Bert Kreischer’s Mom Taught Him to Eat an Elephant One Bite at a Time
Bert Kreischer found his new hour in Philadelphia.
He had a really hard time writing it. His family was in every other hour because they lived with him. Now the girls are in college and it is just the two of them, so he had to reimagine what he wanted to talk about. He thinks this one is his best without a doubt. He still has about 12 months before he shoots it.
I ask how much of Free Bert is fantasy. About 50-50, he says. Each season’s plot starts with something real, and the characters are based on real people. The writers get license to make up the rest.
Then the empty nest. He says it can be sad if you let it. He refuses to let anything be sad. Parents throw all their eggs in the kids’ basket without realizing it, then the kids leave and they don’t call. The two of them realized they don’t have any friends. So they are making some, as a team.
His biggest joy on the tour is his bed on the tour bus. Nine pillows. Two comforters. The bus sits at 64 degrees and he gets a head cold every night. No one tells him to make the bed. He does not understand people who like sleeping in sweat.
In the Fast Four, his favorite bus breakdown stop is Fargo, North Dakota. He has hit a snow drift there. His bus has burned down there. His best friend is Tom Segura. The one call he wants to make is to his grandma. She grew up in the Depression and was impressed by celebrity. “I would love my grandma to see my success.”
His mom’s advice is to eat an elephant one bite at a time. He eats them by the handful. On his cooking show, Something’s Burning, he once put way too much mayonnaise on a salmon. One guest announced he was leaving to get a steak.
He and Tom Segura started a vodka company, and the lesson is to be present. They gave the money and trusted everyone. They did not check salaries. Now they are very present in the company, and the vodka is doing exponentially better at a lower margin.
For the One Big Question, I ask for a punchline with no setup. His answer is … you’ll have to listen to the interview to hear the punchline and see the Permission to Party Tour to get the joke.
Bert Kreischer brings the Permission to Party Tour to Buddy Holly Hall. Tickets are at BertBertBert.com, to avoid scalpers.
Beyond the Mic with Sean Dillon is the conversation series where actors, artists, authors, and more go deeper than a traditional interview. They go “Beyond the Mic”.