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Brooks Wheelan

Comedian Brooks Wheelan (Saturday Night Live, Girls) drops by Alison Rosen Is Your New Best Friend to talk about being misquoted regarding his feelings about getting fired from SNL, his actual feelings about getting fired from SNL, anxiety, drugs, high high and low lows, growing up in Iowa, his half hour Comedy Central special, struggles with being too loose on stage, performing comedy in NYC, living in a drug house in Los Feliz, relationships, being an engineering grad, stuffed animals, going crazy at his old job after not sleeping, the politics of workplaces, cheating in college, not doing stuff he doesn’t want to do, camping, nature and perspective, his concerns about overexposing himself, his confidence with the ladies and so much more.  Plus we took your questions over twitter and did a round of Just Me Or Everyone (click here to see the JMOEs from this episode).

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12 Responses to Brooks Wheelan

  1. playniceeveryone June 22, 2015 at 4:03 pm #

    I will be very interested to see what other every episode listeners feel about this one. I will say it was interesting. I am wondering how Alison is feeling, she took her game to a different sort of place in this episode and I wonder whether it was just the chemistry with the guest or if something is wrong …. (you have lots of fans who care a great deal about someone we've never actually met)

  2. playniceeveryone June 22, 2015 at 3:03 pm #

    I will be very interested to see what other every episode listeners feel about this one. I will say it was interesting. I am wondering how Alison is feeling, she took her game to a different sort of place in this episode and I wonder whether it was just the chemistry with the guest or if something is wrong …. (you have lots of fans who care a great deal about someone we’ve never actually met)

  3. M.Y. June 22, 2015 at 8:44 pm #

    I totally agree! Brooks was a bit challenging, had a bit of a “bro” attitude with a dash of defensiveness. I think Alison is really good at her job and kept it going though!

  4. M.Y. June 22, 2015 at 7:44 pm #

    I totally agree! Brooks was a bit challenging, had a bit of a “bro” attitude with a dash of defensiveness. I think Alison is really good at her job and kept it going though!

  5. Leeann Ward June 23, 2015 at 5:02 am #

    I couldn't put my finger on why he didn't connect with me, but I agree that he was off for me. I guess I'm rubbed the wrong way by people who proudly declare that they don't do what they don't feel like doing. It seems arrogant, selfish and self-defeating. There are plenty of things that I still do even though I don't think I will like it and even end up enjoying myself in the end. And the fact that he didn't seem to get the concept of JMOE was weird to me.

  6. Leeann Ward June 23, 2015 at 4:02 am #

    I couldn’t put my finger on why he didn’t connect with me, but I agree that he was off for me. I guess I’m rubbed the wrong way by people who proudly declare that they don’t do what they don’t feel like doing. It seems arrogant, selfish and self-defeating. There are plenty of things that I still do even though I don’t think I will like it and even end up enjoying myself in the end. And the fact that he didn’t seem to get the concept of JMOE was weird to me.

  7. playniceeveryone June 24, 2015 at 1:22 pm #

    I am glad-“ish” to know I was NOT the only one who had a little trouble getting with the syncopated beat of this particular track #weakwhitegirlrythm – Alison still the queen of all media

  8. playniceeveryone June 24, 2015 at 12:22 pm #

    I am glad-“ish” to know I was NOT the only one who had a little trouble getting with the syncopated beat of this particular track #weakwhitegirlrythm – Alison still the queen of all media

  9. badabingo June 25, 2015 at 2:38 pm #

    Here's my take as a Professional Armchair Psychobabble Person:

    Brooks is successful (yes, even tho he was fired from SNL) because he is one of those people who sacrifices many things in order to be successful and doesn't stop moving toward his goal for…much of anything, it sounds like. This is not good or bad, it just is what it is. He is also quite young and perhaps has not yet learned that “doing what you don't want to do” is what adults do every single day. I like the free-spirited aspect of not doing what you don't want to do – to a point. I mean, don't hang out with people who bring you down – that is an example of not doing what you don't want to do and it being a net positive for you (and, frankly, probably the other person as well). But when it becomes very narrow and self-centered, it can and will negatively affect relationships. So, he might find himself happy with his hard work, sacrifice and success, but he will have lost a lot of friends along the way given a few years. Put it this way – I could care less about my birthday. Don't call me, don't send a card – I just don't care. But if I have a best friend who is BIG into birthdays, I'm going to get her a card and call her because it's important TO HER and I love her and want to show her that. Ignoring her birthday because that is how I handle mine is going to damage the relationship. So, yeah, he has some narcissism going on, but not necessarily at a pathological level. Or maybe it is, I don't know. I have known a lot of people like him in the corporate world – climb the ladder at any cost types. Their relationships go straight into the shitter.

