The Best Men Podcast

Episode 8: The Power of the Celebrity

• Michael and Sameer • Season 1 • Episode 8

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What if your biggest celebrity idol found themselves in a public scandal? This episode of the Best Men Podcast gets into the messy world of celebrity culture! From Diddy's recent legal troubles, to controversial figures like Michael Jackson and R. Kelly, we touch on the power dynamics that celebrities wield. For example, how should we perceive stars after their public falls from grace? And which celebrity would you be most surprised to hear a scandal about?! 

This week also expect Michael and Sameer to chat about what they might be famous for, their dream jobs (spoiler alert: someone's dream is to be an M&S food buyer), and which celebrity the Best Men would be most starstruck to see!

With laughs, insights, and thought-provoking debates, this episode offers a wild ride through the highs and lows of celebrity life!

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Michael :

Welcome to this week's episode of the Best man Podcast. Just a quick heads up about this week's episode. We do cover a couple of sensitive themes related to some of the celebrity information that's out there in the press at the moment. Just giving you a heads up in case you want to know beforehand. So sit back and listen. Welcome to this week's episode of the Best Men Podcast. I'm Michael and I'm Sameer, and if you found us, it means you're looking forward to sitting back and enjoying 30 minutes of two best friends taking the piss out of each other, debating life's big questions whilst ultimately learning how to become better men.

Sameer:

So sit back and enjoy this week's episode.

Michael :

Yo, yo yo, welcome. Welcome to the pod, episode number eight. What's going on? You all right? Very good, I've just eaten your Atta biscuits.

Sameer:

I brought you some biscuits today. I didn't think you'd consume all of them in the first 10 seconds when you bring biscuits in the form of a bucket.

Michael :

It's the best form of any kind of food.

Sameer:

A bucket of chicken.

Michael :

Yeah, yeah, KFC A bucket of chicken, a bucket of chocolates, a bucket of… A bucket of chocolates. Yeah, where have you got buckets of chocolates? It's Christmas time.

Sameer:

We get buckets of chocolates, don't you? But you've never had biscuits in bucket form, I bet.

Michael :

I have, I've had tin Biscuit tin.

Sameer:

Yeah, of course We'll show pictures of this. This is a proper bucket.

Michael :

Anyway, anyway, how you been All good, All good, all good, great week, great week. Good to hear that I don't want to know any more about that.

Sameer:

Okay, good, end it there, then we don't need to talk about anything.

Michael :

I just went to my daughter's parents' evening today. Oh, how did it go? Yeah, pretty pointless For any of those parents listening who know me.

Sameer:

Why is it pretty pointless going to your daughter's parents'?

Michael :

evening. I mean it's all the same. It's yes, she's very nice, she's doing very good, we like to concentrate a bit more.

Sameer:

Does she work in an old person's home? Is that? Why is this person 85?

Michael :

She's not but that's what they all say.

Sameer:

Oh okay.

Michael :

So whenever I pick my son up from nursery, they say the exact same things he's had a really good day today. And once someone said that and they didn't even know who Hugo was Wow it who Hugo was. Wow, it's just a boilerplate. Yeah, they've had a really good day today. Why? Because they're not crying. Why? Why did they have a good day?

Sameer:

Tell me exactly what they did. Tell me exactly why they had a good day. I don't know who they are.

Michael :

Anyway, I'll tell you who's not having a good day.

Sameer:

Go on, diddy, oh about this, not just today but generally mate.

Michael :

He is absolutely sorry to say fucked, I know, and that's why this week the theme is the power of the celebrity.

Sameer:

Celebrity Celebrity ready On your marks. Who is that guy? What was his name? From Gladiators John Motsen, john?

Michael :

McEnroe.

Sameer:

Yeah, no, no, he's also. Oh, no, no, John McEnroe.

Michael :

John Motsen no, not John McEnroe.

Sameer:

John Motsen no not John Motsen, it is. Do you know who John McEnroe is, a tennis player? Yeah, exactly.

Michael :

You cannot be serious. No, it's the guy who's like Gladiator ready.

Sameer:

Yeah, that's John Motsen, Contestant ready. You look, when you're saying that to me, I'm looking at you. It looks like you.

Michael :

That's because I think he didn't have any teeth towards the end of his career. Yeah, true, he's got battered, but no, did he not having a good day?

Sameer:

Mate, did he? I can't believe what's been going on.

Michael :

You know I'm going to America, yes, I actually looked up where he's staying, and by staying I mean which prison, which jail he's being held in at the moment.

Sameer:

Where is?

Michael :

he In Brooklyn no.

Sameer:

Oh my God, brooklyn is huge. I don't know where he is. Why were you looking up where he's staying, to avoid it or to go?

Michael :

No, because I think it would be quite epic to go and see.

Sameer:

Or to get a selfie with him.

Michael :

No, I'm not going to be able to go in the jail, but you know, it might be like.

Sameer:

What do you want to do? You know these celebrities, they have fans. Can I just say, if you guys, my name's michael I want to get a picture of diddy you'd get shot.

Michael :

No, no, no, you're confused. I want to see the celebrities like protesting for diddy, so you?

Sameer:

think other celebrities will be out outside brooklyn prison protesting no, jay lowe's gonna be, there. Jello jenna, jillian john lewis yeah, exactly you think jay is gonna be out there with a, with a sort of placard saying oh diddy, fuck off no, no, no, no no but, I mean the power, the whole reason.

Michael :

The power of celebrity is because it is rife at the moment it's bad.

Sameer:

Do you know when the? I think, the trials next year, though, isn't it? The trousers? The trial, oh, tribulation, yeah, the trials, and tribulations of diddy.

Michael :

Diddy's trousers are finally clean enough to be checked out next year um, yeah, man, it's screwed, it's screwed this. Just every day, there's more and more news coming out about him.

Sameer:

I don't know what the latest is, though I heard a podcast on it, but that's all I know. I know that he cassie came out and basically just done him 13 year old.

Michael :

Oh, he's, he's, he's like getting like. You know what they say. Uh, whether he crib sheet, what does he?

Sameer:

well I don't know what you're talking about you know the list of all the crimes.

Michael :

Oh, yeah, yeah, Okay, fine, rap sheet, rap sheet.

Sameer:

Yeah, yeah, yeah Rap sheet.

Michael :

Rap sheet. That's what he is, rap sheet. I have a rap sheet, but it's full of chocolate. It's full of Atta biscuits, utter rap. Yeah, his rap sheet serious crimes.

Sameer:

But they've been going on for years, dude, since, like the early 90s. Well, he killed Tupac, oh we're getting into it today.

Michael :

Question to the pod Did he kill Tupac? Exactly I think everyone knows the answers.

Sameer:

yes, I've heard I don't want to influence the pod people. I've heard that Biggie got him to do it. Biggie said I want him dead and Diddy said leave it with me, mate. I thought Diddy killed Biggie as well. Oh my.

Michael :

God, I don't even how much has he done. He's done everything. Who has he done?

Sameer:

Who hasn't he?

Michael :

done, Justin Bieber.

Sameer:

I feel sad for that kid. He's not a kid. He's my age, do you?

Michael :

know what else Justin Bieber's come out with.

Sameer:

New song you ready for?

Michael :

the new person who's going down. Go on, ellen, degenerate, no Ellen.

Sameer:

Degenerate. Ellen Degenerate should be her name. Is her name Degenerate? Yeah, it's a weird name, isn't it? So she's not generous, she's the opposite of generous, she's degenerate. What is her name? Let's just call her Ellen, because that's her show, right, dory, dory, just call it ellen, because that's her show, right, dory?

Michael :

dory tell me I thought she was already screwed, so she. So the thing with this power of celebrity is they become almost untouchable. Yeah, exactly, and then everybody wants to believe what they see is who they are exactly this aura around them. So ellen basically came out and it was like oh, she's abusive yeah, yeah slapping around her staff. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, I probably do the same thing, I would imagine what if you're a celebrity?

Sameer:

yeah, what would you do? What you'd slap around your?

Michael :

staff get me more utter biscuits. I told you. So yeah, ellen, ellen, ellen. Jelen jelen degenerous, uh bieber's just come out and said that he, she groomed him, she touched him inappropriately. When did this come out?

Sameer:

This week he said Ellen touched him, yeah, groped him, wow.

Michael :

She's got a nice wife, portia de Rossi, I think her name's.

Sameer:

Portia, portia, I think her name is. Question to the pod. Is it Portia or Portia? Is it Indian Portia or Portia? I don't think anyone's going to name their child Portia.

Michael :

I think her name's Portia.

Sameer:

It's not Portia, Fun fact where's Portia?

Michael :

What show is Portia from?

Sameer:

Portia oh, I know this Arrested.

Michael :

Development, arrested Development. Ten points for Singer Thank you very much.

Sameer:

I love that show. I love it. Mr Singh, did you call me Mr Singh? Yeah, oh, I like that could be my sort of podcast alter ego, mr Singh. And who would you be? Mr McMahon? Wow, did you watch that, by the way, on Netflix I did see a bit of it.

Michael :

It's brilliant, it's so good.

Sameer:

If you were a celebrity, right? What do you think you'd be famous for? Podcast?

Michael :

well, maybe one day, if you're lucky mate, no, uh, what do?

Sameer:

you think you would be most, you would definitely not an actor, because you can't act. Comedy has to be comedy, definitely not comedy, because nobody understands what you're saying. Nine times out of ten you get everything wrong, portia being the latest one.

Michael :

Comedic, comedic see, exactly perfect perfect example comedic, comedic effect.

Sameer:

Comedic effect. Innit, you put the dick in. Comedic, yeah, comedic. You can't get it right once you think you would be famous as a comedian.

Michael :

Wow, maybe Chacha Someone's a bit arrogant Chacha host.

Sameer:

Oh okay, that's a good one. You and James Corden could basically be doppelgangers.

Michael :

No, no, no, he's far less talented than me.

Sameer:

I love that.

Michael :

Shout out to James E Corden.

Sameer:

James E.

Michael :

Is that his name, james E?

Sameer:

Oh, james, e All right. As you used to call your friend from school Jamesh, jamesh, that's an Indian take on James.

Michael :

I would love to be a food critic. Do you know what? That's the one thing I wouldn't do. Tell me why. Because food critics are glorified people who like writing. I like writing Well what are you doing, then? What are you doing?

Sameer:

Come on be comedic, I don't know. I just I like the idea of going to new places eating food. You know, writing up my little review on it. I know what my dream job would be just FYI.

Michael :

Oh, you said it's comedic. No, no. You said, if you were famous for anything, what would it be? And I would say I'd be comedic famous. Okay, go on, tell me Dream job. Dream job Marks and Spencer's food buyer.

Sameer:

You know what? Sometimes I have an idea of what you're going to say, and then say and then you say it and it is so left field, specifically marks and spencers, why? Why? M&s? That's just a stream. That's your dream, yeah your dream, yeah, is to be a marks and spencers food.

Michael :

Tell me why I just love the idea of being able to go try food and say is this marks and spencers, quality, good, worthy, is it good enough for?

Sameer:

marks andie Spencer. Such a nerd, yes, okay, why don't you do it then?

Michael :

I've never thought about it.

Sameer:

Until today.

Michael :

Until this moment, today, your future is born, my son. It's been a dream, for sure.

Sameer:

It's been a dream for sure. I've known you for 20 years.

Michael :

Yeah.

Sameer:

Never, once in 20 years, have you ever said you wanted to be a food buyer for M&S.

Michael :

If I was, if I had my dream job, it would be an M&S food buyer definitely.

Sameer:

In the whole world. That's your. You could be, like I don't know, the captain of a ship. You could be an astronaut. You could own your own island, but what you want is to be a food buyer for M&S yeah of course I do.

Michael :

Who wouldn't want?

Sameer:

that 99.9% of people.

Michael :

Question for the pod then really Wow.

Sameer:

we're getting a lot of questions into the pod today.

Michael :

Clearly we disagree a lot. It's a big week.

Sameer:

What's your question to the pod? Then Say it.

Michael :

Question to the pod Would you like to be an M&S food buyer, yes or no? I reckon most people would say yes, they'd go for that. You tell me one person who doesn't go to Mark Spencer's and feel happy when they see the food court.

Sameer:

True.

Michael :

Maybe someone who doesn't have any money.

Sameer:

No, they would love to see it the most?

Michael :

I don't know. I think they'd be disappointed.

Sameer:

No, I mean, I don't know.

Michael :

I think they'd find joy in that. Anyway, power of the celebrity.

Sameer:

Yes, ellen DeGeneres. Let's get her name right, ellen D.

Michael :

Yeah, she's out there. She's getting slammed Diddy Diddy. Anyone else that you think?

Sameer:

of recently, celebs that are getting slammed.

Michael :

Hulk.

Sameer:

Hogan, hulk Hogan, no, no, not Hulk Hogan, mr McMahon.

Michael :

Hulk.

Sameer:

Hogan is the fighter. Terry, terry, what's it, terry Bollier?

Michael :

Bollier, oh, I bet you didn't think I'd say that. It's stuff like that. You know, if you're on Pointless, you'd smash it, I think. So yeah, do you?

Sameer:

reckon one day we'll go on Pointless, you and I I'm going to put it out there and manifest that one day we will become Pointless.

Michael :

If you so, I obviously. The Parasyllabity is all about like these celebs who are like gods, michael Jackson, bods michael jackson.

Sameer:

Michael jackson, yeah, also fall from grace. Big big. That was a big one. That was a big one that in our lifetimes I reckon that's the biggest fall from christ, I don't really understand what happened.

