第 287 期·中文精讀

鮑比·李:喜劇、天際、性愛機器人、愛、名聲與權力

Bobby Lee: Comedy, Skyrim, Sex Robots, Love, Fame, and Power

喜劇演員聊脫口秀生涯、遊戲沉迷、性愛機器人與親密關係,以及名聲和權力帶來的改變。

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中文精讀由 AI 基於原始訪談改寫,非官方翻譯,可能存在偏差或錯誤;表述以原音訊與官方文稿為準。說明

Andrew Schulz 辦婚禮,Lex 收到了請柬,Bobby Lee 沒有。

節目一開場這件事就被擺上檯面。Bobby 在喜劇圈待了二十多年,從《MadTV》出道,現在有《Tiger Belly》和《Bad Friends》兩檔播客,是很多人心裡地球上最搞笑的幾個人之一。他認識 Schulz,兩人在蒙特利爾喜劇節上一見如故,對方上過他的播客好幾次,也透過電話。

婚禮沒請他。

「我這輩子一直覺得別人不喜歡我,不想請我去任何地方。我覺得這基本上就是我幹這一行的原因。所以那件事真的傷到我了,我有一陣子滿是怨氣,做了幾個復仇幻想,想著怎麼報復他。」(Bobby Lee)

報復的方式很具體:辦一場盛大的婚禮,把所有人都請來,唯獨不請他,然後寫封信過去,「看看,就是這個感覺」。

Lex 在婚禮現場,他說自己是那兒最不好笑的人,全程腦子裡只有一件事:Bobby Lee 沒來,這件事一點都不好笑。

復仇幻想和一份治療記錄

Bobby 沒有把這段當成段子講完就過。他接著說,他正在做心理治療,正在學著放下。

他講了一句很實在的話:他腦子裡百分之九十九的東西都不是真的,那些內心獨白建立在過去之上,而過去已經過去了。他現在到了一個不想再這樣活的年紀。

這段話有意思的地方在於,Lex 立刻承認自己也是這樣,長期深度自我批判,幾乎是一種病。但兩個人對這件病的態度完全不同。

Bobby 問:你不想真正自由嗎?從自己的腦子裡自由出來,從那些負面念頭裡自由出來。

Lex 說不想。他怕自己一旦自由了就會變成超級懶漢。他喜歡生活,喜歡舒服,喜歡放鬆,需要的東西很少,如果沒有那根鞭子抽著,他大概會直接躺平。

Bobby 的反應是「我百分之百懶」。他說那根自我批判的聲音確實在替他驅趕懶惰,但他處理它的方式是「隔間化」,把那些念頭塞進抽屜裡關上。他自稱是個很擅長迴避的人。

一個用自我批判當引擎,一個用自我批判當敵人然後繞道走。兩種策略,同一個問題。

兩張沙發,兩種癮

Lex 描述了自己的住處:沒有椅子,沒有沙發,床墊直接鋪在地板上,不是出於什麼理念,是極簡主義慣性滾出來的結果。最近他才買了人生第一張沙發,原因是來錄播客的嘉賓抱怨沒地方坐。

Bobby 聽完說,那我們倆正好相反。

他不承認自己是囤積狂,因為他確實能扔東西。但他承認自己有購物癮。在俄克拉荷馬待了兩週,他就買了一堆東西,還專門跑去 Todd Snyder 買鞋。

Lex 替那幾雙鞋說了句公道話:他當時正穿著,說明確實在用,確實在給生活提供價值。Bobby 說這是最後一次穿,就這一次,像參加婚禮,是紅毯禮服。

他身上那套衣服也不是隨便穿的。他正在拍 FX 的劇《保留地之犬》(Reservation Dogs),一部講原住民青少年的劇,他想進入狀態。

然後他順著這個假設往下走:如果他真是當年的部落成員,他會是採集者,不是獵人。跟女人們一起編籃子、摘漿果,肯定不會當酋長。狩獵隊回來之後,他大概會讓幾個獵人跟他做愛,因為他是 gay,在這種權力結構裡,得知道自己站在哪一格。

這段是玩笑,但它順手點了一個真東西:每個人都得在某個等級裡找到自己的位置,然後用某種方式活下來。Bobby 把自己放在最底下的那一格,還笑著。

他說 Joe Rogan 是 alpha male 這個詞的字典定義,如果詞典裡要配圖,就放 Joe Rogan。

十二小時採蘑菇

話題轉到遊戲,這裡出現了本期標題裡的「天際」(Skyrim)。

Bobby 玩過《晨風》(Morrowind),但當年嫌畫面太差沒玩下去。真正吃透的是《湮滅》(Oblivion)和《天際》,每個遊戲開了八個角色,全部玩到底,所有任務都做。

Lex 問他為什麼願意在一個世界裡待那麼久。

答案是他喜歡能「刷」(grind)的遊戲。比如《星露穀物語》(Stardew Valley),種田,收割,迴圈往復。《天際》是同一回事:有大量東西要撿,要收集,要一點一點攢起來。

他舉了個例子。《天際》裡有一種叫 Blisterwort 的蘑菇,採下來可以煉藥水。他曾經花過整整十二個小時,現實時間裡的十二個小時,一個洞穴一個洞穴地走,能採多少採多少。

這就是樂趣本身,談不上無聊。

他說自己受不了線性遊戲,那種只能往前推、路徑寫死的設計。他要開放世界,要能自己做選擇,想刷就刷,想停就停。

Lex 補充了一個細節:在《天際》裡可以把敵人關掉,然後只是走路,聽音樂,看風景。他自己就這麼幹過。

Bobby 立刻接住這個畫面,開始規劃兩個人的同居生活。他和 Lex 一起進去,一個狩獵,一個採集。Lex 去打強盜,他去採 Blisterwort、採白帽菇、採所有能採的東西,然後去雪漫城(Whiterun)或者冬堡(Winterhold)做那些跟主線毫無關係的支線任務。不打龍。但要辦一場宴會,把黑暗兄弟會、戰士公會、法師公會全請來。

