Hold Up with Dulcé Sloan & Josh Johnson from The Daily Show · Comedy Central

Nosy vs. Noisy Neighbors

January 19, 2023·37 min·3 clips

Dulcé reveals how a nosy neighbor saved a life by noticing flies on a window after a quiet man passed away.

This episode features Daily Show correspondent Dulcé Sloan and writer Josh Johnson debating whether loud or nosy neighbors are worse. Johnson initially claims he prefers nosy neighbors, while Sloan argues she would rather deal with loud ones. The hosts define a loud neighbor as someone who creates disruptive noise through music, arguments, or loud activities like vacuuming hardwood floors. Sloan explains that with loud neighbors, there are potential courses of action like complaining to the building or authorities. She describes a neighbor whose dog barks for hours by the front door as a specific example of a noise nuisance. Johnson counters that nosy neighbors constantly monitor comings and goings, questioning package deliveries or visitors, which he finds invasive. Sloan shares that as a female comic with mostly male friends, a nosy neighbor might unfairly scrutinize her social life. A surprising claim is that a nosy neighbor might save your life by noticing unusual activity, like a buildup of flies on a window that indicated a death in an apartment. Johnson recounts a story where a quiet neighbor passed away, and only a observant person noticed the flies. Sloan admits she enjoys overhearing loud arguments through walls, describing it as a "life's few pleasures" when living in a bad apartment. She details hearing a full argument about shared money that escalated to personal attacks about family. Johnson finds humor in overhearing a man's voice crack during an argument, which he says destroys the speaker's credibility regardless of being right. Sloan identifies certain phrases like "It's not going down like that" or "Who you talking to?" as indicators someone is wrong in a dispute. The hosts agree that a cartoonishly loud neighbor who makes noise in every activity is an intentional menace. Johnson concludes that a nosy neighbor has to see you to be nosy, while a loud neighbor's noise invades your home uninvited. The tone is conversational and comedic, with both hosts sharing personal anecdotes and laughing about relatable urban living frustrations. The style is a lighthearted debate between friends, filled with playful banter and exaggerated impressions of annoying neighbors. Listeners who enjoy humorous takes on everyday annoyances and shared living experiences would love this episode. People seeking serious commentary on housing issues or who dislike comedic storytelling might skip it.

As heard by us

Apartment walls turn into a stage for a funny, messy neighbor debate.

Hold Up revisits a familiar debate and finds comic mileage in a simple question: which neighbor is harder to live with, the one who can be heard through the wall or the one who wants to know everything?

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Why you'd press play

For when your walls are thin and your patience is thinner.

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