Ira Glass

In fact, I was amazed to discover just this week that you're not really a brilliantly successful sketch and comedy writer, producer, performer.

You are a failed dental student.

Oh, yeah.

Big time failure.

Yeah.

And another thing I found out was that your father was, and I don't know if I've ever said this phrase before, a legendary dentist.

He sort of developed the tooth bonding technique, and he went from there and revolutionized dentistry, and I'm very proud to be his son.

And you actually tried to follow in his giant footsteps.

I did.

But it was all I was ever good at.

When did you first know you were funny or could at least be funny?

Wait a minute.

You know, I'm seven years old.

I'm trying to make my friends laugh.

Give me a break.

For those who don't know, I want to turn to Triumph, your alter ego.

Again, I just found out this week that apparently you and your wife discovered Triumph or the first version of Triumph at some sort of knick-knack shop or antique store.

My wife and I, we were newlyweds, or actually, we were at furniture shopping, and there was this quaint little store called Mabel's in Manhattan, and they had an even quainter rack of puppets, rubber puppets, that were just animal heads.

There were dogs and cats, and there was a sheep, and there was an owl.

Yeah, well, as you would, as he would.