Michael Malice

Like not, you don't, I don't mean you, Lex.

The wolf bots.

There's lots of standup comedians who aren't Jerry Seinfeld, right?

If you want to be a podcaster, you don't have to be Joe Rogan.

You could be someone who's got a medium audience and are enjoying it.

So like the idea that like something has to be, you have to be a massive superstar or you're a failure is also ridiculous, but that's cynicism.

I think the people- Let me interrupt you because I didn't finish what you were saying earlier.

In America, it's not just a Russian thing.

In American culture, if you have like a,

sitcom or a musical, it's regarded as less legitimate than a drama, right?

Like if something's gotta be about someone struggling or someone suffering, whereas if this is like a joyous, happy story, like maybe something like Pixar, right?

Like sure, they have conflict and they're going for something, but it's overall the background the universe is taking in is very joyous and happy.

That is regarded artistically as less legitimate than something which is dark and the background is despair.

And that very subtly,

sends a very, to me, pernicious message that what's real is despair and happiness is the aberration.

And I think if you have that as your mindset, you're setting yourself up for maybe not failure, but certainly not happiness.

It's also very hurtful for me because when I graduated college, it was important for me to be self-made and not take money from my family.

And I remember my grandma, this was a huge argument, an ongoing argument,

And one time she, as she was leaving my house, she slipped money in under the door and I threw it out and it made me so angry.

Or like one year for my birthday, she gave me, I think like $500, which was a lot of money when you're like 22 or 23.