xanyland Episode 7: Andrew Orolfo, Loner Vibes & the Wild West of the Internet

This episode was cool as a cucumber.

Andrew Orolfo walked in, giving “quiet loner” vibes—and I was immediately intrigued. I later found out it probably stems from his childhood, which makes perfect sense once you hear him talk. We covered theater training, coping mechanisms, growing up labeled a “problem child,” and yes—WikiFeet. (And yes, my feet are possibly on WikiFeet. Let’s make that happen.)

Andrew is a hysterical stand-up comic based in LA. He was a Just For Laughs New Face in 2022, featured on The Late Show with James Corden, had his first hour special on Comedy Central, and is actively touring. If you want to see him, tell him. He’ll likely show up. He’s classic California like that.

What I didn’t expect was how much we ended up talking about adolescents. Andrew described how he always got in trouble, didn’t do his schoolwork, and felt like a rebellious kid. That hit home. It became our entry point into something bigger—how early disconnection shapes us, and how humor becomes a coping skill before we even know what it is.

Then we talked about kids on the internet.

Andrew told a story about a friend’s 8-year-old who just wanted to make fun videos—silly little dances, nothing heavy, until the hate comments started, from adults. Imagine being a child trying to be creative, only to have grown-ass strangers tear you down. For what? A third-grader vibing to music?

I’ve had mild trolling myself, and I’m a full-grown woman with a therapist. I can’t imagine what it’s like developing a sense of self in the public eye when that public includes unhinged people with Wi-Fi. And let’s be honest—the comments aren’t even clever. If you’re going to troll a child, at least be interesting. (Kidding. Kind of. Mostly just: grow up.)

Is the internet melting our brains? Probably. Especially for kids. We’re all performing for audiences that are way bigger than the human brain was designed for. But still, there’s a lot of good out there. Andrew’s clips make me laugh. I find joy in weird corners of the feed every day. It’s not all doom.

And Andrew’s right: maybe the next generation is watching us fumble and figuring out how to do it better. Maybe they’ll be savvier, more self-aware, more resilient. We can’t keep them off the internet, but we can keep them in therapy. Even when there’s no “trauma.” Just someone to help them metabolize the chaos.

If you want to see Andrew’s coolness in person, he’s having 2 upcoming shows at Oxnard Levity Live at the end of August. Can’t wait that long? Listen to his podcast, “The Meter”, a gameshow that ranks and sees what’s poppin’ in the entertainment industry!

This episode is funny, grounded, and sneakily insightful. Come for the jokes, stay for the Gen Alpha existential crisis.

Watch the episode below, or find xanyland on your favorite podcast platform.