WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.200 Okay, let's unpack this. Today we are doing a 00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:05.860 deep dive into a career that's, well, it's really 00:00:05.860 --> 00:00:07.960 something else. Scott Christopher Thompson, who 00:00:07.960 --> 00:00:11.199 everyone knows as Carrot Top. For a learner like 00:00:11.199 --> 00:00:13.339 you, someone trying to figure out, you know, 00:00:13.660 --> 00:00:16.379 how careers last in entertainment. His story 00:00:16.379 --> 00:00:19.640 is a perfect case study. We're going beyond just 00:00:19.640 --> 00:00:23.620 the props and the hair to understand how a prop 00:00:23.620 --> 00:00:25.640 comic, and let's be honest, that genre is often 00:00:25.640 --> 00:00:28.420 seen as kind of niche, maybe fleeting, how he 00:00:28.420 --> 00:00:30.879 managed to build one of the most stable, longest 00:00:30.879 --> 00:00:33.100 -running careers out there, especially with that 00:00:33.100 --> 00:00:35.259 massive Vegas residency he's held down since, 00:00:35.460 --> 00:00:38.039 what, 2005? Yeah, absolutely. Our mission here 00:00:38.039 --> 00:00:40.539 is really to look at the structure, the business 00:00:40.539 --> 00:00:43.000 behind the performer. We've got a ton of biographical 00:00:43.000 --> 00:00:45.600 info tracing him from his floo - of childhood 00:00:45.600 --> 00:00:47.899 right up to his, frankly, huge media presence 00:00:47.899 --> 00:00:50.200 today. And the big question driving this whole 00:00:50.200 --> 00:00:52.320 thing is exactly what you said. How does someone 00:00:52.320 --> 00:00:54.719 take a style of comedy that's so specific, so 00:00:54.719 --> 00:00:57.340 physical, and turn that into decades of continuous 00:00:57.340 --> 00:00:59.380 work, and let's face it, financial success? We're 00:00:59.380 --> 00:01:01.719 really looking at the strategy here, the durability. 00:01:01.799 --> 00:01:05.159 It really is a study in strategy. And just relentless 00:01:05.159 --> 00:01:08.319 work, I think. But before we get into the sheer 00:01:08.319 --> 00:01:11.019 logistics of that Vegas show, we need to go back 00:01:11.019 --> 00:01:14.040 to the beginning. Because his origins, they're 00:01:14.040 --> 00:01:17.439 just It's genuinely fascinating, almost unbelievable 00:01:17.439 --> 00:01:19.579 when you compare it to the persona we know now. 00:01:19.859 --> 00:01:22.099 Right. To really get Scott Thompson, you got 00:01:22.099 --> 00:01:24.200 to start with where he came from. Born February 00:01:24.200 --> 00:01:28.439 25, 1965, Rockledge, Florida. Grew up nearby 00:01:28.439 --> 00:01:31.219 in Cocoa, that's central Florida, the space coast. 00:01:31.519 --> 00:01:33.319 And that whole environment, I think it's pretty 00:01:33.319 --> 00:01:35.760 critical to understanding the discipline he must 00:01:35.760 --> 00:01:38.480 have needed later on. And here's the first really 00:01:38.480 --> 00:01:40.299 surprising piece of info, the thing that kind 00:01:40.299 --> 00:01:42.620 of grounds that discipline idea. His father. 00:01:42.810 --> 00:01:44.790 a NASA engineer. Just think about that contrast 00:01:44.790 --> 00:01:46.430 for a second. You've got this home environment 00:01:46.430 --> 00:01:48.189 that's probably all about, you know, high -tech 00:01:48.189 --> 00:01:51.109 precision, serious logistics, zero room for error. 00:01:51.530 --> 00:01:53.810 The whole massive machine of space exploration. 00:01:53.989 --> 00:01:56.469 And his younger son grows up to be Carrot Top. 00:01:57.230 --> 00:01:59.769 Famous for absurdity, chaos, homemade gadgets. 00:01:59.950 --> 00:02:02.400 It's wild. It's a fantastic contrast. Yeah. And 00:02:02.400 --> 00:02:04.280 you could almost analyze like the behavioral 00:02:04.280 --> 00:02:06.359 transfer there. OK, he's not building rockets 00:02:06.359 --> 00:02:09.139 on stage, obviously. But the sheer discipline 00:02:09.139 --> 00:02:12.699 it takes to manage a super complex prop heavy 00:02:12.699 --> 00:02:16.280 show, a show that needs constant updates, physical 00:02:16.280 --> 00:02:19.580 stamina, doing it multiple times a week for decades. 00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:22.580 You could argue that comes at least partly from 00:02:22.580 --> 00:02:24.819 that structured background. It suggests maybe 00:02:24.819 --> 00:02:29.180 a fundamental grasp of organization, of systems 00:02:29.180 --> 00:02:30.930 thinking. That makes a lot of sense, actually. 00:02:31.210 --> 00:02:33.090 Comedy looks spontaneous, right? But a really 00:02:33.090 --> 00:02:35.750 successful complex act like his has got to be 00:02:35.750 --> 00:02:38.189 built on systems. So he was the younger of two 00:02:38.189 --> 00:02:40.689 sons, attended Cocoa High School, graduated 83. 