Glen Tickle (comedian)

Glen Tickle is a stand up comedian from New Jersey who has appeared on Dry Bar Comedy, Travel Channel and SiriusXM. His latest special “Glen Tickle Against the World Crime League” is available now for free on YouTube. We discuss the new special, his favorite music and movies, working clean and much more! 

0:00:00 - Intro
0:00:13 - Recording & Short Clips
0:05:50 - Shed & Location
0:07:15 - Humble Beginnings
0:12:52 - Offensive Vs. Clean Comedy
0:24:05 - Worst Job, Arizona & Attire
0:29:40 - Professionalism, Drinking, Drugs & Diet
0:42:05 - Doing Comedy at Music Festivals
0:44:05 - Favorite Music
0:47:09 - Favorite Movie
0:51:14 - Pee Wee Herman & Norm Macdonald
0:53:55 - Death & Grief and Comedy 
1:01:37 - Intent with Comedy & Trans
1:08:53 - Not Liking School
1:10:53 - Comedy Special & Tour Dates
1:13:08 - Local Food Bank
1:15:15 - Outro

Glen Tickle website:
https://www.glentickle.com/

Local Food Bank:
https://www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank

Chuck Shute website:
https://chuckshute.com/

Transcript

Glen Tickle: 0:12

a lot I hear from a lot of comics when they're like, oh, I need I'm trying to get a new five minute tape to like, submit to Booker's, or festivals or like late night spots or whatever. The second, you're like, Alright, I need a I need to record this five minutes. That is when everything goes wrong when you're trying to record it. Whereas, like, if you just, I'm not very good at recording video for everything. I have, like audio of probably every set I've done, because it's so easy to just open the voice recorder on your phone, put it on the stool when you're on stage. But the second want to do video, it's like, well, I can throw a tripod in the back of the room like, you know, seems more hassle than it's worth. And then once you're like, Oh, but I need that I need that clip that it's done. Somebody stands in front of your camera the whole time or it's too far away and the sound is terrible. Or there's some weird tech issue or it doesn't come out.

Chuck Shute: 1:04

That's such an it's so interesting, because that's such a huge part of it. Now, I think back in the day, it was like their stand up comedians, and yeah, you might have a special every couple of years or something. But there wasn't these clips that would go on YouTube. I mean, they didn't have YouTube when I was a kid like it was just like you occasionally would see a comedy special on HBO or Showtime or if you went to the video store, you could rent their full special but there was no gluttony. Yeah, and then another wrench into the comedian's life of like, Okay, I gotta record all these clips. I guess the advantage to that is though, that you know, you can be like a not super well known comedian without an HBO special and you can still do well like you have those couple of clips on Tik Tok that have millions of views. I mean, it's weird because I'm not even stand up. But you're still you're using humor in it.

Glen Tickle: 1:51

Yeah, it's it's, it drives me wild actually tick tock specifically, because I have a couple that have crossed the million but not stand up clips, I have stand up clips that have done very well that have like hundreds of 1000s, maybe half a million views, something like that. But the ones that do best aren't the thing that I try the hardest that it is there's there's one that has like half a million views that it was just like, oh, I gave my daughter a level and now she's running around our backyard, because I'm telling her to level different stuff. And that's was like, Oh, I thought it was cute that she was running around doing that took me 20 seconds to record an upload. And then Tiktok showed it to everybody. And then I've been putting clips up from the special and they've been getting like almost nothing and so I can't but I I tried really hard on. Like, I spent a long time working on those jokes, and even just the video itself, and tic TOCs like we don't care. We don't want to show that to anybody. We just want to show people how you teach your kid how to use a level which I didn't do. I'm not even really sure how to do it. I just had one I was like leave me alone go level that coffee table or whatever. And she would just run around doing it to different stuff. People on Tik Tok loved it. I don't It's so

Chuck Shute: 3:02

crazy trying to figure out the formula. And you know, because that's the same for the podcast. So the podcast clips and then I'll sometimes we'll do video, like I'll just do like a news brief or something where I report on something or I'll do some you know, video where I'm just talking myself. I'm trying to figure out all the formula and then what's interesting too, is you can post the same clip on Tik Tok, Instagram and YouTube. And sometimes like I have one video on Tiktok it's I interviewed the voice the original voice of Siri and she's just doing her like Siri voice or whatever. And I think she does a couple other like voices and that thing has like a half a million that's my biggest Tik Tok video ever. But I posted the exact same clip on Instagram and YouTube and I don't even know if I don't think a broke broke 1000. So it's like trying to figure out why does it sometimes, you know, go so far on this platform, but not the other. Like I have another video last coming I just had on Ellen Fitzgerald. He did a he was talking about the Steven Seagal movie. And I put that that has like 2000 on YouTube, but only like a few 100 on Instagram and Tiktok.

Glen Tickle: 3:58

Yeah, I don't, I will have stuff I don't I don't use like YouTube shorts or reals as much as I use Tiktok. And it is it's just like, I don't have the mental capacity to like I put that much effort into multiple platforms that on my end are essentially the same thing. I'm just posting clips up. And the ones where it's like that level video or even my most popular one on there was I just did a joke about potty training my daughter. And that is I talked about that in the new special where that has become stand up. But when I put that clip up, it's not going to do as well as the initial video that's got, I think 3 million views. And it's just because like we were doing a sticker chart for my kid. And so he's showing off the sticker chart and then I pan up and I showed my sticker chart and the joke was like I have way more stickers. And it's like a dumb joke I thought of I made that sticker chart two minutes before I filmed the video. It's the most popular thing I've ever done. And it talking about on stage like works. I've been doing that joke since shortly after it happened. And it's like, yeah, like it plays as a stand up clip. But like, will it when I post that one to Tiktok? I don't I don't know if it's gonna do good.

Chuck Shute: 5:15

Yeah. Well, you have that one. And then you have the bunny, the snowball bunny? Yes, it started. Elon has a few million as well, right. Yeah, I

Glen Tickle: 5:23

think that's it, like one and a half. I forget. It's a lot. And it's it's the same thing like it was I didn't put a ton of thought into that video. It was I talked about my dog died. And then we got to pet rabbit. And I'm holding her the whole time. It's like a minute long video and I just pop her up at the very end. I got so much unsolicited rabbit advice off that video. And it's it's my child once I apologize. Okay, go as big sisters, both of you watching you right now. Sorry.

Chuck Shute: 5:56

Are you in the garage? Or is this that shed you were talking about?

Glen Tickle: 5:58

No, this is actually my dining room. I'm in the middle of redoing the shed. I do most. Like I taught the first joke on the album, I talked about how I've been doing shows from a shed in my yard. But then I've not been doing as many virtual shows. So I was like, oh, now's a good time to like start a because I just have like a tiny little booth in the corner. And I'm like, I'm not out there as much like I have other uses that I need for the shed. So like I'll open it up. And that took longer than I expected. And now I'm like I'm doing a ton of podcast interviews and stuff to promote the album and I don't have the shed in fighting shape. So I've been doing them from

Chuck Shute: 6:38

here in my dining room. That's actually smart though to do the shed. Yeah, you could do it for pirate

Glen Tickle: 6:42

stop stuff like that from happening. Yeah, that's

Chuck Shute: 6:45

amazing, though. That's like actually really because I I would love that that's of my dreams have a podcast studio that's like a separate from the house that I could walk to. It's like separate. But uh, yeah, it's a shed is a great place to start with that. Because that's

Glen Tickle: 6:57

tells us it's nice. I mean, it started just because of the pandemic, because you know, it was doing so much virtual stuff. And I have small kids and my house isn't that big. But when I do shows in New York, or even I did a virtual show with some New York comics I know a couple of weeks ago. And you can't talk about like, they have no sympathy for your shed. Like they don't want to hear. They're in like a one bedroom maybe or a studio or just like three people living in a closet in Brooklyn somewhere. And I'm like, oh, yeah, it's tough because I got to do this show from my dining room instead of the shed and my pretty sizable yard. Like we don't we don't have sympathy for that. Oh, yeah,

Chuck Shute: 7:37

I've heard I love those stories when I've heard it from both comedians and musicians. When they first started out I think one of the best was I don't know if you're familiar with Ryan Flanagan do that guy's hilarious but he has a hilarious story about how you name sounds familiar? Yeah, he's he's not a comedian. But he moved to LA and he had like nothing. He moved in he did like I think was like Craiglist or something. He got a roommate but it was like an old man. And they shared a bedroom. It says a weird story. Like you share a bedroom with an old man like I mean, I just can't imagine a more awkward and uncomfortable situation but

Glen Tickle: 8:11

yeah, I was already married like before I started stand up so I don't have any like exciting super broke. Oh, well people stories.

Chuck Shute: 8:21

Wait, so then what did you do before Stan? I don't think I knew about that.

Glen Tickle: 8:27

I was a long time. Yeah. My last year of college I stayed basically I was I was go to school for film. And then I stayed an extra year so like just keep using the school's film equipment and like editing suite and stuff. And it I played in some festivals I don't know if it's it was streaming on Amazon for a while I sold it to a distributor years ago so like I don't have any control over it anymore but it was we made it for like almost no money and we didn't sell it to a distributor for a lot but Netflix bought it back when like Netflix was still doing DVDs through the mail and I forget how many they bought but like the one sale to Netflix like covered the expense of the movie. So it didn't like I didn't make any money off of it but the fact that it is like on paper profitable as like a really small indie is like an uncommon thing. You would think it would prove that like people should give me money to do another one. No one did so I started doing stand up. That's way easier.

Chuck Shute: 9:36

Well so can we can still watch called several ways to die trying right?

Glen Tickle: 9:39

Yeah, it is. I think if you had I don't know if DVD if Netflix even sends DVDs through the mail if they do I think you can still get it. It was like it was streaming on Amazon for a while. I have several 100 copies in a box in my attic. Because we did I think it was like 1000 DVDs. is when we first did it, and that's too many. It turns out, that's way more than we needed.

Chuck Shute: 10:07

So you did that. And then it didn't blow up enough to get a second movie. So then you started to teach.

Glen Tickle: 10:13

Yeah, I was doing, like some freelance video production work. And then that wasn't like, thriving either. So you know, I was waiting tables. And then I started substitute teaching, I was doing that. When I think when I started stand up, I was subbing I think it was thinking about it when I was waiting tables. And then it wasn't until I left that job that I gave was 2009. So I was like, in my late 20s.

Chuck Shute: 10:42

So then how long does it take from when you start stand up to when you can say, make it a full time career? I mean, would you we're still doing the sub, the waitress scene or subs or waitress, waiter stuff and stuff. If that's the situation, you're still doing the other jobs. In addition to stand up, I'm assuming it takes a year for full time comedian status for a

Glen Tickle: 11:03

while. It even after, like it was my main job, I would still, you know, I had part time jobs and stuff, just because I do a lot of like corporate and college stuff, not as many colleges as before the pandemic, but for a while like that, specifically performing at colleges was like my main gig. And there's only like, five months out of the year where you do that, like the rest of it. It's like, nobody's booking you to come tell jokes at a college in July, or whatever. It's like, back to school week. And then maybe like, end of the year, if there's like a holiday break, you're not doing anything. So it's like fall and spring. That's about it. So I would do stuff like in the summer, just to have, you know, income and ways to pass the time. But I stopped doing those around like right before the pandemic hit, because I filmed a drive are special. And then I was like starting to book more corporate stuff, where it's like, that's more year round. You know, like, if you're an autoparts company, or whatever, you know, you still need to do something in July. So, you know, have a conference, and then you bring in someone like me to tell everybody jokes at the end. So they're not mad that they had to spend a day, you know, at a Marriott conference center. And it's it was proud, like, I started 2009, it really took off as a job, probably 2016. That was around when I recorded my first album, which was ostensibly just so I could send that to colleges and be like, Look, I can do an hour. Here's proof. And then after that, I started doing more colleges. So yeah, somewhere between like 2016. And the start of the pandemic was when it was like, Yep, I'm just doing this now. Thanks.

Chuck Shute: 12:47

That's not too bad. So seven years, but talk about doing comedy at colleges and corporate events. Because from the comedians I've interviewed, they've all said those are like the hardest things. Like there's a lot of comedians that won't do colleges at all, because they just, they get they don't get a lot of maybe two, it's different now than it wasn't 2009. But I know like college is now like the kids. They don't understand comedy, like they are offended by a lot of things. And then corporate the problem with that I hear is just that it's never very set up very well to do comedy. Like there'll be like people. Did you agree? 100%? Yeah,

Glen Tickle: 13:22

I agree. 100% on the the assessment of corporate comedy not being set up correctly, but the I mean, there was I forget what year it was, but like Seinfeld famously said he was going to do colleges anymore, because, and it wasn't even like no one complained about the like, he talked about it, I think was on Seth Meyers. And he talked about it. He didn't say like, oh, there was there was backlash, like there wasn't like a petition. The college students just didn't laugh at a joke hard enough. And he's like, Oh, they're too sensitive. It wasn't a good joke. Jerry. Like he recounted the joke to Seth Meyers. Not that good of a joke. I didn't laugh at it, either. It was something about swiping through your phone. He's like, Oh, like a gay French king. And he's just like doing this hand motion. And like, the students didn't laugh. And he's like, Oh, because I said gay and they're very sensitive. Like, not because it's not. It's not that fun. Like, comparing it to, like, it doesn't. The joke doesn't work that well, like, I don't know. But also

Chuck Shute: 14:18

there's like all a lot of millennials that say the show Seinfeld is offensive and actually like, I had a buddy who's he's a little bit younger

Glen Tickle: 14:26

parts of it. Never seen it share any data at a teenager so

Chuck Shute: 14:30

that's fine, you know? Yeah. Oh, yeah. They use it. What was that girl's name? Like he did have a very young girlfriend.

Glen Tickle: 14:36

Yeah, like while he was one of the most famous people in the world. I mean, I also dated a teenager but it was when I was a teenager and that and now she is my wife of 17 years so I feel like it's less weird. But yeah, I mean, not all of it holds up. I really liked Seinfeld the show I want to be clear, but the person not as much.

Chuck Shute: 14:57

No, it is interesting though that like because I had a we had a buddy that, that I worked with when he used to work in the schools and he had never seen Seinfeld. He was a younger guy. And so we were always like quoting lines. So he's like, Finally he's like, Alright, I'm gonna go back. I'm gonna watch every episode. And he I think he enjoyed most of it. But he did say there was definitely some parts that were a little cringe for him. But I for me, I don't see now if I went back and watch Blazing Saddles. That was there was some definitely parts of that movie where I was like, Ooh, this, it like made me uncomfortable. But saying, I didn't. There wasn't a lot there that made me cringe.

Glen Tickle: 15:32

I never. I think I watched Blazing Saddles once when I was like, really young, like too young to watch Blazing Saddles, and didn't really like it. And I thought it was boring because I didn't understand what was going on. I rewatched it a couple months ago, like I was on tour somewhere doing a corporate gig in the Midwest or something. I was like, oh, like it was on a streaming service. I was like, let me watch that. And because it's the thing that everyone's like, Oh, you couldn't make Blazing Saddles today. And it's like, I wanted to see why everybody kept saying that. And I think the people who are saying it is like, oh, because like it's it's too edgy, or whatever. But I think the real reason you couldn't make it today is because it is a satire, like it is a parody of racism. And genuine racist would get really mad if you made Blazing Saddles today, making fun of them. Not, you know, because of the language or anything in the actual movie, like you could, you could absolutely make it just, there would be a big petition of the same people who don't want to drink Bud Light anymore. They're like, Ah, I'm not. I'm not watching Blazing Saddles. It's too woke. Like, just then don't watch it. I don't know what to tell you. Yeah, cuz

Chuck Shute: 16:44

it's written by Richard Pryor. Yeah, like there was just some, like, racist. I know. I think you're right. I think it is kind of more making fun of racism, but just some of the some of the languages I know. Just seem I was like, you probably shouldn't even say that stuff nowadays. Like,

Glen Tickle: 16:59

I mean, some of it just didn't age. Well. Yeah. No, it is satire. But yeah, I think I think that's the bigger issue with why you can't do it today is because it is satire of racism, not

Chuck Shute: 17:15

see, because then something Oh,

Glen Tickle: 17:17

I mean, people don't get it about the existing Blazing Saddles. They just they just love here. And people use words that they would get fired for using. And like, that's true in comedy, too. Like there's absolutely an audience of people who just want to go out on a Friday night, have a couple of drinks, and hear somebody say things that they would love to be able to say, but they're worried they would get in trouble for saying. And I mean, sometimes those people come to see me by mistake, and it's like, Oh, I'm sorry. I just, I just want to talk about Jurassic Park and my kids. I don't have I don't have anything like, I don't have any cool edge large bits to win those people over. Yeah,

Chuck Shute: 17:58

I mean, that's funny, because like the comedian I just had on Allen Fitzgerald. Dude, that guy I don't know if you have come across him yet in the New York Comedy something so Yeah, dude, he is. He is out there. Like in terms of edginess, like he pushes the boundaries. But it's like, it's the same kind of thing where you're like, you kind of wonder do some people like it? Because he's saying things that they want to be able to say, but like, for me, I'm like, he it's like satire, like he's making fun of people who are racist, and all that other stuff. So but yeah, it's very different style, because your style is more clean, right?

Glen Tickle: 18:30

It I mean, I don't like billing myself as a clean comedian. Because I feel like I want to be able to say, dang it onstage and get in trouble. But it is just like, colleges usually asked me to work clean corporate almost always wants you to work clean. And it's like, well, I don't want to write two sets, like I don't want to have a clean set and a dirty set. I just want to all just develop material that I can do wherever. And if it's you know, if I'm doing it at a late night bar show, I can just, you know, casually swear in the middle of an otherwise clean joke, because it does like kind of grabs people's attention. And if it's, you know, something where it's not, you know, the best setup for comedy, and there's a lot of distractions. Occasionally, you know, swearing during a joke, will get people to pay attention to you a little better. But I don't. I mean, it's like I thought of dirty jokes. But it started when my daughter was born my older daughter, she's 10 now. And it was like, Oh, it feels weird to me to be like, here's a dirty joke. And now here's a story about a beautiful infant that I love with my whole heart. So like going back and forth between the two of them felt weird. So it's like, well, I'll just do these ones about the kid that I love. And then that's when I started doing colleges. That's when I started doing corporate stuff. And it's like, oh, well, that's, that's what I'm getting paid to do basically, is these stories about my kid. So Let me just lean into that. I think if at that same time I had, let's say, like a dirty bit, and that blew up and ended up getting me a bunch of attention in money, I probably would have leaned into that instead. I mean, I'm glad I didn't, because it seems exhausting, if I'm being honest. But well, it's like, you know, to

Chuck Shute: 20:20

it's like, it's just like an a kind of accent. Like, I know, Larry David, I'm a huge career enthusiasm fan. And like Larry David always says, the character on that show is just an exaggerated version of himself. And it's not a lot of comedians, it's kind of these exaggerated versions of themselves, or get putting out these ideas that they think of that are kind of satire or cartoonish ideas, but it's still it's them. Like, it's, they're being themselves a lot of times on stage, right.

Glen Tickle: 20:49

I think for most comics, that's true, at least to a degree. I mean, there's people who are full on doing characters who, like, by choice are on purpose not being themselves on stage. But I mean, it still comes down to, well, you as a person, there are things that you think are funny and worth talking about on stage. For me, it is like I said, you know, it's mostly my kids and movies, I like, like, that's, that's what I want to talk about. In my life. That's, you know, that's what I'm going to talk about on stage. You know, I have friends are like topical comedians, or they write for, you know, late night shows, or whatever, who it's their job to read through the news and have a joke about current events. I don't do that, you know, I, when I have to submit a packet for something like I can, and I will, like, you know, pay attention to the news a little closer than I do, trying to write jokes about it. But I, I think my approach to comedy is, I am always working on the next album. So I don't do a lot of topical material, because like, by the time I record it, it's not going to make sense anymore. I think there's like one because it was snowing to go to Mexico. But it's because that that storm, tied into like a different story that I was telling. So like, it's like a quick aside in this bigger story. It's not like a whole joke about Ted Cruz. Because hopefully, 10 years from now, nobody's gonna remember who that guy is. So I don't want like,

Chuck Shute: 22:24

I don't know about that the lady's Congress. People say like, Diane he's seen and he's stuck around longer than I thought he was all over. They go until they die. It seems like

Glen Tickle: 22:33

Yeah. And it's, it's like, I don't want to I don't want to do a whole hour on, you know, making fun of Ted Cruz. Because, you know, people might not remember the thing. This was literally it was my the story on the album is my wife ordered chickens through the mail. But they got delayed because of that storm. So it's like, oh, it's like a it's like a historically big storm. It is like it had repercussions in the government. It wasn't just like, oh, it's snowed a little bit. So the chickens were late. It was like, No, this is like a major event. Yeah, like the Maori thing. That's crazy, too. Yeah. And it's like, if I just go out and do a bunch of topical material one, I have to write a lot more jokes, which is tiring. And then like, I feel like the shelf life of those jokes is shorter. Especially because like I'm in rural New Jersey, it's not like I'm, you know, doing three spots a night, every night of the week in Manhattan, or something where it's like, oh, yeah, like I'm doing all these shows. I can turn over material a lot faster. It's like, I don't know, I get up a couple of times a week. Sometimes it's, you know, a virtual show from a shed. And it's hard to, you know, do political topical material at corporate gigs, because they will specifically tell you not to do that. And it's like, yeah, you know, you don't want to start a fight at work is essentially the point of it. And it's like, yeah, that's fine. I'll just, I'll stick to you know, stories about when I used to be a substitute teacher, or, you know, jobs that I used to have that don't do anymore.

Chuck Shute: 24:03

It's the worst job you ever had.

Glen Tickle: 24:07

It's the one I probably hated the most was being a waiter. But, like, physically the worst I was a roofer for three days. And my friend, this was I was after freshman year of college or senior year of high school, one of those summers, one of my best friends, his dad owned a roofing company. And he had a bunch of guys quit on him. And he's like, we got to finish this roof. Like, do you guys want to? Like you can come on and it's just like, I wasn't like nailing it. I was just clearing debris off the old roof and then the professionals were like putting in the new one. And I was bad at it. It was really hot and you have to get up super early. But I agreed. I'm like I we will hell. It was like me and two of my friends were like we Hello, froze. What happened? I don't know. Am I back yet? Yeah, yeah, start over. Alright. But basically he asked us if we would help out to finish this one roof. And then we did. So I was just like, you go up on the ladder, you're in the sun all day, we're throwing debris off the side into a dumpster at the end of that job. He was like, Do you guys want to stay on and like, keep working for the summer? And the other two guys did? And I was like, Oh, absolutely not. He's like, I didn't even actually mean you. I just the other two. And I was like, that's, that's fair. I mean, it pays really well. But that's why when I hear people talk about like, unskilled labor, or whatever, I was like, No, it's just actually like, really hard to do any kind of labor. No, I know, people that who was like, pick this up, throw it over there. That seems pretty unskilled. But I was bad at it. And oh, it's pretty clear.

Chuck Shute: 25:53

I'm bad at that stuff to my buddy did that he was a roofer in here in Arizona, which I cannot think of the worst job to do. In Arizona. I mean, people say like, oh, how do you survive when it's 120? There? I'm like, Well, I'm always in the air conditioning, but now roofer. I mean, I guess what they do is they get up at like, they started like four in the morning or something. And then they finish by like, 11 before it gets really hot. But the problem is, in the summer, I mean, the low of Arizona, sometimes a low is like 109 or something. So

Glen Tickle: 26:22

yeah, Jersey, it was the same thing. Like that's why you have to get up so early. So you can start, like, once the first light, you're up there, and then you want to be done for the day before it gets too hot. But yeah, I had a hard time performing comedy in Arizona. And like it really was outside. But it was that it was outside of Phoenix. It was a corporate gig. And it was like the guy who owned the company, like had it at his house. Wow, it was like early spring like it wasn't crazy hot, but it was still like, pretty warm. But we were shade

Chuck Shute: 27:01

because of their shade. It's yeah,

Glen Tickle: 27:03

it was at night. Okay, it was it's like, but it was still like, can we go inside? Like, I'm just sweating. And it looks like I was nervous. But like, no, it is just like, it was like probably 85 I don't do good or

Chuck Shute: 27:17

bad if you're wearing shorts and a T shirt. Now if you're wearing like a suit or something or like Yeah, I had

Glen Tickle: 27:21

like, I don't remember exactly what I had on but it was you know, I was dressed to do a show. Yeah, with

Chuck Shute: 27:26

some with corporate shows you have to wear like a suit and tie or what is our dress code for corporate?

Glen Tickle: 27:32

Depends like sometimes they will ask, but I have, you know, I typically just wear a blazer over a t shirt for most shows. And I've very rarely ever had anybody pushback and be like, Hey, that's not dressed up enough. It depends on the gig. I did have one I was featuring for comedian who objected to that attire. He's like, you're a casino. It was a casino gig. And it was like, but I had like, it's pretty nice blazer like I didn't look like I rolled in off the street like, it's, it's a choice. It is not just but he was also wearing like a suit from TJ Maxx. So I was like my guy. I don't know that you're the one I'm gonna be taking fashion advice from.

Chuck Shute: 28:19

You can't say who this comedian was.

Glen Tickle: 28:21

I do not remember his name. But absolutely throw him under a bus. Oh, that's funny. I had not heard of him before I worked with him. And I don't know that I've heard of him since so wherever you are, if you're out there. I think about you a lot. But you're wrong. Yeah, cuz that's

Chuck Shute: 28:37

that's pretty old school to make a comedian wear a suit. I mean, I don't think there's very many comedians nowadays that wear suits. I never see. I mean, occasionally, somebody with a blazer and a T shirt. I think that's that's kind of more like these. I feel like it started every comedian wore a suit. And then in the 80s, it was like, Oh, we can wear a t shirt and a blazer. And then in the 90s I feel like it. Maybe some people stuck to the blazer and the t shirt, but a lot of like other comedians, just I mean, you see comedians wearing hoodies, and shorts and all sorts of different just casual clothes.

Glen Tickle: 29:07

It is. It's different. Now I feel like especially during the pandemic, everybody's just so used to doing like zoom shows from home where it's like, I'm just gonna wear gym shorts, and like, maybe a nice shirt. But you know, you can't I might not be wearing pants at all right now. Like, it is. I feel like people have gotten less strict about it. But also, I mean, it very rarely comes up where any part of me getting asked to do a show involves anybody asked me what I'm wearing?

Chuck Shute: 29:37

Yeah, well, that's the beauty of being a comedian, right? I mean, that's like a thing where you don't have a dress code usually or a name tag or like, it's a lot more. I mean, obviously you got to be the show on time. And there's so some professional things that you have to do but yeah, it's way different. I was because I was who was I talking? I was thinking about this. Just how like, you know, with success and comedians and musicians, it's Interesting with most jobs or sports, I guess is better example like Johnny Manziel. And if you saw that new documentary on him, but how he was so much into partying and drugs and all that stuff, and it, it ultimately, like I think it ended his career. But you see, I talked to so many musicians that continue to do drugs and partying. I think a lot of comedians do, too. And they're still successful. Kind of crazy.

Glen Tickle: 30:20

Yeah, I mean, it's definitely a job where you can get away with that stuff more. I mean, I'm just like a boring, sober dad. So like, I'm not out on the road partying, it's like, Oh, I'm gonna go back to my hotel room after the show. I'm gonna watch Buckaroo Banzai on my iPad and fall asleep by 11. Like that's, and like, just the fact that I can do that without my kids around to wake me up at six in the morning. Like, that's, that's what feels like party to me. But it is. I've gotten I've done a couple shows where they're like, hey, you need to like, you know, corporate attire. And I sometimes ask a follow up. And then other times, it's like, I'm just gonna show up dressed how I dress. Like, I'm 40. I like it's not. Yeah, but we got we got the email about the dress code for my kids school for this year. And it's nothing like there's no crazy rules, but I'm like, This is dumb. Like this whole thing. Just let people wear it they want. So you didn't drink anymore.

Chuck Shute: 31:19

You don't do any drugs or have some health? We've had to take some medication and stuff. Can you not? Like I'm

Glen Tickle: 31:25

on a bunch of prescription medications. And that's probably like, that's the big reason I don't drink anymore. It's just like, health stuff. But it was it's it. I am not allergic to alcohol. But alcohol exacerbates my allergies. I found out. So I did like a sip of this punch my friend made at a party five years ago, and my face turned bright red. And Irish like that has always happened. Like sometimes I'll just my I'll be drinking at a party and somebody's like, Hey, your face is really red. And like, ah, yeah, it happens. But this time it like hurt. It felt like I got sunburned, but like a matter of seconds after a sip of alcohol. Like I kinda liked the way feeling like a drink and a half feels but this is terrible. Like I just, if I just don't drink anymore to avoid this, that's fine. And I have friends who like deal with, you know, the addiction. And it's like, oh, I don't have any advice for that. Because like the way I did, it was yeah, just I don't know, just don't do it anymore. Like, that's just just where it makes her face her and then don't do it. And it's like, that's not helpful. I understand that. But I like especially because so many my friends are comedians, they're like, God, how do you like, you know, we're in bars all the time doing shows and like comedy clubs. There's always like, how do you you know, the green rooms like stocked with free beer? I was like, Yeah, but I don't I don't want it. I don't want any of it. Like that's, well,

Chuck Shute: 32:51

you don't eat meat either. Right? Are you tempted? Do you miss that? I know that. That's been

Glen Tickle: 32:55

longer. Actually. That's been like, over a decade. Now. It just I mean, the boring kind of depressing answer is like it made me sad to think about, so I stopped doing it. Like, that's it. And it was a rat of the same thing. It was, I stopped drinking alcohol around the time my second kid was born. And I stopped eating meat around when my first daughter was born. And it was like, I wasn't eating a lot of it. And then it just got to the point where it's like, well, what if I just don't eat anything? Like, what if I just stop and see how long that goes. And it's been over a decade, so it's going fine. It's gotten easier now. I stopped eating meat for a while in high school. But that was when like, McDonald's was still frying everything and be fat. And like we would go out to eat at a restaurant. And there'd be literally nothing on the menu that I could have. Because like, all the vegetables are like sauteed in bacon fat. And it's like, I don't think I can have any of this. So I gave up after a while when I was in high school. And then it's easier now just because more places have vegetarian options. I mean, it's also easier because I'm not like a child whose parents do his grocery shopping like I decide what food I have around the house. So yeah, there's some really good neutral

Chuck Shute: 34:05

vegan restaurants there there's a place that because I tried we tried it for a little bit I just couldn't do it. But there was a place called green that's straight down the street from my house and they have like these because the thing is sugar is sugar is okay for vegans. So you they had these like bullet they were basically a blizzard, but it was like, didn't have dairy in it or something. I don't know how they did it. Yeah, like these. I think there must have been native soy tacos. Dude, it was amazing. I was like I could but I actually I think I gained weight on vegan. That's what I started doing. I was like, Oh, this isn't really helping me. I feel like me anymore. Yeah,

Glen Tickle: 34:34

there's like i i It's not for health, but like I'm still overweight. I still eat garbage. But it's just garbage without meat. And I'm not vegan. I talked about that in the news special too. Just because like, it's a lot harder. Like I it's easy for me to be like, Oh, does this have any meat in it? No. All right, great. And I'm like, Well, does this has this ever has like milk ever come in contact with this at all. It's like I just

Chuck Shute: 34:58

I can't say you're lactose. aren't too though. Yeah,

Glen Tickle: 35:01

that is that to be vegan, right? That's fairly recent. So like, I'm still, I'm still getting used to that, like I talked about it in the specialist switched over to oat milk. I have like fake butter now at the house. But it's still like just their stuff that has dairy in it that you wouldn't realize, at first glance, and it's like, I can't give that level of scrutiny to every single thing that I eat. So it is like, Yeah, I'm having an easier time like not eating cheese anymore than I thought I would. I mean, I still do I talk about it in the specialty. Like, I still eat pizza, because it's my favorite food in the world. And I, you know, if a place has vegan pizza, I'll get that. But if they don't, I'll still just get regular pizza, and then have a tummy ache.

Chuck Shute: 35:52

Or take a pill or something that like elack. There is Yeah,

Glen Tickle: 35:56

where it's like the enzyme that breaks it down. But it's, I don't know, I would rather just raw dog that slice and see how it goes. Because my doctor, my doctor told me like they didn't do tests, like I talked about, I was like, oh, yeah, like, you know, sometimes my stomach hurts and like, I don't want to get gross on your show. But I was describing the symptoms. And she's like, Yeah, that's, you know, everyone at a certain age, like hits a point where they are lactose intolerant, because like, I have vegan friends. We're like, Yeah, everyone's lactose intolerant. We shouldn't be drinking cow's milk. It's insane. And I'm like, I don't know. It went pretty good for a few decades there. Now that I'm getting older, like, at a suit, your body just gets worse it Yeah, dealing with

Chuck Shute: 36:38

it. Well, that came with alcohol for me too. I noticed like the older I get. I used to drink so much in my 20s and a lot of my 30s too. And then I realize over again, I'm like, I don't even want to drink more than like, you know, one or two or maybe like five three. It's like, Whoa, we're getting dizzy here. Like because it starts to hurt.

Glen Tickle: 36:57

That's how I was before I just stopped drinking altogether. Oh, yeah, like hangovers are worse when you're 34 than when you're 24. And it's like, yeah, it's

Chuck Shute: 37:05

like several days, like when you're like 21 The next day sucks. But then like two days later, like totally back to normal. Now

Glen Tickle: 37:12

it's like, you're in college. It's a rough morning. You go get a bacon egg and cheese and then you're fine. It's like, yeah, I don't know. I can't hang any more to like,

Chuck Shute: 37:24

what is your advice then? You

Glen Tickle: 37:25

don't you don't Diet Coke? Absolutely. Yeah, Coke Zero

Chuck Shute: 37:30

because Coke Zero like cherry. Coke. Zero is that's my I'm trying to get rid of x. I know. It's terrible for me, but it's so good.

Glen Tickle: 37:37

I stopped drinking soda for years. And then when I stopped drinking alcohol, I like fell back into it. Because I like I would drink like seltzer water still because I like the carbonation. But then, when I didn't, when I stopped drinking, it's like, Well, you got to you got to order something when you're doing a show with the club. So it's like, oh, let me just get like a Diet Coke. And I'm like, will not give it up. And people get like, Oh, it's so bad for you. I'm like, I know. But it's like the one thing that is bad for me that like I don't drink. I don't smoke. Like let me have this one bad thing. And it is. It's a thing where like, I've genuinely I've tried and like I you know, I can stop drinking diet coke. And then it turns out no, I can't. Shakes I think about it all the time. It is.

Chuck Shute: 38:27

It's always funny when people lecture you on stuff like that. I was watching Bill Maher the other day and he had this girl and she was a swimmer. And he's like, you know, the chlorine is it's really bad for you. It absorbs to your skin. And he's literally drinking a drink and smoking a joint as he's chlorine is bad for her.

Glen Tickle: 38:45

I've had people while they are smoking cigarettes, like telling me I shouldn't drink Diet Coke. It's like well, let's keep our own side of the street clean before we before we worry about the insane level of Diet Coke that you gotta love. That was I don't know if you remember there was like a news story about Trump at one point where it was like going around his room was like, Oh, can you believe this guy? He's got a button on his desk in the White House where every time he presses it, somebody brings him an ice cold Diet Coke and like, I've never found a more relatable. That sounds incredible actually. Like I don't like but that's maybe

Chuck Shute: 39:26

you know, politics aside, that is one fascinating thing about Trump is that you see out like, I mean, he's not in the greatest health, but somehow they say his medical bills clean. He eats like McDonald's and like KFC and so on. Yeah. It's like you think if you're a billionaire, you'd be getting these really fancy like home. You know what personally made like really expensive, like Chef dinners, but he eats like fast food.

Glen Tickle: 39:49

It's just Big Macs and Diet Coke all day. And it's like, Ah, I don't I mean, like I said, I don't I don't eat healthfully, especially when I'm on the road and stuff.

Chuck Shute: 40:00

As your vice for food then there what's, what's the besides is there something else besides Diet Coke, like for food.

Glen Tickle: 40:05

I mean pizza is the big one. It's where, like I my mother in law drives her crazy because like I don't like dessert stuff that much. So, you know ice cream is pretty good. But again now that like that upsets my stomach I just don't usually bother with it or I'll get you know, like the oat milk kind which isn't very good. So it's pretty easy to not eat a whole bunch of

Chuck Shute: 40:27

if you I'm telling you if you ever come to Phoenix again go to green. I think that's what it's called that. That's vegan food. Like, again those things. I think it's like a it's like a blizzard basically. And it's like amazing, but it's apparently it's vegan. It tastes I mean, it's probably pumped full of sugar, but it was really good.

Glen Tickle: 40:45

Yeah, I had a did a music festival in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the other week, and they had a stand that had like vegan shakes. And I'm like, This is not like people. I think a lot of people associate just the word vegan with it being healthy, which is absolutely not the case like it is probably healthier as just an overall diet. But that doesn't mean any individual food that is listed as being vegan. That doesn't mean it is good for you. Yeah, because

Chuck Shute: 41:20

of the sugar. That's, that's a thing that I've tried to avoid or cut down on. And there's a lot of sugar. If you go to a lot of those vegan restaurants, you're like, Oh, this is so good. It's because it's all full of sugar.

Glen Tickle: 41:30

Yeah, I mean, that's true of, you know, most restaurants. Everyone's like, Oh, there's the spaghetti here is incredible. It's because it's got two sticks of butter in it. That's why like, that's not our salt and sugar. unhealthy. Like that's why it tastes better than when you make it at home because they they won our professional chefs. They're better at cooking than you probably but also it's like, yeah, there's just butter and salt and everything because it tastes good. Like that's amazing. It's not like a huge secret. It's just like yeah, it's not it's less healthy for you because there's worse stuff in it, but it's stuff that tastes good. Like that's why

Chuck Shute: 42:03

Absolutely. So you said you did a music festival do you do a lot of how does that work like you go on stage in between the bands or

Glen Tickle: 42:10

this one it's Music Fest in Bethlehem Pennsylvania, it is I believe still the largest ungraded music festival in the country where there's just like the whole city basically shuts down for this thing for two weeks out of the year. I know it drives locals who live there nuts because it's it's such an event and there's just stages set up all around town. But the the comedy is mostly in the there's one building called the Ice House not the one in Pasadena just also a place that used to be a nice house that is now a venue and then SteelStacks were recorded the special is the other one where like improv shows and stuff go on there and then the ice houses were all like the standup is so they only do it on the weekends. But I've done like I've opened for bands or like I've done shows where it's I'm on in between bands are like well one band is breaking down and the other ones setting up you're just kind of there to fill time and it's those are usually not good but but these ones because it's just the Stand Up Show at the Music Festival. They're pretty fun. Oh

Chuck Shute: 43:20

bands or cover bands or is it more like nationally known bands or

Glen Tickle: 43:24

I music because they have all the you know, I think the big acts this year were the killers and some country musicians that I've never heard of. Gabriel Iglesias was like they occasionally will bring in like a big comedy headliner. Seinfeld did it one year, Jim Gaffigan did it one year. And it's they have like the big stage that they build just for the event. And that's usually like, I think the past couple of years. They've been trying to have one one night of the festival be like the big comedian comes in.

Chuck Shute: 43:59

What kind of music do you like?

Glen Tickle: 44:01

Not a ton of it. My favorite bands, Harvey danger, if you remember that. Oh, yeah.

Chuck Shute: 44:06

I remember that. They're from Seattle. That's my hometown. Yeah.

Glen Tickle: 44:09

Yeah. And the they're still like, that's who I listened to in high school. So

Chuck Shute: 44:14

that was your favorite band. Interesting.

Glen Tickle: 44:16

Yeah, still like to this day. And it is. They they as a band put out three albums. And then Shawn Nelson, the lead singer has put out a solo album. And then he did one a couple of the, I think it came out in 2020. It was he covered a bunch of Harry Nilsson songs, which is like one of my other favorite musicians. So it's like yeah, the guy the lead singer, my favorite band, covering songs by one of my other favorite musicians like yeah, that's, that's what I want to listen to. Like I drive a lot to do shows and I will listen to mostly podcasts and audiobooks. I have a list of songs that I listened to before shows that are like more upbeat than I typically listen to, but it's like to you know, try to hype myself up a lot. ittle bit so that I can be the, you know, medium energy comedian that I am.

Chuck Shute: 45:05

What's the hype song is that Harvey dangerous song?

Glen Tickle: 45:09

Some Harvey danger is on there. There's a guy in the UK called Mr. B, the gentleman Reimer who he is just a very polite British gentleman who raps about tweed and like playing cricket, and it is a lot of what I listened to is like, not to say that he is a novelty act, but like a lot of what I listened to is stuff that is like there is a level of novelty to it, even if I know Mr. B doesn't like being called a novelty act, but there's a level of it there for sure. But I will like I don't know if you're familiar with Frank Sidebottom. They did a movie inspired by his life with Michael Fassbender, where he's in a band and he performs with like a big paper mache. Hey, I saw the preview for that. I don't think I watched it. It's a good movie. Yeah, the movie I really like it is like a loose interpretation of this guy's life. But it was, it was written by Jon Ronson, who, like played in Saigon was banned, as the keyboard player. So it wasn't, it was like, you know, lovingly told, if not that accurate. But yeah, cuz it's like, he's earnestly trying to do music, but he is also doing it while wearing a big paper mache head, and trying to be like a TV character from the 50s. And it's like, that's weird enough that I like they he did a cover of the 8012 Oh, sure. That's on my pre show playlist, because I genuinely love it. But if I try to play it for other people, it's just, it sounds like a MIDI version of it. And it's like, Why? Why this? Like, why? And it's like, I don't have to explain, you know, all of the backstory for why I like it, but I do I love it's just like,

Chuck Shute: 46:52

I love people that just are genuine and just like, especially that you like things that are not super popular, because I think that annoys me more when people will just like something because it's popular when it's

Glen Tickle: 47:03

probably not very little of what I like, is enjoyed by many feel

Chuck Shute: 47:07

like your favorite movie is the Buckaroo Buckaroo Banzai. Yeah. Even seen. That's an 80s movie right or night,

Glen Tickle: 47:13

it came out in 1984. I saw it for the first time shortly after my second daughter was born. It's like one of those movies where there are people who love it, but it's like they love it. Because they remember it fondly from childhood. I was like, No, I saw it in my 30s. And like, decided 15 minutes. And I was like, this is this is the greatest movie I've ever seen in my life.

Chuck Shute: 47:32

I gotta see this. I don't think I've ever seen it. Is it kind of meant to be a spoof comedy? Or is it more serious?

Glen Tickle: 47:37

It? It sometimes gets classified as that, but I don't think it is. I think it is like meant to be earnest. But there's just a lot about it that comes across goofy because they made it in 1984 with not enough money to do like a big budget sci fi movie. So like some of it comes across as silly. Like there's aliens, but it's like, rubber mask aliens. And it's like, but I don't think that's meant as a joke. I think it is just that's the best they could do with the budget that they had. And it is, you know, it's inspired by like Buck Rogers, or you know, like cereals where it's like, one guy and he's the hero, but he's got a team. And you learn all about the different people. And it's, it is very weird. I a couple of my friends who have tried to watch it for the first time like recently. So I've been dealing with a lot of text messages that people have been like, I don't understand this at all. Man. Can you like, is there something I'm missing? I'm like, No, you just kind of have to accept that. It's just let it wash over you the first time. And when you watch it again. The reason I love it, so I was like sleep deprived. This was like weeks after my second daughter was born. So I wasn't sleeping. She was up in the middle of the night. I saw it on whatever streaming service. And I was like, Oh, I've heard of that movie. It seems like a thing I should have watched but I haven't. So let me throw that on. And it's like, four in the morning I start watching this thing. I'd been up all night with my daughter and it's like I love and it's there's a lot of there's a lot of visual references to it in the special. But there's there aren't any like, I've had a couple people ask if it is like a comedy special of just buckaroo. Banzai joke's on like as much as I would love to do that. No, because I don't think anybody would watch. I would but no one else in the world wants to make that thing for me. So there's a lot of Jurassic Park jokes in the special because that's a movie people have seen and are familiar with. That's a good like, the, the I mean, the shirt of this is the shirt that I wore on the special like this is like the MacGuffin from Buckaroo Banzai it's the thing that lets them travel across dimensions. The the blazer that I wore over it in the special the fact that I have red glasses on the microphones red. It's all like I've had a couple people like my friend Dave Colombo who shot it when we were talking about like the visuals of it and stuff. And I told him like anytime you want to ask me to call Question. Well, why do you want to do this weird thing? Because of buckaroo? Banzai. Like there's a watermelon on the stage during the show, because there's a joke in buckaroo, Banzai, where there's a watermelon in the lab. And Jeff Goldblum asked one of the other characters, like, why is there a watermelon there? And he's like, Oh, I'll tell you later, it was just in there, because the producer was like, monitoring all the dailies, to like, really crack down on what they were doing, because he didn't like the movie at all. And at a certain point, he gave up. So they're like, alright, let's just throw a watermelon in there. And then if we get a note from Sydney that says, hey, wiser watermelon there, we'll take it out. But if he doesn't say anything, then he's not watching anymore. And it's like, yeah, like that's, again, like the Frank Sidebottom stuff. Like, a lot of backstory for why I think it's funny to put a watermelon on stage, but also then Gallagher died. And now I'm worried people are gonna think it's a reference to Gallagher and it's, it's not. Yeah, 100% isn't?

Chuck Shute: 50:54

Okay, well, that's good to know. So in case anybody Yeah, it is

Glen Tickle: 50:57

the much more logical explanation of it's a joke from a movie from 1984 that most people haven't seen

Chuck Shute: 51:03

the movie like, Yeah, sure. Yeah. That's all that sounds. Yeah.

Glen Tickle: 51:08

Yeah, they're just waiting for me to smash the thing with a hammer.

Chuck Shute: 51:12

Yeah, poor Gallagher. Man, that was a so many celebrities die. And lately, it's just, but it's like, I think that's just life. I think we've been alive so long. And there's so many people that have had some level of fame that it's like, you know, PeeWee Herman just died. So it's like, yeah,

Glen Tickle: 51:27

I another podcast that I did the day that happened. Like I signed on to, to do the podcast, and then saw the headline about Pee Wee Herman right before I had to, like, do a comedy show. And it's like, I it was, it was a show that I'd done before. And the host is a friend of mine. And I'm like, I know he also likes peewee. I don't know if he heard so like the whole episode. I'm trying to like feel out and like does he looks sad. Like should I bring it up? I don't want it to just be me crying about Paul Reubens for an hour when I'm supposed to be like, plugging is special and talking about comedy. So I didn't say anything. But at the end after he stopped recording, I was like, Yeah, did you hear Peewee Herman died? And he's like, No, I'm like, yeah, if you're like, why is Glenn looks so sad. I was like, I was literally crying moments before I signed on to this call. And he's like, I had no idea. I'm like, Yeah, big, big Paul Reubens fan. Like my youngest daughter. I think it was her second birthday was Peewee Herman themed because I showed her play house because it used to be on Netflix and she loved it and we would watch it all the time. And getting to like share that again with one of my kids was like so great, because it's the only thing I think that I like that my children have also enjoyed was always play house. Anything else I try to show them that I like they don't care about it at all. But peewee they love

Chuck Shute: 52:53

me when they get older. Yeah, that's crazy like that. That same thing happened to me actually. I was interviewing a comedian. And he's like looking at his phone. He's waiting for somebody or somebody goes Oh, should Noor McDonald died. I was like, what are you gonna try to continue doing a podcast? Like he's literally was like, probably the number one most coveted like person that I wanted to get on the podcast. I mean, any interview he's ever done has been a mate. Hilarious, he would have been the best guest and I was like, it was one of the that was one of the things was like he didn't know he was sick because he hid it. And then, yeah, Paul Rubens

Glen Tickle: 53:25

did the same thing. He's been sick for years, and he just didn't say anything about it. And I that's a way to do it. I mean, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I mean, I have an autoimmune disease that I talked about publicly already. So I mean, it's not fatal. It's just makes my back hurt. But it's Yeah, I don't know. I would, I would probably be pretty open about anything, because I usually am. And that's

Chuck Shute: 53:52

yeah, I mean, you did that whole special about your brother that was like, really interested. And he was like, sad. And, yeah, it's funny parts too. But it's like, I mean, you just, like, feel bad. And I know, like, I know, you know, Liz Glaser. She just did. Yeah, so about her. Baby, stillbirth. And that was that was the intro. That was the same kind of thing where you're just like, Oh, that's funny. But then also you're like, Oh, this is like really sad. And

Glen Tickle: 54:15

yeah, there's been Winston Hodges is a comedian from like, the DC area. And he did a special about his dad dying. Laurie Cole Martin did an album it's like 85 jokes about my dead dad. I think it's called. And it's like, there was a couple. I mean, it's still going on. But like, I feel like a couple of years ago, you started seeing a lot more stuff like that where it's people, you know, because we talked to the beginning of this about you know, people trying to be edgy onstage and like, there's different ways to do it. Like I typically work clean and just tell like fun stories about my kids. But you know, I don't I did do an hour of comedy about my brother dying in a car accident in his 20s. So like, that's an edge that you can push of Like, you know, not necessarily trying to offend people I know there are people who didn't like that special just because they're like, You shouldn't make jokes about your brother dying. And I'm like, Well, I'm gonna, and he would have liked it. So yeah, I don't know. It's not like you. Because it's it's the only people I mean, there might be people in my life who don't like it. But they have not told me. Anyone I know who like knew my brother, who I've talked to about it has been like, very positive about that special. My mother told me she doesn't want to watch it. And I'm like, I get it completely. I don't you can skip this one, mom. That's fine.

