In short
Sean Evans (host of Hot Ones) sits in with Matt on a shortened, 5-wing “Hot Ones” style bonus episode, discussing how the show works, what makes guests hard/easy to interview, and his career goals—while eating increasingly hot wings.
Guests/backgrounds
Sean Evans is the Hot Ones host and a Chicago White Sox fan. Matt is the host of The Town and a frequent interview partner on this network.
Key claims
The wings are a “disruptive element” that knocks guests out of PR talking points, enabling deeper, more honest interviews. Publicists are now generally supportive; early on they were more difficult. Evans says you can’t truly fake the heat, though some guests appear to “hold it in.” He’s done 36 episodes per year.
Notable examples
Pharrell’s stoic-to-unreleased reaction after cuts; Gordon Ramsay as a high-stakes, internet-peer-pressured interview; Tony Yayo as the first guest; Matt Damon’s later bathroom story; Kiki Palmer, Viola Davis, and Paul Rudd as high-chemistry guests.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOWings and the Show Format
0:05 to 0:26
Discussion about the Hot Ones format and the number of wings.
“For your awards consideration, HBO Max presents DTF St.”
Wings and the Show Format
0:31 to 0:58
Discussion about the Hot Ones format and the number of wings.
“The critically acclaimed series explores the undeniable chemistry, whirlwind courtship, and high-profile marriage of one of the most iconic couples of the 20th century.”
Wings and the Show Format
1:16 to 1:46
Discussion about the Hot Ones format and the number of wings.
“It's Pope Leo, Barack Obama, and then you?”
Favorite Episodes of Hot Ones
1:46 to 3:04
Exploring favorite episodes and guest experiences on Hot Ones.
“Smaller in volume, but unfortunately for us, very steep ramp up today.”
Writing Questions for Celebrities
3:04 to 5:27
Challenges of writing interview questions for celebrities.
“So what you're going to do is you're going to start at the pickled garlic sriracha.”
Authenticity in Interviews
5:27 to 6:31
The importance of authenticity and spontaneity in celebrity interviews.
“is that you get that peek at the celebrity or the person on the show beyond what they even want to show you.”
Guest Reactions and Publicists
6:31 to 7:45
Discussion on guest reactions to hot wings and experiences with publicists.
“what's it like to have a beer with this person's show?”
Nerve-Wracking Guests
7:45 to 10:31
Talking about the most nerve-wracking guests and their impact on the show.
“No one would go on the show if they saw that.”
The Origin of Hot Ones
10:31 to 14:00
The initial idea and development of the Hot Ones show concept.
“This is the Pikla's and Scorpion over here from Hot and Saucy.”
The Origins of Hot Ones
14:00 to 21:02
Learn how the concept of 'Hot Ones' came to life and the initial challenges faced.
“And, you know, we'll write you this check to do it or whatever.”
Show all 20 chapters
Sponsor: Holiday Inn
21:45 to 22:23
Discover the new energy and upgraded offerings at Holiday Inn.
“The rap raves, the Duffer brothers achieve the impossible with an epic ending, calling the series a magnum opus and an absorbing cultural phenomenon.”
Dining and Travel Preferences
22:23 to 28:00
Explore preferences in dining, travel pet peeves, and personal anecdotes.
“I might be up for my first pepsed of the evening.”
The Beauty of Architecture and Storytelling
28:00 to 28:58
Explore how architecture can reflect and change perceptions through contextualism.
“I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing now if not for that.”
Baseball Card Collecting Passion
28:58 to 29:42
Discuss the joy and excitement of collecting baseball cards and personal experiences.
“So I have a 10-year-old who's collecting baseball cards.”
Dream Guests and Booking Challenges
29:42 to 31:18
Insights into the challenges of booking celebrity guests and the experiences around it.
“Have you ever asked Barack Obama to be on the show?”
Understanding Guest Comfort and Self-Awareness
31:18 to 31:54
Discuss the importance of self-awareness in accepting opportunities and guest comfort.
“Like, as a Letterman fan, there was always this thing where, like, he was like, I'm never doing SNL because I just don't think I'd be good at it.”
The Hot Ones Experience: Wings and Reactions
31:54 to 37:44
Experience the intense reactions and discussions around eating spicy wings.
“And this is what, a yogurt that is here?”
The Evolution of Celebrity Interviews
37:44 to 44:20
Explore the changes in celebrity interviews and the impact of high-concept shows.
“They're just optimized for year round eventization and designed to balloon the values of these franchises.”
A Wing of Pain
44:20 to 47:44
Experience the humorous challenges of eating spicy wings during an interview.
“Well, you say that that's the worst one, but you haven't tried this one yet.”
A Dream Debate
48:44 to 49:33
Imagine a presidential debate formatted like Hot Ones, blending humor with politics.
“So far, so far, I've been able to duck it.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:04Matt Belloni:This episode of The Town is presented by HBO Max. For your awards consideration, HBO Max presents DTF St. Louis. In this darkly comedic series, a love triangle between three adults experiencing middle-aged malaise leads to one of them ending up dead. Don't miss the series TV Guide is calling transcendent and audacious. DTF St. Louis is streaming on HBO Max. Watch now. This episode is brought to you by FX's Love Story, John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bissett. The critically acclaimed series explores the undeniable chemistry, whirlwind courtship, and high-profile marriage of one of the most iconic couples of the 20th century.
0:42Matt Belloni:With Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Anthony Kelly leading a cast including Naomi Watts, Constance Zimmer, Alessandro Nivola, and Grace Gummer. Called A Stunning Portrait of Love by Variety, Love Story is Emmy eligible in all limited series categories. Now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney Plus for bundle subscribers. All righty. Please welcome the host of Hot Ones and the third most famous Chicago White Sox fan, Sean Evans.