Lex 問他是不是盜賊型玩家。他說是,一輩子都是。

緊接著他自己繞回了開頭:那場宴會還是不請 Andrew Schulz。

關掉敵人,在天際省散步

這裡得慢一點看,因為這段對話其實說出了遊戲對他的真正功能。

十二小時採蘑菇,聽起來是浪費時間。可一個腦子裡百分之九十九的念頭都在攻擊自己的人,需要的就是一個目標明確、反饋即時、規則穩定的世界。那像一間能關上門的安全屋。採到蘑菇,蘑菇就在包裡。升了一級,等級就在那裡。沒有模糊地帶,沒有社交判斷,沒有誰沒請你參加婚禮。

他自己也承認這一點。他說玩《星露穀物語》這類遊戲,是在迴避,是在不去想真正在發生什麼。他把這歸到自己那個「擅長迴避」的技能樹上。

Lex 沒有順著批評他。Lex 說的大意是:那種能自己決定往哪走、什麼時候停下的開放世界,本身就是一種對自由的練習。而 Bobby 立刻抓住這個說法,把它變成了一個更具體的願望,他想和一個人一起住在裡面。

那句「你和我一起在《天際》裡散步、一起生活,我們會做愛嗎」,全場最好笑的地方在這裡,最孤獨的地方也在這裡。他要的是一個能一起待著的伴,性只是他順口帶出來的說法。

「你從沒練過摔跤」

Lex 提到 Bobby 說過自己高中是摔跤隊的,語氣裡帶著明顯的懷疑,說這聽起來像撒謊。

Bobby 的反應是翻舊賬,沒有辯解。

他說 Joe Rogan 有一次當面叫他騙子。那是在洛杉磯,很多年前,Joe 說:「你從沒練過摔跤。」Bobby 說:「我練過。」Joe 說:「你就是個騙子,你沒練過。」

當時他拿不出照片。現在 Instagram 上有,是他和哥哥穿著摔跤服的合影,兩個人站在高中的隊伍裡。他在 105 磅級別,差不多四十七公斤。

他說自己還打過網球。他說自己其實很有運動天賦。他說他討厭別人覺得他不運動,只因為他是個麵糰身材(doughy)。

這段對話的資訊量不在摔跤本身,在於一個人需要靠照片來證明自己年輕時做過什麼。Bobby 在節目裡把手機遞過去,讓 Lex 當裁判,說「這是我和我哥,我下面那個」。一個成名二十年的喜劇演員,還要為高中校隊的事情出示證據。

這和開頭那張沒寄到的請柬是同一件事:他始終覺得自己沒有被真正承認過,所以需要不斷出示證據。

一個不會看指標鐘的人

Lex 問他為什麼一直沒上 Joe Rogan 的播客。兩個人互相欣賞,Joe 也公開說過喜歡他,這件事就是沒發生。

Bobby 的回答很直白:他不敢開口問。他怕被拒絕。如果他去問,對方說最近太忙,也許以後吧,他不想聽到這句話。他寧願一直不去。如果 Joe 主動說「你週四有空嗎,飛過來錄一期」,他百分之百會去。

這是全期最誠實的一段之一。一個以敢於在臺上自曝其短著稱的人,被一句可能的「以後再說」攔住了好幾年。

然後他講了一件更離譜的事。

他六個月前才學會看指標鍾。

Lex 問他以前以為那是什麼。他說在火車站看到老式掛鐘,會盯著猜,「我覺得應該是這樣」,但從來沒有真正掌握過。他腦子裡把它歸類成「過時的資訊」,因為有數字顯示,指標就是多餘的。

Lex 把這個類比接到了 Joe Rogan 上:這跟學不會沒關係,是拒絕去學。Bobby 承認了。

一個成年人在數字時代選擇性失明,把一整套仍然有效的符號系統判為 obsolete。這種心態,和「我不去問,因為問了會被拒絕」,是同一種結構。

光滑皮膚和那個沒人在的空房間

話題轉到機器人。Lex 說不怕,除非它們變成天網,變成終結者,那時候只能把它打下來,但那是另一回事。

他講了一件更現實的事:自主武器系統一定會出現。大量前沿機器人研究是軍方資助的,國防部、DARPA,軍工複合體的錢在推動這個領域。消費者機器人最終大部分會進家庭,但戰爭裡的那一批已經在路上了。

Bobby 問了一個普通人最想問的問題:在我活著的時候,機器會有意識嗎?

Lex 的回答是:意識有可能被工程化出來。或者退一步,我們至少能造出非常像人的機器,而我們會在心裡相信它們有意識。

Bobby 追問的是另一件事:皮膚會光滑嗎?看起來會逼真嗎?

Lex 說,視覺外觀不是魔法。盲人一樣能和人建立連線。人們可以只靠書信相愛,只靠文字。所以是的,我相信那部分。

Bobby 追問的還是同一件事:皮膚會不會光滑,看起來夠不夠真。

Lex 說自己當然也相信那一半,然後點破了他真正在問的東西:你說的是性愛機器人。

「大多數人買性愛機器人,不是為了性。他們買的是親密感,不是性意義上的親密,是有人在那裡。是情感連線,不是性。」(Lex Fridman)

Bobby 沒有反駁,他講了自己看過的一部紀錄片,關於真狗和跟狗結婚的人。他印象最深的沒有任何獵奇的部分,是那些人和狗一起窩在沙發上看電視的畫面。

他說完補了一句:好在我還能找到人類女朋友,所以這事對我來說還挺厲害的。

這句話是自嘲,但它同時承認了一件事:如果找不到人,那個沙發上的位置他是願意填的。

惠特尼的機器人

Lex 提到 Whitney Cummings 造過一臺機器人,問 Bobby 看了什麼感覺。

Bobby 的回答很乾脆:Whitney 是個漂亮姑娘,但他不覺得她有吸引力。機器人另算。如果只能二選一,他選機器人。

Lex 說他驚訝的正是這一點,他以為 Bobby 會像剛才追問皮膚那樣,執著於擬真的程度。那臺機器人做得確實好。

Bobby 承認做得好,但也指出了破綻:動起來的時候,那股活氣不對。你能看出來它是機器人。可是它只是坐在那裡不動的時候,身上有很多接近人的東西,質感,說不上來的部分。

