Fred Armisen

27:24You're like, no, this is the way it's got to be. Yes. And very like, I mean, so much of it, I feel like in your twenties is like rejecting some version that you think if you're not careful, you'll turn into. Yes. And playing punk is such a true expression of that, of like being like, I'm not going to be that person. Absolutely. I always find that interesting that like bands have to keep reinvesting in the band, like every couple of years, like, and I can relate. Cause it felt that way with like sketch, like you were in a group and you were like, no, let's, and then, you know, certain people would like get opportunities and you'd have to decide like, no, I'm doubling down.

28:00I'm staying with the band. And then you'd see other success happening and you'd think like, it's because we're not like, it was like, we need to be more committed for that success to happen. But sometimes that isn't always the case. It's so. It's exactly that. Yeah. That's so funny. So you went through the same thing. I did with UCB because we had to, you know, we were like, you know, we were like doing shows and people were trying to, you know, cherry pick us or like, and you had to just keep like, you had to just keep like renewing the contract. Yeah. Or renewing the goal. Yeah. Renewing the goal.

28:34Well, now as long as we're this, now if we get on this label or whatever. And we were in Chicago at the same time, like all that, like Smashing Pumpkins Lizbeth, like, ah, so cool. So cool.

28:50Okay, so you're there, you're in the band. You're like, we're close, but we're not quite there yet. Then you, how does joining Blue Man Group happen? Oh, well, you know, I have to give credit to my wife at the time, Sally. She's in this band, the Mekons. And she was kind of a little bit like, if you're going to do stuff, you have to sort of open up to not just being in this one band they were coming to chicago and i auditioned i went to this rehearsal space what was it were you just drumming for the audition is that all did you have to do anything else i was drumming and they were like uh the there were other musicians they're kind of playing and they were they did a thing where they're like do a fill but don't end on the one so usually you know you know you do a fill and it's like a resolve that's very predictable.

29:44They're like, make it a little, which is kind of like what Trench Mouth was like anyway. It was a little jagged. So then I got it. Then they, they had a series of drummers, different rotations of bands. Yeah. And it was like my first showbiz paycheck. What was it like? Like how, was it like a Broadway run? You had to be performing all the time? Did you, you rotated? I rotated. So there was a full-time drummer and I would, I would play like two or three shows a week or something out of whatever eight what was it like it was fantastic what was your favorite part i've never i never saw the blue man group but i was they were such a big oh we'll pull it up let's pull it up is there footage of you in the blue man group i wonder i wonder but what was your favorite part of the show you know how like it's always like oh i like that song oh i like that moment i like when the opening so like uh the opening like the first there's just three blue men uh on these paint drums and they do their own thing and then the band kicks in when they're done and it's it was great because it we were lit by blue you know those black light yeah and so we had like stick figure drawings on us on our costumes and there's a stick player a zither player so we'd start playing and that was just like it really felt like a big proper beginning of a show very loud huge drum kit huge really yeah i went through training for it.

31:06I trained a little bit in Boston, in New York, and it made my drumming better. It was really frenetic and crazy. And I really loved it. I learned a lot. And the dumb question, but like, is like, what was the makeup application and removal like? Well, for me. For people who don't remember, you had to paint yourself blue. Yeah. But the band didn't. The band And we had like – Oh, that's great. We painted like sticky – Like sort of, you know, on our hands and like – But easy to get off. Easy to get off with water. The blue men had like a bald cap that went over their ears. Uh-huh. And layers of like glow-in-the-dark paint, then blue paint.

31:47Wow. And they had a lot. They had like blue gloves on. That was a real ordeal. And then the rest of the time they would walk around with like – they'd always have a little blue in their nose and ears. and they were like interesting people you know they're like all kind of i would say like juggler performance artist athlete those types like those perfect you know like perfectly fit people yes who also drummed so they were really great to be around okay so then you do that and then there's so much that happens after that, but you create this video series that pre-SNL that is a version of a character that you played interviewing musicians.

