Engage & Inspire: Discover Jerrod Carmichael's 18-Minute Mind Challenge

I don't like mindless content. I've never liked it. I like to think about what I'm watching, what I'm taking in, what I'm listening to. Yeah, humor has always been an important part of my life, like since like middle school.

Hello, Believe Nation, it's Evan. My one word is believe, and I believe in people more than they believe in themselves. And my sincere hope is that if you see in yourself what I see in you, you'll be able to change the planet. So to help you on your journey today, we're gonna learn from stand-up comedian and actor Jared Carmichael— it's a good last name— and my take on his top 10 rules of success. Rule number 1 is my personal favorite, and I'd love to know which one you guys like the best. Also, as you're watching, if you hear something that really resonates with you, please leave it down in the comments below and put quotes around it so other people can be inspired by it as well. And if you leave it within the first couple hours of this video going live, you have a chance to win one of two daily prizes.

I don't like mindless content. I've never liked it. I like to think about what I'm watching, what I'm taking in, what I'm listening to. So like even music, I can't listen to music that doesn't challenge me in any way, and I never could. It's just kind of who I am as a person. It was, I guess, embedded in my DNA to just really want to feel something, figure something out, you know, and not, you know, just tell jokes for the sake of telling jokes. I like to say things that at least can be meaningful. And people— I know that I'm doing my job when I see someone, like, react other than just a laugh, actually give me a reaction. And it's not always just turning as much as it's just like, oh, no, like people shake shaking their head, but comedy a lot of times has just become this court jester type thing where everyone just, you know, says the craziest, brashest, most outlandish, absurd, silly thing and it means nothing. And I don't wanna say things that don't mean anything.

So you like sort of putting the audience in a scenario where they could turn on you. And then it's a lot more work for you as the artist to kind of make sure that they don't.

Yeah. Yeah, it's more work, it's more exciting, and it's more fulfilling. When did you notice that, like, oh, I can do this, and I can turn a phrase or make people laugh at something that they didn't see before? Eighth grade was really big. Oh yeah? Yeah, it was an important time for me, you know, just having this teacher that encouraged me to read a lot independently and to question everything, gather information. I remember one time he started doing these class debates, and there was this article. I don't remember exactly what was in the article, but it was about a man that committed a crime, but he had like a somewhat righteous cause for doing it. I don't remember those details. But he was dividing up the class and like who agreed with this guy and thought that he was justified in doing it, and who disagreed. And I remember said, who thinks he wasn't justified? And the entire class except me raised their hand. Really? And then they were like, well, who agrees with the guy? And I raised my hand, and then we argued for like 25 minutes. I remember it being the most fun time I'd ever had in class, ever had in school. It meant the most to me, and I just remember holding my own against, you know, like 20 other students. That sounds strangely akin to stand-up because it's one guy with a whole sort of audience that you have to sort of win over. Yeah, exactly. And I think that one experience, that single experience, informed so much of, like, you know, my life or humor more than any individual experience I can think of. It must have also been notable that you were the only person that took an opposing viewpoint. Yeah, and it was natural. And that's kind of a rule for stand-up for me, too, is that never— be contrarian for the sake of, you know, like, you know, always have a truthful intention behind what you say because that's what people will connect with, you know, and that's what will give license to, you know, I think people's attention. People will actually give you their time if they know that it's coming from an honest place and that it's really a thought or emotion that you want to work out, you know. I think that people respond to that. When did you know that this is sort of what your calling was? Um, you know, when I was depressed working at a shoe store, I was like, I gotta do something else. Were you a funny salesman? Yeah, yeah, humor has always been an important part of my life, like since like middle school. But you're selling tennis shoes? Selling tennis shoes. But you, you use it for anything, you know, you use it for, uh, whatever you're working on. You meet women? That way? Yeah, that's— that was my way in. Yeah, yeah, through their feet. I never really met girls at the shoe store. You, you beat them at, uh, everywhere else. But humor was the most important, most important thing. You talk about gentrification and how it's affecting folks. It, it's not that it's funny, it's that it's real that makes us laugh. Yeah, you know what I mean? And that's the kind of smart, intelligent comedy that I feel like you guys are writing on this show. That you're touching on, like, real-ass issues. We're laughing because we're laughing at ourselves. People connect with truth more than anything, you know, especially— I mean, we live in a time where, uh, uh, we were just talking about so many reality shows and so many things where people see reality and they live in it in their entertainment so much that when— if you turn on a sitcom and people are just saying these crazy things that you know isn't real life, then you have nothing to truly respond to. Yo, that's why I can't watch a lot of the old sitcoms unless I'm just trying to escape and go dumb. Yeah, yeah, right. Wow. I don't want people to— with anything, I never want people to turn their minds off, you know? Like, it's like the— all of the art that I love, my favorite artists, my favorite rappers, my favorite— make me think and make me question things, and I have to listen again and I have to watch again. And so I just want to contribute to that. With the show and with stand-up or anything.

