Michael Che Gets an SNL Cue Card Surprise

RON BENNINGTON: Michael Che, what are you doing here?

MICHAEL CHE: Hey, [clears throat] Ron. I heard you had chlamyia. [laughter]

RON BENNINGTON: Cancer!

MICHAEL CHE: Oh, okay. Cancer. So, I wanted to pay off your medical bills.

RON BENNINGTON: Mike, that's so nice, but I'm sure it would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

MICHAEL CHE: Well, I'm sure Lorne could chip in.

PORTCAST is recorded during Ron Bennington's cancer treatment. Abrupt cuts or visual changes may be necessary to protect the privacy of patients and staff. And now Port with Ron Bennington.

MICHAEL CHE: How you doing?

RON BENNINGTON: Well, you know, cancer. I don't know what to tell you. I remember the first time that you came in, the number one thing that you were interested in was Patrice.

MICHAEL CHE: [laughter] Definitely. Definitely.

RON BENNINGTON: Um, and you uh I guess didn't miss him that by that much in as as far as being contemporary, right? You only...

MICHAEL CHE: Oh, I missed him by by pretty wide margin. Well, I met him.... What do you mean like starting? He was far established by the time I came around. I started in ' 09 and we lost him in what 11. So yeah, I met him a few times and I remember the last time um I seen him was at like Caroline's on like a Wednesday.

RON BENNINGTON: Is that right?

MICHAEL CHE: And it was like half half full. And I remember I sat in the back and it was like 30 comics there just like watch like everybody was just watching him work, you know.

RON BENNINGTON: It's true. And yes, he did not live to see his own success.

MICHAEL CHE: Ah man.

RON BENNINGTON: Isn't that wild?

MICHAEL CHE: It's it's scary when you think about it. Because I feel like we kind of are seeing his success by how many people are influenced by him.

RON BENNINGTON: Could [laughter] you couldn't be more right. It's the number one question I get from comics out of all the interviews I've done is about him. But there was something like actually when I found out I had this ... I thought of a line that he always would say is that I I want to be righteous. I want to be righteous. And when this happened, I was like, how can I walk through this? You know what I mean?

MICHAEL CHE: I mean, this is it's this has got to like be stressful, but also sort of I don't know, normal in a way.

RON BENNINGTON: It is. Yeah. Like bringing comics by is like the best part of this. You know what I mean? Because it hasn't been done before. And they they come at it from a different angle. Every comic comes at it from a different angle. Like you walked in here comfortable. A lot of guys come in here freaked out and just almost in a panic attack.

MICHAEL CHE: I used to date a girl in this room. No, I'm making that up.

RON BENNINGTON: That would be unbelievable. Are you are you comfortable in this in a hospital thing? You've been around it.

MICHAEL CHE: Well, I had I had family that was sick and it's I don't think you're ever comfortable, but you know, it's necessary and and no matter how uncomfortable I am. it's more comfortable as a visitor, you know. So, you try to keep your your hopes your spirits up and not bring any discomfort to anybody that is here.

RON BENNINGTON: I was hoping you'd come in with balloons and I'd be all happy.

MICHAEL CHE: You know, I honestly wanted to come in with something, but I was late. I felt and I was like it what a dick move to come in with something late. You're like you you [laughter] were already late. You stopped at the store you jerk. So I I was like you know what I'm gonna just get in here as soon as possible because I don't know I didn't know how long or whatever. So I wanted to make sure that

RON BENNINGTON: What were you thinking though? What do you thought would be a good present?

MICHAEL CHE: Honestly, a teddy bear.

RON BENNINGTON: Oh my god. I could be hugging it right now.

MICHAEL CHE: I wanted to get I wanted to get you a teddy bear. And I still might I still might go down there right after. I promise you. Would you be into that?

RON BENNINGTON: Are you kidding me? You're already my teddy bear. [clears throat and laughter]

MICHAEL CHE: You better believe it. You better know it. Also, you look good.

