Getting Old with Silent Bob and Jay

Getting old is not something that coincides with life in Hollywood. Great pains are usually taken to cover it up, Botox it out or ignore it all together with the hope that if ignored, the process will cease to exist. It is certainly not something that is put on display or worse, celebrated. 

That is, of course, unless your names happen to be Kevin Smith or Jason Mewes, and you happen to have a certain swagger that can only be described as being "from Jersey," and a certain attitude that comes with being "from Jersey," which is, of course, marching to the beat of your own drum. In that case, you certainly would base a whole show around getting old, and heck, you would even be so bold as to call it Jay and Silent Bob Get Old.

Yes, that’s right. New Jersey’s iconic characters, Jay and Silent Bob (Middletown natives Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith) returned to Count Basie Theater, Red Bank, on Saturday, Oct. 8, in all their outlandish glory with their new (aptly titled) tour, Jay and Silent Bob Get Old.

Recently, Smith has branched out into the world of podcasts, creating a weekly podcast with long time friend Scot Mosier, which he cleverly titled SModcast.  In September 2010, SModcast officially began playing on SiriusXM's "The Virus" channel, alongside Opie & Anthony and Ron & Fez. Smith also created SModcastle, the first podcast theater, which packed audiences in. Jason Mewes became involved, and the rest, as they say, is history.

It has been a long time since 1994’s classic Clerks put Leonardo native Kevin Smith and New Jersey on the map. Since its debut, legions of kids from Jersey have been inspired to try and replicate its greatness.

Ok, maybe that is a slight exaggeration, but there is no denying that Jay and Silent Bob have risen to cult status. So, the question begs to be asked, what has old age done to Jay and Silent Bob?

In a recent interview with Patch, Mewes stated his "old age" has taught him the art of self editing.

"I’m still obnoxious," Mewes joked, "but I don’t smoke weed and I’ve learned to have boundaries. I know I can’t just say anything, I’ve got to feel people out first."

Mewes got involved in the weekly podcasts, Jay and Silent Bob Get Old and Jay and Silent Bob Get Jobs to help with his lifelong struggle with addiction. At times, he felt like he had no one to talk to, and after expressing his frustration to Smith, a podcast was born.

"Kevin said, ‘why don’t you just start talking on the podcasts’, just to have somewhere to air it out. It’s been great so far," he added. "I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from people who said it’s helped them, and that they can relate."

Besides the two Jay and Silent Bob shows, Mewes keeps himself busy by hosting the SModCo Smorning Show, a daily podcast available for download on iTunes, with Kevin Smith and Jen Schwalbach. 

He also just finished Season two of Todd and the Book of Pure Evil a horror comedy series available on the Comedy Network in Canada, and FEARnet in the US.

Mewes thrives off a live audience, which is why he enjoys bringing the podcasts on the road. "It’s a totally different atmosphere," he said. "The audience and their reaction create the tone of the show. If they are laughing, I get more animated. If the story I’m telling gets too serious, the audience can get quiet, and that is fine.

"But the audience helps me judge when to move along to the next topic or story. I like having the ability to feel out whether they are enjoying the show or not. I don't have the same control when they're listening at home."

As for the content for the podcasts and the live shows, Mewes said he and Smith just talk about whatever is relevant to them at that moment.

"We talk about whatever is on our minds," he said. "Depending on where we are located for a live show, I’ll tell different stories about that area. If I am in Boston, I’ll talk about my stories I have from there."

Next time around, Mewes will undoubtedly be able to add plenty of stories from his adventure overseas, where the Jay and Silent Bob Get Old tour will land him later this year. Mewes said he is looking forward to the opportunity to perform, and isn’t worried about any gaps in translation.

"This is going to be my first time going overseas for this show," he said. "I’ve never preformed there and I’m hoping it will be a really good time.  I love me some Brits, Scots and some good ol’ mix. Hopefully the leprechauns will like me."