1:16Matt Belloni:Thank you. Am I right about that? It's Pope Leo, Barack Obama, and then you? Oh, I'll take that. I'll take that. All right. Jumped over John Cusack. Okay. Well, you have to give me a little bit of guidance here. I'm here to help you. I'm very excited about this. I'm excited to turn the table. I am sitting in your traditional spot, and you are in the guest spot tonight. It's an abbreviated version of the show. We are not doing 10. We are doing 5. but the bomb is in there. The bomb is in there, yes. Smaller in volume, but unfortunately for us, very steep ramp up today. Okay. And I also, this is not a free ad, but I did bring my Pepsi AC just in case.
2:04Matt Belloni:This is one step down from the Conan O 'Brien Bring His Own Doctor episode, which is my favorite episode. Do you have a favorite episode? I mean, that one's up there. I always say, you know, if you're new to the show, check out the Conan O 'Brien episode or the Gordon Ramsay episode. Jennifer Lawrence. Jennifer Lawrence is another one. Maya Rudolph. Paul Rudd is a classic. I think like the Charlize Theron. You know, I love the show so much I could probably name like 25, 30 favorites. But I always say try with those. If you like those episodes, you'll probably like the show. If you don't like those episodes, stop there.
2:38There's nothing for you here. Right.
2:40Matt Belloni:Before we start in on this, I just got to ask, How is your gastrointestinal health? You know what? I think the numbers keep coming back better and better every year. So your general practitioner is aware of your job? 100 % they have to be, you know, considering what I do. But I think I take better care of myself outside of the show than I otherwise would. So at least I tell myself it's a net positive. Right. Okay. All right. So how are we going to start here? All right. So what you're going to do is you're going to start at the pickled garlic sriracha. So that'll be the one closest to you. and it's very important that you go for it.
3:15Give them a plug.
3:15Matt Belloni:Where can we find this? This is on Amazon.com. Actually, this is a Hot Ones original over here. So, Hot Ones.com, Hot Ones.com, Hot Ones.com. Pick you up a pickled garlic sriracha. Okay, so we... You know what? I think it's already on there. Oh, it is? Oh. You're already pulling a Conan move where you're popping tops and about to pour a bottle out. I didn't think that they were going to do that for us, but apparently they have, so... Red carpet treatment for you, Bill. I may have been sabotaged here without me knowing. Okay, so let's dig into the first one. Here we go.
3:48Pretty good.
3:49Matt Belloni:Nothing you can't handle. I'm not normally a huge wings guy, to be honest. I like them, but I don't order them ever. Well, you know, I appreciate you taking a ride on the wild side with me today. I know.
4:04Matt Belloni:What type? This is harder than it looks.
4:11Matt Belloni:What type of celebrities and guests are the hardest to write questions for? I do this for a living. I write questions in advance. I think about topics. I am not eating chicken wings when I'm asking questions. It is a very specific setting. Yeah, I think, you know, somebody who'd be easy to write for would be someone like Idris Alba, right, who has this long career in Hollywood, but then, you know, they also do fight training. They also DJ. Yeah, exactly. They have all these different interests. So I feel like then you can stack the wings where it feels like the interview is like you're always taking one layer off of the onion with every wing that you do.
4:50But then to me, the ones that are kind of hard to write for, but I do find them to be some of the most rewarding interviews is there's a genre of Hot Ones interview where I feel like we capture these certain pop stars right before they're about to take off. whether that was like a younger Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Shawn Mendes, when we interviewed him back then. It's like these young pop stars who only have one album out. You know what I mean? Like the whole history through which you can look through and research seems just kind of shallow on the surface, or it just requires more digging to get to that full run of show.
5:26Matt Belloni:Well, and that's the beauty of the format, is that on a good day, it drops the artifice. Yes. is that you get that peek at the celebrity or the person on the show beyond what they even want to show you. Sometimes you're on The Tonight Show and Selena Gomez will drop her normal persona. Yeah, that literally happened to me once. And start screaming at people because she didn't realize it would actually be hot. And for me, I love that in an interview when you feel like the person came in with a set of talking points and you have knocked those away. Yeah. And I think that, you know, when you're in the game, like we're in the game, a lot of times the interviews that we do really depend on the generosity of the guest, you know, and what they're willing to share.
6:11So I think it works twofold. I think, number one, you have these spicy hot chicken wings that can serve as like a disruptive element, like in the PR driven flight pattern of the guests. But then on top of it, we put together what is hopefully this thoughtful career spanning interview. So I think those two things kind of coalesce. Like, those two forces come together to give, like you were saying, you know, what's it like to have a beer with this person's show? In a lot of ways, I feel like we invented it.
6:35Matt Belloni:And I said this when you were on The Town. Like, if it was just eating wings, the show would not be the success that it is. You are very good at what you do, and you use the format to get what you want out of the interview, which is great. Thank you. And that makes a lot coming from you. So let's get real here. Which guests were faking it? Faking it? They were not impacted as much by this, but they were doing a shtick. They were doing, not Conan, not that. Like, they were like, oh my God, this is so hot. But you could tell they were kind of faking it. You know what? I think it goes the other way around.
7:07First off, you can't fake it, as you'll find out today. But, like, sometimes you'll tell, you can tell someone's, like, really, really holding it in. Like, a funny memory that stands out in my mind was Pharrell, who was, like, so stoic in the interview. And then when we cut, he was almost like, are the cameras off? And they're like, yeah. And he was like, oh, like, let it all out. It almost became like another person.
7:32Matt Belloni:How much vomiting have you cut out of the show? You know what? Thankfully, never on set. I've heard some stories. Tonight's the first. Yeah, let's go. Let's break new ground. You've never cut anyone vomiting out of the show? No, never. You can't air that. No one would go on the show if they saw that. Right. But to me, it's like funny is funny. I think like in the edit, maybe you would edit Scarlett Johansson or Charlize Theron a little bit differently than you would edit Burt Kreischer, for example. Yeah, I would have thought someone would. But whose publicist was the most difficult? You know, honestly, now it has gotten to a point where publicists are so nice to us.