「它們在逼近。」他說。

這段對話的順序很關鍵。一個剛才還在用十二小時採蘑菇逃避現實的人,一個不敢開口問 Rogan 的人,一個剛學會看指標鐘的人,在討論機器人時給出了全場最準確的技術判斷:靜態像,動態不像。這不是外行能隨手指出來的差別。

第一天就放了個屁

Lex 把話題拉回人類女朋友。他說 Bobby 和 Kalila 的關係很特別,兩個人明顯不同,一起主持《Tiger Belly》,但裡面有真實的愛。

Bobby 說這條路他從來沒走過,Lex 說那我們一起手拉手走。

他講第一次見到 Kalila 的感覺:像已經認識了一輩子。那種信任是基礎性的,不需要建立。他照鏡子時能看到自己所有的性格缺陷,那些東西他通常不願意給別人看,因為不想被評判、被嘲笑。跟她在一起,他可以把這些攤開來,而她對他也是同樣的。

第二件事,她好笑。有一天晚上兩個人在床上,他忘了具體是什麼笑話,但他笑到打鳴。他說他交往過的女人,一般的女人,不會讓他笑成那樣。

第三件事,她身上有亞洲血統。這段他先打招呼:「我要說點種族主義的了。」然後講了那個觀察:亞洲女孩會先把東西吃下去,再問這是什麼。白人女孩先問這是什麼。

Kalila 會先把眼球吃掉,吃完問,我剛才吃的是什麼。

這個細節讓他想到他媽。小時候他媽為了嚇他和哥哥,會把一條魚的眼珠先挖出來吃掉,看他們扭動。當小孩的時候他覺得噁心、奇怪。可是換成 Kalila 做同一件事,他覺得自己回到了家。他把這個叫「一點小小的無所畏懼」。

然後就到了那段自曝。

他和 Kalila 坐在沙發上聊天,他調整了一下身體,不小心放了個屁。她笑了。沒有尷尬,就是笑了。他說自己是放屁機器,屁眼松,說這話的時候還衝 Lex 眨了個眼,趕緊補充「不是 gay 的那種松」。

接著他說自己陰莖小。他先鋪墊了一句:跟大象比,所有人的都小。但他不是大象,他是人,所以按人的標準,他的很小。他以為她看到會退縮。

「她看它的眼神,像在看一個孤兒。像一個走丟的小孩,她想照顧它,把它捧起來。」(Bobby Lee)

Lex 的回應是:你沒遇到過這樣的人。我沒見過這樣的女孩,聽說她們挺好的。

這一段是全期最裸露的地方,字面意義上也是。它的價值在於順序:Bobby 講完屁,講完尺寸,講完自己最怕被拿走的兩個東西,然後才說這個人讓他覺得安全。所謂安全,在這裡是從這些具體到難堪的瞬間裡長出來的東西,一個抽象的形容詞撐不起它。

她看見了那個還在屎盒子裡的人

Bobby 說,在所有交往過的女朋友裡,Kalila 是唯一一個在他最爛的時候看見他的人。

他的原話是,那時候他的事業卡在「屎盒子」裡。什麼都推不動。同時期 Ken Jeong 什麼都有了,他自己的好朋友,非常有才華。他連試鏡都拿不到,跑巡演只坐滿半個場子,票賣不動。

他開始想,也許這條路就是走不通了,也許他該去找愛情,用那種方式把自己的世界開啟。

然後 Kalila 看著他,說不行,這感覺不對,你這麼好笑,你對我來說這麼重要,我們要做的是這個。於是《Tiger Belly》開始了。

Bobby 說,技術能力他有,但如果沒有那個播客,後面的事都不會發生。再往後 Andrew Santino 說,我們做《Bad Friends》吧。現在他的問題是太忙,忙到有點奇怪。

他講了一個更早的細節:在遇到她之前,就算拿到試鏡他也不會去。因為他心裡已經判了死刑,我拿不到,我試過一千次了,他們從來不找我。整整幾年他都不去。

Kalila 是第一個說這種話的女朋友:我不在乎你拿不拿得到,我只是不想你是個慫包,我要你走進恐懼裡。然後她拖著我去那些地方,而我莫名其妙地就拿下了。

這段裡有一層容易被忽略的東西。Lex 說了一句總結:她看到了你可能成為的樣子,但她愛的是你現在的樣子。Bobby 說,對,我在這件事上很幸運。

這兩句話得同時成立才有意義。只看到潛力、不愛現在的人,會把對方當成一個專案。只愛現在、看不到潛力的人,會在對方最爛的時候說沒關係,然後兩個人一起爛下去。Kalila 做的是第三件事:她在他說「我不行」的時候說「你行,而且你現在就得去」。

結婚、孩子,和不想複製的傷

Lex 問什麼時候結婚。Bobby 說不知道。

他們在做伴侶諮詢,在處理一些兩個人之間的問題。他說每一段關係都有問題,連他的友誼都有問題,所以他們在一件一件過,過完了再看。

Lex 問他想不想當父親。Bobby 說想。

他解釋的理由很坦白。他以前很孩子氣,打很多遊戲,不負責任,懶。但他說最近六個月有一些突破,在做治療,在大量地自我分析,看自己的行為,看自己到底想要什麼。

他把不敢要孩子的原因說成恐懼。

「我不想讓我的孩子留下我父母留給我的那種傷。但同時,我父母從來沒有對自己做過我這樣的工作。他們從來沒想過自我改善。他們是移民,他們要做的是把飯端上桌。那之後,他們就過自己的日子去了。我不是那樣的人。我絕不會像我爸那樣對孩子動手。」(Bobby Lee)

這段話到「我爸」就斷了,文字稿在這裡截斷。

但前面那幾句已經把一個移民二代的處境說完了。父母那一代的全部精力用在生存上,把飯端上桌就是愛,剩下的部分他們沒有辦法給。孩子這一代有了餘裕,才發現自己身上帶著一套沒有人處理過的程式,於是要花幾十年去拆。

Bobby 的拆法是治療、伴侶諮詢、在播客上把最難看的部分講出來。他講屁,講尺寸,講復仇幻想,講他不敢問 Joe Rogan。這些就是他的工作,段子只是外殼。

那張沒寄到的請柬,和那個不會看的鐘

把這一期從頭到尾連起來看,會發現所有話題都在繞同一件事。

沒被邀請去婚禮,所以做了復仇幻想。覺得自己從小不被喜歡,所以幹這一行。不敢問 Rogan,因為怕聽到「以後再說」。不會看指標鍾,因為把它判成過時資訊。高中摔跤要拿照片出來證明。十二小時採蘑菇,因為那個世界規則清楚,採到就是採到。

