Welcome back to Church & State! This week, Brian Bogart and Yuna Pahk sit down with comedian Tom Rhodes to talk about the realities of stand-up, building confidence, and finding success in comedy. Tom shares stories from his early days performing at 17, advice from Jay Leno, the golden age of Comedy Central, and his experiences performing internationally. They also get into Kill Tony, stolen jokes, comedy gatekeepers, and what it takes to build a lasting career in stand-up.CHAPTERS00:00 Introducing Tom Rhodes & the Reality of Comedy 09:40 Starting Stand-Up at 17 & Building Confidence 18:30 Jay Leno's Advice & Finding Success in San Francisco 27:36 Physicality, Stage Presence & Making Jokes Funnier 32:00 Comedy Central's Golden Age & Tom's Wild Vietnam Story 39:00 The Internet, International Comedy & Mr. Rhodes 49:00 Kill Tony, Stolen Jokes & Comedy Gatekeepers 56:00 Comedy Friendships, Tom's New Special & Final ThoughtsFOLLOW & CONNECTBrian BogartInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/brian.bogart/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@brianbogartcomedyYuna PahkInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/yunapahk/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yunapahkTom RhodesWebsite: https://www.tomrhodes.net/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_tomrhodes/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TomRhodesComedy/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/kingofhahaSubscribe for more conversations about comedy, culture, and everything in between.#ChurchAndState #ComedyPodcast #StandUpComedy #TomRhodes #BrianBogart #YunaPahk

Welcome back to Church & State! This week, Brian Bogart and Yuna Pahk dive into the unspoken rules of comedy, who gets to make fun of who, and why Brian thinks Asian women are the white men of comedy. The two break down the unofficial “Oppression Olympics” of stand-up, discussing which comedians can get away with punching in every direction and how race, gender, identity, and presentation can completely change the way a joke lands. Along the way, Yuna talks about trying to shoot her shot in the comedy world, getting more comfortable on stage, and learning that writing five pages of material does not necessarily mean you wrote five minutes of jokes. The conversation also takes aim at the perceived hierarchy of comedy, Kill Tony culture, Elephant Graveyard, and the difference between being told someone is funny and actually watching them perform live. Brian and Yuna also debate uploading consciousness, whether living forever would actually be worth it, Team Edward vs. Team Jacob, Yuna's rapidly expanding joke repertoire, ridiculous trivia, Bong Joon Ho, the Raygun documentary, and why being a female breakdancer might come with the same advantages as being a woman in comedy. As always, the conversation is chaotic, brutally honest, wildly inappropriate, and completely unfiltered, making for another hilarious episode of Church & State.CHAPTERS00:00 Brian's Basketball Skills & The New Live Show02:20 Comedy Success & Yuna's Growth05:06 Korean Superstitions & Haunted Real Estate06:55 The "Oppression Olympics" of Comedy11:21 Who Gets to Make Fun of Who?13:15 Brian's High School Beauty Pageant Story13:54 Yuna Shoots Her Shot at Roast Battle17:00 The Things You Can't Unsee in Comedy18:41 Kill Tony, Elephant Graveyard & Comedy Culture21:00 The Problem With "Smart Comedy"22:37 Would You Upload Your Consciousness?24:10 Why Would I Want to Live in a World Where I Can't Not?25:53 Team Edward vs. Team Jacob26:44 Yuna's Growing Collection of Jokes28:05 What Is Brian Delusional About?30:48 Are We Ripping Off Bad Friends?32:15 Ridiculous Trivia: Guess the Asian34:40 Bong Joon Ho & Korean Cinema36:00 The Return of the Alamo Drafthouse37:30 The Raygun Documentary38:16 Does Being a Woman Give You an Advantage in Comedy?39:30 Church & State Is DismissedFollow Brian BogartInstagram: @brian.bogart[www.instagram.com/brian.bogart/](http://www.instagram.com/brian.bogart/)YouTube: @brianbogartcomedy[www.youtube.com/@brianbogartcomedy](http://www.youtube.com/@brianbogartcomedy)Follow Yuna PahkInstagram: @yunapahk[www.instagram.com/yunapahk/](http://www.instagram.com/yunapahk/)YouTube: @yunapahk[www.youtube.com/@yunapahk](http://www.youtube.com/@yunapahk)Produced by Church & State Podcast#podcast #comedy #standupcomedy #killtony #brianbogart #yunapahk #churchandstate #comedypodcast

