Ready to begin or deepen your meditation practice? Join Dan Harris and world-class meditation teachers on the 10% with Dan Harris app here: https://app.danharris.com/membership "This book will not help you. I'm not a self-help gay." That's the opening line of Billy Eichner's new audio memoir, and honestly, it might be the most refreshing thing said on this podcast all year. Billy Eichner is the creator and star of Billy on the Street, a longtime cast member on Parks and Recreation, the star and co-writer of the rom-com Bros, and played Matt Drudge in American Crime Story. He's just out with Billy on Billy, an audio-only memoir about his parents, his career, his bar mitzvah, and the wisdom he picked up along the way (which, fine, IS pretty helpful, even if he won't admit it). In this episode: – Why Billy thinks the self-help industrial complex has gone completely off the rails – His complicated relationship with meditation (and why sitting down to do it makes him feel worse) – The huge gap between Billy on the Street and the actual Billy — and why he wrote a book to close it – What growing up gay in 1980s Queens with two genuinely supportive parents looked like – "Audiobook-only levels of childhood trauma" — and the kitchen-sink memory that doesn't quite qualify – His mom's wisdom bomb at his Madonna-themed bar mitzvah: "Don't be crazy. You have to have fun." – His dad's one-word Yiddish life philosophy: "genug" (enough) – How a low tolerance for BS has helped his work and hurt his career Subscribe to watch more 10% Happier videos: https://www.youtube.com/tenpercenthappier Follow Dan Harris on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/danharris/ https://www.tiktok.com/@danbharris https://www.facebook.com/DanHarrisABC https://twitter.com/danbharris https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-harris-91ba5716b/ 0:00:00 The "I'm not a self-help gay" rant 0:05:00 Billy's complicated history with meditation 0:09:00 Northwestern, Mary Poole, and acting class as therapy 0:13:00 Billy on the Street vs. the real Billy 0:18:00 What your algorithm says about you (and the bear vs. otter taxonomy) 0:21:00 Pee-wee Herman and the origins of the character 0:22:00 Growing up gay in Queens with Jay and Debbie Eichner 0:30:00 His mom's diet pills and the kitchen fight he witnessed as a kid 0:37:00 "Audiobook-only levels of childhood trauma" and the bar mitzvah 0:39:00 Mom's wisdom: "Don't be crazy. You have to have fun." 0:46:00 Dad's Yiddish wisdom: "genug" 0:48:00 Surviving Hollywood with a low tolerance for bullshit 0:51:00 Why he made it an audiobook only #10PercentHappier #BillyEichner #BillyOnBilly