Dusty
Highlight Bits & Quotes
13The 'So Funny He's Exempt' Defense
The panel discusses legendary improviser Jim Allister, whose comedy is so undeniably brilliant that they feel compelled to ignore his horrific real-world allegations and legal troubles.
"I hope the allegations aren't real."
"They make your accusations seem quieter because they're so damn funny."
"I quite literally am friends with one of the people that is a victim of him, but his buttons are so funny."
The Final Bow and Credits Roll
The performers break character to celebrate a successful recording, dancing around the studio as the formal credits and legal disclaimers are read over the footage.
"The opinions expressed on this podcast do not reflect the opinions of anyone who works on it"
"Because this is an improvised podcast and we're stupid"
"Good night Hollywood"
The Dark Side of Improv Camp
Leila discusses her training at 'Make 'Em Ups,' a sleepaway improv camp in Delaware, which leads to a discussion about the massive volume of allegations surrounding the institution.
"You can get a scholarship of 10% off if you're really good."
"The allegations themselves aren't that big of a deal, it's just that there's so many."
The Improv-Lawyer Work-Life Balance
Dusty reveals he is a criminal defense attorney who uses improv as a 'release' from the heavy reality of representing murderers all day.
"If Willy Wonka were to exist, he wouldn't open a candy factory, he'd open a comedy theater."
"I know they're murderers, I know they're awful people."
Malevolent Design and Legal Conflict
Chyler reveals his parents got rich designing anti-homeless benches, prompting Dusty to realize he has sued Chyler's parents in his capacity as a public defender.
"They both design the benches that don't let homeless people sleep on them."
"I've definitely taken your parents to court before."
The Improv-to-Charity Pipeline: Shopping Cart Retrieval
Cameron explains how improv led her to a community-building non-profit where she retrieves stray shopping carts for Ralph's. Dusty reveals he once sued such a group for 'ripping' carts away from unhoused people's homes.
"Every Wednesday at 7 A.M. I go with my friends and we go pick up shopping carts that get away from the grocery store."
"I think I took that non-profit to court back in the public defender days because of the injuries sustained by unhoused people from ripping the shopping carts from their homes."
El Segundo Comedy Click and the Art of Gatekeeping
The group discusses a new theater that prioritizes auditions over shows. Leila defends gatekeeping as 'useful' and 'awesome,' while Cameron brags about making a house team after twelve grueling rounds of auditions.
"Nobody goes to the shows, they only go to the auditions. But they pay for the auditions."
"Gatekeeping is like when you put impossible barriers to the stage... I think rules are kind of awesome."
The Universe Without the Number Four
After a failed group breath exercise where Cameron skips the number four, the group commits to a reality where the number four doesn't exist, resulting in 'The Fantastic Three' and 'Three-Square' instead of Foursquare.
"There is no four in this universe. If that's true, what else is?"
"If there's no four, then we can't play Foursquare... Three-Square!"
Zoom Improv Deposition Crossover
The group acts out a scene where a legal deposition is confused for a Zoom improv class. Dusty attempts to explain the legal system using improv terminology like 'Walk-ons' and 'Stenographer choices.'
"Wait, there's six of you? That means... oh dang, this is my improv class! Guys, I thought you were my deposition."
"I'm an astonographer!"
Gender Dynamics and Big Brothers
Leila explains that while she supports women in improv, she prefers being on teams with 'big brothers' who make her feel safe when rolling up to bars after shows.
"It's also awesome to like be on a team with like a bunch of your big brothers."
"I feel like a lot safer just like rolling up to a bar with everybody at Friday Friday behind me."
The TikTok Eye-Roll
Leila complains about her 500,000 TikTok followers and the 'horrible shitty' content she's forced to make, claiming she rolls her eyes through every video despite her massive success.
"I'm rolling my eyes the whole time. It's not funny."
"I have like 500,000 followers. Literally shoot me."
The 7 AM Molly Jam
Chyler describes his legendary 7 AM improv show where teams are given specific dosages of Molly based on their team size and must perform for 90 minutes straight.
"If your team is four people, you get four milligrams of Molly and four minutes to play."
"You have to stay the whole time, otherwise next time you can't come back."
The Improv Experts Assemble
The roundtable of improvisers introduces themselves, immediately diving into the niche, self-congratulatory, and often absurd world of improv podcasts and specialized performance teams.
"Improvisation is when people are making things up on the spot."
"I have a podcast where I make my guests watch a full episode of Ghost Hunters."
"It's four people all playing Gordon Ramsay."