Blocks w/ Neal Brennan

In this episode of Blocks, Neal Brennan sits down with Scottish comedian Daniel Sloss to dismantle the "blocks" that have shaped his life and career. From the massive social impact of his Netflix special Jigsaw—which Daniel claims has led to over 350,000 breakups and hundreds of signed divorce papers—to the heavy toll of relentless global touring, Daniel opens up with brutal honesty.

The two discuss Daniel's struggle with weed addiction, the transition from needing constant stranger approval to finding self-worth as a father, and the hilarious, high-stakes story of how he ended up married to his ex-girlfriend’s younger sister. It's a deep dive into self-loathing, the "quiet brain" of his wife, and why being successful doesn't always mean being happy.
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00:00 Jimmy Carr1:27 Jigsaw and the 350,000 breakups4:30 Marrying his ex-girlfriend’s sister13:24 Achieving success young & avoiding self-love 15:24 The emotional toll of the X tour 20:32 Weed addiction22:20 Career struggles30:09 Sponsor: Bonobos32:34 Sponsor: CookUnity34:47 Admitting self-hatred in therapy39:39 Finding happiness in family & standup 42:01 The high-functioning stoner cycle 49:53 Bitter and Successful51:08 Comparing yourself to other comedians58:22 Searching for the source of self-loathing1:03:16 Sponsor: Tushy1:05:39 Sponsor: Zocdoc1:08:08 Balancing touring with being a dad 1:11:10 No hobbies and the need for standup1:15:10 Scummy Batman: Stories of justified violence1:23:22 Goals for the future
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Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan
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Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557

Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234

Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased).

Edited by Will Hagle

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Comedian and former late-night host Craig Ferguson joins Neal Brennan on the Blocks Podcast to explore the "blocks" that have defined his life and career. From his upbringing in Scotland and the impact of sectarian violence to his iconic run on the Late Late Show and over 30 years of sobriety, Craig opens up with deep introspection and his trademark wit. They delve into the realities of fame, the importance of vulnerability, and the turning points that changed everything.Check out Craig's new series 'American on Purpose' on CNN.

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Subscribe to Craig Ferguson: ⁨@thecraigfergusonshow⁩ 0:00 - Introduction: The "Rapport" Between Neal and Craig 2:35 - Growing Up in Scotland: Violence and Affability 7:12 - The Influence of Producer Peter Lassally 10:11 - Lessons from a Holocaust Survivor14:15 - Navigating the World of Late-Night Television17:33 - The Reality of Human Relationships in Showbiz22:20 - The Illusion of Fame and Success23:51 Sponsor: BetterHelp25:43 Sponsor: Superpower28:10 - The Turning Point: Choosing Sobriety in 199234:11 - Understanding the "Conundrum" of Alcoholism42:25 - Facing Fear: Learning to Fly and Control Freaks46:27 - Magical Thinking and Superstitions52:05 - The Power of Introspection54:50 Sponsor: CookUnity57:19 Sponsor: Bonobos1:01:45 - Life as a Father and Husband1:09:25 - The Impulse to Tell Stories1:16:10 - Measuring Time and the Collective Unconscious1:23:00 - Outro

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Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan
https://twitter.com/nealbrennan
https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan

Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557

Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234

Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased).

Edited by Will Hagle (wthagle@gmail.com)
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Rory Scovel joins Neal Brennan to talk about being born into grief—his mother died on his first birthday—and how losing his dad in 2020 reshaped his standup, his parenting, and the way he thinks about aging and death. Plus: learning to read at 44, improvising his entire show every night, asking AI about death, Leonardo DiCaprio playing a father, ADHD, marriage, and more.

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00:00 Bombing without a fight

06:43 ADHD

22:36 Overthinking Depression & Catholic Guilt

27:16 Sponsor: Tushy

29:45 Sponsor: Quince

31:32 Grief

51:26 Death

58:26 Sponsor: ZocDoc

1:01:41 Sponsor: HexClad

1:03:30 Parenting & Breaking the Cycle

1:14:15 Aging

1:21:33 Being an available husband

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Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan
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Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557

Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234

Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased).

Edited by Will Hagle (wthagle@gmail.com)

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Happiness expert, Harvard Professor & author Arthur Brooks joins Neal Brennan to discuss why happiness is ~50% genetic, why men and women fundamentally need different things from love (adoration vs. admiration), the dark triad/tetrad in dating apps, why “success addiction” ruins marriages, the psychology of comedy, the power of the “Reverse Bucket List,” why you need to be bored, how SSRIs affect creativity, Mass vs. Doomscrolling, why your personality keeps improving with age, and why suffering isn’t the same thing as pain.

Arthur Brooks’ new book is called ‘The Meaning of Your Life’: https://www.arthurbrooks.com/the-meaning-of-your-life

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00:00 Intro

3:21 Is Happiness Genetic?

5:05 Male vs. Female Emotion

10:20 Adoration vs. Admiration: What Men and Women Really need

15:20 The Dark Tetrad: Society’s Most Dangerous People

19:38 Addiction to Being Adored

27:12 Sponsor: Superpower

30:21 Sponsor: BetterHelp

32:36 Sponsor: CookUnity

35:16 Addiction to Adoration

39:58 Building Protocols to Protect Marriage

44:19 The Happiness Scale

56:45 Going to Mass instead of scrolling

59:34 Why You Need to Be Bored

1:00:56 The Pill, SSRIs & Creativity

1:08:22 Happiness & Aging

1:17:13 Sponsor: Ultra Pouches

1:18:57 Sponsor: The Perfect Jean

1:21:15 The Psychology of Comedy

1:23:45 The Reverse Bucket List

1:31:25 Psychedelics & Prayer

1:36:18 Suffering

1:43:50 Love & Marriage

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Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan

https://twitter.com/nealbrennan

https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan

Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557

Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234

Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased).

Edited by Will Hagle (wthagle@gmail.com)
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Neal Brennan interviews Jordan Jensen ('Take Me With You' on Netflix, RIP w/ Jordan Jensen) about cancelling her last scheduled appearance at the last second, codependency, sex and love addiction, shapeshifting in relationships, chaos vs. calm, addiction, quitting coke, the biology of rage, status anxiety, living in reality vs. living in delusion, her standup comedy, telling the truth, self-sabotage and obsessing over fairness.

Subscribe to Jordan Jensen: @jordanjensenlolstop
Watch 'Jordan Jensen: Take Me With You' on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81978275

00:00 Intro
00:45 Cancelling Her Last Scheduled Blocks Appearance
4:30 Codependency
19:07 Sponsor: Zocdoc
20:55 Sponsor: Tushy
23:40 Quitting Drinking & Coke
29:00 Sugar Addiction
34:30 What she's learned in recovery
37:45 Vulnerability
50:44 The Telepathy Tapes
53:54 Sponsor: Bubs Naturals
56:03 Sponsor: The Perfect Jean
58:14 Rage & Anti-Authority
1:10:14 Obsessed with Fairness
1:18:49 Status anxiety
1:22:00 Honesty
1:24:45 Her Goals

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----------------------------------------------------------
Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan
https://twitter.com/nealbrennan
https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan

Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557

Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234

Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased).

Edited by Will Hagle

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices