Ari Shaffir's Skeptic Tank

Dom Irrera met me at the Laugh Factory to talk about not having children. Dom is one of the only guys I know who has gone through most of his life while avoiding parenthood and we talked all about what that's like. It was a great podcast with an amazing comedian. Twitter him at @DomIrrera.

Brent Weinbach and I took a road trip home from San Francisco to Los Angeles on New Years day. We stopped at all the places we've always wanted to stop and tasted some delicious new foods. It was the best time I've ever had with an extreme sufferer of OCD. So, take a trip with us back to a time of wonder, a time of innocence, come back to January 1, 2013.

Mac Danzig met me at the Comedy Store to talk about veganism. He's a UFC fighter and 100% Vegan. It's an odd choice for a fighter. Come listen in on the conversation. He's a really chill guy. Not like the normal vegans who shove their views down your throat so you don't have room to eat burgers.

Don Barris invited me over to the studio in his apartment and finally opened up to me about his road rage. I've been waiting for this podcast for over a year but Don never felt comfortable enough talking about it. But now it's here. We talk about his enormous mood swings he experiences while driving. We discussed the possible causes of it. Then Don tells some first hand accounts of what it's like being a madman behind the wheel.

Greg Fitzsimmons had me over to his garage to tell me how much he loves to fight. Not organized fights. Just fights. Just regular, two dudes don't know each other and then one is punching the other, fights. It's a pretty fun podcast. What he does in the car is hard for me to wrap my head around.

Jeff Danis and Ryan O'Neill came by my apartment to talk about their jobs as grocery delivery drivers. Oh my god, there were so many hilarious stories. They're both comedians from the Comedy Store and their job is so ridiculous. For delivery drivers, there's a shocking amount of talk about nipples and Down syndrome.

Jim Florentine met me at the Comedy Store to talk about pranks. As long as I've known about Jim, I've known him as the guy who is always willing to go for the goof. He went to a damn abortion protest, for God's sake. He was always doing so many fun jokes that I even forgot he used to be the voice of Special Ed on Crank Yankers, which was probably my favorite characters. Really fun episode.

Doug Benson met me at the Comedy Store on a beautiful 75 degree February day. We talked about those few girls that hurt you more than all the others. The ones who you couldn't shake from your heart. It was a very revealing and honest talk. We also made friends with a random tour group that was going by. It was a lot of sides of Doug that I'd never seen before.

Mark Ellis and Christian Harloff met me in the Belly Room of the Comedy Store to talk about the movies. We used the Oscars as an excuse to talk but really it was about movies in general. Those guys have made a life for themselves reviewing movies in a fun way and it was nice to talk to them about my problems with today's films. There's something about the Comedy Store that lets comics feel at ease.

Greg Jackson of Greg Jackson's MMA met me in a hotel room in Vegas a few hours before UFC 156. Greg has always asked me about standup comedy and how comics will handle different situations. After some time he told me why he was so interested. He sees similarities between all art forms. He tries to find universal truths that apply to many art forms so he can apply that knowledge to MMA fight theory. It's really fascinating stuff. We've been talking about this stuff for years now and it's so interesting to me. If, like me, you thought everyone associated with cage fighting were meatheads, you're about to get a beautiful reminder of how people from all walks of life can offer you growth and knowlege.

Tom Segura invited me to go to his new Barbie Malibu Beach House so we could talk about masturbating. Just two best bro dudes intimately talking about making their penises shoot out loads of semen. And then somewhere at the end we talked about drunk driving. I don't think we ever talked about masturbating while drunk driving but we should have at least brought it up, huh?

Kevin Christy and I sat in his backyard and talked about relationships. Everybody has one friend who jumps from long term relationship to long term relationship and Kevin is that guy for me. As long as I've known him he's been with somebody. This is the first time in his life that he is single and it's a strange place for him to be. It's an interesting conversation on how to make relationships work and how to make them fail.

Mike Ward came to my hotel room while I was in Montreal to talk to me about his amazing journey of learning to do his standup in a 2nd language. He's got about as much to say as I can imagine anyone saying about French comedians.