00:02:41.430 --> 00:02:43.949 And his focus back then, interestingly, wasn't 00:02:43.949 --> 00:02:45.569 standup yet. He was deep into music, played the 00:02:45.569 --> 00:02:47.490 drums, marching band, concert band, the whole 00:02:47.490 --> 00:02:49.210 thing. That tells you something about rhythm, 00:02:49.530 --> 00:02:52.840 timing. Yeah. Exactly. Drumming needs perfect 00:02:52.840 --> 00:02:55.500 timing. Stamina, too. Those are essential traits 00:02:55.500 --> 00:02:57.620 for the kind of rapid fire prop delivery he became 00:02:57.620 --> 00:03:00.780 famous for. And get this, before comedy really 00:03:00.780 --> 00:03:03.180 became his main thing, like in the late 80s, 00:03:03.259 --> 00:03:05.659 his job was incredibly, well, normal. He worked 00:03:05.659 --> 00:03:08.069 as a courier for a mortgage company. A courier. 00:03:08.330 --> 00:03:10.610 Wow. Yeah. So he's literally learning logistics, 00:03:10.990 --> 00:03:12.810 moving physical stuff around efficiently, keeping 00:03:12.810 --> 00:03:15.370 schedules, hitting deadlines. It just reinforces 00:03:15.370 --> 00:03:18.969 that picture of a maybe a very disciplined, organized 00:03:18.969 --> 00:03:21.490 guy underneath all the stage chaos. That discipline 00:03:21.490 --> 00:03:23.949 must be absolutely crucial now, considering the 00:03:23.949 --> 00:03:26.370 logistics of his current show. OK, but let's 00:03:26.370 --> 00:03:28.969 talk about the name, the brand identity. The 00:03:28.969 --> 00:03:31.490 sources are pretty clear. The name Carrot Top. 00:03:31.530 --> 00:03:34.389 It wasn't some carefully crafted stage name he 00:03:34.389 --> 00:03:36.509 invented. Run it all. It was totally organic. 00:03:36.669 --> 00:03:38.430 just given to him when he was young by a local 00:03:38.430 --> 00:03:41.849 swimming coach. Simple, direct reference to his 00:03:41.849 --> 00:03:44.849 bright red hair. Huh. It's funny how that works. 00:03:45.169 --> 00:03:47.530 It's interesting, right? The single most recognizable 00:03:47.530 --> 00:03:49.689 piece of his entire public brand was just something 00:03:49.689 --> 00:03:52.409 someone else said, and he ran with it. And it 00:03:52.409 --> 00:03:55.650 works. It's simple, it's visual, memorable, sets 00:03:55.650 --> 00:03:57.849 him apart immediately, whether it's on a giant 00:03:57.849 --> 00:04:01.090 Vegas marquee or just, you know, a TV screen. 00:04:01.280 --> 00:04:04.620 So, okay, high school's done. He enrolls at Florida 00:04:04.620 --> 00:04:08.280 Atlantic University FAU down in Boca Raton. And 00:04:08.280 --> 00:04:11.139 this is where it really starts. His first proper 00:04:11.139 --> 00:04:13.819 standup routine happened while he was still a 00:04:13.819 --> 00:04:16.139 freshman at FAU. That's the official beginning 00:04:16.139 --> 00:04:19.519 of this like nearly 40 year career. Back in 1985. 00:04:19.899 --> 00:04:22.480 1985. Think about that. That's a whole working 00:04:22.480 --> 00:04:25.500 lifetime ago. He started before the big comedy 00:04:25.500 --> 00:04:28.160 boom of the late 80s even really took off. Just 00:04:28.160 --> 00:04:31.199 grinding it out. Those first six years, 85 to 00:04:31.199 --> 00:04:33.899 91, that was him working the regional circuits, 00:04:34.079 --> 00:04:36.360 building the act. But the sources really point 00:04:36.360 --> 00:04:39.439 to 1991 as the year things shifted. The year 00:04:39.439 --> 00:04:42.480 national visibility started kicking in. Two huge 00:04:42.480 --> 00:04:44.920 milestones that year. He performed on Comic Strip 00:04:44.920 --> 00:04:46.660 Live, which was a big deal for standups then. 00:04:46.779 --> 00:04:48.959 Oh yeah, totally. And he also got on Star Search. 00:04:49.360 --> 00:04:51.800 Massive talent show, huge audience. Yeah, those 00:04:51.800 --> 00:04:54.019 were the pathways back then, weren't they? Star 00:04:54.019 --> 00:04:55.319 Search especially would have put him in front 00:04:55.319 --> 00:04:58.050 of like... Everyone, families, not just comedy 00:04:58.050 --> 00:05:00.410 nerds, but maybe more importantly, that national 00:05:00.410 --> 00:05:02.730 exposure helped really lock down what his thing 00:05:02.730 --> 00:05:06.269 was. His genre gets to find prop comedy and satire. 00:05:06.470 --> 00:05:08.009 And we should really dig into that definition 00:05:08.009 --> 00:05:10.389 because it's key to why he's lasted so long. 00:05:11.050 --> 00:05:12.889 It's not just, you know, pulling random stuff 00:05:12.889 --> 00:05:16.189 out of a box. His subjects are really focused. 00:05:16.829 --> 00:05:19.769 Topical American culture and a lot of self -deprecation. 