Welcome back to Church & State! This week, Brian Bogart and Yuna Pahk decide to have a few drinks and see where the episode goes. They start by discussing the questionable historical shirts they are wearing, North Korea, and Yuna’s habit of finding unusual potential sponsors. From there, the conversation moves into what kind of drunks they are, Yuna’s long drive between Long Beach and the LA comedy scene, developing stage presence, and another round of arguments about their recent Roast Battle. Brian also shares his past as a ballroom dance and cotillion instructor before the conversation turns to drinking habits and their preferred beers.Things take a turn when Asher is brought in to host a series of increasingly uncomfortable Would You Rather questions. Brian and Yuna work through impossible scenarios involving careers, reputations, social taboos, and what they would actually be willing to live with. The questions eventually lead to conversations about internet outrage, comedy, sex robots, and whether some choices are worse because of the act itself or because everyone would know about it.The episode wraps up with a new version of The Price Is Right, where Brian and Yuna try to guess the cost of things they probably should not be researching, including organs, bail, hitmen, and eventually horse semen. Asher provides the answers while everyone realizes they know considerably less about the black market and horse breeding than they thought.Chapters00:00 Cold Open00:56 Welcome to Church & State01:25 The Most Questionable Sponsor Yet05:51 North Korea, K-Pop & Yuna’s Childhood10:27 What Kind of Drunk Are You?13:32 Comedy, Stage Presence & Roast Battle16:36 Brian’s Ballroom Dancing Past19:16 Drinking, Beer & Asian Drinking Culture22:35 Unhinged Would You Rather Begins35:18 Sex Robots & the Future of Dating38:30 Would You Rather Gets Worse52:03 The Worst Price Is Right59:06 How Much Does Horse Semen Cost?1:03:57 OutroFollow Brian BogartInstagram: @brian.bogart[www.instagram.com/brian.bogart/]( / brian.bogart )YouTube: @brianbogartcomedy[ / @brianbogartcomedy ]( / @brianbogartcomedy )Follow Yuna PahkInstagram: @yunapahk[www.instagram.com/yunapahk]( / yunapahk )YouTube: @yunapahk[ / @yunapahk ]( / @yunapahk )Produced by Church & State Podcast

Welcome back to Church & State! This week, Brian Bogart and Yuna Pahk are joined by comedian Austen Silver, Brian’s longtime friend and comedy mentor, to talk about their years coming up together in stand-up. Austen looks back on first meeting Brian through his old Banter open mic, why he initially hated the concept, and how Brian eventually won him over. From there, the group gets into how comedians develop over time, testing new material, finding a comedic voice, and Austen’s self-described “playfully negative” approach to stand-up. Yuna also shares a recent interaction with another comedian that brought out her competitive side, leading into a conversation about ambition and using other comics as motivation. Brian and Austen revisit years of touring together, including Brian taking sales calls from the road, disappointing shows, difficult crowds, and the times one of them had to follow the other after a particularly strong or particularly bad set. Along the way, they discuss the differences between the Austin and Los Angeles comedy scenes, what bombing feels like after years of doing stand-up, and why Austen still prefers comedy with a clear point of view. Another week of stand-up, old stories, competition, and friends being slightly too comfortable criticizing each other.

Welcome back to Church & State! This week, Brian Bogart and Yuna Pahk recap their recent Roast Battle at the Comedy Store, where Yuna is still questioning the final result. They break down their approach to the battle, why they chose to make their jokes more personal, and the overtime round that decided the winner. Asher also joins the conversation to explain how he may have accidentally played a small part in Yuna’s loss. From there, Brian and Yuna discuss what would happen to the podcast if their friendship ever fell apart before moving into conversations about maritime law, getting in trouble with the law, community service, and stories from their past. Later, they turn to the current state of comedy and podcasting, the growing influence of comedians online, and what happens when comedy and larger cultural conversations begin to overlap. The episode wraps up with a discussion about bringer shows, the business of stand-up, and the difference between having strong opinions and actually being funny. Another week of comedy, disagreements, and conversations that go in directions neither of them planned.