Chris Ryan met me at the Comedy Store to talk about monogamy, cheating, sexual desire, ownership over women and almost everything else associated with the nature of sex. It was the first doctor I've had on but it wasn't stuffy at all. We sat on the front patio and had a really nice conversation that helped me become more at ease with who I am and what I'm into.

Joey Diaz helps me introduce the first of my two interview about heroin use that I did from my hotel room in Vancouver. This one gives an overview of how heroin makes you feel and how much pull it can have on you. This kid managed to get out of it's grasp while he was still young. It's a good talk on being a "functional" dope fiend.

Mat Edgar and I talked about our shoplifting days on a trip back from San Diego. We both had pasts as thieves and this was a nice way to fill half our drive home. I forgot about how much I used to steal when I was little. I don't know how I never got caught.

Chip Pope met me at the Comedy Store to talk about the time he spent in the closet. I know a lot of gay people, but very few who are gay but not open about it. As always with Chip, the talk moved to music as well. But most of it was about what it was like not having people (including the comics in the LA scene) know he was gay.

Tom Rhodes and I met up at the Moontower Comedy and Oddity Festival and we talked about his vagabond lifestyle. Tom has no home. Every week he travels to a different location for standup comedy. He has no place to go back to. Just on and on and on forever. He sees every corner of the earth in his travels and it's really cool.

Jimmy Dore came by my slop haven of an apartment to tell me the truth about politics. I've never been very political, but lately I've started to become increasingly angrier about how little representation the average citizen has. Jimmy was always into the leftist side of things and he did a great job of explaining the problems with how things are run. And Mat Edgar joins me for the intro and outro to talk about Shroomfest and to share a few extra stealing stories that he forgot to mention on "Klepto."

John Caparulo had me over to his palatial estate to do a podcast and we spent most of it talking about poker. Cap was the reason I started playing poker at casinos. He introduced it to Steve Rannazzisi and me about 10 years ago and I caught the bug hard. We had some great times going down to the LA casinos late night after the Comedy Store was over. Hustler, Commerce, Hollywood Park, we hit them all. The last hour was just fun memories. So enjoy. And please enjoy an extra long introduction that has me venting about censorship in comedy.

Donovan Pee met me in my hotel room in Vancouver to talk about Heroin. Donovan was a heavy heroin user and lived on the streets of one of the most drug addicted blocks in North America. He was involved with the drug for decades and has only recently gotten away from it. It's a fascinating look at the life and exactly the kind of thing I like for this podcast.

Brendan Burns came to my LA garbage heap apartment to talk about his rock bottom. Brendan's rock bottom lasted for 3 years and while he was there he did A LOT of drugs. Especially psychedelic drugs. And they were not kind to him.

Stevie Ryan invited me over to her apartment to smoke pot and watch reality shows one day about a year ago. We ended up recording a podcast about introverts and then we recorded another one about our short lived relationship. Of course we meandered into all sorts of stuff but it was fun seeing two sides of a whole bunch of different scenarios. Catch Stevie on her own show on VH1 called Stevie TV.

Vanessa Ragland came over to my rodent den of an apartment in LA and talked to me about her miscarriage. She was honest and open about the whole ordeal and it really gave me a nice look at one mother's experience. And don't worry, it's not all gloomy.

Don Barris had me over to his secret location Big 3 Studios and we did a podcast about his old days working at the Tropicana. Don hosted oil and mud wrestling nights over there for years way before I met him. There's also a road rage story in here and a special appearance by Brian Redban's 4 inch dog.

Tony Hinchcliffe, Mat Edgar, Pete Cornacchione, and I spent Shroomfest together this year. We drove out to Joshua Tree, ate some shrooms, and wandered out into the wilderness. And then we had, what I believe, is probably the first podcast recorded at Joshua Tree National Park.

Big Jay Oakerson and I recorded a podcast upstairs from The Stand comedy club about how little we resemble grown men. Neither one of us know how to pay a bill on time. We had to break halfway through and picked the rest up near my apartment in the East Village. This was the first podcast I've done where I watched sex during the interview.

