Good Hang with Amy Poehler - Quinta Brunson

Episode Date: April 8, 2025

Quinta Brunson does not want to be a mogul. Amy hangs with the 'Abbott Elementary' creator and star, and talks about being the face of a network TV show, knowing the difference between Jon Bon Jovi and Bon Jovi, and the dangers of being short.  Host: Amy Poehler Guests: Quinta Brunson, Zack Evans, Andrew Gauthier, Ash Perez, and Kate Peterman Executive Producers: Bill Simmons, Amy Poehler, and Jenna Weiss-Berman For Paper Kite Productions: Executive producer Jenna Weiss-Berman, coordinator Sam Green, supervising producer Joel Lovell For The Ringer: Supervising producers Juliet Litman, Sean Fennessey, and Mallory Rubin; video producers Jack Wilson, Chris Wholers, Nick Kosut, and Aleya Zenieris; audio producer Kaya McMullen; video editor Drew van Steenbergen; and booker Kat Spillane Original Music: Amy Miles Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. I'm so excited about our guest today. It is the incredible Quinta Brunson, who is not only funny and smart and gracious and a seemingly great boss, but is a mogul, is kind of just an incredible driving force in an industry and in many ways saving it from extinction, no pressure. Anyway, I'm so excited to have a Quinta here to talk about all of those things and to hang. And we always like to do something in the beginning of our shows where we gather people together that know Quinta, that have worked with her, that know stuff about her that we would never know and ask them how they feel about her and what they think I should ask her. This episode is presented by the Toyota Grand Highlander. life's journey brings constant change filled with exciting surprises, new chapters, and grand

challenges. And the Toyota Grand Highlander is more than a vehicle. It's your partner in embracing all life throws at you. Blinked and the kids have grown up, the third row can fit three adults. From daily routines to life-changing adventures, the Toyota Grand Highlander is up for every grand challenge. Learn more at Toyota.com slash grand highlander. Toyota, let's go places. Let me say, all I ever wanted was a really good hey. Let me just tell you who I have here with me. I have Kate Peterman, Kate's a writer on Abbott Elementary. Hi, Kate.

Hi. Zach Evans, also writer, creative director in L.A., founder of CreateRepe, an online community for creatives, and also a BuzzFeed alum with Quinta. Hi, Zach. we have Ash Perez. Hi, Ash. Ash, also a BuzzFeed. I guess like you could say a BuzzFeed alum, right? BuzzFeeder. Buzzfeeder. Okay, welcome. And then we have the big boss. Andrew Gautier, French name. Congratulations. Andrew, you were the head of BuzzFeed video when Quinta and Zach and a lot of you and Kate and Ashley were all making content together. This is not a deposition. Nothing you say.

will be using but welcome to good hang how's everyone doing feel a bit like i'm i'm in a performance review with andrew but besides that great Andrew do you like to do performance reviews speaking of performance reviews yeah um because i think a lot of a lot of performance reviews are just like criticisms and i think i always tried and i think we always tried at buzzfeed to focus on positives You know, we wanted to, like, be an incubator for talent. So it was, you know, focusing on what people were best at. Andrew, I can say that's a lot of corporate speak you just threw at me. You said incubator.

You said it. Let's go around before we start and say some of our most fun corporate slang. I'd like to circle back and piggyback off of what Andrew was just saying. I, too, yeah. Follow up on that, Kate. I would just like to plus one all of your comments. on that as well. I just want to ping that plus one real quick.

Do you guys know the comedian Lisa Beasley? Mm-mm. She does a corporate character. That's so funny. She does a, on TikTok, she does a character called corporate Aaron. Yes. Oh, yeah. She did it during COVID, that incredibly long, nasally beginning of a meeting where she's like,

it's 929, and I guess we'll get started. And she has like tons of vocal variety. And she's definitely trying to get the meeting started. She's really upset. And she has a lot of stuff to get through. It's not easy. It's not easy. Anyway, okay.

Kate, why don't we start with you? Tell me how you and Quinta met. We met in college. I met Quinta when we both got on the same improv team at Temple University, foul play, because our mascot was the owls. I'd love to hear that you did. like I did very nerdy improv stuff because oh yeah I think sometimes in comedy there are two types of people

there are the cool people and then there are people that did improv and you write for Abbott how long have you been writing for the show and what's that like? Since the first season it is sick because I remember being with Quinta on her like balcony at this old apartment And she was like, she had just gotten home from Philly and she was like, I was visiting my mom and I just really want to do this show about teachers. And this was like years before Abbott actually happened.

So it's been in like, it's cool to see it go from that idea. And then I was in the pilot with her and getting there to film and seeing her like walk around calling the shots and just because I got there and I was like, it was my first ever time like whatever. And so I was so nervous and trying to. be professional. And then she just turns the corner, it was just like, K-Poo! And just like nice and loud. And I was like, oh, this is so fucking cool. I'm interviewing Quinted today. I'm going to ask her a bunch of, you know, stuff that maybe we, you know, one would expect me to ask. But is there anything you think I should ask or, or anything you think she'd like to even talk about or something you think people would

want to hear from her? Ask her if she now knows if Bon Jovi and John Bon Jovi are two different things. She asked me in confidence, like, in a little whisper, she was like, are Bon Jovi and John Bon Jovi the same guy? Like, as if she had to go talk to him and it was for no reason and it's so funny to me. Okay, that's a great one. Okay, Zach, moving on. How do you and Quinta meet each other? I met Quinta in 2014 at BuzzFeed. I was an intern at the time. It was my first job out of college. And she had just got brought in to do a couple of comedy videos with our friend Justin Tan. Quinta, to me, has always been so amazing at how forward-thinking she was. She was really adamant that the internet was a stage for her to play in.