00:05:20.149 --> 00:05:22.629 That focus, I think, is the secret sauce for 00:05:22.629 --> 00:05:25.930 a prop comics longevity. How so? Well, if you 00:05:25.930 --> 00:05:28.610 just rely on timeless physical gags, maybe slapstick, 00:05:29.029 --> 00:05:31.750 your material gets old fast. But because he ties 00:05:31.750 --> 00:05:34.490 his props to what's happening now. You know, 00:05:34.589 --> 00:05:36.910 satirizing the news gadget, poking fun at a politician, 00:05:37.029 --> 00:05:39.230 making fun of some commercial gear. The props 00:05:39.230 --> 00:05:42.009 become visual shorthand for current stuff. Ah, 00:05:42.029 --> 00:05:44.910 OK. So it keeps the act relevant, visual, fast, 00:05:44.949 --> 00:05:47.129 and always current. But sticking to that genre, 00:05:47.310 --> 00:05:49.689 even when some critics maybe look down on prop 00:05:49.689 --> 00:05:51.910 comedy, that commitment actually opened up these 00:05:51.910 --> 00:05:54.269 huge platforms for him, platforms way beyond 00:05:54.269 --> 00:05:56.430 just doing sets on late night TV, which brings 00:05:56.430 --> 00:05:59.430 us to this really interesting kind of strategic 00:05:59.430 --> 00:06:02.250 and often overlooked phase at the Cartoon Network 00:06:02.250 --> 00:06:06.120 years. Yeah, this was brilliant. Just pure market 00:06:06.120 --> 00:06:08.360 positioning genius. When you look back, think 00:06:08.360 --> 00:06:11.779 about the sheer volume of exposure. From 1995 00:06:11.779 --> 00:06:14.800 all the way through 1999, Carrot Top was the 00:06:14.800 --> 00:06:16.800 continuity announcer for Cartoon Network. The 00:06:16.800 --> 00:06:18.779 announcer, like the voice saying, coming up next. 00:06:19.439 --> 00:06:21.620 Exactly. He was the voice connecting Bugs Bunny 00:06:21.620 --> 00:06:25.920 to Dexter's lab or whatever. For four solid years, 00:06:26.500 --> 00:06:28.680 every kid, every teenager watching that channel 00:06:28.680 --> 00:06:32.430 for hours. They were just absorbing his voice, 00:06:32.529 --> 00:06:37.170 his brand, passively, constantly. Wow. That's 00:06:37.170 --> 00:06:38.509 incredible reach. He wasn't just on the network. 00:06:38.610 --> 00:06:40.069 He was kind of like the background noise of a 00:06:40.069 --> 00:06:42.009 whole generation's cartoon watching. And it wasn't 00:06:42.009 --> 00:06:44.310 just announcing either. He also produced and 00:06:44.310 --> 00:06:46.629 starred in his own show for them. An early morning 00:06:46.629 --> 00:06:49.529 thing called Caratops AM Mayhem ran from 94 to 00:06:49.529 --> 00:06:52.910 96. AM Mayhem. Yeah, so it shows this really 00:06:52.910 --> 00:06:55.069 significant sustained presence aimed squarely 00:06:55.069 --> 00:06:57.029 at young people. It was strategic, whether he 00:06:57.029 --> 00:06:59.509 planned it that way or not. Build massive brand 00:06:59.509 --> 00:07:02.709 recognition with kids and teens years before 00:07:02.709 --> 00:07:04.370 they could even buy a ticket to see him live. 00:07:04.730 --> 00:07:08.230 Ah, planting the seeds. Exactly. Build that generational 00:07:08.230 --> 00:07:10.709 familiarity. It pays off down the road when those 00:07:10.709 --> 00:07:12.629 kids grow up and have money for Vegas shows. 00:07:12.910 --> 00:07:16.339 It's market saturation, but aim... much cheaper 00:07:16.339 --> 00:07:18.259 than trying to hit every comedy club constantly. 00:07:18.779 --> 00:07:20.560 Okay, so he's got the youth market kind of locked 00:07:20.560 --> 00:07:23.040 down via Cartoon Network. Then he makes the move 00:07:23.040 --> 00:07:27.240 into movies, and the ultimate sign, you've made 00:07:27.240 --> 00:07:30.279 it in the mainstream national commercials. That's 00:07:30.279 --> 00:07:31.939 the next phase, yeah. You see him popping up 00:07:31.939 --> 00:07:34.560 in movies. He actually had the lead role in a 00:07:34.560 --> 00:07:37.379 1998 film called Chairman of the Board. Oh, I 00:07:37.379 --> 00:07:39.920 remember that one. Vaguely. Yeah. And he did 00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:41.740 some direct -to -video stuff, too, which was 00:07:41.740 --> 00:07:45.420 big business in the 90s. Hourglass in 95, pure 00:07:45.420 --> 00:07:49.120 danger in 96. Now, chair into the board. OK, 00:07:49.360 --> 00:07:51.579 critics weren't exactly kind. But just making 00:07:51.579 --> 00:07:54.019 it, getting it released, that cemented him as 00:07:54.019 --> 00:07:56.600 someone who could carry a project, a known face. 00:07:56.939 --> 00:07:59.199 But maybe even bigger, strategically speaking, 00:07:59.399 --> 00:08:01.540 were the commercials, right? He was the national 00:08:01.540 --> 00:08:05.680 spokesman for 1 -800 -CALL -ATT. It's huge. Yeah. 00:08:06.139 --> 00:08:09.660 When a massive company like AT &T hires you to 00:08:09.660 --> 00:08:12.860 be their face nationwide, that says something. 