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Australian comedian Simon Taylor created The Sonny Disposition, a sitcom satirising podcasters, after growing tired of being asked why he does not have a podcast. He also recounts how a one-night stand pregnancy scare changed his life.
Comedian Simon Taylor got sick of being asked why he does not have a podcast, so he made a sitcom about podcasters instead. The series, titled The Sonny Disposition, is a satire about the chaotic and ego-driven world of podcasting.
Satirising The Podcasting World
Taylor created the show with Josh Samuels. He says the timing is perfect, and that someone in his team messages him every day about a new podcast launch. Kyle Sandilands, Karl Stefanovic and Anthony Albanese are among the figures referenced in the show's satirical orbit. The idea came from frustration.
Everyone asks comedians where their podcast is, but Taylor says he is sick of them. There are so many already, and he did not know what he would offer that was different. So he offered a sitcom about podcasters instead. Taylor also takes aim at the ethics of the podcasting world.
As a journalist, you have to follow ethical guidelines, he says. But as a podcaster, you can reach an audience without any of those pesky ethics. You get to be the CEO as well as the face of the show, he adds. You are a gunslinger; you will do anything to beat the other guy's ratings and win over the algorithm.
An Unexpected Fatherhood Turning Point
The comedian, now based in the US with his American wife, has written a book about a pivotal experience in his twenties. At 27, he had a one-night stand and was then told he was going to be a dad. He received a Facebook message, then a phone call. He was very career-focused and on the road a lot at the time.
He was really emotional, excited but also worried because he did not really know the woman. Then he was told it might be another guy. What followed was nine months of waiting to see whether it was him or the other man. When he did the test, he found out he was not the dad.
Despite the outcome, it was a turning point in his dating life. It made him realise he wanted to be a father. Until then, he felt lacking, like there was something missing. That experience allowed him to be upfront and say he wanted marriage and kids.
He now has a family and says being at home with them is what makes him happiest. His greatest fear is nightmares about his wife ghosting him. He wakes up and says she left him again and blocked him. But the couple have a good rule.
Family Life and Late Coffee
They do not say you did this in my dreams. Instead, he says Dream Lucy did this, and she says Dream Simon did this. If he were to psychoanalyse himself, he guesses it is about losing what makes him happiest. His worst habit is drinking coffee after 9pm.
He feels he needs to get more work done before bed, so he has a coffee, works until 1am, and then sleeps better knowing he has ticked off a few things. It is a terrible health habit, but his mother's side of the family is Italian. His grandparents would always have coffee after dinner, so maybe he has enough Italian DNA to justify it.
Asked about a line that stayed with him, Taylor recalls variations of a quote distilled by his friend Philip Escoffey, a magician from the UK. Luck gets you through the door but hard work determines how long you stay there. In a career like this, you never know when you will get a break. Taylor has had lucky moments, but to stay in the game he has to keep writing jokes so he is always ready.
He knows people who make a living from social media but is not jealous of them. They are constantly posting and checking their numbers, even when talking to their friends. If he did that, it would change his relationship with his family. He just wants to get home, put his phone on do not disturb, and engage with his kids.
Comedy Community and American Healthcare
His biggest regret is not embracing the comedy community earlier. When he started, he thought he was a lone wolf. It took him 10 years to realise that comedy is a team sport in many ways. It is a collective of comedians who look after each other.
Taylor also wishes he had written a joke by Khaled Khalafalla about Australian pets having better healthcare than American humans. Even though he has mangled it, he wishes it was his. With an American wife and time spent living in the US, he knows the cost of care. It would cost hundreds of dollars just to see a GP.
America is an amazing country, he says, but only if you have money. He also cites Freddie Mercury's set as a performance he has watched many times. Freddie was not at 100 per cent health but still gave the greatest performance of his life. To Taylor, that elevates it even more.
Simon Taylor Festival Tour Dates
Simon Taylor performs at the Bendigo Comedy Festival on October 9. He will appear at Melbourne Comedy Republic on October 24 and the Gold Coast on October 30. Further dates include Good Chat in Brisbane on November 6, Perth on November 20, and the Sydney Comedy Store on November 21. The Sonny Disposition brings his satirical take on podcasting to audiences alongside his stand-up work.
brisbanetimes 
smh:After a one-night stand, this comedian was told he’d be a dad. But not all was as it seemedThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
The Sonny Disposition Podcast Satire One-Night Stand Comedy Tour Dates
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