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Comedians would try and make you weep, ifthey thought itd make you like them more.In reality, comics are probably sadder

than you. Many were picked on in the lunchroom!"#$%&'()#$*!+,$-"$,.)$/!**$0)*#1$2-3)$!4)$3-4)$

tormented than others. In the end, they need you.Even though you probably suck, you completethem and their twisted performance art. Whatssadder than that?

OVERFLOW invited local joke-smith KurtBraunohler (co-host of Hot Tub with Kurt and54&+,)"$ !,$ 6&,,*)0)*#$ &"$7-8!"9+:$ ,-$ *!;$-"$ -94$

couch and tell us a sad, true story. Really, we justhope Kurt feels better now.

--Jonathan Ritzman

Poppin bottles in the ice, like a blizzard

When we drink we do it right gtting slizzard

Sippin sizzurp in my ride, like Three 6

!"#$%&'$())*+,&$-"$./$*+0)$1$23

Like a G6, Like a G6

!"#$%&'$())*+,&$-"$./$*+0)$1$234

- Like a G6 by The Far East Movement

This may be a sad story. And what better

way to start a potentially sad story thanwith one of the worst songs recorded in

the 21st century. Like a G6 is an aggressivelystupid song that celebrates bottle service, gettingdrunk, and the inability to rhyme the word six

with any word other than itself. And I love it. Infact, Im listening to it on repeat right now. But Ididnt always feel that way.

Early last summer, I was blissfully unaware of theexistence of Like a G6. That was a time in mylife I like to call July. I had just broken up with my

Australian Carney Girlfriend (ACG) and starteddating a 21-year-old (lets call her Renee). I was 34at the time. In a span of a few weeks I quickly wentfrom feeling like Australias celebrated actor/artist

Yahoo Serious in Young Einsteinto Woody Allen inManhattan.

When people hear that youre dating a 21-year-oldat my age, the response is roughly divided downgender lines. Ladies think youre a horrible personand dudes are too busy giving you constant high

04&)=$ !=,)4$/)&">$,!()"$.-+,!>)1$H,$04+,$G$ 8

in denial: No! No! There is no way that thisactually a popular song! Next, came AngRhyming the word six with itself over and ove

Are you kidding me?! I would spend countl

3&"9,)+$;)**&">$ 8-4#+$ ,.!,$4.;3)#$8&,.$+&JI$ 0

mix, kicks, sticks, licks, spicks (Accidentally racisNext, came Acceptance: Our culture is in a nodive toward ultimate destruction, and this is tsong they will play on the deck of our Titanas we sink into the icy depths of environmenspiritual, and mental self destruction. And the0"!**;@$&"$!$%)4=)',$2,-'(.-*3$2;"#4-3)$3-3)

I started to identify with my captor and begsinging along. Soon I was unconsciously turningup when it came on the radio. It had done what pop songs from the beginning of time have do

beaten down my conscious defenses and infectmy brain with its vapid, hooky refrain. By the timI got to Baltimore, I was ready to tell Stu, Leget slizzard!

2,9$8!+$-")$-=$,.-+)$=4&)"#+$,.!,$.!#$#)0")#$3

as a teenager. In high school he was the kid we looked up to, not in a leadership way, but in artistic way. He was intense and funny and achin,49,.=9*$!"#$,.)$04+,$%)4+-"$,-$+.-8$9+$,.!,$;

could live your life by being creative. If it werefor him, I would not be a making my living aperformer today. He was also one of those frien

who, no matter how long it had been since I hlast saw him, we just picked up where we left o

And since we are both terrible at keeping in touwith each other, we were almost arrogant abohow our relationship was so special we could jusnap back into it no matter how much time hpassed. I anticipated an easy reunion.

But from the minute I met up with Stu, I could tsomething was off. He seemed uncomfortablechalked it up to the fact that I had been hangiout with too many comedians loud, brash peop

who have an almost sociopathic need to majokes at all times. Maybe I was coming off too on. In reality, I was just excited to see hiand I was joking and being loud, as is my won

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0-$#$"!'&!1+.2/%!3",/%4

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G$0>94)#$&=$8)$.!#$!$/))4$!"#$,--($!$8!*($,.!,$

would lubricate the situation. It didnt. There wasa wall up, where there had not been one before.

