy in the bar comes up to you. There's no cuts. It was off script. I was just making it up. And that got over a million views. And that was my first like skit ever. And I was like, wait a minute. This, this is something. And then about a month after that, I did my first Jewish mom skit ever.

3:38And that really blew me up. And here we are now. That's kind of my meat and potatoes. I do mom stuff. I do like washed up frappero stuff. But again, all just a reflection of, you know, who I am in my life. And were you in a frat? Of course I was. vice president close one more guess uh what zbt oh i should have known that should have known i mean it's a pie zbt sammy or tap as i discuss in half my videos but um yeah no i was apparel chair and social chair and vice president so you like literally how many years were you in college four four four four and i actually did not get a bid to my frat my freshman year why it's hard to say and I hate to speculate but it's likely because I was gay and that's not to say that they were like oh he's gay we're not giving him a bid but I went to Tulane there's only six frats there only two of them are Jewish it's super super competitive lots of nice Jewish boys every year who should get bids at other frats will not at Tulane just because it is so competitive and I just didn't have enough kids who were vouching for me I had some kids who liked me but the ones who didn't know me were like wait he's gay of course we're not gonna give him they never met me but they're like wow we have a gay kid a bit i was the first openly gay person to be in my frat at too late for you i love that i love that someone's got to do it listen you got to be the you couldn't be the token jew so now you had to be the right exactly exactly and it paid off for them i mean fast forward i end up you know running half the frat so there's a there's a lot the world can learn what'd you go to school for i was a double major in english and communications which is basically poetry and instagram but um i'll save my comments on if college is a scam or out for another time.

5:15But I loved every second of Tulane. Yeah. I think college, I mean, I'll tell you this, my take on college, I don't think college is for everybody. Yeah. I think certain people can go to college and get life skills from it. And then there's certain people or certain kids that just don't need it. Yeah. I mean, listen, if you can afford it, do it. Yeah. You know, everyone grows socially. I think especially in the more modern world we're living in, like, I don't know any friends who are like, oh, like, thank God I went to college because I'm learning, I'm using that in my job. Like, it's no one. I've never used it.

5:44You learned everything on the first two weeks of your job, and then you learned everything for your new job from your last job. I didn't even go in my major. I was supposed to be a lawyer. So was I. Of course. You know why? Because we like to argue. That, and why? We look good in heels. Yes, and? What's the only job that we only know? What do our parents say growing up? Oh, yeah, lawyer, doctor, banker. That's it. Yeah, and I can't do math. So there goes doctor and banker. Yeah, well, I couldn't. Yeah, I can't be a banker. I really can't count. I can barely get to 100. And then lawyer, yes, it would have been great.

6:11just there was no money and doctor I don't like blood so it wasn't gonna work. Yep. And sales but I do sales. You know how our parents feel about sales people. Yeah. Not a good topic. Yeah no. No. It was like frowned upon. Well you know how they feel about content creators so. Oh god your parents my mom's still guilting me to go to law school. Still to this day. My parents know better than to mention it but all the moms in my comments whenever I like share my story they're all the comments like there's still time to go back to law school and it's like that was a backhanded insult but thank you for the advice Debbie yes Nancy yeah Cheryl fucking Debbie Nancy and Cheryl so true so tell me you like the minute you walked in you can tell that you're what you see is what you get oh yeah like I don't think you hold back ever no holding back punches no absolutely not nothing zero right like zero filter oh no come on life's too short I love that about you but are you you're unapologetically you you gotta be if you're not the world's gonna chew you up and spit you back out so you and obviously there's a lot of critics mmhmm a lot of people I mean, I'm a gay Jewish man posting comedic content in a post-October 7th world.

