Comedian Stavros Halkias talks new Netflix special, politics and the manosphere

0:00Comedian Stavros Halkeas has had a busy few years. He's been an actor in movies and TV shows, directed his own movie, and toured comedy clubs across the country. And I know I hit rock bottom because I was like going to bed every night and being like, hope I wake up. But it was, you know, we know rock bottom in Baltimore. It wasn't that, you know, it wasn't. His new special is out now on Netflix. It's called Uncle Stov. It was filmed here in his native Baltimore, a city that he says helped prepare him for life as a comic. I mean, I went to Baltimore City Public School. So it's like, you kind of had to do roast style comedy to survive lunch. Halkeas career took off when he and two other comedians started a podcast that we really can't say the name of here on NPR. The show was full of off-colored jokes and the humor was about as unpolitically correct as you can get. And that was the intent, according to Halkeas, who is better known as Stavvy. When you're in your mid-twenties and you're broke as hell and nothing's going well,

1:00that's when you want to do like kind of edge-lord, that's when you're kind of nihilistic because your life sucks. Since leaving the show that helped kickstart his success, Halkeas has gone on to launch his own podcast called Stavvy's World, where he dulls out searing roasts and earnest advice to fans in equal measure. Is it okay to deny women coming to the boys' polka knives? My buddy, he's got a wife, she really likes poker. She appeared at the last poker night when he was hosting the... He's in her own home. We've had a different break. You mean she was packed all the house? She's got her own home. Today, Halkeas is a little older and a little wiser, but he's continuing to push buttons and boundaries on stage. Somebody's to go mangeony mode on the Driscoll CEO as far as I'm concerned. That's right. Yeah. That's right. That's right. Those are two equally important issues, by the way. That's how predatory America's healthcare system is.

2:01And the fact that my par phase have been sub-par recently. When we sat down at WYPR in Baltimore, I asked Honkias if he felt pressure to be political in a moment where it feels like comedy and politics have become intertwined. The thing that I struggle with is, at what point is it a cop out to be like, I'm just an entertainer, you know? Because I do think that's the main job. I do think people pay too much attention to me. And I think people pay too much attention to comedians in general. And you can fight that a lot. And I've been trying to fight it. But sometimes you just be like, this is just who people are listening to. And I don't know how it happened, but should I say something? To the extent that I've gotten political at all, you see that that's where that pressure comes in. Where I'm like, I should talk about this stuff. But again, let me make it in a way that is earned, is what I'm actually thinking about, and is only the funniest stuff. You've said previously that part of the thesis behind Stovey's world was to present a different kind of masculinity

3:02and an alternative to the manosphere podcasters like entertainers. Others, why is that so important? I remember being a fat little kid who was very insecure, did not know how to talk to girls. I was really self-conscious about my body. And if I ran into a guy who was just very forceful and like was like, if you do karate and are mean to girls, your life will be awesome. I think that would have worked on me. You know what I mean? Like I was looking for anyone to give me the answers, right? I say it before. It's like I was an in-sell. I know what it's like. I was a loser who just didn't believe in himself in high school. Culturally, I was really lucky that that was the moment the Judd Appetal comedy's hit. That's the vein I went down. It was like sort of like improv. And I saw myself represented that way. And that's what I became obsessed with. But more than anything, what gave me confidence growing up was finding the thing I love. I mean, truly, it's a night and day difference when I started stand up. Because even though I didn't get any success from it,

4:02feeling like I was working towards something that had larger purpose for me, I've been really rewarded by trying to have a good time. Even the special, I sort of ended with saying like, what my advice, my general advice for life is just be fun. Have a good time. So I was thinking, what advice would I give my nephew or really anybody younger than me? Be fun. The proof of this is the way we treat Italy versus Germany after World War II. Because they were on the same team. People really seem to forget that. One gets a pass because they have better vibes though, right? Something that I think about a lot is the fact that in this current era and environment we live in, a lot of people create these sort of parasocial relationships with people that they think they know, whether you're a radio host or a podcast or a comedian or an actor. And you have all of these jobs and you share so much about yourself and your work, I wonder, how do you experience that? Well, I mean, it's the kind of thing where you, again, you just didn't think about it, right?

5:02When I started to understand about it was 19, I would say anything to get a laugh. So I was way too honest early. My ex-girlfriend when I started stand-up, I was way too candid about our relationship. I still feel like a **** for that if you're listening. I'm sorry. She's doing great. Best decision for a live. And then in terms of like with your relationship with fans, it's a little weirder because somebody gets famous on the internet. People disrespect your boundaries a lot less. I feel weird because it's one way. I don't even have a problem with meeting people. I like as long as people are respectful and like keep it short. I like grabbing a picture as long as you're not to interact with my family or something. But like I don't have a problem with that. I mean, let's keep the boundaries healthy but shut out there. Everybody who listens, I mean, look, that's why all these problems, that's why the lyrics possible, right? It's like people listen to the podcast. So I'm very grateful for it for sure. When did the shift happen that you talked about? Like the maybe sharing too much about next-girlfriend? Was there like a moment where the switch kind of flipped and you were like,

6:03okay, like I'm gonna lock in, like I need to hold some parts of myself back. I never really thought I was gonna make it in comedy. I just wanted to keep doing this. I wanted to do whatever it took to have this career. So you put everything into it kind of assuming it's never gonna happen. And then when it does, you realize like, oh, I can't just, I can't pour myself into this fully forever. You sacrificed a lot. Like I shot an indie movie, let's start a cult. I wrote and produced a movie with some of my friends. Then I did a special, and I was doing a theater tour at the same time and we shot Tire Season One. It was the most successful I'd ever been in my life. Everything was happening. And it almost killed me. Like to get through it, I was like taking a lot of substances to get through that kind of schedule. I was, my food addiction was out of control. It was just like everything was so crazy. And then that moment, I was like, I have everything I could possibly want. And I'm the least happy I've ever been in my life. Like that, that year was so tough.

7:04That I was like, if you just keep doing this, you'll just succeed but be completely miserable. That was really the moment where I was like, oh, I have to get everything under control and everything needs to be sustainable. And to be honest, I'm still not there yet. But every year we get a little closer. This special was a big cat. Like for me, this is, I poured everything into this for three years. And now I'm like, all right, let's just chill and let's just be a guy. Let's be a person and get to enjoy this stuff. Because what's the point? Things are good. I can't, and so let me actually have a good time instead of killing myself to work. It's like, I don't get that ethos at all. And maybe that's the Greek immigrant in me. But we're very chilling, chill forward culture. And I've become too Americanized in a way that I'd appreciate. I've become too much for capitalist. And I need to chill out on a beach for like six months, honestly. Thanks, Abby. Thank you so much. Thank you, wanna appreciate you for having me.