David Marchese

When I was watching Nate Bargetzi's latest special, though, my 10-year-old walked in, I grabbed the remote, and then I realized I didn't have to do anything. Because the next joke he told with my daughter in the room was about drinking chocolate milk.

When I was watching Nate Bargetzi's latest special, though, my 10-year-old walked in, I grabbed the remote, and then I realized I didn't have to do anything. Because the next joke he told with my daughter in the room was about drinking chocolate milk.

If stand-ups today often catch fire by being seen as transgressive and dangerous, saying the things others won't say about subjects others won't talk about in language others won't use, then Bargetzi has captured the zeitgeist in a friendlier way.

If stand-ups today often catch fire by being seen as transgressive and dangerous, saying the things others won't say about subjects others won't talk about in language others won't use, then Bargetzi has captured the zeitgeist in a friendlier way.

He's low-key and clean, and his comedy traffics in highly relatable stories about the foibles of family life, his confusion with modern living, and his own lack of smarts. It's an approach that apparently works. His was the highest grossing comedy tour of 2024. He's also found a new audience through a couple of recent and widely praised turns hosting Saturday Night Live.

He's low-key and clean, and his comedy traffics in highly relatable stories about the foibles of family life, his confusion with modern living, and his own lack of smarts. It's an approach that apparently works. His was the highest grossing comedy tour of 2024. He's also found a new audience through a couple of recent and widely praised turns hosting Saturday Night Live.

And now he's branching out to a new area with his upcoming book, the self-deprecatingly titled Big Dumb Eyes, Stories from a Simpler Mind. That kind of aw shucks attitude is a trademark of his, but as I learned, it's actually masking some surprisingly bold ambition. Here's my interview with Nate Bargetzi.

And now he's branching out to a new area with his upcoming book, the self-deprecatingly titled Big Dumb Eyes, Stories from a Simpler Mind. That kind of aw shucks attitude is a trademark of his, but as I learned, it's actually masking some surprisingly bold ambition. Here's my interview with Nate Bargetzi.

It's interesting reading articles about you over the last couple of years since your career has really taken off and you hit a new level. And the writers of those articles always try and explain why you've gotten so big. But what's your hunch about why you have gotten to the place you've gotten to over the last couple of years?

It's interesting reading articles about you over the last couple of years since your career has really taken off and you hit a new level. And the writers of those articles always try and explain why you've gotten so big. But what's your hunch about why you have gotten to the place you've gotten to over the last couple of years?

You said, I'm selling something, which is an interesting thing to hear because obviously that's true. And obviously that's true for just about everyone in the entertainment business. But usually, in my experience, people aren't so explicit in saying that. Why do you think there is hesitation on the part of some entertainers to say like, hey, I'm selling something?

You said, I'm selling something, which is an interesting thing to hear because obviously that's true. And obviously that's true for just about everyone in the entertainment business. But usually, in my experience, people aren't so explicit in saying that. Why do you think there is hesitation on the part of some entertainers to say like, hey, I'm selling something?

Help me understand the distinction you're making when you say, you know, I don't want it to be all about me because your material, it is largely about you.

Help me understand the distinction you're making when you say, you know, I don't want it to be all about me because your material, it is largely about you.

When you were starting out, did you feel any sort of peer pressure from other comedians to perform differently or tell different kinds of jokes? Because, you know, you work clean. You know, your stuff isn't really political in nature at all. There's a lot of family jokes, which I could imagine if you're, you know, a 28-year-old guy working comedy clubs in New York City.

When you were starting out, did you feel any sort of peer pressure from other comedians to perform differently or tell different kinds of jokes? Because, you know, you work clean. You know, your stuff isn't really political in nature at all. There's a lot of family jokes, which I could imagine if you're, you know, a 28-year-old guy working comedy clubs in New York City.

There's maybe not a ton of your peers are doing that kind of material.

There's maybe not a ton of your peers are doing that kind of material.

Your family is the source of a lot of your material. Yes. You know, and your wife in particular. And I did wonder, does she have to vet the jokes that you tell about her? Like, if you're coming up with a joke based on something she's done that annoys you, say, or that you found strange, do you then go to her and say, like, hey, I'm working on this joke. Are you okay with that?

Your family is the source of a lot of your material. Yes. You know, and your wife in particular. And I did wonder, does she have to vet the jokes that you tell about her? Like, if you're coming up with a joke based on something she's done that annoys you, say, or that you found strange, do you then go to her and say, like, hey, I'm working on this joke. Are you okay with that?