00:08:13.100 --> 00:08:16.639 It signals broad appeal, trustworthiness. He 00:08:16.639 --> 00:08:19.079 wasn't seen as edgy or polarizing. He was safe 00:08:19.079 --> 00:08:21.500 enough, funny enough, to sell phone plans to 00:08:21.500 --> 00:08:24.540 America. That's a level few comics reach. He 00:08:24.540 --> 00:08:27.160 wasn't just the wacky prop guy anymore. He was 00:08:27.160 --> 00:08:29.899 commercially viable, trustworthy. And that trust 00:08:29.899 --> 00:08:31.920 that brought recognition. That's the currency 00:08:31.920 --> 00:08:34.279 that eventually lets him make that huge leap 00:08:34.279 --> 00:08:37.100 to the Vegas residency. But interestingly, he 00:08:37.100 --> 00:08:39.179 was also dipping his toes into slightly different 00:08:39.179 --> 00:08:42.389 waters around this time, too. Like in 2002, he 00:08:42.389 --> 00:08:44.370 recorded a commentary track for the movie The 00:08:44.370 --> 00:08:46.389 Rules of Attraction. Wait, The Rules of Attraction? 00:08:46.610 --> 00:08:48.809 The Brett Easton Ellis adaptation? Seriously? 00:08:49.029 --> 00:08:51.269 Which is, you know, a pretty edgy cult kind of 00:08:51.269 --> 00:08:53.990 film. Yeah. Dark humor, transgressive themes. 00:08:54.149 --> 00:08:55.649 That's unexpected. I never would have put him 00:08:55.649 --> 00:08:57.710 with that. Right. But it shows he was willing 00:08:57.710 --> 00:09:00.129 to engage with stuff way outside his usual lane, 00:09:00.509 --> 00:09:02.629 lending his voice, his perspective to something 00:09:02.629 --> 00:09:05.870 quite different. It kind of signaled to the wider 00:09:05.870 --> 00:09:07.750 industry maybe that he wasn't just a one trick 00:09:07.750 --> 00:09:11.059 pony. He was aware participating in the broader 00:09:11.059 --> 00:09:13.460 culture. Okay, now we get to the absolute core 00:09:13.460 --> 00:09:16.340 of it, the engine room, everything else, Cartoon 00:09:16.340 --> 00:09:18.639 Network, Star Search, the commercials, it was 00:09:18.639 --> 00:09:21.419 all building towards this, the ultimate strategic 00:09:21.419 --> 00:09:26.179 play, the Las Vegas residency. This move fundamentally 00:09:26.179 --> 00:09:28.799 changed his career, shifted him from being a 00:09:28.799 --> 00:09:30.519 touring comic dealing with the ups and downs 00:09:30.519 --> 00:09:33.700 of club bookings into basically a cultural institution, 00:09:34.159 --> 00:09:36.320 a reliable fixture in the entertainment landscape. 00:09:36.600 --> 00:09:38.960 This is the bedrock. This explains the financial 00:09:38.960 --> 00:09:41.179 security, the professional stability for basically 00:09:41.179 --> 00:09:44.539 the last 20 years. Since 2005, he's been a headliner 00:09:44.539 --> 00:09:47.240 for MGM Resorts International. And this wasn't 00:09:47.240 --> 00:09:49.159 just like a few weekends here and there. This 00:09:49.159 --> 00:09:51.639 is a major long -term deal. We know the specifics, 00:09:51.720 --> 00:09:53.179 which is kind of amazing when you think about 00:09:53.179 --> 00:09:57.000 the consistency. Since November 22, 2005, he 00:09:57.000 --> 00:09:59.440 has had a continuous residency show at the Luxor 00:09:59.440 --> 00:10:03.690 Hotel. In Las Vegas. Continuous, multiple shows 00:10:03.690 --> 00:10:07.409 a week, probably what 48, 50 weeks a year for 00:10:07.409 --> 00:10:10.029 nearly two decades. Same venue. That's staggering. 00:10:10.269 --> 00:10:12.190 Let's break down why that's such a game changer, 00:10:12.350 --> 00:10:14.149 especially for a prop comic. If you're a standard 00:10:14.149 --> 00:10:16.870 standup, touring is a hassle, sure. Travel costs, 00:10:17.129 --> 00:10:19.990 different stages. But for Carrot Top, touring 00:10:19.990 --> 00:10:23.509 means hauling multiple giant trunks full of props, 00:10:23.690 --> 00:10:25.990 some probably delicate, all over the country, 00:10:26.070 --> 00:10:28.450 week after week, building them, maintaining them. 00:10:28.610 --> 00:10:31.309 Exactly. The residency just eliminates that enormous 00:10:31.309 --> 00:10:33.789 logistical headache and the cost that goes with 00:10:33.789 --> 00:10:36.230 it. He's got a fixed theater, fixed storage space 00:10:36.230 --> 00:10:38.929 backstage, a dedicated crew who knows the show 00:10:38.929 --> 00:10:42.309 inside out. The residency basically means the 00:10:42.309 --> 00:10:44.470 show becomes the career. And the money shifts, 00:10:44.730 --> 00:10:46.370 too. And we're relying purely on ticket sales, 00:10:46.429 --> 00:10:48.649 which can fluctuate to a more stable, likely 00:10:48.649 --> 00:10:50.750 guaranteed arrangement with a huge casino operator 00:10:50.750 --> 00:10:53.289 like MGM. Now, he still does other gigs when 00:10:53.289 --> 00:10:55.169 the Luxor show is dark. Apparently, he keeps 00:10:55.169 --> 00:10:58.149 busy. But the residency itself, that relentless 00:10:58.149 --> 00:11:01.690 schedule. It demands incredible stamina physically 00:11:01.690 --> 00:11:04.190 and creatively, but with way less travel fiction. 