Jay Leno | The Blocks Podcast w/ Neal Brennan | FULL EPISODE 26
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- Опубликовано: 11 июл 2024
- Neal Brennan interviews Jay Leno (@jaylenosgarage + The Tonight Show + more) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.
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00:00 Intro
13:40 Workaholic
19:55 Money
39:34 Letterman / Late Night Wars
50:35 Relationships
59:54 Competitive
1:14:18 Movie Question
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nealbrennan.com for tickets to Neal's tour Brand New Neal
Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: www.netflix.com/title/81036234
Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased).
Edited by Will Hagle 
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While I was fully prepared for Neal having some excellent "pull" when it comes to guests I legitimately didn't see this one coming, I'm psyched!
It's been an unreal guest list, probably the best starting guest list for a new podcast ever.
Well he had Letterman on in the first episode!! Wouldn't be surprised to see Eddie Murphy at some point!!
@@evandercaldwell9993That would be incredible. Eddie seems to be happy with his family and he certainly has nothing to prove. I would love for him to go on a few pod casts. It was cool to see him on Jerry’s show
Bear in mind as well that these legacy comedians worked in the spotlight, so there’s a high interest on their part to participate and stay in the game, true of Leno especially who is a known workaholic. Seinfeld also missed it, and also scooped up lots of heavy hitters.
"I work and my money relaxes" is ice cold
“Pain is there for a reason…to teach you a lesson.” is a pretty good runner up.
So is ‘if you’re playing football, you tackle the guy with the ball’.
Almost as cold as the stare Neal gives when he realizes he's never going to make 37 million dollars in his entire life
@@blakesmith5198or your wife as Neal says lmao
What about: “the best year I had was 37 million.” 😳 god damn. 37 mil to sit there and ask people questions and tell a few jokes. Sounds like the life.
As a lifelong Letterman fan who used to dislike Leno, it’s very moving and heartwarming to hear Jay say he is externally grateful. I have learned to appreciate Jay again since he left the Tonight Show.
Letterman sucked Mr Williams.
yeah, externally, so jay is grateful on the outside
He's a little "two-faced" though. What he's says on podcasts and interviews seems to be different from what he does in person with other comics and celebrities. For instance, David Letterman told on some podcast about a weekend gig he had somewhere where he was going to make a few thousand dollars opening for a band in a club, and he bombed really bad and somehow Jay Leno and other heard about it and Jay Leno was at the airport when he got home to give Dave a ride home and he needles him about how bad the gig was and how he bombed just to dig at him. That's the kind of guy Jay seems to be and that's sort of why they're not really of friendly terms.
@@hotlov72 jay also wrote his life story and claimed a story that wasnt his at all and happened to a friend of his. Some guy that gets old sitting on 500 million dollars instead of helping people and animals is a screwball in my book
@spacecatboy2962 which story? Because I read his book "Leading With My Chin" a few years ago
Man, this side of Leno is freakin awesome! He's like a non-bearded Gandolf the White, but is cooler cause he drives a McLaren. Thanks for these episodes brocephilitis, there's a ton of wisdom packed into each one.
Leno has an incredible amount of practical knowledge about how to be a good worker. Things that most people never know, and don't appreciate if they hear them mentioned. And layer on top of that that he said a few things that show he really cares about other people, even folks who have taken shots at him.
He also has zero introspection
@@ryanrusch3976
What are you talking about? Provide an example. Is this about Conan O'Brian?
@@deezynar do all Leno guys have this fear of Conan? No, I just think that Leno, unlike every other comedian, is funny because he works hard at it rather than being an actually funny guy. All comedians are lazy because they are naturally talented, Seinfeld once said that all Comedians are deeply cantankerous and I don’t think Leno has that trait. I think we wakes up and is non plussed.
@@ryanrusch3976
I wrote a comment praising Leno, and you replied to it by saying that he has no introspection. I challenged you for an example of him lacking introspection, and you shift to claiming that he is a dolt.
I have watched a lot of videos that he has made about cars. I have seen him interview other people about their lives, and noticed the types of questions he asks. I have also watched him being interviewed many times. All of that has provided a fair amount of information about the guy's intelligence and his value system.
My take away on the guy is that he is perceptive and hard working, but not a genius. He's not a genius, but that doesn't mean he's an idiot. He is far from being an idiot. This interview alone shows that he is not, and anyone who watches this and still claims that he's dim is dim himself. I'd say Leno is near the middle of the I.Q. bell curve, but a bit on the plus side. His work ethic and integrity are what have given him the success he has enjoyed, not sheer brilliance.
Leno is also a happy guy, and is very decent to other people. He probably doesn't sit around for an hour every day meditating on his personal thought life and behavior, but his character demonstrates that he is as introspective as I expect a typical, decent, human being to be.
The only people I have seen who criticize Leno are O'Brian fans, so I asked if you are in that group. You didn't answer the question, BTW. I'm guessing that you are.
O'Brian had a legal team who were not top-tier. They let O'Brian down in the Tonight Show debacle by getting him a contract that failed him. Leno did not undermine O'Brian, Leno was just the fallback the network brought in to replace O'Brian when they decided to let O'Brian go due to low ratings.
As for comedic talent, I was never a Leno fan, and I couldn't stand O'Brian. I am ashamed to admit that I would turn the channel and watch Letterman. Early Letterman, young Letterman, was a jerk, and I couldn't stand him. But older Letterman was pretty good. Leno's humor wasn't to my taste, I guess it wasn't edgy enough for me. O'Brian was just a guy who made stupid faces like a kid show host, and expected the children in the audience to laugh.
@@deezynar it’s O’Brien
Smallest set of blocks ever. I really enjoyed hearing Jay reminisce about appearing on Dave's show and making him laugh. Truly a fortunate, grateful and gracious person.
Yeah I never even THOUGHT about the backstory to the bag of sandwiches or the pizza, I mean I couldn't comprehend that level
Jay is what we used to call "well adjusted". This was a good interview.
Maybe a billion dollars unblocks some things?
I learned more about Jay in this hour than in every hour I grew up watching him, combined.
I love that Neal called him out for the punchline of the man with MD “banging on a keyboard” and Jay didn’t get offended.
Neal did a great job in this episode. Jay is trying hard to protect his blocks, but Neal found clever ways to disarm him in a good way.
Neal somehow forgot that Jay took The Tonight Show back after stepping down in 2009 or whenever when Neal stated, “u didn’t seem like a guy that would be protective of the show when it was over…”.
Derrrrrp. Umm Neal, Conan would like a word.
@@johnbolton2149 yeah I was waiting to for a comment at least on Conan. I guess that’s the thing with REAL Hollywood heavyweights: things will happen on their terms. Even a Neal Brennan can’t tap into it.
This may shock some, but I actually wasn’t familiar with Neal Brennan AT ALL until he created this podcast. He’s a fascinating guy and I never realized how much he was involved in things I’ve enjoyed for years. So great
// the theme music is an unreleased track by...... I forget.
Look it up though.
I'm the same. I literally had no idea who he was. I guess I'm getting old.
As a kid Jays tonight show was perfect, the monologue jokes were really kid level jokes. That led me to staying up for Conan before the age of 10 which led me to absurdist comedy and just loving comedy in general.
Exactly how I remember it, I was too young for Letterman and didn’t really get what he was about, but enjoyed Leno, and then finally found what I was looking for in Conan.
Legit same here brother
Same here, I miss Headlines!
This is the best interview Leno has given.
No
his appearance on Maher was pretty good
The Howie Mandel interview had a few revelatory moments, mixed in with Mandel's constant talking.
Neal’s on fire, and *thankfully* Jay is not. Great episode!
"Hayooooo!" - the ghost of Ed McMahon
Bud dum… psssshhh
I just can't believe how well adjusted he seems. I always thought he was a jerk but he's actually a zen master
He was a jerk in the sense that he had his agent at the time be the actual jerk - planted stories in the press that Carson wanted to retire, for example.
Conan really needs to get over his shit
@@josecanales2978 no he doesn’t
I don't think he's a jerk but dude was ruthless when it comes to business. From everything I've heard, he is a really decent person (outside of business).
@@jslberto RE: "...he had his agent at the time be the actual jerk - planted stories in the press that Carson wanted to retire,"
This is an assumption, but there's no evidence Jay told her to do that. When he asked Helen if she was behind it, she lied and told him no. Just the same, he's lived under the curse of what she did ever after.
Jay Leno is one of the only people that understand luck... it doesnt matter how we think of it or how we describe it... it just is what it is. Humans have an affinity for luck good or bad, it's symbiotic with physical life here and now, wether we acknowledge it or refuse to.
Luck is a very obscure word, and nobody can truly understand it, because it's definition relies on questions we can't answer. Like, if the universe is determinate or not. Fate vs free will. I believe free will, and so I don't accept it "just is what it is". There are factors beyond our control, like others' behaviour and/or nature, but your likelihood of happiness and good fortune is higher if you behave in a way that is conducive to positive outcomes. Like, a hard worker likely will have a better life, all else being equal. The quality of our futures is largely in our hands, relative to the conditions we're born to. This is all just IMO of course... Since if the universe is predetermined, which _cannot_ be falsified, luck truly doesn't matter, we're just watching a movie. Also I'm not saying you are denying anything I just said, or I'm not trying to negate your points... But you say it doesn't matter how we describe it, and then go on to say humans have an affinity for it, which is landing on one side it, and a subjective viewpoint. Affinity for luck doesn't take into account that our actions will alter our propensity for positive outcomes, or what many just call 'good luck'. Affinity for luck makes it sound like a primary force of the universe.
Defining and understanding are two different things. A lot of people skip over it like it's not real. It's there though. There's a ton of ways it intervenes. The observation was that Jay knows - no matter how hard he worked/works, or how skilled he was/is, how bad he wanted to succeed, luck had something to do with it. It's not even the same thing as being humble either. It is just acknowledging a force that exists... most people, even "humble people" claim that they deserve whatever and tell themselves and others a lot of nonsense to feel worthy of what they've been allowed to attain. As if everything can't just end in a split second in a multitude of variations for the same rare occassion that got them there possibly. Or maybe one different choice couldn't have led a person down a completely different path. Luck isn't the same as intuition or being intelligent or anything else.
Not that Jay doesn't deserve everything he has accomplished either, but to think he wasn't allowed to attain it in whatever capacity that luck nudged his destiny - no matter how hard he worked/works - is a little too silly to imagine for me. It's rare to see anyone really acknowledge it at all let all alone respect it or give credit to it.
It's a force outside reality or "destiny" or whatever. Nothing like that cares what any human believes. They just are. I don't think destiny means everything is predetermined either. Neither am I trying to take anything away from what you see, or your opinion. I don't know anything for a fact, but none of us do. I don't believe in much either, it's not blind faith for anything I think of in this way. I just think of things sometimes as being the way they are, and that I've always had a feeling that I knew some things. I'm a weird mf though so ^^. Never surprises me that people have different thoughts. I hope that never stops.
~Yes what we do, how we act, who we are matters. Also, great things happen to the worst people... and terrible things happen to some of the best people. What makes any of us think we deserve anything? I often wonder that. Probably our ego. We aren't even supposed to be this way in a physical body possibly? We all get too caught up in the doing and making sure we are "worthy" wtf ever that means.
Jay was the ultimate grafter and workhorse. It took him 25 years of hard work in the biz to catch his big break with the Tonight Show gig. Of course there was an element of luck and good timing but it was ultimately his work ethic and natural talent that led him to success.
@@brendansheehy8124 Yes, it was. I watched a good chunk of that along away as he worked. I don't mean to diminish his ethic and work. He himself knows that it wouldn't have mattered how hard he worked, if he never caught a break though. Again, the that's the point. I'm amazed at how he even realizes and attributes luck himself... most don't. They say everything but that and spend countless hours proving their own self "worthy" ~ and in the end usually exclaim that luck has nothing to do with anything.
My mans singlehandedly put the greatest late night beef to rest. Send this man to the middle east!
A lot of that stuff was just gaslit by the media back in the day. To the best of my knowledge Leno and Letterman never publicly talked shit about each other.
@@brendansheehy8124 Letterman definitely had negative things to say about Jay to Conan. Speaking of Conan I'm surprised that situation wasn't brought up unless I missed it
Yeah the beef with Conan was bigger
Didn't come here for a cry but it's really fantastic too hear the reverence that Jay has for Dave. What a legend Jay is... And a truly funny and humble guy.
I am not sure if Letterman is a jerk, but he stopped being funny halfway through his career.
My fave part of this pod is how Neil has transformed his "straight-forwardness" into one of the best podcast/interview skills in comedy
Jay Leno is the definition of being about the work/craft & everything else will fall in place.
Perfectly put.
I will never forget his appearance as a comedian on the Tonight Show, doing his Clown bit. So funny, my entire family were laughing so hard. He has a line about "circus freaks spewing anthrax spores". I am over 50 and my family still quote his act at holidays.
Chicago has a bunch of summer street festivals with rides, and to this day, every time I pass one, that "carnies hurling anthrax spores" (I think that was the actual line) comes to mind and makes me laugh.
Leno's relationship to money is very telling. The comment "I work and my money relaxes" speaks volumes. Undoubtedly, this was a major ingredient of the "late night wars."
I'd love to see Anthony Jeselnik on Blocks.
Truly a humble person who enjoys what he's earned and doesn't carry the baggage of grudges or resentment or, as he says, a "big fan of low self-esteem."
This is one of the best interviews Jay has ever done. I would have liked to hear more about the Conan taking the Tonight Show.
He's talked about it in other interviews. I think on Bill Maher's podcast. Someone put a good video up about the whole thing here on RUclips. This one is interesting: ruclips.net/video/fYW_xWR9LJM/видео.html
it's impossible not to like Jay imo, most likeable guy in showbiz.
Which is an interesting statement considering how many people hate his guts lol
@@nateputerbaugh5709 In fairness, most of the people who hate his guts are entertainers who are jealous of how popular he is.
BEST Leno interview. Hands down. Thank you Mr. Brennan.
Agreed
Another great episode. I am not sure Jay is in touch with his "blocks" per se but some of that is generational/cultural. Dave was kind of the same way. Neal handled it beautifully per usual. ☺️
So much respect for Jay Leno. He seems very sincere... usually I think that is suspect! I have really grown to like and respect this man.
I laughed so much! "When the sex is over, she's still crazy." Honey I love u, you're having a nightmare. "I don't want to be a gynecologist or anything" Did you learn anything from your accidents? no that's why they're accidents" }Comedy is first, girlfriend 2nd." A whole lot of wisdom, from a seasoned, weathered, confident man made of tough shit. I hate Late Night, but I enjoyed type of format for him. And the cat joke was fvcking funny.
Hate late night? Weird
I think hate late night for me is celebrity blathering on, when early days guests were storytellers Peter O‘Toole, Jimmy Stewart.
Crazy that Jay Leno is quick to compliment the other late show hosts that try to trash talk him at any opportunity.
I haven't seen many comedians live.. but I have seen Jay and I didn't laugh, BECAUSE it was a flawless set, with amazing setups.. I thought I was in school learning how the art of comedy.. and it is clear if you appreciate comedy.. you have to love Jay Leno
I have seen many of these interviews and he is a straight up honest guy
Jay is fascinating. Being reliable and willing to do the job is a trait that leads to much success in life
Love the conversations on Blocks ~ Great !!!
Got to love how astounded he is that Leno is sane.
I didn't expect a ton from this one but it really delivered. Still don't find Jay too relatable but I definitely gained a lot of respect for the guy.
Neal is such a class act
Dude a Leno/Letterman podcast/show would be LEGENDARY
Jay Leno and David Letterman should do a Netflix Special toghether.
Jay is a salt of the earth kind of guy. I love how grounded he is.
Jay Leno put in work.
