Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6jxvAUVGYc Starts at: 01:37:00 (jump to 01:37:00)
Joe Gagliardi: Marine Veteran Story and Stand-Up Comedy
[01:37:00] So, next up? [01:37:01] Yeah. [01:37:01] Did we skip Joe? [01:37:04] We’re waiting on Joe. [01:37:09] Joey would be next. [01:37:14] Joey, if you’re out there, man. [01:37:17] Joey! [01:37:20] Joey! [01:37:22] Well, hey, in the meantime, I can show you guys a little bit of my work. [01:37:25] So, this video for Ty Ryan, a promo. [01:37:33] Oh, wait. [01:37:33] Here we go. [01:37:34] Here he is. [01:37:35] Right on time. [01:37:40] Joey. [01:37:41] What’s up, guys? [01:37:43] Hey. [01:37:43] What’s up, man? [01:37:44] How’s it going, man? [01:37:46] Nice job so far. [01:37:47] I’ve enjoyed it. [01:37:48] Oh, thank you. [01:37:50] So, Joey, I’ll… [01:37:53] Hey, man. [01:37:54] Hey, man. [01:37:54] Hey, man. [01:37:54] Hey, man. [01:37:54] Hey, man. [01:37:55] Hey, man. [01:37:55] Hey, man. [01:37:55] Hey, man. [01:37:55] Hey, man. [01:37:55] Hey, man. [01:37:55] Hey, man. [01:37:55] Hey, man. [01:37:55] Hey, man. [01:37:55] Hey, man. [01:37:55] Hey, man. [01:37:55] Hey, man. [01:37:55] Hey, man. [01:37:55] Hey, man. [01:37:55] Hey, man. [01:37:55] Hey, man. [01:37:56] Hey, man. [01:37:56] Hey, man. [01:37:56] Hey, man. [01:37:56] Hey, man. [01:37:56] Hey, man. [01:37:56] Hey, man. [01:37:56] Hey, man. [01:37:56] Hey, man. [01:37:56] Hey, man. [01:37:56] Hey, man. [01:37:56] Hey, man. [01:37:56] My cousin put me in touch with you. [01:37:58] My cousin, Teddy Calabrese. [01:38:00] And when I talked to you and I heard your story, I was like, where have you been these [01:38:07] last four years? [01:38:08] Like, everything about what you do is perfect for this kind of thing. [01:38:15] So, thanks for being on it. [01:38:18] Love the shirt. [01:38:20] Oh, thanks, man. [01:38:21] It rings a little too true nowadays, but. [01:38:28] Well, yeah, man. [01:38:30] Why don’t you take it away? [01:38:32] Sure, sure. [01:38:33] Thank you guys for having me. [01:38:35] Tyler, especially. [01:38:36] It’s a great thing you guys are doing. [01:38:39] I feel, so, for those who don’t know, I am a stand-up comedian. [01:38:44] I do improv comedy as well all around the D.C. area. [01:38:48] I live in Annapolis. [01:38:51] But, you know, I’m a stand-up comedian. [01:38:51] I’m a stand-up comedian. [01:38:51] So, a lot of powerful stuff happening tonight. [01:38:54] I feel a little weird being like the dumbbell coming on here to crack wise, you know, tell [01:38:58] some jokes. [01:38:59] But, I’m going to tell a little bit of my story and kind of just interweave some humor [01:39:04] as best I can. [01:39:07] I’m a Marine, Iraq War veteran. [01:39:10] I went to the Iraq War a couple of times. [01:39:13] You know, I was very fortunate in my experience. [01:39:16] I came back with ten fingers and ten toes. [01:39:18] But, still, it was. [01:39:21] Being in a place where you could be killed at any moment really affected me quite a bit. [01:39:25] And, it just so happens that about six months or maybe about a year prior to my first deployment to Iraq, [01:39:31] my little sister died of a very rare cancer. [01:39:33] So, I had all these mixed up mental health issues going into a deployment to a war zone that I hadn’t really dealt with. [01:39:41] And, at the time, as a young second lieutenant of Marines, I was sort of in this mindset that, like, I was indestructible. [01:39:48] And, I didn’t really understand the importance of things like. [01:39:51] Therapy, you know, or just really addressing your mental health. [01:39:56] I was just one of these guys that, like, I could just, you can just tough it out. [01:39:59] You know what I mean? [01:40:00] So, I’m a big proponent of therapy. [01:40:03] I’ve done EMDR. [01:40:05] I heard Ryan Sickler, I think, mention EMDR. [01:40:08] Probably saved my life. [01:40:09] I mean, therapy and EMDR, no question about it. [01:40:12] I’d be very surprised if I’d be sitting here without the work that my own psychologist has done with me over the many years we’ve been working together. [01:40:20] I do. [01:40:21] I do think, though, that if it were up to me, I might change the name, psychotherapy. [01:40:26] I think it’s a little, it’s a little mean. [01:40:27] Like, I know I’m a psycho. [01:40:28] That’s why I’m in therapy. [01:40:29] You know, like, I don’t know if I would necessarily, don’t necessarily call it that. [01:40:32] But, yeah, it’s a great thing you guys are doing. [01:40:35] Mental health is super important. [01:40:37] Somebody touched on it earlier. [01:40:39] Forgive me, I can’t remember who, but fellas, I say this for the fellas especially, because that stigma that you’re strong enough to do it on your own or there’s something wrong with you or something weak about you if you seek help is just, it’s bullshit. [01:40:51] So, reach out, man. [01:40:52] Don’t suffer alone, because there are people out there that have dedicated their lives, like Tyler, to helping people. [01:40:59] And there are organizations like NAMI that have dedicated their entire state of being to helping folks get through. [01:41:07] So, yeah, that’s kind of my story. [01:41:12] So, you know, we’ll tell a few jokes and see if we can get some people laughing, or shift gears maybe a little bit. [01:41:17] It’s just a weird time, I think, to be a comedian. [01:41:18] It’s just a weird time, I think, to be a comedian. [01:41:19] It’s a weird time to be independent, to create your own identity, you know. [01:41:20] Because you have so many times to cocoa and stuff. [01:41:20] That’s true. [01:41:20] Absolutely. [01:41:20] So, yeah, but anyway. [01:41:20] Don’t forget to sign off. [01:41:20] Yeah, stuffs kind of something. [01:41:21] just just to be alive my wife cheated on me recently with a guy with a bigger mask that was [01:41:27] frustrating quarantine is also kind of a weird word you know we sometimes we have these old words [01:41:35] and in our language that are basing these Latin roots like quarantine the first part of the word [01:41:40] quarantine core is the Latin root for the word 40 and team means days in hell stuck with your family [01:41:46] so that’s especially especially it’s a weird time to be to be a comic because one of the things I [01:41:58] love about stand-up comedy I love about performing sort of as a form of my my therapy for my own [01:42:02] mental health is that there’s a real like there were real stakes I think anybody that performs [01:42:06] anything whether it’s dance music spoken word comedy whatever it is you’re getting up in front [01:42:13] of people and you’re bearing your soul you’re sharing yourself and there’s real like you [01:42:16] can really fail like it’s scary man you know these virtual shows are nice but there’s really [01:42:22] there’s no fear like I’m in my basement I don’t have pants on you guys can’t see that I mean I [01:42:29] like at the end of the day like if I’m not if I’m bombing on a virtual comedy show what are you [01:42:32] gonna do you’re not gonna boo me offstage right I mean you could like angry emoji me to death in [01:42:37] the chat I suppose but that doesn’t really hurt my feelings you know what I mean a normal a normal [01:42:42] comedy show when you get up in front of these people you’re gonna be telling jokes you don’t [01:42:45] know if they’re gonna like you’re gonna be like you’re gonna be like you’re gonna be like you’re [01:42:46] gonna laugh or get your comedy it’s scary man it’s like skydiving these virtual shows are like [01:42:50] putting on a parachute and jumping out of a parked car you know what I’m saying like the stakes aren’t [01:42:54] the I’m just saying man the stakes aren’t the same um I uh I’m a parent now uh I have a my son [01:43:03] my son is 17 which is a uh which is kind of a it’s just a like I’m 39 so I’m a young parent but [01:43:10] I don’t I guess I don’t really remember being 17 or maybe the times I guess the times are just that [01:43:14] different um [01:43:15] he’s a good kid I’m very lucky he just started dating recently which I want to be clear like [01:43:21] I’m happy for the kid but he’s not jaded by the dating world yet which is kind of annoying um [01:43:27] and he says all this stuff that’s just like oh god you have you have so much to learn like he [01:43:34] said that there was this first girl that he really liked and he said that when he’s with her it feels [01:43:38] like hours go by in minutes and that was one of the few things I could relate to because I was [01:43:43] like you know buddy that’s interesting because when your mom talks it feels like I’m not going to be able to [01:43:45] talk for hours go by in minutes which is one of the few things but uh but she but he said that he said [01:43:53] that this girl makes him this girl makes him want to be a better man and I said that’s good buddy [01:43:58] you know unfortunately my wife makes me wish that I was into men but it’s it’s along it’s along the [01:44:05] along the same lines he uh he hung out with this girl this girl recently for there was like kind [01:44:10] of the first time he really spent a day uh hanging out with a girl that that likes him [01:44:15] and uh and so I went to pick him up and I was all excited I was like man it’s a big fatherly moment [01:44:20] like I can drop knowledge on this kid and he gets in the car and he’s all happy I said how to go [01:44:24] buddy he was like oh man it went really well and I said you got any questions is there anything I [01:44:29] can