32:33And you kind of play this like hilarious German interviewer who knows nothing about the bands. Yeah. Or is very mean to bands because we experienced it all the time. And I don't think they meant to be mean. I think they just, that's their, where they are is that they would always tell us how poorly we were doing you know they'd always say like oh your group is not so good uh fugazi was here a week ago and it was very crowded and that's not so crowded today and it was just based on that it was so genius because it didn't it didn't expect much of the musicians like the musicians could just kind of play it real and you were steering like you were doing the comedy basically but what was so fun is watching all these musicians who and realizing that a lot of them were very naturally funny.

33:20That like, that was so fun is watching them make choices with your character. Yes. Steve Albini did it. A bunch of people, Bob from Pavement. Yeah, I got, it was, I just put a video together. I mean, that was back when you just like filmed it and made a - Ask someone to edit it. Can you edit this? No concept of money. You're like, I don't even know. You know, just like, can you do it? Yeah. And then they did it. And then they gave it back to you and you carried it around. Thank you. And then that's what existed. I mean, to like age us, I don't know if this was like when you started in 2003, but in 2001 at SNL, there was still, when we wanted to do an impression, you'd have to go.

34:02VHS. Get a VHS tape. Yep. Can you believe it? No. And they'd tape it off the Today Show or TV. And then you'd get a big bulky tape that you would. And you'd put in a VCR and you'd watch like six minutes of whatever thing that they had. and they'd have tapes and tapes of people that you were impersonating. This is so funny talking to you about all this because I've, you don't need to put this in, but like I've known you for so long. I know. And to talk about Blue Man Group actually makes me like, it jumps like a track in my head of like, oh yeah, we've never talked about Blue Man Group. We've never talked about it.

34:38We talked about it very briefly, but everybody's road to where they get is so circuitous. Like one different change and we're not where we are. But I would say, Freddie, more than anyone I know, you know that every day. Like, you really know every day. Like, I can't believe I got here. Like, you say it. Yeah. You live your life that way. Yeah. Like, what are we doing here? Every bit of it. Yeah. Standing on that stage, auditioning for SNL, that already felt like this is insane. Yeah. whatever from blue man group to be here in front of Tina. Yeah. How'd you get the audition? Through Marcy Klein.

35:22Yeah. She found a producer on the show. Marcy Klein. She found a video of like all the stuff that I'd done. Yeah. And she showed, she made Lauren watch it. And then they called me in. Wow. Insane. And you were like, you know, 30 what when you auditioned? Three, 32. Yeah. I was 33. And I was 30 when I got the show. And I just wonder, like, there's something about having a little bit of life before that really helped. I appreciated it so much. Also because I'd been through being in the band for so long so that I mean it. Like, it all felt like icing. The whole thing felt like, ah, this is, I was just in the van, you know?

36:05Yeah. Whatever. maybe five years before that it felt very like oh this is all even with like the money part of it yeah where some people would say like that's not a lot to get paid for your first year i was like are you kidding me to me it was so much money yeah to me it felt like a million dollars yeah yeah and it was a million dollars and it was a million dollars fred insisted on a million dollars a week and it almost took the show down i asked but i asked really nicely i was like please come Come on, come on. Give me a break. Come on, man. Come on, Lauren. Give me a break. Come on. It's just me.

36:40It's me. Your friend, Fred. What are you going to do? Spend it? Come on. Lauren, look at me. Buddy. And you're like, all right. I feel like a lot of people that got on SNL have, like, evidence when they were younger of, like, see you on SNL or, like, writing in their journals. Like, was it a dream growing up? Did you watch the show and think, I want to be on it? the relationship I had to SNL was I watched it all the time yeah but I really connected to the b-52s and Devo and Talking Heads like and I'm not saying it in a way that's like uh hey I just only like the bands I'm saying that like Lauren was communicating with me these bands that he had on I did feel like I there's something I understood about the show and then like Mr.