Absolutely 👍
The Bobcat Leno thing kind of explains the Bobcat Seinfeld thing because Jerry loves Jay. I could see Jay telling him that story and Seinfeld just absolutely seething rage forever.
This was awsome!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After years of following the late night wars this was a beutiful ending to the saga. Well done!
@nealbrennan great interview. Jay’s non-answer to the final question, “tell me the story of your life as if were a movie”, felt like every reply I ever got from my boomer dad about emotions: “I’m just not interested”. 😂 Consistent generation!
Damn what an episode. Great job Neal, hadn't heard a lot of these perspectives from Jay before.
Been a big fan of jay for 20 years, used to watch him and Conan a lot with my mom when i was growin up. Some of the best memories ever honestly.🩵
I would LOVE to see a Jay Leno, David Letterman podcast. It feels so good to hear Jay talking about Dave in good times.
I have never heard of you until stumbling across these, but your interviews with Jay and Dave have me hooked!!
Supporting Neal
Jay is such a down to earth , humble guy 👍 .
Well, that's what Jay projects to the world. It's easy to be taken in by him. He's actually one of the very best in the industry at dirty tricks. I do feel for him re what he must be going through right now with his wife's dementia (not mentioned in this interview).
Leno appearing as a guest on Letterman in the mid-80s was fire
When Jay was guest hosting Late Night it was the best show on TV.
Don Giller has put together the complete collection of his appearance, which you can find on youtube (you probably know that). The 2 volume, starting in 84 with leno making jokes about the Olympics and his comeback to the Letterman snake story... through I think the last appearance where he talks about the Airbus safety cards.... That string of appearances including the Kimba joke and so many more is just amazing and always had Dave in tears.
Neal, You are such a wonderful interviewer. I really value this podcast. Thank you for bringing it to us :) Leno never resonated with me (not pro or con.. just didn't click), but this interview helped me contextualize his work and appreciate it more.
Jay is an enigma; I mean that as a compliment
That was great, Neal. I was so surprised when you finally asked about the things I was curious about with Jay.
Neal Brennan crushes it in just about every aspect of life.
Love the in depth talks. Great show
Leno generously gave whatever the podcast host asked for, but after a while, most of the interviews began to sound the same as they asked for the greatest hits, and Leno complied , maybe to help out a comic that was growing a podcast. This interview is the only one where Leno has been pressed as much as I have ever seen him questioned. Leno delivers, and I think this has been the best interview he has done so far...
"Good being had." Solid, class guy Jay is. Rad, great stuff, Neal.
(such a 'class guy' he screwed over: johnny carson, david letterman, conan o'brien)
@@wuhaninstituteofvirology Johnny screwed Dave by not knowing when to retire (had he left 5 years earlier Dave would almost certainly have gotten his chair); Conan screwed Jay to get "The Tonight Show" by making a deal with *NBC* he knew was deciding Jay's retirement date.
@@gallery7596 You're right, but there's no reasoning with these folks. It's bizarre really.
I have just discovered your amazing podcast a few hours ago. Jimmy Carr is my hero. I have now become addicted to your shows. Soooo goood!
This was so great to hear. I loved Leno on Letterman and when they had their feud it was such a bummer. Listening to the Letterman podcast and now this one really gives a complete picture of what happened that I didn't know and wish I had. I really wish these guys would get together again in some way.
Jays autobiography is Hilarious. It’s called leading with my chin. There’s a ton of stories about doing comedy in the 70s and the 80s. He never has a bad thing to say about anyone including Dave. There’s a Funny story about him meeting George Bush Senior. He had to meet a guy immediately after to buy a car. So Jay got the idea to tape 60 grand to the inside of his shirt and then go to meet the president. Secret Service thought it was pretty cool.
Nobody greater than Jay. Love that guy.
wtf
Neal is such a gifted interviewer ~ I look forward to every one!!
He’s got the right outlook on life.
Funniest thing i ever heard Leno say: "people like seeing rich people set on fire" 😂
2:30 i heard it from Louis, i heard it from Neal now, and i always felt it watching him - Jay is a real, down to earth, warmhearted, fantastic person. so nice.