And, you know, of course, we all grew up wanting to be on S&L and wanting to go this traditional route, going the stand-up route. And she did all those things. And I truly believe she could have done it any path, but she decided to go this internet direction. And truthfully, I don't think she gets enough credit for being that first, one of the first people to make the leap from being an internet personality to being in the mainstream and dominating. Thank you, Zach. That was awesome. Okay, Ash, tell me your origin story and your question. Okay, my origin story with Quinta is that we sat next to each other at BuzzFeed and notoriously, probably unlike these people where Quinta's original thought was Kate is tight. Quinta did not like me. My fun fact of my whole

life is that the character of Janine is based off me or loosely based off of me on Abbott. Do you have confirmation of that? Yeah. It's, she said it in interview. She said it in variety, so I have it. She said it in the writer's room. Yeah. Okay, I have two questions. One is a serious one, and then one is going to make her grown and she's going to know why I asked it, which I'm so excited for. Um, so the first one is just, uh, as an avid student of comedy, what are the top three sitcoms that influence your sense of comedy? Like so much of my memories of Quinta, we used to like, she used to come over my house and we used to watch old I Love Lucy episodes and just like, talk about like, what structured the comedy or we would watch pilots to stuff and like, just like an actual student of comedy in a way that I think is so valuable and that people don't, um, necessarily know, especially because she got her start in the end. internet she has a deep deep lexicon so i would love to hear her answer to that and then uh do you think you would have been as famous if you had ordered a medium instead of a large i can't guarantee it's

going to make the cut but i i am curious to know the answer well her first one of her first viral videos ever for he got money was her um she orders a popcorn oh the popcorn and the skittles a large and so become very much like and that was I would say one of her very first, like, memes along with he got money. So great. Okay. Thanks, Ash. And Andrew?

Maybe this is corny, but I would actually be interested in what, you know, 2014 Quinta would think about Quinta now. You know, if you went back in time a dozen years ago while she was at BuzzFeed, like, how would she react? All right. Well, thank you so much for your time. It was really nice to see all of you again and to meet some of you for the first time. Thank you, Amy. Bye. Bye.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for your time. Okay. Quinta Brunson is here. Quince, I'm so grateful you're here. Thank you for doing this. I'm grateful you are here and that you were born and that you exist. I'm grateful that you were born. What day were you born? I was born December 21st, 1989. Capricorn. Sagittarius. Oh, shoot. I'm the, I'm the. I'm the. I'm the. Directly on the cusp, directly on it. So you're not wrong because some books do say Capricorn and then so much on the cut. I'm right at like 1138 or something. I asked my mom, she was like, I don't know what time you were born.

I was like, sorry for asking. But she said it was between like 1130 and 12, so directly on the cusp, which is good because I think if I was full-blown Sagittarius, I would have been a stripper. I think if I was full-blown, nothing wrong with it, but I'm just saying that I would have been a stripper. And then if I were a Capricorn, I would have been Elon Musk. I would have been really, like... I feel like there is a total mogul vibe that I get from you. I know. I'm not going to capitalize on it.

I don't want to be a mogul. Okay, okay, let's talk about this because you kind of are already. So it's... You're not. What do you think classifies a mogul? Well, this is a really good question. I feel like you are the captain of a huge ship. Mm-hmm.

One ship, though. That's true. But, you know, that's just because you're acting. Once you stop, once you get off set and have to do those hours, you're going to be the captain of, like, four ships. We've talked about this, Amy. I don't want to, I just want to do my thing. I just so relate to this grind that you're on.

And also, Quinta, here to say, like, it is phenomenal what you are doing. That show is, number one, saving and has saved sitcoms. Thank you. It has its, it is proof, it is what everybody points to. Yeah, I do, yep. As a, you know, as a spec, as a, as a, as a comp for how comedy can still work on

broadcast TV. And there's not many left. No, I hope that changes. I do. And I do admire the other sitcoms that are out there, main. They don't grasp the same kind of attention that Abbott does, but I do think there are other, you know, producers and showrunners out there attempting to do good work, specifically on network television.

And there's a show Ghost on CBS that has a bigger audience than we do. It just doesn't garner the same attention. So I just always try to acknowledge that there are other shows trying, but I do also understand that Abbott occupies a very unique and specific space. So, you know, it's funny because we're. We're four seasons in now, and I really want, like, counterparts. You know, I want, I want, I live for a renaissance. I don't enjoy the feeling of, St. Dennis is a show on NBC, and I feel like that.

But so much of this, and maybe, I don't know if it was like that back then, but so much of it is about timing and when and presentation, and so much goes into making something an overall success now that I don't call myself lucky because I think about all the things that go into it. But I do think you have to think about so many different factors to make your show a success at all now. Totally. And I know you're a big student of the sitcom. You're a big comedy student in general. What were the shows that you cared about growing up? What were the sitcoms that you think about and what were the ones you thought about when you were making Abbott? Coach was a show that was very formative for me. I forgot. My mom and I

I, we loved coach. And it just reminded me how much coach was on in my household. That was like, if that was on, we were stopping and we were watching. I'm not sure if it was on Nick at Night yet, but that was a big show for me. Mary Tyler Moore, or King of Queens, very big for me. I just, I don't know why, but one of the biggest influences in my life. I still love that show to this day. 30 Rock, huge.

I know. You're a big 30 Rock fan. I know that about you. So ridiculous. A little show called Parks and Rec, the office, of course, Martin, living single, curb your enthusiasm. I don't know if that counts because it's not network, but always sunny. Same kind of bucket as curb.