Justy Dodge came over to my New York apartment on the hottest day of the summer. We talked about her various mental disorders but centered on cutting. Justy is a New York based standup who spent her teens in and out of rehab for self mutilation. It was a great conversation despite a couple of her white trash words slipping out.

Robert Kelly invited me over to his beautiful Manhattan apartment so we could talk about becoming a father. He had his first son 45 days ago and we had a nice discussion about what it was like. It was nice for me to hear how a former degenerate like Robert could transform himself into the type of dad that won't get child services called on him.

Kathleen McGee invited me over to the apartment she was staying in while we were in Winnipeg together and we talked about her rape. It's about as lighthearted a conversation as possible considering the subject matter. This is kind of what this podcast is all about. Stark, realistic views of the world told in funny ways. Enjoy.

Mike Burns came by my apartment during his trip to New York to talk to me about his new book, Power Moves. Burns hasn't been on Skeptic Tank since the old Deathsquad days. He's hilarious and I'm glad he had a chance to come over while he was here for promotions. We talked about Karl Welzein, staring in people's windows in NY, getting stabbed, and meeting girls at bars. You know, normal stuff.

Cort McCown came over to my LA apartment before I left for New York and we talked about his sweet ass job as a professional caddy on the PGA tour. It's the golf equivalent to being a ball boy. But way cooler than that because you get to make money and you're a grown man now.

Jessica Ahlquist drove all the way from Rhode Island to my New York apartment to tell me about her lawsuit to have a prayer banner removed from the walls of her public school. She's an amazing woman and her courage really helps make me feel like a coward for not standing up for more things I believe in. Really interesting conversation.

Bert Kreischer met me on the patio of the Comedy Store to talk about his history with alcohol. We covered how he got started, when it became a major part of his life, and where he stand with it now. It was a fun talk that got a little dark in a couple places when we discussed his ex and again when another comedian walked by. And Joe Rogan makes an appearance on the intro.

Auntie Dolores (that's not really her name) met me at the Comedy Store patio to talk about edibles. She makes some of the best brownies, pretzels, lolipops, nuts, and popcorn you can find in California. We talked about how she makes things, her worries with the authorities, and when she got started. Plus we also reminisced about our history with pot cookies.

Whitney Cummings had me over to the place she was staying in while in New York and we talked about her hardships at The Comedy Store, with her sitcom, and as a child of an alcoholic. I had no idea she felt that way about when she was starting at the Store. She always seemed so on top of it all the time, I couldn't even imagine it being difficult for her. Billy Wayne Davis joins me for the intro.

Glitter Goddess spoke to Jay Oakerson and I about her new jobs as a sex therapist, and as a phone dominatrix. It was really fun. She has a bunch of guys getting her off by taking orders from her. And they pay her for it. That's like a heckler paying you to make them feel bad. Outstanding.

Sean Patton came over to my apartment in New York to talk about his hometown of New Orleans. Sean was born there, he was there for Katrina, and through both of those events, he was severely drunk. It was a fun conversation that took us through some of the history and to today's best tourist attraction, watching closeted gay guys pretend to not know they're going into a gay club.

Dave Smith came over to my apartment so we could talk about this growing disillusionment I'm experiencing with our federal government. Dave is a devout libertarian and he knows a lot more of the facts than I do, so we discussed a lot of where we've gone wrong and where our politicians and generals have betrayed the will of its people. Listen to it now, because when the revolution comes, downloading podcasts won't be easy.

John F O'Donnell met me in Bushwick to talk about his manic depressive disorder. He's gone off the deep end a few times in his life and we got into it all. How it started, what happens, how it's affected him. It was a fun podcast that only got interrupted a couple times by a gang of 8 year old handball punks.

Bret Ernst invited me up to his hotel room in Cabo San Lucas to drink beers, smoke cigars, and do a podcast. I love these on location episodes. We talked about Bret's habit of overzealously arguing his points. Bret has always been passionate (i.e. a guido), and it really comes out when he talks to someone with an opposing viewpoint.

Jim Florentine and Bret Ernst joined me in Bret's hotel room in Cabo to record a bonus podcast. We were drunk, so I have no idea what we talked about. Maybe girls? The middle east? Your guess is as good as mine. I remember it being a fun conversation till about 10 minutes left when Guidus Interruptus took over the conversation again and we all got tired.

