Normalize Strangers Holding Babies
Comedian Gianmarco Soresi (The Late Late Show, Comedy Central) just wants to hold your baby. In this episode, he makes the case for normalizing strangers helping frazzled parents by holding their babies in public. We talk about village parenting, baby-holding registries, New York stroller etiquette, and why helping a parent with a latte is a community service. Credits: Host: Kareem Rahma Guest: Gianmarco Soresi Creators: Kareem Rahma & Andrew Kuo Camera: Anthony DiMieri & Tian Sippel Editor: Tyler Christie Associate Producer: Ramy Shafi Artwork: Andrew Lawandus
Summary
Comedian Gianmarco Soresi has a proposal: let him hold your baby. Not in a creepy way, but as a public service. If you're juggling a stroller, luggage, and fifteen burritos at the airport, he wants to be the stranger who says "I got this" so you can grab your latte in peace. Kareem's skeptical at first, thinking it's just weird baby obsession, but Gianmarco makes his case for village-style parenting in modern New York. He floats ideas like a baby-holding registry or wearing an ankle monitor to prove he's trustworthy. The conversation bounces from stroller etiquette on subway stairs to why helping a frazzled parent should be as normal as holding a door. Gianmarco's already done it once at an audition waiting room. The baby survived. He just wants to normalize finishing what you started when you help someone carry a stroller up the steps.
Full Transcript
So, what's your take? Let me hold your baby.
100% disagree. Let me hold your baby. No, if you have a anyone who has a baby, not specific, you do have a baby. I do have a baby. Okay. So, have you ever been uh uh let's say you're at the airport and and you're stressed, you're frazzled, you need a latte, but you got this baby. You don't want to hold. Let me hold the baby. You get a latte. I feel fulfilled for five minutes.
And and it's a community. Okay. This is a much better take than I originally thought. At first, I thought you just wanted to hold people's babies, which I think is a big no no.
Well, you're actually trying to be a good Samaritan. Yes. Was it—it's equal. You know, you you get a break. It's community. This is what you would do if you lived in a village. I assume that you would just you you'd say, "Hey, I'll take care of the baby."
We do live in a village. Well, that's what I want to do. I think part of being in a village, you got to say, "Well, you know, cuz I'm cool."
You want to be Auntie John Marco. Auntie John Marco. That's fine. Like, would you ever—would you ever if I—if uh if you didn't know me? If I was holding 15 burritos and luggage and walking a dog and holding a stroller, I and and a man said, "Can I hold your baby?" I would say, "No." It's just cuz I'm a man.
What if you steal the baby? You know me. I'm I'm not going to steal your baby. You know me. Okay. I say, "What if there was like uh like uh I hate to use the word registry, but like of people who are who are cool like, 'Hey, don't worry. I'm not going to steal your baby. Look at this card.'"
And like make them a part of society. Make it a part of society. Kind of interesting. Micro—rather I think they would be better if there was like a like a locker.
Just to put the baby into the locker. There's toys, there's air, there's water.
There's air. Yeah. And listen, I just think the people aspect is a little weird cuz you don't know people that well.
But that's what I'm saying. So so I have a card or I'll put on an ankle monitor.
What's the test include? I I I don't know. What what would make you feel safe for me to hold your baby?
Literally nothing. You just never know with humans.
Okay.
Have you tried this before? Have you offered to hold someone's baby? Once I I was uh I was in a a waiting area for an audition. An actor came in very frazzled and said, "Can you hold my baby?"
And you know what? I didn't kidnap it. I didn't kidnap it. The baby's alive. The difference is that person asked you if you could if you could hold the baby. You're saying you want to offer.
Yes. It should just be a public thing. Well, if you you you hold the door open for someone, you hold the baby. I think it's close. Okay. This is actually—I'm I'm being convinced.
Yeah. You help people with their strollers up the stairs in New York City. That's holding half a baby. I'm just saying let's round it up. Finish the whole thing.
Let's cook. I'm in. Yeah.