Michael :

Because with mj, yeah, because at one point everyone's like, oh, he's a kiddie fiddler, oh he's awful oh, he's playing with bubbles, the monkey too much, and then, on the other hand yeah, I don't think many people said that, but okay, go.

Sameer:

And then, on the other hand, by yeah, I don't think many people said that, but okay, go on. And then, on the other, hand.

Michael :

By the way, bubbles is still alive, if anyone wonders. I saw a post about Bubbles. Really, yeah, he's a chimpanzee, he's not like. He's not like a cat. He's not a cat, not like an average 16 to 17 year life span.

Sameer:

Oh fucking hell. You know what your profession should be Like Dr Dolittle that's actually what it should be.

Michael :

No, no, no, I'm more of a Dr.

Sameer:

Dolittle I'm more of an employee Dolittle, dr. Do-nothing.

Michael :

So Michael Jackson, he's a kiddie fiddler, then he's not.

Sameer:

Yeah Well, I don't think, Hang on pause. I don't think he ever was not.

Michael :

Yes was not yes. He was because when he died, the spanish kid that said okay, yeah. He came out and said no, my mom told me to say that yeah, but then fast forward four or five years then there's a whole new raft of the that guy from australia who's a dance choreographer yeah, yeah, there was a whole documentary that came out.

Sameer:

What was it like? Uh?

Michael :

leaving neverland or something, or never leaving never never leaving neverland.

Sameer:

That was a bit of a mouthful.

Michael :

So he's Hang on. Do you think he was guilty?

Sameer:

Yes.

Michael :

Let me tell you this, let me tell you this no smoke without fire. Yeah, okay, fine.

Sameer:

Okay, sean Connery, team Canary. That's my Indian brother.

Michael :

I've never heard a bad word about him.

Sameer:

About Sean Connery. Yeah, okay, fine, michael Buble.

Michael :

You don't hear him you don't hear him.

Sameer:

Yeah, yeah, true, okay.

Michael :

Yeah, okay fine.

Sameer:

R Kelly. Oh dear oh dear, yeah, R Kelly's a bad one, isn't it?

Michael :

I mean R Kelly, the thing about the heart.

Sameer:

Do you still listen to R Kelly's music?

Michael :

Do you stop listening to the music?

Sameer:

because what I heard I was. You know it's not fair on all of the people that made that song.

Michael :

It was, he was just okay, fine, fine, there's thousands of people that made those songs and people that contributed to the music industry, and so you can separate someone's music from music, music.

Sameer:

It was like the cow, yeah you can separate someone's music from what they've done.

Michael :

Yeah, I think I can. Yeah, biggie was a crack dealer. Okay, he was out and out proud about it.

Sameer:

Okay, fair enough. So I kind of that's kind of in keeping with his image, though that doesn't like surprise me. So what?

Michael :

point is it, and what point are you allowed to follow a celebrity when they're doing wrong things Like OK, you're a low level crack dealer ruining hundreds of lives?

Sameer:

You're a low level crack dealer, we'll let that pass, because obviously you're trying to.

Michael :

you know, put a roof over your head, Did he too much?

Sameer:

Well, yeah, because what he's doing is is is pretty, is pretty bad man like I mean, you can't justify any of what he's done how whereas if you're a crack, dealer. Okay, yeah, not great, not brilliant. You could make some better life choices but, there's gonna be a lot of people that come from like rough neighborhoods that end up being rappers.

Michael :

I think what this boils down to is the power. The word power the crack dealer doesn't mean how much power. But, actually, power is not power, power is control.

Sameer:

Well, here's something I do not understand. You explain this one to me Baby oil A thousand bottles.

Michael :

Who needs a thousand bottles of baby?

Sameer:

oil. I'll tell you what it could be slippery in his place. Okay, leonardo DiCaprio, I do not understand how it is all right for this dude who's now what 50-ish yeah To be with like a 21-year-old yeah 18 or 19 or 21-year-old. How is that like not totally frowned upon? It's legal, yes, but I said frowned upon.

Michael :

Not that it's legal or illegal, but I mean it's a bit weird. You can do it once. He's leonardo dicaprio. Why? Because of the power of celebrity if it was me?

Sameer:

or if I, if I, when we're 50 if I met?

Michael :

are you telling me, if you met leonardo dicaprio, yeah, you wouldn't go for a coffee with him?

Sameer:

um, no, I would right.

Michael :

You're having a coffee, leonardo, yeah he says really like you, you're a good guy. Why don't you call my jet? Come on my PJ, pj. Please don't show me that you're this old, you don't know me, private jet Sorry, yeah, yeah, yeah, got it.

Sameer:

Got it when you're watching, I'm pretty sure that. And celebs, they all call it a PJ.