7:15So the critics are plentiful. So how do you kind of navigate through the haters? Okay. One, these apps do give you real-life tools to combat hate comments. Like, I have any—you can block certain keywords. So Palestine, Gaza, genocide, baby murderer, Holocaust, oven, soap bar. Any negative word you could think of to describe a Jewish person is already blocked. Cheap? well I mean I'll save that because like sometimes that could be used in like a yeah so I can't get too crazy or there'd be no comments on my posts but so I have the real life tangible tools that Instagram and TikTok are giving me to help with that but you know a lot of people get creative they'll spell they'll spell genocide with a zero so now it's making it through or they'll just say something that's about me personally but why would I focus on the three hate comments I'm getting on a post when that same post has 400 like love this so much so you have to choose where to put your energy and I what I've learned through doing content is I'm gonna put my energy and what's coming back to me in a positive way so I don't focus on the negative and to the people who don't like me press the block button yeah why do they I love that people who has time to go on your page if they don't like you why are they on your page it's so counterintuitive because obviously the algorithm is going to take that comment and then push me out to more people so it's like they're using me to vent but they're also helping me and it's just like scroll scroll you're on the toilet moving your thumb anyway don't waste your time and certainly don't waste mine yeah it makes no sense you know it's funny my daughter actually is gonna i'm up here because my daughter wants to go to school up here so we're looking at colleges and she wants to go into content creation so i want to know for the new i feel like your generation is very like content creation oriented do you think it's for everybody content creation or is it for like a like a certain type of person okay one who am i to tell you what to do with your dreams if you want to do it go for it i'm the biggest believer in like take that leap take that risk without that mentality i would have never left the law firm i was working at it's a difficult space to be in as a woman i'm friends with a lot of content creators and their comment sections are filled with comments on their appearance and their body and their attitude and their voice i post the same exact video no one's going to say that yeah and it's not because i'm anything special it's just the world we live in um but if you think you have something special, you may as well try it out.

9:30And if no one sees your videos and it flops, then no one saw your video and you really have nothing to lose. I would just say certain parts of the market are really oversaturated, but so is the corporate world. So no difference there, but just make sure you're bringing something that you're not seeing right now. Yeah. Something original. There's always going to be someone younger. There's always going to be someone better. There's always going to be somebody with more money who has better camera equipment. So if there's other yous out there, find out what really makes you, you. And for me, that was being, you know, a gay Jewish kid who was in a frat but who likes to make jokes.

10:02And as long as you have a really strong sense of self, you'll be fine. So, you know, I love that you're very open about being gay. A lot. Look, we think as a woman, you would think that we're in a very progressive world. And I'm sure as a gay man, you would think we're not. I feel like we're just not as we've come. We've come away, but not like a really long way so how you know people have a lot of opinions a lot of opinions so how do you yeah so that's the other specifically so that's the other half of my world on the internet is right so you got the jew comments and the gay comments exactly god forbid the people who don't like gay jews they're they're out for me done absolutely done say goodbye but um i mean listen gay marriage was legalized in 2015 i was 15 years old so i remember when that happened i was like wait what it's not already illegal?

10:51I was like, that's crazy. So there are definitely moments in history and in politics that remind me we're not as far along as we think. But again, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Bringing a new voice into a space that doesn't have it makes you a really valuable person. So I think when you grow up, you wish you were the same as everybody else. I hate that I'm so different. I hate that I'm gay. But as I age, I'm like, oh, it's so my superpower. The new perspective I can bring to things, the way that I can kind of communicate with both genders, the way that I can kind of get to like my, all my friends are straight guys, but the way that I can understand them in like other ways that other people might not.

11:28I'm like, this is such a blessing and a gift. Like, why would I wish it away? But in terms of responding to hate, it's like, give me a break. You think I'm choosing to be gay? Like, what the hell? Who would choose to make their life so fucking difficult? Certainly not me. I think people don't understand that. That's a big argument I've had with many friends is that, you know, people, gay people shoot. I'm I'm like, why would I choose it? What do you say? I could have a beautiful girlfriend right now and my life would be a lot easier. Would you say you're born like this? I mean, it's not, listen, it's up to each individual person how they want to define it.

11:57I'm not going to speak for every single person. Surely I was born this way because one, no one's raising their kids to be gay. Every children's movie, a princess falls in love with a prince. Everything you learn in school is about straight people. So you're not raised gay. You're not choosing to be gay. Like, come on. Yeah, and why focus on it? Why is everybody so focused on it? That's just a part of who you are. But let's talk about all the other stuff that you're doing. People are afraid of what they can't understand. Like, I couldn't tell you. I couldn't tell you. No, people are just, I just think, like, when I look at society and you think that we're in this progressive 2025 world, we're not as progressive as people think we are.

12:31We're not. I mean, listen, we're making steps forward. So it depends how you look at it. Yeah, that's a good way. Yeah, I don't think so. I think we're just kind of stagnant right now. More now so than ever before, you see how just everything that's going on in the world, you see the prejudice of people really come. It's always been there, but it hasn't been so abundantly obvious. It's two steps forward, one step back. I think especially with the way our politics is going, regardless of your views, both ends of the spectrum are getting so polarized. And I do think there is a silent majority in the middle where the majority of people could agree on everything.

