What's Up Fool? Podcast
485 episodes - English - Latest episode: 16 days ago - ★★★★★ - 2.1K ratingsComedian Felipe Esparza talks with random people he finds interesting. It might be somebody kind of famous or it might be that homeless guy at the end of your street who you walk past every day without saying hello. Everyone has a story to tell about how they got where they are, no matter who they are.
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Episodes
Ep 35 - Fred Stoller, Marcella Arguello, Flaco
February 04, 2015 17:20 - 1 hour - 59.2 MBOriginally recorded January 25, 2015 at the Ontario Improv in Ontario California (in the green room) We're in the green room of the Ontario Improv in California right after a weekend of 8 sold out shows. Rodrigo was performing out of town so we had Ma rcella Arguello, a couple words from Isaac Flaco Martinez and the return of Fred Stoller - these guys were with me on most of the shows this weekend. Mostly this show is just us kicking back after a long weekend of work. Listen as Fred talks abo...
Ep 34 - Comedian Melanie Comarcho
January 30, 2015 21:07 - 1 hour - 76 MBMelanie Comarcho is hilarious. She's so funny, she never had to do the grind of the open mics and the bullshit most of us had to go through. She got snatched up for the Def Jam Comedy Tour and world tours with Martin Lawrence, Chris Tucker and Katt Williams. Melanie is raw and real and always herself. Listen as she tells some of her experiences in comedy over the years. Go watch her special on Netflix - "Melanie Comarcho: Hello" Please rate or review the podcast and if you like it subscribe! ...
Ep 33 - One Night in Tampa w Russell, Dom and Adam
January 28, 2015 19:06 - 1 hour - 101 MBThis is two episodes in one… recorded in Tampa Florida when my friend, comedian Russell Peters invited me to fly with him and Dom Irrera on Russell's private plane. I skipped my commercial flight and took my podcast equipment with me. The interview starts off with us waiting at the private airport with a new comedian with 5 years in the game - Adam Murray from Orlando Florida. He tells us about his years doing open mics and driving a taxi cab. I stepped away for a few minutes to go to the bat...
Ep 32 - Chuck Bartell and the Comedy Witness Protection Program
January 23, 2015 21:08 - 1 hour - 67.4 MBChuck Bartell. Some call him odd, some call him creepy, irreverant, I just call him George Washington. You might have seen this guy open for me a few times in L.A., Arizona, maybe Chicago and he always surprises my audiences by how funny his act is. He's one of my favorites and has some of the best one liners out there today. I miss the one-liner comics. He's bringing that back. Chuck came on the show to talk about his comedy CD - "Der Humor" - a collection of 150 very short jokes and you may...
Ep 31 - Big Frog in San Diego
January 20, 2015 10:23 - 1 hour - 96.1 MBOriginally recorded January 2, 2015 at the American Comedy Company in San Diego (in the green room) We're in the green room of the American Comedy Company in San Diego right after the new year talking with Flaco Martinez again and also our friend Big Frog. He's an up and coming comedian in the San Diego area who's had a past that might have made him a contender for the "Cholos: Where Are They Now?" series we did a while ago except he was never a cholo. Listen as he shares the dark sides of Sa...
Ep 30 - Metal + Mariachi = Metalachi
January 09, 2015 17:55 - 1 hour - 78.4 MBAfter a couple months of trying to match up schedules, we finally got Metalachi in the studio. The ONLY heavy metal mariachi band out there. Ignore any imitators - these guys are the real deal. Strange characters for sure with questionable pasts and I'm still not sure we got a straight answer about anything but we had a lot of fun. These guys bring the Mexican culture of mariachi to the fun of the old hair bands of the 80s. Listen and try to keep up. If you like them, go follow them on their ...
Ep 29 - LA Artistas - Rafa, Ernesto and Juan
December 26, 2014 19:54 - 1 hour - 79.4 MB3 Chicano artists walk into a bar… I don't have a punchline for that one… But I have run across these 3 L.A. artists a few times over the years and we finally sat down to talk to them all. Rafa Cardenas, East L.A. native, former member of the band Slowrider and now a photographer; Ernesto Yerena from El Centro California, Shepard Fairey protege and the artist who created our podcast logo (and poster) and Juan Luis Garcia, L.A. photographer for the Face Value project and a graphic designer. He...
