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Cover image credit: Thumbnail: YouTube · Four by Three

Biscuits & Gravity

Jason Salmon

YouTube · 2023 · 50 min

A Gen-X Texan takes on GPS, pedicures, and modern weddings.

The conflict between boomers refusing to use a GPS and millennials letting a blue dot dictate their entire sense of self is exactly the kind of generational friction Jason Salmon thrives on. Drawing from a career split between Texas grit and New York City hustle, he sounds on stage like a guy who has thought deeply about things he probably didn’t need to. He handles his observations with a relaxed, front-porch skepticism, whether he is talking about the absurdity of traditional wedding vows or the terror of an unexpected leg spasm during a pedicure. Filmed at SoulJoel’s at Sunnybrook in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, this 2023 special was produced by Four by Three and released on YouTube. Leaning heavily on his identity as a Gen X intermediary, Salmon tries to explain modern concepts, like gender spectrums, to a boomer parent who still struggles with DVD menus before concluding the set with a mock-cinematic twist ending designed to poke fun at the very format of a stand-up special.

The set list

4 bits
  1. I Look Racist / I'm Not the Enemy

    Explains that his head shape from wearing a Texas football helmet makes him look like a racist or the villain on a protest poster, and notes how bad the phrase 'I'm not racist' sounds coming from his face.

  2. Sex Ed vs. Electricity

    Recalls learning about electrical plugs and outlets before learning the birds and bees from his cattle-farmer father, noting that women's anatomy would be far more intricate than a standard two-prong wall socket.

  3. Texas vs. NYC

    Compares how Texans and New Yorkers tie their identity to geography, dispelling myths about how tough Texans or how smart New Yorkers actually are.

  4. Gen X vs Boomers vs Millennials

    Examines generational dynamics through an observational analysis of Generation X.

How it plays

Tone
Charming, self-deprecating, empathetic, and observational.
On stage
Described as 'like getting the best advice you've ever gotten from the dumbest guy you know' with a mix of colloquial philosophy and absurdist observation.
Pace
Works slowly, out loud, with deliberate timing, leaning into long pauses to 'ally with the silence'.
About
Life, Love, Generation X, Getting pedicures, Texas vs. New York City, Relationships and intimacy

Backstory

Born in Texas and based in New York City; draws heavily on the contrast between his Texas upbringing, playing football, and his adult life living in New York City.

Details

Released
Runtime
50 min
Where
YouTube
Director
Christopher Champion Morgan
Topics

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