Life Is Like a Box of Chocolates. It's Full of Shoes (w/ Karl Houser)

On this episode of Stop It With Zach Peterson, Omaha comedian and improv teacher Karl sits down to talk about what it actually takes to do improv well and all the terrible ideas improvisers have for shows they'll probably never do. Karl shares his philosophy on building a scene from a single suggestion (shoes, in this case), why checking in is both the worst and best thing you can do onstage, and what a Gremlins 2 character modeled after him would look like in disturbing detail. The conversation also drifts into swimming as an Ozempic alternative, the Manosphere, AM radio ghosts, and the Onion buying Infowars. It closes on a genuinely thoughtful note: what does love look like when no one's watching? Karl's got a real answer — and then immediately ruins it. Catch Karl at King Louie shows at the Backline (first Fridays, 9:30 p.m.) and the Ware House (third Fridays, 7 p.m.). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices