#1785 Running From Steagles
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Comedian Sam Morrison shares his adult T1D diagnosis, managing ADHD, dating with diabetes, and how a low blood sugar seagull attack inspired his hit solo comedy show, Sugar Daddy.
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DISCLAIMER: This text is the output of AI based transcribing from an audio recording. Although the transcription is largely accurate, in some cases it is incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors and should not be treated as an authoritative record. Nothing that you read here constitutes advice medical or otherwise. Always consult with a healthcare professional before making changes to a healthcare plan.
Scott Benner (0:0) Hello, friends, and welcome back to another episode of the Juice Box podcast.
Sam Morrison (0:13) Hi, guys. (0:14) I'm comedian Sam Morrison. (0:16) I was diagnosed with diabetes four, five years ago now. (0:20) I perform all over the country, all over the world, and my show Sugar Daddy, which is largely about my type one diabetes diagnosis, is gonna be opening in London on March 5 for about five weeks.
Scott Benner (0:32) If your loved one is newly diagnosed with type one diabetes and you're seeking a clear practical perspective, check out the bold beginnings series on the juice box podcast. (0:41) It's hosted by myself and Jenny Smith, an experienced diabetes educator with over thirty five years of personal insight into type one. (0:49) Our series cuts through the medical jargon and delivers straightforward answers to your most pressing questions. (0:55) You'll gain insight from real patients and caregivers and find practical advice to help you confidently navigate life with type one. (1:02) You can start your journey informed and empowered with the Juice Box podcast.
Scott Benner (1:06) The bold beginning series and all of the collections in the Juice Box podcast are available in your audio app and at juiceboxpodcast.com in the menu. (1:15) Please don't forget that nothing you hear on the Juice Box podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. (1:21) Always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan or becoming bold with insulin. (1:29) Today's podcast episode is sponsored by Medtronic Diabetes, who is making life with diabetes easier with the MiniMed seven eighty g system and their new sensor options, which include the instinct sensor made by Abbott. (1:44) Would you like to unleash the full potential of the MiniMed seven eighty g system?
Scott Benner (1:48) You can do that at my link, medtronicdiabetes.com/juicebox. (1:53) Today's episode is also sponsored by the Kontoor Next Gen blood glucose meter. (1:59) This is the meter that my daughter has on her person right now. (2:03) It is incredibly accurate and waiting for you at kontoornext.com/juicebox.
Sam Morrison (2:09) Hi, guys. (2:10) I'm comedian Sam Morrison. (2:12) I was diagnosed with diabetes four, five years ago now. (2:17) I perform all over the country, all over the world. (2:20) And my show Sugar Daddy, which is largely about my type one diabetes diagnosis, is gonna be opening in London on March 5 for about five weeks.
Sam Morrison (2:28) And I I'd love
Scott Benner (2:29) to see a lot of you
Sam Morrison (2:30) guys there. (2:31) I'm so excited to be on this podcast.
Scott Benner (2:32) Oh, Sam, you're very nice, and and I'm I'm happy you reached out. (2:35) Actually, happier that the timing worked out. (2:38) You asked if I was available because, you know, you'd like to get this out, obviously, before your show. (2:44) And someone, like, the day before dropped this date, and that never happens. (2:49) So, like, it's very serendipitous.
Scott Benner (2:52) So what's
Sam Morrison (2:53) Thank you. (2:53) Yeah. (2:54) Thank you to this person. (2:55) I hope everything is okay with them, but but God bless them. (2:59) I'm so glad that this worked out.
Scott Benner (3:00) I could hear in your heart. (3:02) You're like, this is great news, but I hope they weren't hit by a car.
Sam Morrison (3:05) Yes. (3:05) No. (3:06) This is great news. (3:07) This is fantastic news that could be something terrible for somebody else, but we'll take it.
Scott Benner (3:12) Yeah. (3:12) Yeah. (3:13) Well, listen. (3:13) We'll just assume that's not what happened. (3:15) Maybe they just had a little cold.
Scott Benner (3:16) Let's figure out a little more about you, Sam. (3:18) How old are you now?
Sam Morrison (3:20) 31.
Scott Benner (3:21) Okay. (3:21) And how old were you when you were diagnosed? (3:23) You said about four or five years ago?
Sam Morrison (3:25) Great. (3:26) Fine. (3:27) I'll do math. (3:28) 2022 was when I was diagnosed about July.
Scott Benner (3:33) Okay.
Sam Morrison (3:33) So it's 2026 now. (3:35) Yeah. (3:35) But I was, like, 27. (3:37) Yeah. (3:38) I was 27.
Scott Benner (3:38) Okay. (3:39) Alright. (3:39) And prior to that, how would you have described your health?
Sam Morrison (3:44) I mean, interesting. (3:47) I don't know if anyone's ever asked me that. (3:50) I would describe it as deeply fine. (3:52) I mean, I've always been a relatively, like, sports y guy, and so I like running around. (3:58) But, like, beyond that, I didn't take care of myself or my body in any way.
Sam Morrison (4:02) Actually, when I got diagnosed, I started taking my nutrition, obviously, so much more serious. (4:08) You learn so much and you basically go to this med school to become your own nurse. (4:14) I started to take my health more seriously sort of in every aspect after diagnosis. (4:19) Yeah. (4:19) That's right.
Sam Morrison (4:19) I'd say probably below average. (4:22) Eating a lot of bad food. (4:24) There's a lot of late night pizza. (4:26) There's no sleep. (4:27) Sort of just living a, you know
Scott Benner (4:30) A young person's existence.
Sam Morrison (4:32) 20 year old boy's life.
Scott Benner (4:34) Yeah. (4:34) Yeah. (4:35) In your extended family, were there people with health issues, other autoimmune, or other stuff? (4:40) Any reason why it would be in the front of your head, or was it all pretty carefree?
Sam Morrison (4:46) Looking back, there there probably are reasons that I should have had ideas, but, god, I never thought about it. (4:53) My sister has Crohn's disease, and my grandmother on my dad's side, does have type one diabetes.
Scott Benner (5:01) Oh, okay. (5:02) So a grandmother has type one. (5:03) Your sister has Crohn's? (5:04) Yeah. (5:05) Okay.
Scott Benner (5:06) Was that a thing that your family spoke about? (5:08) Like, that you might wanna be like, you know what I'm always thinking about, like, the day my kid moves out and, like, what what are the last things I tell them? (5:16) Like, hey. (5:16) If you're peeing a lot, like, you know, we're like, did they give you any heads up, or were you just kinda sent out into the world? (5:23) I
Sam Morrison (5:26) don't wanna throw my family under the bus here, but no. (5:30) Not at all.
Scott Benner (5:31) God, I was lucky to get food. (5:33) I couldn't believe the place was warm. (5:34) Thank you very much. (5:35) Yeah.
Sam Morrison (5:36) Yeah. (5:37) Great family. (5:37) Great parents. (5:38) Nah. (5:38) Nothing.
Sam Morrison (5:39) Okay. (5:40) So there was nothing in
Scott Benner (5:42) your head, though, telling you pay attention. (5:44) You're not eating particularly well. (5:45) I mean, are you taking a vitamin even?
Sam Morrison (5:49) No. (5:49) Not even a vitamin. (5:50) I mean, Scott, it's bad. (5:52) It's it's no health.
Scott Benner (5:53) What's a nice multivitamin?
Sam Morrison (5:55) I was 27 years old. (5:57) Yeah. (5:57) I think at some point, you gotta take responsibility and say, hey, buddy. (6:00) Let's take a vitamin.
Scott Benner (6:02) Do you have any idea why that didn't occur to you prior to all this?
Sam Morrison (6:09) Type one diabetes or just, like, health in general?
Scott Benner (6:11) Health in general. (6:12) Like, at 27 years old, you know, like, do ever put a piece of piece in your mouth and think, like, this should probably be kale? (6:18) Or, like, you know, like, were you at that point? (6:21) Did you ever think, like, hey. (6:22) A vitamin.
Scott Benner (6:23) That wouldn't hurt, would it? (6:24) Like, you know what I mean?
Sam Morrison (6:26) That is such a great question. (6:28) And especially because, like, I clearly was prone to you know, like, as soon as I started to learn about nutrition, I did like, I was really interested in it. (6:37) Like, genuinely, I love learning about how this stuff affects our body and, like, how I can manage this super mysterious riddled disease. (6:47) But I never really had much interest or understood much about health. (6:52) I I probably the reason why is just because I don't know.
Sam Morrison (6:58) I I sort of never underestimate the ability of, like, a 25 year old boy's ability to just not take care of themselves
Scott Benner (7:08) Ignore this.
Sam Morrison (7:09) Pay attention to things that actually matter. (7:11) I mean, I was just like a comedian. (7:13) I mean, I was performing late at night pretty much every night. (7:17) I was eating in between gigs. (7:19) And I, you know, cared about certain things in life, but health was just, like
Scott Benner (7:24) Not one of them.
Sam Morrison (7:25) Such such an afterthought.
Scott Benner (7:26) Yeah. (7:26) It's interesting that that you realized though that, like, once you were intersected with it, you were the kind of person who was very interested by it.
Sam Morrison (7:33) Yeah. (7:34) Yeah.
Scott Benner (7:34) Yeah. (7:35) It's interesting.
Sam Morrison (7:35) Yeah. (7:35) It is.
Scott Benner (7:36) Hey. (7:36) Real quick. (7:37) Sam, I don't know if you know the phrase futzing. (7:39) It's from our Yiddish friends, but you're touching something or banging something once in a while. (7:43) Like
Sam Morrison (7:44) Yeah. (7:45) Thanks for letting
Scott Benner (7:45) me know. (7:46) Don't do that. (7:47) You'll make you'll make you'll make me crazy. (7:50) You'll be like, where's the next question? (7:51) I'll just be like, oh, I heard a tap.
Scott Benner (7:53) Yeah. (7:53) I don't want you thinking about it either.
Sam Morrison (7:54) You are, by the way, the first person in my life to ever tell me to stop futzing with something. (7:59) Can you believe that?
Scott Benner (8:00) Are you a futzer?
Sam Morrison (8:02) Oh my god. (8:03) Oh my god. (8:04) Can we talk about the intersection of ADHD and diabetes? (8:07) Because this is a trap. (8:07) This is a prison.
Sam Morrison (8:09) I I mean, I'm losing life saving medical equipment every day.
Scott Benner (8:13) You have ADHD?
Sam Morrison (8:15) Oh, yeah.
Scott Benner (8:16) How long have you known about that?
Sam Morrison (8:18) Scott, you've talked you've known me for ten minutes. (8:20) I think you knew. (8:21) I think we both knew. (8:23) I've how long have I had? (8:25) Well, you know, I as a kid, my mom took me to get diagnosed, and they were like, yeah.
Sam Morrison (8:30) He's got it, but she decided not to medicate, which was, I think, a a totally fair decision at the time.
Scott Benner (8:35) Mhmm.
Sam Morrison (8:36) So my whole life
Scott Benner (8:37) What would that have looked like? (8:38) Medication? (8:39) Like, Ritalin, or what do they do nowadays?
Sam Morrison (8:41) Now I'm on Adderall.
Scott Benner (8:42) Adderall. (8:43) Okay.
Sam Morrison (8:43) At the time, I think they just say,
Scott Benner (8:45) stop it. (8:46) Well, listen. (8:47) When my brother was little, they put him on Ritalin. (8:49) I messed him up too. (8:51) It was not a it was not a good idea.
Scott Benner (8:52) It was not a good idea. (8:54) Slowed him down. (8:54) He had such a high metabolism. (8:56) It was like this little screen like skinny, like, running around kid, and then it just put weight on him and changed his mood and everything. (9:04) It was they didn't leave him on.
Scott Benner (9:05) My mom was like, hey. (9:06) I don't think this is right. (9:07) But, you know, it hit him That's great. (9:09) Pretty hard. (9:09) How about other, like, inflammation related things in your life?
Scott Benner (9:13) Because, I mean, I know that I'm not a doctor and this is just a podcast, but a lot of people a lot of people come on here and talk about ADHD. (9:21) So I start to wonder about, like, you know, autoimmune inflammation, other things that are impacted that don't get characterized or categorized as autoimmune, but seem to really go hand in hand with a lot of people on here. (9:35) Is there anything else that you
Sam Morrison (9:36) can That's interesting.
Scott Benner (9:37) Yeah. (9:37) Anything else you can look at and think, oh, that fits that generalized box?
Sam Morrison (9:42) Of something that could be connected with autoimmune or inflammation?
Scott Benner (9:46) Yeah. (9:46) Well, less autoimmune because you you said Crohn's and, you know, you have a type one in the family. (9:50) I'm just wondering, like, do you see other people like, do you listen to the podcast with any regularity?
Sam Morrison (9:55) Yeah. (9:55) Yeah. (9:56) Definitely, like, just my podcast listening goes in in cycles. (9:59) When I was first diagnosed, I listened all the time. (10:02) And, like, truly, the series for when you're first diagnosed was, like, unbelievably helpful.
Sam Morrison (10:10) Oh, bold beginnings? (10:12) Made me, like, such a fan, and there's such a lack of resources. (10:15) So it's so important. (10:15) And, like, if, you know, if you're listening and and you don't know about that, you should absolutely go check that out.
Scott Benner (10:21) Gotcha. (10:21) No. (10:21) It's a a bold beginnings you're talking about. (10:24) That series for, like, the newly diagnosed folks?
Sam Morrison (10:26) Yes. (10:27) Yes. (10:27) Yes.
Scott Benner (10:28) Awesome. (10:28) Oh, I'm glad it was helpful for you. (10:30) I just I'm saying there's been a lot of people on here. (10:32) Like, this is as big of an example as I can make is is that I have been stunned over the years by the number of people who are like, my uncle has bipolar disorder. (10:41) I haven't spoken to that many people that that that many people should have said that to me.
Scott Benner (10:47) So it just makes me wonder, like, is is if you have a big enough family and there's autoimmune and inflammation, like, you know, are there things that pop up over and over again? (10:57) But ADHD to me is one of them. (10:59) So are you you take interesting. (11:01) Yeah. (11:01) No.
Scott Benner (11:01) I think so too.
Sam Morrison (11:02) So doesn't it just feel like everyone has ADHD now?
Scott Benner (11:04) I mean, I don't know. (11:06) I don't know. (11:06) Like, I really don't. (11:07) Like, you know? (11:08) Yeah.
Scott Benner (11:08) What how does it impact your day?
Sam Morrison (11:10) My family has all kinds. (11:11) Well, we're just a bunch of anxious Jews,
Scott Benner (11:13) so we've got it all, baby. (11:15) Wait. (11:15) No one said futzing to you?
Sam Morrison (11:18) And no one yeah. (11:19) No. (11:19) You're the first one. (11:20) Never. (11:21) No one has ever said futzing.
Sam Morrison (11:23) They say cavelling.
Scott Benner (11:25) Oh, that's nice. (11:26) Listen. (11:26) Depends on where you're from. (11:29) How does the ADHD impact your day to day life before diabetes?
Sam Morrison (11:34) Oh, I mean, again, because I wasn't diagnosed or really I I were, like, medicated, I didn't think about it very much. (11:44) You just kinda come up with solutions subconsciously, I guess, or or sort of on your own to get by. (11:50) I mean, I got by in classes, and I was able to, like, hold down a job. (11:54) So, like, it it either wasn't severe enough to, you know, do something about or I was able to, like, sort of hack it somehow.
Scott Benner (12:03) Adapt and get around it. (12:05) Yeah. (12:05) Okay.
Sam Morrison (12:06) Just sort of realize what my what my brain wants.
Scott Benner (12:09) Are there still get arounds now that you have diabetes, or there's just some things that are too big to overcome?
Sam Morrison (12:14) Yeah. (12:15) I mean, I'm constantly not only am I constantly, like, trying to come up with ways to, like, hack my ADHD brain and get me to focus and, like, sit down and be productive and not forget things and remember important things. (12:29) But, also, like, I'm just becoming even, like, more conscious and aware of what those things are at, like, 31. (12:37) It it happens all the time.
Scott Benner (12:38) Yeah.
Sam Morrison (12:39) You know, some the other day, someone told me about, like, how much people with ADHD struggle struggle with object permanence. (12:46) And I was like, of course. (12:47) Of course. (12:47) I've done that my whole and I and I I you know, for whatever reason, that had never really sunk in with me.
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Sam Morrison (15:22) It's it's basically just like we put stuff down, and we have, like, less of an ability to remember where we put stuff
Scott Benner (15:31) down No kidding.
Sam Morrison (15:34) Yeah. (15:34) If that makes sense.
Scott Benner (15:35) I mean, listen. (15:36) I try very hard to remember where I put things, and I don't know where anything is half the time. (15:41) So I am just thrilled when I get in my car and drive away and my wallet's there. (15:45) I'm like, woo
Sam Morrison (15:45) hoo. (15:45) Yeah.
Scott Benner (15:46) Because the amount of times ADHD? (15:48) I don't I mean, listen. (15:49) I'm sure people listening think I do. (15:51) I don't feel like I do. (15:53) So Mhmm.
Scott Benner (15:54) Yeah. (15:54) I don't really know how to put that. (15:56) Also, brother, just for context, I'm adopted, I'm not actually related to my brother by blood. (16:01) So so in case people were like, well, you said his brother has it. (16:04) Like, I really don't I have no trouble concentrating.
Scott Benner (16:06) I have no trouble sitting down doing what I'm supposed to do. (16:09) I just have always thought of myself as having more of, an artistic brain. (16:12) Like, I don't focus on things I don't wanna focus on.
Sam Morrison (16:16) Mhmm.
Scott Benner (16:17) But I can easily focus on anything. (16:19) And it doesn't have to be it can be as boring as, like, you know, pulling together receipts or doing, like, adult things. (16:26) Like, I have no trouble focusing on stuff. (16:28) I just I'm just good at not being burdened by things I don't wanna think about. (16:33) I don't know how to put that exactly.
Scott Benner (16:35) So I don't know. (16:36) Uh-huh. (16:36) You know, I should probably think more about it, but I probably can't because I have ADHD. (16:41) I'm just teasing. (16:43) I'd go over it, but something's stopping me, Sam.
Scott Benner (16:45) I don't know what it is. (16:46) No. (16:47) No. (16:48) I mean, I run a fairly complicated organization by myself, and I can tell you that Yeah. (16:54) Nothing's written down.
Scott Benner (16:56) Like, I don't have rules or things to follow. (16:59) I just get up in the morning. (17:00) I follow the flow, and I do what needs to be done. (17:03) I don't know how to
Sam Morrison (17:04) I don't know if that's more evidence for or against ADHD.
Scott Benner (17:07) Yeah. (17:08) I I couldn't begin to tell you. (17:09) I know that I do a I that if you followed me around for a full day, you'd be like, I cannot believe that guy's doing all this stuff by himself. (17:15) Wow.
Sam Morrison (17:15) Yeah. (17:15) I it's funny because it's like it's just this is actually more of, like, I thrive in chaos because that's where I live most of the time. (17:23) And then, you know, I procrastinate so much, and I I put things off to the last second, and then there's an emergency and, like, that twenty four hour emergency. (17:31) That's my, like, sweet spot. (17:32) That's where I get stuff done, and I have, like, my whole life.
Sam Morrison (17:35) Yeah. (17:36) But then, also, I need so much structure and, like, discipline to actually, like, do anything. (17:45) I don't know if I'm explaining this well, but, basically, they're like, does don't those seem like they're on opposite? (17:49) Like, I thrive in chaos, but also chaos is, like, the enemy.
Scott Benner (17:52) Yeah. (17:53) I have to let let's pick through this for a second and see if we can figure it out together. (17:56) So it is 1PM right now. (17:59) I opened my eyes at 7AM. (18:02) I, I visited the restroom.
Scott Benner (18:04) I took a shower. (18:06) Since then, I've done two loads of laundry, made myself breakfast, eaten breakfast, cleaned up the dishes, cleaned up the dishes from last night, cooked for my son, cleaned up his dishes. (18:18) I've had a meaningful conversation with my wife. (18:21) I've fed two dogs, taken them outside. (18:24) I've taken out the garbage, taken out the recycling, fed seven lizards.
Scott Benner (18:29) Please don't judge me. (18:31) I've made three pieces of social media for the podcast, had one conversation with an advertiser by phone, one conversation with an advertiser by text message. (18:42) I've sent over a bunch of information to somebody that I was supposed to. (18:46) I've signed two contracts, rewritten one statement of work agreement, and sat down and started to record with you.
Sam Morrison (18:54) And then you remembered all of it and recited it.
Scott Benner (18:56) So do I have ADHD?
Sam Morrison (18:58) Great. (18:58) I'm glad you came here to ask. (19:00) Welcome to my podcast where I diagnose people with ADHD. (19:03) Thanks for coming on. (19:04) No.
Sam Morrison (19:04) I I I have no idea. (19:06) Like, I can't tell you.
Scott Benner (19:07) I'm I'm with you too. (19:08) Like, is that the sign of somebody whose, like, brain is in a tornado and can just follow the tornado? (19:13) Because, also, none of those things were written down anywhere. (19:16) I just got up this morning and took care of the things I knew needed to be taken care of.
Sam Morrison (19:20) I mean, yeah, that sounds unbelievable and, like, something that you it sounds like you don't you it sounds like you're very productive person.
Scott Benner (19:26) If you have ADHD,
Sam Morrison (19:26) then you've, like, figured out a way around it. (19:28) But we need to focus on what's important here. (19:30) How the hell did you remember all of that with such specificity and recite it without a single hesitation? (19:38) This is the real talent.
Scott Benner (19:39) Isn't that my job to reach into my brain and, like, open the flow up and just let it happen?
Sam Morrison (19:44) Yeah. (19:45) It's my job too. (19:45) I'm not good at it, though. (19:46) That was that was impressive.
Scott Benner (19:49) Thank you. (19:50) Every conversation that I have with people until it gets going, when I'm having it, I think this is so choppy and uninteresting and people are gonna turn it off. (20:00) And then when I listen back to it later, I think this is better than 99% of the podcast I've ever heard in my life. (20:05) But once you get the faucet open for me, I feel like I'm performing at a different level once I start talking. (20:11) And I am not thinking about what I'm talking.
Scott Benner (20:14) I feel like there is a pathway from my mouth to my thoughts, and there's no there's no slowdown in between. (20:20) Some people would argue that's not a good idea, but
Sam Morrison (20:22) That's no. (20:23) My god. (20:24) That's the dream. (20:25) Yeah. (20:25) That's so beautiful.
Sam Morrison (20:26) You're in a flow state. (20:28) I mean, thank it's amazing that you found this. (20:31) I do this for a living. (20:32) I do this every night, and it's I'm in my head half the time. (20:36) And I'm always trying to figure out how to center myself and get into a state of mind like you're talking about.
Sam Morrison (20:41) So it comes so naturally to you that's, like, incredible.