Did exploring apathy, or at least sort of your fear of not feeling enough, or the feelings about not feeling, in this special shot just a few days after the election, did it feel kind of dangerous or like you were walking a thin line? Cuz I will say when I was watching it, there was something about, like that was one of the most dangerous things that I felt I had seen a comedian do in a long time. And it wouldn't have been that dangerous A year ago, but there was something about you walking that rope and trying to make this approachable for people and make them relate to you and understand you and not turn on you.

Yeah, very easy, which is the fun part of it. Yeah, that's where it's fun, you know. I mean, that's where comedy is its most fun, and I think, you know, can be at its best, where it's, uh, someone exploring an unpopular thought or emotion on stage and And I like to treat audience members like the adults that they are, and we can have a discussion, and you can completely disagree with me, and you can feel the opposite of how I feel and still listen and still understand and still— my job is to articulate my point, you know? And I just try and articulate my point, and hopefully you laugh at the end, or at least feel something.

Do you think that there's a line that people should or shouldn't cross, or do you think that that line itself is just like, Well, is it funny and do you have an original thought? And if you don't, then there's probably a line for you.

You should have an intention. You know, the line is where your intention is. If your intention is to just say some crazy shit into a microphone, then like maybe you shouldn't have a microphone. Like, I'm just gonna say the most absurd thing in the world and you're gonna get mad and whatever, like, no. But if your intention is to explore a thought, then there is no line. How did you develop your stand-up act? Just kind of doing it. I just jumped in. I didn't— I'm from North Carolina, but I started in LA because I just wanted— I'm competitive. But you go to the comedy school? I'm competitive in that sense. Oh, you are? That's where the heart of an athlete is, where it's just wanting to— So you're the Jordan of comedy is what you're saying? God bless you. Yes. NBC is in a place of redevelopment, which is kind of why I was attracted to NBC in the first place. It was— I only pitched to NBC because I was only going to sell it to NBC because I was making a show for NBC. Wow. You know, and partly— You sent a pitch to 10 people. Yeah, yeah. And I did, you know, I did a deal with Universal because I was like, yeah, they can, you know, pitch to other places. But I knew NBC would be first, and that's the only place I was going to do a show. That was it. I understand the show is a realization of a lifelong dream of yours? Yeah, I always wanted a show on NBC. That was kind of a— yeah. Starting at what age? I think I was like 11 or 12. I used to tell my brother and my family I wanted a show on NBC because a lot of my favorite shows were on there. Everything from— I watched television with my parents, so I watched Cheers and The Cosby Show, and you watch, you know, A Different World, and you watch Seinfeld, and we watched all these things, and— I was like, well, I want to be on that. Fresh Prince is on that, you know? And, and, uh, that was kind of the goal. I wanted Thursday nights at 8, but, you know, it's, you know, Wednesdays at 9 is fine, you know? We can't have it all, Larry.

When you're making a decision to discuss a specific issue, social or political or whatever it may be, what, what's going— is your— are you building the story around that issue, or does the issue happen authentically through the story you wanted to tell to begin with?