13:03But we let these voices that are like big on social media and news kind of like dictate what we think other people are thinking. But in reality, that's just not true. Those are just outliers who just are talking for profit of their own. I agree. So my hope, my prayer is that somewhere in the middle is 80 % of our country, which is just like not caring about what the person next to them is doing. I certainly don't. Yeah, who cares? Do whatever you want. It's a free country. That's why I live here. But you know what's really funny? And I think you and I are very similar. Like if you cannot make funny yourself, we've come to a society where people are so afraid.

13:37Like back, I'll tell you, when I went to school, if you got bullied, like not that I'm not a fan of bullying, okay? I'm not a fan. bullying didn't make me a little stronger but you had to go to school the next day and then you fight the bully and it's over with like it's done with 100 but now everybody and if you cannot make fun of yourself yeah it also it removes the power from the people who are trying to bring you down when you say it doesn't affect me watch i'll do it to myself or you know just it's it's it's really a skill that is a little bit of a lost art truthfully as you said yeah of course but you have to be able to make fun of yourself.

14:15Is that where your content created? Is that where it came from? Yeah, of course. Make fun of myself, make fun of my surroundings, make fun of my upbringing. I did a video on Bernie Madoff robbing families in 2008. Where do you think that came from? Me being sat down by my parents in 2008 saying, we're leaving the country club. Yeah, was it traumatizing in the moment? Maybe. I don't really know what was going on. Looking back, if you can't laugh at it, you're going to go through life just carrying around this emotional baggage that A, is going to be a burden to you and B, other people are going to pick up on that.

14:41Wait, your parents were leaving the country club? Obviously. You have to talk about this, right? I mean, I don't know how much I'm gonna get into it, but I'm from the Long Islands, and I'm from the South Shore, so there's many, many people. Wait, where are you from? Five towns. Yeah. I mean, I say the five towns. I'm from East Rockaway, which is like the unofficial sixth town, but no one ever knows what that is. But yeah, I mean, many, many people knew Bernie Madoff and his family personally, and many people invested with them, so it was like a culture shock to my whole world when that happened because everyone and their mother lost all their money.

15:07And that was the whole skit? How many views did you get on that? between Instagram and TikTok probably like around like 400 ,000 that is so crazy what's your favorite what was like your favorite skit that you got oh it's like picking one of my children um and why did you do it tell me your favorite one and like why did why why would you so my favorite one is my first Jewish mom one ever and it's my favorite because I made that one up on the spot tell me about it I was like home for a Jewish holiday me and my friends were bored I was still like I very much had my full time job working as a paralegal but I was dabbling more in my content creation and I was like what if I threw on one of my mom's sweaters with stars on it.

15:41And my friends, because we're all home doing nothing, like, recorded me. So there's this, like, loop we call it in my neighborhood that has, like, all the nicest houses. And I was like, let's just walk around the loop and I'll just say random things that come to my mind and, you know, we'll see if we can make a video out of it. So that one was fun for me because it was so improv, it was so unplanned, and it just kind of organically happened. What'd you talk about? I was like, I mean, I made up hypothetical situations that a mom would talk about to her friend on a walk. So I was like, oh my God, did you hear what happened at the shiva?

16:06Oh, this bar mitzvah they cheaped out on the photographer. This couple, the husband's cheating on her and he's sleeping in the Hamptons house now because they're about to get a divorce. This daughter is getting bullied at a Timberlake. Just all the things I've been hearing my whole life. And that went, you know, mega viral. But now my videos are so scripted and so rehearsed. I miss when it was like that. But to maintain the level of growth, you have to keep upping your aunties. So the production value needs to increase with my following. So now what are you focusing on? I mean, all the same kind of stuff.

16:35I'm always looking to, I follow the calendar year. So when frat rush was happening, it was all frat videos. When the Jewish holidays happened, it's Jewish holidays. I did a spring break one because it was spring break. So a lot of my content is what I think will resonate with people when they're actually watching it. And I'm also trying to always flesh out new characters, get further into my character stories. I have this like recreation of my real family, which is like the Coens. It's Lisa the mom, Larry the dad, and Max and Sammy, their kids. And those characters have like fully developed backstories now.

