Yoshi Didn't Podcast

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Sorry for the late release of Episode 28 with the great Teina Manu (@teinamanu). We'll be putting out a second episode this week!I recently took one item off my bucket list by doing a panel at the world famous San Diego Comic-Con! Unfortunately, instead of sitting politely in silence, I opened my stupid mouth… and a cringefest ensued. Yes, I used the "R-word" at SDCC. The rest of the panel consisted of comedian Stephen Glickman, Chris Gore and the lovely Adrianne Curry. (Please follow their twitter accounts: @StephenGlickman @AdrianneCurry @ThatChrisGore).Anyhoo, enjoy this conversation with the always intelligent and fascinating Ch --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/yoshi-didnt-podcast/message

--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/yoshi-didnt-podcast/message

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In Greek mythology, Tiresias was a blind prophet, the most famous soothsayer of ancient Greece. Having angered a goddess, he was transformed into a woman as punishment. Seven years later, Tiresias was able to reverse the curse, and became male once again. Since Tiresias possessed the knowledge of being both a man and woman, he was revered by even the gods.Today's guest, Professor Ogi Ogas, is one of the first in history to see both male and female's secret sexual desires clearly and to extrapolate scientific explanations for them. The discoveries of Prof. Ogas and his academic partner, Sai Gaddam, came out of their background in cognitive neuroscience, and was bolstered by their brilliant use of the internet's empirical data. This work culminated in their groundbreaking book "A Billion Wicked Thoughts."While working for years in the porn business, I had an intuitive idea about what men were into, but I never had the science to back it up. Three years ago, I read Ogi's Wall Street Journal article about his ing

Jesse Edwards is an artist from Seattle and a long time friend of my younger brother. I met him 2 months ago in the lower east side in NYC. He talked to me about working with art maven Vito Schnabel (son of brilliant Julian Schnabel) and his career.... Jesse Edwards is a professional American fine art oil painter, graffiti artist, and ceramicist born in Hayden Lake, Idaho. He works and lives in Seattle and New York City. Edwards is a distinguished member of the Mystic Sons of Morris Graves. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/yoshi-didnt-podcast/message

First of all, I want to congratulate the city of Sacramento for saving their NBA team, the Kings. I'm sad that Seattle does not yet have their team back, but we will! And we'll do it without ripping out the hearts of another city.Anyhoo, for this podcast I spoke, once again, with the great Hunter Moore - and a new guest, Mr. WWW (Walter White of Weed), aka HeisenDab, aka Diamond Baby in Sac-Town.Our conversation with Hunter got cut short because he was scheduled to travel to the wonderful city of Chicago early the next day. In it, he explained why he's so popular in places such as Ohio, NYC, and especially in Canada. He was amazingly coherent for someone smoking up Diamond Baby's powerful yet gentle weed. (Actually, all three of us were smoking during this discussion.)I spend the rest of the show learning about what motivates Diamond Baby to produce the best weed possible - his reasons might surprise you - and how he got into the dab business. Please follow him on his podcast "Weedist" with RJ. (Especially Ep

My last trip to Seattle was memorable for two reasons: getting to see my younger brother, and this conversation with Carl Warmenhoven. Carl worked as assistant manager of Seattle's well-respected standup club, Comedy Underground. He is, without a doubt, the most beloved comedy figure in the Seattle area.We start off talking about Carl's childhood in the Netherlands and his eventual move to the States. He relates a number of his family's World War 2 stories, ranging from the absurd (German hookers living next to his parent's home) to the inspirational (Carl's mom rescuing a rabbi). One amusing anecdote explains how tobacco and Jesus "saved" his parent from hunger.Growing up in Seattle, Carl used laughter to get along with people. He learned a lot about comedy by observing the legendary Steve Allen, who was famous for the way he played with language. Carl details his history in Seattle's standup comedy scene starting in 1979, eventually working with megastars such as Jerry Seinfeld, Louis CK and Chelsea Handler

I’m writing this synopsis of Yoshi Didn't from Baltimore, Maryland, with both excitement and sadness. I am excited because I will finally able to visit the home of The Wire. But I’m sad because the interview I recently did with my friend, Verlon Brown, was tragic, and at times seemed hopeless. Verlon is an African-American standup comedian and social worker in Seattle. He’s definitely been an older brother figure to me for years.Due to an emergency at Verlon’s job, we had to shorten the conversation. In our brief interview, he explains why he’s not discouraged by his most troubled clients (homeless and/or addicts), instead discussing his frustration with the system (one of the major themes of The Wire). Verlon explains the concept of “harm reduction,” and talks about his 30 years of commitment to social work, his belief that racism is based on economics, and the importance of having an honest conversation about racism.