Michael :

Anyway, leonardo has asked you to go on his PJ, okay.

Sameer:

Would you?

Michael :

go.

Sameer:

I mean yes.

Michael :

Don't lie to me, I'm just trying to think through the question.

Sameer:

I'd go on a private jet with Leonardo DiCaprio, but I'm still saying it's a little bit weird that he's dating someone that's 30 years younger than him, but he's taken you, samir, up in the sky. How old am, I Doesn't matter, it does, because if I'm 12, then it matters If you just come out of university at 21,.

Michael :

and Leonardo was like Samir, you're so funny. How's he meeting me?

Sameer:

Where is he finding me? He just finds you.

Michael :

It doesn't matter.

Sameer:

He just comes to Manchester University and says oh you, there you, the boy with the moustache you come here, sit on my.

Michael :

PJ you would go if he said to me sit on my PJ, I'd say sir, please thank you, but no thank you. This is the point. You would take him, sorry, you would go with him. I wouldn't take him anywhere you would go with him and go in his private jet and you would think nothing of it and you'd be like wow.

Sameer:

I would think something of it. I. Why is Leonardo DiCaprio asking an Indian boy of 21 onto his private jet?

Michael :

I took you to a desert island in the middle of nowhere and you went. We were the same age but you went willingly.

Sameer:

I'm not sure willingly is the right verb to use. I went begrudgingly.

Michael :

Point being the power they have, but then it transitions from power into control.

Sameer:

Because this is the thing about.

Michael :

Diddy Diddy controlled a lot of people. The stuff I'm reading and hearing about is unreal. Tell me this.

Sameer:

How do you think someone in the public eye like that I mean like publicity is the lifeblood of a celebrity? How does someone get away with this shit for so long and no one blows the whistle, because he's got everyone?

Michael :

in his pocket, but I don't think he does though well, could be the front pocket uh, no, but I don't think he has got.

Sameer:

He's not paying people. I mean he's got bad boy records or he had that.

Michael :

Well, a lot of the stuff that's coming out now about him is that he blackmailed the people so he would he would he would take. He would take girls to his place and say you've got to sleep with me, you Not me. The point is these celebs. They've got so much power, they have this godlike structure. They can do whatever they want. They can get people to basically do things for them that will put others in uncomfortable positions.

Sameer:

Because this problem is too much power, too much, and because this problem is too much power Too much and because they've got too much power. If you're being subjugated to it, you're not going to say anything. You're just going to be like all right, I'll do it.

Michael :

Coercion there's the word of the day.

Sameer:

Yeah, coercion.

Michael :

Yeah, true. So my question to you is who would surprise you the most?

Sameer:

If they came out and did something, David Attenborough If tomorrow. Right, there was a massive thing David Attenborough was like getting I don't know like people to sleep with his pets. I'd be well like. I'd be like what's going on.

Michael :

I have to say that's pretty good. David Attenborough would be a shocker.

Sameer:

David Attenborough is in his 90s dude, I know If he's doing anything like Thing is.

Michael :

I believe I was saying to my wife I believe, like you get a vibe for people, what celebrities yeah, what sorry.

Sameer:

How have you been close enough to a celeb to get a vibe from?

Michael :

them. No, not personally, like not like you get a vibe from people like oh okay who do you get a vibe from?

Sameer:

who do you in?

Michael :

the celebrity world.

Sameer:

Who do you think? Ah, they're not right. Jason Statham, definitely why? Why, jason, did you hear? Because he's bald.

Michael :

Are you baldest? Did you hear who recently came out?

Sameer:

and I am not baldest I love the fact that you had to pause exactly what you're saying to say I'm not baldest. Greg. Greg wallace, oh, greg wallace. Yeah, what came out about him? Apparently he was uh inappropriate people getting him to touch his pasty not good, not giovanni, strictly come dancing, do you know? I know I know of it. I haven't followed it. This is a weird one. What happened with giovanni?

Michael :

I think the thing when the story was, he was kicking people and hitting them and saying you need to dance better. You need to be better, otherwise you're gonna lose. We're gonna get kicked out. He was kicking them. Apparently he kicked him. He hit one oh my God. Physical abuse, verbal abuse. You're a shit son. You're a shit son. You're a shit song shit dancer.

Sameer:

You're a shit song. You're a shit song. You're a shit sue, as in the dog Right okay.

Michael :

And he was pretty ugly, so what?

Sameer:

happened to him in the end, silvio, not Berlusconi, the other one.

Michael :

Giovanni, that's it. He got kicked off the show, didn't he? Bbc, well, that's ironic, isn't it?

Sameer:

He's doing the kicking, and now he gets finally kicked off.

