where he meets uh the owner of the ship who's a who's a who's a merchant uh Merchant you know very very uh important Merchant uh he's an Englishman who spent most of his life uh in Asia his name is BenjaminBurnham and uh uh you know like many opium opium Traders like many slave
problem. They also had--because it was a part of a larger food company, Genesee Pure Food, is they had this fleet of trucks. Now, this fleet of trucks was largely to serve the local merchants to deliver boxes of foodstuffs. But they thought, "Well, maybe what we'll do is we'll just go door-to-door and we'll sell--we would explain to people what thisgelatin thing is door-to-door." The problem at that time was that there was a--to sell-door-to door in late 1800s, you need a license. That license cost money and took time. They didn't
civilization so in the you know your question was uh how how do I think merchants who went uh to London applied a lot of pressure upon um the British government and they told them quite
He scanned the pages casually, but then, he froze. The Merchant of Death is dead. Dr. Alfred Nobel, who became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before, died yesterday.
capital and engaged in manual labor. The master craftsman who owned his own shop. Even merchant sailors were entitled to a share of the profits of the commercial voyage. We don't have a sharp distinction between manual workers and
So this was an opportunity they want to showcase on a global level, or at least semi-global, that they are a good stop, as well, whether it's for merchant or for visits. And Balboa Park, at the time, was sort of this large swath of land between San Diego proper, which we call downtown San Diego now, and some
You want me to add at least 40 characters by the time I'm done with the transfer. That merchant acquisition hasn't taking place yet.
So I guess I'm just curious to hear about what has improved since then, I guess. The merchant is happy because they got the US dollars.
This was the beginning of what later called the Burghers, the Bourgeois, the middle class. The merchant class got really wealthy. And no, it wasn't the best of times.
Every railroad had their own receiving stations and delivery stations. And merchant trucks from the city would have to come to them, and fill up the streets, and load cars on the streets. And there was congestion and waste everywhere.
They have a little bit of copper in it and something else. So merchant -driven, it is like a GAP, or Banana Republic, or companies that sort of produce based on the new units.
Interviewer: That's just to prove we don't do laugh tracks. Stephen Merchant : That was not as spontaneous as I was hoping for. Stephen Merchant : Cause we got, Stephen Merchant : "Oh, alright.
Stephen Merchant : That was not as spontaneous as I was hoping for. Stephen Merchant : Cause we got, Stephen Merchant : "Oh, alright. I'm trying to eat." Interviewer: So Stephen is actually performing tonight.
Well, I did about 3 months in the UK and then I found out that there were 72 fans of me in America. Stephen Merchant : And so I decided to do some shows here. So I did some in New York and a couple in Los Angeles and I'm doing this one in San Francisco.
Interviewer: So 74 fans? Stephen Merchant : 74 dynamite fans Stephen Merchant : And, um, sometimes in the UK the audience can be a bit, even though they're fans they can be a bit sort of Stephen Merchant : "We had to come out, it was raining.
Stephen Merchant : 74 dynamite fans Stephen Merchant : And, um, sometimes in the UK the audience can be a bit, even though they're fans they can be a bit sort of Stephen Merchant : "We had to come out, it was raining. This better be funny." Stephen Merchant : Where in America, generally I find people have been really up front and just set a really good atmosphere and everything.
So how are the muscles feeling at the end of the tour? Stephen Merchant : Muscles are lean and tight Interviewer: You're ready for a long distance? Stephen Merchant : Well I, yes, I used to do standup when I first left university and the audience was generally indifferent completely indifferent, occasionally rising
Stephen Merchant : Muscles are lean and tight Interviewer: You're ready for a long distance? Stephen Merchant : Well I, yes, I used to do standup when I first left university and the audience was generally indifferent completely indifferent, occasionally rising to annoyance or anger.
to annoyance or anger. Stephen Merchant : I did it on and off for a while then we started doing these TV shows and we won awards and things and there was no reason to carry on doing standup in small clubs.