help you with anything you were nervous about did you learn anything and he kind of stopped and [01:44:34] thought for a second and he was like yeah I learned how to hold in a fart all day [01:44:39] I was like man there’s arguably no [01:44:45] there’s no more wisdom more important than that that I can possibly drop on you man that’s uh you’re [01:44:50] gonna do just fine with the ladies if that’s your if that’s the biggest lesson that you learn um I [01:44:55] do want to I’ll kind of close with this um that you know one thing that I did when I got back from [01:45:01] the Iraq war to help my tell my mental state uh I made a lot of mistakes and I say mistakes because [01:45:08] they were in they were mistaken I thought I was doing the right thing like I was trying to numb my [01:45:15] heart and that I I didn’t turn to any real hard drugs um but I smoked weed quite a bit and I always [01:45:22] thought like I never really liked alcohol very much so I kind of gave up the alcohol when I realized [01:45:26] that marijuana really gave me that that escape that I that I really needed at the time and I [01:45:32] don’t have any problem with it being legal I think it should be legal I think it’s a fantastic um [01:45:37] substance for a lot of people I mean you definitely got to be careful with it because you can do it [01:45:42] too much believe it or not uh and especially in comedy [01:45:45] um weed is not always the best uh the best of medicines I’ll give you an example uh some of [01:45:51] the jokes that I’ve written over the years while stoned are well I’ll just you’ll be the judge [01:45:56] right like uh one one brilliant bit that I wrote while I was real real high was how do you tell if [01:46:01] a potato chip is upside down like what are you gonna you’re not bringing that to like to the you [01:46:07] know to the LA improv you know what I’m saying another one was um how would you know if you were [01:46:12] murdered in your sleep if what are you gonna [01:46:15] um so you’ve got to be careful with marijuana if you’re if you’re a comedian if you’re a performer [01:46:23] I don’t necessarily recommend uh trying to exercise your creative process on it too too much but um [01:46:29] but yeah I appreciate you guys having me uh very much this is a great thing that you guys are doing [01:46:34] uh reach out and get help guys if you and gals if you got if you deal with mental health stuff uh [01:46:40] you know if you’re at a place in your life and we all sort of are in this in this quarantine it’s [01:46:45] scary times a lot of things to be scared of you know you can’t see people’s faces you can’t tell [01:46:50] when someone’s it’s real hard to tell when somebody’s smiling at you um and I think that [01:46:55] makes a difference in just being out in society and not really feeling the same connection that we [01:46:59] that we feel as humans uh but if you’re feeling there are so many resources out there and there [01:47:06] are people that love you whether you believe it or not there are people that love you that you [01:47:09] don’t even know yet uh and it’s important to reach out and get help there’s absolutely nothing wrong [01:47:15] with a single person that’s that’s been on here tonight that performs whatever their art form is uh [01:47:21] and and you know if you’ve never tried performing you know some sort of performance art I know it [01:47:27] can seem scary but that vulnerability like when you get out in front of people and you really [01:47:32] share yourself or you share your your art form with other people that can be so liberating um [01:47:39] I maybe don’t start with stand-up comedy because stand-up comedy doesn’t go well people tend to tend [01:47:45] to no one’s gonna no one’s gonna boo uh like a interpretive dancer or a slam poet they’re all [01:47:51] very supportive art form so uh get out and try something uh reach out if you need help uh Tyler [01:47:57] fellas thank you guys very much for having me my name is Joe Gagliardi I really appreciate the [01:48:01] time I wish everybody good mental health and health wealth and happiness these next uh few [01:48:06] crazy years yeah thank you Joey yeah thank you for coming on my pleasure fellas thank you very much [01:48:15] um yeah um I mean I think this you know that that theme being echoed about um about manliness and [01:48:24] feeling like uh you can’t ask for help um you know and that being you know that this is [01:48:32] the kind of thing that uh affects men and women equally um so not to just put a plug for my [01:48:38] profession I think no matter what the help looks like if it works for you um you know therapy may [01:48:44] not be the thing for everybody so [01:48:45] um yeah and yo Joey great job man keep up the good work all right