Welcome back to Church & State! This week, Brian Bogart and Yuna Pahk are joined by comedian Annie Elizabeth for a hilarious and deeply personal conversation about facing breast cancer without losing her sense of humor. Annie shares the story behind her infamous “boob funeral,” where friends eulogized her breasts and roasted cancer before her mastectomy, before opening up about chemotherapy, complications with her diagnosis, and the treatment she’s still undergoing. She explains how facing her mortality completely changed her approach to comedy, pushing her to stop waiting for opportunities and independently book an 11-city stand-up tour before she had ever even performed a full hour. Along the way, the group debates when it’s acceptable to play the “cancer card,” puts Annie through a round of ridiculous trivia, and explores whether comedians need distance from painful experiences before they can make them funny. As always, the conversation is equal parts hilarious, honest, insightful, and completely unfiltered, making for another unforgettable episode of Church & State.CHAPTERS00:00 Annie Elizabeth Joins Church & State01:15 The Breast Cancer Donation Story06:15 Annie's Diagnosis & the Infamous Boob Funeral11:26 Annie's Journey Into Stand-Up Comedy13:48 The Reality of Cancer & Chemotherapy18:43 How Cancer Changed Annie's Ambition22:19 Can You Play the "Cancer Card"?31:59 Ridiculous Trivia40:41 Can Anything Be Funny?45:26 Annie's Upcoming Shows & What's NextFollow Brian BogartInstagram: @brian.bogart[www.instagram.com/brian.bogart/](http://www.instagram.com/brian.bogart/)YouTube: @brianbogartcomedy[www.youtube.com/@brianbogartcomedy](http://www.youtube.com/@brianbogartcomedy)Follow Yuna PahkInstagram: @yunapahk[www.instagram.com/yunapahk/](http://www.instagram.com/yunapahk/)YouTube: @yunapahk[www.youtube.com/@yunapahk](http://www.youtube.com/@yunapahk)Follow Annie ElizabethInstagram: @iannieelizabethwww.instagram.com/iannieelizabeth/TikTok: @iannieelizabethwww.tiktok.com/@iannieelizabethYouTube: @iannieelizabethcomedywww.youtube.com/@iannieelizabethcomedyTour Dates & More:www.annieelizabethcomedy.comProduced by Church & State Podcast#podcast #comedy #standupcomedy #killtony #ricdiez #sadmanric #brianbogart #yunapahk #churchandstate #comedypodcast

Welcome back to Church & State! This week, Brian Bogart and Yuna Pahk are joined by comedian and Kill Tony Golden Ticket winner Ric Diez. Fresh off a trip back home to Brussels, Ric talks about splitting his time between Europe and the U.S., getting more stage time at home than in Los Angeles, and figuring out what a sustainable career in comedy actually looks like. The conversation gets into the business of comedy clubs, why some rooms feel harder to break into than others, and Ric’s decision to start stand-up at 42 before eventually finding an international audience.From there, Ric looks back at his first appearances on Kill Tony and the pressure that came once people started paying attention. He breaks down how his now-infamous rivalry with Hans Kim began, why he decided to challenge him in the first place, and why people still stop him years later to tell him they think he won. Brian and Yuna also get Ric’s thoughts on Roast Battle, joke writing, developing material, and the difference between getting a laugh in the room and showing people that you can actually write.The conversation shifts into Ric’s “Sadman Ric” persona, how his approach to self-deprecating comedy has changed, and the balance between writing from a negative point of view while becoming happier in real life. They also talk about starting comedy later in life, the physical reality of touring, and the realization that building a career is often as much about selling tickets as being funny.Later, Brian and Yuna put Ric’s pessimism to work with a round of “Sadman Silver Lining,” where he has to find the downside to otherwise good situations. From there, the conversation moves into acting, creative careers, fashion, life in Los Angeles, and the differences between writing one-liners and telling longer stories on stage. Ric wraps things up with his upcoming tour dates and a final message for the Church & State audience.Chapters00:00 Cold Open00:37 Ric Diez Joins Church & State02:14 Building a Comedy Career Between Europe & LA08:00 Starting Stand-Up at 4212:15 Ric Diez vs. Hans Kim21:54 The Evolution of “Sadman Ric”26:09 Roast Battle, Joke Writing & Bombing32:13 The Reality of Making a Living in Comedy36:00 Sadman Silver Lining57:58 Ric’s Tour, Comedy Style & OutroFollow Brian BogartInstagram: @brian.bogart[www.instagram.com/brian.bogart/](http://www.instagram.com/brian.bogart/)YouTube: @brianbogartcomedy[www.youtube.com/@brianbogartcomedy](http://www.youtube.com/@brianbogartcomedy)Follow Yuna PahkInstagram: @yunapahk[www.instagram.com/yunapahk/](http://www.instagram.com/yunapahk/)YouTube: @yunapahk[www.youtube.com/@yunapahk](http://www.youtube.com/@yunapahk)Follow Ric DiezInstagram: @sadmanric[www.instagram.com/sadmanric/](http://www.instagram.com/sadmanric/)Tour Dates & More:[www.ricdiez.com](http://www.ricdiez.com)Produced by Church & State Podcast#podcast #comedy #standupcomedy #killtony #ricdiez #sadmanric #brianbogart #yunapahk #churchandstate #comedypodcast