37:26Bill and and And every like the sketches, but also like the bands on there. I was like, that must be fun. Yes. That's kind of was like, and then as the years went on, when Mike Myers was on was more of a like, I felt like that was a direct message of like, there's got to be some way to, I felt like we were speaking the same language. Ooh. Have you ever told Mike Myers that? I think I might've told him. Yeah. But. But it's a good way to put it. Yeah. Like that sketch, Sprockets, was a favorite sketch of mine before I'd even seen it. Someone described it and I was like, what is going on over there?

38:07So then you make, you're on SNL, you like, some of my most fun memories of being on that show is doing bits with you when we weren't on, when we weren't on camera and the in-betweenness of that job. Like I'll never have anything like it. The talk about luxury of time, like just the amount of time wasted, not even wasted amount of time, the amount of time, like thinking about sketches and talking about stuff and fucking around basically, which is like the most, which is like, that was the preciousness of it. Oh, that's the, I have a million memories of it too. And of you, it's for me to even describe bits you've done.

38:52It doesn't do it justice. I knew I was going to describe all your bits and that was like, it's like inside jokey. Yeah. It's like too difficult to even, but I remember like voices and faces you've done, who knows where in some dressing room somewhere for no reason. And it's the funniest times of my life. Same. And, and what I love about and always loved about playing around with you is, and I'm just going to say it, Freddie. I do think that you and I share this, which is we definitely liked, we wanted to not forget that we were having a good time. Like we really, it matters to us. It matters to us that we don't forget the joy part and all of the other hard stuff.

39:37We don't love a complainer. No. You and I do not love a complainer. That's a real crime. If SNL is a microcosm of life, you can spend your whole life figuring out what you don't have. You can, you can, it doesn't matter how much you have, you can focus on what you don't have. You sure can. And the more you talk about what you don't have, like the more you. It's wild. I know. I've met some real complainers. Me too. And it's really shocking. It isn't really interesting when I'm complaining, because we always, we all complain. But when I find myself complaining, I'm like, ooh, something's off. Yes.

40:11Something's off. Like not other people. I'm off. I'm trying to get better at spotting it. Because sometimes you fool yourself into, like, this isn't really a complaint. And like, well, that might actually be a complaint. But I don't think of you as conflict diverse, but you don't love conflict. No. So let's say you're doing, let's say you're getting ready for your tour. And like the lights aren't working the way you want them to work. and you don't, and you're like, hey, can we adjust the lights? And it still isn't working. What do you do next? Um, I, let's say. So Fred, you have a very intense light show and you're like, here's how the lights go.

40:55And then you've run it and the lights aren't working and you're like, okay. And then, okay, I'm just going to talk out this talk, this thought experiment. And then the show happened. You're like, just make sure that the blues come up at the right time. They don't. What do you do? Oh, well, if it's hour to hour, day to day, it's gone. I really do treat it like a page that's turned. I'm like, oh, that didn't work out. But to your point, let's say if I'm being asked too much, are you okay? All good? See, we're very... You know, and I'm like, how do you tell someone? I know exactly because I've done it.

41:33This is where Fred and I are a little different. I've said, I notice you're asking me a lot. Fred hates this. This is where, because I, you hate, I don't think you like this, this direct conflict. I envy it. I wish I could do it. I wish I could be a little less direct because sometimes I feel like it comes on too strong. But I would say, I'm noticing that you're asking, is Fred so uncomfortable even as i've i've said like okay i think about it like when i'm in like i'm getting my um let's say you're getting your hair like i'm getting my hair done for a scene and you know if you're doing like if you're doing a couple days on a new show that new people they don't exactly know what you like and they're trying to like you know figure out like or they're giving you a hairdo or whatever i've had very nice people be like just checking in Do you like, is this working?

42:24And I'll say, I notice that you're asking a lot. I promise you, I won't suffer if I don't like something. You'll know. If I don't like something, I'll let you know. But I have to nip it in the bud because it makes me insane. Because are you okay? Are you okay? Are you mad? Are you okay? It makes me nuts. It makes you nuts too. But what do you do instead? For me, I just sort of, I know that it's temporary. and I think, well, the next tour, that person isn't, they'll be on, they'll be doing that to somebody else and maybe that other person loves it. I'm not saying that the way that I do it is correct.

43:00Same. I just sort of gently, like, if it's like on water, like the little boat just goes the other way. And you go, shh, shh, shh. I'm okay. Now I'm okay. And then they, then they're off. Yeah. But I'm like, I can get my own things. I can get my water. I can get to be asked if, you know. Yeah. But now that sounded like complaining. That was very complaining of me. No, that was not complaining of you. You never, ever complain. That would be a funny sketch you should have done where you were like the head of the complaint department and you were like, what? Are you joking? You have a complaint? You've got a job in show business and there's a problem of some kind?

43:43God, it's true though. And that's what's fun about working at a place like SNL is you have someone come through Every week is a new guest. They're really vulnerable. When people are vulnerable, they're kind of, they're like, a lot of stuff comes up. And when people are scared, they get, they act all different kinds of ways. And you kind of see like this very human moment where people feel vulnerable and sometimes they misbehave. Oh, yes. And it's like, and also often they're, often they're great. Often they're great. You don't have to put this in. You probably won't, but your reaction to some hosts, oh my God.

44:22It's delicious. It's the best thing in the world. Like you really, I just, I'm like, you said this, not even like actually, and you're not insulting to them. You just put it in a way that is so good. You're like, no, no, no. And I'm like, oh, that's exactly what's happening. I mean, people are audacious. Yeah. Outrageous. Outrageous. I mean. And people ask it like in interviews, like, who's been the worst host of best? And I always keep it. Same. I wouldn't. Well, what am I going to. Yeah. That's the most low hanging. That's a why. Yeah. Why would I ever say that? But I have a lot of thoughts.

45:01Yeah. Oh, yeah. I have a lot of thoughts. And I do. I mean, I've actually tried to work on it because I like that's my stuff is like I like to be like paying attention to like detective-y like, you know, like, like I hate that part of myself. that's very like, you did it right, you did it wrong. But I pay attention. Yeah, yeah, you do. And I won't forget. Like I remember, I'm like, I remember that you were not very nice or I remember that you were very late. Tina has a good memory for that stuff too. That's Tina and I that were like yummy food. We're just like yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum.

45:36That's our favorite food. We're like yum, yum, yum, yum. Oh, we love it so much. And that's what I mean is bad behavior is sometimes kind of fun because I'm like, holy shit. My favorite feeling sometimes in the world is when someone's acting badly and you can feel everybody else like watching them and just like, I can't wait to talk about this. It's like telepathy. And it's almost like everyone's waiting for the moment to be done. Everyone's like, let this finish up until they leave the room. And there's a little electricity. And no one's looking at each other. Everyone's like, uh-huh. And you're just like, I'm just trying to remember every moment.

46:11Yeah. So I can, I know. And try to have like a face that's like, oh, and then. I know. But I've, but in general, like, and I think you would say the same thing. Like every, I found people to be awesome to work with. And like, who did you meet on SNL that like, you just think about now and you're just like, they just met what you thought they'd be like. Like you just, you think about them and love them. Do you mean like hosts? Anyone. Hosts or people that came in to do a bit or old cast members. Like for example, I'll give you one right now. I didn't really know Lorraine Newman that well. She's great.

46:46I hung out with her at the 50th. Fuck, she's so cool. She's so cool. I knew she would be cool, and I didn't really get a chance very much to talk to her over the years. And she's the fucking coolest. She is the coolest. Excuse my language. That's okay. Lorne. Yes. You and Lorne had a really, you have a very sweet relationship. How would you define it? How would you explain it? Both fans. I think he's a fan as well. Whenever he describes, because I grill him all the time on musical guests, he is, you know how some people are like, I don't know what you're talking about? Yeah. He knows what I'm talking about.

47:23Mm-hmm. Who do you talk, like, I mean, there was an amazing Questlove doc about all the musical guests. Oh, yeah. But if you can remember, like, who were like the, you know, I'm thinking of like Elvis Costello's performance. Oh, The Specials. The Specials. was the best thing I've ever seen of a musical guest. Why was it? Because for me, I'm from Long Island, you know, so we were like Long Island and everyone had kind of like longer hair and these guys with these little suits and crew cuts, this like energetic band running off the stage when they were done. That really blew me. Hold on. I want to watch it again with you right now.

48:04I have a laptop. I've watched it so much. There's a song called Gangsters. I wonder if you'll find it It's right here. Look at the drummer. It's like back straight.

48:18Jumping around. Holding a machine gun.

48:24Yeah, they're so cool. Did you like drummers that played like this? Yeah. I like, Clemberk was that way. Really good posture. Clemberk? From Blondie. The Blondie drummer. My favorite drummer ever. Really? Oh, yeah. And really like my suit. I think he had a turtleneck on SNL. Just really like, you know, placed on the drum throne. Loved it. And Blondie was great on SNL, Devo, and the B-52s really like. That was like, I remember that was the first moment of like, oh, there are weirdos in the world. Yes. And like, talk about full circle. at the SNL 50th, you get to play with B-52s and Devo. What was that like?

49:10It was like the top, like the very crystallized top of a mountain. Like I, it's almost scary because I was like, that's it. Yeah. You're like, I'm going to have a heart attack. It felt that way. I was like, that is the very like, you know, that shows at Radio City Music I had seen Devo when I was 14 at Radio City Music Hall. I had paid for tickets to see them and also getting to meet them. They're great people. Being friends with them. It's like it really, yeah, those two, that was unreal. And also on SNL, not at some gig, not some show somewhere like, hey, I got up. On SNL. Yeah. It's everything at once.

49:58Yeah. I can't believe it yeah okay so now I want to just get on to a new section but the person that will help us get to this section is Carrie Brownstein because we talked to her today you did? yes you know I was saying this to Carrie but maybe you can speak to this too like your relationship with Carrie is very special it's like how do you define your relationship with her? she's like she's my soulmate she is a person who I feel like I've known forever. I don't mean to speak in those terms. I know that, you know, those like sort of spiritual terms, but it does feel spiritual and it's immediate.

50:40It's just a feeling I had as soon as I met her. And every time I talked to her, it feels the same. I'm completely stripped of being worried if I'm boring or talking too much or anything, I'm completely, completely myself around her. And it's always been that way. And I just love her so much. And I'm really into everything she does. When I watch her play guitar, I'm like, there's nothing better than watching her play guitar and sing. And then getting, she's so smart and so funny that I feel like getting to do that show with her was just that was a lucky thing, but that keeps going. We just keep.

51:29It's so, it like remains like it has such a life, Portlandia. And those characters in Portlandia are so fun, are so specific and therefore feel so universal. God, it was the best. I got to hang out with her all the time. We could, she's a great writer. She's such a, not that you need me to tell you that, but so funny brilliant and she came up with like a lot of those ideas that are now sort of things that people repeat put a bird on it and all that stuff is like that's all carrie okay carrie said describe the way one of your musical heroes informed your comedy oh that's easy uh david Byrne, the way that he would direct a movie and then sort of choreograph part of his show, the way that he presented everything to me was like, that really informed what a comedian can be.

