Ear Biscuits with Rhett & Link - Ep. 25 Colleen Ballinger (Miranda Sings) - Ear Biscuits

Episode Date: March 21, 2014

This week is an "Ear Biscuits" first as Rhett & Link host two guests in one episode: Colleen Ballinger and her politically incorrect, tone-deaf, fame-obsessed character, Miranda Sings. In the first portion of the podcast, Miranda takes us through the thought process behind her popular tweets such as "my mouth tastes like brown" and "I smell that crees" after which Colleen discusses the creation of Miranda, her cult following in the professional musical theater community, and what her future holds online, on TV, and on stage. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This, this, this, this is Mythical. Welcome to Ear Biscuits, I'm Link. And I'm Rhett. This week at the round table of dim lighting, our guest is Colleen Ballinger. She's best known as her alter ego, Miranda Sings, a politically incorrect, tone deaf, fame obsessed, red lipstick personality.

So we did something a little bit different on this Ear Biscuit for you. We decided to ask Colleen if we could speak to Miranda directly, have a conversation with her. Yeah, this is like when, I guess, when somebody's possessed and you need to speak directly to the demon, which I've never done. I've never seen it done.

It's kind of like a seance kind of situation. That is not what happened, but it's the best analogy I can come up with. Not really. I mean, she just put on lipstick and a shirt and did her hair a little bit differently, and boom, she transformed right before our eyes. But it's very convincing because when I am talking to Miranda, I feel like I am talking to a different person. I mean, it is totally believable here in person. Hopefully, the audio will be. Yeah, see if you get that same sensation. We talked to Miranda for a few minutes and then moved on to talk to Colleen. But one of my favorite things is reading Miranda's tweets,

her Twitter stream. A bit random. It's pretty inexplicable. So I was like, yes, we have an opportunity to get Miranda to explain herself. So I think we gained insight into the psyche of the character. And then, you know, after a few minutes of that, we had her transform back into Colleen and had the bulk of our conversation with the person behind Miranda and got the psychology behind, you know, what even there's like three levels of psychology here. I was very fascinated. And I only took one level of psychology. So I tuned out a while ago when you were explaining that. Yeah, and I slept a lot. Since Miranda's introduction in 2009, Colleen has traveled the world performing as Miranda for audiences literally on multiple continents. And she's garnered just over 150 million views and 1.3 million subscribers collectively on YouTube.

And she's got an extreme cult following amongst musical theater enthusiasts and professionals known as Merfandas. And she's currently on tour through August and continues to post bi-weekly videos to both of her YouTube channels. So here it is. First, our conversation with Miranda, followed by our conversation with Colleen.

Okay, Miranda, first thanks for coming to the roundtable of dim lighting. Yes, of course. I do what I can for the young ones. Okay. Well, this audience, I think, skews a little older. I'm talking about you. Oh, okay. Well, I'm going to take that as a compliment.

It is a compliment. I'll take that, yeah. Respect your elders, which is myself. Do you do any, have you done some podcasting before? You've been a guest on a podcast? Yeah, on my own podcast at my house. I do podcasts all the time in my bedroom or with my uncle, pets, things like that. So I'm very familiar to podcasts.

And then how do you distribute the podcast? It just goes to myself. So I just listen to it on a cassette tape again after I do it. Is that like a self-analysis type thing? Yes. Self-improvement? Exactly. Self-help.

Okay. Yes. The top button yes is buttoned of course of course you're known for that yes

gotta be conservative keep it classy that's the reason yes of course I gotta be classy lady I don't wanna be disgusting and be porn and showing off my body parts

and if I unbutton the top button on my shirt I'd be showing chesticle cracks and that's not appropriate. So make sure that that is covered up so I don't make the men stumble. So you've never had a, uh, like a wardrobe malfunction? No, never. I couldn't even dream of it. Do you think that would derail your career if you did? Well, I don't know. I just don't even see it happening. I don't think my career would get worse. I think it would probably help a little because all the men would fall in love with me so fast. But, you know, I'm a respectable lady.

Standards. Yes. You have standards. Yes. Very high standards, of course. Right. Right. How do you know, speaking of standards, that you're a good singer or when someone is a good singer? Well, I know I'm a good singer because I have ears so I can hear myself. And, you know, I put videos online and people tell me I'm a good singer. So that's proof of it.

So that's how I know I'm a good singer. How I know if someone else is a good singer, I listen to it and decide on my own if they're good or not. And that's the deciding factor. Can you give us like a taste of the pipes? Yes, of course. So, The hills are alive with the sound of me.

So, for example, that's a really good song that I'm singing about myself. Right. And it sounded really good. What about something more current? I mean, like something else? Yeah, how about a catch-a song? Yeah. Yeah.

We're going down. I'm yelling timber. You better move. You better dance. So there you go. Do you ever partake in karaoke? Yes, I do. Sometimes I do partake in it at my house.

And it's really fun. But I prefer to sing professionally in YouTube videos. Understood. Yeah. Now, one of the things that we've noticed in kind of stalking you on the internet is that you have a pretty active Twitter feed. Yes, very active. And we were just looking at your Twitter feed and we noticed you've tweeted some things, you know, just in the past few months that we think we would like you to provide some context for. Because when we look at them, we can't figure out what you're talking about. Okay.

So maybe you can help explain these things. Easy. So here's, in no particular order, here's one. Okay. My mouth tastes like brown. Yes. I'm just kind of curious if you could kind of help us understand that. Of course.

How do you not know what that is? When you wake up and you're like, what's that taste? Got it. Brown. You know, when you think of a color and you know what it tastes like. Sometimes your mouth tastes like brown. Sometimes it tastes like pink. That particular day tastes like brown.

And what's the difference between brown and pink? Pink is lighter, sweeter, more delicious, sort of like a flower. Brown is more dirtier. Tastes like dirt, mud, brown things. Gravy? No, it wasn't gravy-like. It was a dirty taste. Okay, I think I understand. How about this one? Dirty taste. Okay, I think I understand. How about this one? I'm awake. I just know it.

But the know is like N-O. Yeah, with an N-O. Yeah, because I know it. If you know something, then you know it. That's a definition of knowing something. Like the opposite of yes? No, like when you know it. When you knew it and you know it in your brain. So I was awake because I woke up, and I knew it because I was awake.

So there you go. That one's pretty self-explanatory. I can't believe you guys needed me to explain it. Okay. No offense. I'm just saying. It seems very simple now that I'm reflected on it. Exactly.

Here's another one. I am seeping out some air. That's a good one. That's a really good one. It am seeping out some air. That's a good one. That's a really good one. It was just one of those days I felt like air was just seeping out from all the places. So I just thought I should tell people about it. Is all the places on your person? Yes.

So sometimes on Tinder there are doctors. On Tinder there are doctors? I think she means Twitter. She calls it Titter I think Oh Yeah Yes

The W is silent Just like a GIF And a GIF People think it's called One thing But it's really the other Titter W is silent

So Yes Seeping out air Out of all the places Just one of those days A lot of breath A lot of A lot of other things.

Okay. This one is a little bit longer, and I cannot even begin to figure it out. I like it when I see that it is, but you know then when you can think every once but again. Retweet if you agree. Oh, that was a good one. Those were the days. That was in that one time of my life where I was going through some troubles, and I assumed people were thinking the same way as me,

so I had to get that off my chest. Did anybody retweet it? I got a lot of retweets. Everyone knew exactly what I was talking about. You know? I don't know, and that's why I asked about it. And that's why we didn't retweet. You didn't retweet.

Well, we didn't know. We didn't agree. Well, do you agree now that I've explained it? You know. You know when it's that time. Well, here's another tweet. I love waking up and smelling the moist. Yes.

That one is sinful. You know when you wake up and the room just smells like sleep? No. You don't know that? When you've been sweating and then your sheets are a little bit wet from sweating. Oh, okay. And there's a smell that the sheets have.

