reSee.it Podcast Summary
Theo Von announces upcoming tour dates: Savannah, Georgia, June 2; Augusta, Georgia, June 3; Montgomery, Alabama, June 4; Columbus, Georgia, June 5. In Florida, shows in Hollywood, Fort Myers, Daytona Beach, and Lakeland from June 23 through June 26. Today's guest is Giannis Pappas, a New York comedian making his first appearance. He has a YouTube special called “Mom Love” and a podcast called “Long Days.” The chat opens with a playful bit about little triangle sandwiches at parties, “air damage,” and meat-and-cheese platters, setting a loose vibe.
Theo welcomes Giannis, noting they’ve just met. Giannis explains he’s from Brooklyn, a Greek American, born in America with Greek heritage. He jokes about being misread as coming from elsewhere, and discusses identity, language, and perception. He mentions his mother had to obtain papers to stay in the country, and shares that his mother came from Greece after World War II; his father was born in Brooklyn, with grandparents born “over there in the old world.” He jokes about the immigrant name and about recent Americans, and touches on Greek identity and stereotypes. He also recalls a tale about private schooling and family finances, and jokes about a supposed “Pontiac Indian” heritage, prompting reflections on culture and humor.
Giannis then dives into his career: he started stand-up in 2000 in New York, grew up there, and in 2001 was shot in a confrontation. He says, “I got shot early on,” and describes the bullet lodging in his buttock, later removed years afterward. He recounts the intense pain, the adrenaline fade, and the PTSD that followed, including panic attacks on trains. He left comedy for a while to do social work, including nine-eleven disaster relief. Donald Rawlings helped pull him back into comedy, taking him to Marion Square on the Upper East Side, and Giannis later joined road work with Chappelle Show alumni. He mentions early viral YouTube characters, Montreal’s New Faces, and the sense that success was visible to others before he fully felt it himself. He remembers a Johnny Depp sighting at the Comedy Store and the awkwardness of meeting celebrities.
Two career strands surface: the “History Hyenas” era with Chris; the eventual end “on a high note.” Giannis reflects on the two-man dynamic, the thrill of creating something bigger than himself, and the value of collaboration. He shares the personal evolution that came with trauma, including therapy, vulnerability, and the ability to cry in front of a man. He describes marriage to a Greek wife, fear of commitment that nearly derailed a proposal, and how a friend named Paul Virzi helped him navigate the process. Therapy is praised as transformative; he emphasizes that family and purpose shape his work, and he speaks candidly about mortality, recognizing life’s fragility and choosing to prioritize meaningful connections.
The talk broadens to philosophy: reality as co-created, freedom’s paradox with unity, and humor’s role in society. Giannis recalls a Quaker school and his near-miss with becoming a Quaker, describing silent meetings and a wedding held in quiet contemplation. They riff on elephants’ rights, current news items like the Dave Chappelle incident and the New York zoo elephant case, and a meditation on humanity’s place in nature. Ads punctuate the chat: Bridge Credit Solutions, Truebill, Blue Chew, and BetterHelp, with Giannis noting his experiences and promoting his work. The episode closes with gratitude and a plug for “Mom Love” and Giannis’s broader body of work, including his stand-up and two-man collaborations.