Neal Brennan invited me to his tropical rainforest hotel room in New York and we had a nice talk about chicks. It's one of the driving influences in my life and it was nice to hear someone with some thought out views on relationships and love. Nick Youssef joins me for the intro on the drive back from San Francisco.

Kevin Christy had Nick Youssef and me over to his house to talk about what I need to change with my wardrobe. Kevin and Nick have always been my fashion advisors and we used it as an excuse to do a fun little podcast. In honor of fashion week (probably) (somewhere) I present to you a guide to what to wear as a man in late 2013.

Juan Carlos Alvarado met me at a secluded beach in Los Cabos, Mexico and we did a podcast about poker. We talked some about how he became a professional poker player, how he deals with losing streaks, and what his family thought of it all. And then we went into Black Friday and the end of the golden age of online poker. Mat Edgar helps me with the intro and outro, too.

Wil Anderson and I day drank on a weekday at a beach bar on the outskirts of Sydney, Australia. I got sunburned in the ozoneless air as we talked about Wil's upbringing on a farm. We meandered around a crap-ton, too. Wil's a real cool guy and I'm glad I got the chance to hang out with him. The stuff he's doing with his standup is inspiring.

Callum Preston was spray painting a mural in an alley in Melbourne, Australia when I asked him if he'd be on my podcast. Callum is part of the Everfresh Crew and his mural was awesome. He met me in a park the next day and we talked about the street art scene in Melbourne, how he got started with spray painting graffiti. And then we talked about Australia in general for a while. It was a beautiful day in a beautiful park and I'm really glad I actually went up to a stranger to talk to him. He's a cool guy.

Steve Simeone invited me over to his place while I was in LA and we talked about happiness. It started off being a conversation about being broke, but it quickly shifted as it became evident that Steve's poverty level was no longer the main influence on his mood. We talked about girls, and about family, and about giganitic boobs. But at its base, it's just a couple of buddies hanging out.

Lauren Hennessy came over to my NY apartment to tell me about what it's like to be a he/she. Lauren is a boy trapped in a girl's body. He's been that way since he was born. And you think you had it tough. Don't worry, this didn't get too serious or sad. Just two dudes talking about one of the dude's vaginas.

Click here to listen in iTunes JL Cauvin came over to my condemned New York apartment to talk about his time serving as the assistant district attorney for the Bronx. We waaaaay meandered into what it did to his relationship and then relationships in general. I could talk about breakups all day as long as […]

Paul Morrissey came by my New York apartment yesterday on his way to do the Artie Lange show and it was lucky he did. I had to take down this week's original podcast because people are little beeitches sometimes and everybody worries about getting sued so much they don't even care if what they're doing wasn't wrong. Regardless, Morrissey and I talked about the life of my New York apartment from beginning to soon to be end. With special insightful notes and voice mails detailing why I'm not a good person.

Barry Rothbart came over to my apartment to tell me about growing up with a father who hung out and worked with organized crime. It must have been strange growing up knowing your father was a gambler who won and lost hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time. The intro was recorded at 5am after a night of heavy drinking in Montreux, Switzerland

Brad and Todd Barnes came to my apartment to do a podcast about working as a team to make movies. They brought with them the film crew that eventually led to my landlord evicting me. Despite that, it was a fun podcast. We talked about making films, about working together, and about the half documentary/half movie that we made together over the summer with Rannazzisi, Cort, and Simeone.

Kevin Meaney invited me over to his apartment to talk about what it was like coming out of the closet at 50 years old. He was married with a kid when he did it. This was such a great podcast. He was open and honest and had such a unique difficult time of coming to be open about who he is. I hope you enjoy it and use it to help you give up the secrets you're holding onto.

Myq Kaplan came over to my apartment (possibly the last one recorded at my New York apartment in the east Village) to have a talk about monogamy vs polyamory. Myq used to be super into the poly side of it for years but recently has switched over to the dark side. It's a pretty well informed discussion on the subject and somehow we manage to talk a lot about mushrooms, too.