The Blackballed w/ james difiore podcast is currently on hiatus as I recalibrate my Starlink internet. That’s my way of saying my wife accidentally damaged the satellite while building a snowman with my children.

But it has given me a chance to retool the show – increase production value, and perhaps settle in on an actual format rather than a shoot-from-the-hip philosophy I’ve been prone to since the show began two short years ago.

But one thing above all else – I want to book guests that I have no business interviewing. Not because the interview wouldn’t be dope, but because they are a million times bigger than I am.

On that note, there is one name I would put at the very top of that list – Ricky Gervais.

I love writing it. Thank you for the show, man. You have no idea how impactful it has been.

— James DiFiore (@jamesdifiore) January 15, 2022

Ricky and I have interacted briefly a few times on Twitter. I’ve written a couple pieces over the years about how comedy is the last bastion of free speech in western culture, and he seemed to enjoy the work. One time all he wrote was “Love this” and I admit, I peed a little.

Gervais is the prototype of what it means to value speech, ideas, and expression. There is no comedian quite like him, and he has proven himself to be bullet proof when it comes to owning his work, and not allowing critics to define him.

In an Orwellian world, only comedians can save us https://t.co/YjwJaAad1X

— THE TAO OF NOW (@InTheNoosphere) November 19, 2019

Gervais would join Noam Chomsky as a guest I probably have no business interviewing, but by the end it would feel like I was talking to an old friend. Plus, I could finally hear the word ‘cunt’ spoken on my podcast in a gleeful British accent, rather than a Canadian one. It makes all the difference in the world, trust me.

My first ever Blackballed podcast was with Noam Chomsky.

This is that podcast.https://t.co/1L28r1hpz6

— James DiFiore (@jamesdifiore) October 23, 2022

Oh, also, don’t forget…Noam Chomsky will be back on Blackballed on April 22nd to talk about the environment.

Ricky, if you are reading this, we can use the entire interview to talk about saving animals. Just please promise me you will say the word ‘cunt’ at least once.