And then just recently I sort of had the urge to go back and start doing it again and its bit, like I know, it's a bit like boxing, I imagine. Stephen Merchant : Um, once you've been out of the ring for awhile you've gotta get back in and take some punches and get match fit and everything. And so I just worked the show in all the clubs here and there and then over time it sort
Interviewer: So how much prep work did you put in before you actually? Stephen Merchant : Oh, a long time, I sort of dabbled with it on and off for a couple of years. Not relentlessly but just when I had free times and things.
sort of my failure with women Stephen Merchant : You know people that work in computers would understand that Interviewer: Is that Stephen Merchant : but out there in the real world it can be tough meeting girls. Stephen Merchant : So, yeah, it was a lot about my experience growing up as something of a geek which I know is a surprise to a
Stephen Merchant : but out there in the real world it can be tough meeting girls. Stephen Merchant : So, yeah, it was a lot about my experience growing up as something of a geek which I know is a surprise to a lot of you but I was a bit of a nerd.
We actually had Mazer in awhile ago and he kind of evolved the show with each performance. Stephen Merchant : Yeah. Interviewer: Do you find that helps? Stephen Merchant : Well it's interesting cause he, I remember reading a quote with him once where he said, "the thing with standup is you sort of walk to the edge of the precipice
Stephen Merchant : Yeah. Interviewer: Do you find that helps? Stephen Merchant : Well it's interesting cause he, I remember reading a quote with him once where he said, "the thing with standup is you sort of walk to the edge of the precipice and then step off." And that's the only way that you can sort of be brave enough to be more interesting or experimental because you've got to be willing to fall and fail, potentially.
I don't have that bravery. Stephen Merchant : Unlike Eddy, so I try to be quite cautious and that was why I spent so long, I think, working out in just small clubs because I didn't, I didn't, I suppose I was a reputation I had and a certain expectation and it's uncomfortable the idea of sort of performing to a thousand people and trying
Interviewer: And did you find that there's that kind of joke that hits one night and doesn't really hit the second night? Stephen Merchant : So bizarre, it's so bizarre and I can't under, there's no rhyme or reason it can sometimes be to do with the shape of the room, the size of the room. They always say in comedy never blame the audience.
It's always the audiences fault. Stephen Merchant : If they don't laugh it has nothing to do with me. It's because they are not paying attention, because they're stupid Stephen Merchant : whatever the reason.
Interviewer: Well, you know your audience. Stephen Merchant : Yeah, I know my audience. Yeah I just, there's no rhyme or reason to it it's just sometimes the audience doesn't gel as an audience, you know, it's like there's little pockets of people but they're not this
Or stuff that really resonated different? Stephen Merchant : I was concerned about that and, actually, there's a comedian friend of mine who I actually sent the show to, a taping of the show, for him to look through and point out all the references that wouldn't make sense and substitutions and, just little things like we say pedophile, you say pedophile
and point out all the references that wouldn't make sense and substitutions and, just little things like we say pedophile, you say pedophile Stephen Merchant : You know just little things like that. Just to give you a flavor of the show.
Interviewer: How much of a break did you actually take from writing TV while doing this? Stephen Merchant : Well once I was on the road I didn't, I didn't do anything except do the show really. I mean, it's just schlepping around, journey after journey and I thought it would be a lot more exciting on the road.
I thought it would be a lot more glamorous, I thought there'd be a lot more groupies Interviewer: What's a lot more? Stephen Merchant : Some, some groupies. Stephen Merchant : but there wasn't.
Stephen Merchant : Some, some groupies. Stephen Merchant : but there wasn't. There wasn't disappointing, disappointingly and I, a lot of, a lot of the groupies I have tend to be, sort of, middle age guys who work, who work in tech support.