That was fantastic, better than I expected. Leno is a good dude
Love Jay he's a cool dude. What a line to think of when you've just woke up.... Honey you're having a nightmare 😂😂 keep on plowing through those sands of time bigchap 💚👍
This pod hasn’t missed yet if you watch any podcast that’s are on the same level of dopeness, let me know in the comments, drink champs was up there but they fell off after the ye interview, this is like the beginning of mike Tyson’s pod, I hope Neal can keep it up, the format is unique so I’ll be here every week
Damnit Neal, I keep posting the same comment, but this project is truly phenomenal. Between the guests featured and the genuine conversation you have with them, I enjoy it so much. This was another fantastic episode. I was a Letterman guy, but always loved Leno's stand-up. You really made him open up and it was a fascinating watch/listen. Thank-You
Never knew about Leno’s hustle early on! I mean I never found him funny, but I respect the hustle
Love this show 🎉 keep it up
That last question was difficult to bring up..excellent job
Jay is the every-man's comic. No need to be "outrageous" to get a laugh. A true student of old school comedy. He's not my favorite, but i respect the hell out of his legacy and work ethic.
They need to give Leno and Letterman a travel abroad show.
I just gained a lot of respect for Jay. Before this interview I thought he was a huge ducebage.
Loved this Neal thanks❤
I love the show, Neal!
excellent show. love the intellect neal. more please.
The guest Neil has is the ULTIMATE!
New favorite podcast :)
Neal has become a great host the caliber of guests is off the charts good
Amazing interview this is Amazing
Go Jay, we miss you❤
Letterman and leno need a podcast
Very insightful conversation.
What a lovely message jay sent him
This was great
I remember watching Carson when I was super little and I loved when he had stand ups and animals. That led into watching Leno for his monologue and stand ups. That led me to conan with his classic bits and stand ups. I realized at some point…I just love stand up comedy. For some reason it got ahold of me and I’ve been obsessed with it ever since.
Great interview
Interesting how his beef with Letterman was discussed a few different times whereas his much more public high profile beef with Conan wasn’t mentioned. Great ep!
The letterman beef was one of the biggest media narratives of the 1990s.
Yeah, and his answer about gracefully leaving the tonight show added insult to this. Yeah right Jay you left with no complaints or anything. Makes all of the other humbleness and honesty seem fake. I hope Neal has Conan on at some point.
@@cameronwilliams6439 yeah but the Tonight show conflict of 2010 was huge as well
@@michaelfiscella9790He’s actually gone into great detail about the Conan beef, just not this podcast. Was pretty eye opening. Not everything was how it was made out to be.
@@michaelfiscella9790 The Conan matter was extensively discussed when Jay did Howie Mandel's podcast.
if you're a genX comedy nerd this shit is gold lol
It's refreshing when someone can talk to Leno about not cars once in while
Leno can't seem to really say much of anything though.
Love the podcast. Can't wait for my brother to watch it too.
I don't know if you read these but I am a huge fan of you and tons of other comedians, and the algorithm just now suggested your videos to me. I have never heard of your podcast in spite of having seen blocks on Netflix. You need different advertising etc.
P s. Thank you for your honesty. This is awesome.
fuckin Leno was pretty inspiring right there. Good show guys
Damn 37 million a year ain't bad! I love Jay.
People who only know Jay from The Tonight Show have no idea just how funny he was as a standup. The Tonight Show neutered him comically, but that was his choice.
Elective surgery ✂️
@@MoeMentos 😆 Exactly.
I saw Jay twice at his zenith in the mid 80s and it was 2 hours of non stop laughing. Each time he would bring up the house lights and interact with the audience and the # and variety of comebacks he had to audience questions was amazing... it's like he was card catalogue of "what to say" in his brain. I have no idea what we spent on those tickets back then, but man did you know you got your money's worth.
If everyone didn’t like Leno during his Tonight Show run ( as I gather from comments) how come his show was top rated till he retired.
Good job Neal