17:04Now they have friends. They have problems. So it's been really fun for me to kind of play in that space and breathe life into these completely fictional people. Where are you going? Are you trying to get picked up by a network? Do you have a podcast? Am I trying to get picked up by a network? I don't know. You tell me. Maybe. Maybe if anyone's watching. So if anybody's watching, Max is available. I'm in a really exciting place in my career right now. No, my career. I'll double down. In my career right now where there's so many opportunities on the rise. I mean, my team can't even keep up with our inbound requests.

17:39There's more than I could possibly do, whether that's brand deals or podcasts or speaking engagements or charitable Jewish work or connecting with Jewish teens or speaking out about gay stuff or talking about being a content creator. And there's also people reaching out who are interested in TV or acting or stage work. Where do you want to go? That's the question. I will say, you know, I don't exist in the real world yet. I'm getting into my live speaking appearances, but the majority of what I'm doing is on people's phones. So when I do make that leap into their real lives, whether it's a bigger screen or a stage, I want to be super, super cautious and intentional with how I make that transition.

18:19So right now, I'm sort of weighing out all my options, seeing what's going to align best with my values and also seeing what's going to, you know, match up with my career goals. but whether it's stand-up comedy or Broadway or a TV show, I'd be blessed to have any of those come to fruition. I'm fielding. I'm fielding what's out there. I want somebody who really aligns with all of my values as a person and as a creator. I love that. I think that is the most authentic and intentional answer I've heard in a long time. So you, with what you're doing, content creation I think is a great platform, especially if you have a message.

18:54So if you had to, and I'm sure you have a platform, Like what is your underlying platform? Like what are you trying to get out there? So before I answer that, I will just openly say for me, content creation was always an ends to a means. I don't think I'm someone who 50, 10 years from now, I'm still going to be doing content the same way that I am. What's so amazing about the world we live in is with no money, with no team, with no production value, you can, you know, use your own talents and catapult yourself anywhere you want to go. Yeah. So that to me is the most amazing thing about content.

19:26But of course, it has become this really, really meaningful platform to me. And the message I try to get across is be yourself. Whoever you are, you got to be yourself. There's so much value you bring to this world that you don't realize because you're blind to it. But we all are so unique. We all have things that make us different. Whatever that is, dive into it. 100 % be you. And then, of course, especially in the world we're living in right now, be a proud Jew. Be a proud Jew because no one else is going to do it. We all need to count on each other. And, you know, if you're in a place where it's safe and you're able to do that, 100 % do it.

20:06I think it's hard. I, you know, as a Jewish person, this is the first time I think I've come out and like us talking right now. I think that it's you're more worried about what everybody else is thinking. because, you know, Jews have this stigma or this, you know, unpopular name right now. So being a proud Jew, I'm very happy that you said that as a young Jewish person because in your generation, and I know with my kids, my kids are not very proud to be Jewish. My son had his bar mitzvah. He's going to be 15, so a year and a half ago. And he was mortified when I asked for the addresses because, you know, we have to send them.

20:43You can't do the E. You have to send them. You know this. So we sent the invites. and my son did not want to give me his friends' addresses because he didn't want to explain to them the ceremony and then the party. He was super embarrassed by it. Yeah. I mean, listen, I understand right now as a young person it feels difficult to be Jewish, but this too shall pass. Our people always persevere. And again, I think the majority of people have no issue with Jews. You're just seeing certain voices that are getting highlighted and blown up online that are making it seem like everyone's out to get us.

21:16When in reality, it's a bunch of unemployed people and a bunch of college kids who, you know, are a major in genocide in the Middle East, which is a major that they invented two years ago. Yeah. In, you know, so I'm sorry that your son feels that way. And, you know, I can't relate to it exactly because I just had a very Jewish upbringing and all my friends were always Jewish. But it's a shame. But I think, you know, with age comes perspective. And I'm not someone who grew up very Jewish at all. but as I've grown up I've really leaned in and sort of found that part of myself again in light of what's been going on I'm like this is fucking ridiculous yeah and it's community I mean it's community I think it's much more than a religion and I don't think that people understand that either I mean it's probably that's a separate conversation but it's so much more than a religion is it a religion is it a race is it an ethnic religion is it but I think community is a good word that sort of hits on every part of the definition of the word absolutely and that is the biggest thing about Jews is that we are community and we resonate with one another I mean look at me on this podcast It's because you're Jewish.

