Jake Cornell

Welcome to the shit show. Things are going to get weird. It's your fave villain, Kale Lowry. And you're listening to Barely Famous. All right, y'all, welcome back to another episode of Barely Famous. Today we have Jake Cornell, influencer, comedian, actor, all the things.

Yeah, me too.

I think I'm thinking of, like, the Great Lakes maybe.

So is that, like, a server or bartender or waitress's version of being, like, a fly on the wall? Like, people watching but in the restaurant industry?

Wait, where are you in comparison to Delaware?

Oh, we don't even have one of those. Our Red Robin just shut down. I'm devastated. But before they did that, they took the freaking baked potato soup off the menu.

Why would they do that?

They also put in a mini Chili's like 40 minutes away. Why would you put in a mini Chili's? We literally don't have anything else and I don't have anywhere. I love Chili's.

Like can you sit? Like it's like half the size of a regular Chili's.

It has the same menu. It's like mainly for to-go. And if you go inside, they want to flip the tables even faster than they would in a regular Chili's.

Yeah.

So it's really upsetting because it's like we the people –

Yeah, like I need the triple dipper in the full chilies essence.

I have to let it marinate for a second before I leave.

get me yeah i feel seen i truly do actually like one of the guests that we had yesterday she was like um where should we go eat in time square and i said i'm pretty sure that's all chain restaurants pretty much in time square i mean you can get like the no it kind of is yeah

Hold on, because they're all so small.

And I used to when I come to New York, I would just stay in Times Square because it was so centrally located to everywhere I needed to go. But being in Harlem has been really nice. A nice little change of pace. I actually love it here. Oh, my God. I got Indian food last night and I was so excited about it. We also had Peruvian food yesterday for lunch. And I'm like, Delaware could never.

And I don't know about Rhode Island. Do they have good food there?

I've never been. Yeah. Did you go to school in Rhode Island or Vermont?

I went to school in Delaware. So it's just been sort of slow. The Amish built my house and I have a little farm. So it's just very different than New York.

Yeah. My kids don't help with the farm though. That's probably not cute.

Would you ever make a character based off my life with like a woman with seven kids?

i could but i like you i don't have a i don't i'm not feeling a compulsion to like make fun of you in any way why i just i want someone to think i'm a big deal you are a big deal but i told the author yesterday she killed a plumber and one of a plumber that she had work for her um yeah she was like i hated him and i killed him in a book like i want that like kill me in a book name a character after me something that's amazing do you know what i mean yeah no i'm worthy yeah no you're good

I'm trying. Okay. It keeps pulling up Rhode Island, but I need to see it on.

If you bring me up in New York, just let me know. This is for you. And I'll be like, perfect. Actually, I'll just come to one. When's your next show?

730.

I have to leave at two o'clock.

Oh, I guess that's not the ambiance. That's not the vibe. Okay, fair. But next show, I would love to come. I think that would be so fun.

I've never been to a New York comedy show. I've been to comedy shows in LA. And then I went in Philly because it's so close to us. Okay, so talk about your shows in February.

Yeah.

Okay.

Right after the Super Bowl.

Yeah. I think the Super Bowl is the weekend before.

Yeah.

No, that'll be fun. I was going to go, but then I was like. They said it's not kid-friendly, so I was like, okay, never mind.

We were just actually in New Orleans, and it was my first time there. I had never been to Bourbon Street.

Oh, it's right next to Connecticut.

No, I was thoroughly impressed, and I wish that I had more time there, so that'll be great for you.

So what does a day in the life look like for you going on a tour, like a tour date?

Yeah, like out of state.

Oh, okay. So Delaware is far. I thought it was- Quite far.

Okay, so where I thought Rhode Island was was like the little sort of island looking thing between- The upper peninsula of Michigan? Yes.

That's what I thought.

But that's just like a hidden gem. I wouldn't have expected that.

Oh, we go for the chicken fingers.