Scott Benner (20:45) I am grateful for it. (20:46) I also I'll tell you what. (20:47) I've never tried stand up comedy, and I and I probably never would because I'd be so afraid to do it poorly that I think, you know, like I don't know. (20:57) Like, when I look out into the world, the content the content doesn't matter to me. (21:00) Like, when I look at stand up comedians, I think about people who appear like they're telling a story as if it's something they've known their entire life and yet are just making up in the moment.
Scott Benner (21:12) Like that, you know, like Dave Chappelle's very good at it. (21:15) Like, you know, just he feels like he's just talking, but then there's the part of you that realize that he's probably said this a thousand times. (21:21) I wouldn't wanna shit on the art form by by trying to do it. (21:25) Like, I think it's
Sam Morrison (21:25) Yeah.
Scott Benner (21:25) Incredibly brave for you to do. (21:27) Now I get up on stage in front of a lot of people and talk about podcasting or diabetes or stuff like that, and I have to tell you I do it with I I probably shouldn't say this out loud, zero prep. (21:39) And when people ask me, like, where are your slides? (21:42) I tell them if I needed slides, then I'm not the right person to be here. (21:47) I should be able to speak from the back of my head on this.
Scott Benner (21:50) But I don't know. (21:51) Like, what's the process of getting up on stage? (21:53) Like, is it like a one man show, or what is it you have coming up?
Sam Morrison (21:57) Well, what I have coming up is my solo show. (21:59) So, like, primarily, I'm a stand up comedian. (22:01) That's what I you know, how I make the bread and butter. (22:04) Mhmm. (22:04) That was not the phrase.
Scott Benner (22:06) That's it's either that's my bread and butter or how I make my living. (22:12) You could have gone with either.
Sam Morrison (22:14) No. (22:14) I'm gonna I'm gonna double down on it. (22:16) That's how I make my bread and butter. (22:17) It's a new phrase. (22:18) It's very Gen z.
Sam Morrison (22:19) You guys probably haven't heard of it yet. (22:21) But I'm mostly doing stand up, but then I also do these solo shows, and they're, like, more theater. (22:27) They're storytelling, and they you know, we have a whole design team in London. (22:32) Mhmm. (22:32) You know, my director, Amir Al Khadi, I'm working with, and it's been really fun.
Sam Morrison (22:38) And and we get to create something, like, a lot more meaningful. (22:42) And, yeah, it's it's it's we try to, like, combine the art forms of of stand up and theater.
Scott Benner (22:48) Yeah.
Sam Morrison (22:49) But really, you know, creating something new. (22:52) But, yeah, for the most time, I, like, get up on stage and just, like, tell jokes at a comedy club.
Scott Benner (22:56) Okay. (22:56) Yeah. (22:57) Yeah. (22:57) So is your show more like I'm trying to think of, like, side by sides, but the ones I'm coming up with, I feel like no one listening is gonna know. (23:04) Did you see Ari Shafir's Jew a couple years ago on YouTube?
Scott Benner (23:08) Is
Sam Morrison (23:08) it I haven't.
Scott Benner (23:09) No? (23:09) Or what about Neil No. (23:11) Neil
Sam Morrison (23:12) Neil Brennan.
Scott Benner (23:13) Neil Brennan's blocks. (23:14) Is it more like that? (23:15) Or
Sam Morrison (23:16) Totally. (23:17) Similar to Neil Brennan's blocks or, like do you know Mike Berbiglia?
Scott Benner (23:22) Sure. (23:23) Yeah.
Sam Morrison (23:24) Yeah. (23:24) It's it's sort of like a storytelling stand up show.
Scott Benner (23:27) Okay.
Sam Morrison (23:28) You know, this this particular show is even more theatrical. (23:32) And, yeah, it's super fun to, like, bring in those elements and yeah. (23:37) It's it's just it's so cool to you know, I've always done these solo shows sort of, like, at the I bring them to, like, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and do them, like, in a castle with absolutely no budget and now getting to, like, work with this whole creative team and all these producers. (23:53) It's it's such a a special thing, and it's, it's really cool.
Scott Benner (23:56) Sounds exciting.
Sam Morrison (23:57) I'm really excited.
Scott Benner (23:58) Yeah. (23:58) So when when's the first time you'd you've, I imagine, showed up at an open mic night? (24:03) How old were you then?
Sam Morrison (24:04) I tried it in college, probably 19 or 20. (24:08) I just tried an open mic at, like, a nearby bar, And then I I, like, tried it a couple more times in college. (24:17) I, like, did a couple mics when I was doing, like, a summer in New York City, but then I didn't really start till I graduated, which would have been twenty seventeen.
Scott Benner (24:24) Okay. (24:25) What's the degree you graduated with?
Sam Morrison (24:27) Government and theater.
Scott Benner (24:29) Have you used any I mean, have you used any of the government since then?
Sam Morrison (24:35) Well,
Scott Benner (24:38) no. (24:39) You never got a job with your degree?
Sam Morrison (24:43) No. (24:43) Do you have any other questions?
Scott Benner (24:45) Are your parents really upset about that?
Sam Morrison (24:49) Well, I you know, yes and no. (24:53) It's a constant push and pull. (24:54) I think for a long time, they were very open that they wanted me to go to law school and were trying to push that way. (25:00) But, also, they were very, like, supportive in many ways that I'm grateful for. (25:03) So I think they've sort of had their own journey with it.
Sam Morrison (25:06) But, yeah, you know, eventually, they've they've come around, now they're very supportive. (25:12) Nice.
Scott Benner (25:12) So when you're
Sam Morrison (25:13) Yeah.
Scott Benner (25:14) I don't know again. (25:14) Are your hands moving a lot or something? (25:16) You're touching the mic or something? (25:17) Yep. (25:17) They are.
Scott Benner (25:17) Yeah. (25:17) Yeah. (25:18) So no problem.
Sam Morrison (25:18) Keep calling me out.
Scott Benner (25:19) Oh, I don't worry. (25:20) I I will.
Sam Morrison (25:20) Great.
Scott Benner (25:21) I let it go for a while just so people could enjoy it. (25:23) Like, so would people I I'm so I'm I'm so sorry, Sam. (25:27) But, like, I did it so that the people listening would be like, oh my god. (25:30) Listen. (25:30) He is moving so much now.
Scott Benner (25:32) Yep.
Sam Morrison (25:34) It it really like, we're talking about an authentic experience here.
Scott Benner (25:38) Yeah. (25:38) No. (25:38) It should be.
Sam Morrison (25:39) I want you guys to have the full experience.
Scott Benner (25:40) When you're in college, you're like, well, my major's government because that's what my parents are comfortable with, and they want me to be an attorney. (25:46) And maybe I'll do that, but I really care about this, so this is my minor theater, or did it not occur to you at that time that way?
Sam Morrison (25:53) Like, again, yes and no. (25:55) If I, like, I I also was really interested in it. (25:59) I I didn't know what I wanted to do. (26:00) I, you know, I thought maybe I'd become a a lawyer, and I was sort of interested in, like, human rights and international law and that kind of stuff.
Scott Benner (26:11) Oh, it's interesting. (26:12) But somewhere along the way, you thought no?
Sam Morrison (26:15) Yeah. (26:16) Exactly. (26:16) Somewhere mean, it was really, like, like I mean, when I moved to New York, I was like, alright. (26:19) I'll try I got, like, a, you know, an ad sales assistant job or whatever and was like, I'll just try stand up comedy for, you know, six months, maybe a year, and see what happens. (26:30) Mhmm.
Sam Morrison (26:30) And then pretty quickly, you realize that it's like an actual job. (26:33) You meet actual comedians, and you find out about different ways to make money, and it just sorta snowballs. (26:39) And then I got addicted to open mics, and then I I turned 27, and I was like, oh, I should take a vitamin.
Scott Benner (26:45) Do you while you're doing those open mics, do you have bits that you string together? (26:50) Do you have an act of some sort, or do you just stand up there and like, if you said to me right now, Scott, tell me how to pre bolus, I would tell you. (26:57) And twenty minutes from now, anybody who would heard me said it before would go, that's very reminiscent of when I heard him explain it to me. (27:04) It wouldn't have been exactly the same, but it would be pretty close. (27:07) Do you have, like like, if I said to you right now, like, start doing your act, could you just start?
Scott Benner (27:13) Or how does that you know, is is it that ingrained and practiced, or what were you doing back then, and how is it different now?
Sam Morrison (27:20) In OpenMic is really where you test out material. (27:23) So you're you usually, I go there, and it's not super prepared. (27:26) I'll have an idea. (27:27) I'll have a premise and a punch line, and I'll I'll test it out. (27:30) And if it starts to work, then I'll really, like, dig in.
Sam Morrison (27:33) I'll write it down. (27:33) I'll specify it. (27:34) I'll edit it and keep trying it over and over and over again. (27:38) Like you said, when you see a comedian, they've done this, like, a thousand times before. (27:42) And it's really the repetition process, and it's super specific, and it gets super ingrained in your body by the time, it actually, like, makes it into your act or your special or whatever, your type five or whatever you're doing.
Sam Morrison (27:56) Yeah. (27:56) Did did that answer your question? (27:58) Basically, like, you if told me to start doing my act right now, I
Scott Benner (28:00) I No. (28:00) No. (28:01) Not at all. (28:01) I'm just asking, like like, if if somebody's, like Oh, no.
Sam Morrison (28:04) I yeah. (28:05) Like,
Scott Benner (28:06) gun like, somebody walks in the room now, points a gun at you and says, do your act. (28:09) Would you just be like, hey, everybody, and then just roll right through it? (28:12) Or is it like that Is it that stuck in your head?
Sam Morrison (28:15) Yeah. (28:15) Totally. (28:16) I mean, it's I've done it a million times before. (28:18) And, you know, of course, it depends on the audience and, you know, I gather all my type one diabetes jokes for your podcast and And roll them out. (28:27) You know, if I had time to prepare, I would certainly be better, and I would have a a a more, like, conscious set list.
Sam Morrison (28:33) But if you just said start rolling through them right now,
Scott Benner (28:35) I You'd find it and find a flow to it. (28:37) What's the secret, or what have you found helpful that makes something that has been said a number of times feel natural? (28:44) Like, how do you accomplish that?
Sam Morrison (28:46) Oh, please tell me if you find out. (28:51) I don't know. (28:54) I mean, I I honestly like, I I've been really actually looking recently at, like, performance psychologists.
Scott Benner (29:01) Mhmm.
Sam Morrison (29:02) Because I I struggle with this, and I get in my head, and I'm realizing more than other comedians I get in my head. (29:07) But I think I think, like, if I'm centered before I go on, I really try to meditate before I go on, then I am sort of more able to, like, connect to myself and just have confidence in myself and let let it flow.
Scott Benner (29:23) Yeah. (29:24) Well, that's interesting. (29:25) And so it's a process to even get to that. (29:27) What makes you feel like you struggle with it? (29:29) Like, I mean, obviously, like, listen.
Scott Benner (29:31) You have this show. (29:32) Somebody must have come to you and said, hey. (29:33) We'd like to back the thing you're doing. (29:35) Right? (29:35) I don't imagine they did that because they saw you and thought, this is garbage.
Scott Benner (29:39) If you're having success, you're making a living and people are are noticing that and wanting to work with you. (29:44) What makes you feel like like, where does the uncertainty come from?
Sam Morrison (29:48) It's just that feeling when you're on stage and you're it's not like I'm bombing or it's not like I'm I'm missing punch lines or doing a terrible job. (29:58) Mhmm. (29:58) But it's it's you know, you you can feel it when you're in a flow state and you're connected to yourself.
Scott Benner (30:05) Yeah.
Sam Morrison (30:05) And you can feel it when you're in your head and you're thinking about how you sound and what you're saying.
Scott Benner (30:10) Hey. (30:11) Do you live in a diner in New Jersey by any chance?
Sam Morrison (30:18) I think that's my roommate in the bathroom.
Scott Benner (30:22) Is he busting tables? (30:24) Oh, no. (30:26) It sounds like forks going into a plastic tub to me. (30:30) That's great. (30:31) No.
Scott Benner (30:32) No. (30:32) No. (30:32) I'm I'm just teasing. (30:33) I leave it there. (30:34) I love it.
Scott Benner (30:34) I just don't say anything to them. (30:36) Just let it be. (30:37) Just once in a while, I feel like you're clearing a table and looking for your tip and, in the in the background. (30:43) Okay. (30:44) So Yeah.
Sam Morrison (30:44) I'll I'll I'll yell at the I'll yell at the staff after the show, and I'll I'll let them know.
Scott Benner (30:49) I told you to keep it quiet.
Sam Morrison (30:51) Was on the juice box podcast.
Scott Benner (30:53) Stop it. (30:53) He's gonna be like, the what? (30:55) You'll go, fair enough. (30:57) So where are you living right now?
Sam Morrison (31:01) I'm living in LA. (31:02) I moved here, about a year and a half ago.
Scott Benner (31:05) From?
Sam Morrison (31:06) From New York. (31:06) I was in New York for, like, seven, eight years, and then, I moved to LA. (31:10) Where are you based out of?
Scott Benner (31:11) I'm in New Jersey.
Sam Morrison (31:12) You're wonderful.
Scott Benner (31:13) I'm about an hour outside of Manhattan.
Sam Morrison (31:16) And, god, I would love to be in a diner in New Jersey right now. (31:19) Yeah. (31:19) I would not like to live in one.
Scott Benner (31:20) I I But I would
Sam Morrison (31:21) like to be in one.
Scott Benner (31:22) Yeah. (31:22) I actually, we still have one near here that is an honest to god train car. (31:26) So
Sam Morrison (31:27) Oh, that's so fun.
Scott Benner (31:28) Yeah. (31:28) It really is. (31:29) Although when you're sitting in it, you're like, there's a lot of air moving through the wall. (31:32) Like, are we outside?
Sam Morrison (31:34) Oh. (31:35) Oh. (31:35) Oh. (31:35) Oh, yeah. (31:36) So it's like an old authentic
Scott Benner (31:38) It really is.
Sam Morrison (31:38) Rail thin paper.
Scott Benner (31:40) Yes. (31:41) Like, you feel like you could run through the wall and be outside if you needed to be.
Sam Morrison (31:44) That's that's fun. (31:46) That's fun.
Scott Benner (31:47) What's the difference between the comedy scene in New York and LA? (31:50) Is there a vibe difference? (31:51) Is it, like Yeah. (31:53) I mean, anything? (31:53) Is the camaraderie different?
Scott Benner (31:55) Is there anything about it that that's striking?
Sam Morrison (31:58) My god. (31:59) They're so different. (32:00) I mean, they're as it's different as the cities are themselves. (32:03) You know, New York is sort of it's sort of like an old school, I guess, more like if you think of, like, a comedy club, brick and mortar, comedians in the green room busting each other's balls. (32:14) Like, I feel like that's very New York.
Sam Morrison (32:16) And you also, you can there are more comedy clubs in New York, and you can do more spots in a night just based off of the like, geographically. (32:24) So you can do the comedy seller. (32:25) You do three shows of the comedy seller. (32:27) You can walk around the street. (32:28) You can do Greenwich Village comedy club.
Sam Morrison (32:29) You can do the grizzly pair, and then you can go across town and do New York Comedy Club, and that's all in one night. (32:34) And now, you know, that joke that you did at the open mic, you have five reps on and you have so much data of audience member what they're reacting to that you can really work out a bit. (32:43) Yeah. (32:43) And so it feels like New York is like this this, like, training ground.
Scott Benner (32:48) Almost like a batting cage. (32:50) Right? (32:50) Like, you can go in, take some swings, then come back, see a different pitcher, do it again without having a bunch of gap of time in between.
Sam Morrison (32:57) Yeah. (32:57) Yeah. (32:57) Yeah. (32:58) Yeah. (32:59) It's super similar.
Scott Benner (33:00) I cut you off. (33:00) LA is?
Sam Morrison (33:01) LA is just more spread out. (33:03) And so, usually, you're doing one usually, it's just one show a night. (33:07) There's less shows. (33:08) Mhmm. (33:09) And, of course, like, writing and acting and filming is the priority here.
Sam Morrison (33:13) And so a lot of people are focusing on that, And there's a lot more casting directors at shows. (33:20) There's a lot more industry here at shows. (33:22) And so it's just it's just a totally different feel. (33:24) You know, for for better or for worse, people are are also hanging out at the shows in LA more because they're not running around the corner to do another spot. (33:32) Right.
Sam Morrison (33:32) It's it is more, I think, a more relaxed vibe, and the scene just has a slightly different feel. (33:38) It's it's yeah. (33:39) It's a it's a totally different vibe. (33:41) I don't know if I explained that the
Scott Benner (33:42) best. (33:43) Doing you're doing great. (33:44) And I have, I have a question about the the comedy goers and the comedians. (33:48) So place to place, are comedians different coast to coast? (33:53) Like, are their goals different?
Scott Benner (33:54) Is it more like again, mind, knowing nothing about this, I would think, like, New York is more like Dave Attell and LA is more like Chris Hardwick. (34:06) Like, that kind of vibe, or is it not the case? (34:09) Are there people with different sensibilities on either coast? (34:12) And if so, are they changing their act to meet the audience, or are they going with what I would probably think of as, like, the Howard Stern, like, idea when he started, you know, spreading his show across the country? (34:27) Because he I don't you're not old enough for this.
Scott Benner (34:30) But when Howard Stern, he was in New York and then they put him in Philly and then they put him in Boston and they kept simulcasting the other markets. (34:37) Yeah. (34:38) And people would come to him and say, well, you're gonna have to change your act because that won't play here in Wisconsin. (34:44) And he said, bull people are people, and he kept doing what he was doing. (34:48) Like, do you find that that's true, or do you have or can you not tell the same joke to New York that you can tell to LA vice versa?
Sam Morrison (34:55) Yeah. (34:56) Audience wise Mhmm. (34:57) Totally different. (34:58) I mean, New York and LA actually are somewhat similar just because they're such large metropolises. (35:04) Why am I saying words I've never said before
Scott Benner (35:06) this whole a couple more you don't know. (35:08) Go ahead.
Sam Morrison (35:09) Yeah. (35:09) So I was I was feeling so sardonic while I was touring last year. (35:15) No idea. (35:16) Yeah. (35:16) The audiences are so wildly different.
Sam Morrison (35:18) And based off geography, based off venue, I mean, the Edinburgh Festival, you're getting tourists from all over the world. (35:26) Sometimes they don't speak English, so then you have to change your act.
Scott Benner (35:29) You do. (35:30) So that's the question. (35:31) It's like, you give them a different joke. (35:33) Like because I know I know me. (35:35) I'd be like, screw you.
Scott Benner (35:37) This is the joke. (35:37) Like it or don't like it. (35:38) But I maybe I wouldn't make it very long doing it that way. (35:42) Like like Yeah.
Sam Morrison (35:43) You do that to, like, work on your like, sometimes I'll do that if it's you know, it depends on the gig. (35:48) It's really you gotta how much do you care about doing well at this gig and how much do you care about developing the hour that you're you're currently working on? (35:55) So sometimes I'm like, yeah. (35:56) This is the joke that I wrote last night that I'm really excited about, and I have a thing I'm taping on Friday. (36:01) I I need to try this joke even though I know it's gonna bomb in Wichita.
Scott Benner (36:06) Yeah. (36:06) Give it a shot. (36:07) How would you describe your comedy? (36:08) Like, if you were handed out leaflets in New York and you wanted me to come in and listen, like, how would you say, like, oh, Sam's here. (36:14) Like, here's what you're getting from him.
Scott Benner (36:19) Is this terrible? (36:21) Every time I do a speaking engagement, somebody's like, can you write a bio for yourself? (36:24) And I go, no. (36:26) I don't understand who I am at all.
Sam Morrison (36:27) Why am I so bad at this? (36:29) Yeah. (36:29) It's really my job is to sell myself. (36:31) It's so embarrassing that you're like, how would you describe yourself? (36:35) And I'm like,
Scott Benner (36:35) I don't know. (36:36) I'm 31. (36:37) I'm gay. (36:37) I'm diabetic. (36:39) You figure it out.
Sam Morrison (36:40) Leave me alone. (36:41) Like, it's it's yeah. (36:42) I'd say in the comedy clubs, it's like, high powered, like, or high powered. (36:49) Like, high energy, really, really sort of, like I I try to, like, write as tightly as I can and get as many punch lines as I can.
Scott Benner (36:57) Okay.
Sam Morrison (36:58) And it's, you know, it's it's, storytelling, and it's sort of, or sorry. (37:06) The the solo show is obviously more storytelling.
Scott Benner (37:08) Right.
Sam Morrison (37:09) And this probably would have become, you know, most known for. (37:13) But in my act, it's, honestly, it can be very gay. (37:18) It can be very, like, sort of irreverent, even, intellectual sometimes. (37:22) Don't know if I'm selling it well.
Scott Benner (37:23) No. (37:24) That's very awesome. (37:24) Let me act like your mom for a second.
Sam Morrison (37:26) I'm, like, pretty
Scott Benner (37:27) Sam, sit nerdy Sam,
Sam Morrison (37:28) past couple years.
Scott Benner (37:29) Sam, sit still. (37:30) Put your hands on your lap. (37:32) Okay. (37:32) Yes. (37:33) Yes, papa.
Scott Benner (37:34) Yeah. (37:34) So but so wait a minute. (37:36) So very gay, very thoughtful. (37:41) You're crossing a line. (37:42) Is that what you're saying?
Sam Morrison (37:43) Said thoughtful.
Scott Benner (37:43) Well, I mean, use the different word.
Sam Morrison (37:45) Thoughtful. (37:45) It is reckless. (37:47) It is reckless, and it is queer.
Scott Benner (37:50) Okay. (37:50) Fair enough. (37:51) Reckless and queer. (37:52) Let I mean, I'd put that right on the poster. (37:54) I don't know why your poster says anything but that, to be perfectly honest with you.
Sam Morrison (37:58) It doesn't. (37:58) It says reckless and queer. (38:00) It's me posing sexy with my glucose monitor.
Scott Benner (38:04) And do you find that there are a lot of type ones in the audience, or do you just find that the the messaging about, like, I have an invisible illness, like, resonates with people?
Sam Morrison (38:15) Now there are. (38:17) Type one diabetics have shown up.
Scott Benner (38:20) Nice.
Sam Morrison (38:20) It's awesome. (38:22) It's unbelievable, actually. (38:24) I mean, like, I never I was just, a comedian, and then this happened to me Mhmm. (38:28) In the and at 27. (38:31) So, of course, I talked about it.
Sam Morrison (38:32) I mean, it's such a funny disease. (38:34) Like, it's life threatening, but it's managed with candy. (38:37) It's like there's all these, like, contradictions of what this is, and you're just, like, constantly almost dying, and I'm, like, learning how to do all this stuff. (38:44) And, like, I also just, you know, I like to complain. (38:48) You know?
Sam Morrison (38:48) It's
Scott Benner (38:48) so cool.
Sam Morrison (38:49) I have a microphone. (38:50) Same. (38:51) And now I
Scott Benner (38:51) have My favorite thing. (38:52) That right?
Sam Morrison (38:53) Oh, my That's favorite probably why we do this.
Scott Benner (38:56) I'm not Jewish, but I could be. (38:59) And, I just I love
Sam Morrison (39:00) I'm so sorry to hear
Scott Benner (39:01) that. (39:01) I love to complain. (39:02) It's my maybe my favorite thing to do. (39:05) So
Sam Morrison (39:06) Yeah. (39:06) Right? (39:07) And, like, this is something that's hard to complain about because it's so much context and, like, you have to explain what diabetes is, and no one understands the difference between type one and type two, and no one has any idea, like, what you actually go through. (39:18) And then you go on stage, and you can, like, explain it all. (39:21) Yeah.
Sam Morrison (39:21) And, like, actually, people are,
Scott Benner (39:23) like Contextualizing.
Sam Morrison (39:24) Interested. (39:25) Yeah. (39:25) Yeah. (39:25) And you know? (39:26) And then, you know, I
Scott Benner (39:28) I'm sorry. (39:28) You just made such a great point. (39:30) Right? (39:30) You're busy telling people, like, you don't understand insulin. (39:33) Too much of this, and I'm gonna die.
Scott Benner (39:34) Too little of this, and I'm gonna die. (39:35) Like, this is, you know Right. (39:37) Life or death. (39:38) By the way, I'm in trouble right now. (39:39) Can do you have a Mike and Ike in your pocket?
Scott Benner (39:42) And, like Right. (39:43) Wait. (39:43) What? (39:44) Like right? (39:45) Like, what what a silly answer to such a serious statement.
Scott Benner (39:48) Like, I'm gonna pass out and die. (39:49) Is there any chance you have sweethearts? (39:51) Like, what? (39:52) It's Yeah. (39:53) Yeah.
Sam Morrison (39:53) It's so
Scott Benner (39:54) It does seem
Sam Morrison (39:55) silly. (39:55) You think
Scott Benner (39:56) of it like that.
Sam Morrison (39:57) It's so embarrassing. (39:57) I'm like, I'm gonna die. (39:59) Oh, thank god I have these Sour Patch Kids. (40:02) Like, is yeah.
Scott Benner (40:04) It's my stupid while you're doing it. (40:06) You feel stupid. (40:07) Right? (40:07) Ridiculous disease. (40:08) Yeah.
Scott Benner (40:08) Yeah. (40:08) It's a ridiculous
Sam Morrison (40:09) It's just like a Willy Wonka esque disease.
Scott Benner (40:13) Oh, here's a piece of chocolate. (40:15) No. (40:15) Chocolate won't work quickly enough. (40:17) I really do need Well, I never thought of it that way.
Sam Morrison (40:20) Protein content. (40:22) Yeah. (40:22) It muddies it. (40:23) And, like, you can't explain all this. (40:25) I mean, as much as you can and, like, you should, of course.
Sam Morrison (40:29) You know? (40:29) And I try as much as possible to, like, explain, you know, when I go to get low blood sugar. (40:34) But we've all been in meetings and been like, oh, no. (40:36) I'm 50 and running out of the room coming back with, like, chalky glucose tablets coming out of our mouths. (40:43) We're shaking.
Sam Morrison (40:44) Just like, keep going. (40:45) I'm fine. (40:45) Like, you just can't. (40:47) Sometimes you I don't know. (40:48) Maybe you shouldn't listen to me, and you shouldn't do that.
Sam Morrison (40:49) But, like, sometimes in life, I you know, you just don't have the ability to explain.
Scott Benner (40:53) I take your point. (40:54) I really do. (40:55) Especially, because I've seen my daughter try to, like, all of her common sense in the world when her a her when her blood sugar is eighty, ninety, a 120 would tell her, look. (41:03) If I'm 50 and I'm getting woozy here, I would not push through this. (41:06) I have to do something.
Scott Benner (41:07) But you put yourself in a in a setting, and then all of a sudden, your decision making skills aren't quite as good. (41:13) And you, yeah, heard people talk about it all the time. (41:15) You're like, no. (41:15) I can make it through this. (41:17) Even though as they're saying it later, they go, I realize I'm not actually in control of pushing through a 50 blood sugar.
Scott Benner (41:22) But it feels like in the moment, no. (41:24) I can do this, which is, you know, again, also ridiculous. (41:28) The whole you're Sam, you're right. (41:30) The whole thing is silly from a certain perspective.
Sam Morrison (41:34) I mean, at least that's yeah. (41:36) That's how is it? (41:37) But that that that is such a good point. (41:38) And, also, I've I kind of forgot I'm on a diabetes podcast. (41:42) Yeah.
Sam Morrison (41:42) You you shouldn't push through
Scott Benner (41:43) a 50 No. (41:44) No. (41:45) No. (41:45) You don't listen. (41:46) No.
Scott Benner (41:46) Sam, listen. (41:47) I think it's fairly obvious.
Sam Morrison (41:49) I know you put a disclaimer at the beginning. (41:51) But of all the episodes, this is not to be taken. (41:53) That's medical advice.
Scott Benner (41:54) No. (41:54) I think twenty minutes ago, people realized they're not listening to you about anything, but that's not really the point. (41:58) That's not why you're in their life. (42:01) You're there to make them to make them laugh and make them smile. (42:04) Can we be halfway serious for a second?
Scott Benner (42:07) No. (42:07) Of course. (42:08) What's it like dating and having diabetes? (42:11) I mean, do you decide like, is it first date? (42:15) Is it third date?
Scott Benner (42:16) Is it I like this person? (42:17) I'm gonna tell them. (42:18) Is like, when do you let them in and give them some background about what's happening to you?
Sam Morrison (42:24) Well, I mean, I'm lucky that I talk about it on stage. (42:27) And what I was actually gonna say is when the diabetics come is that when I started posting online, people were, like, so enthusiastic about it. (42:35) And then, like, you know, I just had a couple viral videos, and people started showing up like crazy. (42:41) But, unfortunately, like, yeah, if you look at my Instagram, usually, I have some video where I'm, like, making a joke about my glucose monitor. (42:50) So that part for me is you know?
Scott Benner (42:53) Oh, they kinda come preeducated that way.
Sam Morrison (42:56) They kinda come preeducated. (42:57) Yeah. (42:57) I mean, I come into the date, I'm like, girl, you know if you don't, then you need to You'll figure it out pretty quick.
Scott Benner (43:04) Yeah. (43:05) Yeah. (43:05) Also, I didn't realize you were fishing in the pond where you were working, but that makes sense too. (43:09) Right? (43:10) I mean, some
Sam Morrison (43:11) Am I doing something?
Scott Benner (43:12) No. (43:12) Like, some guys show up, and they're they think, I think Sam's funny. (43:15) I think Sam's cute. (43:16) I'm gonna take a shot at Sam later. (43:18) Right?
Scott Benner (43:18) Like, that happens too.
Sam Morrison (43:19) Oh, I hope so. (43:20) Yeah. (43:20) Oh, I mean, like
Scott Benner (43:21) That's the only reason you're doing this is what I'm saying.
Sam Morrison (43:24) Yeah. (43:24) That's what was gonna say. (43:24) I mean, that's the real reason you post online. (43:26) It's just you have the
Scott Benner (43:27) Thursday I'm not a comedian. (43:29) I just set up my own Tinder. (43:30) That's all.
Sam Morrison (43:35) Yeah. (43:35) I actually thought you were when you said the fishing comment, I thought you
Scott Benner (43:38) What did you think I meant? (43:41) You were making
Sam Morrison (43:42) I thought I was, like, playing with the the mic cord again.
Scott Benner (43:44) Oh, no. (43:45) You're definitely playing with the mic cord, but I've given up on that, Sam. (43:47) What I was saying was is that you're using the audience as a dating pool is what I
Sam Morrison (43:52) was saying. (43:52) I think I think I need to, like I think it's, like, slapping against the table when I'm just, like,
Scott Benner (43:57) Wait. (43:58) What's slapping against the table, Sam? (44:01) Scott. (44:01) See, I can be funny.
Sam Morrison (44:03) Scott. (44:04) Scott. (44:05) Scott, leave it for the DMs, please. (44:08) No. (44:09) The mic the mic cord, I think, is
Scott Benner (44:11) Oh, it's hitting the table when you're moving. (44:12) Yeah. (44:13) Yeah. (44:13) I think
Sam Morrison (44:13) it might be just hitting the table a little bit.
Scott Benner (44:15) Yeah.
Sam Morrison (44:15) Because I am, against all of my natural impulses, sitting still.
Scott Benner (44:19) Yeah. (44:19) No. (44:19) It is incredibly noisy, just so you know. (44:21) Although the silverware stopped, I assume you texted him.
Sam Morrison (44:24) I didn't. (44:25) I'm sure they just figured it out. (44:26) But, yeah, sorry. (44:27) I'll I'll I'll try to I'll try to fix this.
Scott Benner (44:29) You apologizing is not necessary. (44:31) I think this all like, I've never had a more on brand conversation than the one I'm having right now with you. (44:36) I think this is perfect. (44:37) Don't worry
Sam Morrison (44:38) about so much.
Scott Benner (44:39) Yeah. (44:39) No. (44:39) Of course. (44:39) How does someone approach you to put a show on in London? (44:43) Like, that's fascinating to me.
Sam Morrison (44:45) Yeah. (44:45) I mean, was a long journey. (44:47) From Edinburgh, I did the show at the New York Comedy Festival. (44:52) And then from there, an Off Broadway theater picked it up. (44:55) And it ran off Broadway for a little while, and, you know, it got good reviews.
Sam Morrison (44:59) And then a commercial producer picked it up, and we toured it a little bit. (45:03) And now we're going to London.
Scott Benner (45:04) That's awesome.
Sam Morrison (45:05) It's really yeah. (45:06) I mean, theater is a totally different world than stand up and one that, honestly, I do not understand.
Scott Benner (45:12) Right.
Sam Morrison (45:13) And not certainly not as well as as stand up. (45:15) But it's, it it yeah. (45:17) You you work with a commercial producer, and they raise money. (45:21) And it's it's, it's a whole machine.
Scott Benner (45:23) Yeah. (45:24) How long does it run for again? (45:25) Tell me when it starts and how long it runs.
Sam Morrison (45:27) March 5 through April 4.
Scott Benner (45:30) Okay. (45:31) And and the theater name?
Sam Morrison (45:32) Underbelly Boulevard in London. (45:35) It's called Sugar Daddy. (45:37) Yeah. (45:37) I I think those are the the basic details.
Scott Benner (45:39) I'm gonna have to ask Arden's best friend went to college in London. (45:43) She just got she just graduated and came back. (45:45) I'll have to ask her if she knows it. (45:47) Because, she went out I'm gonna, every Wednesday night, for something they called wavy Wednesday. (45:53) I don't think that that, is a thing their parents would have been happy about.
Scott Benner (45:56) But she was out in London all the time. (45:58) So I'll have to ask her if she knows the theater. (46:01) This this is very cool. (46:02) Like, let me kinda, like, pivot a little harder into the diabetes for a second. (46:06) So when you're diagnosed at 27, you're not really Mhmm.
Scott Benner (46:09) You know, paying great attention to your health, but you suddenly start. (46:13) So I guess first, what were the signs that you had type one, and what were the Mhmm. (46:18) The first couple weeks like, and where did you make a decision to, like, go, oh, wow. (46:23) This is pretty serious.
