Juicy Scoop with Heather McDonald - Comedian Leanne Morgan on Netflix, The Road, and Just Getting Started

Episode Date: April 11, 2023

I am going on tour! Get tickets at Heathermcdonald.net The hilarious Southern Delightful stand-up comic Leanne Morgan has made it! We discuss her traditional family life and the unconventional way she got into stand-up comedy. We have a lot in common. We get into swapping hilarious and juicy behind-the-scenes stories. We share some horrible introductions made by male comics and our failed sitcom deals. We give you a real insight into what it is like to be a married mother who is also a headlining stand-up comic. She tells of her first viral moment to now booking arenas. Her First Netflix special airs on April 11! Get extra juice on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/juicyscoop https://heathermcdonald.net/ Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JuicyScoop/featured Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathermcdonald/ Follow me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heathermcdonald?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherMcDonald Follow Leanne on Instagram @leannemorgancomedy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Head of McDonald Has got the juices scoop When you're on the road, when you're on the go Juice is scoop is the show to know She talks Hollywood tales Her real life, Mr. Sigma, serial data And serial system You'll be addicted and addicted fast

To the number one tabloid real life hot cat Listen in, listen up. Woo, woo, and a McDonald. Juicy scoop. Hello and welcome to Juicy scoop. I have comedian fellow mother, grandmother, hilarious woman, Leanne Morgan. Thank you for coming on the show.

I'm so tingled with my hair. I describe you as just everything you say is funny. I don't know if it's just, where are you from? What is this accent from? I'm from a town of 500 people that grows dark fire to back in Middleton, a sea outside of Nashville on the Kentucky Tennessee border. That was very specific. You can tell me people asked me,

I mean, can you tell that people asked me that all the time? I get it down to yeah, so you are very successful stand-up comedian and I Discovered you because you were showing up all over my Facebook page a couple years ago and then I was doing a show And this guy's like oh, I use the same social media people that do Leanne Morgan I'm like my god, so I paid these guys. I'm like can you do what people that do Leanne Morgan. I'm like, my God, so I've paid these guys. I'm like, can you do what you did for Leanne Morgan? And it did not work. It did not work.

My standup did not go at the only viral standup clip I have is when I fainted on stage. I don't have any. Thank God for the podcast. And thank God for the video that are juicy covers I come to see my show. But I don't have any. I thank God for the podcast and thank God for the that are juicy covers I come to see my show but I don't have these moments that you you are. It's just you're so funny and I think it's just so relatable and every time you come across my thing I like sit and watch it. Because I'm

and my sister went to go see you in what's casino where you on Palm Springs Marongo and in Palm Springs? Longer. Longer. And in Palm Springs? Yeah, she had a lot of fun showing with a bunch of girls. Oh. Well, let me say that, say to me, you're one of the cool kids in the cafeteria, and that means so much to me, because I've been doing comedy for over 20 years, but I was living in Knoxville, in Texas, and trying to do comedy and raise three children

and I always knew who you were. And for you to say that about me means the world to me because I see you LA, Cookean, cafeteria, you know everybody, everybody knows you and I always wanted that. And I banged their daddy to move to LA when they were babies. I said, let's sell everything and I'll cook on a hot plate. And he was like, what are you crazy? We need health insurance. And he's always been an executive for a company.

And anyway, so we didn't go. But when, okay, let's talk about your life a little bit. I was born and raised here, so I had that advantage. So I did, and when I started doing stand-up, everyone would say, well, you can't start doing stand up in LA You got to go somewhere get your you know get your act down and then Try to be a stand up and so I came home one day and I told my dad I go I think I'm gonna move to Florida because at the time they were doing some like I don't know there was probably

There's always problems filming here. That's why like people filming Atlanta. Yeah, I don't everywhere else but LA. I don't know why filming here. So that's why people film in Atlanta and I'm never where else but LA. I don't know why. Anyway, who cares? I'm not gonna get political. But we don't, we don't give anybody a tax break to film here. So they go to other places. And I was like, they're doing some filming in Florida. I'm gonna go do that. And then I'll work on my standup and then I'll come back. And my dad's like, what? That's the dumbest thing I've ever been. He's like, do you

even know how hard that is? And I'm like, no, I guess I didn't realize that it is nice once that's the one thing like I knew how to get to the locations of the auditions and whatnot and I had a home base here but you so tell me a little bit about I've heard little bits and pieces of how you got started and stand up just growing up in this tiny town when you weren't fighting off demons did you know that you were like a naturally funny person. Did you watch standups growing up and think one day I'd like to do that?

