7 Minute Stories by Aaron Calafato
Episode 57 - Special Guest: Bill Squire
INTRO
Hey Seven Minutes story listeners I'm gonna be breaking format shaking it up this week with another guest episode of seven minute stories. This week we feature Bill Squire. Bill is a nationally recognized comedian. He's also a co-host of the Alan Cox Show. It's a radio show on 100.7 WMMS, a very successful show. And ironically, Bill and I grew up together. We went to high school together ran in the same circle of friends. And so it's always great to catch up with him. He went into comedy, I went into storytelling, but I always value his viewpoints and super smart super funny guy.
So to give you context for this upcoming short segment. About a year ago Bill and I met and had an hour-long podcast conversation and we tackled a bunch of different subject. But we eventually got to this point where you're about to hear where we started talking about Kanya West. And when we recorded this this was the time where Kanye West had gone on sort of a rampage on TMZand different platforms and so we were talking about that environment, and then, we flowed into the subject of racism in America and how we were both, and still are both, just perplexed by how we're still dealing with this issue at such an intense visceral level in 2018 and 2019….
And then we move into some interesting points where Bill talks about how comedy can serve as a good place to tackle difficult subject matter like race and racism. So without further ado here's my conversation with Bill squire.
Interview
- Aaron Calafato
But we're at a point where I can't believe it still even exists but it does and it's crazy how full force it is like
- Bill Squire
And how it kind of like it was quiet it was dormant for a while.
- Aaron Calafato
Oh yeah
- Bill Squire
I was there. It's always there but it wasn't being talked about openly that is now. Like there is like the fact that there's guys out there doing tours about Milo or, you know, the Richard Spencer guy talking about white supremacy like it's like how? how is this a thing
- Aaron Calafato
How is it a thing?
- Bill Squire
Yeah
- Aaron Calafato
And how is there that big of an audience.
- Bill Squire
Right?
- Aaron Calafato
But this is a question out of ignorance. Does comedy do something right? When I see comedians talking or even doing documentaries, there almost is an understanding that, look we are not past this, but like we can communicate in a way in which we can be... can actually communicate about it. We can talk about race. We can do this in a way where we can...
- Bill Squire
Because you can make it light..
- Aaron Calafato
Right!
- Bill Squire
Uh Dave Chappelle and his new special talked about how he's more a comedian than he is a black person...Like he, he has a bit about that. How comedy supersedes that..
- Aaron Calafato
Yeah
- Bill Squire
his blackness.
- Bill Squire
And I think that's what you get from the best comedians a guy like Dave Chappelle and a guy like Bill Burr, that are so skilled and so great at observing society and its hypocrisies.
- Aaron Calafato
Yeah
- Bill Squire
and they can turn it on its ear and make it into something that we laugh at. I mean, it's.. it's that's where the art of it comes in
- Aaron Calafato
Right.
- Bill Squire
And I think comedy is a great tool to discuss things that people are uncomfortable with. That's why I'm drawn to the comics and I try to, do what I do where I can go and to talk about things onstage that are gonna make people uncomfortable. But it's my job as the comedian to make it palatable for most people, I know not everyone's gonna get it, but it's I'd rather.... There's always some people that don't like it no matter what. So I don't worry about those people. So you watch guys like Dave Chappelle who he can talk about race and he can do it in a way that is poignant and funny and actually can, I think, open people's mind to something that they haven't seen before. Because he's got such a powerful tool, that powerful just.. delivery system because he's so good at what he does..
- Aaron Calafato
Almost feel like, it feels like comedy is that is a necessary and necessary art form or platform to discuss it as you can do one of these podcasts, I was going to say Charlie Rose, but can't talk about that anymore. But I was saying and Charlie Rose esq flow. And I think there is a place to really have meaningful not you know not based...
- Bill Squire
when you get one on one...
- Aaron Calafato
Yeah. That's real right? That's good.
- Bill Squire
That's that's great. And...
- Aaron Calafato
But comedy is beautiful too, in the sense like you said, it elevates and it almost frames it in a way, under the guise of OK we're here for a comedy show.....You can learn something.
- Bill Squire
Yeah.
- Aaron Calafato
And you can, My... my introduction, honestly, to a lot of other cultures or identities or ethnicities with comedian.
- Bill Squire
Yeah. And that's it's a beautiful thing because especially with all the netflix specials that are being produced, and comedy specials that are being produced, and the diversity that..think Comedy Central has embraced. People you know just be like "oh just another comic. You know they're just trying to fill a quota..." I'm like "no, they're trying to give these guys a platform to to open the world up a bit." You know, you got a guy like Trevor Noah. His story is amazing.
- Aaron Calafato
Yeah.
- Bill Squire
You've got Ronnie Chang who is from China and now he's here. Kumail Nanjiani , like these these people have amazing stories and it opens my eyes to what the rest of the world thinks of us and what we get to experience. And it's really really interesting, really cool thing to do. And you have someone like Kanye, who saying all the dumb shit that he says, you could take all those things that he said. All that nonsense. Give it to Dave Chappelle and Dave Chappelle can present that stuff and you'll be like "Oh! the way Dave said it it made sense to me."
- Aaron Calafato
Right.
- Bill Squire
But Kanye isn't as gifted as Dave.
- Aaron Calafato
Well you have to be.
- Bill Squire
Yes he is. He has takes it too serious.
- Aaron Calafato
Yeah.
- Bill Squire
So when he's saying things and he's trying to say like "I have free thought and I want to have like new ideas".. Yeah, you're fine. But you have to understand that your new ideas aren't really that new, for one, and two your presentation is garbage right now.
- Aaron Calafato
Yes. The TMZ is probably not the platform...
- Bill Squire
right
- Aaron Calafato
For social discourse. I mean. Put out an album for Christ sake! put out...
- Bill Squire
And and and TMZ, like also, to go in there and rant about getting hooked on opioids because you got liposuction... And then end it with oh slavery was a choice like.....
- Aaron Calafato
Who is his PR guy?
- Bill Squire
Who ordered your set list? Like this is shit you work out at an open mike and then work out the kinks and then come... you don't you don't start
- Aaron Calafato
He premiered that opening night! It's not even a soft open...
- Bill Squire
You know you don't riff an entire comedy special and be like oh I guess I should have done that more than once..... Like it's just bananas..
CORI OUTRO
I hope you enjoyed the episode. A lot of people have been coming up to Aaron and I at parties sending emails and calling to tell us how much they loved the podcast and ask when the next episodes coming out. A great way to stay connected is to visit the Website 7minutestoriespod.com - You can also subscribe on Apple podcasts. And while you're there. Let more people know what you think about Aaron and his storytelling by rating and leaving a review.
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