8:13Like I used to when we first started the show, publicists were always like public enemy number one on set. But I felt like, and I kind of get where they're coming from now, but as, you know, like a young, ambitious person who believed in this thing before anyone else did, early on, you know, like publicists would be crowding the table. They'd have like a million questions. They'd want to look at the interview. What kind of questions are you asking? You know, like that sort of a thing. But I think, you know, we were so small time that we could kind of get pushed around. And what I'm really thankful for now is publicists now love having their clients on the show.
8:46Well, it's a get.
8:47Matt Belloni:You only do. How many episodes do you do? We do 36 a year. So I'm a little less than once a week. And you have 10x times that many people wanting to be on the show. Right. Totally. It's kind of like our magazine cover that we're dropping once a week. But I don't know what they enjoy more. Is that get or the fact that they can see this client who's been maybe such a terror to them over the years. It's a silent revenge. Yeah, get their just due on help. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. I'm sure that's true for many of the publicists. Which guests were you most nervous about? There's certain environments that can kind of feel like a playoff game versus a regular season game.
9:29I remember Gordon Ramsay. That was a situation where the Internet had basically peer pressured us into a room together. So I knew that the stakes were really high for it. I knew that people would be very interested in it. And then you have this added layer of Gordon's reputation, you know, and the way that he is going to tear our sauces apart. Start screaming at you. That the wings, yeah, exactly. So there was all of this pressure that I'd built up in my head. But then when he came in, he was honestly amazing and popped the hood on the whole thing. And he's become a friend of the show and a personal friend of mine in the time since.
10:00And then I'm very thankful because, you know, I'm a talk show obsessed kid who then somehow was able to host a talk show himself. And Conan O 'Brien was a major influence for me. So then when you have somebody, you know, like reflected back from your own history appear on your show, that always feels like a big deal. Jimmy Kimmel in the same vein, Adam Carolla in the same vein. It's like when you get to see your life reflected back at you on your own show, those are also special moments. And then you have this like, oh, I hope they like me. Like, I hope I'm doing good enough for them to respect me too.
10:30And then that can add a layer of anxiety that's different from most interviews.
10:34Matt Belloni:All right, let's do another one. Here we go. What are we doing next? This is the Pikla's and Scorpion over here from Hot and Saucy. Typically number five in our lineup. But today it'll be the second wing we have. Do you ever get any data on how much the show impacts the sale of particular sauces? Here's all I know is that hot sauce companies seem to be very, very excited. Well, think about the universe of big gets in the hot sauce world. Right, right. There's hot ones, and then there's five rungs down. Exactly. So I'd imagine it's good for them. Mm-hmm.
11:13Now this one is nice because it has some sweetness up front, but it has that habanero kind of burn on the other side. I'm fine.
11:22Matt Belloni:Honestly, this is fine. Everything's fine.
11:30Hmm.
11:35Matt Belloni:Alright. See? Oh. Okay. Now I get it. Yeah, you learn things over the course of this situation, which is hot sauces can be a little misleading, like I was saying, sweet up front, but then kind of a party in the back. And oftentimes on the show, when you're celebrating getting past a sauce, it's like a wrestler celebrating and not realizing that someone's coming from behind him with a chair. Right. Speaking of WWE, you're a famous guy now. Are there things that you would like to do, appearances you'd like to make that you haven't been able to yet? I know you did a Super Bowl commercial, but, like, you want to, you know, do a guest spot on SNL.
12:17Do you want to, like, throw out the first pitch of the World Series?
12:20Matt Belloni:Something cool like that? Yeah, I mean, all of those things are amazing. I've gotten to do so many cool things, you know, through this cartoon existence that I have. You know, a couple weeks ago, I went back to my alma mater, the University of Illinois. I gave the commencement speech. Had an I-L-L-I-N-I chant already. which was super exciting. I'm throwing out a ton of first pitches, but like, yeah, obviously that would be amazing. Maybe, you know, you can be aspirational since so many of my dreams have come true already, you know, like hosting the Oscars, you know, the first pitch. There were some jokes when, because YouTube's going to air the Oscars.
12:54Matt Belloni:There was some stuff that went around. I got a 10-year plan over here. You and Brittany Broski can co-host the Oscars. Exactly. So there's those things that I kind of hope for. I've always loved, I'm a big college football fan So that pregame show on ESPN to be like the celebrity guest picker is something that I've always wanted to do. Oh, that's a no-brainer. I'm shocked you haven't done that. Well, Illinois has just got to win some more football games and then we'll get that stage. But so many exciting, fun things. And I feel like as a matter of just routine, there's a bucket list moment that happens to me like every week, it seems like, at this point.
13:31Matt Belloni:That's very cool. When you guys were first conceiving the show, was it always Wings? Or were there other things you thought might be fun to watch people eat until they squirm? We'd had some pressure from other people. Our first idea was Wings. It's actually amazing when I look back on it because it was just kind of the first idea we had. I'd never made a show before. And then we kind of just drew an arrow and hit a bullseye with our first pilot sketch that we put on paper. And over the years, I think there have been some pressure. And then like once it got popular, you know, there'd be like a fast food company that'd be like, well, what if we did this?
14:05And, you know, we'll write you this check to do it or whatever. But at the end of the day, I always think that wings are the proper vessel for hot sauce. It's something that everybody knows, everyone understands. It's easy to substitute in a vegan option if you need to. And then it's also just kind of like a funny food that looks good on camera. So in a lot of ways, I think we just snapped the Rubik's Cube into place the first time we started planning it.