Ep 28 - D Militant
December 12, 2014 10:42 - 1 hour - 97.3 MBIf you want to have a discussion on comedy and specifically black comedy, you have to include D Militant. He is a comedy historian, a writer and a stand-up comedian. One of the most interesting things about D is his history with Katt Williams as his writer and opener on the road at the height of Katt's fame. Listen as he breaks down the history of black comedy, hollywood and how he narrowly escaped becoming "Whoopsie Wooly". Please rate or review the podcast and if you like it subscribe! Than...
Ep 27 - Emilio Rivera
December 05, 2014 16:22 - 1 hour - 82.9 MBThis guy was the original inspiration for our Cholos: Where Are They Now? series we did a while back but he was always so busy working… Finally, this week we got to talk to actor (and comedian) Emilio Rivera. The realest guy you'll ever meet. He may play unflinching, menacing characters on TV shows and in movies but, yes, Emilio started as a stand-up comedian. I met him when I was starting out in comedy 17 years ago. We lived on the same block. I stayed in comedy and he went on to become a hi...
Ep 26 - Isaac Flaco Martinez
November 28, 2014 17:32 - 1 hour - 87.1 MBLast week when we had Flaco as a guest with Gracie, we felt like we didn't get enough Flaco so we had him on by himself this week. Because we find Flaco interesting. He's only been in comedy for 5 years and I believe that he's funnier than most of the other comics out there with more experience. It's not a character - it's who he is even when he's playing Madden at my house. Listen as he breaks down his Marfans Syndrome (and corrects my pronunciation every time) and his experience in stand up...
Ep 25 - Raiders-Chargers Tailgating In San Diego
November 23, 2014 20:10 - 34 minutes - 31.2 MBWe had some extra audio so we're putting up this bonus episode. Last week I walked around the tailgate parties at the Charger-Raider game in San Diego. No Rodrigo, no guests, just me talking to football fans and crazy tailgaters. We started on a mission to find lot D4 but I got stopped too many times along the way so we never made it there. But it's all about the journey, right?? Buy a What's Up Fool? podcast poster at www.FelipesWorld.com/SHOP - 100% of proceeds go to Starts with Arts Founda...
Ep 24 - Gracie Armijo and Isaac Flaco Martinez
November 21, 2014 21:31 - 1 hour - 94.9 MBGracie has been in comedy for a long time… but she's been doing the open mic rooms that whole time. She's kept her day job the whole time. She's a mom. She's 58. She's also one of the few women in comedy who will put up with all the nonsense from the male comics. Most female comics don't like to hang out with a bunch of dudes bagging on each other and dishing it out. Nothing we say to her affects her - or at least she doesn't show it. She's a true soldier. Listen as she breaks down her histor...
Ep 23 - Carlos Oscar - The Hollywood Report
November 14, 2014 09:29 - 1 hour - 88.2 MBToday, comedian Carlos Oscar stops by to talk about all things Hollywood in the brand new All Things Comedy podcast studio. Carlos has been in comedy for over 20 years - longer than me. He knows the industry and he tells it like it is. Listen as we share all the ins and outs of the stand-up comedy and TV business, the false starts, the "latinoism", and the changes to come. This is a great episode if you've ever wondered how Hollywood all works - the Cliff's Notes version. We're going to have ...
Ep 22 - Just The Two Of Us
November 07, 2014 12:16 - 1 hour - 84 MBToday, we welcome… no one. We're in between guests and about to go on a road trip to the Bay Area so we're just sitting down, talking a lot of shit in this episode, spreading some rumors, discussing some celebrity deaths and trying to break the code in Gabriel Iglesias' eulogy to himself. Are you famous enough to have a rumor started about your death? Can you troll your own family online and still be anonymous? And who IS that shady guy with the Jaguar trying to charge fans to get in to see G...