52:33There was a way that he was not exactly making a joke, but also not being totally serious. that whatever that was. Right. Really, I was like, that's a really great way to be. Like a playfulness. And he kind of also, he was also like, I guess not afraid to, he like wasn't trying to be cool at all. Nope. But he was very cool. Yeah. Just the way, like for no reason, he'll have a fuzzy suit or something. So I'm going to do a rapid fire. Tell me what you think about these things or what you remember. You can be as fast or as slow as you want. Um, Freddie, you do many accents really well. And one of the things I love about you is you can do accents from anywhere.

53:14What are some of your favorite state or countries like that you like hearing? I really love how Texas just really, it just changes from city to city. There's something about it that there's something about Texas that has so much varying personality. Yes. That always, that does exceed my expectations. So with that in mind, can you please do someone from Houston and someone from Dallas? Houston, I feel like has got a whisper to it.

53:47Houston, some people I know from there are going through some personal growth. Personal growth. Dallas, I always, my idea about them is that they're kind of businesslike. I hear them on planes on a conference call. I had been, I was on a layover. We know someone from Beaumont and that's kind of, Beaumont's the biggest I've ever heard. I can't imagine. They're like this little Y before imagining. The longest word. And then countries. Can you do Iceland? Iceland, Iceland. Iceland, Iceland.

54:36Iceland has a hushed, you're pushing to the throat, I think. It's very light. Very light. I feel like Sweden is so devoid of accent that I hear people from Sweden, and they sound almost like they're American. They sound like, I don't love that the door is closing right now. There's like this thing where they no longer are Swedish people. Yes, you're right. There's this like thing where they're like so casual with English that I actually feel like I'm talking to someone. But you know what gives the Swedes away is the... That is the Swedish thing people don't know is, you know, instead of going, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh, Swedes go...

55:20It's true. And you hear them on the phone and you just always think they're getting the worst news. Yeah. But they're just saying, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh. Yeah. That is... because their face doesn't change no um okay what do you like to do when you travel oh wake up early have breakfast coffee alone just down in the restaurant yes not room service okay i love then i really feel like i'm in a country so i've like landed somewhere that's my i can't wait for breakfast breakfast oh i love it and then you want it then do you Like, let's say you're doing a show in another country. Do you walk during the...

55:59Not that much. I kind of stick around like hotel, maybe there's a little store of some kind. I'm not a big like, I'm going to go explore this side of the city. I'm a little bit like, I get the... By the way, this is an ignorant thing to say, and I'm sorry, but I just kind of like, this seems like Berlin. Okay. And then what do you hate doing when you travel? What do you not do? Like, do you ever check a bag? I try not to But sometimes you do? Sometimes you have to But no, I'm pretty good about it I travel pretty light Got it But I did a tour recently And I did have to bring some equipment Yeah, okay, got it Broad City Oh, yeah That was so fun Amy That's so People And parks I mean, we did so much People talk to me about Broad City All the time All the time When I, everywhere I go, someone brings it up.

56:56Some people do it as a deep cut. They think they're like, I'm actually a real fan. Yeah. Which is great. Yeah. But, oh my God. Fred came and did the first episode of Broad City, which was a huge get for us. And. I've seen people dressed up as it, as Halloween. As the baby. Yep. I'm just a baby. Little mustache. Yeah. Thanks for that. Thank you very much for that. You're so welcome that I could put you in a diaper and make you a Halloween costume. For real. Thank you for that. That was like, that really kept on going. Okay. Dogs or cats? Cats. Interesting. I didn't know that. No dog. Like just no thank you to dogs?

57:29When we first met, the first thing I told you, I was like, cats. F-I-A, cats. I just met Lauren. Cats. You know that, right? I love cats. I mean, that makes sense that you're a cat person. I feel like you're more of a cat. You're more of a cat than a dog as a person, I would say. Although you have a lot of dog qualities because you're very loyal and friendly, but you are a cat. I like how they don't ask anything and they sort of, it's their own business. Yeah. Sweet or salty? Sweet. Did you say that? I wish it wasn't that way. Salty's not good either. I don't believe that. I don't either. I think salty is better.

58:08I think when people say that salt causes health problems, I never believe it. But it does. I know, but I'm like, why? What does it turn into that's like, it's just salt. My blood pressure. I'm right. Yes, I know you're right. I know what you mean. But whenever they're like, there was too much salt in it. I'm like, I don't think that's going to be the thing. That's just the ignorance. Do you ever put salt on anything? No, no. You never like salt your chocolate chip cookies or? Oh, I see what you mean. If there's a chocolate bar that has salt in it, great. I like that very much. You like that. Okay.

58:40But I love sweet. I mean, I love chocolate so much. Yeah. Too much, do you think? Yeah. Too much. Are you trying to cut down or like you have to cut down? It's too dependent on it at the end of the day, especially after a show. I'm always like, oh, there's a cookie. There's a – You love a little cookie treat. Oh, it's the best. Yeah. You guys had great – I have a hard time. I have a harder time with sugar because I get on a real ride and I crash pretty hard after sugar. Oh, you do? I have big sugar crashes. Oh, yeah. But salty, perfect. It is. Do you like to be scared? Yeah. I like horror movies and all that stuff.

59:15I do. but I don't like to be scared in real life, like on a flight. Have you ever been scared on a flight? You know, the usual, I'm not afraid of flying. Do you have any phobias? Oh, heights. That's right. I couldn't do a taping of this because of it. Yeah. Because you were like, it's on the whatever floor and I'm like, can't do it. That's right. In New York. May we speak of that? Is that okay? We record in Spotify in New York and it's a really, really high floor and Fred was like nope yeah and uh I totally forgot about that yeah but I told you about that I think one time we were at a hotel and you guys were so nice because I we I just went up to your hotel me you and Tina went up to you yeah and it was um I told you and you guys were so nice you just closed the blinds and but I did it I wasn't like I'm not going up there yeah but you don't like it I don't like it and I don't like that I don't like it how come because it's too like it's not real like buildings are built well for some centuries there's never been like yeah watch out going up in buildings that one fell i've never seen that in the news you know like oh new york don't go up there this one gonna fall i actually never even think about heights until i'm reminded that when someone who's afraid of heights and then you go like whoa wait that is weird that we're up here so high but there's so much engineering that's gone into it yeah an engineer would actually be insulted by that like you have any idea like we studied like hundreds and hundreds of people going to build millions of people going to buildings around the world yeah everywhere yeah but could you ever like climb a tree or like is it that kind of height too like you could a ladder um a um would you be able to get like...

1:01:10I don't love it, but I, you know, I do try to like expand a little. Have you ever done any kind of like a bungee or... No, no, nothing like that. No. I like that about you, Freddie. I feel like we're very similar. We don't... I don't like... I don't like... I don't like... What am I insane? I don't like taking risks. No, no, no, no. None of that. I'm not interested. No. I'm also not interested in watching it. I'm not like... No. Or stories about it. Like all that. I'm not... No. Like if you're going to free... If you're going to free climb... you know, I don't want to know about it. I don't want to know.

1:01:42I don't want to know about it. I don't want to know, but I don't want to see it. I'm oddly not impressed. Yeah. Of all things. The thing that you want me to be, I'm like. I'm like, whatever. Yeah. I don't know. Yeah. What is free climbing? That's when you do the rocks. Yeah, when you do the like, no, with no, with no ropes. And just like, you just crevice and crevice and just thumb and foot. Yeah. And then like one more. and then no and then you get what happens you get to if you had to do that by accident if you were stuck somewhere and you did it I want to know everything about your story if you do that for fun I was chased and I saw this mountain I was like there's nowhere to go and I was like

1:02:27get out of here and then the person couldn't they were like they were like and then I was gone and then you stayed on there I feel bad because if someone's watching, I don't feel bad for people who recreationally free climb. What's wrong with you? What's, what is wrong with you? I think there, there's something wrong with them. I'm going to say it. Wow. With no ropes, no one's making you do it. What if it's your job? Some people are unemployed and they, that's, they fill out the application. They're like, I guess I have to. No way. There's not one. How much does it pay? There's no one. Monday.

