There are so many great moments in Judd Apatowโs new book Sick in the Head, a collection of interviews the author has conducted over the past thirty years with pretty much every big-name comedian you can think of. You read that right, thirty years.ย Apatow, 47, and most well-known for directing and producing movies and series like Freaks and Geeks,ย Knocked Up, Bridesmaids, Girls, and, very soon,ย Trainwreck (with Amy Schumer โ could we be more excited?), began interviewing comedic heroes for his high school radio station in the early 80s, when he was a tenth grader struggling with his parentsโ divorce and his identity being โthe last kid picked in gym.โ Not surprisingly, he was drawn to outsiders and comedians โwho called out the b.s.โ and โsaid that people in power were idiots and not to be trusted.โ He talks to everyone in this book โ I mean everyone: Chris Rock, Seth Rogen, Sarah Silverman, Amy Schumer, Mel Brooks, Steve Martin, Albert Brooks, Jerry Seinfeld, Jimmy Fallon, just for starters. I wish I could share more, but because itโs Fatherโs Day, and because weโre here in DALS family land, Iโm going to focus on a few moments when Apatow and his subjects discuss being dads. PS: Thereโs also a nice little surprise at the end for you. Happy Fatherโs Day!
JEFF GARLIN
Judd: Is it important your kids are smart?
Jeff Garlin: No. I mean, yes, I hope theyโre smart and self-reliant so they can enjoy life โ but theyโll probably be more miserable if theyโre smart. If theyโre stupid, theyโre going to have a great time. Because really, everything is created for stupid people. Books, movies, TV shows for the most part โ theyโre for stupid people. So they would be much happier if they were stupid. But I think both my boys are going to be miserable just like theyโre father.
Judd: So theyโll be smart and miserable.
Jeff: Well, they go hand in hand.
Judd: Yeah.
Jeff: Do you know any smart people who are just, like, chill? Really happy?โฆYou donโt, do you?
Judd: I donโt. I mean, I donโt think Iโm smart. But I think Iโm beginning to think Iโm smart based on how miserable I am.
LOUIS CK [above, with his TV daughters]
Louis: [My daughter] will be the last one of her friends to get a smartphone. And because sheโs watched all her friends change since getting them, and Iโve watched them change, too. I know all these kids. I know the parents and I know the kids. Iโve known them since they were little. And I see these kids who are suddenly seized by this thing. When they come over โ like, my daughter had a sleepover party recently and I made her friends check their phones at the door.
Judd: They start shaking.
Louis: They itch, they shake, they canโt listen to each other โ it hurts them to not have their phones. And sheโs observing because sheโs not one of them. Itโs a big caution for her. So when she does get one, sheโll have a better shot than I have and that her friends have hadโฆItโs pollution. You need time by yourself. I was watching Rocky with a friend of mine. And thereโs all these scenes of him sitting on this dirty mattress, alone โ the guy is so alone, itโs beautiful how alone he is. Nobodyโs alone like that anymore. Nobody. You know, cops on the beat in New York are staring at their phones. Airline pilots are on iPads. F**ing hell. Itโs crazy.
JON STEWART
Judd: In some way you must have perfected some sense of balance between your time at home and your time at workโฆ
Jon: I have done my best but itโs still not satisfactory, especially as they get olderโฆItโs different when they begin to share and experience things that are more complex. Itโs one thing to, you know โ I have this letter up in my office. Itโs something my daughter Maggie wrote to meโฆIt says โDaddy, I know you are a good writer. Youโre a good surfer,too. When you got on that big wave, you got hurt bad. I know you saw a lot of nature. Youโre a great dad. Love, Maggie.โ That is, like, beautiful. Itโs simple. But now, theyโre older and they are beginning to articulate things in a much more complex way and you need to be there. And nine-to-nine is a sh**y schedule for that kind of thing.
JERRY SEINFELD
Judd: I find that everything about a family is drama and emotions and tears and yelling. How is that for you as somebody who doesnโt live his life that way? How do you deal, in the middle of the madness of kids, when someone wants something so badly they will scream and push you emotionally until you crack to get it?
Jerry: My kids never get me to crack. Itโs because of my stand-up training. Like, โYouโre nothing compared to the Comedy Cellar.โ
Judd: Thatโs so funny.
Jerry: โYou think youโre tough?โ My kids said something to me last night, and I said, โThat line is so weak, give me my last name back. You donโt deserve it.โ
Judd: I have the opposite thing with my daughter. She said to me the other day, โDad, all those things you say that you think are jokes are not funny.โ
Jerry: Oh my son had one even worse than that. We were making up words as a game at dinner one night and I said, โYou know, Iโve made up a lot of words that people actually use as words.โ And my son said, โUh, really, like what? Unfunny?โ
JIMMY FALLON
Judd: I have this thing with my daughter where I hate any boy that comes by โ like, in my bones, I hate any boy that is circling.
Jimmy: Yes.
Judd: But thereโs this kid that is like a super-goofy, nerdy kid, who I realize,ย Oh, thatโs me. Thatโs exactly who I was in high school. And Iโll say โWhat about dating that guy?โ And sheโs like, โOh, heโs such a nerd.โ And Iโm like, โYou donโt understand him. Heโs special. Heโs going to fill out one day. Heโll show everybody.โ
Jimmy: (laughs)
Judd: Iโm like โHow come you donโt want to date my doppelgรคnger?โ
Jimmy: But she will date someone like you.
Judd: Thatโs the scary part. I wish I had self-esteem so she would like a guy with self-esteem.
Jimmy: Iโm going to be so bummed out because my daughter is going to marry some feminine guy that laughs at himself too much. And Iโm going to go,ย Thatโs me. She did it.
All proceeds from Sick in the Head go to Dave Eggersโ 826, which offers free tutoring and literacy programs for kids. Comment below to be eligible to win a free autographed copy. Two winners will be chosen; deadline Friday, June 19, 8:00pm ET. Good luck! Update: The winners have been selected. Thanks for playing everyone!
Pick me! Love this!
Count me in, please! My husband and I would really enjoy this!
Dadโs need to be celebrated moreโฆthen perhaps more men who father children will stick aroundโฆwant to embrace fatherhood and all its rewards. My dad raised 6 girls and 1 boy. He wasnโt perfect but oh my god we all loved him,
Apatow did a great interview on Fresh Air this week that you can listen to here:. It gives you a greater insight to the book. I wish he had released an audiobook and narrated it, because I would love to hear the interviews for myself. Some are played during the interview and fuller clips are online here: http://www.npr.org/2015/06/17/415199346/judd-apatow-a-comedy-obsessed-kid-becomes-champion-of-the-goofball. Enjoy!
Iโm convinced that Jimmy Fallon is literally the cutest dad. He seems to really adore his girls, and that is just so precious. Also, Louis C.K. is BRILLIANT, and so insightful. His show โLouieโ is one of my favorites. This seems like such a great book!
am i too late to enter? im too late!!! i want this book.
random comment in case Iโm a winner
Would love to win this book! Youโve piqued my interest, for sure, so Iโll read it from the library if I donโt win ๐
This is so sweet! Canโt wait to check out this book!
These comedians represent examples of how fatherhood really makes a man THE man. Doesnโt the word โfatherโ sounds great? You can enrich your soul on the topic here: http://motherhow.com/fatherhood-as-the-quality-of-a-real-man/
wow beautiful .