Jerry Interviews Joe 09/13/2014

In September of 2014, Jerry & Joe sat down to talk about some shit.

Jerry Interviews Joe 9/13/2014

Jerry: Do you remember the first time you saw 30 Minutes of Madness air on television?

Joe: Yeah, it was at Tim Atwood’s house, with Mr. Atwood.

Can you tell us a little bit about that night? What do you remember?

I was anticipating what it would really be like to see what a broadcast feeling is like, you know, with video that we made. But for the most part I think we were just all kinda happy that it was happening and going on. It was exciting.

Before 30 Minutes of Madness there was another show that you were talking about doing. What was that called and what was that show gonna be—how would that show be different than 30 Minutes of Madness?

Well it was going to be called “What’s the Tip?” and I woulda had more flow and creativity in it. But I didn’t have a lot of the willpower to try to really follow through, but I did have the willpower to, like, first—for some reason I was able to get the first three or four minutes in my head and have it written and have some direction for it, but that’s about all I got out to be.

If you were to start a YouTube channel of your own, or a public access show of your own right now, what kind of stuff would you do?

I think I have some ideas for an electronic variety show where I actually talk, talk to the camera…

You say electronic, do you mean like electronic music, or?

Kind of like computer IT and kind of stuff I learned in school. Just like doing reviews and trying to maybe, like, review products, but then like incorporate comedy into it—and music you know, electronic music equipment, stuff like that.

So it would be a review show and a comedy show, but—

It would be easy ‘cuz I could say well here’s, you know, I could advertise for 30MOM. You know, here’s something we did back in the nineties or, you know, just put it there and say that was 30MOM or something or people would get it, you know?

Joe with some favorite colorful items
Over the years you’ve often said in interviews—even when you were a teenager—that you were the star of 30 Minutes of Madness and that the show was always better when you were more involved. What do you bring to 30 Minutes of Madness that you think is different than what other people bring?

I don’t know, it has to do a combination of living in Michigan and going from your normal life to, “Oh this is cool, I’m in front of the video camera, look what can happen,” and then just trying to bring that into a feeling where a lot of people would want to have it written, you know, like as a certain time in their life that happened and remember it. Almost like astrophysics, in a certain way. When people study physics and astronomy…there’s like a group of physicists that had to prove to Einstein that, when observed, the observed changes because it’s being observed. It’s kinda related to that—when you’re being observed by the video camera, it’s like some astrophysiology that just happens.

So you’re saying you’re the Schrödinger’s Cat of 30 Minutes of Madness.

(laughs) Just trying to bring a positive attitude!

That works. Alright, we’re gonna end it there. Any final words?

Yeah… My dad climbed up a ladder and fell into…his…nostril cavity—but for his birthday and he got rewarded.

Alright.

(laughs) Shit, I can’t believe I said that!

Check out Joe’s electronic variety vids on his YouTube channels: PCP ROBOT and Apple Kid where he indeed reviews products and uploads comedy vids, including some old 30MOM shit. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Jerry & Joe in the PATV edit suite, circa ’93