Episode #602
Date October 13, 2014
Run Time 1:05:50
Ken Reid, Jessie Chappe, and Erik Hoofnagle tell about the many ways they just don’t fit in.
Song: RISK! Theme by Wormburner and John Sondericker
Song: Detailed Knack by Sci Fi Industries and DJ Wook
Live Story: Little Shop of Horrors by Ken Reid
Radio Story: Pride and Prejudice by Jessie Chappe
Song: Marching Orders by The New Pornographers
Live Story: The Milk of Amnesia by Erik Hoofnagle
Song: Happy Homes by Benjamin Booker
Song: RISK! Theme by Wormburner and John Sondericker
Song: Detailed Knack by Sci Fi Industries and DJ Wook
Live Story: Little Shop of Horrors by Ken Reid
Radio Story: Pride and Prejudice by Jessie Chappe
Song: Marching Orders by The New Pornographers
Live Story: The Milk of Amnesia by Erik Hoofnagle
Song: Happy Homes by Benjamin Booker
So…Ken Reid was trying to gain cred for how terribly he was maligned as a comic-book loving kid back in the day while telling a story made up mostly of graphic insults about the people around him? Bleh. Not at all into it.
To balance the bitchiness of that comment, I want to say how much I love this show. It’s made a markedly positive impact on my life. Thanks to the folks who work on it for your love and labor!
My apologies Megan, I honestly meant no harm. It’s a factual story I tried to jazz up with some jokes, but the descriptions are pretty accurate to my experience.
I was also trying to illustrate how sometimes we don’t choose our hobbies, they choose us, weather we like it or not.
Hey Megan what story have you told? I liked it Ken, made me laugh at work. Keep up the good work.
Ken – I just didn’t find the story funny at all. I’m not the audience for that kind of joke. I was also bullied back in the day, by guys that sounded a lot like Ken. It took me back and bummed me out. I admire anyone with the strength to be vulnerable on that stage at all, but Ken I think your storytelling could have been stronger without all of those jokes, which seem deflective in this context, and I missed the message of your story because of them. I don’t mean to this as a jab, but as criticism. Maybe that’s where you were coming from too? If that isn’t useful feedback, no worries. /soapbox, glad you wrote back.
I read Megan’s comments before listening to the show and thought to myself “Come on, it can’t be that bad, lighten up!”
…Then I listened to the podcast.
From the ellipse, I’m sure if Ken is reading this he can tell I’m probably going to complain, too. I wasn’t INSULTED or anything, but you made the point after the third fat joke. After a while it came across as too catty and unnecessarily hateful, moreso than actually FUNNY. I get what you’re trying to do, but at a point, targeting this one guy again and again – we don’t know this guy, we’ve never had an interaction with him, we don’t need to hear about how shitty he was for 10 minutes straight.
I was expecting you to go on and tell us you were molested by him or something, and you use insult comedy as a therapeutic exercise to forgive him. Obviously that didn’t happen, and in the end, you come off worse than he does.
Fair enough. He wasn’t a good guy and ripped a sick child’s shirt off in public so I’m ok with the insults, but I see where you are coming from. I guess my point with the story really is that just because you have the same interests as someone doesn’t make them a good person or inclusive. This guy was a monster. As an adult I do feel sorry for him, which I didn’t as a kid. But I recognize that that doesn’t come across in the story.
You’re not a kid anymore, as you mentioned. So, I’d hope that you as an adult could see the world from HIS point of view.
He’s morbidly obese, so it’s difficult for him to keep good hygiene, he randomly falls asleep and lots of shitty kids steal from him everyday, on top of all of this, everyone obviously relentlessly makes fun of him, you could imagine he probably suffers from deep depression from all of this.
I’ve never met him, I can only assume all of this, but from your graphic description I’d assume my guess is bang on.
I’d imagine he hit a breaking point, as any of us would. Made a decision and was wrong about it (I’d argue if the kid stuffed a bunch of comics under his shirt this wouldn’t be a big deal at all). He clearly, by your admission, wasn’t trying to feel up a kid in public.
Does that make him a MONSTER? Dude, really? A monster?
He was monstrous, for sure. As a kid it’s a traumatic event. You don’t have have the sympathy for someone you do as an adult, so someone who is physically scary, and has an unpleasant demeanor, assaulting a kid is going to be monstrous. Point being, it was a pretty disturbing experience, but I still went back there for comics despite not wanting to.
The other thing is, I’m trying to describe the guy in a humorous way (it IS a comedy show) to paint the picture as best I can to put you in my shoes as a kid, not in my shoes now. Assaulting a kid is bad, you don’t have to have sexual intentions for it to be bad.
I’m sure he did suffer from deep depression, so did (and do) I. I don’t act like that.
I too was bullied and made fun of relentlessly, beaten with my own lunchboxes at school, made fun of by teachers, family etc. But that’s not really an interesting story. Also Kevin told me to emphasize the guy. So I blame him.
For what it’s worth I thought the story was funny.
Also, I think that self-deprecating humor about getting beat in the head with a Thundercats lunchbox or something could be hilarious. Also a teacher passive-aggressively making fun of you everyday could be Larry David level funny.
Fucking Kevin.
Thanks. I always fear the line of offense vs. humor and being hateful vs. being funny.
I have told stories before on stage about that other stuff. I had a “Disco” lunchbox my parents got at a flea market because we had no money and this was in the mid 80s, and I was routinely smacked with it until it was dented beyond use.
I also had a teacher call me a liar because I told the class Flamingos were only pink due to their diet and an alcoholic school janitor who I told on after catching him drinking in the fallout shelter tell me I was a “rat” and that he knew “why all the kids hated me”. Those tended to bum out audiences more than amuse them though.
Jessie Chapman, you gave an amazing story.
I’m Jewish too, and Jessie’s story made me cry. I totally understand what she’s gone through. My mom and my grandmother (my bubbe) had been asked about her “horns” as well, and they had JEW spraypainted on her garage door. I’ve been called a “dirty Jew” by an ex-boyfriend. Stuff like this happens every day and it makes me sick to my stomach. I’m sorry she had to go through that.
Jessie, if you ever read that, I’m so sorry that happened to you. We all stand with you.
thanks bay- just seeing this comment now. all the love to you and your family ❤️