Ep 21 - 8 Million Ways to Say Josh Nasar
October 31, 2014 20:28 - 1 hour - 75.8 MBI met comedian Josh Nasar about 7 years ago at the Hollywood Laugh Factory. He was "douchebagged" out, Ed Hardy, Von Dutch, all that stuff… but I remembered him. He made an impression on me as someone who went after what he wanted and who worked hard and just was an all-around nice guy. Over the years, he lost that douchebag image and came into his own as a comedian. He also got further into acting and just got a role on this final season of Sons of Anarchy. Seems like things are looking up f...
Ep 20 - Mariano "Big Dawg" Mendoza
October 24, 2014 18:23 - 1 hour - 58.8 MBI met Mariano this year while we were working on a commercial together. He's got quite a story… taken from his abusive home as a young child, Mariano then bounced around in and out of a series of foster homes and schools, never finding any real roots. Throughout this time, however, he was forging a strength of his own and found his calling in the military and eventually professional fighting. Eventually, Mariano began acting in movies and TV and is headed for a new challenge in life. Listen a...
Ep 19 - La Cucaracha Pest Control - Mando, Rodrigo & Pops
October 17, 2014 22:18 - 1 hour - 92.6 MBI've known these guys for a long ass time… I met Mando (Armando Cosio Sr.) when he was an exterminator at the projects where I lived in Boyle Heights. I found out he did comedy on the side. We became friends. He now owns his own exterminating business (La Cucaracha Pest Control) in Los Angeles and still does comedy on the side. He's funny! He and I used to tour with Gabriel Iglesias (Fluffy) for a while too. He has his son "Pops" (Armando Cosio Jr.) working for him in the office and eventuall...
Ep 18 - Sin Quirin - Guitarist From Ministry
October 03, 2014 07:08 - 1 hour - 89.5 MBI met Sin Quirin a couple years ago at one of my comedy shows in L.A. He turned out to be cool - a real rock and roll guy. This interview is raw and unfiltered and just exactly the way he is. Had a lot of fun talking about the hood, growing up Latino in an all white neighborhood, loving hard rock and punk and being Latino inside that whole world. And with so many things in common, I still can't figure out how we didn't run into each other in the East L.A. area back in the day… Don't let it fo...
Ep 17 - Desiree Devine (retired) BBW Porn Star
September 19, 2014 18:29 - 1 hour - 94.9 MBI met Desiree about 8 years ago when she started coming to my comedy shows. Found out she was a BBW porn star. She moved away for a while so I didn't learn much more about her after that. Luckily we stayed in touch and when I stopped by Vegas to do a show, I asked her if she would sit down with us and talk about her experience in porn and life in general. Listen as this bright, level-headed creator of BBW Con breaks down the porn industry, Japanese men, and all the fetish categories you can t...
Ep 16 - Flashback to Kidnap - Keith Manning tells his side of the Houston story
September 12, 2014 07:31 - 1 hour - 81.4 MBI've known and worked with comedian Keith Manning for about 10 years. He opens for me in a lot of different cities on the road. I like working with him because he's laid back and cool and easy to get along with. From the deep south, Savannah Georgia, he talks about growing up in the south, idolizing Blood In, Blood Out, black fraternities in college, and how he's never met a black person who went to school with the help of the United Negro College Fund… He also talks about his side of the cra...
Ep 15 - Cholos Where Are They Now - Franky Carrillo
September 05, 2014 07:41 - 1 hour - 82.1 MBThe final episode in our "Cholos: Where Are They Now?" series brings us to this guy, Franky Carrillo, who I met while walking down the street. He told me he liked my comedy and that he had watched me on Last Comic Standing… while he was in prison - wrongfully. At age 17, mistakenly identified as a murderer, railroaded into life in prison and then 20 years later, Franky was released with the help of the Innocence Project. An unbelievable story of hope and perserverance in the face of an imposs...
Ep 14 - Flashback To Kidnap - Richard Chang And Sherms telling their El Centro story
September 01, 2014 21:51 - 1 hour - 75.9 MBSpecial bonus episode for Labor Day! Flashback to Kidnapped - Where we revisit the story of our very first podcast episode (the kidnapped episode with Chepo and his story of our trip to El Centro California). Well, these 2 guys were there with us, too. Comedians Richard Chang and Herman Sherms Cubillo tell their side of that story plus some other interesting stories of their lives. By the way, Rodrigo is missing from this episode because I forgot we were going to record until the guys showed ...
