Comedian Ari Shaffir on ‘shrooms, hugging, and quitting smartphones

“These travel podcasts are great because you just drive around talking, and people feel like they’re sitting in the back seat.” – Ari Shaffir

Ari Shaffir (@AriShaffir) is a comedian whose standup special Double Negative recently debuted on Netflix. He is the former host of Comedy Central’s storytelling show This is Not Happening, the current host of the Skeptic Tank podcast, and the perennial host and organizer of Shroomfest.

In this freewheeling episode of Deviate, Rolf drives Ari around Los Angeles on a quest to get a burrito. Along the way they cover numerous topics, including Tinder and dating (8:30); their conflicted relationship with smartphones and technology (32:30); the psychic merits of taking magic mushrooms (55:15); and the awkward etiquette of when it is and is not appropriate to hug someone (1:36:50).

People and interviews mentioned:

• Paul Thomas Anderson (film director)
• Sam Tripoli (comedian)
• Jessa Crispin (writer and critic)
• Keanu Reeves (actor)
• Vanna White (television personality)
• Tiffani Amber Thiessen (actress)
• George Brett (baseball player)
• Roger Staubach (football player)
• Ernest White II on Deviate
• Rolf Potts on Ari Shaffir’s Skeptic Tank
• Bert Kreischer (comedian)
• Quentin Tarantino (director)
• Joe Rogan (comedian / podcaster)
• Tim Ferriss on Deviate
• Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” campaign

Other links:

• Bushwick (neighborhood in Brooklyn)
• Boogie Nights (film)
• The 2017 World Series, Astros v. Dodgers
• The 2015 World Series, Royals v. Mets
• Bleach and Nevermind (albums by Nirvana)
• Mother Love Bone (band)
• Jane’s Addiction (band)
• Fugazi (band)
• Pasadena’s Suicide Bridge
• Pulp Fiction (film)
• Magic mushrooms
• “There is a time and purpose for everything under heaven.”
• Joshua Tree National Park (place)
• East Timor (country in maritime Southeast Asia)

Rolf and his Kansas City Royals sign:

This episode was sponsored by the Paris Writing Workshop, an intensive one-month course in the artistic heart of Europe.

The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber.

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