And I didnt understand it. I kept ignoring it allday, continually trying to just wait it out. We talkedabout his daughter, and his running, and his newgirlfriend. We talked about the Scandinavian speedmetal he was obsessed with, but nothing seemedto connect. I tried to just tell him about my lifeat the moment. How I felt a bit lost. Getting outof the relationship I felt like I just lost two years

of my life, and I constantly questioned whetheror not I had what it takes tobecome a seriously successfulcomedian. I told him aboutthis 21-year-old girl I wasdating, and I wondered aloud

what that meant. I told him,.!,$=-4$,.)$04+,$,&3)@$,.&">+$

seemed like I was at a point ofno return, that I couldnt startover. I needed to continue

working with the decisions Ihad made up until now. Andthis was a new feeling for me.

Stu listened. He talked as well. But we were just notconnecting like we used to. It

+))3)#$*&()@$=-4$,.)$04+,$,&3)@$

we were in such differentplaces that maybe we couldntrelate. He had gone througha divorce and had a daughter.He was living in a share houseand writing a zine on running(yes, a zine; hes a child of,.)$ K!'&0'$ L-4,.8)+,$ &"$

the 1990s). It was no ones

fault, but there was a gapbetween us that seemed too

wide to jump. But I was stilldetermined to hurdle it.

I thought I knew what weneeded. We needed to getsome beers and get drunk andlisten to music and yell and

walk and drink more beer.The old classic. But Stu saidhe had to wake up early to gorunning. I asked if I could sleep over at his place,but he recommended staying at a friends down the

road. I didnt understand. At 9 p.m. I stood there,outside the front of his house, keys in hand, askingif he really thought I should leave. And he said, IfI were you Id drive back tonight. You know, itseasier. And so I gave him a hug. I got in the car.

And I started to drive home.

As I drove away, I felt like I everything I knew!/-9,$ 3;$ *&=)$ 8!+$ &"$ M9J1$ GA$8

my girl, I thought. It will be great. It was a Sund

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made plans with Renee to meet me at RockawBeach. She was excited. So was I.

I got all the stuff wed need for a day at the beaumbrella, surfboard, coolblankets, beer, sunscreeI got a perfect spot on t

)#>)$-=$,.)$+940">$/)!'.$

we could go swimming +940">1$ G$ 8!+$ !,$ 3;$ /)!

A place I felt at home acomfortable in.

Things were going to be O

After I had been waiabout an hour, my cell pho

rang. The caller ID reRenee, but when I pickedup it was Renees brothHe was at the hospital. Hexplained that Renee hjust been admitted into t%+;'.&!,4&'$M--4$!,$L)8$N-

Presbyterian. He said she ha break with reality. I askif she was OK. He said s

was, but that she was goto be staying there for a fdays. I thanked him aasked him to let me know

he found out anything elsehung up.

I was too stunned to movI felt like my legs wouldn

work. I hoped Renee was O(Later, I learned she was.)realized that I knew almonothing about this you

woman who had, that dbecome my imagined saviI was scared for her. I washamed at myself. I did

know her and I didnt know myself. I had becom

completely unanchored, sitting alone, paralyzed,Beach 89th St in Rockaway, Queens.

And then, from a familys boom box direbehind me, came that welcome refrain: Now I())*+,&$-"$./$*+0)$1$234 And I snapped to. I got upstarted walking toward the water. Like a G6, likG6. And I just kept walking.

Kurt lives in Ditmas Park and co-hosts the Brook

comedy institution Hot Tub with Kurt aKristen at6&,,*)0)*#$OPQQ$R)>4!8$2,1:$ every Mondat 8pm. And the monthly late-night talk showNiof the Living with Kurt Braunohler at P.I.T. in the city