Welcome back to Church & State! This week, Brian Bogart and Yuna Pahk decide to have a few drinks and see where the episode goes. They start by discussing the questionable historical shirts they are wearing, North Korea, and Yuna’s habit of finding unusual potential sponsors. From there, the conversation moves into what kind of drunks they are, Yuna’s long drive between Long Beach and the LA comedy scene, developing stage presence, and another round of arguments about their recent Roast Battle. Brian also shares his past as a ballroom dance and cotillion instructor before the conversation turns to drinking habits and their preferred beers.Things take a turn when Asher is brought in to host a series of increasingly uncomfortable Would You Rather questions. Brian and Yuna work through impossible scenarios involving careers, reputations, social taboos, and what they would actually be willing to live with. The questions eventually lead to conversations about internet outrage, comedy, sex robots, and whether some choices are worse because of the act itself or because everyone would know about it.The episode wraps up with a new version of The Price Is Right, where Brian and Yuna try to guess the cost of things they probably should not be researching, including organs, bail, hitmen, and eventually horse semen. Asher provides the answers while everyone realizes they know considerably less about the black market and horse breeding than they thought.Chapters00:00 Cold Open00:56 Welcome to Church & State01:25 The Most Questionable Sponsor Yet05:51 North Korea, K-Pop & Yuna’s Childhood10:27 What Kind of Drunk Are You?13:32 Comedy, Stage Presence & Roast Battle16:36 Brian’s Ballroom Dancing Past19:16 Drinking, Beer & Asian Drinking Culture22:35 Unhinged Would You Rather Begins35:18 Sex Robots & the Future of Dating38:30 Would You Rather Gets Worse52:03 The Worst Price Is Right59:06 How Much Does Horse Semen Cost?1:03:57 OutroFollow Brian BogartInstagram: @brian.bogart[www.instagram.com/brian.bogart/]( / brian.bogart )YouTube: @brianbogartcomedy[ / @brianbogartcomedy ]( / @brianbogartcomedy )Follow Yuna PahkInstagram: @yunapahk[www.instagram.com/yunapahk]( / yunapahk )YouTube: @yunapahk[ / @yunapahk ]( / @yunapahk )Produced by Church & State Podcast

Welcome back to Church & State! This week, Brian Bogart and Yuna Pahk are joined by comedian Austen Silver, Brian’s longtime friend and comedy mentor, to talk about their years coming up together in stand-up. Austen looks back on first meeting Brian through his old Banter open mic, why he initially hated the concept, and how Brian eventually won him over. From there, the group gets into how comedians develop over time, testing new material, finding a comedic voice, and Austen’s self-described “playfully negative” approach to stand-up. Yuna also shares a recent interaction with another comedian that brought out her competitive side, leading into a conversation about ambition and using other comics as motivation. Brian and Austen revisit years of touring together, including Brian taking sales calls from the road, disappointing shows, difficult crowds, and the times one of them had to follow the other after a particularly strong or particularly bad set. Along the way, they discuss the differences between the Austin and Los Angeles comedy scenes, what bombing feels like after years of doing stand-up, and why Austen still prefers comedy with a clear point of view. Another week of stand-up, old stories, competition, and friends being slightly too comfortable criticizing each other.

Welcome back to Church & State! This week, Brian Bogart and Yuna Pahk recap their recent Roast Battle at the Comedy Store, where Yuna is still questioning the final result. They break down their approach to the battle, why they chose to make their jokes more personal, and the overtime round that decided the winner. Asher also joins the conversation to explain how he may have accidentally played a small part in Yuna’s loss. From there, Brian and Yuna discuss what would happen to the podcast if their friendship ever fell apart before moving into conversations about maritime law, getting in trouble with the law, community service, and stories from their past. Later, they turn to the current state of comedy and podcasting, the growing influence of comedians online, and what happens when comedy and larger cultural conversations begin to overlap. The episode wraps up with a discussion about bringer shows, the business of stand-up, and the difference between having strong opinions and actually being funny. Another week of comedy, disagreements, and conversations that go in directions neither of them planned.