I’m going to Nateland

It may be hard for loyal readers of New South Essays to comprehend, but despite my weekly posts and myriad social media quips, my work remains largely unknown and unappreciated.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining.

I don’t do this for fame and fortune.

I do it for you, the fans.

No, seriously, I do it for fame and fortune.

That’s why I’m happy to report that my fame, if not my fortune, reached new heights recently when Nate Bargatze, one of my favorite comedians, read my comment on his weekly podcast. While the resulting boost to my fame has not quite reached “recognized on the street” level, it has given me new credibility (or what the kids these days call “cred”) with my sons.

And if I’m completely honest, that’s all I’m really after these days, especially since after 26 years of marriage Carla no longer finds me the least bit entertaining.

How did I arrive at the cusp of stardom? My oldest son, Barron, is the family’s discoverer of comedians. He stumbled upon Nate Bargatze a few years back when Nate’s special “The Tennessee Kid” was rising up the algorithm on Netflix. Nate checked all the boxes for us. He was Southern, but not in that cliche way. He was clean, but not in a corny way. He was Christian, but not in a judgmental way. For us, he was relatable.

The best way I can sum up Nate Bargatze is to say that he has been working hard at perfecting his craft for decades (he’s 44 years-old), and he’s at the top of his game now while retaining a humble, self-deprecating, family-friendly style. In 2021 The Atlantic called him “The Nicest Man in Stand Up,” and that’s really all you need to know.

The Nateland podcast is a great way to enjoy his comedy on a weekly basis. It drops on Wednesday mornings and is available on YouTube and whatever audio podcast platform you prefer.

It’s long and meandering, but it’s worth it. It’s not educational in the traditional podcasty way. It’s really just some dudes sitting around talking about stuff and making jokes. The regulars are Nate, of course, Brian Bates, Aaron Weber and Dusty Slay, whom I have written about before. There are guest comedians who appear from time-to-time when one of the guys has a conflict with their recording schedule.

In fact, the episode in which I made my “guest appearance” was fittingly about Georgia and featured Lilburn-native comedian John Crist, who sat in for Dusty.

When Nate started reading my comment, I felt a warm mix of joy and pride. What was even more amazing was they not only read my comment but implemented my suggested way of naming their episodes. Here was my comment, which I made on YouTube on the episode about appliances

“‘Appliances Part 2’ was another thing of beauty. Great episode. It inspired me to suggest a new way of naming your episodes. Start with the topic Breakfast has selected and researched, then follow it with the topic or topics the guys spend the most time actually talking about in parentheses. I wasn’t really enthused about more appliances talk, but the hidden topic of infomercials was so much fun. Keep spreading joy!”

See, the titles of the episodes tell you very little about the content of that week’s show. They talk about many topics other than the one they are supposed to be discussing, and I find it to be a feature not a bug. You can see the inherent logic in my recommendation.

Truth be told, that morning when I got up and saw the episode was titled “Georgia” (Regis Philbin), I was confused. I thought they had John Crist and Regis Philbin on the show. Then I remembered Regis is no longer with us (may he rest in peace). Then it dawned on me that maybe, just maybe they had taken my comment to heart. Sure enough, an hour and nine minutes into the show, it was confirmed.

I think it’s working great. The three episodes that have dropped since my helpful hint are titled “Georgia” (Regis Philbin), “Geniuses” (Rocky), and “Explorers” (Liam Neeson). Even if you care nothing for Georgia, geniuses or explorers, there’s a chance you might be curious about what they said about Regis, Rocky and Liam Neeson.

Keep an eye out for what Nate is up to. He’s recently launched Nateland Entertainment and is producing and distributing clean comedy with specials by Greg Warren, Mike Vecchione and Joe Zimmerman, all of which are worth your time.

In a small way, I am gratified to have been able to give back to entertainers who have given so much to their fans. I touched the world of the famous. For a brief moment, my name appeared on YouTube and I achieved greatness.

OK, that might be a bit of an overstatement.

With the benefit of a few weeks of hindsight, I have to admit that my life has not changed all that much. Except for a few congratulatory texts in my family group text chain, this showcase on a massive stage attaining the most internet reach I could ever dream of has not been my big break.

That’s why I had to bring it up now. I am telling you that my 15 seconds of fame happened, in that needy way people humblebrag about stuff on social media. #blessed.

But if I have to tell you I am famous, am I really that famous?

Thank you for reading, whether I’m famous or not. Share a time you had a brush with fame or had your comment read or shared by a worldwide media outlet. I guess the “back-in-the-day” equivalent is having your letter to the editor published. Leave a note below with your story, and you, too, can become New South Essays famous!