Michael :

Good, no, no, that's the thing. Bbc always protects people. That's why you know Greg. Greg Wallace is there. Your card is marked yeah, if Greg Wallace is listening smoke without fire. What do?

Sameer:

you think about Philip Schofield?

Michael :

What about him? Was your Dirty, did you?

Sameer:

think that before you saw him, though, was he a shocker, like for me, david Attenborough is a shocker. For me. I think, had this whole Philip Schofield stuff not come out, that would have been a shocker for me.

Michael :

I think Philip Schofield had Philip definitely people, but people like got weird hair yeah, he had that weird hair for a long time and you know another one that would really shock, so I'll tell you. I let me tell you who I think would shock me okay, oprah. Yeah, that would be a shocking one if Oprah, if it came out that Oprah was secretly abusing people? On that show, yeah you get a slap, you get a slap, you get a slap.

Sameer:

Yeah, yeah, that would shock me that, that, but Ellen's in that sort of vein. She came across as this sort of nice, bubbly, funny comedian. I know it's quite shocking. You know who would really shock me? Ant or Deck.

Michael :

Oh yeah, good one. Yeah, that is a good one.

Sameer:

Ant and or Deck. I never know which one's which.

Michael :

I'm. I'm an in your deck Cause I've got a big forehead. No, because that's what the TV crew said to us when we were on the shows.

Sameer:

Yeah.

Michael :

True, you always go on my left. Yeah, yeah, you're on my left now.

Sameer:

You see, I'm on your left now. Um and and or deck would be really, really, I'd be like dude. Wouldn't surprise you. Who wouldn't surprise me? I've got one gone. Um, romesh rang a nathan. Yeah, you think it wouldn't surprise you if it came out that romesh was like slapping someone about? Yeah, wow verbal.

Michael :

I think romesh verbal, verbal, verbal definitely really, and also because he's got the weird eye like you never know no one would know who it's directed to. I never know which eye to look at when someone has a lazy eye. Do you look them in the lazy eye?

Sameer:

No, you look where the lazy eye is looking. So if the lazy eye is looking left, you can't look straight at the eye because they won't see it. You look left, where they're looking. So you look in the blank space where the eye is.

Michael :

If their left eye is looking left and their right eye is looking straight at you, you're looking at me right now.

Sameer:

I'm going to do a look like that, okay. My eye's left. You look there. You look to the left. Why do I look there? That's your knee. Yeah, where my knee is, that's where my eye is pointed.

Michael :

So I see you there? No, no, don't look at my face. I never look at my face. I thought someone has a lazy eye. You look at them directly in the lazy eye. Why? Because it gives you power power of the lazy eye no I don't know but romesh power of attorney romesh is. He's like, he's doing his little shows, he's just oh look at you slagging romesh off he's one of my best friends.

Michael :

Don't talk to him about that way I love his lazy eye, I imagine because also he's always a nonchalant and you know he's always like oh so using these big words. He's so nonchalant yeah, I reckon secretly slap here slap there, he's a beatboxer.

Sameer:

Yeah, he can rap as well.

Michael :

Tell me something who would you hip hop say my life? Shout out to the hip Hop Say my Life podcast.

Sameer:

Tell me who would you be totally star struck to be around as a celebrity like you would be like, oh my god, they're. I can't believe they're here who would be the one.

Michael :

That's hard, I reckon.

Sameer:

Mary Berry for you, not Mary Berry for sure not Mary Berry, I think. Gordon, I'm pretty, I'd be pretty excited really, I just think he's got such why.

Michael :

Gordon.

Sameer:

He's such a big personality he'd just swear at you and tell you to piss off yeah, so do you, and we voluntarily spend time.

Michael :

You're not starstruck when you see me or are you?

Sameer:

I don't know, are you?

Michael :

are you starstruck? Every time I come here, I'm starstruck at how you pull off this.

Sameer:

I've got a hoodie on and some joggers.

Michael :

Bohemian refugee look.

Sameer:

Yeah, exactly who would it be for you? Who would I be really starstruck to see the Rock? Oh, that's a good one. Because I look at him, I'm like if I went to the gym enough and if I got famous obviously if I got famous he's like what I would want to be.

Michael :

Yeah, the Rock is a very he's so cool man. He's cool no.

Sameer:

If I saw the Rock I'd be like dude. This is amazing. I've got to get a picture with him, yeah.

Michael :

The Rock's up there. I love the fact that yours is Gordon Ramsay. I think I would probably be really starstruck if I saw the Queen.

Sameer:

Well, especially now. Now, yeah for more. So If you saw her now, I'd almost think listen, dude, you need to take a bit of time away from work and podcasts. When would you have seen the Queen? Can I just say?

Michael :

In Scotland. Where else would you see her? I?

Sameer:

don't know, I don't know, so you're saying that Balmoral, balmoral, if you just sort of went around to Balmoral and you saw the Queen, because she often went off on her own in her corgis.

Michael :

What do you mean? She went off on her own or got lost no, no, she often went off on like hikes in Balmoral, so you're telling me that you're in Balmoral taking a hike and you see, dream come true, I'd love to have met the queen.

Sameer:

I really would love to meet David.

Michael :

Attenborough.

Sameer:

I'd love to kiss the queen. Oh my god, I don't think this is appropriate. What do you mean? Not like an intimate kiss?

Michael :

Not like I'd just kiss the queen On the cheek and be like I've kissed the queen 100%.

Sameer:

If you tried to kiss the queen On the cheek During a hike in Balmoral, I would be talking at your funeral you would be shot that for me would be.

Michael :

There'd be a bullet in your face. That would be my linkedin profile, fun facts. Why linkedin? You know, like the three things when you go for a new job and they're like tell me three things about you. Two are true, one false them false.

Sameer:

This is the queen.

Michael :

That would be really cool to be. So you don't have to be a celebrity to be powerful. No, you don't, and there are many people who abuse their power. Yes, and I think there is a reason for this segue just okay, yeah, go on. So I think about the, you know, captain, sir thomas moore, captain tom moore oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah and how his family have now basically misappropriated all the funds oh, I didn't know this, but okay okay, so they've basically been in the papers, right, they um built like a swimming pool in his house and said it was for, like, recreation use for rehabilitation of soldiers.

Michael :

Right, they've basically been slammed really badly.

Sameer:

They've been sued.

Michael :

They're in trouble, but recently I volunteered to run a charity raffle for Christmas.

Sameer:

Okay, I literally don't know this. Okay, go on. This sounds exciting.

Michael :

And I. In the space of half an hour it all escalated and I was basically running this raffle Right and I was going around to places, and then I had my lunch in Tottenham Court Road. When was this? Last Thursday? Okay, I had my lunch at Tottenham Court Road and I started just walking the street. You know, walking the street, old-fashioned knocking on doors With your legs. Knocking on doors, going into places and just introducing myself to people, okay, Sorry on Tottenham Court. Road yeah.

Sameer:

Who lives there, though. These are all shops. Yeah, they're shops, correct, you're knocking in on the doors of shops.

Michael :

No, I'm not physically knocking on the door, oh sorry, just walking in Going into the shop.

Sameer:

How did you introduce yourself?

Michael :

It doesn't matter how I introduced myself. The point is, I introduced myself. I found myself in a position where, all of a sudden, I wasn't paying for anything. Yes, and I was asking for free things, I was asking for donations, I was asking for prizes.

Sameer:

Oh, okay, and if they didn't give it to?

Michael :

you. You just take it Part of the charity raffle and all of a sudden this is brilliant. All of a sudden it started working Wow. Well, people gave you free stuff, people out of nowhere, were just willing to give me free stuff, and I'm talking about hundreds. I'm talking about hundreds of pounds worth of things.

Sameer:

Hang on a second, let me pause. It Was this your decision to go and go door to door, getting free shit yeah. You said for the raffle, I'm going to put my hand up, I'm going to take charge, I'm going to get shit from these stores. I didn't tell anyone, I'm going to take charge.

Michael :

I'm going to get shit from these stores. I didn't tell anyone, I just went and did it. Oh well, done Right Within within. So I did that on Thursday. It's now Tuesday. Within four days, I've got over 400 pounds worth of stuff.

Sameer:

I'm going to be honest here. Did you steal it?

Michael :

I didn't steal it. I have him writing that it's been gifted to the donation as a free prize. What sort of stuff have you got? So I've got two tickets to Life Size Monopoly. Oh, wow, okay, okay, nice, I've got about £150 worth of premium wines no timber.

Sameer:

No timber.

Michael :

Shout out to a previous episode A local coffee shop gave me, you know, some free coffees.

Sameer:

Look, my point is Let me get to my point, don't, okay, but I want to know what you said. I want to know what you said. You don't need to know what I said. No, I do need to know. No, I do need to know. That's my business, what I say. I need to know. That's my skill. Did you say please, sir, give me some more.

Michael :

No, I simply said I'm raising money for a charity and I have a Christmas raffle and I wondered if you'd be kind enough to give something to the donation as a small price. Wow, okay, but here's the thing.

Sameer:

There is no raffle. You got me.

Michael :

Here's the thing. At what point like does the power.

Sameer:

I wondered why you were giving me so much coffee today.