這些事看起來互不相關,一個是社交,一個是技術,一個是遊戲。但它們的底層邏輯是同一個:當一個人不相信自己會被接受,他會提前把門關上,然後告訴自己那扇門本來就不重要。

指標鍾是過時的。Rogan 的播客不問也沒關係。婚禮不去也沒什麼。這三句話的結構完全一樣。

而《天際》提供了另一套東西。在那個世界裡,採集是有回報的,努力是線性兌現的,你可以關掉敵人只走路。這是現實給不了他的確定性。

真正打破這個迴圈的是 Kalila 的做法。她沒有說「你很棒」,那是安慰,安慰改變不了任何東西。她說的是「你去,我不管結果」。她把評價權從結果上拿走,只留下動作本身。害怕被拒絕的人只有這一條路能走通:先做,不管別人怎麼判。

這也解釋了為什麼他能在臺上講那些話。臺上是他唯一確定不會被拒絕的地方。觀眾笑了,就是接受;觀眾不笑,那是段子的問題,跟他的存在無關。二十多年,他把全部的安全感押在了一個每晚上都能重新驗證的房間裡。

給讀者的幾件事

這期播客聽起來是兩個人在瞎聊,一個在講採蘑菇和性愛機器人,一個在講 DARPA 和意識。但它其實是一份很具體的行為樣本。以下幾條可以拿去直接用。

  • 檢查你有哪些「過時資訊」。Bobby 把指標鍾判成 obsolete,理由是有數字顯示。想一想你自己有哪些技能、哪些人、哪些渠道,被你用同樣的理由劃掉了。真實理由往往跟過時無關,是你不肯學,或者不敢試。
  • 分清楚「我不問」和「他不想給」。Bobby 六年沒上 Rogan 的節目,原因是他從沒開口。你手上那些懸著的機會,有多少是對方拒絕過,有多少是你自己替對方拒絕了。這兩件事的解法完全不同。
  • 把評價權從結果上拿走。Kalila 那句話之所以有效,是因為它不承諾成功。下次拖自己去一件害怕的事時,把目標定成「走進去」,別定成「拿下它」。前者你能控制,後者你不能。
  • 找一個能裝下你缺點的人,別找一個容忍你缺點的人。容忍是消耗,裝下不需要消耗。判斷標準很簡單:你當著對方的面做了一件難堪的事,對方的第一反應是笑,還是沉默。笑是接住了。
  • 注意你的逃避有沒有形狀。打遊戲、買東西、刷劇,這些本身沒問題。你在不在替自己擋什麼是另一回事。Bobby 清楚,他直接說這是迴避。清楚之後,它就從失控變成了選擇;不清楚,它會一直替你做決定。
  • 如果你有孩子,或者打算有,先做那份沒人替你做過的工作。Bobby 說的那句話值得記住:他的父母從來沒對自己做過自我改善,因為他們是移民,要先讓飯上桌。到了他這一代,飯有了,那件沒做的事就落到他頭上。這件事不能傳下去,只能有人停下來做。

最後說回那場婚禮。

Bobby 在節目裡把這件事講成了一個段子,講了復仇幻想,講了 Whitney 是「多元化招聘」,講了他是採集者不是獵人。全場笑了很多次。

但中間有一句他說得很平:這件事真的傷到我了。

一個能把任何東西變成笑話的人,還是會把這句話說出口,說明有些東西是笑話蓋不住的。而他能說出口,本身就比那些復仇幻想走得遠。治療沒讓他變成另一個人,他還是會痛,還是會覺得自己是那個不被邀請的人。區別在於,他現在願意在麥克風前承認這一點。