That's not a state though.

audience was like one of the best audiences i had like they were so fun like we had such a fun show so i was like riding high when i went out like it was just like a great makes a huge difference oh 100 um have you ever been to dallas like the the gay bars in dallas no the only i've only done austin in texas that's the only city i've done so far i actually loved some of the gay the uh i've heard that yeah i've heard that i was surprised i was impressed because i mean it's texas right like i just didn't expect it maybe in austin i would have

Oh, okay. Cool.

Okay.

Yeah. No, I had a great time. That was one of my favorite at Asbury. I'm trying to think of any other one. I have never done like a parade.

And Rhode Island is not an island. Correct.

Oh, I want to come to the New York one.

All parades are shit shows, so I think that wouldn't even matter. But I've never done New York, and I'm here all the time, and it has never aligned. And I have another friend – also a gay male and he is like, I don't fucking want kids. And I was like, I understand.

Well, I was just telling you about the dad, the dad I follow on Tik TOK. He is a single gay dad. He chose to do it by himself. Like he doesn't have a partner. Great. Happy for you. You know what I mean? Like whatever you choose, but I also, um, I understand all of it and I don't, I don't fault anybody for any of that.

But so when you, you're my age, you're 32 and you said you have a six year old sibling. Mm hmm. That is so crazy to me because I think about my oldest and my youngest, right, 15 and 1. He'll graduate high school, and the year later, my 1-year-old will go to kindergarten. But yours is an even bigger gap. Yeah, we're 27 years apart. that's the craziest thing I've ever heard.

Okay. So you started comedy and just everything in Rhode Island.

So do you feel like more of an uncle role?

100%.

the dynamic of the relationship, I think it probably looks more like uncle, uncle, niece, you know, it just gives me perspective though, because I did grow up an only child and I have seven kids that there are gaps between them. So it's giving me perspective. Um, I don't know what to expect from siblings. Like I have no idea. I think what you said about what,

relationship that you have or the the same dynamic that you have with your sister who's two and a half years younger than you is sort of what I expected when I had siblings but it doesn't always play out that way right like sometimes you could be a year apart and you're just not close oh I mean but that's the other thing me and my sister hated each other growing up childhood fought like cats in boxes like absolutely never got along and I remember like I remember I went to

Was your sexuality ever a point of contention in your relationship with your sister or in your family?

What do you think the change was? What do you think the flip was?

as far as I know, it's the same sort of experience. Um, I have an uncle who we grew up in a really small town, like super small. Um, and we just, nobody questioned him. It was like, he brought a man home and it was just like, you don't have to, you don't come out as straight. So we're not going to ask you if you're getting, which we just knew. Um, but I didn't have that same experience.

I had, um, after I had my first son, I think before my second son, um, I had said to my mom and I don't have a good relationship with my mom. So I don't even know what propelled me or what made me say anything to her specifically. But I was like, I think I'm gay. And she was like, I never went through that phase.

And that was the last conversation I ever had surrounding the topic of being, you know, part of the queer community or anything related to that. I just never said anything again. I was just like, okay. And just acted like it didn't happen.

Right.

I remember walking into my uncle's house one time. He had gotten a new house and I was so young that I still didn't, like, I knew what being gay meant, but I also, like, didn't put two and two together yet. And I walked in and he's showing us his room and, like, the whole house. It was stunning. And I go, why do you guys have two alarm clocks?

And my mom looks at me and she goes, they wake up at different times. And I just didn't... I still didn't compute. And then, like, later on, like, weeks later, I was like, wait, oh, he's gay. Like, I get it. And I just, like, didn't care.

They slept in the same bed. They woke up at two different times.

But I, like, knew that they were together, but I didn't know it was a romantic... Like, I don't... I don't think it... It just... They've been together as long as I've been alive.

It wasn't a big deal to me ever.