Chuck Shute: 55:38

But Did your dad go to the taping of it? Yeah, yeah, he's in

Glen Tickle: 55:42

he's in the audience for that one. He's in the audience for World crime. Like to you can see his bald head in a couple of shots. He comes to a lot of stuff. And it's like, yeah, I told him specifically, I'm like, you don't I know, you come to a lot of my shows. You don't have to come to these ones. Like you can sit this out. Because not that I didn't want them there. But I'm like, I feel like it's, it's different. Hearing jokes about your dead son than it is telling jokes about your dead brother. Like, I feel like, I mean, I started doing jokes about it, immediately, like, I talked about it in that show where like, the first thought I had was a joke, which I don't feel good about at like, as a person, as a comedian. I was like, it is a good joke, though. And I'd like I wrote it down. And then when I started performing again, and I was like, Ah, this is kind of all I want to talk about where it's like, I can't act like my brother didn't just die, and then go back to doing regular comedy. But then it is, it's a hard turn in the middle of a comedy show to be like, Hey, I know, we've all been having just a fun time for the past half hour. But now I'm going to remind you that we're all going to die, and then just start doing jokes about it. So I'm like, Oh, I have to do this as like a separate a separate thing. But yeah, like, I mean, Patton Oswald did that special after his wife died, Maron his new special talks about his girlfriend dying. And it is like, I mean, not to say it's a trend because people are doing it on purpose. But like, in the past couple years, I think people are getting more comfortable with the idea that you can do comedy about difficult topics without kind of belittling them. Where it's, you know, because that's that was my fear. When I started doing it. I'm like, I'm not making fun of my brother for dying. I'm making jokes about the situation, that I am now in having a dead brother and also being a professional comedian, because the other option was like, just ignore it. You know, hey, head down. We'll just keep telling those jokes about the kids will act like this never happened. And like that feels worse to me. Like it's it feels. It felt like it would be more disrespectful to ignore it. In my stand up than to do jokes about it.

Chuck Shute: 58:04

Yeah, no, that's a good point. It's just so interesting, because that there is I feel like there's not these like right and wrong answers. Like it's just, it's not black and white. And you talk about that in the special about all the cliched things that people say to you and, and like it was tough for me because I was a counselor for 17 years. And I was in the schools and like, they would bring kids to me, they're like, oh, this kid's like, Mom just died. And I'd never met the kid. I'm like, Okay, now I'm supposed to like counsel, this kid I ever met about their mom or their brother dying. I'm like, I mean, what, I don't know what to say. They didn't train me that was put out in counseling school. So it's tough.

Glen Tickle: 58:37

It is I mean, and having like, done a special about grief. I feel like I've thought about it more than average, an average person, but I still don't know what to say. Like, I've had friends. You know, who they lose somebody and it's like, I should, I should like, give them a call. But it's always like, it sucks, right? Like, it's bad. It's I don't know, I don't have like an answer. But like, I agree. Yeah, it's it feels bad, right? Like, right now it feels bad. It's gonna feel bad still, like, my brother died in 2016 still feels bad. And it's like, you know, I can get through the day. I'm not like just morose about it all the time. But it is still a thing I think about every day at some point. Because like, I you know, I have stuff like I have, there's a, you can't see it because of the blur effect, but there's a picture of them on the bar behind me. And, you know, I have stuff that I took from his apartment, or, you know, just, you know, he's using my brother as around him every day for most of my life. So, you know, it's a thing you think about a lot. And it's like, you know, I could let it just keep bumming me out all the time. Or it's, you know, you just, you write a bunch of jokes about it, and then you hope you can keep going. Because I mean, that's how I that's how I deal with anything. There's a joke. I do jokes in the news special about my daughter breaking her arm And that's another one where it's like, I can tell some people do not like it even in the audience of that taping people like shaking their head at me for making jokes about my daughter hurting herself. And it's like, yeah, but it was a stressful time for me to like, I'm not making fun of my daughter for getting hurt. It's not like, Hey, dummy, you fell off the monkey bars is just like jokes about, you know, stuff the doctor said to me, or, you know, comparing it to different things that I can't remember well enough to like recount it. But yeah, like, it's a thing I can tell people don't like, but it's like, she's fine. Like, now it happened. She's five she had happened when she was three, and like, she's okay. Her arm healed. And it's like, she's gonna watch that someday. Yeah. And so the jokes that I, I thought of other ones, where it's like, if she sees that, I feel like she might think I'm making fun of her. So I won't do that. And it's like, I cannot stop myself from thinking of jokes. But you know, I can decide not to tell them into a camera and put it on the internet for people. Well, it just goes back to

Chuck Shute: 1:01:09

what we were saying earlier about, like Blazing Saddles, and stuff. Like, I think that's in Seinfeld. I mean, a lot of that you got to look at the intent. With the humor. I don't. And I think when the intent is to try to belittle people or make them feel less, yeah. And that becomes like mean spirited comedy, but if it's just you're making fun of more of the situation, and how people reacted to it, or how you reacted to it or something, a lot of times it's self deprecating, or whatever, like, I think that's different.

Glen Tickle: 1:01:37

I agree. And I think I mean, sometimes people use that as a defense of their bad behavior, where they're just like, oh, like, you know, it's all love baby like, Well, no, you're still saying terrible things that are really hurting people. Yeah. But I think it is, like, there's a genuine level of that to where even you know, I'm incredibly over on the liberal side. But if I'm doing a show in Iowa, it doesn't feel like a good idea for me to be like, Hey, who do you idiots vote for? Let me tell you why you're wrong and stupid. Like that's, that's not the job. Like I'm there to make sure everyone has a nice time while they have to listen to me talk into a microphone. So I know there's people that I've done shows for that I disagree with on a lot of things, and yelling at them about it into microphone doesn't seem like the best use of anyone's time, because I'm not going to change their mind from the stage. There's a joke in the in the new special where I talk about, because I was in a Facebook group for dads and a heated debate sparked in this bluee Facebook group like for the children show blowy it was a group for dads who were fans of that show. And somebody asked, What would you do if one of your kids told you they were trans? Because they were like looking for advice? Because I guess their kid just told them. And they had to shut like, the I left the group over this argument. But I think they they closed the thread. And I think that group might have disbanded shortly after. And it's like, yeah, don't just support your kids. And it's like, I know, there's people who don't agree with that. But I took the question at face value is like, well, what would I do? And I thought about it, and it's like, well, not I have two daughters. Seems like their daughters. Like I don't I don't think that's going to change anytime. But my youngest daughter insisted on us calling her Elsa for years. Like it was like, well over a year, she would not answer to the name we gave her. And I'm like, okay, that's it's not the same. I'm not directly comparing them. But like, that's the closest thing I have to that experience. So the joke becomes, here's how I dealt with that. And I will now extrapolate from my actual experience, how I think it would go, if one of my kids tells me they're trans and it's, I mean, I would support them. But the, the times that I've done that joke on stage, the first part of that joke is like, kind of if honestly, if the whole joke was that I wouldn't do it, I would feel bad, where it is like, oh, you know, I have two daughters now. But I might end up with a son. It's out of my hands. Haha, we can all laugh at that. But like, that always worked. And then the part where I talk about supporting my hypothetically trans children, I lose people every time that you can see audience members in the special that are into the beginning of that joke a lot more than they are the end of that joke. And, but it felt important to do or it's like, I don't think people are going to be like angry at this joke. But I know people who see it might not agree with it. And you know, it seems like the first part of that joke, I can kind of get everybody on board. And then again, I don't think I'm going to change anybody's mind on trans issues with a joke especially me just a boring straight Like guy, but I can get people to like, consider it from a different angle of, you know, if I just scream into a microphone, hey, support trans people, dummies, I don't think that's going to change anybody's mind. But if I'm like, here's a story about my kid that you've already heard some stories about. We all agree She's adorable. She's a beautiful little princess. Now, let me posit this hypothetical situation, here's how I would deal with it. And I think maybe people might then consider how they would handle the situation in hopefully, like, a more enlightened way. But again, I don't know, I don't think you know, I'm not out there changing minds with comedy. It is just a thing I thought was funny. And it was of the jokes on the special, probably the, like, most challenging one to work out. Because especially because like, you know, I do so much corporate stuff in the Midwest, where it's like, this Marriott conference room is probably not the place to try this joke out, you know, so I would, but I also didn't want to just go into, you know, New York or more liberal areas where I know people are gonna agree with me out of the gate. So it was a it was a tough one to work out. But I think I think I got there where it's like, you know, I haven't had anybody yell at me from either end about the joke. I just I, you know, which is honestly my goal. But my biggest fear, as a 40 year old white guy is like, people might be a little bit upset with me. Well,

