“There is definitely times where there's guys and, ladies that I know who are studio execs who will say that, like, oh, you stole that for me. I'm like, yes. And then there's some that are like, I know you got that for me, and I'm like, I didn't. I'm struggling to remember your name right now. But I think people see what they want in the part. And, it's really based a lot off of my friend Eric Byers, who's an executive at Universal, except for he doesn't do drugs and is very responsible.”
“For years, people were like, you should do a podcast. And I was like, I don't think the medium is gonna work. And a couple weeks ago, I was like, the medium works. So let's get into this now. We're not on the Ground Floor, but we're on, like, the 80th Floor. Right. So I I wanted to figure out a fun podcast, and I I just couldn't think of, like, a fun hook. And then I was like, oh my god. What if I just wrote trivia questions for my friends?”
“I'm in there, and what do I hear? Oh my god. It's Pitbull, and he's rapping about Men in Black three. And sure enough, this rapper has has had to bend the knee to the studio executives, and he's talking about we gotta go back in time, and he's explaining the plot. Do you know what I mean? And, again, that always freaks me out When rappers, you know Yeah. Well, everybody needs I mean, imagine how much money they get.”
“My dad wanted to be in comedy, and he auditioned for Second City when he was, like, really young. And and and then you it was just, like, too hard. And he my mom was pregnant, and he was like, I'm just gonna go to law school. Let's go to law school and make I'm an attorney and have steady work. And then he kind of took me to see my first improv show. And I remember seeing, like, Amy Poehler and Chris Farley.”
“I got there, and I learned how to perform big. Because in Chicago, I was doing a ton of improv in Chicago. And in Chicago, you can kind of you can score without having to go big in Chicago. You can come in and drop a really funny reference. You can play, like, kind of a cool character, and you're in a small room. You're gonna get a big laugh. But going there and having to perform for people who don't speak English necessarily, or don't understand your reference base at all”
“Personal expenses that are not related to the podcast, you cannot write off. So if you're bringing edibles I think I heard that segment for for Conan. Right? Yep. That would probably work more into production than on air. So per and where production costs can affect Conan, and I am the opinion that we are here to manage, Conan. Right? It could eat into Yeah. And and, you know, if it weren't for you and for Blay, I don't think I'd make it in this business.”
“I also won a a million dollars on celebrity who wants to be a millionaire. That's true. Yeah. So I've done two celebrity How much money? And you got to keep all that money. That money went straight to me, baby. No. That that was they both everything went to charity. Every dime went to charity, unfortunately. This has kept me off these charity shows. I won't I I I'm sorry. It has I'm just be I'm sorry. I can't do it. I can't do it. I work hard.”
Comedy legends are often tactile with their friends
“I have certain writers, and Matt O'Brien in particular, no relation. I tell everyone he was my cousin, and I had to hire him even though he's not funny. And he's a brilliant writer. He's really funny. He's no relation. It's just such a common last name. But I'm very comfortable, giving him a physical beating. Yeah. Exactly. I'm very tactile too. I touch people. I i kind of grab my friends and Yeah.”
“I think people see what they want in the part. And, it's really based a lot off of my friend Eric Byers, who's an executive at Universal, except for he doesn't do drugs and is very responsible. Right. But, they love the, some of them love they they they the work isn't exciting, making the movie's exciting, but they wanna where are we going to dinner afterwards? And that's, like, my cornerstone of, like, where are we gonna go to dinner?”
“But going there and having to perform for people who don't speak English necessarily, or don't understand your reference base at all Yeah. That taught me how to, I think, like, be bigger and kind of perform for for the masses.”
Conan obsesses over rappers rapping about movie plots
“I have an obsession lately that I wanna talk about. Yeah. Which is, rappers that, have agreed to do a soundtrack for a major motion picture, and then they have to rap about the movie and kind of get bogged down on the plot of the movie.”
The Studio draws inspiration from Larry Sanders Show
“And there's a similarity in between Larry Sanders and the studio. They're both about the business, and there are specific ways if you're in show business that you can pick apart certain things and say, well, that's not really how it is.”
Ike launches a trivia podcast called Funny You Ask
“I wanted to figure out a fun podcast, and I I just couldn't think of, like, a fun hook. And then I was like, oh my god. What if I just wrote trivia questions for my friends? I write the trivia. Oh, I write the trivia. Not because not for me. I have a producer who writes the questions for me, so I don't see the questions on our system.”
Business expenses require documented intent before purchasing
“it should start as the show wants to do x, y, and z. So let's go out and buy the necessary supplies, curiosities, whatever it is so that we can make that happen, so we can execute on it.”
