Tell us what’s going on you life. Send a video link to joeyspod@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 951-298-9899
Episode 2 –
Just Be,
I want to start off today by saying that switching away from medicated talk has really made me feel way more like a comedian again. It’s interesting all the changes that I/we go through in our careers and in our lives. I have really only had one comedy mentor type in my long career and that person/comedian is Artie Lange. With all the troubles that Artie has gone through in his life’s journey, the one thing that was never stunted was his ability to always give spot on comedy advice. As I’m writing right now, I can’t help but hear his voice in my head saying just be funny, don’t try to brand yourself. He would always tell me – just say what you think is funny and don’t worry about if that joke or that story is off brand for you… Just say it! It’s amazing advice! My favorite comics aren’t trying to be a brand – they just are a brand without trying. I look back and hate a lot of jokes I’ve done that say who I am. It makes sense that the current piece of merch that sells best after my shows and online is the shirt that says Just Be. My wife says it to me when I’m too chatty, but it applies to so many situations. If we all just be, we are usually at our best no matter what the situation is. The Life Of Joe podcast is really me Just Being. Whatever happened in my life and sharing it with you, and then the fans sharing their similar life situations. Nothing forced, just reporting whatever went down. I’ve always loved the part of comedy that no matter how specific you’re being when you are sharing your own life, it relates to everyone. This episode that comes out Monday June 3rd, Is a great example of what’s to come with this new podcast. I hope you enjoy it.
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Tell us what’s going on you life. Send a video link to joeyspod@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 951-298-9899
Episode 1 –
Hi Everyone,
I decided to revamp the Medicated podcast. Being medicated is actually a really really small aspect of my life and I want to cover all sides of my life in my podcasts. This new show will be called Life Of Joe and will be about every aspect of my life and YOUR lives as well. I’d like you all to send in videos/pictures from your lives and how it relates to our weekly topics on my podcast.
Please send everything to joeyspod@gmail.com and or leave voicemail messages about your life and how it relates to our weekly topics on our hotline #. Leave a message on 951-298-9899.
My last episode the Evolve Of The Week was about how when I returned home from my 10 day road gig trip I was a little ticked by certain things that my wife didn’t attend too in our house. Instead of calling or texting her, making a passive aggressive remark about she still didn’t pour Drain-o down our clogged shower drain, I chose to just keep it to myself and move on.
Yeah, sure, talking about it on the podcast might not be a completely evolved move by me, but it was a big step in the right direction. It felt really good to think about how she’d feel after I went away for 10 days to perform comedy while she did everything for the kids and our dog while I was away if I blurted out that the show was still clogged and how can she live like that. I think Evolve Of The Week should be a regular podcast segment and something I strive for weekly.
If you can relate and want to share please email a video of you explaining or a Voice Mail of you explaining yours or a video of it actually going down in your life. This week I’d love some videos of you explaining some of your neighbor situations from your life. I had a major Evolve Of The Week moment this week when I didn’t get mad at my neighbor when she wanted me to not have one of fence posts installed on her property. I’ll tell you more about it on the podcast, but I almost patted myself on the back from handling it so well. Our landscaper said it best when he said “You can’t bring your property with you when you die so why care”. So true!
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It really does seem like posting clips on social media of myself either doing standup or moments from my life is a constant distraction from enjoying the really wonderful things that being present in life can bring.
I can’t be the only person that notices that when you get in a really good discussion with people you are friends with, or even some new stranger or strangers you encountered that your anxiety level even if you aren’t really an anxious person goes down.
I’m currently having fun working on this bit about old school celebs like The Rat Pack trying to figure out how to interact with their fans if they were famous now after they just did a show. I’m so jealous that they didn’t have to do what people in the entertainment business have to do now.
Back then there were famous actors that just didn’t do interviews and hid, and they were still very successful. Could that work these days? Can you imagine how torturing it must be to be a celeb that gets bombarded daily on social media.
I realized late in life that enjoying your life is way more important than focusing on your career non stop. I wish I made that switch earlier in my life. We all like I say on stage “We are gonna slow it down” really need to do that. My time nowadays connecting with my wife and making her smile, or playing with my kids and making them laugh, or just the simple task of walking my dog alone without my phone and just really being with my King Charles Cavalier Spaniel Ozzie are the happiest times for me.
So everyone please just “Slow It Down” and Just Be.”
Your Friend,Joe
I recently had an audition in NYC to play an ice cream man in a national tv commercial. The script was really funny, it had me saying things about life to kids that they were way too young to understand. The character was trying to make the kids not interested in buying this ice cream from the ice cream man.
This ice cream was geared towards adults because it has far less sugar than most ice creams. I obviously don’t want to say the brand, but you can make a guess of your own to which ice cream you think it was. The script also had a sketched-out illustration of the action happening in the ad with comedian Bill Burr’s face on the ice cream man. My name was called soon after looking at the script and I then walked into the audition room. The 2 casting directors were the only people in the room, and as I walked in, they said friendly hello’s and began to explain to me what they were looking for from me when playing the ice cream man. I then told them the ad was really funny and it reminded me of the scene from Louis CK’s FX show where his daughter keeps asking why to all of his questions and Louis CK keeps answering her as if she was an adult and could understand. Then both casting directors in their early 30’s I would say said “We don’t say his name out loud here”. And wham, all the comedy just left the room in one sentence. I said I’m not condoning what he did just for the record here. I felt I had to say that, since they were so all of a sudden so serious. Then they said it again “We don’t say his name here, let’s move on.” I couldn’t believe it. Is this what our world is becoming? We can’t have open conversations anymore? We can’t say certain words without people getting offended and very uncomfortable.
I really believe these things need to be able to be openly discussed, and we need to be able to find the comedy in the darkest of dark subjects. Comedy is meant to heal people that are hurting, it’s never meant to hurt people all over again. That’s what therapy is really. I’ve been going to therapy for many years, and I truly love it and think it’s very necessary and that everybody should go. It helps you because you are forced to talk about things. Our world is getting to this really sterile and non-communicating like place where everyone is slowly becoming socially awkward.
Ok, back to the audition, how the hell was I supposed to get back to trying to give you a funny performance in the audition you ask to me to come in and read for after you just got really awkward an odd. I still stand by that words shouldn’t offend actions should offend. If everyone in today’s world gets offended by just words, and won’t let our comedians find the funny in everything, I’m really afraid for the world my kids will be living in. More later I’m sure on this subject, I just wanted to share that odd interaction with you guys and get your thoughts on the situation.
Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and my website.
Joe
Hey, I’m Joe Matarese,
In my 30-year career, I’ve done stand-up, podcasting, and a little comedic acting, and even less dramatic acting. I’ve done a few one man shows that touched on my dramatic interests. If I dare to be completely honest here in this blog format, I’m getting bored just making people laugh.
Occasionally I do get a crowd at a club or theater that allows me to feel free enough to share my introspective side, but it is rare. Comedy audience don’t really want you to take them on a serious journey. I want to find the medium that allows me to go there.
I don’t really know why I like the feeling of being vulnerable in public so much. Maybe because I didn’t have a lot of that growing up. I grew up in a pretty detached from feelings kind of household. My dad didn’t say I love you until I basically asked why he never said that to me in my mid 40’s. I could have never asked that question if I didn’t have the best therapist that I have seen every week for many years. He would push me to do things in a way that I always knew I had to do it. I knew he was right, and I didn’t want to let him down.
It’s amazing how hard it is for people to let their guard down and take a chance to express truth and vulnerability. That is probably my favorite thing about being a stand-up comic. You can just go on stage and share something that just happened and entertain the audience in so many ways. I want to find the right place and right medium for me to share my truth, vulnerability, and comedy ability with audiences.
Stay tuned I have some ideas. You can watch them unfold by following me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and my Website.
Joe
Lately I’ve been having so many creative ideas, but I’m not finishing any of them. Is it the daily work load of being a dad, husband, home owner, and now dog owner? I got to be honest, I’m so sick of talking about myself on stage and on social media.
I want to start talking about this F’d up world we live in. But being on anti-depressants keeps my old anger at a simmer so, pen never hits the paper. When I was unmedicated, I would get so worked up about life that I could not wait to verbally vomit my disgust on the audience.
I know I am a way better husband, and father on my medication, but I’m pretty sure I was a better comedian unmedicated. I was a better comedian when I was happy, but I was a risky booking for club owners. Even if I was funnier, I got in trouble constantly.
I can’t go off them, I know I’ll regret that quickly. I do want to get rid of the house and downsize to a nice apartment though. I’d love to not have to ever think about landscaping, the roof, the windows, the garage door, the oak trees, the driveway, the snow removal, the boiler, getting central air or not, a fence for the dog, the basement flooding, and finally sub pumps or French drains ever again.
Stay tuned everyone. Be sure to follow my comedy and views on life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and my Website. I’ll save my honesty for here in written form. Talk to you soon.
Joe