Welcome back to Church & State! This week, Brian Bogart and Yuna Pahk kick things off with Yuna having to answer for one of her more questionable decisions yet: throwing a bag of dog poop at a fellow comedian before a show. What starts as a debate over whether the prank was rude or funny quickly turns into a recap of an already chaotic night, including one especially distracting audience member who forced both Brian and Yuna to adjust their sets in real time. From there, the conversation takes an unexpected turn into whether they would ever eat dog or even human meat, their favorite unconventional foods, and the cultural differences behind what people consider normal to eat. The episode then shifts into a more serious conversation about Yuna’s growth as a stand-up comedian, the pressure to build a social media following, and whether having more followers actually matters if you are not becoming a better comic along the way. Brian and Yuna also debut their new Church & State Confessionals segment, where Brian admits to accidentally faking the effects of laughing gas during a hair procedure, Yuna questions whether she went too far roasting an audience member, and Brian shares an uncomfortable encounter with another comedian. Along the way, they celebrate reaching their 10th episode, talk about Brian’s mom finally listening to the podcast, dive into the bizarre story of the “My Way” karaoke murders, discuss South Korea’s population problem, and eventually turn a disagreement over Brian’s singing voice into an impromptu singing contest. As always, the conversation is equal parts hilarious, chaotic, insightful, and completely unfiltered, making for another unforgettable episode of Church & State.

Welcome back to Church & State! This week, Brian Bogart and Yuna Pahk are joined by comedian and Roast Battle League commissioner Brian Moses for a deep dive into how comedy has changed in the age of YouTube, short-form content, and viral clips. The conversation starts with Brian Moses breaking down the evolution of Roast Battle, why traditional TV credits do not carry the same weight they once did, and how comedians now have to think differently about building an audience and staying relevant. From there, the group revisits some of their favorite Roast Battle jokes and moments, discusses what actually makes a great battle, and explores the importance of writing, stage presence, crowd interaction, and fearlessness in comedy. Along the way, Brian, Brian, and Yuna turn the conversation into a comedy draft, building their version of the perfect comedian by pulling traits from legends like George Carlin, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Richard Pryor, Robin Williams, Martin Lawrence, Bernie Mac, Patrice O’Neal, and more. The episode also gets into the realities of creating content as a stand-up, the pressure to constantly feed the algorithm, and why the best comedians are often the ones willing to take the biggest risks. As always, the conversation is equal parts hilarious, insightful, and completely unfiltered, making for another unforgettable episode of Church & State.

Welcome back to Church & State! This week, Brian Bogart and Yuna Pahk kick things off by reflecting on last episode before turning their ongoing rivalry into an unexpected freestyle rap challenge that quickly becomes one of the funniest moments of the show. From there, the conversation shifts into the realities of pursuing stand-up comedy, as Brian shares stories from the Austin comedy scene, discusses the challenges of breaking into the industry, and reflects on why moving to Los Angeles changed both his career and perspective. Along the way, Brian and Yuna debate whether men or women have it harder in comedy, explore the pressures performers face on and off stage, discuss grief and loss within the comedy community, and share their thoughts on building a career while staying true to yourself. The episode wraps up with the debut of a brand-new "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" segment, where the hosts put their knowledge to the test with elementary school trivia, proving that confidence doesn't always translate into the right answers. As always, the conversation is equal parts hilarious, insightful, and completely unfiltered, making for another unforgettable episode of Church & State.

Welcome back to Church & State! This week, Brian Bogart and Yuna Pahk kick things off by explaining why Archie's podcast career has officially come to an end after one too many on-camera interruptions. From chaotic dachshund stories and strict immigrant parenting to Marvel tangents and Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, the conversation quickly goes off the rails in the best way possible. Brian shares why the film resonated with him as both a storyteller and lifelong fan of Greek mythology before Yuna puts his knowledge to the test with an increasingly difficult mythology quiz. Along the way, they debate gods, Titans, heroes, and legendary myths while breaking down The Odyssey, discussing practical filmmaking, and revisiting some of history's most iconic stories. As always, the episode is packed with hilarious banter, unexpected detours, and the unfiltered conversations that make Church & State what it is.

Welcome back to Church & State! This week, Brian Bogart and Yuna Pahk catch up after Brian's trip to Austin and dive into the biggest differences between the Austin and Los Angeles comedy scenes. They discuss life on the road, comedy clubs, open mics, "barking" for audiences, the challenges of making it as a stand-up comedian, and what it really takes to build a lasting career in comedy. Along the way, they share hilarious stories from recent shows, debate whether social media can create an "industry plant," reflect on creative ambition, roast battle psychology, and the pressure of chasing big dreams. They also swap stories about immigrant parents, Brian plays a recording of his mom unleashing her legendary "work voice" on her bank, and the conversation spirals into the honest, chaotic, and unfiltered comedy conversations that make Church & State what it is.