1:03:10I hate this job. You're right. There might be a few people. That's their job. That's just the world. That's their job. And I'm sorry for those people. I'm sorry. And then last question. What are you like? What kind of stuff do you watch, read, go to to make you laugh? like what comedy comedy are you watching who are you watching like anything you'd recommend wow for real the thing that i'm most uh religious about of like actually catching is snl yeah it's the one it's the one thing that i'm like i watch it when it's live and you know that those moments that you're like that was pretty great oh god i could tell forever i know we've ended this but i but i just want to say i do feel like we you and i i think we've played this game before it's like a it's like an improv game of experts but i think i talked to you about this i always wanted to do like a fake ted talk like a fake you know kind of like experts symposium where you just can talk about anything for like a minute for a minute you can seem like an expert on almost anything i think so you have to memorize a couple things and then there'll be a word or something where people will go huh she doesn't know what she's talking about but i think almost anything It's reachable.

1:04:29It's reachable. It's a fun. So on our way out, I'm going to give you something that I want you to pretend to be an expert in for one minute. Okay. Okay? I'm going to set the timer. I'm going to say the Alaskan pipeline. The Alaskan pipeline. Yeah. Ready? So with me today is an expert, Fred Armisen, who has been studying the Alaskan pipeline and is here to talk to us about it. Fred, what should we know about the Alaskan pipeline? Well, the first misnomer is Alaskan. So many people do know this, that it's originally the Siberian pipeline. Why is it the Siberian pipeline? Oh, because it goes through Siberia.

1:05:06No, because the shipping magnates shipped oil through there from Siberia and through Russia. And the only people who benefited from it were people from Canada. You'd think it would be Alaska. since Alaska was not yet a state and the pipeline was built 1951.

1:05:31Canadians were the first to benefit it, but they didn't have oil refineries. Why didn't they have oil refineries? Because of World War II. And as we knew Canada to be a series of provinces, they did not have the capacity to have these refineries. Who comes in then? But Mexico. And that's a minute. Fantastic.

1:05:59Answering your own question. You did it. I don't know if any of that's true. When you said 1951? I have no idea. No idea. Thank you, Fred. Love you. Thank you so much for doing this. I love you. Thank you so much for... You're the best. I'm glad we dressed you. We did.

1:06:17Thank you so much, Fred Armisen. Thank you for coming and being on the pod. I love talking to you. And, you know, for this Polar Plunge, we like to go deep on something that we talked about. And there's so many things that we could go deep on. We could talk about David Byrne. We could talk about the specials. We could talk about Lorraine Newman. All cool, cool things. But I just want to shout out Fred's new record that he made with Drag City called 100 Sound Effects. But in this case, I believe he does 101. Spoiler alert. Check out his record and everything that Fred does all the time. And yeah, and go back and look at old performances of all the music on SNL.

1:06:57It's an incredible, impressive, gigantic mix of culture all in one place. Thanks so much for listening to Good Hang. Thank you always for tuning in and checking us out. And we'll see you soon. Bye. You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss-Berman, and me, Amy Poehler. The show is produced by The Ringer and Paper Kite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Kat Spillane, Kaya McMullen, and Alaya Zanaris. For Paper Kite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell, and Jenna Weiss-Berman. Original music by Amy Miles.

1:07:38This episode is brought to you by Tax Act. It's everyone's favorite time of year, tax time. Okay, that may not be true, but Tax Act does make it easy to do taxes online. They offer step-by-step guidance so you can finish your taxes ahead of the April 15 deadline and get your maximum refund guaranteed. If you get stuck, just add expert assist and get unlimited help from a credentialed U.S.-based tax expert. Visit TaxAct.com to learn more.