Good Hang with Amy Poehler - Lena Dunham

Episode Date: May 26, 2026

Lena Dunham knows you have to do a trick to get a treat. Amy hangs with the author and creator of 'Girls' and talks about the contact improv dance community at Oberlin College, whether or not she'd ha...ve a robot in her house, and what you need to know before adopting a pig. Host: Amy PoehlerGuests: Natalie Portman and Lena DunhamExecutive producers: Bill Simmons, Amy Poehler, and Jenna Weiss-BermanFor Paper Kite Productions: Executive producer Jenna Weiss-Berman, coordinator Sam Green, and supervising producer Joel LovellFor The Ringer: Supervising producers Juliet Litman, Sean Fennessey, and Mallory Rubin; video producers Jack Wilson and Aleya Zenieris; audio producer Kaya McMullen; social producer Bridget Geerlings; video editor Drew van Steenbergen; and booker Kat SpillaneOriginal music: Amy Miles Hilton. For the Stay. https://www.hilton.com/Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://Allstate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Real talk. You live for reality TV. Every time it gets crazy. Gets juicy, gets dramatic and completely irresistible. Lucky for you, Hulu on Disney Plus has the most unhinged and unmatched library of shows, period. From the secret lives of Mormon wives to dancing with the stars. Hulu has it all. Hulu gets real. Stream now with Hulu on Disney Plus in Canada. Terms apply. Hello everyone. Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. We have Lena Dunham with us today. Lena, actress, writer, producer, creator of girls, bestselling author of her memoir, FamSick. We are going to get into it with Lena. We are going to talk about Nora Ephron. We're going to talk about the productivity myth and how we're all suffering because of it. We're going to talk about whether or not
Starting point is 00:00:58 one should go on Great British Bake Off. Is it actually worth it? We are going to get into so much good stuff today. We had a great conversation and we always like to talk to somebody who knows our guest who has a question for our guest and wants to speak well behind their back. And we spoke to Natalie Portman. Classy actress. Natalie, you know her from The Black Swan, from rapping on SNL, from a little indie called Star Wars. And she and Lean are working on a rom-com together. So let's get Natalie on the horn. I believe we're talking to her from outside of the country. So, bonjour or bonsois, Natalie. This episode is presented by Hilton.
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Starting point is 00:02:08 So you'll definitely find this day that you're looking for. When you want your summer vacation to feel like a vacation, it matters where you stay. Book now at Hilton.com. Hilton for the stay. I need it. Hi. Nice to see you. You too.
Starting point is 00:02:32 Thanks for talking to us today. First of all, congrats on the summer, Bob. Thank you. You too. I mean, well, you're kind of, you've been, you've been doing it for a while, right? Well, I have, I have, you know, visually like, no option with my hair. My hair is kind of. My hair just cuts itself.
Starting point is 00:02:51 Okay, so first of all, congratulations on all the things that are happening for you, including this new film that you're in with Mark Ruffalo and my wife, Rashida Jones, and many others. She's my wife, too, so I'm glad we share that in common. I'd like to talk about that because we can't share her. She's a pulling a mess. That's okay. Well, I'd like to get her on the horn and make her pick. that's fair that's fair that would actually probably be her nightmare if we called rachita right now
Starting point is 00:03:27 we're like me or natalie exactly she'll be like ezra i do want to talk about your film and working with lena but by the way have you been listening to the lonely island to seth myers podcast at all no but i've heard amazing things about it highly recommend their episode about your wrap. It's so good and it's so funny and it's like very in-depth about how it all came together. They're the best and that was so fun. That was and it just, it's such a time capsule too because it's just like a time in the 2000s. So that's its own thing. The birth of YouTube like so wild. You've got short hair. It's so exciting. Yeah. Post head shaving. Wow. That was a grow-in. Sure.
Starting point is 00:04:19 Yeah, yeah. Man, you know, you're not really an actress unless you have one head shaving. Like, you've got to shave your head once. Have you ever shaved your head? No. I would, I have kind of a small head, so I would be. That's surprising. I wouldn't guess that.
Starting point is 00:04:35 Oh, really? Thank you so much. Does my head look larger? Your head looks perfectly normal sized. You know, well, you know the whole theory that like the bigger, the head, the more successful you are? Do you know this theory? Oh, really?
Starting point is 00:04:50 No, I don't. When at SNL, I'm sure this happened to you, too, when you were there, like they'll measure your head, you know, for prosthetics and stuff like that. And so you get a sense of who has really big heads. And supposedly historically, the bigger the head, the bigger the paycheck. No way. Yeah. That's really funny.
Starting point is 00:05:12 Now that I've brought this up, you're going to start to notice. You're going to start to notice like, wow. he has a huge head. Like he's, that's why he's running a country or whatever. You're going to notice it. That's so funny. But I mean, I feel like you're pretty successful, Amy. Thank you so much.
Starting point is 00:05:30 Maybe I'm a small-headed success. Yeah, maybe you're an outlier. But I do wear a young boy's hat. I can wear a young man's hat. That's very lucky. Very lucky. So I'm interviewing Lena today. Yes.
Starting point is 00:05:47 And, you know, I'm kind of getting her after a lot of interviews. Like she's been kind of on tour, online, like really out there. And I've known her for a long time. And I'm excited to talk about the different ways that I've known her. But I've never known her as a director. I've never worked with her in that way. And I'm curious what kind of director she is and what it was like to work with her in that way. She's the best director.
Starting point is 00:06:15 I've one of one of the best if not the best I've worked with. She's so on point. Like the notes she gives are so like astute and specific. And like she pays attention to everything. And she doesn't also like hesitate to give compliments too about very specific things along with like maybe try this different. and she's extremely nurturing and generous and kind to everyone on set at all times. Like I would go home every day being like, how does she have the energy? Because the amount of like generosity and kindness and thoughtfulness she puts out all day to everyone is like pretty miraculous.
Starting point is 00:07:09 So the very like the environment onset is incredible because everyone's just. so happy. Not a surprise to hear that and so nice to hear that. And that's a really interesting specific that you said, which is that she will compliment something you've done. Like, that isn't always the case. Like, it's nice when people notice something that you try and say, I noticed it. Exactly. And it's specific because a lot of people will be like, oh, good job. Or like, that was a really nice take or something. But like, I like how you like accented the, you know, word in that that was really funny in that line, you know, a very specific thing that she notices or like that face you made in response to Rashida or whatever, like, that was great.
Starting point is 00:07:54 Or it's it's not just in general, like, you can tell she's really just watching so carefully and sharply. And her ideas are so good. And she comes up with like brilliant new lines all the time, you know, the way only great comedy minds like yourself can do. Okay, so do you have a question for our guest today, Lena, that you think might be a good one to ask her? My question for her is what, well, I had one kind of one that I personally want to know, which is what is the best kind of pig to get. Okay. So you're thinking about getting a pig? Actually can't in where I live, but I dream about it in the future one day.
Starting point is 00:08:40 And she has a lot of knowledge about this. And I like to hear her talk about pigs. That is a great question because I do enjoy pigs. They are really cute. Yeah. So, Lena, what is the best pig? And I say get the pig. You know what I mean?
Starting point is 00:08:55 Even if you're not allowed to have it. So the problem is, is that where I rent, there's wild boars. Oh, yeah. Apparently, the wild boars mate with pigs and make a very dangerous. hybrid. And so it's illegal in that area. Okay. Because there's some...
Starting point is 00:09:19 Did not expect that to be... Vicious hybrid baby pig. And I don't want to be responsible. I think I'll get kicked out of France. Okay. It's very smart. That is actually, that's very responsible parenting. That's responsible pig parenting.
Starting point is 00:09:36 And I have a thousand questions about the wild boars. I mean, it's the main topic of conversation. You never hear about like really nice boars. Well, I think like domesticated boars are pigs, right? I'm not ready to say that. I don't know. I don't know. We should ask Lena.
Starting point is 00:09:56 We should ask Lena. You wouldn't know that. The boar, the big boar is going to come for us in a way that I'm not ready for. Okay, I'm going to ask for the difference between boars and pigs. Natalie, thank you so much for doing this. It really means a lot. And before we go, would you just mind saying in French to me, have a wonderful day, Amy. And your head may be small, but your heart is large.
Starting point is 00:10:28 Your head is small, but your heart is large. Your head is little, but your heart is grand. France is going to murder me for that. They're going to send the boars. They're going to send the boars. You're going to hear a ding-dong right now. It's going to be four French boars. Language boars.
Starting point is 00:10:51 No, thank you for doing that. It sounds beautiful. Anything you say sounds beautiful. And especially in French, thank you, Natalie. Thanks is really nice to see you. Thanks for doing this. I'm so glad to see you. Yeah, you too.
Starting point is 00:11:01 Okay, you too, honey. Bye. Enjoy Lena. Give her a kiss for me. This episode is brought to you by Allstate. Checking Allstate first could save you hundreds on car insurance. That's smart. Not checking whether your guest ordered food and is expecting a delivery to arrive mid-podcast record?
Starting point is 00:11:18 Lesson learned. Yeah, checking first is smart. So check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. Potential savings vary subject to terms, conditions, and availability. Allstate North American Insurance Company and affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. Thank you, Lena. Thank you for being here.
Starting point is 00:11:38 It's really good to see you. It's been a long time. I know. I've missed you. I know. And congrats, you just celebrated your 40th birthday. Had my 40th birthday. How does it feel to turn the corner?
Starting point is 00:11:47 I've been trying to gather wisdom from the women that I know who have been 40 and seem to have liked it. I think it kind of rules. Yeah. I like it. I like getting older, much more than being young. You don't know anything better than different than being young when you're young. So you don't realize. But there's like some kind of pressure.
Starting point is 00:12:04 that's dissipating. Yeah. And some kind of attention that is no, that you no longer either feel you are supposed to be seeking or are getting. And it's a huge relief. I said like sometimes it's like you're, I'm in the good way, gaining a cloak of invisibility. Yeah. And also I was so, even though people seem to think of me as someone who's really like marching to the beat of my own drum or whatever, I was so dominated by shoulds and musts and ought tos. And now I feel really okay going, that's not really my thing.
Starting point is 00:12:37 That's not for me. So glad if it's for you, not for me. I mean, even just realizing like, I don't really like to go to parties. Dude, I don't like to go to parties. It's not even that I want to be asleep early. I just want to be in bed early to stay up late doing what I want to do in bed. Well, I want to talk to you about your sleep. Okay.
Starting point is 00:12:55 Because I have some thoughts. Okay, I would love to get them. Because we talk, we, we, you talk a lot about it in the book and I can't wait to talk about it. But when you don't like going to a party, what would be your ideal gathering? Great. What would be my good hang to bring it back. Thank you. I like to hang out on the couch or on bed with one friend, two friends. One or two.
Starting point is 00:13:18 Maybe we order some food. We hang out with some animals. We gab. Then they leave early enough that you have time to maybe like potter around, move one pile of things from one corner of the room to another. Yes. Then read a book and maybe like watch a little. bit of a murder documentary and then fall to sleep. And text him and be like, that was fun. Yes. And be like, I love being your friend. I wish we were still together, but you're very happy
Starting point is 00:13:42 that you're like both on your mats. Yes, totally. That's exactly what I like. Or like, like, like what I'm hang out with my nuclear family. And I like when we all four of us read on different tufted surfaces near each other. And then everyone sort of like puts themselves to bed. We parallel play and then everyone puts themselves to bed. I mean, I bet you get this a lot. And you talk about it a little bit in your book, like you present as such an extrovert, right? And I relate. I present very extroverted too. But I, from what you've written about, that you are secretly quite introverted. And it's kind of hard to, you're in an extroverted business. And you like to talk. And you like to have other people talk. You want to draw that out of other people too. I like to talk and I like to listen.
Starting point is 00:14:26 Yeah, you love to have a conversation. I know that about you. And that is expensive. But it takes a very long time to realize that, especially if you're good at it. Well, it's interesting. That's very beautifully put. And I've always found you to be exceedingly wise. I have always found you to be, despite your adorable little blonde bob, you are a wise. Oh, my God, thank you. I was talking about a Bob earlier.
Starting point is 00:14:51 You are a very wise lady. It's a Bob Summer. After a party, I mean, I have to stare at the wall and associate for 18 hours minimum. It actually leads me into my first question to you, which is, you've been on a press tour. You've been talking nonstop with many people about your book, which is a very personal book. So now that you've done a bunch of these, what have you learned about how you like to talk about it? How can, like, how do you take care of yourself when you talk about it?
Starting point is 00:15:18 These are such good questions. You've done this before. I was like, it's a strange thing to write a book about what it cost you to go on press tours and talk about yourself and then go on a press tour. and talk about it. Yeah. Like maybe the most truthful thing would have been to like just, you know,
Starting point is 00:15:36 drop it like a surprise album and then go, I'll be in my bedroom for six months. You guys figure it out. But at the same time, I really love, this is going to sound, I really love books.
Starting point is 00:15:47 And, um, but I really love books. And I really love, I feel really lucky that I got to write it and really like, and there's, and there's issues in it like, you know, the trying to talk about what it,
Starting point is 00:15:59 how we kind of, perceive and consume female celebrity, chronic illness, mental health stuff that's like, feels like things that I am excited to get to talk about in the right way. Yeah. But I had to really remind myself before going out, when I was really tap dancing as hard as I could in my 20s, I went into every interview, basically the way that I would have gone into like every playdate when I was in second grade, which was, I hope you want to be my friend and I hope you want to invite me back.
Starting point is 00:16:29 My mom always called it. She still does. She'll be like 50% rule because she always says that I could give 50% less energy in situations and everything would be fine. Because I have tried to give 25%. I mean, I really do feel like you're speaking to something really true, not just women, obviously, but a lot of women over-deliver. They over-deliver in every way. And then they're exhausted And bitter. And bitter.
Starting point is 00:17:03 Of course, I resent the things I do to myself. It's going to sound like a detour, but it's not, which is that I have pet pigs. Oh, we're going to talk about it. To quote Lisa Rinna's memoir title, you better believe I'm going to talk about it. It's about something you know I'm going to talk about it. And to quote, Wanda Sykes' book, yeah, I said. That it. Continue.
Starting point is 00:17:30 But there is a thing when I got a pig, I realized, okay, this is not like a dog. This is not like a cat. I need to get some, I need to get a specialist in here to teach me how to do this. And there's a woman named Susan Madjitzen, who is the preeminent pig trainer and rescue artist of our time. Excellent. And Susan, he has a Zoom that she does every Monday night called For Pig's sake, where all pig owners can get on and ask for questions. Susan. in at her farm Ross Mill farms where she takes in all the pigs that people adopted because they thought they were so cute and little.
Starting point is 00:18:02 And then they are 200 pounds of attitude, of pure attitude. But one of the things that happens to house pigs is that they develop something called spoiled SPS, spoiled pig syndrome. Which is it is a well-known condition wherein a pig starts to, if you ask your pig, say you give your pig treats, but you don't ever ask them to do a trick for those treats. Right. Suddenly, you ask them to do anything, they're like, no, that's not the deal that we were in. And then they start to become aggressive. They start to destroy things. They get an attitude because they've got spoiled pig syndrome. And I told my brother about it. And he was like, you mean like what you've done to everybody that you've ever dated? Like you have the worst. Yes. Treats without the trick. Where's the trick, babe? There is no trick. And he said also it's the thing about spoiled pig syndrome is at the end of the day.
Starting point is 00:18:56 a spoiled pig and it's nobody's fault but your own. That's the worst part. I know. It always comes back to, I mean, that, I would say that is the one thing about being over 40 is there's just less and less ability to kind of put the blame externally. Like you're like, oh, no, I know better. Thank God I know better, but fuck, now I know better. Okay, it took you eight years to write this book. How did you know when it was done?
Starting point is 00:19:24 Really good question. a really good question. So my editor, Andy Ward is one of my most favorite people. We love Andy Ward. We live for Andy Ward. And he's just a good, he's a good man. He's, I don't try to go around using the term girl dad a lot. I don't love it.
Starting point is 00:19:40 But he is a girl dad. He's a girl dad to us all. And he's a writer dad. And he's just the greatest. And he, what I love is that a lot of people in this economy would just go, okay, there seems to be like enough gossip that maybe people magazine would Right. Enough full quotes that we can get that out there. Yeah, we can get that out there. Okay, it's ready. And he really cares. And he really pushed me to, you know, I started the book when I was three months out of rehab. And I just thought like, I'll jot off some of these experiences and then they will have left my body and I'll never have to think about it again. Yeah. And it ended up sort of the thing you said about having to look at yourself. I was like, this isn't going to be something that is worth the paper that it's printed on if I don't. I have to tell the story and I also have to try to understand how I got there.
Starting point is 00:20:30 And it turns out that takes time. And you know, you've talked about there's so many things in the book. There's about, there's relationship breakups. There's tons of stuff about figuring out, like you spoke, of like how to participate in the system and how the system works for you and against you. And there's a lot of stuff about personal stuff about people that you work with. But I'm also interested in a couple of things, but I'm also interested in the way you speak about like looking for wisdom a little bit, especially in women that were a little older. I was really, I could have read a million pages about you and Nora, Ephron.
Starting point is 00:21:09 And we talk about her on this podcast a lot. I never had the pleasure to meet her. But you two would have really had a ball. Thank you for saying that. I would have loved to have met her. And I guess it's not really a deep question, but it kind of feels like it is like she, gave you tips, decorating tips. She did.
Starting point is 00:21:26 But that feels just like very maternal. One of the ways that she showed care was she had this like incredible mental rollo decks of here's where you get your bagels and here's where you blow your hair out and here's who should paint your walls. But the guy who paints your walls is different than the guy who paints your floors. Like giving you all the tools to live well. She said to me, you cannot shoot a movie without this very specific Patagonia lightweight. She's like, and don't get the medium weight.
Starting point is 00:21:51 get the lightweight zip puffer cardigan. You know, these things are she's just like, I have been here for a while and I've figured out. She's curated her life. She's curated her life. It was exactly that. Yeah. And she, and I felt like, how lucky am I to be the person that she has chosen to give this,
Starting point is 00:22:10 all of this incredible wisdom and information to? And when she died, I mean, there are hundreds of us. Somehow she found the time to do this. She would just see someone and think. I don't know if she thought, you know, they amused me enough that I can stand to have them around or if she just thought they seemed like they need it. But she showed up for other women, younger women in this way that was so mind-blowing. And I think part of why she did it was because it also made her feel good. Well, now that you're like now millennials are getting older and welcome to the club millennials, I'm here to say it's not so bad.
Starting point is 00:22:46 But now millennials are turning 40. like, and they're, like, you're becoming a mentor. You have mentees, I'm sure. And I love what you said in your book about how you really try to not give that much advice. You just try to say, like, I'm here and I'm available. Yeah. Figuring out how to be a good mentor is really interesting. So I'm curious, I don't say, because I feel like sometimes I never want to get caught in the trap of thinking that I know better than they do.
Starting point is 00:23:16 Like, if I see somebody doing something where I think that's going to be. going to really hurt you and damage you. If I'm like, have the opportunity to sort of put my arm out like a seatbelt, but at the same time, I don't think I could hear it when I was that age. Also, like, to use a great metaphor, not my pig, not my farm. Like, you can't save anybody from themselves. I mean, you know, this is some Cody stuff we're talking about, like, when you see somebody, it's like, what are you going to be like, don't do it? Like, what are you going to say, don't do that job? Don't take it. Don't date that guy. Like, we all have. to make these mistakes and nobody listens when you do anyway. If someone has a question and I can
Starting point is 00:23:52 answer it, I am delighted and I'm also always saying, and then you do exactly whatever you want, and I will be here sharing you on. Speaking of that, the way you talk about the productivity myth in your book is it really spoke to me as a Gen Xer. So my Jen grew up with like working girl and you wear your sneakers in the subway and like hustle. Like, you know, and Madonna's document, was like, I'm going to play through the pain. And Lady Gaga's documentary was like, I have fibromyalgia and I'm really suffering. Totally different. And both showed this like version of like how to get through what you're getting through.
Starting point is 00:24:32 But we got sold this idea that if you're not producing, you're not worthwhile. And I know you struggled with that too. What can you say about that or what have you learned about that through the writing of this book or just through like living life? Well, when I saw 5'2, the Gaga documentary, that was one of the most emotional. I remember I just kept rewinding because I'd never seen these things on camera before. And I always thought that if people found out what was going on with me physically behind the scenes, so they'd be like, well, this one's defect if we want a new one. I mean, and Hollywood has not done anything to make us think that isn't the approach.
Starting point is 00:25:10 I mean, we maybe can speak about things a little bit. Maybe a producer would not feel comfortable saying out loud, that one's defective, we want a new one, but the behavior remains the same. And so there was a lot of time of reminding myself that all of these people's ideas of what a valuable life is, of what, of the right way to spend your time of how to prioritize your health versus the work, your health versus a press junket didn't have to be mine. I remember once before a job, them going so how long before you get sick you usually know that it's going to happen?
Starting point is 00:25:51 And I was like, it never even occurred to me that I was like sometimes, I don't know, like when it starts, I don't know what to say. There was this idea that you could almost like schedule your body's collapse. It's funny you say that because my brain, like what this book did is it like, which I think good writing does,
Starting point is 00:26:08 is it makes you think about like, wait, how am I thinking about the world? And to your point, now what I'm really, realizing is what I want to do to extend the conversation is be like, ask people how did they do their system? How do they work? So that conversation you have with producers is really helpful. I used to spend a lot of time thinking I was the only thing. It's that, you know, part of being young and looking around and thinking that everybody's facade is what's actually going on.
Starting point is 00:26:36 Like it took me a while to go, oh, just because somebody shows up in, just showered in Lululemon sweat clothes with a, big cup of coffee. For me, the idea of the kind of woman I'd never be was always someone who, like, brewed her own coffee and put it in. In a thing. In a thing. In a Yeti cup. And got to work and was like, oh, because I like to do this in the morning. For me, it was always a blowout. Like, I was like,
Starting point is 00:26:59 when did you get a blowout? Like, who did it? Where did you go? Did you go to dry bar? Did you do it yourself? Yeah, do you have someone who comes to your house? Is this day three of your blowout? These are, there's questions. There's these things where we look and go, I will never be. Everybody has them.
Starting point is 00:27:15 Everybody has it. We all have it. And then I started to realize that's just their way of dealing. Like I keep a really psychotic to-do list. I have this very specific to-do list system that is, I won't belabor, but it's taken years for me to find a system that works. I love my system. When I finish something, I put the trophy emoji next to it. Oh, for a little treat.
Starting point is 00:27:38 Yeah. My little treat. Because you did a trick. Yeah, I did a trick. And I get a treat. And my treat is that trophy emoji. Yeah. And then at the end of the day, I'll carry over the things that didn't happen.
Starting point is 00:27:49 And sometimes you have to put a different emoji that says, actually, I'm not going to do that anymore. That's off the list or whatever. I do want to talk about your bed. You create so much in your bed. You love your bed. I love my bed. I love my bed too. I'm worried about your sleep.
Starting point is 00:28:02 Okay. Talk to me about your sleep. Are you a night owl? So this is going to be involved a little bit of history, which is that we have a congenital terror. We have a congenital. it's something where sleep and death get equated early in childhood.
Starting point is 00:28:20 My father had it. My mother had it. Maybe that's why they fell in love and they passed it down to my brother and me. And as children, we started to get scared to go to sleep
Starting point is 00:28:29 around 4 p.m. So still today... A lot of people have that that they are very stressed about the fact that they ever go to sleep. Yeah. It would be,
Starting point is 00:28:37 I would start around 3 p.m. to start to say, okay, what time do you think we're going to put pajamas on? what do you think we're going to do right before bed? Then my father would have to tell me, he'd have to take me and I'd say, is it a sock night or is it not a sock night? Because I was concerned, maybe I'll wake up in the night with cold feet,
Starting point is 00:28:56 but wouldn't it be horrible if I woke up and they were too warm? Then my, I miss Jenna Weiss Berman's giggle. It's the greatest. Then I would say, can you tell me a list of things we're going to do tomorrow to look forward to? Because I thought if I didn't have things to look forward to, I might just pass away in my sleep. Yeah. I would love to sleep train you.
Starting point is 00:29:18 I would love to have a week in your house. I'm going to wear a nurse's uniform. Do you know what I would give? And I'm going to go, and you're going to start your business. You're going to say what kind of socks? I'm going to go, no, no, no. Chop, chop. If I told you what was actually happening in my bed, the level of the books,
Starting point is 00:29:36 the various lights that are shining at me, the animals that are scooching around, the noise. I mean, twice a night, my rabbits will hurl themselves up into the air and just land directly on my face. Let's stop at rabbits. Let's start at rabbits. Let's ask the rabbits if they can sleep next to the bed. Well, the rabbits also, you know, the thing about rabbits is their lagamores. You don't know the thing is that they are crepuscular, which means that they're most awake at dawn and at dusk.
Starting point is 00:30:09 I might have an old-fashioned version of sleep, but I do think that one of the, best things I did for myself is make sleep hygiene as important as other things. Wow. And it was very hard because like you, I grew up with a total like I wanted to stay up late. I, like, I would have a TV in my room. Like, staying up late felt like something I was good at. I felt the same way. And I had SNL and I was a vampire. And it was like, I'm a night owl. And you know, my thing when I was a teenager was that SNL reruns were on Comedy Central at midnight. And so, I would. My parents, my bedroom was downstairs. We lived in this weird place in Brooklyn that was above a garage, but there was one little windowless room next to the garage, which was my room. And the landlord, JP, had left his, like, single guy. It was like the most modern TV of 1993. Right. And I would plug in the headphones from like American Airlines and sit this close to the television and take notes on SNL. Oh, Lina. So sad. I mean, comedy.
Starting point is 00:31:14 It's so important. You're not sad. I mean, that's, I mean, that's like an athlete, like, just, you know, shoot hoops in their driveway. I graduated from high school in 2004. So one thing that I did was at St. Anne's, we had student IDs. And the rule was that you could not come and get tickets to SNL unless you were, was it 16 or 18? I don't, it was. I think it might be 16.
Starting point is 00:31:37 It was 16. Yeah. So I was 15 and wanted to go. Yeah. So I came up with a scheme, which was I was going to go to get. to act like I lost my school ID and have them reprint it and go, you guys got my birthday wrong?
Starting point is 00:31:49 And then have them move the year. And they did. And then I fell too guilty and I confessed. Before I could ever go. I was like, started to think about... You're like, this worked too well. Yeah. This was too...
Starting point is 00:32:05 I could get addicted to this. And pretty soon, I'm going to be scamming men out of their money in Florida and putting them to sleep with a little injection. I can't be on this path. I mean, you're speaking about, like, the fact that 2001 is 25 years ago is insane. It's insane.
Starting point is 00:32:21 There is such an incredible resurgence of your work, specifically girls, but all of your work and how people interact with your work. Do you think it is like this? I mean, it's like people, right, I don't know, people attach it to this bigger idea of nostalgia. But what, do you have a sense now of like what it is, like why people are going back to that show to you to the feeling that that time, do you have a sense of why? Well, you know, it's interesting because I know that a lot of, I don't equate my early
Starting point is 00:32:52 20s. And I think when people read the book, they'll understand why. With the exception of some very specific moments, I don't like equate my early 20s with like a sense of jubilence and freedom just because it was really the moment when sort of adult life and adult pressure descended. So it's interesting and it's cozy. Like when I want to be cozy, I watch Parks and recreation or as my husband calls it, parks and recreations. Oh, with an S. Yeah. And he... And once I said, you know, there's no S on the end.
Starting point is 00:33:21 And he went, you're wrong. But, um... And I knew that I, um, I think maybe I don't do this, but I knew that I loved him because I left my dog with him for the day while I was on set. And it was a big thing for me to be like, okay, I'm going to leave her with you, not with this dog sitter. Let's see what happens. Yeah. And I checked, texted to check in. And he said, we're just watching some parks and recreations. She, loves John Ralphio. And I went, okay.
Starting point is 00:33:47 Okay, that's a good guy. That's a keeper. You can stay. I would watch Parks and Recreations to relax, but the idea that, and to me, I'm like, girls is like a stress bomb. Like, it's like watching. Okay, let's talk about this. I agree.
Starting point is 00:34:00 Girls can be a stress bomb. It's a stressful show. I feel like when I'm watching girls, I'm like watching one of those movies where somebody has like 10 minutes to disseminate a bomb. Like it's not. But it really, really relaxes people. And I think it reminds them of a time. It reminds them of time in their lives and a time in the character's lives.
Starting point is 00:34:18 And a lot of people will say to me, people who are on the old, on the more 40 end will go like, I lived in, I lived off the Lorimer stop when I was 23 with my two best friends from college. And, you know, now one of them's dead and one of them's a Republican. You know, like they are looking back at a moment that felt really good and alive to them. Yeah. And I love that they think that the girls are cozy and feel like they're their friends like that. Yeah. And also, all I ever wanted to make, I always was sad, like, I'm never going to be the person who makes cozy TV that makes anyone want to curl up.
Starting point is 00:34:50 But so if it is that for people, I also think there's something, even though the show does have social media, even though the show, you know, there's like a conversation in the first episode. And I've never watched girls since we finish. So I, really? You've never done a rewatch. I've never done a rewatch. I've never done a rewatch. I just, I guess I'm always thinking, and I don't know, do you ever watch things old work? I rewatched Parks and Recreations with my kids.
Starting point is 00:35:17 They love it. And I would suggest someday you do because... Rewatch Parks and Recreations, I have. Rewatch girls because it is just a really, like, concrete way to be more gentle to yourself. Oh, that's so sweet. All the stuff that you would maybe be critical of kind of goes away. at least it did for me, and you just remembered the feeling. Like, I didn't even remember what happened.
Starting point is 00:35:46 I was like, what happens here? Does Leslie win? Like, I couldn't even remember the plot, but I could remember the feeling of making the scenes. Like it was like a body feeling. And it made me feel grateful. It made me feel really grateful. And I wonder, I would wish that for you.
Starting point is 00:36:03 I don't know if you will feel that, but maybe you will. I mean, I love those people and I love that. And there were so many wonderful times, you know, after Andrew Reynolds read the book, he was like, it was like it made me sad at some points because I felt like we were having so much fun. And then I read it and it didn't feel like you were having fun. And I was like, no, when we were on screen, that was the best thing ever. That was my, like that was my escape from everything else that was happening in my mind. I was felt like I could open a door into being those people.
Starting point is 00:36:31 And I remember feeling like this. And it's the only time I really felt this way because I'm not like a mystical actor in this way. but I just, I felt like my, whatever lean-up problems are go away and like the problems of these particular people, which feel sort of light and inconsequential at the end of the day, took over. And so I was like, no, I always felt joy when I was with you. I always felt joy when I was doing, linked, hands linked with these people doing this thing. It was everything that came with it. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:36:58 That was hard. What do you think people who write about girls or wrote about girls got wrong about it? At the time, it was like there was two ends of the spectrum, which is. there are people who thought we weren't in on the joke at all, like, that we were thought that we were making, like, you know, a pressing film about, like, the concerns of America's neediest population and that we just were really missing the mark. Right. And then there were the people who thought that I was, like, so in on the joke that I remember
Starting point is 00:37:25 there being conservative commentators who were like, actually, this is a, you know, this is, she's securing woke millennials, and she's taking them down. And I was like, actually something can live totally between those. places, which is we take them totally seriously and we totally get what's funny about it. Yeah. People underestimate young women all the time. Yes. And it was funny. It was like, if people didn't like the show, it was my fault. If they did like the show, it was the fault of someone else. It was just, it was. And really looking back, now if somebody, people come to me a lot and we'll go, like someone's saying something mean about me on the internet, what do I do?
Starting point is 00:38:01 And I always go, just don't look at it. Yeah. Just don't look at it. But I couldn't take that advice that. Of course. That's why it's when you were asking, like, how do you like talking about the book? How do you not like talking about the book? And then I circled away from that. I'm going to circle back is sometimes people will ask me, you know, why do you think people felt this way about you? Or why do you think people felt, why do you think people had a strong reaction? You and I go, it's ultimately like not really my problem. Not only is it not your problem. It's not your business. How about that? That's the way people think about you is none of your business. not your business. It's not your business. It's truly not. It's just like, and that is. I'm checking
Starting point is 00:38:41 into the hotel under the name Nunya business. None your business. Also a book written by one of sides. When you were writing the characters for girls, did you think it was a show about female friendship? I thought, yes, I thought it was a show about female friendship, but I was like, it's a show about like the fact that female friendship is actually, until you figure out what is and isn't your business, it's a thorny torture scape. And because the thing about women is I'm obsessed with them, and part of why I'm obsessed for them is also because I'm scared of them because they're too smart. I see.
Starting point is 00:39:15 Do you know what I mean? You might not feel that way. I don't, I don't, but I understand what you mean because it is, I think it's very honest to bring up the fact that complicated people, interesting, complicated people often provide complicated, interesting, like, relationships. And there were times when I would watch girls and I'd be like, are they friends? The answer was often no. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:39:46 I mean, they were holding on to an idea. Part of the reason they were friends is because sometimes when people are young, they hold on to certain friends, not just because of the good feelings they give them, but because they get to feel superior or they get to feel, they get to feel like in contrast they're winning, or they get to feel like, or they get to feel like they're shinier because they're next to the pretty person, whatever it is, and you're still, like, you're not, when you're in your 20s, you're not even that far out of high school. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:40:13 You don't even, haven't even yet let go of all that stuff. And now, this isn't to say, I'm, I have amazing, my female friends are incredible. I'm not afraid of them, but I also in my, there's something about the ways that women can see each other and know each other that can feel very exposing. And the thing that's really nice is now I feel that the most of the most of the most of the majority of my female relationships have, there was just a day where I woke up and went, I haven't had to exchange a really heavy email in a while. Like I haven't had to, remember once having a fight with a, um, girlfriend in, in our 20s and we were like going back and forth in these long
Starting point is 00:40:53 point to point. Now I will not, if someone raises points with me, I will not be addressing the points. Like I'm not going. You're not bolding the points and then here are my responses to the points. I'm not a lawyer. I'm not going to make. notes on your doc you sign and send it back to you. That's not what's happening. But we were doing that and I remember showing it to like a boyfriend, outrage. And he was like, I don't even know what I mean.
Starting point is 00:41:16 It's like you guys are in like a scholastic writing competition and you're each trying to write the best essay about why the other one is bad at being a friend. If you feel this way. And then moments later, everyone's apologizing going, I didn't mean any of that. And it's like, well, that was a lot of energy to expend on this creative writing exercise. say, like the kids say, say less. Say less. Say less. Someone told me recently that if somebody writes you, I mean, have you ever seen that meme where someone's like, um, uh, congrats or sorry that happened to you? I don't know. I'm not trying to read all that. Somebody writes someone
Starting point is 00:41:55 a really long text. Yes, I don't know. I'm not trying to read all that. Yeah, I'm not trying to read all that. Aubrey Plaza on the set of parks used to take my phone when I was texting someone and she would erase it. then just write no. And I'd be like, oh, I guess I could say that too. I could just say no. Well, there's a big thing which is my brother taught me. He's like, do not ever reply with more lines than the person wrote you. This episode is brought to you by Pure Leaf iced tea.
Starting point is 00:42:24 Everything is competing for your attention, your phone, your laptop, that email that says, quick question, and it's not quick. It's never quick. So sometimes step back, take a minute, open something refreshing like Pure Leaf Ice tea. It's smooth, crisp, and made with real tea. No rush, no drama. So take a moment for yourself and find relief with pure leaf. Signature lemon and raspberry flavors are now available in six-pack cans. Hey y'all. It's Kelly Clarkson with Wayfair. Ever order furniture online and wonder what if? Like, what if it doesn't hold up? That sofa was four days old. You should have ordered from Wayfair. With
Starting point is 00:43:00 Wayfair, there's no what-if. Just style you love and quality you can trust. Visit wayfair.ca. Your parents, you know, you talk about it in your book, you have really successful art, artist parents who are in that art world, which is talk about, like, in the rooms that are small. I mean, there's like high fashion. There's like hyper intellectualism. There's, and there's the art world that they both live in. It can only get smaller if you're like, well, the contact improv dance community that came out of Oberlin College where Jenna and I went is pretty niche. Improv contact dance, babe, that is wide open. Anybody can get in there.
Starting point is 00:43:47 Impropped, you just got to keep one point of contact between your bodies for the whole time. It's such a purve fest. Like anything that's like, we have to touch each other. You're like, why? I remember I went to one of the classes when I was at Oberlin because I used to do like a column for the Oberlin grape. Shout out to all you grape writers out there. And it was like I'd go and try things on campus. See what I thought of them.
Starting point is 00:44:08 Ooh, I'm going to do cap-aware today. and I went and did contact improv. And basically my thesis was like, perverts. Like that was, I left. Because I remember they were like, okay, now everybody remove one article of clothing of your choice. And everyone was like pants, you know, it was right away. I mean, that is the thing about the 2000s is you look back and you're pretty much like you could just take a stamp to pretty much everything and be like perverts. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:44:30 But before we get off girls, when now we're getting into the weeds. But when Jessa betrayed Hannah, yeah, that was hard. That was hard for a lot of people. That was hard for, Jamima didn't want to do it. I bet. Jamimel was like, don't make me do this. I bet it's a real villain move. But what it allowed us, I think, in the writing,
Starting point is 00:44:50 was it allowed us to really see Hannah in a way that we hadn't yet. And also it was just like the end of a cycle of story. I also think that part of the reason that the way she justified that to herself in the moment, is that she was like, well, Hannah hasn't maybe always been the most considerate friend to me. And she might have had, Hannah might have this idea, here's what friends don't do. They don't sleep with your boyfriend, your ex-boyfriend, and they don't, I don't know, you know, they don't sleep with your ex-boyfriend, they don't push you in front of a car and everything else is fair game. And she's like, no, you've cut away at our friendship with all these other little moves.
Starting point is 00:45:31 And the other thing is because Hannah doesn't see herself as a person with any power, she doesn't realize that she's capable of hurting anybody else's feelings. things. The world is happening to her. And I hope that as she grows, she realizes that actually she is often happening to the world. And I just want to say kudos to you for that moment, not only because it was audacious writing and just moving the story forward, but we were paying attention to Jessa and Hannah. Like that's who we were caring about. That's really nice. And it's, you know, Jemima and I have in friends since we were 11. So it was, it was always really interesting when we got to really dig into the story together.
Starting point is 00:46:10 Yeah. Because often we were just, you know, in the same room at the same party, raising our eyebrows at the same thing. And when we got to do those big, chunky, emotional scenes together, it was amazing. But I do remember her, when I was directing the scene where she and Adam kissed for the first time, she was really, I could see her panic because it went against every instinct she had about behavior. And I had to say, I'm not, he's not really my boyfriend. and I'm not really going to get mad at you. Right. He's actually just acting.
Starting point is 00:46:40 And so are we. And at the end of the day, neither of us kissed each other's ex-boyfriend, so we're going to be fine. Yeah. And probably even if one of us did kiss each other's ex-boyfriend, we'd be fine. And you were like, put on this Patagonia,
Starting point is 00:46:53 lightweight. Put on this Patagonia. Lightweight, zip, and call this man to paint your walls, and we're going to be fine. And we're going to be fine. Yeah. Okay.
Starting point is 00:47:02 I want to get your hot takes in a few things. Okay, great. These are completely random. things, but I feel like you have strong hot takes that I would love to hear about. Okay, great. And there's no right or wrong. Okay. TikTok.
Starting point is 00:47:13 I spent, you're amazing on TikTok. Thank you. Welcome to TikTok. I've seen your TikToks. My algorithm knows who I am, obviously. And a lot of them are from your bed. But what I like about TikTok, I mean, I'm sure, like everything in the culture is changing. But what I like about it is it seems like it's allowed a lot of people to find like-minded
Starting point is 00:47:34 folks and to find people who are, I always see like a woman alone in a farmhouse feeding grizzly bears from a pan who's found her friends. And that I like. Found your friends. And also, I think there's just good comedy there's. I think there's good comedy. There's good comedy. There's good educational content. And, you know, I don't want to be watching someone like sell me a freckle stick. But I do. I mean, my TikTok algorithm when I still had it was women with pigs. And I like, when there's in Australia where sex work is legal.
Starting point is 00:48:08 I love to watch women count their money and talk about their experiences. And their money counters. Yeah. I love that. The ASMR nails. Also, I like the women who work at exotic dancing clubs
Starting point is 00:48:21 and are at the front and you don't see the patrons but you see them deciding who's going to come in. Yes, I love that too. I love women at work. I love women at work in all the way. And sometimes what's
Starting point is 00:48:34 is you'll watch someone over time and they start really authentic. And then you see like a little taste of, I mean, this is what does I'm like? A little taste of fame makes us all sick. It's not. It's very true. Shorter question, Diet Coke, yes or no? Do you know the kids have been calling it fridge sigs? Yeah, love it.
Starting point is 00:48:51 I love Diet Coke. I don't think it's an everyday thing. Agree. My mother, it's a treat. If you do a trick. If you do a trick, you get a Diet Coke. When I, my mother, every time she gets a mammogram, and since she was 40, she's, She, every time she gets a mammogram, she gets a New York City hot dog and a diet Coke.
Starting point is 00:49:08 A dirty water hot dog and a diet Coke. So it's her. Yes, I see that. She has the full carcinogens package after a successful mammogram. Meg Stalter, oh, Mary. Oh, I'm so excited. You love Meg. We love Meg.
Starting point is 00:49:21 I'm so excited. I mean, just what Glee will be that, I mean, that show, that woman. She's such a funny, special person. She is a, she is hilarious. I've had the pleasure of working with her a few times. Also, I'm loving. how she's interacting, talking about like fame and the internet. She's found her way.
Starting point is 00:49:38 She's found something really interesting. Least favorite current fashion trend. I've always said that my style is like bratty five-year-old with a credit card. Oh, that makes a lot of sense. You feel that, right? Like it's like a girl who's like, my dad gave me this and she said I can get whatever I want. And then you just can because so many of the things that also because my parents have good taste when I was a kid a lot was like, you don't want that. That's not, you don't want that sparkly leopard, velour, tunic and matching
Starting point is 00:50:10 leg warmers. Yes, I do. And now I'm an adult who makes my own money and I can have it. I get that vibe from you. You're very high, low in that way. Like, I love that you, like, you know a ton about really, like, esteemed artists and writers. And then also you, like, you don't feel like a snob about it. It's hard because, you know, New York kids can, some sometimes, like, have access to stuff. And then, you know, people feel like they're not allowed to get in the room. And you do not give off that vibe. I'm glad. I like, I mean, I love, I love reality television.
Starting point is 00:50:45 Yeah. Do you still love reality television? I don't, but I, I, I, uh, do you used to? No, I mean, I wasn't a housewife's fan because it, it, it fucks with my nervous system a little bit. I get it. The way people are arguing and misunderstanding each other, I do enjoy a, uh, uh, below deck. I enjoy a jobs-based
Starting point is 00:51:04 You like jobs-based programming And I will say one nice thing about England is there's a lot of shows that you can watch that are unscripted but relaxing. There's a lot of like, would you like to watch this very well-decorated female historian take you on a tour of the oldest castle in Wales? Mary Beard, we live for you.
Starting point is 00:51:24 And or would we like to, you know, I mean, Great British Bake Off is an example. Incredible. But that's not reality. In my opinion. Well, I mean, I guess it's real. I got asked to go on the Great British Bake Off. They do like a charity celebrity bakeoff.
Starting point is 00:51:41 And I went, I don't cook. I don't clean. Let me tell you how I got that ring. I don't have anything to do with it. But I thought, okay, like this is a, surely they can't expect that much of us. They're not calling in, you know, chefs. They're calling in actors and writers. They put me on the phone with a producer and said, like, the first challenge is going to be a crumpet challenge.
Starting point is 00:52:06 You are supposed to make a crumpet that expresses who you are. Okay. So I was like, well, I have British short hair cats. They're gray. I could do a crumpet that had like some gray coloring and then do ears on it and then eyes. And it could be like my cats as a crumpet. And they went, okay, great. So maybe almond butter could be the eyes.
Starting point is 00:52:23 And you could do some sort of like a raspberry jam for the mouth. Paul obviously is not comfortable with any store-bought jams or butters. So, but we have a really simple pistachio butter recipe that we could send you. And I actually have a great short book on making jam. Wait, what? And I was like, making jam. And then I said, you know, I've never cooked a crumpet. Is there some like basics?
Starting point is 00:52:49 Do I have to go back to some basics? And they said, well, there's a great book called The Science of Baking, which we can send you, which kind of. And then I started to describe it to Michael, my business, and he's like, have you lost your ever-loving mind? Like, are you about to put in? And then I was going to go over to my friend Rose's sister's house because she bakes and she was like, I actually do have a familial crumpet recipe that if you try it nine, 10 times.
Starting point is 00:53:09 And then they said to me, um, ovens go on at 8 a.m. And off at 6 p.m. And I made some joke and I was like, well, at least you guys will help me turn those on. They was like, oh, no, we're not allowed to touch any of the knobs. And I just went, we're out of here. We're out of here. We're out of here. I love that for you.
Starting point is 00:53:24 I love that no for you. That's a great no. And I, because I love to try to become an expert at something really quickly. Yes. But this was beyond, this was way beyond anything that I could handle. Plus the tension of Paul not being happy. Paul's not comfortable with any storebought jams. Yeah, those husky eyes shooting lasers at you because of the jam.
Starting point is 00:53:48 Okay. The new Moon album, do you love it? Of course. I love everything that Moona touches. Theme parks. Do you love them? I do not think that I have. been to a theme park in adulthood.
Starting point is 00:53:59 And it may be one of the only things I'm comfortable saying, I won't do again before I die. You? I agree. I respectfully decline. Would you ever have a robot in your house? I think that my, I think that I would cathect onto and anthropomorphize the robot too much.
Starting point is 00:54:19 Sorry, what was the word you used? Cithect. Whoa. Tell me if I used it correctly. Incredible. New word alert. Cathect. Cethact.
Starting point is 00:54:29 Tell me what you're seeing. Cethect. I'm not even going to define. I'm just going to see. It's a verb that means to invest mental or emotional energy into a person, object, or idea. So like anthropomorphize kind of. I would anthropomorphize the robot.
Starting point is 00:54:41 They often, therapists will sometimes say, like, if you are projecting on, they'll say like we've had an episode of Cthaxis. Would you have a robot in your house? I would. But I feel like I'd be able to control it until it killed me. Okay. And then we have talked about my producer, Jenna, who you have known for 20 years. Yes, I have.
Starting point is 00:55:04 I have a question. What was Jenna like when she was 23? Jenna was cool. Like, Jenna still is. Jenna was like a cool, hot hipster who lived in Brooklyn and knew all in like the, one of the, I was still in college and went to go hang out at Jenna's apartment. It was on the second floor on Atlantic Avenue Kind of correct, right? And it was on the second floor in Atlantic Avenue
Starting point is 00:55:31 And she had like a rustic boat wheel That they had upcycled and used as like a piece of wall ornamentation And Jenna wore like one of those little, you know, bike messenger hats Sure And I will always remember I'm going to embarrass Jenna right now I, Jenna had a girlfriend I don't want to upset anyone but Jenna had a girlfriend And Jenna can always cut this.
Starting point is 00:55:54 Jenna always can cut this if she wants. She's the boss. Yeah. And I love that. Like, I used to get to sleep in a room. Like, we had like multiple twin beds. For some reason, there was like a room with three twin beds and only two girls. At Oberlin?
Starting point is 00:56:07 At Oberlin. At Oberlin, we had a room. Somehow we'd gotten lucky. And so I pushed two of them together to make a queen. And then somehow ended up like in my queen with Jenna having to share the single with somebody else. Interesting. And I was sort of like, you guys are. Share the single?
Starting point is 00:56:24 the single girlfriend. And I remember going, using some insane logic like, listen, you guys should feel really lucky you have each other. And what I have is this queen that I made out of two shitty old mattresses. Hold on. So just to go over it. Yeah. When you and Jenna were in college,
Starting point is 00:56:41 Jenna was sharing a single with her girlfriend. Who was my roommate? And you had a queen. Yeah. That I'd made out of two mattresses. And you were feeling still victimized by that. Correct. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:56:50 I was like, guys, you know, it's like kind of hard to just be sitting here as a single person. and having to look at all this love. I've been through a lot. And also, you might remember that I had to go home from college last year because I have chronic mono. So just think about other people. I shouldn't have done that, Jenna. And I'm sorry.
Starting point is 00:57:11 Looking back, it's deranged behavior. But we only have to make things make sense to us, really. That's right. Okay. And then let's talk about good sex because, so we have this thing. Yep. Good Sex is a new movie coming out on Netflix. It's a rom-com that you wrote and directed.
Starting point is 00:57:29 Yep. Natalie Portman spoke to us today. We got a question from Natalie. Natty. And who spoke so beautifully about you as a person and as a director said something that I just like, I will really think about and take with me, which is that she felt very seen by you when she was being directed by you. Of course, she felt like you set a tone for not only. like everyone on the set, but you were paying very close attention to what people were doing. And also just like gave specific feedback when you liked something, which I know sounds like,
Starting point is 00:58:04 but it's not always the case because we are so, we have such a bias to talk about what needs to be fixed. And we kind of forget to say like, oh, that was good. I like that good job. Well, it's funny. First day, I'm so tough. Natalie Portman is, I mean, she was such a big deal to me when I was a youth, because she was just the cool girl's cool girl, the thinking woman's ingenue, the everything. And meeting her was one of the rare moments where I really kind of got tongue-tight and goofy. And then she makes you feel really cozy. But getting to work with her and getting to know her and getting to know her magic and her friendship with Rashido, which has existed for like almost 30 years. Yeah. She's just, she's everything you'd think she would be. But I feel like
Starting point is 00:58:53 you know how we were saying like women are so good at things that they're then punished for it? Yeah. Like they, people go, well, you did that well, I guess you'll just keep doing that well and we'll lay more on you. Natalie is such a good actress and she's such a good actress even in moments where she doesn't have to be. She exudes it. Like you have a shot that's like her on a telephoto lens crossing the street in traffic and she does something interesting with her face. So I was like, I think that almost people don't want to say you're the most amazing actress I've ever seen because they feel like it makes them look like ghost or dork. or they should just be accepting this as reality.
Starting point is 00:59:25 But every single day I went, that's insane what you're doing right now. And watching her be goofy is so fun. She is a big goof. She's a goof. Well, she had a great goofy question for you. I'm so excited. She said, and it's funny because we talked about this, we started talking about this. She said, what is the best pig to adopt?
Starting point is 00:59:46 She said, you have pet pigs. We talked about pigs. She wants to know what kind of pig. We got into, she's in Paris. Apparently there's a wild boar situation in Paris. I don't want to get into. I don't want to get political. But we and she knows that she's not ready to be a pig parent yet where she is.
Starting point is 01:00:05 She's a rabbit parent, but she's not ready to be a pig parent. Got it. And she's a really good dog mom too. But what's the best kind of pig? Yes, to adopt. Well, in your opinion. Okay. So obviously there's, so here's something for anyone at home to know if you're thinking about adopting a pig.
Starting point is 01:00:20 Very good. If someone tells you that you are getting a tea cup. pig, you are not. If someone tells you you're getting a mini pig, you're not. A mini pig is any pig that's under 500 pounds is what is classed as a mini pig. Very important to know. Unlike a farm sow, which can go up to like
Starting point is 01:00:35 1,400 pounds. And also pigs, unlike dogs, like you don't have a sense from their piglet size of how big they're going to be, because they keep growing until they're five. Wow. And they also, another fact about pigs, not two sets of teeth, three sets of teeth. They lose their teeth twice. And I've been saving all
Starting point is 01:00:53 those pig teeth for a rainy day. Just for a nightmare, some kind of nightmare scenario. That's exactly right. Two of the pigs that are in my life are Meshon pigs. Meshon pigs are, they're now actually classed as critically endangered, but they are a Chinese species that dates back at least 5,000 years. They look like they're famous for a few things. They're amazing mothers.
Starting point is 01:01:16 They have huge litters up to like 17 or 18 at a time and they mother them expertly. Oh dear. They look like little elephants. Wow. And they don't root a lot and they don't, they forage, not root. And they're just chillers. And so if you have space, you might think, let me go with the smallest pig that would be easiest, but actually a Meshon is a great, cozy, I think really good beginner rescue.
Starting point is 01:01:47 A beginner pig which is 17 or 18 piglets on the way. The other thing is that I've learned is a solo pig's not nice. I know. I know. So, solo animals in general. So animals in general, but a dog seems like they can get a lot of what they need from like, you're my buddy, you're my buddy. I'm going to go out on the street and see my buddies. But pigs can't just, because they're very territorial, they can't just like casually have playdates with another pig. They either need to be in a life together. And when I got my first pig, Victor, who I thought would be a solo pig, he was talking all day long. And I just thought, I'm trying, buddy, but I don't know what you're saying. And so that's why we got Cherry.
Starting point is 01:02:22 Cherry and Victor Yeah And it was an arranged marriage It feels like a Neil Simon play It was an arranged marriage We didn't know how it would go And what I loved is that the first day That we let them at
Starting point is 01:02:33 He went over and kind of started to like Get a little agro with her And she bit him on the butt As hard as she could him from that day on He was like It's your scene lady Like he's It's like a rom-com
Starting point is 01:02:44 Yeah It was a pig romcom And now she spends a lot of time Sitting on his head And she took off her little pig glasses And he was like You're beautiful. Lena Dunham.
Starting point is 01:02:56 Amy Poller. So lovely to talk to you. I'm so happy you could come. Thank you. Congratulations on your movie. Congratulations on your book. And, you know, we've known each other for a very long time. It's really, really nice to see you again.
Starting point is 01:03:11 It's really nice to see you too. You are a really, I mean, it's a well-named, I said to someone that I was going on podcast, I was like, and it's not a lie. She's a good hang. Thanks, dude. Right back at you. Yeah. Happy 40th, babe. Thanks, Queen. Come on over to the other side. It's so great over here.
Starting point is 01:03:29 Thank you so much, Lena Dunham. Just so smart and interesting, such a great discussion with you. And thank you so much for being here. And, you know, Lena is a New York City kid. And we're gearing up for New York City summer. And for all you people headed to Broadway, I want to use this polar plunge to remind you that three champions, three comedic giants are on Broadway right now as we see. speak. And that is Anagastair in Shmigadoon. That is Maya Rudolph and Oh, Mary. And that is Rachel Dratch in the Rocky Horror Picture Show. So get your tickets, babe, because this kind of event only happens every hundred years when all of these beautiful women are on stage at the same time. And aren't we lucky to be alive when that's happening? So congratulations, ladies. And congratulations to you if you get a chance to see them. And thank you for listening. And see you soon. Bye.
Starting point is 01:04:24 You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss-Berman, and me, Amy Poehler. The show is produced by The Ringer and Paper Kite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Katz-Belaine, Kaya McMullen, and Alea Zanaris. For Paper Kite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell, and Jenna Weiss Berman. Original music by Amy Miles.

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