Chuck Shute: 1:06:24

and I think like, without getting too much into the weeds on that, like, Yeah, I think it's just because I had a, I always end with a charity. And I remember having this guy and the other few weeks go on and like, I was like, oh, what charity you want to support? He goes, Why just think people should support trans people. And I was like, thinking I was like, Ah, okay, well, like I think, I think there's different ways to support trans people, too. I feel like there's extremes, like, because you have people that are like, Alright, I'm transitioning my medically transitioning my four year old, and then you have people on the other extreme horror, like, there's no way my fucking kid has been trans and I'm taking them to conversion camp or whatever. And so it's like, but I think most parents are probably, you know, it's like you've ever seen that meme of the of the kid that wears this, the Junko jeans, and they're like, my mom, like, you know, she wouldn't let me buy these Junko jeans unless she could take a picture of me to show me how ridiculous I was, who's laughing now. But it's like the kid wearing Jenko jeans, but like, the mom was like, Look, I think you look ridiculous, but I'll support you, like, I'll buy you. Jeans. And so I don't know, I think that's probably what most most parents want to do. But I think there's just, you know, it's like, then you kind of get into the how do you support a kid? And you know, so it's tough. I don't know,

Glen Tickle: 1:07:35

when they're when they're really young. It's just like, essentially, you know, just agreeing with them. Like, if you know, if your kid tells you their name is Elsa now just be like, Yeah, all right. So let's, let's do this. How do we. And it's like, you know, there's no major medical interventions for kids that young and it's just, like, just just go along with it. Like, that's, that's the big intervention, when they're really young. Then when they hit puberty and stuff, there's other options, but it's like, you know, just

Chuck Shute: 1:08:04

magnetically. I don't think that's something that's ever changed. I think there's always been kids that were, you know, like, Tom, like, we used to calm tomboys There was kids. Yeah, girls, like boys and, and there were boys that, you know, maybe the the names weren't as a as nice for that for them that, you know, we're a little more feminine, but I remember like, there was a kid. I got called a lot of those. Yeah. And I wasn't, I wasn't gay, but I got called that. But yeah, I remember. Like, there was this gay kid in my school. I'm like, it's one of those things where like, you knew this kid was gay, but like, but nobody really gave him shit. And he was like, really popular. Like, he had a lot of friends. And everybody loved him. So I don't know.

Glen Tickle: 1:08:41

I mean, I guess it depends on everybody's individual circumstances. But I mean, by my baseline as a parent is just like, Yeah, I'll, I'll I got your back kit. Like I tell them all the time because I like my youngest daughter doesn't like school. She does. She's just started like kindergarten camp this week, and seems to like it a lot more than she liked preschool. But it's like I'm on. I'm on your side. Like I'm not going to, because I had teachers that very clearly didn't like me. From like, third grade, like, my first enemy was my third grade teacher. And she's been dead for years, but I still hold a grudge. And like my parents, just like, I don't know, if it was a generational thing, but they're like, well, she's your teacher. You got to do what she says. I'm like, No, I like this. This lady is like, clearly out to get me. And like they would never I'm like, yeah, the teachers do not hate students. That's ridiculous. And then when I started subbing I was like, oh, yeah, no, they do. They do actually. Because like, there were definitely kids that I didn't like having in class when I was a sub, and you'd hear just the regular teachers and the teacher lounge like complaining about specific kids a lot. It's like, oh, yeah, like, their children

Chuck Shute: 1:09:46

come to me and they'd say, hey, I want this kid out of my class. And I'm like, I mean, sorry. You excited to be a teacher like you don't get to pick like the witch students. Like, this kid needs a class like I'm sorry, you don't like him, but that was really frustrating put me in such a weird place. Listen, I was like, but you as a teacher work for the school as to what teachers are really like, behind the scenes. It's pretty eye opening.

Glen Tickle: 1:10:07

Yeah. And it's like I having gone through that as a kid. It's like, yeah, all right, I would rather side with my kid than their teacher on pretty much any issue. My kids are very different. Like, if I get a note home that my older daughter punched somebody at school, I'd be like, Well, what they what they do, because to like to get a rise out of my older daughter seems like something would have actually had to have happened. But if I get a call, you know, my five year old punch somebody I'd like I'm so sorry. Yeah. Well, you know, that's, I apologize because she would just do it like she's, she is just ready to start swinging at the drop of a hat most of the time.

Chuck Shute: 1:10:46

Wow. Good stuff. Well, your special is coming out September 15. I think I got that date. Right. This Yes. Yeah, my YouTube channel. Glenn tickle against the world crime League.

Glen Tickle: 1:10:58

Correct. That is the title. That's the title of the unreleased sequel to Buckaroo Banzai that they never made because it bombed and nobody liked it. Except for me. Years later,

Chuck Shute: 1:11:09

who was the star of that movie? Again?

Glen Tickle: 1:11:11

Peter Weller Robocop. Oh, wow. Yeah. Yeah, he. It is apocryphal but the basically like he got cast as Robocop because of his jaw. Like that was since that's the only part that you could see in the suit. They're like,

Chuck Shute: 1:11:28

boys. You had to do the voice. The Robocop boys?

Glen Tickle: 1:11:31

Yeah, I think that was I think filtered. It's been a while since I've seen Robocop. But yeah, like that was that was the thing. And they said his seeing him in buckaroo. Banzai basically got him. Robocop is what I've heard interesting. It's also it's why the DeLorean has to go 88 miles per hour. That's a reference to buckaroo. Banzai. Because the guy who's who built the DeLorean also built buckaroos car.

Chuck Shute: 1:11:59

I didn't see this movie. It's kind of under Weller on my show. I'll definitely ask him about that. And I think I should try to get a Harvey. What's up at Harvard, Shawn Nelson from Harvard. And yeah, I should get try to get him. That'd be a good one to have. Like, some of those guys will do like my podcasts like, because they're not too big, you know, or whatever. So

Glen Tickle: 1:12:17

yeah, he's in I think, Nashville. Now, I believe he used to. But there's a

Chuck Shute: 1:12:21

lot of people down there right now. Cool. What are you doing? You have tour dates. Do you ever come to Phoenix? Again? Do you ever play the cloud?

Glen Tickle: 1:12:29

I guess I was there for a corporate gig. I'm, it's tough because I do a ton of shows. But it's all like stuff that the public can't come to. So I don't post about them a lot. So I feel like to most people looks like I'm not working that much. But it's just like, if I say I'm going to be in Kansas City, people who follow me online from Kansas City be like, oh, when I'm like, Well, you can't come. It's just got this tire company or whatever. And it's Yeah, but if they if they go to my site, it's got all like, public dates and stuff on there. Cool. I'll put that

Chuck Shute: 1:13:05

in the show notes. And then like I said, I always end with a charity. Is there a charity that you want to give a shout out to here at the end?

Glen Tickle: 1:13:10

Yes, I would encourage people to find their local food bank and donate money to them. I know a lot of a lot of people will like drop off food or when they do like the they'll drop a grocery bag off, and you fill it up and they come pick it up the next weekend. But they are able to make better use of money that they get as donations because like they have deals with, you know, the local grocery store or whatever food chains where they can, they can stretch that dollar a lot further than you just buying like a couple cans of soup and dropping it off. Which you know, still do that too. Like if you have extra food, absolutely share it with people. But I think giving monetary donations to your local food bank, I think is a great way to impact your community directly rather than, you know, trying to solve a major problem you can solve like a pretty surmountable one. There's a lot of people who don't have enough food to eat, despite there being plenty of food to go around. And I think the easiest way to help address that in your community is just find your local food bank, give them give them some money.

Chuck Shute: 1:14:15

I love it. Yeah, I had this guy on. We did a live stream. He's trying to raffle off these guitars that are signed by rockstars and try to spend use the money to donate to the small I guess there's a small town in like West Virginia. And he said he was in the store and he saw these people and they were like talking about cat food. Like which one should we get? And they were buying the cat food to eat the cat food because of these elderly? Yeah, literally couple and they're on this like fixed income and they can't afford food. So they're they're eating cat food. It just it was like, oh, that's just so ridiculous that we the people in America would have to deal with that. So I love that's a great idea. Donate to your food bank. Perfect. I think there's probably a website for that too. I could put in the show notes.

Glen Tickle: 1:14:53

Yeah, there are people. I just know the one from my local one but I mean, I don't want to I don't want to tell people Oh, donate to my local food bank. Donate to yours. Your community.

Chuck Shute: 1:15:06

Absolutely. I love it. Well, thanks so much, Glen, and thanks for having me. Yeah. Keep me posted if you have anything else. Absolutely. Okay. See you later. Thanks. Thank you for taking the time to listen to the full podcast episode. Please help support our guests by following them on social media and purchasing their products, whether it be a book, album, film or other things. And if you have a few extra dollars, please consider donating it to their favorite charity. If you want to support the show, you can like share and comment on this episode on social media and YouTube. And if you want to go the extra mile, you can give us a rating and review on Spotify, Apple podcasts or Google podcasts. Finally, make sure you're subscribed to the Show on YouTube for the video versions and other exclusive content. We appreciate your support. Have a great rest of your day. Shoot for the moon