這大概就是他在節目裡說的那個「突破」的實際樣子。他沒有變得更自信,他變得更誠實了。

文稿由本站用語音識別模型(基於官方釋出音訊)機器轉寫,可能有識別錯誤,人名與數字請以音訊為準。
Lex Fridman Podcast #287 – Bobby Lee: Comedy, Skyrim, Sex Robots, Love, Fame, and Power Machine transcription by Qwen3-ASR 0.6B (MLX, local, Apache-2.0). May contain recognition errors. The following is a conversation with Bobby Lee, a stand-up comedian and podcaster, and one of the funniest humans on the planet, and just someone who brings joy to my heart with a mix of non sequitur absurdity, darkness, and the singing voice of an angel. In all seriousness, Bobby is just a beautiful human being. I've been a fan of his for twenty years since his time on MadTV to today with his podcast Tiger Belly that he does with his other half, The Love of His Life, Collada, and the podcast Bad Friends that he does with Andrew Santino. Now a quick two second mention of each sponsor. Check them out in the description. It's the best way to support this podcast. We got Brave for web browsing, GiveWell for charity, Linux for cloud computing, Onit for supplements, and Indeed for hiring. Choose wisely, my friends. And now onto the full laddered. As always, no ads in the middle. I try to make these interesting, but if you skip them, please still check out our sponsors. I enjoy their stuff, maybe you will too. This show is brought to you by my favorite browser, Brave. It's fast, privacy preserving. It feels like Google Chrome, but without the ads or the various kinds of tracking that ads can do. I love using it more than any other browser. What can I say except the fact that this thing is just fast. It's sexy. It's really great to see innovation in the space after sort of decades of browser wars that the man himself Brendan Iike behind JavaScript and Mozilla would come again with this brilliant new challenge to the big players. Reinvigorating the, I don't want to say browser wars, but friendly browser competitions and just being innovative in the space. It's really really exciting to see. So. I think you would love it as much as I do, but even on top of that, it's just great to support this kind of innovation. Get it at brave dot com slash lex, and it might become your favorite browser. As it is for me, another thing I should definitely mention is they have their own Brave search engine. Check it out all at brave dot com slash lex. This show is also brought to you by GiveWell. They research charitable organizations and only recommend the highest impact evidence back charities. Over fifty thousand donors have used GiveWell to donate more than seven hundred and fifty million dollars. This idea of. Giving your money in an optimal way, optimal meaning it does the most help for the world or alleviates the most suffering in the world. This idea is the idea of effective altruism. When you look across space, when you look across time, how do I make sure that my money, my time, my effort. Is maximized in terms of the amount of help I provide to the world. 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I just love it when people do infrastructure, cloud infrastructure well. This is good for both personal projects like small personal projects or gigantic, huge, enormous, huge systems. Lower cost than AWS, but more important to me is the customer service twenty four seven three sixty five. It's great. As they say, if it runs on Linux, it runs on Linux. Visit linux dot com slash lex and click on the create free account button to get started with one hundred dollars in free credit. This episode is also brought to you by Onit, a nutrition supplement and fitness company. They make Alpha Brain, a supplement you may have heard of, especially if you listen to the Joe Rogan Experience. It's a nutropic that helps support memory, mental speed, and focus. I use it to. Boost my mind when I am going into a deep work session. If there is a particularly difficult two, three, four hour session when I have to think through a problem, I'll take an Alpha Brain. It helps me clear the mind and achieve focus when I know I am going to go down difficult. Side roads that potentially and often do lead to dead ends. That's the most frustrating. That's the most difficult thing I have to do because then you have to backtrack and return to the main road inside the mind. That requires focus and patience and persistence and perseverance. Alpha Brain helps. I don't take it every day. I take it when I really need it. Go to lexfriedman dot com slash onit to get up to ten percent off of Alpha Brain. That's lexfriedman dot com slash onit. This show is also brought to you by Indeed, a hiring website. I've used them as part of many hiring efforts I've done for the teams of Led in the past. They have tools like Indeed Instant Match, giving you quality candidates whose resumes and Indeed fit your job description immediately. I've said it before. I'll say it again. Few things are as important in life as who you surround yourself with. That means relationship, that means friendship, and that certainly means. People at work, you spend so much of your time at work. You do some of the most difficult things, some of the most challenging, some of the most rewarding, some of the most meaningful things in your life are done at work. The team is essential. It's a source of growth. It's a source of happiness. Anyway, right now get a free seventy five dollars sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post and indeed dot com slash lex. Get it at indeed dot com slash lex. Offer is good for limited time. Terms and conditions apply. Go to indeed dot com slash lex. This is the Lex Friedman podcast, and here is my conversation with Bobby Lee. I've been a fan of yours for many many years. I think you are one of the funniest people in the world. I've been a fan since MadTV days twenty years ago to today with with Tiger Belly. So given that given your status as a world class comedian. How did it feel that you were not invited to Andrew Schultz's wedding and I was? Were you were there? Yeah, I was there. I was the least funny person there, and the whole time I was thinking, "Is not funny that Bobby Lee's not here." Yeah, all my life I always felt like people didn't like me and they didn't want to invite me to things. You know what I mean? I think that's fundamentally. The reason why I do what I do, so it really did hurt a lot, and I had resentments. I did some revenge fantasies about how I am going to get revenge on him and stuff. Yeah, him specifically, him specifically. Okay, like have a big wedding, invite everyone. You know I mean, except him, stuff like that. Yeah, and then just write him a letter like, see that's how it feels or whatever. But instead of that, I am because I've been therapy and stuff. I am just kind of like trying to let it go. What did you do there? This right here. Why did you do that? I forgot to start the timer and now it starts. Yeah, let's do again. Take two. No, you still feel like an outsider. Your exception is successful. Me, domain. You still feel. Yeah, you know I am doing a Netflix show tonight with Andrew Santino at the comedy store and this and that. But like last night, you know I just felt like I wasn't a part of. In fact, on stage I go. I even mentioned I go Netflix. They don't like me. You know what I mean. And I just say things like that. They're not true, and this is something that I want to correct with myself because I have this internal dialogue that's based. On just the past and ninety nine percent of the things that go on in my mind aren't true, and I am just at a point in my life where I am just don't want to start. I want to start. I don't want to live like that anymore. Really, because I am the same way. I am deeply self critical all the time. Yeah, and that's kind of an engine that drives you to to do stuff. Yeah, but it doesn't give you the kind of freedom that I would like. Don't you want to be truly free, free from your mind, free from negative thoughts. No, I am free part of the day, but some of the day I spend being extremely self critical and that drives you because I am afraid I'll become ultra lazy otherwise. Because I love life, I love being comfortable, I love just relaxing. I need very few things in life, and so I am afraid I'll just get like super lazy. Oh, are you a minimalist? Yeah, so if I went to your house