I think my mom was just, for my experience with my mom, my mom's an asshole, right? Like we don't have a good relationship, but she's not homophobic. I think it was just like, I look back and I'm like, yikes, but also her brother's gay. Do you know what I mean? And so it's just like, and I just didn't, it didn't compute to me. It wasn't a big deal.

And so I've just been raised around it my whole life. And I think also just being around it was really, in my opinion, was helpful because it's just like, I think the people that are super, super homophobic are, Might be gay.

Or that they're secure in their decision.

Or you weren't willing to or you felt peer pressured. Yeah, same thing. No, I would wholeheartedly agree with you. Are you uncomfortable with doing some takes on unpopular opinions?

Main character energy is a cute way of saying attention whore.

That's like, you know, am I a narcissist? You're probably not. If you're questioning, you have that self-awareness.

I have a, my seven year old is, and if you ever do a deep dive in my social media, like he is true main character energy. And he says to me all the time, he's going to be in movies one day. And I believe him. He is main character, but he's seven years old. He doesn't know what an attention whore is. So in that way, I do also think that like, it depends on the situation.

Like you, because you knew, you know, you knew. Are you here for the Nepo babies or you're not here for the Nepo babies?

I will say I wish I was a Nepo baby.

Okay, fair.

Let me look up the definition because like, are my kids, are they like B-list nepo babies?

Like if they have a trust fund, they're a nepo baby.

This says a person who gains success or opportunities through familial connections. So it's not the trust fund. It's not the money. It's the connections. It's not what you know.

That's what I was thinking.

I don't know anybody rich.

I mean, I feel, and I don't know if I'm biased because my son is just amazing, but he is fluent in ASL and I feel like he's using that and he goes on his Instagram and he's doing reels for, you know, speaking in sign language and doing things like that. I feel like that to me, he's using it for good.

I mean, you're self-taught, you are taking classes at the school for the deaf and things like that. So to me, I feel like that's,

To what you're saying. You know what I mean? Okay. I'm not a fan despite whatever people are saying. Contrary to popular belief is a better way to put it. I don't use filters on my pictures. I just prefer not to. I just feel like if you're going to meet me in person, I'd rather you love me or hate me in person.

I don't want you to see a filter on my face and then see me in person and be like, oh, yikes. Are we here for the filters? Are we not here for the filters?

I think you look great in person. Thank you.

I also don't judge other people who do use them.

Now I will say that if I roll out of bed and, Right. And I look crazy. I'll throw a filter on that filters the entire mainly on like Instagram story where it's like a filter, like a sepia sepia situation.

But if we're talking about like Facetune, I've never I'm not using Facetune on my face. I've seen makeup artists who do my makeup and they'll Facetune the makeup they did on my face and then they'll post it.

No, that should be illegal because now you're selling services that don't exist.

And also you made my chin look weird.

No, for sure. I mean is my tummy tuck false advertising if I'm like, oh, I'm skinny?

Okay, perfect. Do we like dancing videos on social media like TikTok, Instagram, things like that? Or how do we feel about those?

I wish I could dance. And one time... pretty recently, it was like three years ago, I like tried to do this transition with like a dance and people were like, you thought you ate. I will never, I will never in my life even try.

Can you dance though?

Is this a person?

I'll be honest with you. I don't know a single Charli XCX song.

Does this... Not the right side of TikTok.

Okay.

I just love when people break news to me.

Okay. I love this. Wait, is this like rave music? Or like, remember Panic at the Disco? Like that sort of vibe? Is that the vibe?

That's the next band. They're going to make a full 360 comeback.

Well, you're teaching me new things and I'm going to go back to my house and just show my kids that I'm the cool mom.

He's going to roll his eyes.

Well, so, okay. A couple weeks ago, I was in the car on my way to Philly and the camera person that I know and love and I use him for a lot of stuff was like, oh, I could see you doing this to hot to go. And I said, excuse me. And he said, kill Hot To Go. Like, it's an old trend.