RON BENNINGTON: You know, I I've heard that. But to me, I've like I feel like I'm aging in fast forward. I'm okay with it though. You know, I'm okay with it what'sever happening. I can't make a big deal out of it. But they were just looking at different things they get from like your skin breaking out like you were a teenager and [ __ ] like that. But I don't I don't care much. You know what I mean? Like the experience has been an interesting one. I'll just say that it is interesting to feel like, oh, I guess it's true. Every day does matter. You know what I mean? People tell you every day is precious. You're like, yeah, sure. But after this, you're like, okay, got it.

MICHAEL CHE: Some heavy [ __ ] Ron.

RON BENNINGTON: It is heavy. But you know what it is? It couldn't be more natural, Michael. You know what I mean? like like you said, you've been you've seen this. Whatever you see in your family, there's always some kind of tragedy going on. We've all experienced it. And I feel like that is part of what I want this to be about the the caregivers because I think it's harder to be that. Like if me and my wife changed places and she was sick and I was taking care of her, we would be [ ] You know what I mean? I can't do that side of it.

MICHAEL CHE: You know that's deep. Yeah. I I bet you could though.

RON BENNINGTON: I don't think so at all. I can't tell you how lazy I am. [laughter]

MICHAEL CHE: But put to the fire, you know, put to the fire, man. Put to the test. I I feel like uh you you'd even shock yourself.

RON BENNINGTON: Well, here's the thing. When Fez had his trouble with the heart attacks and the mental stuff, I look back on it and go, I wish I would have been done about 18 things differently. You know what I mean? because you do get like annoyed with it sometimes.

MICHAEL CHE: Yeah.

RON BENNINGTON: And then you carry that like, you know, we just [ ] pull it together, you know?

MICHAEL CHE: Yeah. And a lot of times [clears throat] that's just, you know, I feel like for men especially, anger is the easier way to deal with sadness, right? You know, it's it's a lot, you know, you you kind of like you're expected to be mad. You know, no one asks why is the guy mad because we're always mad. But why you're sad? You got to defend that, you know. And I think for us sometimes it's easier for us to just be angry about things that really really hurt us.

RON BENNINGTON: Well, I will say this. If you cried, more people will like your segment. [laughter]

MICHAEL CHE: I can't cry. I'm not I'm not going to cry because because um You know why I'm not going to cry? Why? Because I'm wildly optimistic.

RON BENNINGTON: You know what? is a very interesting thing that you said because I am on a trial drug and they seem to be happy. The people that are from are part of that. They're like we're trending in the right direction.

MICHAEL CHE: So you're saying my optimism worked.

RON BENNINGTON: It may be the thing that's saving me right now, saving my life. But the thing is is if if it lasts too long, I can't have this thing go on forever. You know what I mean?

MICHAEL CHE: Then we just got [laughter] to see you regular.

RON BENNINGTON: Yes. You'll come by. I'm eating a [laughter] sandwich. Oh, Jesus. Thanks for coming in.

MICHAEL CHE: I will say when you're better, I want that damn bear back. I I promise you. The teddy bear, not bareback. You know what I mean? [laughter] I should make that clear.

RON BENNINGTON: Yeah, he asked for a bear back. It's [laughter] uh it's horrifying. Um but that is like that is funny. like a lot of people are ready to say goodbye to me right now and that, you know, it's all up in the air either way. They tell you a good attitude is half the battle, but

MICHAEL CHE: I believe that's absolutely true. It's got to be true, man. I mean, hope has gotten us through everything. Any any great fight was won with belief and hope and and I'm not going to say goodbye uh before I have to. So, I'm not going to get emotional. I'm not going to cry even though I feel a lump right now.

RON BENNINGTON: Can I tell you something? You don't want to say goodbye too late. You know, you show up a half an hour too late, putting the cover over me, and you're like, I should have said this.

MICHAEL CHE: I don't like that joke. I don't like that joke one bit. [laughter] That's even too dark for me.

RON BENNINGTON: I know. The whole thing is dark enough, you know.

MICHAEL CHE: Oh, man. I Oh, man. God. Laughter, huh?

RON BENNINGTON: Yes, laughter has been the whole thing here. That's been the whole goddamn thing. But I mean, just look how absurd the whole situation is, you know?

MICHAEL CHE: I mean, what man I think sometimes like you you think about like, oh, like why does this have to happen as opposed to how it's happening, right? and and what you have when it's happening and you know having your friends come by and having support and having family and having the ability to be able to, you know, do something new, you know, like a show or something like that. That's just sort of uh something to look forward to every day and keep your brain kind of going and keep your spirits kind of going. And I mean that's that's a lot of help to fight.

RON BENNINGTON: It it really has been. Um cuz the people have stopped by. Like I said, every comic is different in the way they handle it. And it tell just came in. He was just blasting [laughter] the fact that

MICHAEL CHE: He had a big bag of candy.

RON BENNINGTON: Yeah. Big bag of candy laid out for everybody. Here's something for you. But uh he was like, "What is this? Cancer on a budget?" He was just busting my balls about the room. Who does he say had a better uh God Gilbert? Oh, Gilbert Gottfried had a much better death bed than me and like that kind of [ __ ] Like you just you you can't buy it.

MICHAEL CHE: I mean Yeah, man. That's Yeah. Damn. That's that's cool. That's cooler than John Cena. Yeah.

RON BENNINGTON: Yeah. That is better than John Cena. I don't want him coming in here and telling me I can do it. [laughter] But I have heard from so many people that of like they lost their dad or whatever. And he was like, if I could have just had that many funny people come in, it would have would have been everything. And I'm like, yes, I really am fortunate in that way. You know what I mean? But been fortunate in my whole life of knowing funny people and and enjoying their company.

MICHAEL CHE: We're a lucky We're a lucky class.

RON BENNINGTON: Could you imagine?

MICHAEL CHE: We're a lucky class, man. And it's and it's inspiring to see everybody kind of come together when it's time to fight, you know? And not just when it's time to say goodbye, right? Because that's important, too. Yeah. That's important, too.

RON BENNINGTON: But you're somebody I think humor came naturally, too. Right. You were a funny kid. You

MICHAEL CHE: Well, I'm the youngest of seven of a very, very, very poor family. So, you kind of got to have a sense of humor when you're sharing spoons and hungry and, you know, sleeping two to a bed. You They don't let you stay around if you're not somewhat useful. You got to be somewhat useful.

RON BENNINGTON: This is amazing to me because I didn't know there there were poor black people. So, [laughter]

MICHAEL CHE: there's like We were the ones.

RON BENNINGTON: You were the ones.

MICHAEL CHE: We were the ones. Yeah. Yeah. Literally. Yeah. the poorest family in Buckingham Palace. Yeah. [laughter] Right.

RON BENNINGTON: Where do what what what burrough are you from?

MICHAEL CHE: Manhattan. Lower East Side.

RON BENNINGTON: Lower East Side. Which has then the great thing there is you have all kinds of races that are poor.

MICHAEL CHE: Oh, it's beautiful. It's like the poor Olympics over there. Yeah. It's the only poor Jews, Italians, [laughter] Irish, everybody's poor and everybody's angry about it. It's everybody else's fault. Nobody's taking the blame yet. Not the Puerto Ricans. Nobody. Everybody. Yeah. It's uh I wouldn't have wanted to grow up anywhere else though.

RON BENNINGTON: Is that right? You loved it.