There wasn't disappointing, disappointingly and I, a lot of, a lot of the groupies I have tend to be, sort of, middle age guys who work, who work in tech support. Stephen Merchant : No disrespect if there's any here. Stephen Merchant : Yeah, but not the kind of playboy bunnies that I was expecting.
Stephen Merchant : No disrespect if there's any here. Stephen Merchant : Yeah, but not the kind of playboy bunnies that I was expecting. Stephen Merchant : but there we are.
Stephen Merchant : Yeah, but not the kind of playboy bunnies that I was expecting. Stephen Merchant : but there we are. But so just kind of touring, it's not as exciting as I thought and endless hotels rooms and you get very bored of club sandwiches and those little bottles of shampoo
Interviewer: Does boredom kind of bring back the creative ideas about future shows? Stephen Merchant : It lets your mind wander into other areas, I suppose. So you're thinking about other possible screen plays or TV shows and stuff but nothing solid.
Interviewer: And then you came, you keep coming back to it as a medium that you're comfortable with. Stephen Merchant : Radio? Interviewer: Yeah. Stephen Merchant : Yes. Interviewer: Is that something that you, what is it about radio that you think kind of keeps you coming back?
Stephen Merchant : Radio? Interviewer: Yeah. Stephen Merchant : Yes. Interviewer: Is that something that you, what is it about radio that you think kind of keeps you coming back? Stephen Merchant : Well, radio and then, obviously, later pod casting, one of the great things is that it's a lot more, you know, freedom, generally, in just terms of the sense
Stephen Merchant : Yes. Interviewer: Is that something that you, what is it about radio that you think kind of keeps you coming back? Stephen Merchant : Well, radio and then, obviously, later pod casting, one of the great things is that it's a lot more, you know, freedom, generally, in just terms of the sense that the audience isn't expecting laughs a minute, they have to pay attention, they have to concentrate so you can, you delve down more, sort of, unusual avenues or you can
Whereas with radio you can really talk rubbish for as long as possible and that's fine. Stephen Merchant : And, yeah, there's just something different about it. It's unique, it's immediate, I think, an idea occurs to you and you can just say it.
They feel they need to push themselves more. Stephen Merchant : it's not only that I think it's also, it's very insular TV. You know, you, we don't work with a live audience so you just sort of, there's a danger of forgetting what it is that makes people laugh or how to make people laugh.
Interviewer: I know you're so worried about the other Stephen Merchant : Yeah, I was gonna say I don't have a love partner. Stephen Merchant : A love partner. Stephen Merchant : this is my partner in love.
Stephen Merchant : A love partner. Stephen Merchant : this is my partner in love. Stephen Merchant : Um, yes, no it's good.
Stephen Merchant : this is my partner in love. Stephen Merchant : Um, yes, no it's good. It's good having a working partner because you, you know, you just, you're constantly bouncing ideas back and forth and you suggest something and then he builds on it and it
Pythons? Or were you saying, "No, it's just gonna be me." Or did you just kind of? Stephen Merchant : No, I shamelessly ripped off various people and continue to do so; John Cleese, was one of my first influences and then later Woody Allen. And then, my act, my standup act is really, it's Woody Allen with a bit of Jack Benny and Bob Hope but it's disguised with an English accent so hopefully
And then, my act, my standup act is really, it's Woody Allen with a bit of Jack Benny and Bob Hope but it's disguised with an English accent so hopefully Stephen Merchant : You won't realize. Stephen Merchant : So it's all shamelessly ripped off from other people.
Stephen Merchant : You won't realize. Stephen Merchant : So it's all shamelessly ripped off from other people. Interviewer: And you find you go back to a lot of those kind of heroes and re watch their stuff?
Interviewer: And you find you go back to a lot of those kind of heroes and re watch their stuff? Stephen Merchant : I tend not to so much now. Partly cause I'm worried I will literally just steal joke ideas Stephen Merchant : But I think what it is, is you respond to certain comic traits.