Truly, I do listen to music. But I think I'm just not listening to... Are you more, like, listening to country? No. I think I'm... Because I'm listening to 90s and early 2000s still.

Yeah. So when he told me about Hot To Go, and I'm like... I don't know what's going on. And so I learned it that night at my live show. Like I just learned how to go, but I didn't know what was going on. Having kids keeps me young. Maybe I should keep having them.

Is there anything else I should know? Like trending? I know Heidi Montag's song. I'll do it.

I put it on my last Instagram post for her.

Chapel run is the singer.

I feel like she came out of nowhere. Just like Bobby Altoff.

Yes, you do.

It's the one that did the Drake interview in the bed.

Are you a Drake fan? I'm like hit or miss. It's like, I don't care.

Who's like your number one go to to listen to?

I was so taken aback because I've had podcast guests on here that are so completely different than who they are online. And I think that comes with the territory, right? Because so many people, they gain fame and notoriety on social media without even trying. From the time that you walked in the door here until you're sitting here right now, I'm like, you're the same person online.

Do you listen to country?

What about Post Malone?

Oh, okay.

Yep. I'm a big postie fan. I think that's also just different genres. So Charlie XCX and Chapel Roan are, would they be like considered pop?

That's probably why I haven't heard.

But I know like my, I took my son to Olivia Rodrigo.

And then we're going to go to Tate McRae.

I've never heard her music before, but I will.

I do love R&B.

No.

I've heard of her, though.

I love Ella Mai.

Just so good.

Ella Mai is slept on. Like, I know she's getting... Ella Mai is slept on, for sure.

She's so talented.

How do you feel about Bad Bunny?

I think it's a love story to Puerto Rico. Yeah, that's what I've heard. So it's not like what he's typically has done in the past, but I respect it. I think that that's great. How do we feel about people canceling plans? Rude, not rude, self-care? How do you feel?

No, I agree.

I have gone back and forth with this because I have, I feel like I fell into the trap from social media specifically where it's like, Oh, canceling plans is self care, but like it's not always self care.

I like a little bit of like in a 30 days month. Right. I'll make plans like two days out of the month. Like I don't want to do it all the time. But I think the happy balance of like pouring into myself, also my kids, also my partner. I want to make sure that I do have friends. But I the friends thing right now in my life is small doses. Also, I work with my best friends.

I just love it. And I was cracking up. First of all, how old are you? 32. Okay, so we're the same age. So while you were, like, taking off on your career, I was, like, giving birth. You know what I mean? So he was like, oh, is, you know, I was telling him about Isaac, who's 15. You know, the listeners, my listeners already know, but your audience might not know. Completely different audiences.

Well, that's part of it, which is weird for a lot of people because a lot of people can't work. Like, I love Alessandra so much. I have an assistant that I was my best friend before she worked for me.

So in a way, I'm sort of getting the best of both worlds. And I think that there is a happy medium. You have to be careful and tread that that line sort of lightly. You know what I mean?

That might not be, like, a real, like, a true friend.

And also one of the best New York gays.

when I worked at the dentist office, yeah, they were my friends at work, but they weren't my friends outside of work. A hundred percent. Where this, I would hang out with Alessandra. I mean, we went to Barnes and Noble last night, you know, like I'd hang out with her. We also have common interests. So I think that plays a factor too. So it's just a little bit different.

And then last one, New York city gays are better than LA gays.

Is there hate between the gays?

Is there animosity?

I've never, I didn't know about it until it was on here.

gays from DC it's like Jesus you know what I mean wait can you do the trend have you seen the trend this is completely unrelated where the gay guys are like going I'm gonna talk to my mom in my in my deep voice and she goes what the fuck are you doing why are you talking like that well you know I have a bit about this online no I didn't know that okay so something really crazy that happens all the time

No, it's definitely not your voice.

For sure. And Jake was like, oh, is he your only? And I said, I have seven kids. And you're like, no.

Can you do it? What is it?

What's your favorite color and why?

that's really mom where's my charger and she goes why the fuck are you talking like that and i was cracking up because i was like you just as a mom you want your kids to be who they are but i love that okay before we go tell us um where can people find your tour dates first of all so you can follow me if you follow me on instagram jake w cornell you can i post about everything there and then i also all my dates are on a website called punch up dot live

Like I was giving birth and you're like launching your entire career. And I'm like, how the fuck do I get this?

I mean, I don't know.

So did your TikTok take off sort of just on its own? Like just naturally then?

Right.

You can't call yourself that?

So what does that mean for you and the TikTok ban? Like, how do you feel about it? Are you going to be super affected? Are you upset? Do you not necessarily care? Like where, where are you at with it?

Okay, so I can't say I'm one of the best podcasters?

That's really, you're walking to the gym. So you already worked out on the way to the gym. So do you really have to go to the gym? That's like two workouts in one day.

Right. But we also can recognize that this is, you know, not this TikTok is a place where people are You know, funding their entire lifestyles and also taking care of their families with the funds from TikTok.

We're fortunate that we have other places, but some people don't. And I do feel like that is so sad for – and I want to advocate and give a voice to the people who are making their income on TikTok. Because, I mean, for the people that say it's not a real job, they're paying in real money.

argument it's weird right like it is a weird place to be and i can understand you know where people are like oh that's not a real job but it is and i do get upset for the people who are like oh i can't wait for the tiktok ban so you can go get a real job but at the end of the day like tiktok is putting so much so why is that more of a real job than answering emails all day like we're like a call center like i just don't it's never made sense to me um i understand like

Yeah. No, I agree with everything you're saying. Um, do you see yourself being in New York for the long haul?

You're an East coaster. I am too. Just like born and raised on the East coast. I like to go to LA in very small increments of time, but I'm just not a West coast girly.

Yeah, absolutely. So I first came across you on TikTok for being funny and being a comedian, and I love that. Thank you. But where did you start before TikTok and before comedy in general? Were you always funny or did you sort of like learn to be funny?

I'm about three hours from New York and I'm here so much. And I really hated it at first because I didn't, I don't know.

A good personality trait?

I will say that people that I've encountered in New York, not people I know, but just like random people on the street are very different than the people that I have encountered in LA just on a regular day.

Oh, a hundred percent.

Yeah.

In terms of, you know, social media and being a comedian and an actor, do you feel like anyone has ever not given you a chance or not taken you seriously because of sort of how you came into comedy and becoming an actor?

Okay.

I'm burnt out. I canceled all my tours for the first half of this year because I'm burnt the fuck out.

But they're not on tour with me.

Oh, we can talk about that. I've had, I was telling Jake off camera, I was saying like, I've had podcast guests that it's, some of them are really difficult sometimes because you see them on social media and then they don't translate the same way on the podcast.

Wait, that's part of New England?

And so I do, I do want to have TikTokers on, right? People who are doing so well on TikTok, I would love to have a conversation with them, but sometimes they don't know how to answer a question or they're not giving me energy and I have to feed off of their energy. It's the same way I would imagine with,

for comedy and crowd work or anything like that, if you're not having a good audience, that is going to directly impact the energy that you have and the jokes that you tell or whatever that looks like.

100%.

I thought it was the Midwest.

Like the top, like by Michigan?

fun that it's a surprise for some people but i would like to eventually get to be known for that side more because it's what i care about more yeah absolutely and i think well there's a lot to be said for the people who might have come across you on their for you page or something and they see you there first and so they don't know what to expect when they get to a live show versus your fan base that you had prior to tiktok or socials that have seen you live and then follow you on socials yeah and i think now it's kind of a bit both where like people see me live and join in or they're

Let me pull up a map really quick. And what's crazy is that, like, I'm not dumb. So hold on a second.

Can we talk about your characters?

So you have gay Brooklyn dad.

Okay. Can we talk about what's, what's his personality?

Okay.