Michael :

Does the power then move into abusive power? Because it's very easy for me in that position to be like hmm, free coffee, why not? Hmm, go to Lifesize Melody, why not? And that's the thing.

Sameer:

Morally, though. I mean, could you live with yourself if you did this and there was no raffle and you just thought oh screw it, I'm going to go get some free stuff today? Morally, could you live with yourself? I probably could.

Michael :

Right.

Sameer:

I'm telling you right now. If you were telling me this story and the punchline was hey, no raffle, I would walk out of here and I would have serious reservations about our friendship.

Michael :

What I'm trying to say is it's weird to be that close to getting all this stuff for free.

Sameer:

Yeah.

Michael :

And it's like all of a sudden, within two hours, I've made £400. I mean, obviously I don't have £400 of cash, right. It's like £400 worth of goods, and imagine how many people out there do this, but for the wrong reasons, I don't think anyone does?

Sameer:

I think there are. I don't think anyone's going in the middle of broad daylight into a shop saying oh, there's a raffle coming up, you want to give me some free stuff. I'm surprised these shops gave it to you.

Michael :

Well, when I go to the school charity raffles like the end of year, blah, blah, blah, they've got like thousands of pounds worth of items in those craft prizes yeah, but you think they did the?

Sameer:

same thing. You think they went around to shops and they just gave it to them for free.

Michael :

They have to that's how you get, that's how you're the local. You know it's PR right. They're basically giving away a very small token of what they're doing, and then it's free publicity did you tell your team afterwards that this is what you've done and I got 400 quid no, so they don't know. I've told one person, yeah, and what did they say?

Sameer:

well done, michael wow, oh, great conversation yeah, I've done all this wow yeah, wow I. I'll tell you what it's quite so. Did you take time out of your working day to do this? I just did my lunch break right. You made 400 quid in your lunch break. Yeah, I'm impressed. I know, imagine if I I'm impressed.

Michael :

Imagine if I actually did that for for business, for some purpose, for a little that is the worst business idea.

Sameer:

I've ever heard of what scamming people for free shit that you then sell.

Michael :

No, no, no. No. I'm not saying to scam people, I'm saying, if I used that enterprising mind, that I did, and that lunch break hour, yeah, yeah, yeah. How amazing would I be. I wouldn't even have to talk to you anymore.

Sameer:

Well, one day you might even be bigger than Diddy.

Michael :

I know it's mad. Anyway, I think it's time to wrap things up about this power of celebrity.

Sameer:

Yeah, I think so what's your takeaway from today? Power of ce David Attenborough is just beyond reproach. Nothing can touch David Attenborough.

Michael :

I truly believe that there's no smoke without fire, first of all. So MJ's guilty. Mj's guilty. Greg Wallace is guilty, diddy's guilty. Diddy done wrong. I think the issue is in today's world, people, it's too easy to get away with stuff.

Sameer:

Yeah, I agree, and if you're a celebrity it's just even easier, right it's?

Michael :

even easier. It's even easier, and also if you're a minority kind of celebrity as well such as charlotte khan no, like if you're, if you're in the black community, okay, people are even more likely to want to support you, to make, because you've done it, you made it so no way would you be doing wrong? Because, that's why I can't.

Sameer:

He got away with it for years yeah, I, I don't think he got away with it for years because he was black. I don't think that. I think he got away with it for years because he was, like you said, powerful, uh, and he just got, he silenced people. He just silenced people, he blackmailed them, he ruined their careers you know he said I believe I can fly, and then he went and pissed off I don't know where is he now.

Michael :

He's in prison. Now, I think he's in prison. Well, actually, no, I know he's in prison. Do you know why? You're going there he just he just to get a selfie. He just said that he thinks that pdd's uh innocent but of course he would.

Michael :

Of course he's not going to say he's guilty, but I'm innocent rule number one when you're in prison, everyone's innocent snitches get stitches, exactly but no, I think my take on this is there's no smoke without fire. Generally speaking, if you live a clean life, you don't end up having your name out there. You don't end up bringing this trouble. Take yourself out of the path of temptation. Yeah, yeah, yeah and you'll be okay, and it comes down to moral and ethic code.

Sameer:

I think so. Well, hopefully, if we do become celebs one day, we'll live to a higher standard than Diddy.

Michael :

I mean, I think anyone can do that true, not just Diddy. And on that note, thank you very much for listening in and have a great week. Remember to click and like, follow, subscribe. You can find us on Buzzsprout, Amazon, Spotify, Apple Podcasts all the good platforms. And remember, when life gets you down, You're the best around. Nothing's gonna ever keep you down. You're the best around. Nothing's gonna ever keep you down.