00:11:04.490 --> 00:11:06.750 It turns him from, you know, an unpredictable 00:11:06.750 --> 00:11:10.190 traveling act into a predictable, reliable entertainment 00:11:10.190 --> 00:11:12.149 asset for the casino. They know he'll be there 00:11:12.149 --> 00:11:14.649 drawing crowds. So let's talk about the show 00:11:14.649 --> 00:11:17.110 itself, the mechanics of it. because it seems 00:11:17.110 --> 00:11:20.070 perfectly built for that Vegas environment. It 00:11:20.070 --> 00:11:22.509 involves, what, dozens of props stored right 00:11:22.509 --> 00:11:25.049 there on stage in big trunks. Yeah, those trunks 00:11:25.049 --> 00:11:27.710 are iconic now, aren't they? The visual chaos 00:11:27.710 --> 00:11:29.990 of them sitting there kind of sets the expectation. 00:11:30.389 --> 00:11:32.850 You know you're in for a barrage of stuff, and 00:11:32.850 --> 00:11:35.250 the joke structure itself is super efficient. 00:11:35.529 --> 00:11:37.789 It's designed for maximum impact in that high 00:11:37.789 --> 00:11:40.070 -energy Vegas theater setting. Typically, it's 00:11:40.070 --> 00:11:43.179 just pull out a prop. Fire off a quick one -liner 00:11:43.179 --> 00:11:45.019 about it, usually satirizing something, and then 00:11:45.019 --> 00:11:48.740 toss it aside. Boom. Next prop. That rapid fire, 00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:50.980 prop toss rhythm, it's actually kind of brilliant 00:11:50.980 --> 00:11:53.559 for the Vegas audience, isn't it? In a city where 00:11:53.559 --> 00:11:55.759 everyone's attention is pulled in a million directions, 00:11:56.100 --> 00:11:58.480 gambling, drinks, shows that speed is vital. 00:11:58.919 --> 00:12:00.580 You know, traditional standup might need you 00:12:00.580 --> 00:12:03.080 to follow a story for five minutes. Carrot Top 00:12:03.080 --> 00:12:05.340 gives you like three or four visual gags and 00:12:05.340 --> 00:12:07.600 punchlines per minute. Cognitive efficiency, 00:12:07.840 --> 00:12:10.340 that's a good way to put it. High impact, instant 00:12:10.340 --> 00:12:13.480 laughs keeps the energy way up. Yeah, totally. 00:12:13.500 --> 00:12:15.940 Plus the sheer physicality of it. The jumping 00:12:15.940 --> 00:12:18.879 around the lighting, the pace, it makes it a 00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:21.980 show, a spectacle. Which is what Vegas audiences 00:12:21.980 --> 00:12:23.980 expect, right? They're not just paying for jokes. 00:12:24.039 --> 00:12:25.799 They're paying for an experience. Absolutely. 00:12:25.919 --> 00:12:28.139 And even with that signature rapid -fire style, 00:12:28.200 --> 00:12:30.659 he has a very specific way he ends the show, 00:12:30.700 --> 00:12:33.340 doesn't he? He does. It's a big finish. He usually 00:12:33.340 --> 00:12:36.059 closes with a lip -synced musical montage. A 00:12:36.059 --> 00:12:38.679 lip -sync montage? Interesting. Yeah. It's a 00:12:38.679 --> 00:12:41.960 smart pacing choice, I think. After an hour of 00:12:41.960 --> 00:12:44.279 hitting the audience with fast, kind of intellectual 00:12:44.279 --> 00:12:48.200 visual satire, this big, loud, physical musical 00:12:48.200 --> 00:12:51.080 number sends everyone out on a high. makes the 00:12:51.080 --> 00:12:54.000 whole thing feel complete theatrical, memorable, 00:12:54.220 --> 00:12:55.620 something you might come back to see again. Okay, 00:12:55.720 --> 00:12:58.919 so the Luxor residency starts in 2005. But it's 00:12:58.919 --> 00:13:00.600 important to note, he didn't just walk into that, 00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:02.899 right? He already had industry cred. Oh, definitely. 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:06.259 You have to rewind a bit. Way back in 1994, long 00:13:06.259 --> 00:13:08.279 before the Luxor deal was even on the horizon, 00:13:08.799 --> 00:13:11.019 he won the American Comedy Award for best male 00:13:11.019 --> 00:13:14.379 stand -up comic. 1994. That's significant. Very. 00:13:14.679 --> 00:13:17.419 Because that award validated the craft behind 00:13:17.419 --> 00:13:19.539 the props. It told the mainstream entertainment 00:13:19.539 --> 00:13:22.240 world, and yeah, probably those casino execs 00:13:22.240 --> 00:13:24.779 making the big decisions later, that his act 00:13:24.779 --> 00:13:27.399 wasn't just a novelty. It was recognized. Award 00:13:27.399 --> 00:13:30.080 -winning quality comedy. That kind of credibility 00:13:30.080 --> 00:13:32.139 would have been absolutely essential to landing 00:13:32.139 --> 00:13:35.320 a deal as huge and long -lasting as a Vegas residency. 