I'm forgetting things. Well, I'm sure you're asked this question, but what do you think? I always thought that for me, what drew me to a sitcom was the fact that I could picture. sure in my mind what the characters were doing when I wasn't watching them. Yep. And that's exactly what happens on Abbott. Definitely. That's a big part of it.

And I think it's important if I can see the end of their journeys in the sitcom. And I don't know. That doesn't mean I know when it's going to come, but I see, maybe that's just important for writing. You know, you see a destination for your characters. But very important to me when it comes to making a sitcom. when I visit sitcoms like Parks or the office and I think about where those characters began and where they end, that is what kind of inspired me to tell that story about a different set of

characters. I also think like worlds you can, that really have a day-by-day engine, you know, like, there's something, there's some silly thing. I would say Friends was huge for me too because it was when I started to really grasp onto plot lines that were so, So, you know, Monica lost her earring. I think that was, like, big for me for some reason when, when, it's like, you can make a whole plot about, but that's like a day-to-day of a friend group. And that's what happens in Abbott, just day-to-day issues that we turn into hilarious

conundrums and situations. I read something that really struck me, felt so familiar when you were talking about Janine, your character on the show, that you wanted her and her look to feel appropriate with her job and her town, which, and I, I felt that because I remember when we were first starting to build Leslie Knope's character. Like, I really wanted her hair to be very blonde, and because she's getting her hair done in Indiana, no offense to the great stylist in Indiana, I bet there are many now, but, you know, like, she's not going to get low lights at the best salon.

She's trying what she can do. She's like, she's not quite getting it right. Yeah. And that's beautiful, though. That's so human. And you're doing that. You've talked about that with Janine. How are you doing it with Janine?

Janine started in a place where I think a lot more about Janine than I think shows up on screen, which honestly is what you want. I don't need the audience to think about her as much as I do. But I knew from the beginning this is a girl who had a weird relationship with her mother. Maybe her mother didn't teach her how to like take care of her hair or even. her dress comes from, I want to be the opposite of my mother because I don't think my mother's a good person, so I should dress like a good person, which is the opposite of how she dresses, which is kind of, but Janine doesn't believe it's lovenly or bad. Janine looks in the mirror and goes, this is a good outfit.

You did it, girl. You did it. You did. She does that trick where she turns to the, and she takes one accessory off to them too much. I feel like she goes, you look exactly. Like Holly Berry. And it's like, no, you don't. But she believes she does. And I think that's sweet. I think when the character believes so deeply

that the show doesn't care what the audience thinks. That was a challenge with Janine because I'll be real with you. You know, she's a black character. Black audiences have so few still representative characters on screen. And Black womanhood alone is. so touchy. So when a lot of women were seeing Janine not present as they wanted her to, that became tough. And I understand it. But I think it's important for us to have characters who are more realistic than they are the absolute best representation of us. I think it creates

layers for us not only on TV, but in the public eye. When I was thinking about her, I wasn't really thinking about representation, but she became representation. I don't know if you dealt with that with like... Yeah, I think it's always the interesting struggle about playing comedic characters is you want them to be flawed and have stuff to learn. And the minute people, either yourself or other people, start to get in your head about what they should be representing, what it often does is limit the way, honestly, that men get to play characters, which is they get to play these like really flawed,

People with a lot, and I think it's often the burden that women are made to carry, which is we're supposed to be a lot of things at once, which few people are. So it's kind of, it's hard to do both. It's hard to play somebody funny who's also, like, really got it together. Yeah. And is very, you know, like on chapter 10 when you meet them. Yes. And I think Janine, it was like one of the most exciting things about that show was you could see.

oh, we're really going to go on this ride with her. Like, we're on this ride with her. And it's sometimes, I think it's hard to get people on the ride because they don't know they're on the ride. And I think Abbott really started where I was like, this is going to be a ride. And I feel like that goes into thinking about things. This is going to go for seasons.

I want to tell stories here. We got to start somewhere. We cannot end, you know, where we want to get to in season 10. And I think when the audience members don't know they're on a ride, it can be very frustrating for them. And maybe this wasn't always the case before the Internet. But now, I don't know if you dealt with this on Parks. I have had people come up to me on the street and go, I don't like what you're doing with Gregory's character. And...

Yeah, and you're like, oh, thank you so much for caring. It's, you're caring all over me. Thank you so much. What? It's insane. It's become a real direct, like, and oh, and then that person went, I messaged you on Instagram about it. Well, I tried to get in touch with you, and I wanted you to know that I don't like what you're doing with Gregory's character. She really came to me in a club, mind you, like, very much, like, oh, I'm so glad I'm seeing you.

I sent you an Instagram message. I like how you pretended you didn't see it, but now I got you in person. I don't like what you do. I was just like... Aren't those times where you wish you were like the enigmatic film actress who people feel nervous to approach? I do. I do. I very much do.

Because television people feel like really, really... You're part of their family. You're part of their family. And we love that. Well, you have this incredible claim. I don't think it's spoken of enough that you took advantage of the way. window kind of, you know, your 10 years after I was coming up, which was basically that there was this BuzzFeed video window where people were producing stuff online, early online.

BuzzFeed was interesting because it was so international that you were aware that, like, oh, man, like people in Japan are watching our stuff were being dubbed in different languages, so you were aware of that. But for me, I was never very proud of... my online presence. I felt like as someone who came from improv and sketch, I was still performing at I.O. every night. And then I realized that my improv group, we realized people were coming to see our group because of my online presence. And we were more used to, all right, guys, we got 10 people in the crowd tonight. Let's go crazy. That's three more than last week. We're

killing it. No parents tonight. It's so good. And then all of a sudden, we have a packed I.O. for like, what is going on? But they're coming because they're actually paying attention when I post. I have a show at I.O. tonight. And, like, people were coming. I was like, what are these people doing here?

