Chris Rock, SNL & Family Group Chats | Nimesh Patel

Matt Buechele goes to a sweet sixteen and gets a front-row seat to the strange world of teenage birthday parties, complete with photo booths, the Cupid Shuffle, and an alarming number of boys with the same haircut.

Then Matt sits down with Emmy-nominated writer and comedian Nimesh Patel to talk about becoming a dad, turning down a $120k comedy gig in Saudi Arabia, and his complicated relationship with money. They discuss how Chris Rock saw Nimesh perform and, three months later he was writing for the Oscars, followed by a year at Saturday Night Live. Nimesh also talks about his new Netflix special Buy the Dip, political comedy, crowd work, family group chats, and finding ways to make people laugh about complicated subjects without talking down to them. Plus, Matt and Nimesh make predictions about AI comedy festivals, celebrity advertising, and if the Knicks players will visit the White House.

Chapters:

00:00:00 Nimesh Patel’s Netflix special Buy the Dip and economic anxiety

00:05:01 Comedy in Louisiana and examining political divides

00:10:02 Political views, family, and dealing with media chaos

00:15:01 Fatherhood, playing basketball, and mental resets

00:20:01 How Chris Rock discovered Nimesh Patel in a Brooklyn bar

00:25:01 Writing for Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update

00:30:01 Pitching sketches at SNL and learning industry lessons

00:35:01 Navigating political comedy during the Trump era 

00:40:01 Nimesh's new Netflix special and handling the family group chat