22:15And it's because you're Jewish. That's why. This is literally the first time. I knew it was going to go that way. Yeah, I'm like that. It's the first time that I've talked about really being Jewish because of the stigma and because I haven't made it. So I was kind of, which is weird because I am a very, I was always, I come from a religious family. My uncle was a rabbi. My grandfather was a rabbi. Yeah. Yes. Reformed, but religious, okay? so I grew up this way and not having in when and my kids actually are half Israeli my ex-husband will take some of this b-roll my ex-husband is Israeli so I love Israel I've been to Israel many many many times I was there last year in April when Israel was bombed by Iran so I took my kids there their grandmother died I'm very close to my ex-husband and before that happened And ironically, like I was sitting here not even saying anything as this is going on.

23:12Everything is going on and feeling like this insecurity. And I've always been like Queen Jew, like not, you know, never, ever been at a place. But I never thought, you know, growing up, I saw these Holocaust survivors. And they'd come into the synagogue. And you hear these stories. And you're like, oh, my. Like it just didn't. Like you hear them. You know that it happened. but I never thought that in my time that I would have to tell my children put your Jewish star away. Put it away. Don't advertise it. And my kids don't look Jewish. They're dark. They look Spanish, Hispanic. And never in my time did I ever think that I'd have to tell my kids do not advertise that we're Jewish.

23:51It gives you the context for understanding how things like the Holocaust came to fruition because you look back and you're like how did this happen? And then like I'm not comparing what's happening now to the Holocaust at all but you can start to see how the seeds get planted and how people who were once neutral are now being, you know, influenced to feel a certain way. And of course, it's all based on lies. And it's exactly what, you know. I'm just proud that you have come out and that you have said something. I don't know if you saw Gal Gadot. Did you see her speak? Gal Gadot came out and said, like literally came out two weeks ago and she was at a conference and she said, hi, my name is Gal Gadot.

24:24I am an Israeli and I'm Jewish. And she goes, let me say it again. My name is Gal Gadot and I'm an Israeli and I'm Jewish. and it feels weird to even say that. And I used to be so proud of who I am. Well, you still should be. Yeah, I shouldn't say used to. I am proud of who I am. But the last few years, you become self-conscious of being Jewish. When before, I grew up with all Jews. I grew up from Plantation, Florida, all Jews. But now you think, like I said, we're in this progressive society, but we have not progressed. people still all these Miss Nomads all these prejudices have come to the surface I have seen people that I know personally all of a sudden their prejudices are really to the surface and you see that we have not moved forward since 1946 we have not and it's a time right now where the world should be united not separated what's going on so I am just saying that I am very proud as a young Jewish person that you are so proud to be who you are unapologetically and that you that you speak about it?

25:27I mean, for me, it's not a safety concern. I'd sooner die of being a proud Jew than I'm going to live a life hiding who I am. Whether it's Jewish or gay or loud or charismatic and good-looking, whatever I am, you're getting it 24-7. Where did this come from, this confidence? Because you got two strikes against you, a gay Jew. It came from necessity. I was a very, very quiet kid growing up. I was bullied at school. I was bullied at camp. I was in a weird bunk at camp. and you have a choice. Are you going to let everybody walk all over you? Are you going to say something? Be who you are and shut them up.

26:02And I think I learned really quickly that people will respect you more for being yourself than they will for pretending to fit in as someone you're not. Imposter syndrome. People smell unauthentic. In every environment I've been in, whether it was camp or my high school or my frat, I found success when I was unapologetically myself. I found misery and unhappiness and isolation when I was pretending to be something that I wasn't. Were your parents supportive when you came out? Oh, my God. They knew from a very young age. I mean, I wrote a musical when I was nine years old called It's Okay to Be Different.

26:33I mean, they were like, yeah, no shit, Max. So, I mean, were they supportive when I was four years old? I have no clue. But certainly by the time that I was 16, which is when I came out, which is pretty young, they had obviously rationalized and come to terms with it. But my mom's a psychologist, so she was ready for it. and I'm one of three sons and our middle son is Jewish, is gay also. So if they weren't okay with me being gay, they would have been in a world for hate when son number two comes out as gay. Wow. So I've been very, very lucky and blessed that my parents are so supportive in everything I do.