Sam Morrison (46:24) Signs were, you know, the same ones that, seems like everyone has. (46:28) I was peeing all the time, and I had this weird medley taste in my mouth, and I was just exhausted all the time. (46:33) And I'm I honestly my primary probably saved my life. (46:37) I told her that I was peeing a lot, and I don't think that you know, I didn't make a big deal out of it. (46:43) I just told her I was peeing a lot.
Sam Morrison (46:45) And and, know, it goes in these waves, which is really kind of you know, it would it would get get better because my blood sugar, for some reason, I think because I was in honeymoon, would, like, stabilize. (46:55) Then it would get worse, and I'd be like, it's better right now, but I was peeing a lot, like, a month ago. (47:00) And she was like, you don't have it? (47:02) You know? (47:03) Likely not.
Sam Morrison (47:04) There's a not a lot of, symptoms that point to it, but I'm gonna test for type one diabetes. (47:10) And then I got a call that night from the lab technician, and they actually said you might have some diabetes. (47:18) Oh, just a little. (47:19) I love I love that so much.
Scott Benner (47:22) That would agree.
Sam Morrison (47:23) They said your blood sugar is 600. (47:25) You might have some diabetes. (47:27) And, of course, I had no reference for what 600 is, so I was like, alright. (47:31) It's not so bad. (47:32) It's just six I don't know why I turned it to Trump.
Sam Morrison (47:35) I don't know. (47:35) It's not so bad. (47:36) It's just 600.
Scott Benner (47:37) Everyone agrees.
Sam Morrison (47:38) Just a little. (47:39) Yeah. (47:41) Just a little diet. (47:42) Yeah. (47:43) So I
Scott Benner (47:43) Just a little diet beads.
Sam Morrison (47:44) That big of a
Scott Benner (47:45) deal. (47:45) Yeah.
Sam Morrison (47:45) They said you have some. (47:46) They said you have some.
Scott Benner (47:47) Yeah. (47:48) I've got plenty of space where I don't have any apparently. (47:50) That's that's that's fantastic.
Sam Morrison (47:53) Congrats.
Scott Benner (47:53) What did they do? (47:54) Just your doctor just ran an a one c or a or literally just or just a blood glucose? (48:00) Do you remember?
Sam Morrison (48:00) Yeah. (48:00) Think it was just a blood glucose.
Scott Benner (48:02) Wow. (48:02) Well, 600 definitely is some. (48:04) That's some.
Sam Morrison (48:05) Yeah. (48:06) That is
Scott Benner (48:06) some. (48:06) And then what do you do? (48:07) You call the doctor? (48:08) The doctor sees the labs and goes, oh, hell. (48:10) Go to the hospital, or where where does it go from there when you're an adult?
Sam Morrison (48:13) Yeah. (48:14) I actually went back into my primary, I believe, the next day, if I'm remembering everything correctly. (48:20) I'm also trying to remember it correctly because I told this story on a different podcast, and now I'm like, oh, no. (48:26) People are going to be comparing the ER stories and be like, he was lying.
Scott Benner (48:30) I don't if that happens, Sam, you're way more famous than I thought you are. (48:34) So go ahead. (48:35) Like I
Sam Morrison (48:36) don't think so. (48:37) No. (48:38) Just just the, anxious Judaism coming up. (48:41) Yeah. (48:41) So the I think I went to my primary, and she then was like, you need to go to the ER.
Sam Morrison (48:46) Okay. (48:46) And then I went to the ER, and they, you know, did all the things at the ER, which is mostly just keep you hanging around and make sure you don't pass out. (48:54) And then eventually, a nurse comes in, and it's like, here's how you inject yourself with insulin. (48:58) And you're like, what the heck did you just say to me?
Scott Benner (49:01) Why is that happening? (49:03) Oh my gosh. (49:04) And then does does it all like, even at that age, do you call your parents, or where do you go for your support in the moment?
Sam Morrison (49:10) Unfortunately, my mom was in New York City and accompanied me to the emergency room.
Scott Benner (49:16) Oh, Sam. (49:17) That's the most Jewish thing you're gonna say today. (49:19) That's lovely.
Sam Morrison (49:20) It's truly oh my god. (49:22) No. (49:23) I mean, I'm so lucky. (49:24) My mom's my mom's catching a lot of strays here. (49:26) Not my intention.
Scott Benner (49:28) Speaking of catching strays, let's go back to your dating. (49:31) But that was
Sam Morrison (49:32) a stressful day.
Scott Benner (49:33) Oh, so you you're at the doctor's office. (49:35) You're like, hey, mom. (49:36) Listen. (49:37) Here's the situation I'm in. (49:38) Like, come with me.
Scott Benner (49:39) Or did she invite herself?
Sam Morrison (49:41) Yeah. (49:42) Certainly not come with
Scott Benner (49:43) me. (49:43) Oh.
Sam Morrison (49:43) Certainly, here's what's going on, and then she just magically poof appeared out of nowhere.
Scott Benner (49:49) Well, listen. (49:50) It's nice when people love you, isn't it?
Sam Morrison (49:52) Yeah. (49:52) No. (49:53) I
Scott Benner (49:53) mean Yeah. (49:53) Yeah.
Sam Morrison (49:54) Every every time I get a call at 3AM I think especially getting diagnosed older, you realize how lucky you are to have people calling you at 3AM as annoying. (50:02) I think if I if I was 14 dealing with this, I probably my mom and I wouldn't have a relationship. (50:08) But, you know, just feel like the angsty teenager, I just can't imagine your mom constantly monitoring your blood sugar. (50:17) It's gotta be such a difficult dynamic.
Scott Benner (50:18) Yeah. (50:19) No. (50:19) I I believe it absolutely is for a lot of people. (50:21) And then you're saying, but luckily, at an older at an older age, you can you can appreciate the value and somebody will have in your back and and willing to help you out, especially at times when they they'd rather be sleeping as well.
Sam Morrison (50:34) Absolutely. (50:35) Yeah. (50:35) Absolutely. (50:36) Well,
Scott Benner (50:36) okay. (50:37) So you get your diagnosis. (50:38) Do they give you CGMs? (50:40) Do they give you pumps? (50:41) Like, what's the context you begin your journey with?
Sam Morrison (50:45) It's so interesting. (50:46) You know, last night, my dear friend just got out of the hospital, and she was diagnosed with MS.
Scott Benner (50:55) Oh
Sam Morrison (50:55) gosh. (50:57) And she was, like, in her home for the first time. (51:00) And she's, like, the most resilient, funny person. (51:03) She's a comedian. (51:04) Kylie Mincin, check her out if you can.
Sam Morrison (51:06) It reminded me so much, not to, like of course, you cannot compare these diseases. (51:11) But it reminded me so much of when I first got diagnosed and you're sent home from the She just has, a packet. (51:18) Mhmm. (51:18) Like, a printed out packet that they send home with, like, a WebMD definition of MS. (51:24) And, like, that's what
Scott Benner (51:25) Yeah.
Sam Morrison (51:26) They give you when you leave the the emergency room with type one diabetes.
Scott Benner (51:30) Yeah.
Sam Morrison (51:30) And I didn't have a, I didn't get to see a specialist. (51:33) I I don't remember for how long. (51:35) It felt like months. (51:37) And in that time in between was, like, the most difficult. (51:40) Yeah.
Sam Morrison (51:41) And that's the time where I'm talking about, like, listening and looking for resources online and, like, I just, like, was so again, I'm using words I don't usually use, flabbergasted Mhmm. (51:51) That there wasn't more support, and that you just I I was just like, this is unreal. (51:56) I'm just, like, guessing how much insulin to give myself. (51:59) I'm injecting. (51:59) I have no idea if anything working.
Sam Morrison (52:01) I, like suddenly, I was, like, scared to eat carbs in general. (52:05) It
Scott Benner (52:05) was Yeah.
Sam Morrison (52:06) Yeah. (52:06) It's just such a scary and, like, confusing, disorienting time where you're just like one thing Kylie said, you know, last night, she it was actually really funny. (52:16) She, like, she gets a limp now, and so she has to, like, do everything different. (52:21) And she, at one point, just goes, everything feels like a trap, which was funny in the moment even though it might not sound like it. (52:29) And I remember that I was like, that's what it feels like to get diagnosed with type one diabetes with absolutely no guidance, and you're just sent home from the hospital with, like, an insulin pen, needles, and a packet.
Scott Benner (52:42) How am I supposed to sleep, eat? (52:44) Like, everything feels like a trap. (52:46) Like, everything that you start to do, you don't know how to approach it any longer. (52:51) Is that the idea? (52:51) Yeah.
Scott Benner (52:52) Yeah. (52:53) Wow.
Sam Morrison (52:53) So And also just, like, the lack of of guidance on on you you just have to learn everything new again. (53:00) Right. (53:00) You have to learn how to do everything. (53:01) Take your dog out. (53:03) Go you know, it's it's all different.
Scott Benner (53:05) Yeah. (53:05) And the second time you read through the so you have MS packet, you realize there's nothing helpful in here at all. (53:11) No. (53:12) Right.
Sam Morrison (53:13) So you have MS is Comma.
Scott Benner (53:15) You have MS. (53:16) Yeah. (53:16) Yeah.
Sam Morrison (53:16) Yeah. (53:16) The sequel to so you think you can dance? (53:18) Yeah.
Scott Benner (53:20) Those people definitely can't dance. (53:22) But I, no. (53:23) I just I I feel that a lot because I think, honestly, I think that the dynamic of how the world actually works versus how it feels like it should work has a light shown on it after people are diagnosed with stuff like this. (53:36) Because how is there not a person, an entity thing that happens next? (53:42) Like, how how would I find myself listening to a podcast to try to help myself?
Scott Benner (53:46) That seems insane.
Sam Morrison (53:48) It is insane.
Scott Benner (53:49) Really does. (53:50) Like, if you're trying to, you know, build a doorframe and you end up on YouTube, cool. (53:54) But, like, you shouldn't be there learning how to put your insulin pump on. (53:58) I know that that's how the world works now and we've all kind of accepted it, but that really is nuts. (54:03) It's nuts that a a person in a position of a, you know, authority in a medical facility called you and said, hey.
Scott Benner (54:10) It seems like you have some diabetes. (54:12) Like, how do you have a job? (54:15) Right? (54:15) Like, that that stuff is is really I find it off putting, honestly. (54:20) For me, there's no more of an adult moment than around a number of different things.
Scott Benner (54:24) This, politics, anything really, anything that, you know, is kind of bigger that you didn't understand when you were younger. (54:31) Anything that you look up one day and think to yourself, like, how are we all alive? (54:35) Is this all just held together with, like, duct tape and bailing wire? (54:40) Like, are we just lucky the Earth's not spinning off its axis right now? (54:44) Like, that's how it ends up making me feel.
Scott Benner (54:46) It's just like I think It
Sam Morrison (54:48) really is.
Scott Benner (54:49) Society is existing by mistake is what it feels like. (54:52) Is that
Sam Morrison (54:52) That's such a yeah. (54:53) That's such a good way to put it. (54:54) It does feel like it feels like we just, like, tripped and, like, got lucky that there's, like, some semblance of a health care system. (55:01) It just doesn't feel, like, intentional at all. (55:03) It feels all disconnected from each other.
Sam Morrison (55:05) It feels like we're so many people are one major health crisis away from having no money and no support, and it's just such a fickle system that's held up by, like, GoFundMe's.
Scott Benner (55:21) Same feeling I have when, like I listen. (55:23) As much as I understand this would fit in the thimble, but the Earth is only staying at the right temperature because we're a certain distance from the sun. (55:30) Right? (55:31) And they say, like, if it if it was just a little farther apart, then the Earth would just be like a frozen ball. (55:36) It wouldn't even work.
Scott Benner (55:37) Right? (55:37) I feel like that about society. (55:39) Like, are we just, like, like, one bumped thing away from zombies and fire and it all just is over? (55:47) Do I think that's gonna happen? (55:48) I kinda don't because, obviously, society's been around for, you know, a good long time and it seems to work.
Scott Benner (55:53) But what is that unseen mechanism that keeps this thing that's on, like, a razor's edge from tipping one way or the other? (56:02) Like, it just doesn't feel like it feels weird that it balanced and it works. (56:06) And then when you get into smaller situations, like, you know, your doctor's office calls you and says something completely out of pocket that just they should not say, It really is like, I don't know. (56:19) It's it's off putting to me. (56:20) Also, I used out of pocket as a send up to the girl who went to school in London.
Scott Benner (56:24) That's only for her. (56:25) She would only know that if she was listening. (56:27) So I am now doing humor for just one of the tens of thousands of people who are listening right now. (56:33) I mean, I don't wanna be, like, overly dramatic, but, like, it just feels like we're lucky the whole thing is standing half the time. (56:41) And your story makes me feel that way.
Sam Morrison (56:44) It it yeah.
Scott Benner (56:45) Yeah. (56:45) I'm sorry. (56:46) That kinda Consolidate myself. (56:47) Yeah. (56:48) I should have asked you more about gay sex or something.
Scott Benner (56:49) That would have been more fun. (56:50) But
Sam Morrison (56:51) Finally. (56:51) I mean, I've been thinking it the whole time.
Scott Benner (56:54) Sam's like
Sam Morrison (56:54) Why isn't he asking me more about gay sex? (56:57) So here's how two men have sex. (56:58) Everyone go ahead and sit down if you're listening. (57:01) The one of the men.
Scott Benner (57:03) Hope hopefully, the cuter one. (57:04) Now listen. (57:06) No. (57:06) But but how does that hit you? (57:08) Like, how does it isn't it just so strange that if you just fall on the other side of that razor, like, maybe you don't get the the information you need?
Scott Benner (57:18) Like, you could be in a completely different place today.
Sam Morrison (57:20) So, I mean, it makes you think about these big questions, I think, that we're we're thinking about or at least it does to me. (57:27) I mean, you know, I think when you face death and you realize how fickle everything is and and it all sounds just like when you were talking, was like, oh, yeah. (57:36) It's just because it's like, this is evolution. (57:38) Like, in its both basic form, I think it's just like natural selection. (57:42) And, like, that's the reason it's it's all moving forward.
Sam Morrison (57:44) It's just because, like, it's just like that's what we're wired to do. (57:47) We're wired to, like, survive, and that's kinda it. (57:50) And then we're trying to put these, like, health care systems on top to make it make sense. (57:55) And, you know, obviously, some countries have figured out health care system better than others, but it, it does feel like yeah. (58:05) I don't know what I'm saying.
Sam Morrison (58:06) But, basically, I don't know. (58:07) When you face death and when you have these things, you realize I mean, like, if I if my doctor didn't catch it there, I could have ended up in in DKA and, you know, not here today or or any of these things.
Scott Benner (58:19) Sam, it surprises me as you're saying that when I'm trying to go through my memory that I don't know how many people have accurately talked about their diagnosis as a moment right before I was going to die. (58:29) And that's a completely accurate description of it, and no one seems to think of it that way or at least articulate it that way when I'm talking to them. (58:37) Like, you I think you might be the first person who said that. (58:40) Like, I was close to death and blah blah blah. (58:44) Like, I Well, that's the whole disease, though.
Scott Benner (58:47) Yeah. (58:48) I mean, the whole time
Sam Morrison (58:48) The whole disease is, like, almost dying constantly. (58:52) Constantly.
Scott Benner (58:52) Yes. (58:53) Yes. (58:53) Yeah. (58:53) Right. (58:53) Right.
Scott Benner (58:54) It does feel like you're driving without your seat belt on on the Autobahn with one hand on the wheel and your head out the window. (58:59) And you're like, I wonder if something's gonna like, if the sign's gonna clip me in the face. (59:02) Totally do.
Sam Morrison (59:03) And then, like, the only way to fix it is, like, eating gummies. (59:06) And you're like, what? (59:08) No. (59:09) I I I it's so funny when you have that, like, low blood sugar, and I know some people experience it differently. (59:14) But, like, mine, I'm like, oh my god.
Sam Morrison (59:17) Like, I not only do I need to eat the kitchen, I'm like, I gotta I gotta I gotta get up, and I gotta, like it's, like, so intense.
Scott Benner (59:25) Right.
Sam Morrison (59:26) And it just it just feels it really feels like an emergency. (59:30) It really feels like the house is on fire. (59:32) Yeah. (59:33) Yeah. (59:34) And it's just so funny that, like, orange juice is the it's just such a, like no.
Sam Morrison (59:38) You don't do any of the things that you feel like you should do. (59:41) You just eat drink orange juice and sit down and shut up. (59:46) And you're like, this can't be right.
Scott Benner (59:48) It's funny because there are times when I've seen, like, a parent describe it as, like, a cookie saved my kid's life today. (59:55) And there's times when I've seen it told, you know, in a story where I'm like, wow. (59:59) That is accurate. (59:59) And there's times when I think people have done it to be hyperbolic, but still one way or the other. (1:00:04) It is actually true.
Scott Benner (1:00:05) Like, what an odd thing to think that a gummy bear is what saved your life. (1:00:09) But you're really spot is is this gonna be in the show? (1:00:12) Is this kind of biting, commentary gonna be in the show that I come to in London? (1:00:16) By the I've never been to London. (1:00:19) So I won't be coming is what I was saying.
Scott Benner (1:00:21) But
Sam Morrison (1:00:23) There is some there is some, I have a story about my diagnosis. (1:00:27) I, you know, I have quite a bit of material about type one diabetes, you know, a story of of one low blood sugar where I was, like, attacked by steagles.
Scott Benner (1:00:36) What'd you just say? (1:00:37) Steagles? (1:00:39) Seagulls. (1:00:39) Seagulls. (1:00:40) Oh, I thought thank god because steagulls is what?
Scott Benner (1:00:43) Oh my god, Sam. (1:00:44) This is apropos of nothing. (1:00:45) But, during one of the strikes early on in the NFL, I believe the Eagles and the Steelers came together and played as one team for a while, and I believe they called them the Seagulls. (1:00:54) I'm not sure. (1:00:55) Which is, I thought, like, what an odd reference, but you I just misheard you.
Scott Benner (1:00:59) Sorry.
Sam Morrison (1:01:00) Yeah. (1:01:01) No. (1:01:01) I went low blood sugar because I was attacked by a combination of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers. (1:01:06) And that was running from them,
Scott Benner (1:01:09) and I just burned up all my sugar. (1:01:11) So I think that hey. (1:01:13) It's believable. (1:01:14) Sam, listen. (1:01:15) And it would make
Sam Morrison (1:01:15) a great solo show.
Scott Benner (1:01:16) I just wanna say, and I mean this with a lot of love, I believe if the Steelers and the Eagles were chasing you, you would not run away. (1:01:22) What do you think of that?
Sam Morrison (1:01:23) If the Philodope well, it depends. (1:01:25) Is it Jason Kelsey? (1:01:26) No. (1:01:27) I'm I'm sitting down and you just do whatever you need to do. (1:01:30) You know?
Sam Morrison (1:01:31) Is he catnip? (1:01:33) Oh, catnip? (1:01:34) Scott.
Scott Benner (1:01:36) I don't know.
Sam Morrison (1:01:37) Oh, I haven't sorry. (1:01:38) I haven't heard catnip. (1:01:39) It sounds like such like a forties queer way to talk. (1:01:42) Thank I absolutely love catnip. (1:01:44) I think of, like, an old queen in a bar, like, oh, look at that catnip.
Sam Morrison (1:01:48) I need
Scott Benner (1:01:49) more people to describe me as an old queen in a bar. (1:01:52) That hasn't happened yet, but I'm hoping for that. (1:01:55) I try to explain to my daughter sometimes, and she's like she'll say, like, this guy's attractive, and I go, I will I believe you, but I don't know that to be true. (1:02:04) And I can't substantiate it at all. (1:02:06) Like, if you I just go with, like if someone says attractive man, I just say Brad Pitt because I know that women find him I know women find him attractive, so I just think, well, he must be attractive.
Scott Benner (1:02:17) I am. (1:02:18) I have no ability to, like, suss out what guys are attractive and what guys aren't. (1:02:22) And I'm always wrong, if my wife or my daughter ask me. (1:02:26) Always.
Sam Morrison (1:02:27) Yes.
Scott Benner (1:02:29) So
Sam Morrison (1:02:29) Well, it it's a skill we can work on together.
Scott Benner (1:02:31) I don't know what I'm gonna do with that skill, Sam. (1:02:33) But, but I I mean Well,
Sam Morrison (1:02:37) you go to gay bars, hang out, say things like catnip. (1:02:40) There's all there's a whole world out there.
Scott Benner (1:02:42) Do you think I should have a cigarette on a long extension while I'm saying that? (1:02:45) Like, one of those
Sam Morrison (1:02:49) Yeah. (1:02:50) I think you should actually have a cane
Scott Benner (1:02:51) that opens perhaps. (1:02:53) And, yeah. (1:02:53) Yeah. (1:02:54) Yeah. (1:02:54) I don't know where that came from either.
Scott Benner (1:02:56) Probably most of the dumb things I say are probably because the thing that occurred to me to say was wasn't appropriate for the podcast, so I had to go to something else usually. (1:03:04) Yeah. (1:03:04) Yeah. (1:03:04) Yeah. (1:03:05) Yeah.
Sam Morrison (1:03:06) Yep. (1:03:07) Jason Kelce is catnip.
Scott Benner (1:03:09) Jason Kelce is an attractive man, you're saying?
Sam Morrison (1:03:11) Yep. (1:03:12) Yep. (1:03:12) Yep. (1:03:12) Yep. (1:03:13) That's my type.
Scott Benner (1:03:13) That's your type. (1:03:14) Big, burly, the beard. (1:03:17) Is that the the whole thing? (1:03:18) Gay bears. (1:03:19) Okay.
Sam Morrison (1:03:19) I got it. (1:03:20) Expect to come onto the podcast and explain the gay bear community, but let's go for it. (1:03:24) Okay.
Scott Benner (1:03:25) I mean, what did you expect to talk about? (1:03:27) I don't know.
Sam Morrison (1:03:27) Honestly, mostly about this combination team of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles. (1:03:32) I'd love to get back on topic, please.
Scott Benner (1:03:33) Yeah. (1:03:34) Yeah.
Sam Morrison (1:03:34) You said they joined in 1999?
Scott Benner (1:03:36) I oh god. (1:03:37) This would have been in, like, the forties, I think. (1:03:38) And I don't think we should dig into this at all, but, I do think I might call your episode Steagles.
Sam Morrison (1:03:44) Yeah. (1:03:46) Sure.
Scott Benner (1:03:47) Sounds like whatever. (1:03:48) It doesn't matter.
Sam Morrison (1:03:49) I think I think people are probably gonna tune out from all the cord whipping going around anyway. (1:03:55) So sure. (1:03:55) Call me when you want.
Scott Benner (1:03:57) Well, not if I did a good enough job of making them think you're pantsless and it's something else because I tried to make other people think the noises were other things.
Sam Morrison (1:04:06) No. (1:04:06) Seriously. (1:04:07) Like in a New Jersey diner.
Scott Benner (1:04:08) Yeah. (1:04:08) Yeah. (1:04:08) So but anyway, I don't know how we got that. (1:04:11) Oh, the eagles were chasing you. (1:04:12) Blah blah blah blah blah.