A lot of times it's based on discussions, arguments, topics that I talk about with my friends, that I talk about with my family, and then we just explore it honestly and ask questions and explore curiosity, and that's it. Never the illusion of edge. 'Cause if you're gonna pick these topics, it's like, well, I like speaking to adults and I have an adult conversation, like the best version that I know how to have, given the format. And again, just being as real as possible. There isn't a message. There's no message. I'm not trying to convince you one way or another. I'm just trying to have an honest conversation. And be funny. You know, it's just that, that's really it. Because I don't want to step into a pulpit. You know, a lot of arts is starting to reflect that and it's more aspirational than real. And I don't want to be that. I don't have a cause that I'm championing. I don't have a, and then we're gonna do, no, I just want a funny show that is not lying to you. Where do you get your thoughts, inspiration when you do standup? Like, how do you mind that and not kind of cheat on the Carmichael Show? They all kind of come together because, like, a lot of times, if you look at my stand-up, a lot of times you'll hear a lot of those things in the show. Like, it just kind of bleeds into— because it's all perspective. So as long as I feel strongly about something, I can use it for whatever I'm working on. With stand-up, a lot of times it's the thought that I'm running from the most. Like the thing that I'm a little nervous about, a little hesitant about. And those are the things that excite me and usually are the most fulfilling things to do on stage. What makes you nervous? Nothing really. It's not that it makes me nervous as much as that I know that it's a tightrope, you know, like just to get this thought out, it's going to be kind of difficult. You know, those are the things that it gets me excited. I'm never really nervous, but But it's like the things that are going to be hard to repeat is— I'm trying to make it hard for you to come back here and repeat later. Bill Cosby. Well, you're already very excited. I want to start by saying that I met Bill Cosby, and he was very nice to me. To me. Obviously, I can't speak for about 55 women who may have had a less than enjoyable experience with the cause, but he was very nice to me. I went to his house. I did. We had tea. I don't remember much after the tea. I'm kidding, obviously. I was not drugged and raped by Bill Cosby, but we did, I don't know, I emailed him. I emailed him. I wanted to reach out, 'cause you guys were being so mean to him. Didn't write anything in the body of the email. I only wrote in the subject line. I did. You wanna know what I wrote? Uh-huh. I wrote, "Hey, my nigga, you good?" That's what I wrote to Bill Cosby. I don't know if he's gonna respond. I don't know if he checks his email. If he does, he'll— Can we talk about how difficult it is for me, this whole Bill Cosby thing? A lot of you may not relate. Maybe he wasn't your favorite comic. Maybe you don't do comedy. But for me, he was, you know, an important person in my life, you know? An inspiration, if you will. And it's hard, you know. It's hard. I'm, you know, it's not that I'm— I'm not making any excuses at all, you know. Like, would I let him give my mom headache medication? Of course not. But— but it's hard watching your hero fall from grace. It's hard. It really is. I mean, for me, this whole Bill Cosby thing is like— it's like watching Superman rescue a boy from a burning building and then immediately molest that boy. You know, leaving me to emotionally weigh the good with the bad. I want to see the good in them. I want to see the good in everybody, you know. I try and take what I call the best friend perspective, you know, where even if someone did something evil or wrong, I try and see the good in them, you know, like a best friend. Like even at Hitler's funeral, There was still some dude who had to get up there and speak. And it was hard for him. Society just hating Hitler, and he knows that Hitler was his best friend. He tried to find nice things to say. Had to stand up there with a speech over the coffin. Angry reporters. Look, what can you say about the guy, you know? I know a lot of you hated him, I get it. But you don't understand, like, he helped pay for my daughter's braces, man. He was a good dude. He was a good dude, okay? I know the whole Holocaust thing, but he used to make these quesadillas, man. And trust me, you haven't had a quesadilla till you had a Hitler quesadilla. It was something, I think it was—

Thank you guys so much for watching. I made this video because Malik Jordan asked me to. If there's someone you'd like me to profile in a future top 10, please check out the link down in the description below and you can cast your vote on who we should do next. I also want to give a quick shout out to Bekisisa. Thank you so much for picking up a copy of my book. Your one word and posting to Twitter about it as well. I really, really, really appreciate the support, and I'm so glad that you enjoyed the read. Thank you guys again for watching. I believe in you. I hope you continue to believe in yourself and whatever your one word is. Much love.

I'll see you soon. Surrounding yourself with like-minded people. All my friends I'm, the thing that I feel luckiest with is like the group of people that I'm around. I really have excellent friends who like care about like making things and creating and like don't get caught up in trivial things that won't matter tomorrow. Like we don't get caught up in things that don't matter tomorrow. Don't get me wrong, we like new experiences and we like, you know, having fun, but we like work. I mean, I was, at my office with friends until 6 this morning, 5 or 6 this morning. Just like, just work. And it's— This is a Sunday. Yeah.

As context for people.

Yeah. On Saturday night, my entire Saturday, I don't go out really. Like, I don't do too much. Like, every now and then, but for the most part, like, just work. And my friends think like that.

Do you find it difficult to tell some of these stories that you want to tell in the allotted time you're given?

There's always like a thing or two. I'm not sure which mic I'm using here. Boom, there we go. There's always a thing or two that falls out, you know, that you're excited about, that you really wish this point or joke or whatever could make it in. But the, what, $2,150, whatever the amount that we get is— it's been okay. Yeah, it's $2,145. $2,145. Yeah, yeah, something, something around there.

Something small.

Something small. I'm happy with it. It's a fun obstacle to try and write around that, try and capture everything that you want to say in that amount of time.