00:13:35.899 --> 00:13:38.159 All right, so the Luxor residency proves the 00:13:38.159 --> 00:13:40.460 financial stability, the career durability, but 00:13:40.460 --> 00:13:43.220 his ongoing film and TV work, that shows his 00:13:43.220 --> 00:13:45.759 cultural reach, his ubiquity. He's become a master 00:13:45.759 --> 00:13:48.559 of the strategic cameo, popping up in guest roles, 00:13:48.899 --> 00:13:50.620 often just playing himself to keep his brand 00:13:50.620 --> 00:13:52.460 out there, keep it relevant, without needing 00:13:52.460 --> 00:13:54.620 to commit to another huge, demanding project 00:13:54.620 --> 00:13:57.460 outside Vegas. He basically weaponizes his own 00:13:57.460 --> 00:14:00.080 recognizability, right? Like he is the joke sometimes. 00:14:00.559 --> 00:14:03.679 That appearance on Reno 911 back in 2006, the 00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:06.100 Weigel's Pregnant episode, that's a perfect example. 00:14:06.539 --> 00:14:09.799 He plays this enraged version of himself. trashes 00:14:09.799 --> 00:14:12.360 a hotel room, steals a cop car. It's not just 00:14:12.360 --> 00:14:14.960 a funny bit. It's totally self -aware, playing 00:14:14.960 --> 00:14:17.500 right into and maybe against the public image 00:14:17.500 --> 00:14:20.500 of him as this high energy, maybe kind of manic 00:14:20.500 --> 00:14:23.220 figure. Exactly. It shows he's in on the joke, 00:14:23.340 --> 00:14:25.340 which is so important for any celebrity who's 00:14:25.340 --> 00:14:27.480 been around for decades. You got to be able to 00:14:27.480 --> 00:14:30.299 laugh at yourself and his whole persona. It just 00:14:30.299 --> 00:14:32.720 translates perfectly to adult animation, too, 00:14:32.840 --> 00:14:35.299 which is another key way he stays relevant with 00:14:35.299 --> 00:14:38.019 younger or maybe more online audiences. Totally. 00:14:38.120 --> 00:14:40.200 He's done. on Family Guy multiple times, including 00:14:40.200 --> 00:14:42.700 that Peter Geist episode. He was on Robot Chicken 00:14:42.700 --> 00:14:45.659 2. And even way back in 96, he did that meta 00:14:45.659 --> 00:14:47.799 appearance on Space Ghost Coast to Coast. Remember 00:14:47.799 --> 00:14:50.759 that show? Half animation, half talk show weirdness. 00:14:50.820 --> 00:14:53.559 Oh, yeah, Space Ghost. Classic. Doing those kinds 00:14:53.559 --> 00:14:56.100 of roles keeps him in the orbit of modern comedy, 00:14:56.220 --> 00:14:58.139 the stuff that really resonates with that, say, 00:14:58.480 --> 00:15:01.220 20 to 40 demographic. But what's really strategic, 00:15:01.240 --> 00:15:03.399 I think, is how he can jump from those cartoon 00:15:03.399 --> 00:15:07.259 voices to playing himself in mainstream sitcoms. 00:15:07.600 --> 00:15:10.299 even serious dramas. Yeah, like appearing as 00:15:10.299 --> 00:15:13.320 himself on strubs in that My Balancing Act episode 00:15:13.320 --> 00:15:16.899 fits perfectly there. But then, more surprisingly, 00:15:17.519 --> 00:15:20.480 he pops up in CSI, crime scene investigation, 00:15:20.700 --> 00:15:23.299 a couple of episodes back in 2011. Yeah. Like 00:15:23.299 --> 00:15:26.470 the heavy procedural drama CSI. That's got to 00:15:26.470 --> 00:15:28.649 be the ultimate sign of mainstream acceptance, 00:15:28.690 --> 00:15:31.889 right? When a serious drama like CSI uses you 00:15:31.889 --> 00:15:34.610 as yourself in a scene, it means your celebrity 00:15:34.610 --> 00:15:37.389 is so recognizable, so grounded in the real world 00:15:37.389 --> 00:15:39.529 for the audience that you can just drop in regardless 00:15:39.529 --> 00:15:41.370 of the tone. You're just part of the furniture. 00:15:41.570 --> 00:15:43.690 Yeah, a familiar fixture, yeah. And he's still 00:15:43.690 --> 00:15:45.970 doing it. His ability to stay current is proven 00:15:45.970 --> 00:15:48.549 by that uncredited appearance just this year, 00:15:48.669 --> 00:15:52.289 2024, on Hacks, which is, you know, a super acclaimed 00:15:52.289 --> 00:15:54.820 current show. And that broad appeal. Cutting 00:15:54.820 --> 00:15:57.759 across all genres made him perfect for the whole 00:15:57.759 --> 00:16:00.000 reality and talk show circuit. He can fit in 00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:02.200 anywhere, be the judge, the comic relief, whatever 00:16:02.200 --> 00:16:04.980 they need. Absolutely. He was a guest judge on 00:16:04.980 --> 00:16:07.840 Last Comic Standing in 2008, sharing his experience, 00:16:07.840 --> 00:16:10.200 you know? But his willingness to just show up 00:16:10.200 --> 00:16:12.639 wherever the eyeballs are, regardless of how 00:16:12.639 --> 00:16:16.580 maybe prestigious the show is, that's pretty 00:16:16.580 --> 00:16:18.519 remarkable. He did Gene Simmons' Family Jewels. 