Interview · moment 22 of 32
Not a Prank Show: Defending the Show's Legitimacy
from #179 - Sal Vulcano | The Tim Dillon Show · #179
4 min
Guest
Sal pushes back on the show being labeled a prank or reality show, insisting it's scripted-improvised comedy about friendship, and discusses confidence versus self-doubt among comedians trying to break through.
- Tim explains the show isn't really a prank show, even though it has prank elements—he didn't want to be pigeonholed as a prankster.
- People judge the show without knowing what it's about or what Tim has done outside of it—stand-up, writing, dozens of other shows.
- Tim rejects the prankster label as reductive; he's a middle-aged man doing comedy, not a YouTube kid slapping people.
- When done really well, prank comedy is an art form Tim appreciates.
- Tim's advice for people trying to get something off the ground: you're not failing enough, and trial and error is essential.
- Young comedians sometimes have more confidence than Tim knows he has, though he questions whether that's actually good for them.
- Tim doubts himself routinely, questions if he's good enough, and flip-flops between feeling he belongs and feeling he doesn't.
- Some young comedians walk into rooms with confidence but nothing to back it up—no body of work or experience yet.
- Tim notes those overly confident types either go very far or nowhere; some confidence is genuine, some is just sociopathy.
- Fraudsters who maintain unshakeable confidence miss the dark nights of self-doubt that actually make you get better and funnier.