And they're like, you said, you had a show. I was like, oh, you get so used to know. I don't know, but you were part of like the heyday of UCB. But I'm just saying, like, in my world, it was like, if you got eight people in the audience, it was like, oh, a hundred. That was our always trying to get people. But you were kind of ahead of your time

because there was this feeling, to your point, like, where that content didn't count. Yeah. Like, it almost felt, yeah, like a side gig while you were trying to get the gig. But now, however many years later, you look at it now, and it's like the way that everybody is discovered. I came to just appreciate it as another stage. If you can get on a stage and do stand-up, get on an improv stage and do improv, Why can't you make a video to garner an audience? Isn't that what we want to do as performers anyway?

And also it's a way to just practice writing. Absolutely. Absolutely. That's what it really did for me. I had taken writing courses. I had studied comedic writing. But I do think writing for BuzzFeed was the best way to learn how to do it for massive audiences, which is a skill that I still see writers, peers.

They don't technically teach you that in school. Yeah. I think it's something you learn by doing. I think you're right. And I think what Improv and Sketch teaches you is just like picking your battles. Like you find people that write stuff and they don't want to change it and they want to kind of lock it in. And there's the one thing with Sketch and Improv is,

your ideas, they just are thrown away over and over and over again. And you get this muscle that you haven't had your last good idea. Yes. Absolutely. Which is so freeing. Yeah. It makes you a more collaborative person and makes for better work. And I think, so BuzzFeed definitely did that.

We made, which was insane. We would make like three videos a week that were going to be shared and seen by like millions and millions of people. and if one bombed, it was like, I'm already on my next video. I'm going to, you know, I'm already, I've moved on. You're like, I don't know what you're talking about. Yeah, literally. I can't remember half the things I made there, which is both good and bad.

But I feel like you probably can't remember half the sketches you did for. Oh, God, no. Yeah. Well, speaking of BuzzFeed. Oh, no. I lost my glass. Oh, are you just getting glasses? Oh, I got scared.

Speaking of BuzzFeed, check out my new glasses from Busby. Oh, actually, I'm going to take a lip balm break if you want to take one, too. Quint and I brought her a lip balm. Lip balm and water. And I'd love just to take them out. Oh, this is my camera? Mm-hmm. Get in there.

Hold on. Yours looks better because it has a little wand, mine is my grubby little finger. That was cute. That's how the girl puts it on in the Sephora commercial. She does it with her finger? Yeah. What else are you going to do with?

I just love once again to ask Lanesh, if they ever want a sponsor. Y'all, sponsor, Amy. This is a lip sleeping mask. For now, I'll turn it to the side, so I won't sully your brand, but I want you to know that I've stuck my disgusting finger in that pot many times, and it's always... And not just at night. Right. That's not just for night, baby. It's lip sleeping mask.

It's not just for night, time. Okay. So we do this fun surprise thing where before I talk to you, I get on a Zoom with some people that know you. Whoa. I'm so scared. And just to talk about... Talk about you and really to like get some perspective on what I think I should ask. So earlier today I was talk, I was on a Zoom with Kate.

No way. Did Kate freak out? She's the best. She loves you so much. Does she pretend she was super cool? Everyone was very cool. That is so funny. Oh, my God.

Okay, I was on a Zoom with. Oh, Kate. So it was like a BuzzFeed reunion. It was Kate. It was Ash. No. Zach. Which one?

Evans. Stop! These are people who probably were freaking out, Amy. They seemed very cool. They seemed cool because they probably got it together first, but you need to know that this probably... And then your old boss, Andrew. Andrew Gautier?

Oh. French last name. He's so hot, guys. I don't work for me anymore. I can say that. Yeah, you're right. But he's a sweet man. And they, so we were talking about...

It was really cute. And it's kind of like talking well behind someone's back is the goal. And they were so happy to do it. And we were just kind of talking about that time there. and your time there, and it was really cute because everyone was, you know, kind of going back to when exactly what you were saying, when we were producing a lot of stuff and everyone was trying to figure out where to live. And it's a very tender time and the people that were there. And a lot of, you know, like Kate especially are people that you still work with and who kind of Kate told this amazing story about like one of the first days on set and how. She can remember you saying, I think I want to do the show, you know, about teachers. And then, you know, smash cut to it happening. Yeah.

I have such a random weird. So someone, this is so bad. Someone tried to sue me, WB, ABC, and say that they came up with Abbott. And my memory is shit. There's something to know about me. Same. Same. Really bad.

I think it's because we have to learn lines. I think so, too. Kate's memory is locked the fuck in. And Kate was like, no, no, no, no, no. I will go into that courtroom for you because she was there the moment I had the... I knew that it wasn't true, but I had nothing to back it up. And it's okay. That's why we have lawyer.

I was never going to have to back it up anyway. But I'm just like, damn, I cannot remember. Kate, like, remembers time, date, where, when... Incredible. So she's my best friend, but she's also just incredible for stuff like that. She has the memory that I don't have, which I need a lot. I think we share this in common to your female friendships. are super important to you.

Super important. Like why? What do they do for you? Oh, that's a good question. Oh, man, that's such a good question. I don't know what they do for me specifically. Well, you just said something that I feel like, if I may, I feel like a lot of women in my life would testify for me.

Yes. They really do, they experience life with me. And we all kind of remember for each other. For each other, yeah. And maybe... Kate and I, particularly, have been through so much together as friends, as women, as comedy writers. Kate wanted me to ask you this. K. P.

K. P. Are you aware now that Bon Jovi and John Bon Jovi? Shut up, Kate. Shut up. Don't go through Amy to do that. That's not nice, Kate. That's not okay, Kate. But can we...

That's not okay, Kate. Are you aware that Bon Jovi is... Yes, I know that. I don't know white people. I know you. I know Tina Faye. I know white people in comedy, okay? You don't need to know, but you don't need to know, mine, you don't need to know, my

I just, like, don't know some people. I don't, I understand the name Phil Collins. I don't know what Phil Collins look like. I don't know that he's different from. Sorry to that man. That key key moment. Unbelievable. Was so on point.

That is how I'm. move through life. If they're not in comedy, truly, I don't know. I actually think that's also a wonderful way, like almost a gentle form of rebellion, which is, I have to say, my generation was told that we had to know a lot of these people. For sure, for sure. And now we don't really need to know them. It's okay. It's okay. And also, you were working in pop culture, too. I mean, SNL is still essentially working in pop culture. You have knowns, I don't have a reason to know. who, I'm not crazy.

It's crazy to be in a band called John. Is he John Bon Jovi? See? She doesn't know. I couldn't tell, and it's crazy because now... I'm going to blow your mind even more. His original names... Come on.

Was John Bon Jovi. And then he changed... The band name was Bon Jovi, a shortened version of his real name. So then he started going by John Bon Jovi. But true fans know that it was Bon Jovi. Giov you know everything you just said sounds crazy right and the thing is I'm supposed to know this but then I'm supposed to deal with people who can't tell me and Kiki Palmer part or say my name or can't I just can't if you know about Bon Giovi Ovi and I'm too difficult it's two syllables

Quinta same person I don't understand anyway so that was that was and I don't you know what else is crazy John wait I lost my point but I was going to say something about John Bon Jovi Jovie. Band. I'm trying to think of a band name. Like, who could I compare it to that had a band that was named after their last name? Oh, well, there's another bunch of white boys. Remember Hanson? I understood that. I understand that. You know who I got mixed up for the longest time? Not anymore. But there was no reason for me as a young girl in Philadelphia to understand the difference between Sandra Bullock and Julie Roberts. There was no reason for me to know that. difference. You might have a little bit of face blindness. I do. I do. I do have that. And they know, I know what Sandra knows now, because that's my girl. Of course, I can tell you guys apart now. But when growing up, no reason for me to know that? Sure.

And when people are like, you don't know, no, I don't. I like that. I'm glad that you, yeah, you absolutely do not need to know. Yeah. I can't believe Kate's. Okay. Okay. Ash, I are, Asha, three sitcoms who have influenced you. We talked about that. And then Andrew asked, what would 2014 Quinta think of Quinta now? Oh, Andrew.

I know. And such a managerial question, too. So, Andrew. Andrew's so lovely. I think 2014 me would be like, exactly, period. it because I was a very determined, new, where I was going, girl, I do not like to do that thing where people pretend, I had no idea, like, this could happen to me? Like, no, I made every single move in my life so that this could happen to me, including leaving

Philadelphia. I knew specific things had to happen. And even the way I came into BuzzFeed, I had vision. I was like, I see where this place is going. I see what I can do here. I see how not only it can help me, but how I can help it. And I think it's a means to something much larger. So 2014 Me didn't exactly know this, but I think that's the beauty of vision.

You can feel, see something. You're working in accordance with something. And I'm a big believer in that, I think. You know what I love that you're doing too? And from here on out, I guess we would call it like the shallomay in terms of like, I want to be the greatest. But what I think. Go ahead.

Yeah, what did you think of that moment? I loved it. What I thought was so interesting about that moment. Let's just whisper. Because he can hear us. Whether it was coordinated or not. I thought him mentioning Viola Davis in his speech, I was like, that's fucking smart.

100%. Whether it's coordinated or he really, really meant it. Very smart to do. Smart kid. That alone had me. Me too. had me, and in a way that I don't care if it was like, I'm going to say this because, or I genuinely really mean it, because even if you were going to say it because, yeah, just say

it because, because mentioned Viola Davis. A hundred percent. And I, it was, at the very least, it was the example of someone paying attention. Yeah. And I think, I think that, you know, not degenerate, it happens to men too, but women are especially required to be very surprised by their success and really be, they're asked all the time, can you believe it? Can you believe it? Yes. Like, how does it feel? And you and I, I think, share the similar thing, which is, it feels good. I've been working really hard. I imagined it

would happen for me. I've been there along the way. I've watched it slowly grow. It hasn't been overnight. And it was, you know, and yes, of course, luck. And yes, of course, luck. And yes, of course, privilege and yes, of course, time, all of that stuff. And also, I believed it could happen. And so now there's sometimes an expectation of people want the kind of ingenue vibe of how did I get here? Oh, my God. The lights, the cameras. I just tripped and then I was here. I can't believe it. Oh, my.

I'm not doing that. One thing I love about, I've always appreciated about you is you also do that without sacrificing your sense of like whimsie? You have, I don't know, you just, you still have fun and you don't apologize for that either. And I think that's really cool. When I went to see you and Tina at the, in Vegas, and that was so fun, because actually Ash and Kate came with me. And I told you that was like our Super Bowl. But you tried, you did what I would, storytelling stand up.

And seeing you do new things, I was like, fuck. Yes, yes, yes. You are not apologizing for the fact that you have this show or all the things that you've done, but you also are having enough fun with trying new things. And you just have fun, like you have a smile on your face. You're not like... I mean, this is kind of, honestly, why I'm doing this. It's because it's kind of like, I want to talk to people, I have a good time, I listen to a ton of podcasts.

Yeah. I don't think that because you get to a certain level of something that you're supposed to get really tight and get worried about trying new things, you're supposed to do the opposite because you're feeling like you're lucky enough to be confident you're lucky enough to have some currency or some people who believe in you so that's when you're supposed to keep staying flexible yeah trying and failing over and over again and i think you you are similar like we learned it early we learned it with improv and sketch you're just supposed to keep trying things you keep you're supposed to keep trying i think i have seen a lot of other women who are in similar positions become harsh

over time because, so if you're going to be that confident, now you almost have to take up a harsh demeanor or something. That's right. So you have to like be masculine. Like if you're going to say, I'm good at it and I know it, then you better be masculine too. Don't you dare smile ever again since you know you're so good. But it's weird. And I'm really interested in watching women push back out loud, not just talking.

about it, but actually doing it, which is why I say I like to see you, like, smile so much, because to me, that is the active doing it and, like, have fun in front of people's faces. It's weird. It's almost like that kind of makes people angrier than anything else. When I am, like, having pure unadulterated fun, I feel a small sense of, like, how dare you? Oh, it's a revolutionary act as a woman to have fun. And the other thing is, and I would say about you that I've said behind your back is Quinta plays loose.

And what I mean by that is a good athlete. You're, to me, you're like a good athlete. Amy, don't talk sports to me right now. I'll fall in love. I love sports. I mean, this is a podcast we should probably only be talking about sports. You want this thing to do well. But you play so loose because you are so good at what you do and you are in charge.

But you would, like, you have the, you just have that e. And you have it when you act, you have it when you're in giving a speech. I mean, your Emmy speeches when you win are so good because they are exactly what you say. You are in the moment. You're not, you're not going, who me? I didn't even know. It's like, mm-hmm, this is a correct choice. You chose that.

You just go, thank you for choosing the winner that I am the winner. That's so funny. But you're also super gracious. to everyone who is in your category. You give, you know, you put things in context, which few people do. Oh, thanks, Amy. And it's really relaxing to watch you. Thank you.

You're welcome. I love sports so much. Oh, my love sports too. My honor to be called the Josh Allen of. I don't know who that is. No, he's the quarterback for the, um, the, um, Not the Giants. Sorry. Not the Jets. The Bills. Sorry. Thank you. Oh, he's so nice. He's dating Haley Seinfeld. I never even knew that information.

No, I know that. He's dating Haley. And he did a very sweet thing where he knew all the young children that he visited at a recent hospital. He knew all their names. I don't know his stats. You know, he's controversial, but as a player, yeah, people like think he's, I'm not going to, whatever. He has a beard. This is what I think about sports players. No one, I don't need. don't tell me, I don't need to talk to them. I don't need to know about their personal lives. I'm trying to do this with the Eagles now.

Do not look at them. They don't perceive them. They do football well. Don't come over here. Okay, I'm the exact opposite. I don't care so much about the football, but I want to know. You want to know. How's it going with mom?

See, you know, I want to know. That's a problem. What do you do in the off season? Going into Josh Allen's life. No, let's talk about what he does with the football on the field. That's what's important to me. I hear you. But anyway, but he's playing.

In the Olympics, though, when the thing starts, when the, whatever they're competing and starts, I'm like, hmm. But I like all the stuff when they're back in their hometown. I feel you. I mean, I guess it is important. I just, I guess I'm only talking about the Eagles. I just don't want people to ask about the people. Congratulations on your, on your win, by the way. That must have been exciting to be a Super Bowl. It was. So much has happened to me in the past 10 years, but I would say top five is the Eagles winning the Super Bowl. Wow. I know. I'm feeling so good. Quinta, is there anything? I mean, we have to just, I guess, promote Abbott, Please watch Abbott Elementary. It's on ABC, which is a network. We all know. We all know where it is. It's on Hulu. And I mean, I know during COVID, I had so many people come up and say that Parks got them through.

And I know the same for Abbott. Totally. I just, I took that at the time as this bigger feeling that comedy is like, is a comfort. And there's some kind of giant. warm feeling I get from being a part of anything that special. Did you get the same experience? And people say that to you. Absolutely.

And it is a mark that you get to leave with the world, not on the world, but with the world, which is so special. There was a girl that came up to my co-stars on the street. Cheryl and Lisa, I can't stop them from walking around on the streets. I try. I can't do anything about it. We just filmed in Philly. And, you know, I had one thing. I was just like, guys, maybe don't walk around here because it's very recognizable.

Maybe just take it easy. Nope. They go to get their nails done. They're walking to different stores. I can't control them. Anyway, so, but a girl walked up to them and Cheryl took a video of this girl talking about how in our show, because Philadelphia has a huge Muslim population, we try to represent the city as much as we can. And we had an episode that featured a young Muslim girl in her hijab. And this girl was crying, came up to Cheryl talking about how much that meant to her.

It's like the opposite of the effect of someone being like, I don't like what you're doing with Gregory. It's someone being like you don't like get, like she said she was already a fan of the show. That wasn't going anywhere. But then to see that like shifted her shit. And I think that is like the power of a sitcom, we're making you. laugh and then we're making you cry and we're in your house with you either in the binge format or once a week and it's that laugh that's special because I can be in the house with the drama all the live long day but I'm like scared of people after I wasn't on a drama

for too long like oh god you scared the hell out of me even though they're very nice people it's like y'all are scary but the laugh is like you cannot you cannot I think it's Holy. I think it's holy. I think so too. I don't want to be corny, but it is special. I mean, I love being corny. So I think it's straight up holy. Come on in. Come on over. I'm in it. And it's great. And you can just say things like laughter is holy. And everyone goes, oh, oh, that's it. But, you know, Anne Lamont, you know, Anne Lamont, the great writer. She says that laughter is carbonated holiness, which is like kind of how it feels for me. When laughter actually happened, it feels like you're getting some kind of spiritual thing is happening. It's so spiritual. I agree. Why is that corny? It's so the same, too, every, it's the same everywhere. It's the same. It was a mean girl's line about math being the same in every country.

But laughter is that to me. Except for French people. I don't get. I'm so proud of Abbott making French people laugh. There's almost nothing I'm more proud of, by the way. I just was saying this to my friends the other day in our group chat. I was like, the fact that like French people, they love Abbott. they watch it and they like it.

It's like weirdly one of our biggest markets. Whoa. I'm so proud of me. Those are the things that make me proud of me. That French people are like, we, we, I enjoy the show. That is the French people are marvellous. I mean, I would be that proud of it

because French people are so embarrassing. And I don't think people talk about it enough. I find French people are... In what ways? French people got two strikes. And they're just... In what ways? Yeah.

The way they, how French they act all the time. The way they walk, the way that they talk, the way that they dress. Amy has a kindric-like feeling towards the French. Well, no, I'm probably feeling like I'm not as cool as them. And so I'm acting out because Fred Armisen and I used to do a bit where we wanted to do a sketch called French teenagers. And it was just like really cool French teenagers like with leather jackets like doing backflips and smoking cigarettes. Totally. I love that. French people are cool.

But they're embarrassing too. They're embarrassing. I got to meet him for the first time. What a nice man. You've never met Fred? Never. That was also what was cool about the Astano 50. He was like, people I never met before.

And he was talking to Tim. Tim Meadows. And so I was going to say hi to Tim, but I did not know he was talking to Fred Armisen. And I did the thing that I hate where I just assumed that, which is so bad to say. But I was like, oh, he's probably talking to a writer. I won't interrupt, but I'm just going to say hi to Tim. And I was like, hello Tim. And Fred goes hi.

I was like, holy shit. I thought you were a writer. That came out wrong. My bad. What's going on, man? It was so, but he was so sweet and kind. He was the nice man. He was a nice man.

Zach Alfenackus nice man. Oh, he's the nicest guy and so funny. You like Peyton Manning? Love. Doug. I... He's a good time, too. Love him.

Loves. He's just like, he's so funny, naturally funny. He's so funny. He's so, you know, and I'm sure you've worked with this already. Like, at SNL, there's athletes that come. come through and they're like, I'm really funny. And you're like, okay. But Peyton is genuinely funny.

Really, really funny. A really nice man. He became my MVP of the weekend. Not going to lie. Do you carry you around like a football? No, it's just that as soon as I walked in, and I saw so many wonderful people that I do know, but when I walked in, I had a coffee in my hand. He was like, hey, where did you get that coffee?

And I was like, sorry, man, I bought it from the hotel. I knew it might be a little crazy. He's like, I should have did that. And it was just so human. And then I got to talk about football with him at the part. It was just like super sweet. Do you do what sometimes happens with guys like that where they're so giant and you're little, I'm little too, where sometimes I find myself just kind of like touching them without knowing like, wow, like you're a tree.

I also feel like we aren't the same species. I don't feel as though, and I know we're both human. No, you know, I know we're both human. I'm saying, but you know how they was like, oh, I don't. I am a domestic dog. You are a wolf. Yes, exactly. You know?

So maybe it's the same species. And I feel, I think it's an insensual thing where it sounds like I was talking to Jason Mamoa and I found myself putting my like hands like like hell. Like like a time like a little, yeah, an animal I guess just trying to hang on. And in. To touch it. Jordan, you know Jordan Maliatta is? He's a football player. He came to my set the other day.

He's massive. He's massive. Football players are big. he's a big football player. Yeah. And he's just huge. And I'm just looking up and you just, did you get your little pause? Your hands are just on his shoulders.

I'm so sorry. I don't mean to, why am I touching you? I know. I feel like big men must get that more than you think, which is people just going, hey, and touching it. People touch us a lot, too, though. Yeah, they pat us. Go, hey, little buddy. They do.

They do. You get a little pat on the head or you get a little. Have you ever. been picked up against your will uh it is one of my least favorite things least favorite things in the world um people are laughing because yeah why you're laughing i've gotten picked up it's a very it's a comedy improv thing you get picked up in scenes and it it's i i don't know how to explain it other than pure rage it is in it to have your feet lifted off the ground against your will if i'm going on a roller coaster i signed up for that if i'm doing something you know what i'm saying but to just be lifted

and me i'm so sturdy i think i'm super like I'm ten toes down all the time to be lifted off my tent toes. Yeah. Unless. Disorienting. Unless it's the right person. It's the right person.

And then you're like, oh my God. You're like, what? How can you lift me? But it changes my whole purview. I think I'm so big and I'm so strong. If someone lifts you up, I'm like, I'm a pet. I feel like, you know, you pick your pet up and they don't have any. That's what happens to me.

Or you go, or you say, put me down, put me down. Like, then you feel very stressed. When people are like, why I'm in? So I get it? Because as a woman, I'm a little, like, iffy about my height sometimes. So, yeah, I mean, whatever. I get six-foot men, but nothing wrong with the, you know. I think you identify as tall.

I do. That's why getting picked up throws me off so much. Yes. Because I do identify as tall, and that's a break in reality for me. It is. I really feel like it's my cat. My cat feels super tough. He thinks he runs shit.

And then I pick him up, and he's like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, hey, don't be picking me up. I run this house. No, you don't. I can pick you up. So that's why it throws me off when someone picks me up because I'm just like, oh. I don't like it either. Well, you heard it here first. Don't go up to Quinta and pick her up and do not point and give any thoughts.

And try to not say who she reminds you of. No, that was a you think. Oh, that's a me thing. That's a me thing. You can say it. I might not like it. That's just me. So before we wrap up, I'm doing something, you know, I'm asking, because again, this is, we're attempting to have a good hang here.

And I'm asking people like, what are you, what are you going to right now that's making you laugh? You know, what is the thing that you go, you look up or a place you go or a person you talk to or a thing that, you know, is kind of the way that you escape? I regret to say that there's these videos online. I don't really watch TikTok. Really? Why? I just don't. I never really. So there's these video, I'm learning of this cat.

And it's an, and I don't like it because it's AI. Okay. I don't like it. Look, this isn't a shame based. I mean, there's no shame here. I'm shaming me. It's an AI cat? Hold on.

Yeah. And he, like always is, he starts his day. Okay. Okay, already. Okay. He starts his day. What's his name? H-S-I-N.

I don't know how to pronounce him. He is from Asia. Okay. H-S-I-N, cat? Yeah, do you see him? H-S-O-H-S-O. H-S-I-N. Yeah, cat. It's a breed of cat.

Can I? Yeah, let's look at it. No, you're going to have to search for him in TikTok. Okay, very good. Stand-bye. I'm going to look him up. And he always begins his day. He wakes up and he decides he goes to the market and he buys some vegetables.

And then he goes and finds, are you looking at him? Holy. No, that's not. No, hold on. No, that's not. Oh, this cat? Yeah. Okay, so we'll put him up here.

So he will find a friend like a chicken or a rabbit. He's finding a chicken in this one. Is he? And so what he does. And he's also. And then he cooks the chicken. And he cooks them first. He invites them over for a drink.

And then they drink it and they pass out. He's drugging these. Right. Wait. Okay, this is a whole story. Yeah. And then he cooks him and he eats them and he even has a little funeral for them after he cooks them. It's like, you killed him.

And he has his friend, he has a friend the lion who he calls over to eat. Because I think the lion is the only apex predator in his life because he cooks and eats. Sometimes he drops a bomb in the ocean and then he kills a shark. He has shark meat that day. And the caption is always like, I was in the move for something different today. Or the caption's like, met a friend today. And you think it's going to end well this time? Nope.

He cooks whatever. One time he met a crocodile. I was like, this is seeming like a budding friendship. Now he's in jail. He's in jail. He gets, there are consequences, but his friend, the lion, always bails him out. Mm-hmm. Sometimes he waxed someone over the head and then he eats them.

But sometimes they get him. him back like this fox whacked him over the head once. And I was like, finally, this cat is getting what he fucking deserves this little fucking maniac. But then he calls the lion. The lion comes and wax the fox. They have fox for dinner that night.

And you watch it. I watch every single one. Because I don't look up anything else on TikTok, my algorithm is just this cat. And every time I'm like, I hope this little bastard gets what he wants. But then when he is in the hospital, I'm very scared.

I'm like, He goes to the hospital. He's got to leave. Yeah, because he really gets beat up sometimes. I hate how much they're asking. Also, I know what you mean. And I'm watching it. What is weird about it is it's like the cat is like giving another cat a bath.

Yeah. The cat is a human. He has human quality. But it looks like a cat and now is eating a chicken that he made. That he made. And it's a really fat cat. Yeah. And so he changes sizes too throughout scenes.

And it's like, why in this scene are you bigger than the lion? I'm interested in how he perceives himself to other animals. And he saves a baby every once in a while because you see him saving a baby. He doesn't eat the baby. The first time he saved the baby, though, I thought he was going to eat that baby. And I think that's like him being like, see, I'm cool. But no, you are a psychopath. You are drugging other animals and eating them.

And so that's, yeah. That's how you escape. That's how you escape from working too hard. But I get why you like this because it's storytelling. It is storytelling. And it's AI, so it gets it wrong a lot. And it also makes me feel good. I have a friend Ash actually told me.

Ash told me that Ash has a friend that works in AI. And that person was like, look, the day AI really figures it out. The day everyone should be really scared, Alzheimer's will also be. solved. And I was like, oh, because if AI can really get that close to how our brains really function, we will have then also had the keys to figure out Alzheimer's. And so that brings me comfort and it brings me fear because... I like what you just said. I mean, and also I like that that's the kind of thing that an expert would say on a podcast, but... And I'd be like, what? I heard I heard it from a friend who heard from an expert.

That's hilarious. Okay, I feel like I have to go. Quinta, love you. Thank you so much for doing this. Bye me. Bye. Thank you so much, Quinta Brunson. You are amazing and so talented and it means a lot that you came and you're the best, Quinta.

And yeah, you know, this is the end of the show where we go a little deeper on something that brings me joy or changes my brain. And so we mentioned Lisa Beasley at the very top of the show when we were talking to some of Quinta's friends who worked at BuzzFeed. And I just want to mention her again. Lisa Beasley experience is where you can find. Lisa B. Experience is where you can find her.

And she's just a hilarious comedian. Does a ton of characters. And she did that really funny character, corporate Erin. Check that out if you haven't seen it. It's just corporate speak at its best. And the maddening pace in which people, deliver non-news in work spaces. It's really funny and so is she. And yeah, so if you have not seen her comedy, check it out. And always check out the great Quinta on Abbott. And check us out

always here at Good Hang. Thanks for hanging. Okay, bye. You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss-Burman, and me, Amy Poehler. The show is produced by The Ringer and Paper Kite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Kat Spillane, Kaya McMullen, and Alea Zaneris. For Paper Kite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell, and Jenna Weiss Berman. Original music by Amy Miles.