00:16:19.009 --> 00:16:21.850 He was on the Bad Girls Club. He was on Holly's 00:16:21.850 --> 00:16:24.389 World. It shows a real lack of, I don't know, 00:16:24.710 --> 00:16:27.309 celebrity ego, maybe? He gets that any TV appearance 00:16:27.309 --> 00:16:29.429 is brand maintenance. Yeah. Keep the name out 00:16:29.429 --> 00:16:31.549 there. And that carried over to game shows, too, 00:16:31.690 --> 00:16:34.090 helping other celebs, playing for charity. He 00:16:34.090 --> 00:16:36.789 did Don't Forget the Lyrics in 2010, helping 00:16:36.789 --> 00:16:38.870 out Penn and Teller. Right. He was on that Weakest 00:16:38.870 --> 00:16:41.690 Link comedian special. And crucially, much later, 00:16:41.830 --> 00:16:44.919 he showed up at midnight in 2016. which proves 00:16:44.919 --> 00:16:48.120 he could adapt to those newer, faster, more internet 00:16:48.120 --> 00:16:50.740 -savvy comedy formats, too. And being willing 00:16:50.740 --> 00:16:52.879 to be the butt of the joke seems central to his 00:16:52.879 --> 00:16:54.820 whole public thing, like participating in the 00:16:54.820 --> 00:16:57.039 Comedy Central roasts. He roasts Flavor Flav, 00:16:57.259 --> 00:16:59.019 he roasts the Gene Simmons. Yeah, if you can 00:16:59.019 --> 00:17:00.539 stand up there and take that kind of ribbing 00:17:00.539 --> 00:17:03.860 on national TV, it signals a certain resilience. 00:17:04.420 --> 00:17:06.789 Durability. The audience respects that, I think. 00:17:07.029 --> 00:17:09.650 That adaptability, it extends to just embracing 00:17:09.650 --> 00:17:12.230 goofy physical stuff, too, right? Stuff designed 00:17:12.230 --> 00:17:15.309 to get attention, maybe go viral. Totally. The 00:17:15.309 --> 00:17:18.109 sources mention that time on the Jay Leno show, 00:17:18.529 --> 00:17:21.569 back in 2010, he just stood there and let Leno 00:17:21.569 --> 00:17:24.069 and Emma Roberts throw pies at him. Uh -huh, 00:17:24.170 --> 00:17:27.009 yeah. Just fully commits to the bit. Doesn't 00:17:27.009 --> 00:17:29.289 matter the format. Physical comedy is physical 00:17:29.289 --> 00:17:31.839 comedy. And his engagement with internet humor, 00:17:31.859 --> 00:17:34.500 specifically, seems really key to keeping him 00:17:34.500 --> 00:17:37.279 relevant now. Bridging that gap from being a 00:17:37.279 --> 00:17:40.259 90s cable star to fitting into today's, you know, 00:17:40.440 --> 00:17:42.480 content world, look at his appearances on Tosh 00:17:42.480 --> 00:17:45.000 .0. Oh, yeah. He didn't just show up. He got 00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:48.039 a full body massage from Daniel Tosh, which is 00:17:48.039 --> 00:17:51.440 just deeply weird and memorable, generated tons 00:17:51.440 --> 00:17:53.279 of buzz. And he was in that Selena Gomez, good 00:17:53.279 --> 00:17:55.579 for you tribute video Tosh did, too. Just pops 00:17:55.579 --> 00:17:57.640 up unexpectedly. That's how you do it. You show 00:17:57.640 --> 00:17:59.759 up on Between Two Ferns with Zach Gil - in the 00:17:59.759 --> 00:18:01.980 Bradley Cooper episode, just lean into the awkwardness. 00:18:02.059 --> 00:18:04.480 And crucially, you engage with the huge podcast 00:18:04.480 --> 00:18:06.940 audience. He did the Joe Rogan experience in 00:18:06.940 --> 00:18:11.740 2022, episode 1758. Wow, Rogan. Yeah. That one 00:18:11.740 --> 00:18:14.519 appearance would have put his story, his longevity, 00:18:15.039 --> 00:18:17.140 in front of tens of millions of people who might 00:18:17.140 --> 00:18:19.859 never go to Vegas or even watch network TV anymore. 00:18:20.299 --> 00:18:22.759 Huge platform. And he's even keeping up with 00:18:22.759 --> 00:18:25.640 the, like, family -friendly YouTube sphere, too, 00:18:25.920 --> 00:18:28.779 which shows he's really covering all bases. appeared 00:18:28.779 --> 00:18:32.099 on Good Mythical Morning in late 2023 for their 00:18:32.099 --> 00:18:35.119 Guess How Much This Weighs challenge. He's hitting 00:18:35.119 --> 00:18:37.500 every single major media channel out there. It's 00:18:37.500 --> 00:18:39.559 impressive. One last thing on the media front, 00:18:39.859 --> 00:18:42.220 the music video cameos. Right. Another way to 00:18:42.220 --> 00:18:44.759 just cement himself as this recognizable piece 00:18:44.759 --> 00:18:46.960 of Americana, like appearing with Toby Keith 00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:49.539 in the Red Solo Cup video. That video was everywhere. 00:18:49.759 --> 00:18:52.220 Exactly. And he even went with Keith to the ACM 00:18:52.220 --> 00:18:54.470 Awards when he performed it. He's become this 00:18:54.470 --> 00:18:57.109 reliable funny visual that directors can just 00:18:57.109 --> 00:19:00.309 drop into a scene or a video For instant recognition 00:19:00.309 --> 00:19:02.809 hashtag tag outro. Okay. So let's try and pull 00:19:02.809 --> 00:19:05.349 this all together this incredible What nearly 00:19:05.349 --> 00:19:07.650 40 year career of Scott Christopher Thompson? 00:19:07.849 --> 00:19:10.410 It seems like it's not really a story about novelty. 00:19:10.410 --> 00:19:13.390 Maybe it's more a story about structure about 00:19:13.390 --> 00:19:15.640 strategy I think that's exactly right. You can 00:19:15.640 --> 00:19:18.319 see this, like, three -pronged approach that 00:19:18.319 --> 00:19:20.579 basically guarantees relevance and financial 00:19:20.579 --> 00:19:23.240 security. OK, what are the prongs? Well, first, 00:19:24.019 --> 00:19:26.700 obviously, the rock -solid stability of that 00:19:26.700 --> 00:19:29.619 long -running Vegas residency at the Luxor, that's 00:19:29.619 --> 00:19:32.619 the anchor, eliminated the risks of touring guaranteed 00:19:32.619 --> 00:19:35.480 income for decades. Right. Pillar one, Vegas. 00:19:35.579 --> 00:19:38.819 Pillar two, the incredible breadth of his media 00:19:38.819 --> 00:19:41.200 adaptability. Just think about it from being 00:19:41.200 --> 00:19:44.099 the voice of Cartoon Network in the 90s to doing 00:19:44.099 --> 00:19:47.559 cameos in serious dramas like CSI and Hacks Today. 00:19:48.160 --> 00:19:50.579 He managed to place his very specific brand into 00:19:50.579 --> 00:19:53.319 literally every market available. Kids, adults, 00:19:53.799 --> 00:19:55.980 comedy fans, drama watchers, internet users. 00:19:56.359 --> 00:19:58.700 Okay, Vegas stability, media adaptability, and 00:19:58.700 --> 00:20:01.279 third. Third is the sheer, rigorous consistency 00:20:01.279 --> 00:20:04.140 of his core act. That highly efficient, rapid 00:20:04.140 --> 00:20:06.980 -fire visual prop comedy always tied to topical 00:20:06.980 --> 00:20:09.730 American culture and satire. Let's then see that 00:20:09.730 --> 00:20:12.089 clear definition of what he does is why he can 00:20:12.089 --> 00:20:14.329 cross over so easily into documentaries like 00:20:14.329 --> 00:20:17.089 Polly Shore is Dead, into dramas, into documentaries 00:20:17.089 --> 00:20:19.470 like the amazing Jonathan documentary. Does everyone 00:20:19.470 --> 00:20:22.130 know what Carrot Top is? Exactly. He's a defined, 00:20:22.490 --> 00:20:25.289 predictable, reliable cultural reference point. 00:20:25.569 --> 00:20:27.470 And in the entertainment business, that kind 00:20:27.470 --> 00:20:29.369 of reliability, that's what gets you hired again 00:20:29.369 --> 00:20:31.450 and again. So Thompson is basically the ultimate 00:20:31.450 --> 00:20:34.710 case study in mastering a very specific repeatable 00:20:34.710 --> 00:20:37.470 act. And then leveraging that act relentlessly 00:20:37.470 --> 00:20:40.109 across every single media platform you can find, 00:20:40.250 --> 00:20:42.710 ensuring that even if people don't physically 00:20:42.710 --> 00:20:45.509 go to his show, they're constantly reminded he 00:20:45.509 --> 00:20:48.349 exists, he's still out there working. Which brings 00:20:48.349 --> 00:20:51.009 us to our final provocative thought for you, 00:20:51.130 --> 00:20:53.869 the listener, to Chuan. It's based on the sheer 00:20:53.869 --> 00:20:56.349 volume and the topicality of his work. Think 00:20:56.349 --> 00:20:58.930 about it, given that continuous heavy schedule 00:20:58.930 --> 00:21:01.910 at the Luxor for almost 20 years and the very 00:21:01.910 --> 00:21:04.809 specific demands of his prop -heavy show, a show 00:21:04.809 --> 00:21:06.910 that has to be anchored in topical satire to 00:21:06.910 --> 00:21:10.170 stay fresh. What are the huge, probably invisible, 00:21:10.289 --> 00:21:12.250 logistical challenges involved in constantly 00:21:12.250 --> 00:21:14.730 creating, building, and maintaining that routine? 00:21:15.130 --> 00:21:16.730 Yeah, just think about the process. It's not 00:21:16.730 --> 00:21:19.710 just writing a new joke on a napkin. Every time 00:21:19.710 --> 00:21:21.529 American culture shifts, every time there's a 00:21:21.529 --> 00:21:25.170 new iPhone or a political scandal, he potentially 00:21:25.170 --> 00:21:27.869 needs new props, which means designing them, 00:21:28.309 --> 00:21:30.809 sourcing materials, maybe fabricating them, managing 00:21:30.809 --> 00:21:34.059 them physically, dozens of them. all the time. 00:21:34.099 --> 00:21:36.240 It's like running a small factory alongside a 00:21:36.240 --> 00:21:39.359 comedy show. Pretty much. That kind of immediate 00:21:39.359 --> 00:21:42.059 constant production schedule kept up for two 00:21:42.059 --> 00:21:44.940 decades straight just for the Vegas show. It 00:21:44.940 --> 00:21:47.759 demands a level of supply chain management and 00:21:47.759 --> 00:21:50.859 design ingenuity that maybe ironically kind of 00:21:50.859 --> 00:21:52.859 rivals the engineering discipline of his own 00:21:52.859 --> 00:21:55.559 NASA dad's world. Huh. Never thought of it like 00:21:55.559 --> 00:21:58.259 that. That relentless commitment to the creative 00:21:58.259 --> 00:22:00.529 and the physical logistics. You could almost 00:22:00.529 --> 00:22:02.490 say that's the real performance art behind Kara 00:22:02.490 --> 00:22:03.430 Thompson during career.