MICHAEL CHE: Yeah. I loved it, man. You know why? Because Manhattan is sort of a like you said, it's like a it's a mixing pot. It's a culture pot. Yeah. And I think um one of the things that makes that separates people is that we don't know each other. We only just hear the marketing campaigns about each other that tells us that we should be afraid or that we should blame or whatever. When you're live amongst a lot of different types of people and you see them and you see the smart ones and you see the dumb ones and you see the useful ones and you see, you know, the idiots or whatever, you you kind of get that they're not much different. We got one in our family, too.

You know, no matter what you see, and they're not better than you, and they don't have what they have because they deserve it. They're just in a position to get it. So, it it it kind of it inspires you to try because you know that, you know, nobody's better than you and nobody's worse than you.

RON BENNINGTON: And then the deserving is also a very funny thing because people forget that luck has so much to do with any success that you have.

MICHAEL CHE: Oh, it's a poker game.

RON BENNINGTON: Yeah, it's a poker game. But then people will forget that as soon as they make money and start to preach at everybody else

MICHAEL CHE: for sure,

RON BENNINGTON: you know, and it'll be like, I worked hard. Yeah, but also you got this caught this wave.

MICHAEL CHE: In the right place at the right time. Yeah. And and just as lucky as you can be, you can be unlucky. And anybody behind you can end up in front of you and vice versa. And you never know how it's all going to shake out at the end. And nobody's finished this book yet. So, let's just stay humble and uh play it as it goes. You know,

RON BENNINGTON: That is true. You know what I think is like the perfect example of that is the Cellar. When you go down there and there's so many people coming at comedy from so many directions and you go there's the hot one and then [laughter] a month and a half later, you know, they're opening for somebody that you didn't find to be funny at all.

MICHAEL CHE: That's right. And then there's here's the new toy and then here's you know it's it's it's but one thing that the Cellar does teach you is sort of that that hierarchy of respect in the sense it's a there's a code there you know there's an appreciation there there's like when you see guys like Attell, and you see guys you know it means something that you're like well this is this is someone that's great. And this is someone that's doing it the right way and this is somebody that we could all look up to and it it teaches you like no matter how big you get there's Attell [laughter] you know what I mean and there's Chappelle and there's and there's these guys that are that'll always be great.

MICHAEL CHE: You must be raising spirits cuz I hope so yeah I hope so that that stuff is that stuff is palpable man that energy is is something that means a lot and I hope you I hope you realize that.

RON BENNINGTON: Well, I mean, I get more energy even brought back to me from people. I mean, so many people didn't know that you could laugh your way through this or, you know, some people are like, "Do you realize?" And I go, "Yeah, I do realize." But that's also funny, too. You know.

MICHAEL CHE: That's the interesting thing about laughter I think about a lot just in this in this business is how I think most people kind of get the wrong idea like they they they almost treat laughter like it's like it's a disrespect and they don't know that sometimes you can you can process pain through laughter. Yeah. In the way that you can process it through tears. And and sometimes it's a little easier. Sometimes it's a break and and sometimes you do need to conf confront those feelings, but there's nothing wrong with with with laughing and and and finding joy even when most people think you can't.

RON BENNINGTON: Sure. You know, like you brought up being a poor kid, but you probably laughed more than a lot of rich kids did. You know what I mean?

MICHAEL CHE: It's not even close. And the funny part is we didn't know we were poor. You never know because it's all relative, right? you're you're poor, but you're not you're not you're not as poor as the people downstairs. [laughter] And then, you know, in that case, you're rich. You know what I mean? So, you you could always feel people will look at you like you're poor, but but there's there's a shelter around the corner. They're really struggling, you know? So, it's it's all relative.

RON BENNINGTON: You know, when you also talk about laughter, and this is almost embarrassing to say, Colin Quinn was in and he goes, "I was with you like a week or two before you, you know, went got rushed to the hospital and figured out what you had." And he goes, "You looked terrible, but then you would go on stage and you would look fine." You know what I mean? And you're just up there taking in the laughs and you suddenly get a drug, you know?

MICHAEL CHE: Dude, on a on a much much much on a much much lower scale. I've I've I've gone through that. I've been like I've felt like hell, right? And then you get on stage and no one can tell. And then you get off stage and you're shivering, you know? And it's what is it's something about that. It's something that just keeps you alive.

RON BENNINGTON: It is. It's very very true that you could have the flu except for that half hour that you're up on stage. But the other part is as soon as like people would go, "How how come you thought of this idea of doing this?" And I was like, I felt like I needed a mic to feel my power, you know what I mean? I've done radio my whole life. And then like when I have a mic, I can look at things differently that if I'm just sitting here without one, it's almost embarrassing.

MICHAEL CHE: No, that's beautiful. That's literally be Are you writing like do you get any writing done like just for yourself? Just journaling and just

RON BENNINGTON: I haven't done any of that at all. I just stopped everything. Um, and I'm just I'm feeling on a level that I've never felt before, which is really weird to say. And I think that's because there's this transference of energy from people who've listened to me for years or people that I've worked with and being on a coming at me differently than they ever have in my life. So, at some point, I hope to put something together, but I'm no rush to try to figure it out.

MICHAEL CHE: Well, I mean, what you're saying, man, is I I hope I hope a lot of people get to hear that. I wish it was done with a bigger guest so that more people will watch.

RON BENNINGTON: No, no, no. You're you're unbelievable to come in because you're open to this. And there there's a word that I only heard church people use before and I've never known what it meant, but fellowship. I feel like I'm living in fellowship with everybody right now, you know? Everybody.

MICHAEL CHE: I'm I'm honored to be in your fellowship, man.

RON BENNINGTON: Well, you are, man.

MICHAEL CHE: You're teaching me a lot right now just of just of how to fight. Just how to fight no matter what. And I and I can't wait to see you beat this thing.

RON BENNINGTON: Well, you know what's really interesting is a guy gets in touch with me. Oh, you do a show, you know, I'm really enjoying what you're doing. I'm a a cancer survivor and I have been doing something with my friends and a p podcast with my friends. I said, well, give it to me. I I'd like to listen to it. Yeah. These guys [snorts] all were younger in cancer camp back in the 90s. Wow. They were all kids with cancer. And they the the brutality of what they went through just 20 years from now ago, right, from what's happening now was like shocking to me. He goes, "I think you're on like uh a different kind of chemo, you know, like chemo light." I go, "Why would you even say that?" He goes, "You have chest hair, dude." [laughter] He goes, "All these kids, the first chemo, all their hair fell out immediately." And they were busting balls.

MICHAEL CHE: Here you are wearing a hat for fun.

RON BENNINGTON: Yes. [laughter] just enjoying life, having he goes, "The fact that you're talking with your friends and you're not throwing up on them is amazing to us." Wow. And they all are like busting balls about their Make a-Wish thing and their trip to Disney. And it's way darker than what I'm doing. Uh almost too dark for me. Um look, I know, look, I really do appreciate you coming in. And I know this isn't your type of thing that you would do, but I wanted to make you feel more comfortable. Oh, and I came up with a way that you like to work. Okay. You know what I mean? A way that you [clears throat] could pull it together.

MICHAEL CHE: Let's see it.

RON BENNINGTON: And I thought um we'd have somebody stop by to make you feel better about the whole situation. And I know that you you don't go anywhere without a pack of writers.

MICHAEL CHE: That's true.

RON BENNINGTON: under any circumstances. [laughter] Which, by the thing, the the thing that you did with that roast, [laughter] the thing you did with that roast by showing the writer room. I know some people were like,

MICHAEL CHE: they got so mad at me.

RON BENNINGTON: It was so funny.

MICHAEL CHE: I was like, what? Yeah, they said I'd hurt Nick Mullen's feelings. I was like, what feelings? [laughter]

RON BENNINGTON: So, here's what we got for you right now. You're not going to

CUE CARD WALLY: It's going to be the smallest [laughter] room I've worked.

RON BENNINGTON: It's Wally the cue card guy. And I you know I know it's difficult to come up with things off the top of your head, but Wally is prepared for you right now.

MICHAEL CHE: You monster.

You're blue like you normally are. You're black. You know it's a little weird.

RON BENNINGTON: It is a little weird. Your color is in black and that's you know. Yeah, that's right. All right. You ready? Ready for this? '

MICHAEL CHE: Oh my goodness.

RON BENNINGTON: Michael Che, what are you doing here?

MICHAEL CHE: Hey Ron, I heard you had chlamyia.

RON BENNINGTON: Cancer.

MICHAEL CHE: Oh, okay. Cancer. So, I wanted to pay off your medical bills.

RON BENNINGTON: Mike, that's so nice, but I'm sure it would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

MICHAEL CHE: Well, I'm sure Lorne could chip in.

RON BENNINGTON: Ah, Michael, I love you. I'm just not comfortable with this.

MICHAEL CHE: Ron, I owe you cuz you've shown me that not all white people are as bad as Colin Jost. That's right. Damn it. That's right.

RON BENNINGTON: Live from New York,

MICHAEL CHE: dude. Yeah. This isn't for the show. This isn't for the show.

RON BENNINGTON: dammit

MICHAEL CHE: Oh my god, this is beautiful. Yeah. Oh man. No, but seriously, do you guys have a chlamyia center? Because I I could see somebody if it's possible.

RON BENNINGTON: Um it it would actually be easier just to say that you have cancer. That could [laughter] be the new thing for chlamydia. Just come in. I'm here for the cancer test.

MICHAEL CHE: I'm going to urgent care cancer test. Yes, absolutely. Oh god, that's so funny. Wally,

CUE CARD WALLY: what's up, buddy?

MICHAEL CHE: How are you, man? Good.

CUE CARD WALLY: This is a reminder, too, to put me in update more [laughter] because I killed an update twice this season. Holding one card up with no words. No, no dialogue. Just holding up a card.

MICHAEL CHE: Oh, cut to cut to Wally is a [laughter] cheap laugh. Oh, you going to get a pop. You going to get a pop.

RON BENNINGTON: People love just to see Wally in like as they're going to commercial. They're like, Wally.

MICHAEL CHE: Yeah, it's I think it's you know what it is cuz it's like there's the show and then there's the community and when you're a fan when you're inside you're on the inside of the community you know Wally you're like okay [laughter] you you know ball

RON BENNINGTON: I I will tell you anytime I've been there and Wally's always said it up but I just watched the crew moving [ __ ] in and out. II can't believe how good those guys are

MICHAEL CHE: man the that the the sketch that they wrote where they was falling down the stairs. I like had to watch it on the floor cuz I just wanted to see them execute it. And even like even me being there 13 years like you still get a kick out of watching them execute a thing. You know, I always I used to do warm-up and I used to always say the show was great. Like when you get all the credit, but the people that that actually put the show on, that's the real feat, you know?

RON BENNINGTON: I mean, could you even imagine doing what Wally does and move and knowing how to move those cards and you never you never mess up?

CUE CARD WALLY: Well, I've never dropped a card in 37 years. I mean, I might be a little slower or a little fast once in a while, but not, you know, not I mean, maybe once a year, once a season. You know, I'll make a mistake.

RON BENNINGTON: That is wild, man.

ICUE CARD WALLY: t's uh Yeah, it's focused. It's all It's very It's focused. And then, you know, I'm just having fun out there now. You know, you know, it's just so much fun.

It's got to be like a groove like a boxing like just throwing punches. Yeah. It's funny. You know, Fred I was doing a monologue one time and Fred Armisen came up to me after and he was like, I was watching you do that whole monologue. He was like, "You didn't lose focus for one second." And I was like, "And you you can't you can't think about anything else." So that's, you know, it's just a kind of now it's trained. Now it's ingrained in me because you can't just say, "Oh, what am I going to do after? Am I going to go to the party?" You know, and then you realize you're two cards behind.

RON BENNINGTON: What about your first night when you were in blind panic?

CUE CARD WALLY: Oh my god. My first My first My first night, I held five cards for a Sprocket sketch. Uhhuh. And I was the only one holding those cards. It was the intro. And I would never do that to somebody on the first day. I the guy that hired me wanted to get me fired because my printing was terrible. [laughter] So, he gave me these cards and figured I'd screw it up. And I held them perfectly. And the guy standing behind me, the the the cue card owner said, "I've never seen anything like that." He's like, "Your entire body was shaking." But those cards stayed perfectly still.

MICHAEL CHE: Oh, that's hilarious.

CUE CARD WALLY: And from there on, I was holding three three sets the next three card, you know, three sets next week. And then he I think the guy realized he's like, "Oh, I he he can be an ally on the floor. I'll fix his printing later." And that's what saved my job. Yeah. Nice.

And what people don't know a lot about cue cards, it's not even just always the holding. You got to hide from the camera. There's so many cameras that's going at the same time. So you got you got glare and shadows and but you got to make sure it's on the ey line so it looks like the the they're not reading the cards. It's it's a really tricky art. Yeah.

RON BENNINGTON: Do the people who come in get what you do? Do they understand like those or what?

CUE CARD WALLY: They're prepped usually or and they know by now that it's cue cards. If they haven't worked with them, they're already asking questions of people that have hosted before usually. Or as soon as they get in, they're they're talking to the writers and they're talking to the actors and say, "Hey, what what do you do with the cards and how do you use them and stuff?" I see a lot of that.

RON BENNINGTON: When you got the gig cuz you the first time I met you, you were going to go do the Comedy Central and then Yeah. Daily Show. Yeah. You're doing a daily show which I'm like, "Oh my god, this is mind-blowing." And then you got SNL. It seemed like almost right after that, right?

MICHAEL CHE: Daily Show is like for Daily Show uses Prompter, right? So that's a little easier. That was easier for me to see because it was I think it was white on black and it it just like it's kind of moving.

CUE CARD WALLY: Had you used prompter before?

MICHAEL CHE: Never used prompter before, [clears throat] but like that was like the first time I ever did it. But for SNL, you're reading handwriting and it's like I don't know why, but it's just way trickier and way harder. And I it's like I feel like for for comedy... for standups it's especially hard because like um man it's hard to explain but it's like I've noticed that most people like standups when they either come on the show or when they host the show a lot like 90% of them have a hard time with cards and it's because we make a choice on every sentence in the way that actors kind of don't. Actors sort of play it the way it is and comedians we got to land the joke in a way there's like a rhythm to it. So a lot of times you're reading ahead of the cards because you're trying to perform the joke cuz it's so unnatural to tell a joke that way. So it was always like it was like a a hard thing. I would have to get them to write it the way I would say it naturally in order to cheat so that if I got ahead of it I was already still in the rhythm if that makes sense.

RON BENNINGTON: Well, you also you had your own timing and your own like kind of laid-back standup that would just drop a hammer, but it wasn't the way that people wrote Weekend Update, right? You know what I mean? Like, you're looking at guys that were writing that stuff [clears throat] 30 years ago and that rhythm can't really change, right?

MICHAEL CHE: Well, we came in after Seth. Yeah. But we had the writers that wrote for Seth, so they would write for us the way they would write for Seth. Yeah. And we're very different, you know, types of comics in the way we deliver things. So, I had to like learn how to make them write it the way I would say it so that I could say it in a way that was smooth. And it it took me about seven or eight seasons. [laughter] Eight seasons, but I think I think I'm close.