Stanky sheets. Yes. Okay, got it. That's the smell of wet. That's the smell of moist. Now, you know, a lot of people don't like the word moist. I don't know why. It's a wonderful word. It has a lot of letters in it, a lot of vowels, and it is very explanatory of things. Yeah. Moist sheets, moist skin, moist meat. Okay. this one's just one word uh the tweet was crust yeah that was one morning i woke up and i found crust in my eyes so you see the tweet a lot

right when you wake up which is i do it was the first thing i think about is my merfandas and i want to update them on my life. And this morning was crust. Yes, because I was trying to tweet crust in my eye. Oh, darn it again. And I just accidentally pushed send too soon. But I think they knew what I was talking about. You know, it's very relatable, crust. Now, when you tweet something like that, do people respond with like, yeah?

Yeah, they get yes, or i love you miranda or what are you talking about but those are just the haters so i don't listen to them right a lot of those lols and ilys and things like that so okay here's another one just got a few more this one's all in all caps uploading my videoading My Video Now. Yes. That one actually has a bit of explanation for it. Uploading My Video Right Now. And that had a deeper meaning behind it. It was a busy day. I had been thinking about life and the meaning of life and why we're here on earth and how to be a good person. And that was the only way I could think to explain it. And I happened to be uploading my video at the same time. So I killed two birds with one stone

with that one. And you upload two videos a week? Yes. Mondays and Thursdays or Mirandays and more Thursdays. And how long have you been doing that? Oh, wow. Geez, Louise. Well, I've been on YouTube for, I think, six years, five years. But Mondays and Thursdays I've been doing, I think, for only two years now, maybe three. That's pretty consistent. It's quite a schedule. I know, but I'm really good at it, and my Murph fans love it. So anything for them.

How about this one? I got that scamb. I got that scamb. It's just the word scan with a B on the end. Yeah, you know when you get sick. That one type of sick. You came down with something called scan? Yeah, when I was little, if I got really itchy in places,

and my mom would say... Scab. No, when you're itchy. Itchy in the crevices of your skins. Chicken pox? No. No pox. Just patchies.

Shingles. That's an adult's. Never heard of shingles. Oh, you're talking about scabies. Scabies. Maybe. I never heard it called that. That's a new one.

I think you might have made that word up. What about this tweet? I smell that crease. C-R-E-E-S. I smell that crease. C-R-E-E-S. I smell that crease. Crease. I smell that crease. Okay.

All right. Okay. I now know what's up. I just, I thought it was crease. So when you tweet something like that, is it because you just smelled a crease? Yeah, I have to let my followers know what I'm doing at every second of the day. And that's what Tinder is for. It's Facebook, YouTube.

That's social media. Everyone wants to know everything I'm up to. If I smell something, taste something, eat something, feel something, I'm going to let them know. And at that point, you smelled a crease. I smelled a crease big time. She smelled that crease. Yeah. A Twit time. Okay. She smelled that crease. Yeah. A twit pic would have been nice for that. Okay. All right. Here's the last one. That one slapped the chair and made it louder.

Yeah. That was a really good one. I remember this very specifically. I was sitting on a chair that was plastic and let air seep out. Oh, yeah. It happens. That one slapped the chair and made it louder. So you blamed it on the chair. Yeah. Okay.

But you know what I'm talking about, boys. I don't think I have to explain it much further. You're talking about an air biscuit, not an ear biscuit. Exactly. An air biscuit. Yeah. So exactly. You know, sometimes that just happens. Sometimes air seems out, but if you're on different places, you get a different consistency of hearing it. And that one just happened to be super loud. That was really fun. So I had to let everyone know about that. And also- Let us know how this chair is to your liking. It's good.

It makes them quiet. Okay. Okay. Okay, so they're happening, but it's, yep, it's quiet. Now, I don't know if you know, but we have Colleen coming in here. She follows me everywhere. Right. I kind of, well, yeah.

She's always following me. It's really annoying. Well, and she specifically requested more time. She said she wanted, she thought that. She's always following me. It's really annoying. Well, and she specifically requested more time. She said she wanted, she thought that she would have more to say. She must not know I'm more popular than her. Oh, well, okay. Well, I mean, we just want to talk to her for a few minutes. But do you have anything that, you know, like a call to action for the listeners out there?

Yeah, well, of course. I mean, everyone I'm sure who's listening knows exactly who I am and loves me already. And if they didn't know, which I can't imagine, I'm on tour right now, and they can come see me on tour and meet me and listen to me singing. And what would they see? They would see a live show full of comedy, fun, laughter, singing, dancing. I read hate mail so they can know how to avoid the haters on the internet and the bullies. And right now it's kind of turning into a self-help tour where I teach them how to be better people, my audience. So it's kind of like a cinema.

So it's a really fun tour. It's like a what? A cinema. You know, a cinema for self-help to be a better person. Oh, yes. Got it. Yeah, so I teach them. I'm like the professor.

And I sing songs and I dance and all these fun things. So, yeah, I hope everyone can come. Okay. They're probably already coming. Thanks for coming in. I think Colleen's coming through. So I don't know if you want to, if you guys don't want to associate. No, I don't like talking to her.

You might want to. Okay, I'll leave. We'll let you leave before she comes in then. Okay, thank you. Thanks for having me, guys. It was a really good talk to you. Thanks for the time. This is great.

This is unlike anything we've ever done. I'm sure. Biggest celebrity you probably had in this room. Yeah, I think so. Pretty awestruck. And we need you to sign the table like every other celebrity. Oh, easy. I can do that.

So you can do that right quick. Grab the Sharpie over there and sign that. And then I guess we'll just be waiting for Colleen. Yeah, I know. She takes forever. So just spell my name. M-I-O-N-D. There you go.

Did it. Done. Thank you. Thank you for having me guys love you so i'm leaving okay keep in touch no okay uh at this point what's happening is we have Colleen over here just wiping her face down. She asked if she needed to stay in full Miranda gear for the Miranda part and I was like

that would help me out a lot. I think there were a lot of like I just wish that we had videoed that because the tension in the room i think was the humor of it like but that was funny well i definitely think you know i i have seen in a uh in a couple other interviews people have requested uh her to go into the into the impersonation without the the get up and for me i i you know me, I need to see the lipstick.

Yeah. Without the lipstick, I just, you know. And the top button. Okay, and now she's stopped wiping her face and her mouth. A lot of mouth wiping. I know, but it still stains my skin. And now Colleen is here.

I'm here. I'm here. Okay, so the shirt's coming off. The shirt's coming off. The shirt's coming off. The shirt is coming off. And the lipstick is off. Kind of, as much as it can be off right now. That was something.

That was something. We like just laying people's stories bare here. Okay, yes. So it was an interesting exercise for us. But I think that we laid some tweets bare. That's true. No one's ever had me explain any of those tweets. Yeah, we didn't tell you.

I was like, oh, well. We didn't tell you ahead of time. There were a couple where I was like, did I say that? Did I tweet that? Yeah, but I liked it. I could tell the wheel starts and I said, oh, no, I'm going to have to own these tweets. I'm going to have to somehow. Well, I was thinking as we were reading these things, if you were to look at my Twitter feed and ask me what I was thinking when I tweeted something, I would probably be able to, oh yeah, okay, well, I can tell you what I was doing that day and why I said that.

But, you know, you are assuming a character and then tweeting. And so you're having to kind of go through this double step process. So how was that? That was, I mean, most of them I didn't remember tweeting. So it's just because a lot of times I just will tweet something random and not think about it or look at it again. But I don't know. I was just trying to come up with explanations as to why this person would tweet something so stupid. I mean, you've had many years of just slipping into Miranda. Yeah.

Right. So, I mean, I have to, how many years are we talking about since the inception? Miranda was created in December of 2007. Okay. And I will get into how, but I guess my, I'm curious immediately of just that, you know, after all these years slipping into her is kind of like comfortable skin kind of thing. Yeah. It's channeling something you created, but how would you characterize the persona?

Like, what are you channeling? I am channeling so many things. Over the years, I feel like Miranda has just changed so much and evolved into all of the people that I hate. So I think that's kind of who she is. It's people that, um, people that I don't like. And a lot of that is me. Like it's me from my childhood and stuff. So, um, yeah, I guess that's the quickest way that I can answer that is she's kind of

all of the people that I just don't like. Well, you don't have to answer anything quickly here. Yeah, because I think we will get into the genesis of the character and maybe we can kind of see the components that went into Miranda. But the thing, you know, we have a difficult time enough keeping up with our own, you know, social networking just personally. with our own social networking, just personally. But you have a really active social media presence. Yeah. As Colleen and as Miranda.

And I would assume that you've got one of those things where you can kind of, how do you switch between the Instagram accounts? Yeah, switching between Instagram accounts is awful because there's not another Instagram app that I can use. With Twitter, there's all these different Twitter apps. So I have one Twitter app for me and one Twitter app for Miranda. But Instagram is kind of obnoxious. Facebook, like there's – I have to log out and log out.

Have you ever, you know, misappropriated a message from the wrong person? Yes, I did it this morning. Okay. I did it this morning. Which way did it go and what i tweeted as myself i tweeted from the colleen account but i tweeted a miranda tweet from my account and then i deleted it i always realize i did it right away okay and then i um and then i tweeted right after that like oh note to self don't tweet as miranda when you are colleen you're

an idiot like so you did because my fans all take pictures of it, and they save them all and send them to me whenever they want to make me feel bad. Because they know exactly what happened. Oh, yeah. They always, well, there's no, like, it was, I was, I said something about my video coming out today,

and then I put all these horrible hashtags, so they knew it was for Miranda. It was hashtag Coney 2012, and hashtag blessed, and all these things, so. It's funny. It's like your alter ego hacked yourself. Yes. Well, and that's what the kids say.

They'll say, Miranda hacked you. Miranda hacked you. So they all play along, which is nice of them. But you took it down and then reposted it over there. And then reposted it as Miranda, which usually I don't do that. Usually I'm like, oh, that tweet is ruined. Now I can't tweet it as the person I wanted to tweet it as. And then I just create something new.

But this morning I was tired and I was like, I'm just going to tweet what I already tweeted as the wrong person. Yeah. So do you get into, you know, what I imagine is I see Miranda, I see you wake up and then I see your face contoured a little bit and you become Miranda and then you think of the tweet. That's what I want to believe. I wish I was a method actor like that.

I'm not. I just kind of sit there and I'm like, what would be really annoying? And I tweet that. Or I look at my Twitter feed and look at the tweets and I'm like, oh, why did you tweet that person that I don't know? And then I'll... Plagiarize it. Yeah, plagiarize it.

So I don't actually come up with anything on my own. I just steal it from people. So what do we want to do, Rad? Do we want to hear the Miranda origin story or the Colleen origin story first? Well, I think we're compressing two origin stories into one podcast and two interviews into one podcast also. So why don't we get the sort of brief version of, okay, where are you from?

Where do you come from? What was your family like leading up to that? The moment that Miranda was born. Yeah, right. I was born in Santa Barbara, California in November. I guess I can tell you the exact day. November 21st, 1986. A Wednesday.

Probably. No, I don't know. I'm not one of those guys who can do that. That would be really cool if you were. I've been so impressed. I hope it was a Wednesday. I'm going to go home and look and tell you if you were right. That would be crazy if it was.

So did the soap opera exist, Santa Barbara the soap opera, like when you were growing up there? I don't know because I didn't know that there was a soap opera called Santa Barbara the soap opera. Is there really a Santa Barbara soap opera? Don't quote me on it, but I'm pretty sure. I mean, I'm sure you're right. I don't watch soap operas, but that's really cool. I didn't know. I'm pretty sure there's a Santa Barbara soap opera.

You know more about soap operas than I do. I mean, I'll text my mom, but with the time change, it would wake her up. I'll talk to her about it tomorrow. Okay. I mean, I was a young and a restless man, but I was aware of one called Santa Barbara.

But not being familiar with that, what does it mean for you to grow up in Santa Barbara? To me, it means you're in a soap opera. What does it mean to you? It means you're in a soap opera. What does it mean to you? It means you're in a soap opera. No, Santa Barbara is awesome. I was really lucky because it's beautiful there. It's absolutely beautiful. You grow up by the beach or you can just drive 10 minutes up the mountain and look at waterfalls. So you're like a barefoot kid running around in vineyards? Pretty much. Not vineyards, but the beach. I was at the beach every day, and my parents were really good about making sure I appreciated growing up there.

What did they do? Or do they do? They still do it. We'd just be driving downtown. I mean, what do they do for a living? Oh, what do they do for a living? I think you meant what they do to make me appreciate it. My dad sells computer parts.

I don't really know. He never really talks about it. He's a sales manager. He's an agent of some sort. Yeah, of some sort. He sells like tiny, tiny computer pieces that measure small things to put in computers. Really? Yeah.

So he doesn't talk much about it, but he travels a lot. And my mom is a full-time mom, but she just quit her job. She was working at a private Christian school. Okay. She was like the everything woman. She was the nurse and the recess monitor and the principal's assistant and everything. Yeah, that's what they do. And now you said she doesn't do that. Yeah, she stopped doing that because she wanted to be closer to her mom

and be there for us kids. Even though we're all grown up, I think she just wants to be a mom again. She was really hands-on mom all through our childhood, and then she got a job when we all moved out and went to college. I think she just was missing being a mom and a caretaker. So she spends a lot of time with her mom now and

her sister and with us kids. And you have a brother and a sister. I have two brothers. Yeah. Two older brothers and a little sister. Okay. And I know at least one of your brothers and the sister are also active on YouTube. Is that all three are? Well, yeah, they both kind of, you know, I talk so highly of YouTube. I really like love working on YouTube. And so my sister was like, well, I'll do it for fun. And so she started doing it now. She loves it. And my brother just started a YouTube channel. He's a magician and he's super talented and he's really funny. And he actually comes up with a lot of the ideas I have for Miranda in my show. And yeah, he's hysterical. And so I was like, you should start

a channel too. So he just started one. And it's going well. People seem to like it. You know, YouTube's a weird little world. And your brother, so is it one of your brothers that has two kids? He has three kids now. But yeah, my oldest brother, the magician. That show up in your videos. Yeah.

That's my oldest brother has three kids. And he's a magician. That Frozen video? She's awesome. Isn't she awesome? My little niece. It's Miranda and your niece, what's her name? Bailey. Singing Let It Go? We're singing, is that what we're singing? No, Do You Want to Build a Snowman? Yeah, Do You Want to Build a Snowman?

Even worse in terms of guaranteed to make me cry. She was so good. We were watching it today. Stevie was like, I hadn't seen it. She's like, yo, you have to watch this because she's coming over tonight. And I was like, oh my gosh, I'm crying. I can't cry right here. She's so cute.

She's the cutest. My little niece Bailey. She's so dramatic. She's such a performer. And I'm stoked because I have a show in Santa Barbara, and she's singing in it. And sometimes the kids will come to shows. Like, they drove to Utah. I had some shows in Utah recently, and the kids drove up.

The whole family drove up, and the kids love performing with Miranda. And I think it's so funny. And you had to stay in character. It's so hard. She was doing the absolute cutest thing you could see on the internet. And Miranda's face is pressed up against hers. And it's just giving her these dirty looks like you're stealing my show. I know.

She did so good. I was really nervous about it because I have a really good relationship with my niece and nephews. And I adore them. And it always makes me nervous to be Miranda around them because Miranda's so mean. Yeah. And I never want to hurt their feelings because I'm mean to them.

Like, when I'm in character, I'm awful. And they love it. They think it's so funny. They just laugh. They just get a kick out of it. Yeah. They don't take it personally. Right, which is good.

Well, they're more mature than Miranda is really what's happening. Yeah. Well, I think my niece gets it. She's six, but my four-year-old nephew is still trying to figure it out. They call me Auntie Panties, and he's like, are you Miranda? I'm like, yes. He's like, but you're Auntie Panties too.

I'm like, yes. He's like, are you real? Yes, I'm real. He was so confused by the concept that I was two people. He doesn't quite get it yet. I don't think like he doesn't really know if he thinks Miranda's funny. He just like thinks they're both me. It must be very confusing. He's just trying to reconcile it all right now. Yeah. So what about your family led to your, you know, interest in the arts? Were your parents into that? No, they weren't.

My parents weren't into it at all. My oldest brother, a magician, he had been doing magic and performing that way my whole childhood. I saw him do that. But my grandpa actually was the one who got me really into theater and performing. My grandparents used to take me to shows all the time growing up. And they were just always really encouraging of me trying to sing and act. And they never pushed it.

They just saw that I loved it. And I was really supportive. And my grandpa, when I was little, little, little, he'd be like, you're going to be on that stage one day. You know, my grandpa really, really encouraged me to do it. And, yeah, he's awesome. That's who it was. My parents aren't performers at all really no not at all they're super shy and um you know at my shows kids go up to my parents and they want

pictures of my parents because they've seen them in vlogs and stuff and my dad gets so awkward he's like i don't want to go out he hides in my dressing room he's like i don't want to go out there i'm scared they'll take a picture because he just feels so awkward like he's like why do they want a picture with me i I don't understand. He doesn't get it. He might could sell some really small computer parts to him. Yeah. Secretive computer parts.

Yeah, there you go. Secretive. He needs to really capitalize on this. I know. Yeah, there we go. I'll tell him that. So your grandfather helped shape your aspirations to become a performer. Yeah.

And that's as a singer uh i mean i will get to it but the thing that i kind of had to gain perspective on was your background was to be a singer and then you kind of discovered this character right and it so the comedian thing wasn't really on the radar it was more of, you want to be a singer and stage performer? Right. Question mark? Yeah, no,

that's true. I, I wanted to actually to do opera. Like I, I was trained classically. I went to Azusa Pacific University. It's a college kind of near LA. Um,

and I studied vocal performance and I wanted to do opera. And then I quickly realized that I didn't want to do opera. I wanted to do opera. And then I quickly realized that I didn't want to do opera. I wanted to do musical theater. But I still majored in vocal performance and got classical training. And then I just started auditioning for stuff in theater, anything that I could. And I was making these videos as a total joke, you know, on the side for my friends to laugh at. And then they started going viral. And so this was after college? It was actually during college, during my senior year, was when I started making Miranda videos.

And I'd post them once every couple months. Whenever my friends in my choir would be like, oh, you should cover this song as your weird character. And at that point, I was getting like 15 views. My most viewed video was like 70 views. I wasn't doing it to be on YouTube. I didn't know what that was. i didn't know what that was i didn't know what a youtuber was the first one the first one that went viral is what everyone thinks no the first one you made the first one you made the

first tell me about that the first one i ever made was i'm dreaming of a white christmas and it's not public anymore because it's so different from what mir is now. It's super, super subtle. Like the, what, you know, the comedy that I like is really subtle comedy. And that's, I wanted people to believe she was real. I wanted people to think this is a real girl who thinks she's talented. But what people? Who were you thinking about? Because I saw that my, my numbers were, you know, I knew I had two friends watching the video that I'd sent it to, but they were getting 20 views. And I was like, there are other people watching this that I don't know. And I wanted them to think it was a real person.

But the motive in making the video at all, take me back there. Who were you making the video for? I was making a video for my friends in choir. There's a couple friends in particular. Because YouTube had just, I just had discovered YouTube and I would search for songs that I was singing for auditions or whatever to see if I could find anyone singing them. And what I found was girls singing in their bedrooms to the camera, which I had never seen before. I was so like thrown off by the idea of

someone just talking to a camera or singing to a camera alone in their room. That was such a foreign concept to me. And I thought it was so weird. And these girls were trying to get famous by doing this. You know, they're like, well, I'm going to help. This is helping my career to post videos online. And I just was like, this is ridiculous. You can't get famous from YouTube. Like this is so bizarre. And there were girls that I went to school with that the character is based on. There's a few different girls that I went to school with who were mean, just rude girls who were so cocky and drove me insane. And so I was kind of poking fun at them and at this, the idea of being a YouTuber, because I just didn't understand it. So you decided to make a video making fun of them and then you were going to send it to them?

No, not to them. No, I'm not that hard-lived. Do you recognize yourself here? Oh, my gosh. Hello. No, no, no, no, no. I actually started the first couple videos I made, I just recorded privately and sent them to my friends.

I didn't post them anywhere, and they were lip-syncing videos because those were the first videos I saw on YouTube that I thought were weird. People lip-syncing to songs. I was like, what is the point of that? You're not even showing a talent. You're just moving your mouth. And so I really, I didn't get that. So my first few videos that I made were, I sent, that I sent to my friends were private. They weren't on YouTube at all. I don't even think I have those anymore. And they're like, these are so funny. You should put them online. And so then that's why I started posting them on the internet. They're like, you see if anyone sees them.

So I just started posting them on the internet every once in a while. And so did the girls that you made these videos for originally, they were also in school with you, right? Yeah. In the same program. So they also knew the type of girl or the girls that you were kind of making fun of in creating the character. Yeah, yeah. I mean, well, are you asking if the girls that I'm kind of making fun of in creating the character. Yeah, yeah.

I mean, well, are you asking if the girls that I'm kind of poking fun at, if they knew? Well, I knew the girls that you were doing it for. They were like, oh, yeah, I know exactly who you're referencing. But, yeah, did those girls who you were using to kind of come up with the idea, did they ever find out about it? Well, they've seen the videos. I mean, that was my biggest fear when the video started going viral Did they ever find out about it? Well, they've seen the videos. I mean, that was my biggest fear when the video started going viral was those girls are going to see this and they're going to know I'm making fun of them.

Because I like direct quotes from things that they had said in sectionals or things they had said to me or things they had said in their own videos. Like I was directly quoting and imitating these people. Like what? What's the direct quote? I know. I can't do it. What have they heard? But, you know, like, hey guys, it's me, Miranda.

Like every single video I start, hey guys, it's me, Miranda. And that is something I took from a girl who says that exact phrase, but replaced my name with her name. And she says it in that tone, like- In videos or in person? Videos. Oh, okay. with her name and she says it in that tone like in videos or in person videos okay and she's seen the videos and she's been like

I don't get it but congratulations you know she doesn't know that it's you know the thing is she said

I don't get it but congratulations and you were like frantically writing that down I have another one no I think that the girls that I'm imitating are

you know they're like Miranda so they would never assume it was about themselves so I quickly realized that girls that I'm imitating are, you know, they're like Miranda. So they would never assume it was about themselves. So I quickly realized that and then I was okay. Because at first I panicked a bit. Right. There's an American Idol audition type of thing that you're kind of describing on a personal collegiate level.

But I don't know if that was a point of reference for you. Just the people auditioning who didn't realize how horrible they were. The lack of self-awareness. Yeah. Yeah, I think that describes Miranda, I think. She's just a lack of self-awareness. That's a perfect description of her because she thinks she's the most beautiful, talented person in the world,

and it's quite the opposite. So two views turns into 20 and you're like okay there's 18 people i don't know watching this thing well the comments were what made me be like oh someone like i got my first hate comment that was like you suck you're not that good and you're rude and i was like i don't know who that is like i don't know this person and i don't i don't know how they found my video but this is funny and that kind of egged me on to keep doing it um I don't know why I just I really I wanted people to not like this character I didn't want her to have any likable traits at first and then

well it kind of changed and then I mean I definitely noticed going back and looking at those that first year or so of videos that that the very early videos were very subtle. Yeah. And you kind of slowly started... Turned into a clown. Yeah, yeah. You started amping it up. And I think that the first one that really popped for you,

of course, was the free singing lesson. What was it called? Free voice lesson. Free voice lessons. And you look at the like- ratio on that and you immediately understand that a lot of people totally thought it was real. And that's, you know,

so that was all intentional. That was intentional for sure. And in the beginning, because that was a, you had already been doing it a year before it really started to pop. So when that video went viral, everyone did think it was real. And that's why it went viral

because people wanted to spread like, oh, look how stupid this girl is. You know, we love to hate as America. And that's, everyone was spreading this video on Facebook. This idiot girl trying to give a voice lesson. She sucks. And I thought it was so funny. So I actually was really crazy

about making sure my name was deleted from everything. Like people slowly started to find information on me and put it in the comments or post it in blogs and stuff. And I was crazy about making sure it was always deleted. And once I started doing live appearances, I would walk to the venue in character. I would stay in character the entire time, never break and leave just the whole time as Miranda. I didn't want anyone to think that she could have been a character. Because that was the key to the success of it continuing at that point. At that point, that's why people were watching. And I saw that. I was like, people are watching

because they think she's real and they hate her. If they know that it's fake, no one's going to watch anymore. So I was really, really picky about making sure no one knew who I was. Okay, so we're interested in when you made the switch to kind of embracing her as, like, coming out as she's a character. But that happened after you started doing live performances. Yeah. So how did that happen? It went from one viral video to— Two live performances. Yeah So how did that happen? It went from one viral video to... To live performances.

Yeah, how did that happen? Because that's not typical. I mean, people are on YouTube for many years before they feel that they've got the confidence or the fan base to step out and do touring. But you were like, oh, no, I'm going to do this. I'm going to do this live show right now. Right.

Well, my videos were really popular in the musical theater community, especially in New York City and in the West End in London. And I was getting a lot of emails that first week that that free voice lesson video got popular from people in New York City who were like, come perform with our Broadway cast or come perform at my open mic night. Wow. That quickly, huh? Just based on the one video. Yeah. They were all just, I mean, that's, in theater, it's all about networking, and they just want to tell you they like your stuff. But they got it.

These people got it. They got it. And yeah, they did research and found old, old videos of me singing in college. And so I got a few emails from people. I got an email from the cast of Mamma Mia, Broadway cast, and Jim Caruso, who runs a cast party, like an open mic night in New York City at a jazz club and a couple other little things like that. And so I was working at Disneyland at the time and- Doing what? Singing? I was singing. I was in high school musical. And I was just like, I think I'm just going to go to New York. Like, I think I'm just going to go meet these people. Because at that point, they were just like, hey, we think you're funny.

If you're ever here, you should come hang out. And it was just kind of that. It wasn't really anything more. And I thought, this is my 15 minutes. You know, I might as well go take advantage of it. Did you have to quit the Disneyland gig? No, I got someone to cover my shifts for a week. Oh.

And I just flew out to New York City with every penny that I had and performed on the Lion King stage and performed with the cast

of Mamma Mia and performed at jazz clubs and comedy clubs. And what was the context that they created for their

did you know because if they're doing something serious or whatever and then Miranda gets up there and the crowd doesn't know what's going on right exactly well and that was kind of that was kind of fun because it's not like that now but back then

no one really knew who I was it wasn't you know when I say viral video it's not like how viral video is now where it gets millions and millions of hits it was like a few hundred thousand you know and so it wasn't like crazy viral, just- But it was viral within the- Within the theater community, yeah. But when I walked on stage for, it was a benefit, it was a Broadway benefit performance and all the different casts on Broadway performed to raise money for whatever charity that year. And I performed with the cast of Mama Mia and it was a joke. They were taking, they were doing a very serious like interpretive dance and then Miranda came out and just kind of ruined it by

singing her horribleness and they all stayed very serious and stoic and the audience didn't really know how to respond and it was funny because I'd walk I walked on stage and I remember there was like little pods in the audience in this huge like huge theater just little pods where they broke out into laughter because they knew what it was but the rest of the audience in this huge like huge theater just little pods where they broke out into laughter because they knew what it was but the rest of the audience was just staring at me like who is this freak on the stage and like almost like they were in pain like they were like I don't think we can laugh like is she okay is this like a charity thing they're doing for this little girl like right um so that was my, that was like one of my first times

on stage though. I had never done Miranda in front of anyone before. And then I went over to the open mic night and performed at this jazz club. And the owner of the club was like, you did great. I just improv for five minutes on stage. I didn't have anything planned. They're like, we want to give you a night here at Birdland. You can have your own show. Do you have a show? Meaning once a week, come back and do a thing? Not once a week, but they just like every once in a while

come and have like a cabaret, like my own show. And they said, do you have a show? And I was like, yes, I can make a show. You know, I can make that happen. And that's all I knew too. So it wasn't that scary to me. So you lied. But you were like, I will have it now that I've said that I'm going to have it.

It wasn't a lie. It wasn't a lie. I just knew that if I said no, I would have regretted not doing it. And I was comfortable with that. That's what I knew. My whole life I've been performing live on stage. So I didn't know YouTube. I didn't know you could make money on it.

I just thought it was a place where you upload videos. And I thought, well, I have an audience here. Maybe this audience will come see me in person on a stage. So I just made a show and I put in it what I thought was funny. And then I did it live and the audience tells you what works and what doesn't. So over time I figured out what bits worked and what things work really well in a live setting and what bits work well on the internet and just kind of created a live show. And this is where you find yourself being a comedian. Yeah. It seems to me that, I mean, were you blindsided by all of a sudden now I have to be a comedian? You know, were you always funny?

The improv skills that you have, was that the piece that I've also got that or no, I've got to find this now? Yeah, I think I grew up going to improv shows. My brother always did improv stuff, had improv shows all the time in high school. So I always go to his shows. And I also grew up watching comedy. The only things I would watch were Monty Python and Christopher Guest movies, like character-y movies and character-y TV shows. That's what I grew up on. And my dad's really funny and really, he's got a weird sense of humor. It's the same with my brother. So I just kind of grew up in this kind of off-kilter weird comedy environment, I guess. And so it was something that was in me that I didn't really know I had, I guess,

because I got on stage and improv just came kind of natural to me. It was easy for me to improv. And I'm much more comfortable improv-ing than I was, you know, I realized this. All those years I had stressed about memorizing lines and trying to find a character through a script was so hard for me. And when I can improv, it's so much easier. It's something that I just never knew I could do until I was forced to do it in those first Miranda shows. Because I'd never done it before. Did that require a move? Did you move to New York? I did move to New York. At first I was going back and forth because I had the job at Disneyland and that was paying my bills.

And I was performing as Miranda, but I wasn't getting paid. I was just doing it because I liked it and people were coming. So I was just doing shows and making appearances. And then I realized that people would pay me to do what I was doing. people would pay me to do what I was doing. And so I eventually, I think I traveled back and forth for like six months from LA to New York. I'd go like once a month and perform. And it was not popular in LA at all. Like no one cared about it. I tried to do a show out here. Like no one wanted to come. Like it was just not, it didn't work. So I was like, I got to go to New York. That's where this is happening. So I lived in New York for like a year and a half, two years. And then,

I was like, I got to go to New York. That's where this is happening. So I lived in New York for like a year and a half, two years. And then that's when I was like, wait, all the YouTubers are in LA and there's money to be made there. So then I came back here. Okay, so is that because your YouTube channel started to develop, you know, more of a fan base that was, you know, it seemed like you were following the live event kind of path, but then that started to grow and started to gain more weight.

Yeah. I didn't understand YouTube. I didn't get it. Like the reason I created the character is because I didn't understand it. You know, I was making fun of something I didn't know anything about. And so I was making these videos and people were telling me, you can make money on the internet. I was like, no, you can't. I'm not making money on the internet. Like you have to make money by doing something else. And that's why I'm doing these live shows. And, um, I met my now boyfriend in New York, who's obsessed with YouTube. That's how he found me. And that's how we met. And when, uh, we started dating, he started showing me all these videos of people on YouTube. That's how he found me and that's how we met. And when we started dating, he started showing me all these videos of people on YouTube. The first video he showed me was Shaytard's

channel. And I was like, what's his name? Josh. Josh. Yeah. Now I watched the Paris vlog. Oh, okay. So here you are in front of the Eiffel Tower giving the whole story. I know. So everyone can watch the video if they want the whole. The whole story of how I met my boyfriend. The mushy details. The mushy, oh my gosh. But he was a fan of Miranda and then stalked you as a human being.

Yeah. And through Facebook. Through Facebook through facebook yeah and then i went to you just reply you you replied to a fan message on facebook because he had a cute icon no i thought he was gay when i saw his icon i didn't think he was straight i really didn't and i i just was like something in me was like you gotta write this guy back and i didn't write anyone back ever back then and i was just like this he was interested in me and i guess you gotta write this guy back. And I didn't write anyone back ever back then. And I was just like this, he was interested in me. And I guess that's what I found intriguing

because most people only cared about Miranda. You had a low night. You needed a, you needed a need help boost. I had a huge glass of wine right before that. We've been there. We just want, oh,

this fan likes me. Oh, well, five years later, we're still together. So, but yeah, he, he's obsessed with YouTube and he has been forever. And he showed me Shaytards.

And I was like, this family, they just film themselves? Like, that's it? And he was like, yeah. And look at this person and this person. And I found myself, I remember one night, he came up from the bathroom, came to the bedroom. He's like, are you watching the Shaytards? And I was like, I love them.

Like, I'm obsessed with this family. And I don't even know them. Like, I feel like a freak. Like, I don't know these people and I love them. Like, you grow to love these people on YouTube. And I just found that so fascinating. And I didn't realize that there was a community on YouTube. I didn't understand that there were people that were doing the same thing I was doing.

community on YouTube. I didn't understand that there were people that were doing the same thing I was doing. And so that's kind of what encouraged me to kind of move back to LA and try to see if I could meet other YouTubers and be a part of the community that I was watching online. Well, the interesting thing that was happening seemingly simultaneously is that people were really beginning to notice and make a big deal out of your live show. Yeah. I mean, like, real theater critics. Yeah. You know, real publications and real magazines.

Not just writing about, like, oh, this YouTube sensation, but no, this live show is, like, an incredibly entertaining thing. Yeah. So did you find yourself seeing these two things kind of blowing up at the same time I mean okay YouTube's working and now I've got this live show that's a legit operation kind of I never really put much thought into the YouTube videos ever until you know until I moved out to LA and like really took it seriously as a job the videos were always just kind of like whatever and kind of threw away. But I wasn't understanding why my shows

weren't selling out as much anymore. I was like, where are these people coming? And so once I made the move to LA and really invested time in the videos, then my shows just started selling out because that's why they were coming is they were wanting good content. I don't know that it was like overwhelming.

It was more exciting. I was like, everything was kind of clicking and falling into place. I think I just needed to, I needed to understand YouTube better and then everything just kind of started working. The show started selling out and I don't know. I think the live show is more fun

and it's more entertaining than the videos. I don't even watch my videos because sometimes I'm like, Miranda's so freaking annoying. This girl is so obnoxious. But the live show is so different. It's a lot different than the videos are. But it sounds like you're moving forward on both fronts now. Obviously, they feed each other. The YouTube momentum really feeds into people buying tickets. Yeah. Well, I think that's all there is to it. I don't think the live shows really feed into the videos.

I think the videos feed into the live shows. The videos are so important because if my videos aren't good and people aren't watching, no one's going to come to the show. And that's what I want people to do. I want people to come to the live show because I think that's where you can see talent and really get entertained. My favorite part of doing the live shows is when parents come up to me and they're like, I hated you. My kids talk like you.

They dress like you. And I thought you were so obnoxious. And then after your show, you're so talented. You're so funny. And that to me is always like so, I don't know. It just feels so nice to know, like, I can convert someone to being a fan through the live show. Well, yeah, the interesting thing about thinking about the YouTube aspect of this and also the live show is that, you know, is that the character of Miranda really makes the most sense as an online personality.

That was what you thought of. That's what you were thinking. This person, they're uploading this video as if they're an authority on voice lessons, right? Right. But it perfectly translates into the live show. So it's amazing how it works out. I'm fascinated at the dynamic of the way that Miranda has become who she is and the way that you express yourself as Miranda online in a couple of ways. I mean, one is the fact that, I mean, I love the Miranda Instagram. Disgusting.

Grossest pictures. Right. But you celebrate the things that most people try to hide in themselves, right? Right. So we're all trying to present ourselves in a certain way through our Instagram pictures and just the right angle. Right. I know I've got to do this.

The right filter and all that stuff. And you do exactly the opposite. We were talking about this earlier today, and my theory was that you're probably a much healthier person psychologically as yourself because you have this alter ego that just is all your insecurities just out there, just celebrated on the internet. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's true. I think I wasn't that way until kids started messaging me and emailing me.

Because originally the intention was to be hated. And then I started getting emails and letters that were like, I didn't like who I was. And you taught me to be confident, Miranda, because you don't care what anybody thinks. You still love yourself no matter what. And it blew my mind that with this stupid character, who's a brat, was actually helping kids like love themselves. It was so weird. I never thought that would happen. And I think that's kind of when it started shifting into, you know, she's still an idiot and she's still super confident and untalented, but kids kind of find comfort in her somehow.

I don't know. And then I started kind of to embrace it a little bit more, like pick the uglier angles. And, you know, if I wake up with a huge zit, you know, I'm going to take a picture of it. And, you know, I remember I got pink eye a couple of years ago. And the first thing I thought when I woke up with pink eye, I was like, crusted show, so gross. I was like, this is going to make such a good video. I was so excited that I had pink eye. So yeah, it's been kind of fun to, you know, whenever something horrible happens, it's usually good. There's an interesting aspect to her character too, and that

is that a lot of the things that Miranda says or tweets can be misinterpreted as sexual, right? Very much so. But she at the same time is a bit of a prude and thinks that anything that's risque is porn. Right. And so it seems like there's a hypocrisy there that you're kind of trying to flesh out a little bit. Yeah. It's everyone thinks that I'm

being super sexual with these sweets. Well, and obviously I am trying to make it seem like I'm talking about something sexual, but my take on it is that Miranda is so oblivious that she doesn't realize that it's a, that's what she said type of moment. She just doesn't see it that way. You know, she has, she always talks about her uncle. I guess it's so weird saying she, it's me, but yeah, no, okay. Yeah. She, Miranda always talks about her uncle and it's always implied that their relationship is a little too close and it's a little rapey. But I think this is not drawing from something. No, no, no. This is not drawing from anything. But I think of it as Miranda's just looking at it like it's her uncle. Like my little four-year-old nephew looks at me like is his auntie that he loves. And he would hug me.

And we do have tickle fights. And we do love each other. And he calls you Auntie Panties. And he calls me Auntie Panties. And I don't know. I think that's how Miranda thinks of it. She just loves her uncle a lot. And they're really good friends.

And they play together all the time. And it's inappropriate. But she doesn't understand that it's inappropriate to be that close to her uncle a lot and they're really good friends and they play together all the time and it's inappropriate but she doesn't understand that it's inappropriate to be that close to her uncle and I don't think he means it in an inappropriate way either I think it's just they just love each other so Miranda's

relationship with her uncle seems inappropriate but it's not for the record well that's the first time I've ever said that. But that is what I've always, I've always known that. I've always known that Miranda doesn't think, there's not actually anything bad going on in Miranda's life. She just always happens to say something

that makes it sound so foul. And so, like, she's just oblivious. Like, she doesn't realize that she's... Right. Well, I mean, when I see that, like, she's just oblivious. Like, she doesn't realize that she's— Right. I mean, when I see that, though, and I also know kind of when you describe the girls that you're kind of—the experience that you're drawing on, and it sounds like probably some girls who were self-righteous. Right. And then there's this unintentional, you know, sexual innuendo that kind of is coming from that same voice to to me i just definitely maybe this is even a subconscious thing that as you develop the character but i definitely kind

of sense that there's like you've seen some hypocrisy yeah from those people and so she kind of embodies that yeah for sure yeah that's i mean that's exactly it she's everything she says is she's just a huge hypocrite. But she doesn't know that she is. You know, she doesn't, she's not intending to be. She just comes across that way. Right. And another ironic thing that has happened is, and you kind of hinted at this earlier,

is that you've become a bit of a voice for the anti-bullying movement. Yeah, it's nuts. And you actually kind of channel some of those hate comments that you get and read those as part of the live show. Yeah, I read a bunch of the hate mail as part of the live show. And the live show now is like Miranda mentioned earlier, it's a self-help tour. And she goes through all the things in life and teaches kids how to deal with relationships and bullies and self-esteem and kind of goes through all the steps on how to be a better person. Of course, the whole time giving terrible advice. But yeah, bullies is a

whole section of the show and how to deal with bullies. And that was kind of inspired. I just saw these kids, like I said earlier, they're just writing me these letters that were breaking my heart. And, you know, Miranda was helping them laugh at the end of the day when they were told to kill themselves all day by these awful bullies. And it just, and it kind of changed everything for me. That's when I really started taking it more seriously, the character. And I realized that it wasn't just these stupid videos I was doing. They were actually like kids were, you know, inspired by this girl with all the red lipstick right and and there comes the evolution of you're not just channeling the people that annoy you right uh but you're but you're now using that framework to then inspire people which is who would have ever

thought yeah and i think a lot of it has to do with the fact that i was able to come out and say framework to then inspire people, which is who would have ever thought? Yeah. And I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I was able to come out and say, I'm Colleen and I play Miranda because kids then are like, I think kids feel like they are in on a secret or something like they know that it's fake and they're excited by that. And then some of the kids subscribe to my channel and they get to see me and they're like, I can't believe you're so strong to come and be Miranda and be yourself and whatever. And I think that helped a lot too, was coming out and being myself. When did you decide to come out?

Well, it was a really slow process. It was really hard for me to do because I was really obsessed with Miranda just being Miranda. And I wouldn't take interviews as myself. I wouldn't do anything. Like when you were talking to that club owner who offered you that one night and you said yes, you did all that in character? No, I guess. No, that I didn't do in character. You were like in his office.

Yeah, I was in his office. It was different. That could be taken. That was a Miranda tweet. It was different. So anyway, I was, it was, it was very slow process. I think what's, it started because I was watching Shaytards and started to watch other YouTubers. And I had my own channel that I would upload performance videos to every once in a while. So my parents could see at home,

you know, upload those videos of you singing. So YouTube is where I did that. And so just with that channel, I decided a few Christmases ago, I was just going to try vlogging for a week with my family. And it was really exciting to see kids watch that and be interested in me and my life. And so I think that kind of changed it. And I was like, it's okay to be myself. People aren't going to be mad. They're not going to stop watching Miranda. In fact, it kind of helped the Miranda numbers go up a little bit because people were searching all the time. Is Miranda real? Miranda sings without the lipstick. They wanted to see who I was. And a lot of people told me not to do that. A lot of people were like, don't do that at all. Miranda will die if you say who you

are. So I was really scared to do it. And it was really slow, but I eventually started doing Miranda interviews and Colleen interviews at the same time. Or, you know, it was easier for me to meet fans not as Miranda. That took a long time too. I wouldn't leave the building until everyone was gone because I didn't want them to see me as me. But now I don't care.

But I was really nervous to do it. But when it happened, it wasn't like it was a specific I don't care. I was really nervous to do it. But when it happened, it wasn't like it was a specific day where I was like, I'm going to do it. I'm just going to be myself. It was really slow. It took a while for me to be comfortable with it. And I'm still kind of weird about, I feel like I'm still trying to like, it's still hard for me. You know, like you guys asked me, does Miranda talk about Colleen? And I was like, uh, no, I don't know. You know, I was kind of weird about it. Cause it's still like, I'm still like holding onto it a little bit. Like Miranda, people need to think Miranda's real. Um, even though no, you know, everyone knows it's fake. Well, and now that you're, you're, you know, you're uploading two videos a week to each

channel, right? Um, and you're obviously talented, not only as a comedian, but as a singer and a performer. So, you know, how do you balance that when you think about the future? Are you like, okay, well, I've got these two tracks. You know, I hope that Miranda will keel over at some point or this is, I'm going to take this all the way. Like, what are your thoughts? Yeah, no, I don't want to kill Miranda. I think I will just keep doing whatever the audience wants to see. And right now, you know, I can't believe it, but people are still watching Miranda. People still like Miranda. As far as the future,

I, you know, a lot of people think that I want Miranda to go away so that I can shine and show off my talent. But like, I don't, i really don't care about that at all like of course i want to keep making people laugh because that's what i like the most and i would love to do other characters and show off other characters and i'm i'm writing stuff right now with my brother um to hopefully show off other characters in the future soon but um you know i think miranda will live as long as people want to watch she's gonna get pregnant and get that's exciting you know, I think Miranda will live as long as people want to watch. She's going to get pregnant and get, That's exciting.

You know, she's going to go through it all with me. Are you pregnant? I'm, this is the announcement. I'm pregnant, guys. Okay.

You've heard it first. Well, I always want to make sure because I want to, that's the key to our show working is somebody's got to get pregnant on this show.

Well, I mean, On the show. There's another Miranda, is somebody's got to get pregnant on this show. Well, I mean. On the show. There's another Miranda tweet. There's another Marge tweet, I know. This is your fault. Whoa. But, you know, a man. I think that you should develop a character as a man.

Oh, it's in the works. I know, I really have one, and I'm really excited about it. Oh, I know all about it. Oh, you do? No, I don't. I was just total hunched. I was going to be so surprised because I haven't told anyone. I think that I'm encouraged to hear what you're saying about wanting to develop other characters.

Because I think a lot of people do ask, oh, once they say, oh, she's got this great voice, she's got this background, when are you going to do your own thing? Like, why don't you do more, more singing on your own channel and really boost that. But me personally, selfishly, I'm like,

yeah, why don't you develop more characters? I want another Miranda. I want a Mermanda. Mermanda. No, that's, that's what I want too.

And I think. A guy character. Well, I have created a guy character and I'm super excited about it. Tell us about you about him. Um, is he out anywhere? He is. Is he, you mean on the internet? He doesn't live on the internet yet. Um, he, the plan is for him to live on the internet. I'm writing a show with my brother and it's going to have a lot of different characters. And one of the characters that we're developing right now, who might, he might change. He might become someone else. But it's a pastor and he's based on someone in my family that I don't think he'll hear this one.

He has very good intentions. He's really sweet, but he just kind of always does everything wrong. He's just a dad. You know, he's always happy and jolly. He always does those horrible dad jokes and he's just kind of not, he's kind of an idiot. So a preacher dad.

Yeah. Well, he's never actually a pastor. He's always like the associate pastor of the church. And he gets fired from every church he goes to because he just always does something wrong. He's too old to be the youth pastor anymore. He just doesn't have the ease for it. Yeah. He makes everyone wear name tags everywhere they go.

And he's just kind of always inappropriate, but on accident. Like at a funeral, he'll start to sing in a pop song just because he just learned it on his guitar. You know, just like. What's the look of, can you tell us the name of this guy? Well, the name might change. I mean, I know what the name is right now, but it's like so early. But I'll tell you, I'll tell you.

It's Pastor Jim. Okay. Right now. Working title. Working title. What is his look, Pastor Jim? His look, he's got a lot of hair. It's like a, you know, salt and pepper gray,

like kind of a comb over, but it's with a lot of hair. Oh, okay. And we- Was it because it's all your hair kind of put up into his hair? Yeah, it's all my hair. We were playing with the look the other day. My brother and I were trying on costumes and wigs and stuff and trying to find this guy. And we really don't want him to have facial hair, but I think we're going to have to unless we do some sort of prosthetic on my face because my face just looked too girly no matter what we did we put eyebrows on me and sideburns and I still just like had a girl face so I think he's gonna end up having a mustache um but he's I don't know I

really like this character I think he's he's really uh it's a very he's a relatable character because everyone has a friend who has that dad who's just like oh please leave the room like room. Like, you're so annoying. And he just doesn't get it. But he's just always jolly. So you can't really be mad at him, but he's so obnoxious, but he's so happy while he's being obnoxious that you can't really hate him. So that's one of the characters. Yeah. But I have other boy character ideas. That's just the one we're developing the most right now. And this is with YouTube in mind? Yes. Or maybe beyond? Yes and no.

I mean, my hope is to kind of do something that's combining television and YouTube together. So that's kind of the plan. But he will live on YouTube in some capacity. So you're pitching a Miranda television show? Yeah. Is that what you're saying? Pretty much, yes. Well, you should be.

Well, we're trying to, but I mean, who isn't pitching a show in Hollywood? We're not. You don't know what we think about that. I want you to be Pastor Jim. Oh, I will be Pastor Jim. I want to be the lead pastor. Okay, yes. That's perfect. All Oh, I will be Pastor Jim. I want to be the lead pastor. Okay.

Yes. That's perfect. All right. I'll be the youth pastor. Okay. I know where this is going. Here we go. We got it.

Listen, I go back to what I said earlier. I think that everybody needs an alter ego that they can just- Just get it out. Yeah. I mean, I think that you're blessed. Hashtag blessed. Hashtag blessed. Because of this.

I mean, that is our theory for why it probably makes you a healthier person to be able to just get out whatever you want as somebody, if not yourself. It's so funny because I start the show, the live show, as myself, and then I change on stage into Miranda in the middle of a song. And I go on stage as me, and I'm always so nervous. Like, I've done this hundreds of times, a song and I go on stage as me and I'm always so nervous like I've done this hundreds of times and every time I go on stage I'm shaking I'm so nervous and the second I put the lipstick on I'm don't care like the rest of the show I'm at ease I'm not nervous at all like so weird how just that little mindset of like now I'm this person who can get away with anything and there's no nerves anymore do you have an aversion to lipstick in general as Colleen? I mean, is it like, okay, well,

I can't wear that. I can't, I can't put red lipstick on no matter what the, what the occasion. I kind of learned that. I posted an Instagram picture a couple of years ago of me wearing red lipstick at like, I think it was New Year's Eve or something. And all the comments were like, you Miranda, like you're wearing red lipstick. Yeah, so I don't wear red lipstick anymore, no. And how does it, this is the last thing, I'm interested in how this translates

into your romantic relationship with your boyfriend. Is he ever like, you know, baby, can you be Miranda tonight? Can you be Miranda tonight? You know, he's very gross. He's like, he's very sweet and wonderful he's such a southern gentleman but when i'm miranda and i'm doing a video he'll be like i love you

and i don't understand how someone that pretty can be so hideous you look disgusting like he just he thinks miranda's the grossest thing in the world but there was one time I remember we were kissing and he like made a Miranda face at me. Like, you know, I pulled away from the kiss and I said, I love you or something sweet and girly and annoying. And he kind of made a Miranda face. And so I made one back at him. And he was like, whoa. He's like, never do that again. He freaked out.

He like pushed me away from him. Okay. And I haven't done it since. So maybe I should just try it out. Maybe Pastor Jim will work for him. Yeah, there you go. I'll be like, I'm going to go freshen up in the bathroom

and come out as Pastor Jim. Alright, this has been fun. This is a lot for me to think about here. About creating an alter ego? About all of this. Or about your youth pastor role. Yeah.

All of it. Extremely fascinating. Thanks for hanging out. Thanks for having me. And letting us gain some insight. And you get to sign the table twice. No way. I get to sign it as me too?

Yeah, so this is- Oh my gosh. I'll sign it by Miranda's name. There it is, our ear biscuit with Miranda and Colleen. I really enjoyed getting to know both of them, and I'm still amazed at how I see them so distinct from one another. Who would you rather spend time with? In a longer period of time? Colleen.

I think that's pretty obvious. Colleen's the type of person I could actually be friends with as a person. Miranda's somebody that's very entertaining to be around. But you kind of feel like you have to be on your guard the whole time. You feel like, I don't want to say something that she thinks is stupid. Or apologizing for her to everyone else that the two of you may be running into. That would be my issue with Miranda.

Oh, like, oh yeah. I'm sorry, she didn't mean it that way. Right. Et cetera, et cetera. Or et cetera, I don't know how to say that word either, but that's a different thing. That's like a Miranda tweet. I also really appreciated Colleen's story in the sense that she seized particular moments and made it happen. You know, she's getting emails with this viral video in a certain theater community in New York. They want her to come. Okay, yes, I'm going to come to you and I'm going to do this thing. And then the club owner is like, do you have a show?

She's like, yes, but she didn't. But she just made it happen. She had confidence. Pivotal moments where you have the right amount of confidence. I think that was the key. And unearthing an improv skill that untrained but innate. And unearthing an improv skill that is untrained but innate. Yeah, and I always appreciate it when people from traditional media sources recognize talent on YouTube because I feel like there is so much. I feel like just because people haven't gone through the traditional media loopholes and gone through that gauntlet, you know, and gone through traditional auditions

and all that stuff. So you mean in theater in this case? Yeah, just like there's these, you know, people... Stage performance. You read what people who know a lot about theater and know a lot about Broadway have to say about her. They don't talk about her like, oh, this girl's on YouTube and... Second class theater citizen.

She gets people to come to her thing because she's on YouTube and second class theater citizen she gets people to come to her thing because she's on YouTube on that YouTube thing but no it's like this is a legitimately entertaining experience that transcends anything that you could experience online with her which is already great which is what I know and which is what I find hilarious

so you know it's just encouraging I just I like to to hear stories about people who have done something so that comes so naturally to them and has been

such a success on a broad scale and she's coming to Anaheim soon the show's gonna be there so we miss Santa Barbara but

I wanna go I think we should we should we should certainly go you wanna spend spend a day at Disney together? Just me and you and then we... And Miranda?

No, just me and you. We ride It's a Small World, things like that, hang out, get some Mickey Mouse-shaped pancakes, and then we head over to the Miranda Sings show. Can we get the Mickey Mouse hats? Yeah, they're free. They're not free, are they? I think there's a dispenser.

Yeah, you just have to sing a little. You have to sing Once You Wish Upon a Star, and then it comes out. It pops out. I think it's When You Wish Upon a Star. Yeah, that too. Once you wish upon a star, a Mickey Mouse hat will come out of a dispenser.

I do know that Walt Disney had the smell of popcorn shot into Disney World because it makes people buy more stuff. And do you know what the smell was actually made out of? Burning horses. Little known fact. Next time you go, think of burning horses like a glue plant scenario. Yeah, I was going to say glue plants don't smell like popcorn or Disney World.

You don't think they do? Yeah. How did that happen? I don't know. Well, anyway, you should follow and watch Miranda and Colleen at their respective places on the internet. They have distinct Instagram accounts, Twitter accounts, YouTube channels. They are essentially two different people. People still think they're two different people, but as we have proven accounts, YouTube channels. They are essentially two different people. People still think they're two different people,

but as we have proven today... They are. Thanks for listening. Oh, really? To this ear biscuit. I was going to say it was one person. It is. It is this one.

You'd be wrong. Her name is Colleen. She's playing a character. And there's actually only one person between me and you. Maybe it's time we break that news. His name is Roger. Hi, this is Roger. I do a really good impersonation of two different people.

They look very different. This is me, Roger, right now, too. Yep. So this has been Roger. Hope you enjoyed this Ear Biscuit. I will see you again next week. Roger, Roger.