Ep 13 - Cholos Where Are They Now Jaime Birdman Acosta
August 22, 2014 11:36 - 1 hour - 87 MBThis is the second episode in our "Cholos - Where Are They Now?" mini-series. Birdman is an interesting character. Pretty laid back kind of guy who will sometimes tell a shocking story as if he's just telling you the weather. After growing up feeling "like a human garbage can" and then getting a 2nd and 3rd chance in life, Jaime is finally living on his own terms and learning how to adjust to life on the outside while avoiding the call of the streets. Please rate or review the show (even if y...
Ep 12 - Cholos Where Are They Now? - Heaven Juan Carlos Munoz
August 08, 2014 00:00 - 1 hour - 90.6 MBThis episode kicks off our "Cholos - Where Are They Now?" series. A few episodes that will explore what happens to some of those guys you thought were a lost cause when they were younger; the fools that were drunks, drug addicts, thugs, delinquents… not all of them end up dead or in prison. Some of them become artists. I'm living proof that you can always come back from even the darkest times in life if you have something in life that you're passionate about. So is my friend, artist, Juan Car...
Ep 11 - Baby Bash - Kid Frost - Chicano Rap Old School and New School
July 25, 2014 08:02 - 1 hour - 87.7 MBWhat a great day this was… My friend Baby Bash (rapper, "Suga Suga", "Cyclone") invited me to the set of his video shoot for his new single, "Certified Freak" and I decided it would be good to do a podcast with him. Little did I know that his friend Kid Frost (rapper, "La Raza", "No Sunshine") was on set hanging out and bringing the crew BBQ from the restaurant he owns in Los Angeles, Little Max's BBQ (http://www.yelp.com/biz/a-taste-of-the-county-fair-lil-maxs-bbq-los-angeles). He was kind e...
Ep 10 - Hollywood Dreamers - Fred Stoller - That Guy Who's Been in Everything
July 11, 2014 08:36 - 1 hour - 70.1 MBA few months ago, I heard that Fred Stoller was looking to return to stand up after a long break of acting and writing in Hollywood. He's been in a ton of TV shows and movies and I didn't think he would want to open for me but it turned out he did. He was so funny and nice and had so many great stories of his experiences during the stand-up comedy boom of the 80s and being in so many shows and movies that I knew I had to get him on the podcast. Listen as Fred breaks down "comedy bringer shows...
Ep 9 – Hollywood Dreamers – Joey "Coco" Diaz – ABCs, Eating a Donkey in India and SCIENCE
July 04, 2014 16:56 - 1 hour - 66.1 MBJoey and I have known each other for almost 20 years. We have lots of stories and hope you like these. On today's episode of "What's Up Fool?" podcast, Uncle Joey, aka Joey "Coco" Diaz, legendary comedian, podcaster and all-around badass stops by and drops some SCIENCE! We find out where the Devil is from, Joey's version of the alphabet that helps toughen up his daughter and why he feels character is THE most important thing to anyone's career and life. #CharliesGettingStrongerEveryDay
Ep 8 - Hollywood Dreamers – Dani Luv: Starchild, Not in Kansas Anymore
June 27, 2014 05:56 - 1 hour - 64.1 MBI found this guy Dani Luv interesting. He's Starchild in a Kiss tribute band (Kiss My Ass), he's in a Spanish rock duo (Matador) and hails from a little town in Kansas that you'd never know had any Latinos in it. Oh yeah, he's Latino, too. This is the 2nd episode in our series on "Hollywood Dreamers"… What makes a normal person drop everything and move to California to take their chances at fame and (maybe) fortune? What if they don't make it big? Why do they still stay? What does "making it"...
Ep 7 - Hollywood Dreamers - Joe "Hulk" McQueen, Hollywood Superhero
June 13, 2014 09:22 - 1 hour - 66.5 MBOur friend Joe "Hulk" McQueen helps us kick off our series on "Hollywood Dreamers"… What makes a normal person drop everything and move to California to take their chances at fame and (maybe) fortune? What if they don't make it big? Why do they still stay? What makes them get back up every time the industry knocks them down? Joe McQueen tells his story - an incredible story of passion, struggle, homelessness, being a "superhero" and life on the fringe of Hollywood. Joe McQueen TWITTER: @JoeHu...