14:28Matt Belloni:And your first guest was a rapper? Yeah, it was Tony Yayo from G-Unit, actually. And how did that come together? What was that pitch like? Honestly, it was a situation where I think he owed us a favor. Because, I mean, that's really what it comes down to. Because even if you have an idea, that doesn't mean that you can ever get that plane off of the ground. And then, oh, here are these guys that have never made a show before that have this concept, this pitch, of eating increasingly spicy chicken wings over the course of the interview. Like when you have a pitch and then you offer that caveat along with it, there's no guarantee that anyone will take the bait.
15:02And especially early on, we were basically conning people into coming onto the show. And I'm very thankful now that that's turned around. Everybody that comes on Hot Ones knows what they're getting themselves into. And I no longer have that sad, awkward moment where I'm trying to like convince them of the show while they're there on set. Right. And they're looking at me skeptically.
15:23Matt Belloni:Right, right, right. Right. One of the things I like about the show also is that you do your research and you ask questions that are based on the research and sometimes feel like they are coming out of nowhere until the guest says, oh, you did your research. So I would like to ask you what the ideal go to order is to eat at Whole Foods. You've done your research. You know what? I like the hot bar. I don't cook like at all. But what at the hot bar? I'll tell you exactly what at the hot bar. So I'll go and I'll get a scoop of rice and then a protein on top of that rice. Then I fill in the middle of that cardboard container with a vegetable medley, some boiled broccoli, some peppers, whatever, but lots in the veggies.
16:13Matt Belloni:We're getting into the$60,$70 range now. Oh, yeah, yeah. A scoop of mashed potatoes is$22. They do it on volume. So you do have to be careful. Like very dense foods can tip the scale in a very serious way. And then I'll do like a scoop of something fun. So that'll be like some mac and cheese or some pasta. You know, I get a little naughty with it at the end. So that's what I have. It's almost like one of those like vanilla strawberry chocolate kind of ice cream things where I've got rice and a protein, vegetables, and then something fun. And then you go and get dessert. You hit the wine bar. It's a whole evening.
16:48You know, I do, I get a raspberry iced tea or a peach iced tea. That's what I do, too. So that'll be like the whole order right there.
16:57Matt Belloni:Do you believe in Bigfoot? I like to believe in Bigfoot. So I think that that's like a slightly different thing, but this is good. I don't know who you talk to. I'm trying to do the math in my head right now. You know, by asking the question, you have put it out there that you do believe in Bigfoot. Yeah, well, I like the idea of going out to search for Bigfoot. I like the idea of believing in Bigfoot. You know, there's a logical part of my brain that's like, well, if there's Bigfoot, somebody would have seen Bigfoot. But I love the idea of getting lost in the mission to try to find Bigfoot. I believe in the idea of Bigfoot more than I believe in Bigfoot.
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17:34But then also, too, just as like a comedic figure, it's kind of fun. It's kind of fun to think about Bigfoot or wonder about Bigfoot.
17:42Matt Belloni:And what's your biggest pet peeve about flying or travel?
17:52Man, there are so many. Sometimes I don't like when they give you more information than they need to while you're on the plane, especially during a delay. I remember one time they're telling us that it's delayed because of catering or whatever, and it's already been delayed an hour and 15. And I'm like, almost don't tell me that because that's fine. Like we don't need catering on the plane. Like you're like, oh, you're opening it up to the, to the population a little bit too much and letting us talk amongst each other. And then they'll be like, oh, well now it's a mechanical issue. Like now it's this, now it's that.
18:23But like you guys kind of made the problem because you've thrown like eight different things at us. And then also too, like if you're on a plane, I'm always trying to sleep. Like I'm going to red eye right after this. If the pilot's talking too much about like weather conditions and the wind and like the humidity when you land or whatever, like I'm always like, dude, I'm just trying to sleep. Like no one cares. I just want to hear my podcast.
18:41Matt Belloni:Yeah, exactly. I'm just trying to listen to the town over here. Mine is funny flight attendants. Funny flight. Yeah, yeah. No, get on the phone. Tell a joke. Yeah. All right. So before we go to the next one, you must have many guests who do the show, leave, and then text or DM you later. Yes. What do those look like? What are the best ones after the fact? And how many of them involve their bathroom experience after appearing on the show? Rarely, but sometimes. Sometimes when I see people later on, I'll get the backstory on whatever they went through. Like, I remember, like, seeing Matt Damon later, and then he told me this story about it.
19:26He's like, dude, I felt good walking out. And then he's like, I had to just hit the bathroom and just boom. Like, so I'll hear about these stories. When you were later hanging out with Matt Damon? Yeah, I saw him at an event. Sure, yeah, yeah. We're in Hollywood over here. Of course. But I don't know. I could probably pull like the last one from a Hot Ones guest right now. This was just a couple days ago from the comedian Tom Segura. And he said, he said, I wish you and I had a kiss like Kiki. Wow. That's nice. So what I think ends up happening is, you know, we go through this experience together and it goes one of two ways.
20:08Either we become, like, friends for life through trauma bonding over the wings of death or they never want to see me again.
20:14Matt Belloni:Which, besides Conan O 'Brien, which three guests have you had the most chemistry with? Ooh. Conan up there for sure. I think, like, working with Kiki Palmer, it's always like a one plus one equals three situation. Wow, the Kiki Palmer fan club is here. You know who I loved interviewing was Viola Davis. I really loved interviewing Viola Davis. Oh, I have not seen that episode. Paul Rudd, I think, is like another one who like immediately understood what we were doing and got me. But there have been a lot over the years. And I think that that's, you know, kind of the magic of the show is that you have this skeptical or the spectacle of celebrities eating scorching hot chicken wings.
20:55But then it can also have this wholesome, like almost sentimental note to it that is almost like a comfort watch. Like you're, I don't know, like watching a 90s sitcom or something.
21:05Matt Belloni:This episode is brought to you by Holiday Inn by IHG. Everyone knows Holiday Inn, right? Or they think they do. Because though they have the same name, they've got a whole new energy. They kept the global icon status and upgraded pretty much everything else. We're talking modern rooms with real reset mode vibes, spaces that feel like your living room, just a little more low-key chic, and dining done right, from breakfast to dinner and drinks. Whether you're traveling for work or getting away for a minute, it's comfort that hits different. So yeah, Holiday Inn. It's a new day and a new stay. Book your next day at HolidayInn.com.
21:41Matt Belloni:This episode is brought to you by Netflix, presenting Stranger Things. The beloved hit and 12-time Emmy Award winner that spanned a decade comes to a close with its fifth and final season. The rap raves, the Duffer brothers achieve the impossible with an epic ending, calling the series a magnum opus and an absorbing cultural phenomenon. featuring award-winning craftsmanship from the decorated team of artisans and heartfelt performances from the ensemble cast ign raised there will never be another show like it for your final emmy consideration in all categories including outstanding drama series all right let's do it what are we doing next so we're on to eight dragons this one again very sweet up front but let's not celebrate it too early this time okay
22:31Good.
22:32Matt Belloni:Right? Yeah. Very good.
22:37Matt Belloni:I see where it's going. It's pretty hot. Yeah. I might be up for my first pepsed of the evening. No time like the present. Let's make some noise, by the way. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I have a lot of practice. Tough to just come up here and rip it the first time, but you're doing great. All right. I think you're being nice. Honestly, the previous one was worse. But again, let's not get out in front of you. Let's not, yes. Let's not.
23:18Matt Belloni:Okay. You were a broadcast journalism guy. I wasn't kidding. It's happening. Totally normal. Long leash on this show. Someone's going to event a pill someday that's going to let people do this without any repercussions. I hope not. I know. Show will be over. Broadcast journalism major. Say you wanted to be in TV, preferably late night. When you talk to young people these days, any of them want to work in late night or do they all want to be you? Well, that's that's interesting because I was back at my alma mater recently and I've made a couple of visits over the last year. And I'm always interested in talking to the broadcast journalism students, especially like what kind of intern internship are you doing and whatever.
24:11Because in my day, like the path was always like, oh, well, you're going to one man band. So you're going to get a job in some regional newsroom, and maybe you can crush it in Durham, North Carolina. And then if you crush it there for a couple years, maybe you can make it to Kansas City, Missouri. And then if you crush it there for a few years, maybe you can crack a market like San Diego or Dallas and then work your way to the coast in some way. And now when I talk to kids because, you know, there's all these big players in the game right now, and I'll be like, oh, like, what internship did you do?
24:42And they're like, oh, I was working with YouTube on their NFL partnership. And I start to think like, wow, like I feel like the track and like a broadcast journalism can like lead you to such a better place. Like when you start off than you do right now. But I think just in general, I start to think about maybe I'm almost like maybe kids these days want to be like speed or like they want to be like high snap or something. You know, like maybe now I'm kind of the establishment talk show host. And that's like the new exciting thing. Yeah, like I'm the old dinosaur over here. But I do think that that is probably true where if you're a young creative person or like an aspiring broadcaster, I don't think that like hosting The Tonight Show is the top of the mountain.
25:30or I don't think they think of it that way, or like anchoring the NBC nightly news. You know, like I just don't think that those are like the North Star, top of the mountain things that people are reaching for. I do kind of bemoan that a little bit as somebody who grew up idolizing these hosts and like having my first real eye-opening experience, you know, like watching the beginning of David Letterman and the curtains open and he takes the stage and the Ed Sullivan Theater is sold out and there's the lights, camera, action of it all. And there's a monoculture.
25:59Matt Belloni:Yeah, exactly. All of those things. Everybody knows who David Letterman is. And as successful as you are, a lot of people don't know who you are. And will never know who you are. And you could be the most famous person on the internet. And there's a big chunk of society that doesn't know who you are. That's the downside. A hundred percent. So I do kind of like think about those times and miss those times. And I also think that those are good rings to reach for if you're a broadcaster or want to be someday. But if we're just looking at the reality of the situation, I think both you and I would agree on that.
26:30Matt Belloni:Do you mind if I take my jacket off? Yeah, go ahead. No, yeah, yeah. You don't have to ask. You're the host. Yeah. You're running this thing. I'm going to start sweating. I'll take mine off, too. I'm going to start sweating. It's bad.
26:45Matt Belloni:All right. So you were an architecture tour guide. I was. Really in life. Give me your top three ranking of Skylines. Oh, well, I think... With these skylines. Number one is Chicago. That is the best... That's the best skyline in the world. You have the river that runs through it. You have Lake Michigan. It's all set back. You have Grant Park that almost serves like a front yard. And then the city burned down in 1871. And what that did was gave this great new opportunity for all the great architects to build whatever they wanted. So you have all these different architectural styles that all run against each other.
27:23and it's like so perfect. I love it. I miss it. I mean, you can't not put New York City in those top three. You can put it in the top three. Yeah. New York City belongs in that. Like if you look at it from the Jersey side, you look at it from the Brooklyn side. It's amazing. Do you have a favorite building? My all-time favorite building is in Chicago. It's called 333 Wacker, designed by Cohn, Pettersson, and Fox in 1983. And it's a great example of contextualism with an architecture. Okay. Now you're giving us the tour. If you're on the boat tour right now, I'd ask you to look to your left and notice how the curve in the building actually matches the curve in the river as well as the shade of green on the building It's an example of contextualism in architecture It's the river being reflected back at you Wow in the form of a building And I always thought that that was like so amazing and so cool and a reminder that you should always be like Looking around and be curious about the things because I'd walked by that building a million times And then when I understood the story I saw it with fresh eyes
28:19Matt Belloni:I'm sure the fifth graders on their tour were really enamored of that fact. Deep respect for architecture. I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing now if not for that. That really taught me audience capture. Just doing those day in and day out and doing those boat tours in front of 150 people five times a day all summer long. And then, ooh, then the next one is, I'll keep them all in the U.S., but I like San Francisco's Skyline as well. So that's how I'd put Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and in that order. Pretty good. You collect baseball cards? Yeah, for better or worse, I do, yeah. So I have a 10-year-old who's collecting baseball cards.
29:03Matt Belloni:Give us your prize possession. Oh, well, I'm somebody who rips packs, and they tell you that's the worst thing. But I'm not in here to make money. I'm in it for the love of the game. I just like to collect. So I do that. So I'm not like out there like catching individual cards. But I do have like, you know, this serial number, like one of one, super fracture, Ronald Acuna Jr. Rookie card with on-card auto, you know. And then I'll like look it up and it's just got like an absurd kind of resale value. So like that's maybe like the crown jewel. But as a Chicago White Sox fan, if you pull like a Jose Abreu, Frank Thomas, like duo auto or whatever, you know, like those are always exciting moments.
29:39and that's the itch that I'm trying to scratch whenever I do it.
29:42Matt Belloni:Have you ever asked Barack Obama to be on the show? I think there was like... You guys could talk about Chicago sports for hours. I think there was like... I mean, at some point I remember like some strange conversation about like Secret Service and like the wings. Like I remember there was like some logistical thing. Like you could legit try to murder him or something? There was like some logistical thing that we were like trying to work out, but I don't know like how deep into the game it got. You know, like, I don't know how close the booking ever came, but I do remember having some discussions about, like, how wing preparation would have to be different in the event of that interview.
30:18Matt Belloni:Oh, well, it still could happen. It still could happen. He's around. Who's your dream guest you haven't gotten? Or someone who keeps saying no. So, I think I might have said this the first time I did the show with you, but Tom Cruise, like, needs to be on Hot Ones. Oh, we talked about this. Yeah. Yeah, and I just think he was kind of like made in a lab for it, and like we could make it more extreme or Tom Cruise-ify it. And I know I said this before, but he would go to a place where he would rise above the spice. Yeah, right. There is some thetans or whatever they are that will ward off the spice, and he will just sit there and eat them all day long.
30:55And I'll try to just match his energy. So I do think that there's like a good thing here. But also, too, I think like over the years we've caught so many of our White Wheel guests. and there have been a lot of guests who were maybe like no's for years and then became a yes you know like I remember like early on we'd be trying to book Stone Cold Steve Austin like every single season and then that was just like a hard no he wasn't available? Well I think it's just like like I never blame anybody for swerving on the wings because like you know we are asking you to do this thing you know there is people may have problems or whatever
31:27Matt Belloni:like people gave Tom Holland shit for not doing SNL all these years he does an interview who says he's dyslexic and can't read the cue card Yeah, which I understand, too. Like, as a Letterman fan, there was always this thing where, like, he was like, I'm never doing SNL because I just don't think I'd be good at it. And, like, I think in this time, there's everybody, you're always there, like, chasing the opportunity, and you can never say no to the opportunity. But there is something special about, like, knowing yourself and then just passing on it because you're like, ah, I don't think it's for me.
31:53Matt Belloni:Right. All right, I put this off long enough. Let's go to wing number four. I know every stall tactic. The Pepsid has dissolved. And just in time. And this is what, a yogurt that is here? I think it's now a melted ice cream because it had more of an architecture. So do you recommend a little sip before you get the bomb? Well, I would definitely make sure that you save enough to be able to go in after this. All right. I'm going to try a little. Cleanse the palate. Yeah. And backstage, they gave me an ice cream popsicle. Oh, okay. Which they said was good prep. I don't know. All right. Time will tell, I guess.
32:32Matt Belloni:Yeah. So here we go. Here we go. What is special about the bomb? So as you'll find out, it is very hot, very uncomfortable, but then it's also rather disgusting in its taste.
32:52Ooh.
32:54Matt Belloni:There's like a mole element. Holy. This is...
33:03Matt Belloni:Wow. Oh my god. Oh.
33:11Matt Belloni:I'm hiccuping. Yeah. That happens. That's my body saying, what the fuck?
33:24Remember backstage when you were telling me? I have this theory that people are faking it.
33:39Oh my god.
33:44Matt Belloni:I know the pain. I know it.
33:53Matt Belloni:That's really bad.
34:03Matt Belloni:Oh, my God. I can't even ask this question. You lived in a house that Scottie Pippen owned? Yeah.
34:15And then just be careful around the eyes. Don't touch the eyes.
34:27So it's tough for me to talk to, but yes, I did. How are you okay? I got my 10 ,000 hours in. So I did right after college. Me and my buddies, we all moved into this spot. And yeah, it was owned by Scottie Pippen. It was fully furnished.
34:44Matt Belloni:By the way, I'm not listening to you. It was great. We used to throw amazing Halloween parties. Did you ever hang out with him? No, I've never met him before in my life. Just wrote rent checks. He'd be good on your show. Just wrote rent checks to him. That's funny.
35:06Matt Belloni:What's your favorite Chicago sports moment? Mmm.
35:13Matt Belloni:I think, um... Holy shit.
35:19Matt Belloni:This is not enjoyable. I know, I know.
35:25But it's getting a little bit better, right? Think about how intense it was when you first tried it. My gargling milk. There's a half-life on it. But little moments that stand out, and just be careful around the eyes. Don't touch the eyes, okay? I'm like crying. The 2005 Chicago White Sox, the Grand Slam by Paul Kinerko, the Scott Pesednik walk-off. I loved in the Super Bowl with the Bears, Devin Hester taking that opening kickoff back. Woo! And then maybe not a Chicago moment.