This episode of Yoshi Didn't introduces Charles Wing Krafft, a very prominent painter and ceramic artist in Seattle, Washington. I became intrigued after hearing about the controversy surrounding his artwork ("Disasterware") and beliefs. Mr. Krafft was introduced to me through my younger brother. Charles' son was an avid fan of skateboarding; when Charles met my brother, they became fast friends. I thank my brother for the introduction.An article published earlier this year in the online journal "The Stranger" about Charles' historical interests and skepticism about the Holocaust went viral, stirring up a big shitstorm in the art world. I wasn't sure Charles would be willing to meet up during a period when he was still the brunt of ad hominem rumors and media attacks. I'm happy to report that he was kind, courteous and generous with his time. We met one afternoon at his Seattle residence.We start right away discussing how the controversy has affected him, from press smears to getting his artwork removed from

Jacob Sirof, comedian, writer, 100% Star Wars and boxing nerd is our guest this week on Yoshi Didn't. Jacob's nerdy, edgy comedy has been featured on Jim Norton's "Down and Dirty" to Chelsea Lately's Round Table.  Jacob is a friend of Yoshi and Lilit's and walked into Yoshi Didn't podcast land just as talk was a little heavy about rape with our previous guest, so to keep things light and laughable, Jacob goes right into sex jokes and his professional obsession with porn to change pace. Jacob received an early and interesting porn education from his father's extensive VHS collection that was passed on to Jacob and his brothers like family heirlooms. From working in adult video stores to becoming professional comedians, Yoshi and Jacob bond on their origins and evolutions of porn, sex and comedy from experiences with hookers to monogamous relationships to what's it like working with other comedians like Jim Norton.  Jacob's colorful background doesn't stop there as he divulges about his passion for boxing and

This week's guest is Ms. Cherry Ferretti, a beautiful porn star. We discuss her unusual childhood and the influence of sex icon Chasey Lain on young Cherry's eventual decision to enter the adult business.Cherry started her porn career in Houston, Texas, where she was an early adopter of internet technology to promote her business. We follow her move to Los Angeles and her relationship with agency LA Direct Models (the CAA of the porn world). Cherry speaks frankly about how the sex business operates and about her blunt refusal to be treated like a second-class citizen.During my 13 years working in the adult industry, it was very common for performers to disappear from public view. In most cases, they simply want to quit the business and restart their lives; this is what I assumed had happened with my friend Cherry. I never tried to track her down, wanting to respect her privacy and the decision to move on.

This special episode of Yoshi Didn't was recorded at Saad Mohseni's residence in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Please read about Saad here.)Kimberly Motley, a proud daughter of an African-American father and North Korean mother, picked up her street smarts in her hometown, a tough neighborhood of Milwaukee. In 2003, she earned a law degree at Marquette University, and became a very successful attorney with the State of Wisconsin Public Defender's Office, litigating hundreds of criminal, civil and juvenile cases. In 2008, Kim volunteered to participate in the U.S. State Department's Justice Sector Support Program, dedicated to rebuilding the Afghan legal system. This was Kim's watershed moment. Since then, she has dedicated her life to fighting injustices in Afghanistan. 

Saber is our special guest this week on Yoshi Didn’t.  This Los Angeles-based American graffiti artist and painter is most famous for the immense piece he did on the concrete bank of the Los Angeles River. With 97 gallons of paint, Saber traversed the Stygian corridor of the mighty L.A. river like Dante passing through the ninth circle of Hell, and created a masterpiece: The final work, measuring 250 x 55 feet, has been dubbed "the largest graffiti painting ever."A hardcore street artist who possesses the artistic talent of Michelangelo with the physical toughness of Lawrence Taylor, Saber speaks intimately with us about his harsh experiences and struggles with epilepsy; his childhood, when he first discovered a love for art; and his transformation into the premier artist of his generation. Saber discusses the physical price he had to pay to achieve success, and his belief that art can change the world for the better. The podcast ends with Yoshi's "art project" for Saber and his beautiful and vivacious young

Ari Shaffir, Stand up Comedian and also known for his pranks on, “The Amazing Racist” and movie, “InAPPropriate Comedy” is our guest this week on Yoshi Didn’t.  Ari starts the episode off strong attempting to cross boundaries into Yoshi’s personal life and hilariously provoking him for information throughout the show.  As tension builds around the topic of relationships, discussion of hookers and trannies help transition the awkwardness into more comfortable, comedic stomping grounds. Yoshi also discusses his appearance on Ari’s podcast, “Skeptic Tank” where he first disclosed information of unethical practices and experiences in the porn world.  Ari then takes us deeper into his dedicated life as a stand up, the beefy drama he encountered with fellow comedians, his perspective of growing up Jewish in DC and his family's holocaust experience, the process of transitioning from working at the World Famous Comedy Store to becoming a headliner and, of course, awesome Joe Rogan/UFC stories. Follow Ari Shaffir on T

Matt Kirshen and friend of the show, Joey Kurtzman are our guests on Yoshi Didn't this week. Matt is a stand up comedian from Britain currently based in Los Angeles. Matt has literally traveled all over the world performing stand up comedy, was featured on the TV show "Last Comic Standing" and is frequent comedic talent improvising jokes on the "Set List" show with Paul Provenza.  This episode takes some twists and turns beginning with Yoshi's in depth story of how he got banned from Canada, then with Matt opening up about his relationship with porn star Holly Stevens who died of breast cancer last year. The discourse then leads into examining cultural differences between Americans and Brits pertaining to racism, comedy, formalities of expressing emotion, grievance and sarcasm and how it effects perception from an individual and group standpoint. And the cerebral doesn't stop there. With his signature witty, comedic outlook, Matt also gives us the break down into the scandals and unethical practices of popula

Marine, activist and entrepreneur Devon Read is our guest this week on Yoshi Didn't. Devon joined the Marines in 2000 to earn money for college, but was stinted of the opportunity with the 9-11 attacks and deployment to Iraq in 2003. Devon gives us the insider experience of serving as a Marine while invading Baghdad in search of weapons of mass destruction. Though proud to have served his country and of the camaraderie he built with his battalion, Devon reveals what it was like in the days and final minutes crossing the border into Iraq, the mental and emotional repercussions of the betrayal he experienced serving in the Iraq war, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder affecting him and many other veterans left without mental health treatment, the complexities of the military industrial complex, the discrimination women suffer in the military, the difference drone strikes have made on war and accountability and the hope we share to move forward when humanity hits rock bottom. Devon is a proud member of the Iraq Veter

Filmmaker, director and Academy Award winner, Eva Orner is our guest this week on Yoshi Didn't. Eva won an Oscar and Emmy for her documentary "Taxi to the Dark Side" directed by Alex Gibney in 2008. The controversial film exposed the U.S. government's unlawful torture techniques post-911 that consequently helped change U.S. policy thereafter. Eva's current film, "The Network," documents entrepreneur Saad Mohseni's creation of Afghanistan's first independent television station, TOLO and its impact on Afghan politics and culture. Yoshi's personal connection to Afghanistan leads the discourse in examining the political landscape and oppression in the war torn country, Eva shares stories of life and death while living in Afghanistan, the humanizing relationships they built with locals and the voice Afghans attained in creating media culture away from the tragedies of war and terror.  Follow Eva on Twitter: @evaorner and @thenetworkmovie --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/yoshi-didnt-podcast/messag

Brian Redban is our guest this week on Yoshi Didn't. Brian is a notorious comedian and podcaster best known for producing and co-hosting one of the most famous podcasts on the net, "The Joe Rogan Experience" and founder of the DeathSquad Podcast Network. Brian takes us back to his childhood where he discovered his love for Japanese culture and art, his transition into comedy from a tech, computer background, bouts with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and behind the scenes tales of confrontation and chaos at the comedy store.Follow Redban on Twitter: @redbanplace links to deathsquad.tv and Joe rogan experience here --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/yoshi-didnt-podcast/message