2416 – Loving This Country with Yakov Smirnoff

Yakov Smirnoff

Find the show at Pardcast.com

In studio notes by Garon Cockrell
Editing and additional notes by Darryl Asher

@Yakov_Smirnoff
www.yakov.com

00 – Welcome in!

Sex baby! You and me!

Matt just saw Salt n Peppa!

Jimmy talks the recent tornados.

Talking Matt’s concert adventure!

It was raining and cold this weekend in Los Angeles.

Jimmy is a fan of the show format.

NKOTB, Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, Naughty by Nature, and Salt and Pepa.

Joey came out and did a duet version of Lost In Your Eyes with Debbie Gibson.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debbie_Gibson

Debbie hails from Brooklyn.

10 – More about the NKOTB show.

Apparently, the guys know 3 people who got hit by foul balls at ball games this weekend.

15 – Matt talks about the time of the show where NKOTB were standing right next to them.

Matt had a celebrity sighting! Sitting right behind him!

Giniffer Goodwin!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginnifer_Goodwin

Turns out she’s the perfect age for New Kids.

30 – Talking color headshots and tricks to getting noticed.

Faces International story from Eliot.

Jimmy talks agents and headshots.

Could Jimmy have made the concert? No he was playing Cranium.

Jimmy tries to remember the show he did with the Duffy Bros.

Jimmy talks his nostalgia trip.

45 – Phone checks!

Can Eliot transfer the movie for Jimmy?!

Are we all gonna get tapes converted?!

Yakov Smirnoff is here!

He’s a doctor!

Yakov’s laugh!

We’ll be right back!

50 – We’re back!

Yakov was on the Norm Crosby Comedy show!

Yakov talks about his start at a hotel in the Catskills.

Yakov came here in 1977.

55 – Yakov talks about his Ten Day plan to stardom which included a meeting with Mitzy Shore who enjoyed his stand-up and told him to come back the next day. HE did and witnessed Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, and Richard Pryor doing shows.

Mitzy gave him a home and a job so he could stay in LA. He lived with Andrew Dice Clay and Tom Wilkinson

Yakov talks about about his start and his road to the tonight show.

60 – He did the Tonight Show 7 times.

Jimmy is fascinated by the Yakov era of stand-up.

Yakov tells a story about dating a girl who lived in this area. Dice Clay was his romance coach. He ended up buying a ring for this girl on Dice’s recommendation.

I’m here! I saw Booksmart and Brightburn.

1h5m – Smirnoff is not his real last name! It’s Pokis.

Yakov never really did the in America/in Russia jokes, it was Jay Leno who sort of pushed that on him.

Yakov’s kids are named Natasha and Alexander. His wife wanted to name their daughter Brandy. Alexander was almost named Boris apparently.

Turns out he officially changed his last name.

1h10m – Talking roommate situation.

Matt asks Yakov if he thinks Dice bought into the character too much. He talks about it.

Yakov thinks Aladdin is great! Matt liked it.

1h15m – Jimmy didn’t see it, the family shut it down. They ended up seeing The Hustle. Oliver called it “shot for shot” remake of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

They watched This Is Spinal Tap together and laughed like idiots.

1h20m – Yakov talks about Aladdin being a spin on current America.

Yakov doesn’t watch TV?! Jimmy is shocked. Yakov talks being cut off with Pop Culture as it’s a form of propogranda and it helps him keep a clear mind.

Yakov talks his wives and conversations with Ronald Regan and people who he knew that returned to Russia.

Yakov talks performing in Russia, reactions to his success, etc.

1h30m – Jimmy asks about Yakov’s relationships with presidents. He’s performed for a few but only had a relationship with Regan.

We’ll be back!

1h35m – We’re back! Yakov is taking time away from entertaining the Ruskies and the Hillbillies.

Jimmy had a new nickname for Eliot. The Councilman. Jimmy was all excited to call him that, came in and saw it on the board. He’d called him that last week.

Checking in with Eliot.

Palms Polls?

Eliot talks about his election plans.

1h40m – Eliot talks about a trip to Berlin and meeting someone who grew up in East Germany and being overwhelmed by western ideas in grocery stories.

Yakov addresses this and the change from Communism life to Capitalism for his parents. HE talks about a time hi mother saw fresh meat on display and started crying. She had never seen fresh meat before.

1h45m – Jimmy asks Yakov about how Branson happened and how his career immediately stalled when the wall came down.

Yakov says Socialism is a trap. Eliot addresses this and his thoughts.

1h50m – Yakov talks more about Branson, and his dissertation about the Laws of Laughter.

Russian states had a department of jokes, songs, plays, etc for censorship purposes.

The Comedy Store is booming apparently. Yakov goes in every Friday and does a set.

2h – Yakov talks about getting emotional when the current crop of big comics recognizes him.

My pleasure,

Garon/The Beast/Mush Mouth Shy Guy/The Notekeeper/Lazy Queen/Sloth