35:56Matt Belloni:This is worse than normal, right? Someone sabotaged us. No. This is the Hot Ones experience. This is YouTube getting back at me for every shitty thing I've ever written about.
36:09Matt Belloni:Neil Mohan put you up to this. And I brought my family to the Final Four this year for the University of Illinois. That was a lot of fun, too. So those are three great Chicago sports moments. Also, the year that the Bears had this last season, all those amazing fourth quarter comebacks, my Mount Rushmore of Chicago sports moments. How do you feel about the Bears potentially moving to Indiana? Disgusted by it. So we'll see how it all plays out. Pretty gross. But what can you do about it? I mean, my thing on it is, I get it. Like, Soldier Field, it's hard to get in. It's hard to get out. But it is iconic.
36:51And those nighttime playoff games are amazing. And I have so many great memories there. So, like, the idea that there has to be this move or whatever. Like, I have a problem with that whole thing.
37:03Matt Belloni:They're doing it. I know. I know. They're out. They're out. But, like, I just am like, just stay at Soldier Field. Like, I just love Soldier Field. I have so many amazing memories there. And then I just think that the playoff games, especially now that they're good, I think they're going to be playing January, February games. Night game, snow coming down, Packers in the divisional series. Like, all of those in the divisional game, like, all of those things are amazing. They're awesome. They're special. And here's what else I'll say. A lot of these new stadiums with this kind of, like, dome year-round eventization, development built around it, they all look the same to me.
37:38Like, SoFi kind of looks like the Raiders stadium, looks like the mock-up for the Chiefs stadium, looks exactly like what the Bears are going to build. And I just think in history, when we look back on this time, it'll be like the dome era of the 1970s, where all of these things are just going to be flat, not remembered for any architectural reason, not remembered for any sort of like shared history, memory or experience thing. They're just optimized for year round eventization and designed to balloon the values of these franchises. So to me, it's like a...
38:07Matt Belloni:What I don't like as a West Coast football fan, I always like the shitty weather on the East Coast and in Chicago. Yeah, right. Because it's December, January. I'm watching in my shorts and T-shirt, and you're like, those people are suffering. And now, with the domes, you don't get that. Other than Green Bay, you don't get the like, wow, it's an ice bowl. And it'll be like VIP. I can't even talk. It'll be like VIP lounged out, you know, corporate boxification of this whole thing. Some, a little just came out. No, it's okay. Yeah, you relive the experience and there'll be an encore later, but let's look at the milk glass half full.
38:50What, yeah, what is this? That's a chocolate shake, actually.
38:59It's good.
39:00Matt Belloni:Somewhat helpful. Yeah. I want to talk a little bit about your media diet because how much do you pay attention to the business? I mean, I listen to your show and you know that. And I think that it's a good way to – what I think is great about your show is you guys just like churn material. You know what I mean? It's not like you and Luke is like talking or for whatever, like 15, 20 minutes about your weekend before you get into anything. Like the show starts and you just start churning through the things, you know? Nobody cares what we do. I like that you know that about yourself. You know, that's part of being a host is that kind of awareness.
39:34So that's what I always like because I feel like then it kind of, it turns on the hose to that whole thing and then, you know, I can just take it all in. But to be honest with you, like, you know, there are some YouTube shows that I watch.
39:45Matt Belloni:There are some. What's the best show for preparing for Hot Wheels? Oh, that's a good question. What do you watch to prepare for a guest? Like what other shows deliver what you want for your show? So I think that there are a couple really good ones. Like if I'm doing like a music interview, there's this interviewer like Zach Sang, who kind of like you is like churning the material and like going through the things. And I'm like, okay, this is like a good way for me to download all these things. Zach Sang, where is he? What is he? You know what? I don't even know. I just kind of like type. But he has a YouTube show.
40:17Yeah, or like a radio show that they syndicate or something like that. Yeah, and he gets big guests. But I also think like a good thing to do is like, I think like a great thing is if you have like an SNL alum and then they're on like David Spade and Dana Carvey's podcast. Those are always like a really good thing because they're coming in like guard down and like sharing. And they have that shared history.
40:43Matt Belloni:Like when the SNL people go on Amy Poehler's podcast, always good. Great. That's a good. And I always look at their disposition towards Amy Poehler like somebody that they know. Because if I see that side of them when I'm interviewing, that means I know I'm getting, like, the best version of them. So I always watch those shows or, like, when there's that kind of alignment. Pete Holmes, like, I don't know if it's, like, the most popular podcast in the world, but he's actually, like, a sneakily, like, really good interviewer. Okay. That I feel like you can pull a lot from. Not just to gas you, but, like, you know, you've become a little more guest-centric.
41:15A little more guest-driven over the years. But then it's always good to get your perspective. Trust me, at the beginning, nobody wanted to go. Well, just like me, you need proof of concept first. Before that, you're just tricking Tony Yayo into being on the show. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I think that those are all good shows. But now I think, you know, there's so many good celebrity interview shows on the internet. When we first started, there were almost none. You had the late night shows and then hot ones. So there'd be kind of like this event situation where it's like, oh my gosh, we only ever see Terry Crews on the late night couches.
41:47And now here he is on hot ones. Now there's like so many of these shows.
41:51Matt Belloni:If you feel like it's a little saturated, like Patton Oswalt was on Conan's show. Yeah, I saw that. He was joking about how like nowadays, you know, Judi Dench has to be dropped into a toilet full of caramel to do press rounds. So my take on it, my take on that overall is like I totally understand what he's saying. And like, you know, to what extent we were involved in that kind of influence or whatever. Like for us, the wings always had a purpose. It's a disruptive element designed to take a guest out of their PR-driven flight pattern. Like, there's an actual problem and solve for it. But I think with the popularity of it, is like, now there's this thing.