    Oh, and he has a drinking problem. Hemming and hawing about whether or not one has a problem means it's a problem as far as I'm concerned. The good news is he is not alone and recovery is totally possible as there are lots of different types of help out there.

  10. badabingo June 25, 2015 at 2:57 pm #

    I have more psychobabble to add: anxiety doesn't necessarily always “feel like anxiety” to those who experience it. Sure, one can identify nervousness, panic, worry, etc. but anxiety can also manifest itself in other ways – obsessing, crabbiness / irritability, difficulty making decisions, being short/curt with people, impatience, tics/bouncing leg, etc. Further, if anxiety rises to the level of an anxiety disorder, dealing with it is exhausting and that is where depression creeps in. Honestly, I think anxiety and depression are just different manifestations of the same thing.

    Telling yourself that you have nothing to be sad about when you are sad can be a form of self-bullying and make things worse instead of better. It's perfectly natural and normal to be sad sometimes, even when it's inconvenient or makes you feel guilty. Even if you have a zillion dollars, a gourmet chef that lives in your kitchen and 30 puppies to play with. Feeling sad happens to everyone is ok to feel. If you're sad, be kind to yourself about it – like, “Oh, ok, I'm sad. Well I wonder why and what I could do to feel better. Hmm.” is a good first step. Or just say, “ok, I'm sad. I'll just let myself be sad then” and go on with your day.

    My qualifications include years of expensive and extensive therapy and books and medication 🙂

  11. badabingo June 25, 2015 at 1:38 pm #

    Here’s my take as a Professional Armchair Psychobabble Person:

    Brooks is successful (yes, even tho he was fired from SNL) because he is one of those people who sacrifices many things in order to be successful and doesn’t stop moving toward his goal for…much of anything, it sounds like. This is not good or bad, it just is what it is. He is also quite young and perhaps has not yet learned that “doing what you don’t want to do” is what adults do every single day. I like the free-spirited aspect of not doing what you don’t want to do – to a point. I mean, don’t hang out with people who bring you down – that is an example of not doing what you don’t want to do and it being a net positive for you (and, frankly, probably the other person as well). But when it becomes very narrow and self-centered, it can and will negatively affect relationships. So, he might find himself happy with his hard work, sacrifice and success, but he will have lost a lot of friends along the way given a few years. Put it this way – I could care less about my birthday. Don’t call me, don’t send a card – I just don’t care. But if I have a best friend who is BIG into birthdays, I’m going to get her a card and call her because it’s important TO HER and I love her and want to show her that. Ignoring her birthday because that is how I handle mine is going to damage the relationship. So, yeah, he has some narcissism going on, but not necessarily at a pathological level. Or maybe it is, I don’t know. I have known a lot of people like him in the corporate world – climb the ladder at any cost types. Their relationships go straight into the shitter.

    Oh, and he has a drinking problem. Hemming and hawing about whether or not one has a problem means it’s a problem as far as I’m concerned. The good news is he is not alone and recovery is totally possible as there are lots of different types of help out there.

  12. badabingo June 25, 2015 at 1:57 pm #

    I have more psychobabble to add: anxiety doesn’t necessarily always “feel like anxiety” to those who experience it. Sure, one can identify nervousness, panic, worry, etc. but anxiety can also manifest itself in other ways – obsessing, crabbiness / irritability, difficulty making decisions, being short/curt with people, impatience, tics/bouncing leg, etc. Further, if anxiety rises to the level of an anxiety disorder, dealing with it is exhausting and that is where depression creeps in. Honestly, I think anxiety and depression are just different manifestations of the same thing.

    Telling yourself that you have nothing to be sad about when you are sad can be a form of self-bullying and make things worse instead of better. It’s perfectly natural and normal to be sad sometimes, even when it’s inconvenient or makes you feel guilty. Even if you have a zillion dollars, a gourmet chef that lives in your kitchen and 30 puppies to play with. Feeling sad happens to everyone is ok to feel. If you’re sad, be kind to yourself about it – like, “Oh, ok, I’m sad. Well I wonder why and what I could do to feel better. Hmm.” is a good first step. Or just say, “ok, I’m sad. I’ll just let myself be sad then” and go on with your day.

    My qualifications include years of expensive and extensive therapy and books and medication 🙂

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