CUE CARD WALLY: He does. Every [laughter] time Every time like dress is over, he'll walk through our area going, "I don't know, guys. [laughter]

RON BENNINGTON: When the Wally Book comes out, the Wally.

MICHAEL CHE: Oh, man. I'll be the first to to [laughter] I'll be the first to boycott it. I

CUE CARD WALLY: Yeah, you'll be the first to sue. There's no doubt.

MICHAEL CHE: I'll ask you to write the postcard that I [laughter]

CUE CARD WALLY: Michael's been nothing but nice to me. He'll only do good things in there.

RON BENNINGTON: Of course. Of course. And I know that you were in his corner right from the beginning since we talked about it. Yeah.

MICHAEL CHE: Despite his Boston affiliation.

CUE CARD WALLY: Sure. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. [clears throat] [laughter]

RON BENNINGTON: Um, but what what are you waiting for? Lorne's funeral 10 announced when the book's coming out. [laughter] You're a little scared to do it before then.

CUE CARD WALLY: Oh, when I leave the show, it's I have to leave when the show has to go off the air, I think, before I can write it, right? You know, I've got some bombshells to drop. Oh, you do? Oh, I got some bombshells to drop. Yeah. [laughter] Well, stupid things that I did. Nothing, you know, nothing anybody else has done.

MICHAEL CHE: Did you print out that picture of the Pope for Sinead OConnor.

CUE CARD WALLY: It was my [laughter] idea.

RON BENNINGTON: You've seen some of the major meltdowns, too, huh? Wow. Yeah. Yeah. That show seen some meltdowns of Is that like the last show business like bigger than life show business that we have? Cuz even the movies don't seem to be that anymore.

MICHAEL CHE: Yeah. I I don't I don't know that people want that anymore in the way. Like I I don't think like we're they're letting us not us, but I mean I feel like we're killing a lot of our institutions that I feel like we're not appreciating the legacy of of stuff like the late shows and you know like we should we we got to keep those things alive because it's important, you know?

RON BENNINGTON: Well, they do have the older people, you know what I mean? It's the young people who are just like just give me a clip. Just give me a clip. It's all I want.

MICHAEL CHE: They're going to regret it though.

RON BENNINGTON: I think so, too.

MICHAEL CHE: You can only retain so many clips. Yeah.

CUE CARD WALLY: Well, the older people I hear from too just are watching it on Sunday, but they don't watch the clips. They'll just they'll record it and watch the whole show on Sunday morning like over breakfast and stuff like that. So, they're still watching it the way, you know, we want them to watch it.

RON BENNINGTON: I still like it live. You know what I mean? I still like that feeling. And when people are like ones are good, to me it's the same as Monday Night Football. I'm going to watch it because it's the game that's on the you know. I might [ __ ] about some things, but so what?

CUE CARD WALLY: What would you put on there if they ever took that? You know, if Lorne returned, what do you put on in that time slot? Not probably nothing, right? Yeah. I don't know.

MICHAEL CHE: Yeah, I don't know what you'd put.

CUE CARD WALLY: A new Michael Che show, maybe with cue cards. [laughter]

RON BENNINGTON: There's a guy I got an idea. It's a guy with cancer. And the chemo is literally in his chest. [laughter] And he's bringing other people that really don't even want to look. [laughter]

MICHAEL CHE: I'm looking. I'm looking. No, this is I would I would do that show. [laughter] Do that show. I'll be your quest love. I'll see you. Well, I'll definitely do it, brother.

RON BENNINGTON: I love you, buddy.

MICHAEL CHE: Thank you so much. I love you so much, man. Keep fighting. I'll see you later. I won't say goodbye. I'll see you later, brother. Cuz you're going to beat this thing. I promise.

RON BENNINGTON: It's going to be in the cards one way or another. It's in the cards. That's the name of this episode. It's in the cards.

CUE CARD WALLY: I like it. I like it.

RON BENNINGTON: I love you, too, buddy.

Again. Pop.