42:27I get it. I understand what you're doing with it.
42:28Matt Belloni:Continue. There's this idea that everything has to insert a high concept along with it in order for anyone to watch it. And that is not true. Like, sometimes people ask me, like, oh, what's next for you? Like, what's the show after this? Or, like, how are you going to duplicate, like, the magic of hot ones? And I always tell people, my next show is going to be called Just an Interview Show with Sean. And we're just going to, in an old-fashioned way, sit and talk like we used to do. You know, I do think that there is, oh, we need, like, celebrity plus, like, high concept in order for anybody to pay attention.
42:58But I don't think that's true. The interview is the oldest construct in the history of media. If you can do it well, you'll have a job in this town. And that's as big as I think about it. But I do agree with that. But I will say there weren't a lot of celebrity interview shows when I first started, and there were, like, not that many good ones at all. Now I do think you have more volume. It's a much more competitive and congested space. But you are getting a higher quality of interview. Like, the bar has been raised a lot over the last decade.
43:26Matt Belloni:And the number of guests that are willing to take a risk on shows that are outside of the traditional shows, It's now accepted that big stars will do shows like yours. Whereas even three, four years ago, it was a shock to see someone like Jennifer Lawrence do Hot Ones. Now it's kind of a shock if she doesn't. Yeah, I think that that's true. So we'll see how it all plays out, but I think that that is kind of like the future. And too, then you'll have these shows that'll pop off on different platforms or in different styles, where Subway takes this big thing on TikTok. There's all these different ways in which the new ways that we make things and the new ways that we watch things are now kind of filling in all of those spaces and many times, I think, in really interesting ways.
44:15Matt Belloni:All right, so why did we do the worst one fourth? Well, you're a Hollywood guy. Now there's one sitting here. Well, you say that that's the worst one, but you haven't tried this one yet. Oh, this is worse than the bomb? This is me taking the mask off and just being a chicken wing talk show host of Dignity. Okay. And I want to protect my friend over here. Are you being serious? I'm being 100 % serious. The one that you ate is the worst. The worst is behind us, okay? But isn't this just going to reactivate all the awfulness? Possibly, all right? But I think in... I'm not... This is... I've had wings before.
44:48I think in just a way that it's like you get a splash from the pool, not like you did a cannonball in it.
44:53Matt Belloni:Okay. Okay? Because there is currently a ring of fire around my mouth. Yeah. No, I feel the exact same thing. It's just sitting there waiting for a match. My lips are totally on fire. My throat's on fire. So let's do this last one. And how are we on time? Are we almost done on time? Please?
45:19Yep.
45:21Matt Belloni:Reactivated.
45:31All right.
45:37Matt Belloni:We should be applauding you. I can't believe you do this twice a week. Once or twice, yeah. Kind of unbelievable. I didn't like that one as much. All good. But let's look at the positive. You are through the wings. I know. I know. All right.
46:02Matt Belloni:Last question. big fancy TV job comes calling. Do you take it or do you stay the course and build your digital empire? So I'm not just saying this. There's no one in entertainment. There's no one in Hollywood that I would trade places with. Like when I look around, there's nothing that I'd rather have. Like I love being the king of this castle. The chair that I sit in has become like the most comfortable lazy boy ever. the people who I started off making this show with are the exact same people who are making the show with me now. My producer has been, thank you. From the camera guys to my producers, to Sarah Honda, who's here today, to, yeah.
46:51My partner, Chris, my editor, it's just become like this family affair. Literally, I've hired my brother to help me out with the research early on and he still works for me to this day. So when I think about the show and how much I believe in it, how much I believe in the people that helped me build this digital media empire. And then when I think about, you know, now we have the keys to it and we're driving the car. And I think about all the places that we could take it to. There is no one that I'd trade places with now. There's no one that I'm jealous of. And to me, there's no higher thing like we were talking about.
47:26Like when I was growing up, it was to host The Tonight Show. And I think that I'm evidence of the way that times have changed. And I'm really happy to be where I'm at. And I really truly would not trade places with anyone. Like I'm the luckiest person on earth.
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48:10Plus, get a free professional measure at Blinds.com. Rules and restrictions apply. Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. The message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please, for the love of everything good in this world, stop. With Mint, you can get premium wireless for just$15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying, no judgments,
48:28Matt Belloni:but that's weird. Okay, one judgment. Anyway, give it a try at mintmobile.com slash switch. Upfront payment of$45 for three month plan equivalent to$15 per month required. Intro rate first three months only then full price plan options available taxes and fees extra. See full terms at mintmobile.com. So far, so far, I've been able to duck it. But anyone can't get it. Anyone can get it. That would be a good way. If Trump said I would like to do hot ones, Would you say yes? I'd maybe, like, you know what I want to do? You were talking about dream jobs. Holy fucking shit. This is... I want to do a debate.
49:04Like, a Hot Ones debate. I want the official presidential debate to be a Hot Ones format.
49:13Matt Belloni:That and throwing out the first pitch at the World Series. All right, well, good luck with that. Try to get that through the debate commission. All right, everyone. Thank you for coming out. Thank you to Sean Evans. Thank you to YouTube and everyone for putting this on. I can't even control my mouth.
From the publisher
Live from Hollywood, Matt turns the tables on 'Hot Ones' host Sean Evans. Matt eats hot wings and risks his intestinal fortitude while interviewing Sean at the 'Hot Ones' FYC event. Yes, he tries Da Bomb. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Sean Evans Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Matt Pevic Theme Song: Devon Renaldo In this darkly comedic series, a love triangle ends in death. Watch now.
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