Ep 6 - Ray Escalera - From the Farms to the Projects to Vietnam, Just Come Home
May 30, 2014 06:43 - 1 hour - 65.9 MBOur belated Memorial Day episode. We talk to my hometown hero, a guy from the Pico Gardens/Pico Aliso projects where I grew up. Ray lost so much as a young Marine in Vietnam that he had every right to give up hope. One day on the little league field changed all that. Interesting Links… @funnyfelipe (my twitter) @rodrigotorresjr (Rodrigo's twitter) www.woundedwarriorproject.org Cool news story on the 2 doctors to operated on Ray and saved his life in Vietnam: http://www.thedenverchannel.com/sp...
Ep 5 - Gil Carrillo - Good Cop-Good Cop and Richard Ramirez the Night Stalker
May 16, 2014 08:25 - 1 hour - 82.8 MBThink there aren't any good cops out there? Think again. The human side of the force as told by the man who caught one of the most inhumane serial killers, Richard Ramirez, the "Night Stalker". Legendary Sheriff Gil Carrillo (retired) sits down with me and Rodrigo and talks about his life as a cop and a Sheriff and how he became embroiled in one of the most infamous murder cases in American history. Oh, and he happens to be one of my biggest fans. Listen as he tells us about "social climbing ...
Ep 4 - Luenell - Mother's Day - Bank Robbery - I Didn't Get Bumped, I Got Replaced!
May 02, 2014 07:19 - 1 hour - 67.9 MBHappy (early) Mother's Day! We dropped by comedian Luenell's house to talk to her about being a mother and a comedian, her reformed ways and her uncanny ability to attract every loser out there. You might know her as the "hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold" in the movie Borat and her recurring role in Californication and Think Like a Man. *(Sorry for the mic noise in the beginning - I promise, it goes away later in the show) Show Links: Go to www.felipesworld.com/podcast for more photos! www.heyluen...
Ep 3 - Kidnapping Series - Theo Taylor - Suburban Brothers, Dream Crushers and Boudain Balls
April 18, 2014 08:37 - 47 minutes - 43.1 MBOur last "victim" in the kidnapping series talked with Felipe at the Houston Improv a couple weeks ago. Theo Taylor, a Houston based comedian, tells his side of the story about a night with Felipe he'll never forget. If you listen closely, you might just learn (kind of) about Liberia, immigrant parents, suburban black dudes and boudain balls on another episode of What's Up Fool? podcast. IMPORTANT LINKS: www.felipesworld.com (my website where you can find all my social networks) twitter.com/F...
Ep 2 - Kidnapping Series - Kenny Benitez - Sorry I Didnt Come Home But I Was Learning About Comedy
April 04, 2014 05:45 - 40 minutes - 37.2 MBAnother "kidnapping" victim stops by to reminisce with Felipe (and guest sidekick Chris Storin). Kenny Benitez, not a comic, not a drug addict… why did he stay? Who else buys you a piece of cake bro? I'll hang out with Duck Dynasty and pray… Don't take Jack-in-the-Box to Strippers and other great advice on another episode of What's Up Fool? podcast. IMPORTANT LINKS: www.felipesworld.com (my website where you can find all my social networks) twitter.com/FunnyFelipe (my Twitter in case you didn...
Ep 1 - Kidnapping Series - Juan Garcia - Chepo or Cheapo? - Adventures in Babysitting
March 31, 2014 23:40 - 57 minutes - 53 MBMy FIRST EPISODE EVER! And the first in our KIDNAPPING series - a series of interviews with people I've "kidnapped" under the influence. Hear comedian Juan Garcia's version of some of the adventures with me and how he has been manipulated by veteran comics just because… If you're a new comedian, F*CK the comedy classes - this is stuff no comedy "teacher" will ever prepare you for. IMPORTANT LINKS: www.felipesworld.com (my website) www.voodooglowskulls.com (Voodoo's website - thanks for the th...