Scott Benner (1:04:13) Okay. (1:04:13) Go back to seagull. (1:04:14) What was the story about a seagull? (1:04:16) Oh, sure. (1:04:18) Great job.
Scott Benner (1:04:19) Thank you.
Sam Morrison (1:04:19) Great job. (1:04:20) I am not easy to focus.
Scott Benner (1:04:21) I can't believe I found that, actually. (1:04:23) I was really lost about how we got to Jason Kelce for half a second.
Sam Morrison (1:04:31) Yeah. (1:04:32) The seagulls I I won't do the bed because it won't really make sense in this context. (1:04:35) But, basically, I was going low blood sugar, then I was attacked by seagulls. (1:04:38) And so, like, I had to I had to outrun these seagulls. (1:04:41) It was like, I had to then explain type one diabetes to seagulls that were attacking me, and I just had one thing.
Sam Morrison (1:04:47) It's real. (1:04:47) It's a true story. (1:04:48) I just had one little thing of glucose tablets, and they, like, really wanted it. (1:04:53) And so I had to somehow get out of this situation. (1:04:55) You'll have to come to the show to see how.
Scott Benner (1:04:57) Oh my god. (1:04:59) I am I am absolutely enchanted by that. (1:05:01) What an idea of you standing on a boardwalk I'm imagining and getting low and being like, it's okay. (1:05:07) I can save myself with this piece of candy, and then birds descend on you and try to take it from And then you're trying to whip them away with a low blood. (1:05:15) Oh my god.
Scott Benner (1:05:16) It's awesome. (1:05:17) Just, running away, which
Sam Morrison (1:05:18) makes it worse because then you of course, I'm trying to, like, manage because I don't wanna of course, running makes you go more low, and so I'm like
Scott Benner (1:05:25) And that's going through your head.
Sam Morrison (1:05:27) Exerting energy. (1:05:29) I I, like, I really was like, I'm gonna die running away from zero.
Scott Benner (1:05:34) Was that actually going through your head as you're running? (1:05:36) Like, I shouldn't exert myself?
Sam Morrison (1:05:38) Of course. (1:05:38) I was I was pan I mean, I was low blood sugar. (1:05:41) I was so anxious, and I was, like, shaking. (1:05:43) And then when I I mean, exercise also really affects me. (1:05:48) And so I knew that if I started running, it you know?
Sam Morrison (1:05:51) Yeah. (1:05:52) The insulin would combine with the exercise, and I I was terrified.
Scott Benner (1:05:57) Oh my gosh. (1:05:57) I
Sam Morrison (1:05:57) mean, I I gen it was a I mean, of course, it's a funny story now, but, like, at the time, I was genuinely terrified.
Scott Benner (1:06:04) Yeah. (1:06:04) Not in the moment. (1:06:04) It's more like now it's funny, but back then, it actually felt like the birds. (1:06:09) Like like, you you Right. (1:06:10) Yeah.
Scott Benner (1:06:10) Yeah. (1:06:11) Exactly. (1:06:11) Would you mind if when I put your episode up, I do an AI rendering of you running from seagulls in that old car from the birds movie with a a glucose tablet in your hand? (1:06:25) Is that okay?
Sam Morrison (1:06:26) As long as I can use it for every single piece of promo.
Scott Benner (1:06:30) Okay. (1:06:31) Here we go. (1:06:31) Please. (1:06:32) I'm already writing the AI prompt in my head. (1:06:35) So just think actually, I might
Sam Morrison (1:06:37) If you want, we can send you we have, like, promo materials from the show, and we did some with, like, seagulls as, like Oh.
Scott Benner (1:06:44) Well, then I would just prefer graphic style. (1:06:46) Prefer the easier route. (1:06:47) Just send me that. (1:06:48) Yes, please. (1:06:49) Okay.
Scott Benner (1:06:49) I'm not looking to work. (1:06:51) You know what I mean? (1:06:51) I love too that there's people out there, like, now going, like, is he saying that writing an AI prompt for an image generator is work? (1:06:57) Because if he is, I wanna make a podcast too. (1:07:01) Alright.
Scott Benner (1:07:02) Well, listen. (1:07:03) You were fantastic, Sam. (1:07:04) This was terrific, and I'm so happy that you reached out. (1:07:07) You're also the second person to say Jason Kelce to me in the last hour and a half, which is odd because I don't hear that name very frequently. (1:07:14) And my son came into me right before he I think he left to get his haircut, not that that matters.
Scott Benner (1:07:18) But he goes, hey. (1:07:19) You gotta check out that Kelce podcast today. (1:07:21) They interviewed the little kid who, on the way out of the Eagles playoff loss this year, like, some a cameraman caught him from, like, a local news group. (1:07:30) This is young I mean, the kid's, like, maybe 12 or 14 years old, and he is just ranting and raving. (1:07:35) Like, I wanna see this coach fired.
Scott Benner (1:07:37) He should be flipping burgers tomorrow. (1:07:39) The kid was, like, going off. (1:07:41) And the Kelceys apparently had them on their podcast and then asked him, you know, what would you like to see the new, offensive coordinator do? (1:07:49) And the kid had, like, cogent ideas about play calling and structure and stuff like that. (1:07:53) And apparently, my son's like, you have to watch it because they're staring at him.
Scott Benner (1:07:56) Like, how do you know about all this? (1:07:58) And I said to my son, was like, so wait. (1:08:00) What's happening? (1:08:01) He goes he goes, Travis Kelce. (1:08:02) He's like, do you study film, like, from football?
Scott Benner (1:08:05) Like, how do you know this? (1:08:06) And I said to my son, do you think they know it's not that difficult? (1:08:09) And the rest of us were able to figure it out pretty quickly. (1:08:11) We just don't play football. (1:08:13) He he was treating the kid apparently as if he had come up with, like, the cure for some, like, long suffering disease, and and the kid's just like, no.
Scott Benner (1:08:23) It just makes sense to, like, go that way. (1:08:26) So Yeah. (1:08:27) Yeah.
Sam Morrison (1:08:28) I mean, I'm always I never know. (1:08:30) It I I it does feel so complicated when I watch football. (1:08:34) Mhmm. (1:08:35) It does feel a little bit like wizardry.
Scott Benner (1:08:36) Yeah. (1:08:37) But at the same time, don't you sometimes think, like, well, they ran left and it worked. (1:08:40) Why do they keep running right now? (1:08:43) I think that's kinda how the kid was, like, you know, laying it out. (1:08:47) But I think the funny part is that, I guess, Travis was, like, mesmerized by his genius.
Scott Benner (1:08:52) And I thought, like, maybe Travis has bumped his head one too many times. (1:08:55) You know, like, I don't I just can't be that hard. (1:08:57) You know what I mean? (1:09:00) Anyway, all the
Sam Morrison (1:09:01) football definitely has.
Scott Benner (1:09:02) Yeah. (1:09:02) Oh, a 100%. (1:09:03) Yeah. (1:09:03) Yeah. (1:09:04) My favorite meme is Travis Kelce with his last girlfriend and with Taylor Swift in the same thing.
Scott Benner (1:09:12) And I forget what the wording is, but it's something like, in this picture, he looks like one thing. (1:09:16) And in this picture, he looks like a guy who cries after intercourse because of how his how his how his clothing has changed so drastically. (1:09:24) If you've never seen that, everyone go find that one. (1:09:26) It's hilarious.
Sam Morrison (1:09:28) Yeah. (1:09:28) Yeah.
Scott Benner (1:09:28) Yeah. (1:09:28) I'll go. (1:09:29) Sam, thank you. (1:09:30) Get out there immediately and find it. (1:09:32) Tell people about your, you've got a website again, where they can get tickets, all that, please.
Sam Morrison (1:09:37) Yep. (1:09:37) March 5, Underbelly Boulevard in London, Sugar Daddy. (1:09:40) Yo. (1:09:41) You can come check me out on, Instagram at samuel h morrison. (1:09:43) If you're not, in London, I have a tour alert, which basically just means I text you if I'm coming to your city, and I won't text you more than that.
Sam Morrison (1:09:51) I never sell people's data. (1:09:53) It's so helpful for me, as a touring comedian because it's really hard to rely on the algorithms. (1:09:59) I'm sure, Scott, you've experienced this a little bit
Scott Benner (1:10:00) Yeah.
Sam Morrison (1:10:00) To, like, get to people when I'm coming to your city. (1:10:03) And I get so many messages that are like, when are you coming to Louisville? (1:10:05) And I'm like, I was there two weekends ago. (1:10:08) And so if you sign up for this thing, you go to the link in my bio or to my website, www.samuelmorrison.com. (1:10:14) I'll text you when I'm performing in your city, and that's it.
Sam Morrison (1:10:17) And that's it. (1:10:17) That's also just a huge help for me. (1:10:19) So it takes ten seconds.
Scott Benner (1:10:21) So if Everybody, if you found Sam delightful, go find him delightful some more in, where he's putting out his stuff.
Sam Morrison (1:10:28) Thank you so much again, Scott. (1:10:29) Really, I I mean, I I don't just say that that series when I first got diagnosed, and, you know, I've I've truly been listening for years now. (1:10:36) So this was so fun and such a delight, and I'm so glad how sort of chaotic and perfect this conversation was. (1:10:44) It was a really fun time. (1:10:45) Thank you for having me.
Scott Benner (1:10:46) It's my pleasure. (1:10:47) And, actually, you just made me think. (1:10:49) I usually cut the recording off, and then people say a ton of nice stuff to me afterwards. (1:10:53) And I think, like, oh, I should've let it run for that. (1:10:55) But now, I'm I'm gonna do that because that was great.
Sam Morrison (1:10:58) Yeah. (1:10:58) I'm gonna be such a bitch to you once this turns off.
Scott Benner (1:11:00) I can't wait. (1:11:01) Well, I'm gonna hit stop now so you can yell at me. (1:11:03) Ready? (1:11:09) I'd like to remind you again about the MiniMed seven eighty g automated insulin delivery system, which of course anticipates, adjusts, and corrects every five minutes 20 four seven. (1:11:19) It works around the clock so you can focus on what matters.
Scott Benner (1:11:24) The Juice Box community knows the importance of using technology to simplify managing diabetes. (1:11:29) To learn more about how you can spend less time and effort managing your diabetes, visit my link, medtronicdiabetes.com/juicebox. (1:11:40) Having an easy to use and accurate blood glucose meter is just one click away. (1:11:47) Contournext.com/juicebox. (1:11:51) That's right.
Scott Benner (1:11:52) Today's episode is sponsored by the Contour NextGen blood glucose meter. (1:11:58) Okay. (1:11:59) Well, here we are at the end of the episode. (1:12:01) You're still with me? (1:12:02) Thank you.
Scott Benner (1:12:02) I really do appreciate that. (1:12:04) What else could you do for me? (1:12:06) Why don't you tell a friend about the show or leave a five star review? (1:12:10) Maybe you could make sure you're following or subscribed in your podcast app, go to YouTube and follow me, or Instagram, TikTok. (1:12:19) Oh, gosh.
Scott Benner (1:12:19) Here's one. (1:12:20) Make sure you're following the podcast in the private Facebook group as well as the public Facebook page. (1:12:26) You don't wanna miss please, do you not know about the private group? (1:12:30) You have to join the private group. (1:12:32) As of this recording, it has 74,000 members.
Scott Benner (1:12:35) They're active talking about diabetes. (1:12:38) Whatever you need to know, there's a conversation happening in there right now. (1:12:42) And I'm there all the time. (1:12:43) Tag me. (1:12:43) I'll say hi.
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