in Austin, do you have a couch? I recently got that's just the first couch I've gotten ever because the guests were complaining because I also record the podcast there. The guests were complaining there is nowhere to sit. I have no chairs, no couch. I sleep on the floor like a mattress is on the floor. Not not out of principle I think out of some kind of. Minimalist momentum. Minimalist. So we're the opposite in that way then. Oh, so you like stuff. I am not a hoarder, but because I can throw things away, but I have a shopping addiction. I think. Like when I am on the road, like I was in Oklahoma for two weeks. I just I bought a bunch of stuff. You know what I mean, and then. Oh my god! I went to Todd Snyder and I bought um I bought these shoes. You know, because you know I. But you are wearing them, so they're they're actually you are using them and they're giving value to your life. That's awesome. Yeah, but this is the last time when I wear these. This is one time. This is like a wedding, but yeah, it's a red carpet dress. Who's the designer? Do you know? I don't know anything. What are you wearing, Bobby? I don't know what I am wearing, but I because I am on a native show called Reservation Dogs right. I just want to get into the spirit of things. That's your. Yeah, this is because if I was ever like native and I was in a tribe back in the day, you know what I mean. I would have been a gatherer. Yeah, not a hunter. No, I am I am going to weave baskets with the ladies. Yeah, I want to pick berries with the ladies. You wouldn't be the chieftain. No, no, no, and I would make after the hunt. I would probably make some let some of the guys make love to me. Oh, yeah, because I am gay, just because you know, yeah, you have to, yeah, yeah, I like me. There is a power hierarchy, you got to know your place in the hierarchy. Yeah, you are alpha male then. I don't even know what that means. Joe Rogan. Joe Rogan is the definition of alpha male to me. Yeah, in fact, if there was a picture of alpha male in the dictionary, it would be Joe Rogan. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So you hoard stuff, okay? Yeah, yeah, but you can throw. When was the last time? Let me call you out on that. When was the last time you threw away something that's actually valuable? Valuable, like something valuable to you or valuable in general. Most things that I buy aren't valuable to me. There are things that are valuable to me that are like keepsakes from my family and stuff that I will keep forever. So I like in terms of like an old photo of my father or whatnot. So those kind of things I keep, but when it comes to like you know aviator nation sweats. Like if some of like somebody came over to my house and goes, hey, can I have six of those sweatshirts or whatever? I'd be like, yeah, go take it. Okay, and my brothers come over to my house and just done a clearance. You know I mean, like I am going to take this this this. I generally. Really don't have a problem with so the self critical voice is serving no purpose in terms of because you are pretty you know I am a fan of yours so you are known to be a little bit lazy sometimes. One hundred percent lazy. Yeah, yeah. So the self critical voice, don't you think that it's. Serving a purpose and fighting off the laziness, beating off the laziness. The self critical voice that I have, I am been able to compartment. How do you say compartment? Yeah, however you say it. You are free. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Put it in a compartment. Yeah, right. And I am able to like, I am a good avoider. I am good at avoidance. So for instance, right now to avoid, I've been playing Stardew Valley. You know what that is? No, it's a phone game or. No, it's a you can play it on your switch, but it's on the Xbox and it's a farming simulation game. And so I like to farm, you know what I mean. And so in playing video games and doing stuff like that, distracts me from. You know what really is going on. Okay, you've mentioned elsewhere in terms of video games Elder Scrolls. Yeah, did you play that? Yeah, of course, it's probably my favorite game. If I could live in a world, you played Morrowind and Skyrim. I played Oblivion. Oblivion, I played a little bit of Morrowind, but I didn't like the graphics back then. But I really played the. Can I swear on this podcast? Yeah, I played the fuck out of Oblivion and Skyrim like eight characters played it all the way through. I have to do all the quests that type of thing. What's your favorite thing about those games? Um, why did you spend so much time in that world? Because I like games that you can grind. What do you mean by grind? So like Stardew Valley for instance, right? There is a lot of back to the farming, right? It's the same thing as Skyrim. The reason why I like it is that there is a lot of like. I have to collect a lot of these things. You know what I mean. I have to just constantly pick things up. You know what I mean. Yeah, like for instance in Skyrim, there is a mushroom called Blister wart mushroom that you can pick and then you can make it into some sort of formula, right? Potion, yeah, that potion, yep. So I would spend like. Literally human twelve hour days, just going to every cave and picking up as much blister wart as I could, like that kind of grinding. You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah. So you are actually the randomly generated quests that gives do designed for people like you. You don't get bored. That's the that's the fun. Yes, that's fun for me. Okay, yeah, there is always something to do, and I find like when when you play a game that's linear like. There are certain games where you have to go this way, right? I don't like games like that. I like open world games where I can make choices and I can grind if I want. Yeah, yeah. Would you stay in that world if you could live in that world in the in the Elder Scrolls world? That's how I feel. In reality or become like an animated thing in there. Oh no, say like virtual reality. We're moving towards that direction. If you look at Skyrim, you mentioned graphics has become. It's starting to get realistic. Yeah, like I I I'll sometimes just walk around. I mean, it's been a while, but I'll just walk around in Skyrim. Yeah, you can t here is code you can turn off enemies and you just walk around. Really, you can just listen to music and just walk around. That's what you did. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I would do that. Wouldn't you do that? Would you do it with me? You sure we would have a house together? Oh, I mean, live. I thought walk around. No, no, no, no, no. If you and I were able to go into Skyrim, right and walk around and live together, would we make love? No, no, no, man, don't go there. Okay, no, no, no, no, because we like girls, man. Yeah, that's right. It's not gay. Well, you told me it's not gay. Yeah, it's not. Yeah, yeah, yeah. All right, so you and I would. Yeah, I would hunt. You would gather. But in that world, there is no hunting. You know there is hunting. I would have because we don't have to find out bandits. We have to fight. I am not going to gather a bandit. I am going to hunt them. But I thought you said it's all but the potion. You don't need the bandits. Okay, well we could do this. We could you could be the guy that like defends our place. Yeah, right. I'll gather all the blister wart, all the white caps, all the mushrooms. I'll get all the food. You know I mean, I'll go to White Run, remember White Run, right or Winterhold, and I'll I'll do all the like quests that have nothing to do with. You know I mean, so no dragons though no no dragons, but we would have a banquet. We would invite the dark dark brotherhood. Yeah, right. The fighters guild, we definitely invite them. Mage's guild, we'd invite them. Are you a thief kind of guy? I am a thief guy. Yeah, yeah, I am for life. Yeah, I am a thief guy for life. And you still wouldn't invite Andrew Schultz to that? No, no, no. But what a piece of shit though, huh? Because let me just say something, okay? Oh, I just want to get back to that, okay? Sure. So I met him at the Montreal Comedy Festival, and him and I are kindred souls. We we really connected. Yeah. And he did my podcast. He's done it several times. Done his, we've we've like communicated on the phone this and that. And to me, and then he invites Whitney Cummings, which Whitney is a good friend of mine. But what I am saying is is that I know Andrew as well as Whitney knows him. I don't think that Whitney knows him more than I do. Right. What if it was a competition like it was a tie, you know and like NBA like a Bobby Lee versus Whitney. Yeah, what in what way do you think she's better? In what way do you think you are better? I think it's all about gender optics. Okay, right. So she's a comedian. She he has all these alpha males coming and he's like, "All right, I can I have one more seat left. " Yeah, Whitney or Bobby, but Bobby's although I don't think there was a lot of Koreans there, so he could have used that card. This is true, right? But I think he went for you know Whitney's a woman. It's better for optics. Okay, so she was a diversity hire for the wedding. Yeah, I see. It was it was pretty fun. It was pretty. I have to say I don't. It was Joe Rogan. Yeah, I know his wife. I get it. Yeah, and then Whitney. Although there is only comedians that were there. I spent the whole time talking to Joe. So I think no, I don't think there was that many comedians. So I am kind of joking about. It was pretty pretty small wedding. Yeah, what do you talk to Joe about? First of all, we're both grapplers, so we talk a lot about jujitsu. We talk a lot about. I am a grappler. Are you? I was on the wrestling team in high school. Yeah, I know I know this. I am a grappler. The to you that I don't know jujitsu is is there only one kind of grappling that you like? Yeah, there is levels to this game. I think I just talked. No, no, there is nothing more. Yeah, that's a surprising fact that you've dropped that. It almost feels like a lie because you've said that before that you were a wrestler in in high school. Doesn't make sense. Well, it's funny that you say that because. And I am going to cause a little controversy here, right? But Joe Rogan, yes, one time came to when he lived in LA. This is years ago. He said, "You are a liar. You've never grappled. " Yeah, and I go, yes, I did. You are a fucking liar. No, you didn't. And at that time, I didn't have any photos to prove it. But if you look at my Instagram, I have photos. I was of you as a young man dressed in a singlet or what. On the wrestling team, if you go to the fucking sorry, if you go to my, if you go to my fucking high school, yep, you are right, I was on the wrestling team for three years. I am not going to go to your high school. So is there actual photo evidence of you? Yeah, you know what you are being like Rogan right now, and I you know it really is. How do we know it's not Photoshop? Can you? Oh, will you be the judge then, dude? Okay, so this is my brother and me in high school on the wrestling team. Which oh, you are. I am the bottom. That's my brother to the left. I mean, yeah, to your right. Oh, handsome. Yeah, I am not. Yeah, how much you weigh? Wow. At the time, I weighed um I was on the one hundred and five weight category. Yeah, yeah, um, but so I was also on the tennis team. What people don't realize is that I am very athletic. Okay. Yeah, yeah, and I resent the fact that people that think that I am not because I am doughy. You are an athlete, so which is very surprising to me. Why? That so I was invited to the wedding. Yeah, yeah, I've also been on Joe Rogan's podcast. He's a big fan of yours. No, I love Joe. No Joe, when Joe's and I see to the we haggin stuff. We talk. I just talked to him today. Said I am talking to you. This is hilarious. So why oh you haggin you just never. It just hasn't worked out like I don't like I don't want to go like. Hey, um, because I don't want the rejection. So it's like if I go, right? Hey, can I do it? And he goes, I don't know man, I am busy man, you know we got I got a lot. I mean maybe later you know I don't want that. So if you know if. If he said, "Hey, are you available Thursday this day? Fly out, do my podcast. I would one hundred percent do it. " And that hasn't happened yet. So interesting. Why is it interesting? I don't know because you are like I said you are one of the funniest people in the world. That'd be a great conversation. It's just funny it hasn't happened yet. Well, it's like this conversation. It's like I just learned how to tell time. Yeah. Not like I know how to write digital. You showed up on time today. No digital. I know how to write digital obviously, but in terms of the hand clock. Yeah, I just learned that six months ago. How to operate a hand clock. To read a hand clock. Hand clock. Yeah. Not that I I obviously I'll be able to absorb the information. I just I am one of those guys that just refuse to learn things if I just. What did you think it was before? I would look at it and I would try to sometimes like if I was at a train station, yeah, and I would look at those old clocks. Yeah, I would look at and try to guess and I would kind of go, I think this is the way you know mean, but like not fully you know mean really grasp. So the way ancient people looked up at the sun to try to tell time, you looked at a clock to try to tell time. Right, like for instance, like we don't look at the sun right. So to me was an obsolete information to me because of digital. You already had digital. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, and so that's somehow comparable to you going on the Joe Rogan. And you because it's like I don't know much about. Podcasting, not podcasting. I can, but in terms of like the singularity and all that stuff, like I know what it is. You know mean when machines going to be have consciousness. When is that going to happen? Soon. Are you afraid of robots? See if you were in Austin, I will show you some robots. Oh, I'd love to. Are you afraid of robots? No, I love it. You love robots. Oh yeah, yeah. In fact, I have this. I think to me, unless they become hostile and it becomes like the Terminator, which I think could happen right. There'd be a sky net. We have to bring it down. Whatever, but there is definitely going to be autonomous weapon system. So a lot of the robotics research is being conducted funded by the military. Wow. You know the military industrial complex. I know what that is. Yes. Yeah. So the the a lot of the cutting edge research is done. Is funded by, DoD Department of Defense DARPA and so on. So a lot of the robots will be used in war, but hopefully not most of consumer robotics will be in the home. I am just trying to terrify you. No, no, no. But can I ask you this though? Sure. What you are saying to me, is is that as a lay person, is that in my lifetime. That machines will have consciousness. Oh, that I don't know computers. I am one of the people. Well, depending you live dangerously, so I don't know how long you are going to live. So let's let's put. But I believe that consciousness yes could be engineered in a machine. Or at least we can have machines that are human like, and we believe they have consciousness. Can I ask you one last question about it? Yes. But just one more. Will they have the smoothness of skin and will they look realistic? See, I am one of those people that believes that visual appearance isn't the magic. So if you close if you are blind, you can still have connection with a person. People can fall in love with each other through just letters. So yeah, I know you are mocking me with your entire energy, but yes. Um, yes, I believe that part too. You are talking about sex spots is what you are probably getting it. Okay, intimacy. Why would you? Just friends, friends, but you want to friends you want to feel the smoothness. Yeah, like a guy, like you know just go what's up to and just. Yeah, just just hug and and kiss and I come both cheeks kind of thing. I get what you are saying though right obviously there is no soul you are right, you know mean and I am just curious to see. Have you right? I was going with sex spots, but yeah, have you seen Whitney Cummings' robot? Yeah, I have seen it. Okay, yeah. How do that make you feel? She's a beautiful girl. I just don't find her attractive. The robot or Whitney. I find the robot way more attractive. Yeah, if had the choice robot. So you were turned on by the robot. See, I was surprised. By the very thing you are saying, which is the realism of the skin, like it was quite. They did a really good job on that robot. Oh, they did. The life when when it's animated, the life is not quite there. You can tell it's a robot, but just sitting there. Still, it has a lot of human like elements. The texture, I don't know. Yeah, yeah, it's quite fast. They're getting there. They're getting there. Yeah, yeah. But the funny thing about sex robots is most people that get sex robots. They don't get it for the sex. They get it for like intimacy, like um not not sexual intimacy but like. Just somebody being there, it's it's the emotional connection, not the sexual. Yeah, I mean I you know I saw a long time ago a um a documentary about real dogs and people marrying them. Yeah, yeah, and what I was fascinated about is the cuddling, you know mean and then watching TV together and stuff like that, which I find. You know I've just been able to find human girlfriends and stuff. So that's really impressive. That's one of the reasons. Thanks, man. Yeah. Thanks. Hey, speaking of human girlfriends, I'd love your advice in this direction. But you you have an amazing relationship with Kalila. Yeah. So you two are very different. You host the Tiger Belly podcast together, but there is there is real love there. There is a real connection. What do you what do you love most about Kalila? Let's talk about love, Bobby Lee. Yeah, yeah, I mean that's a really pretty deep. I've never really gone down this path. We're going to walk down that path together, holding hands. It's one of those things where the first time I met her, it was almost as if I had known her all my life. It was really weird, you know mean. There was a a trust there, you know mean that was just fundamentally there that I could trust her, and that I could you know. When I look in the mirror and and I see all my character defects and stuff, though a lot of those things aren't necessarily things I want to share with people because I don't want to be judged or ridiculed. But with her, I felt comfortable showing those things, and I think she feels the same way about her. And then secondly, she's funny. You mean she made me laugh and and she's hot. It's it's all you know mean the perfect it was like a perfect combination of things you know mean she one night we were in bed and I forgot what the joke was but she really made me laugh one night. She was living in an apartment in Long Beach, and I cackled you know mean and generally. Women don't make I mean not women I am dating comics do, don't make me cackle in that way, and then thirdly she has. She's partly Asian, so it's like you know one time I dated a white girl, yeah, and I invited her to Korea town. Are you about to be racist? A little bit. Okay. Yeah, yeah, and what I love about Asian girls is they'll eat something first and ask what it is after. But white girls ask what it is before. What is this right? But Kalila would eat the eyeball, eat everything, go. What did I just eat? I like that, you know mean. So it's like and it reminds me of my mom in that way in terms of like my mom growing up just to. Scare us and freak us out. We'd have a fish and she would eat the eyeball first, to see a squirm. And as a kid that you thought was gross and weird and this and that, but it's like. You know when Kalila does it, it just kind of like I don't just makes makes me feel like at home. Yeah, you know weird way. I don't. It's a it's a little act of fearlessness. I like that. Yeah, just put in your mouth and figure it out. Yeah, that's what I like, and at the end of the day, she also out of all my girlfriends and this is going to sound. Not strange, but um hard to admit. But my career when I met Kalila was in the shit box. I could not get anything going, and um this is at the time where. Ken Jong, who's a very good friend of mine, very talented, was getting everything, and I just remember going, I can't even get an audition. Like I can't, I would go on the road, legs, and I would fill half the room. I just couldn't sell tickets, and when I met her, I was just kind of like, maybe this is the I had to find love and open up my world in that way. And she was the first girlfriend that ever had that looked at me and saw the potential, and she said, no, this is not doesn't feel right. You are so funny and you are so relevant to me, and this is what we're going to do. And so she started Tiger Belly. You know and then obviously I had the skill set to do it, um but once Tiger Belly happened and then Andrew was like, let's do bad friends and then. Now things are great. You know my career is, I am too busy almost in a weird way you know, and I feel like she had a lot to do with like for instance. Before I met her, even if I would get an audition, I wouldn't go because I just wouldn't get it in my head. I was like, I am not going to get this. I've gone on a thousand of these and they just never hire me. But she was so I just didn't go on on them for years, and then she was the first girlfriend that said no. I don't care if you don't get it right. I just don't want you to be a pussy, and I want you to walk through fear, and so she would drag me to these fucking things, and I for some reason would book them. You know mean so. You know and she saw the potential of what you could be, but she she loved you for who you are already. Yes, but also loved you for the potential that you could become. Yeah, and I am lucky in that way you know. So on day one, you could show her you said you could show your flaws to her, like you felt like you could be fragile with her. Well, I accidentally farted. Yeah, or day one on day one, you know because I just have I am a fart machine. Yeah, and I have loose cheeks. Yeah, I like how you. For the listeners, he just winked at me. Yeah, I have loose cheeks and um but not in a gay way. Not in a gay way. No, and I um I was we're on a couch and we're talking and I kind of adjusted my body, I ripped one by accident. And she laughed. You know mean it wasn't embarrassing. You know and um. Also have a little penis. I have a little penis and it's all relative. Yes, it's a little, but relative to an elephant. Everybody's penis is little. Yeah, but I am not an elephant. I am human. You know mean so relative to human it it's very small, and so when she saw it you know mean I thought she was going to balk at it. Yeah, right, and she looked at it as if it was like an orphan. Like I, you know like I want to, you know it's a lost child and I want to you know you know take care of it. Yeah, yeah, cradle it, cradle it. Yeah. Well, you man, you you haven't met anybody like that. I never met a girl. Never seen one of them. I hear they're nice. When are when are the two you getting married? We don't know yet. Yeah, is that something you would like? Yeah, um, this comes up sometimes. You know we're in couples counseling. We're dealing we're working on some issues that we have. Every relationship, even my friendships, have issues, and so we're working through some issues. And once we get to the end of it, we'll figure it out. Would you like to be a father one day? This is kind of couples counselor. You know, yeah, I do, I do because I I feel like um. You know, before I was very childlike. You know, I play a lot of video games. I am irresponsible. I am lazy. This and that, right? But you know, to be honest with you, Lex in the last six months, I really have come through some breakthroughs. And um, I am in therapy and I am doing a lot of things and really self analyzing myself and my behaviors and what I want my desires and I think ultimately yes, I really do because it's a life experience that um. You know I don't want to be an old man looking back and going, it's something that I've always was interested in and I think it's based on fear because I don't want to um. Scar my child the way my parents scarred me, but at the same time my parents didn't do the work on themselves like I am. And they were never about self improvement. They were just about they were immigrants, you know, and they wanted put food on the table and um. After that, they just went about their business, and I am not like that. I would never be violent toward my kids like my parents were. My dad

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