Yes, I did all of that. I loved, well I loved all comedy, like Sarah Nut Love, you know, Caraburnayet, all that, my mom loved it too, Lucy Arnaz and all that. And I just always wanted to be in show business. And people thought I was funny. And I could tell that I was funny. And I was, but I went to this little bidding country

school that was kindergarten through 12, 650 students. And it was big future farmers of America. And I took home egg and learned how to make an omelet instead of doing chemistry. Yeah. And I, and I was worried today I had my Husker boyfriend and, and I, everybody, most people in my class got married right out of high school and, and became, it went with their families for a minute. Okay. And, but I always knew in my heart, I got to get out of here.

I loved where I was raised, but I thought something big is gonna happen to me. I just knew it. Yeah. And I feel like, even at like 10 years old, I feel like God said to me, it's something bigger. And then I got to think it in my crazy, and I'm like, one of these American Idol kids that think they can sing.

Like I've just gone through that kind of. That, okay, that is so funny. Okay, so I remember being in my school, and of course, they were going to do the most likely to succeed, like eighth grade yearbook, whatever. And of course, this smartest girl got it or whatever. And I remember thinking, I'm not going to get it, but I am going to be.

I kind of was just like, knew it like it's something, and I don't even think that I am in that class. I don't know if I'd be considered. I don't know what considered success, whatever. But I was always like, you know, like there was something, it's interesting. A lot of people say that. Like when they kind of knew it, and it's almost like, oh, I don't want to be boastful. I don't want to say it out loud. I don't want to, you know, that kind of a thing. But then when it happens, you're like, well, I did always kind of manifest it or know it or know I had a gift. Um, I think I'll fail. Yeah. Yeah. And so, so then, so did you marry

the high school sweetheart? I did not, but I followed him to the University of Tennessee. Okay. And he broke up with me in about three weeks after we were there because he was, you know, drunk and a fraternity party and I was coming off of the Adams United Methods, she fell a ship and Nang Tam because I was like, what is this? Sodom and Gomorrah? And he broke up with me and then I grieved and sent my dorm room and watched And then I grieved and sent my dorm room and watched TV and cried over Bring a dong chow commercials, you know, it's a wreck

And then I got out and started climbing and you know and went through horrible saying did horrible things made horrible decisions in the 80s Did you bow to my team in front of my children a lot of guys? No, no, but I made out I made out with a lot of people and I Treat me terrible No, no, but I made out I made out with a lot of people and I Am treat me try. Oh, oh Probably I should say that are you gonna let people know my children are in here with their grown women, but yeah, I I and I think and I really mess with people's hands like I really tried to Torment man. I did. I mean, I was, you know, I knew I had power over them. Well, you know, my book is called You'll Never Blue Ball in this town again. I remember when your book came in. Yeah, because I was a big dry Humper. I was an old virgin big dry Humper. Were you? Yes. Well, I and I and I and I and these guys all say I dress slutty I drink they all thought

They were gonna get laid and then by the third day never heard from them again But I got on some nice got some nice meals. Uh-huh. Oh, I'm begging. Yeah, well, and I was gonna say you being raised here Yeah, I know that Um, you were saying oh, you got to oh, you gotta go and do comedy and get your accent somewhere else, but it was, I think being raised here, it's probably what kept your weight down. I mean, you've got a beautiful body.

And I've been watching you in your combo pictures and you're bikini because you've had how many children? Right. Lord. Nobody looks like that in a bathing suit. Well, maybe they sound like girls. Well, you asked if I was athletic and I am not. So I was always last picked on the team.

Did you do ballet? You look like a dancer. You're laying. No, I just kind of like, I like to dance. Like I like to have fun. And I do like state fit and I do Pilates and stuff now. And I- Pilates.

Yes. And I'm just, you know, but I've been lucky to, like, you know, just kind of have like good jeans or whatever. And I think just try. I just try. Yeah. I try to be cute, you know, I like it. I like it.

But you aren't cute. Thank you. So cute. Thank you. So, okay. So you are blue-balling men and you're drinking and smoking. Smoked cigarettes. I want a big drinker, but I smoke cigarettes and drink coffee and diet coke.

You try to torment people. And okay. So then what happened? Then when do you get married? Yes. Well, I might as well tell you everything. All right, so I married the first time at 21. Oh, you had a starter marriage?

I had a starter and I said this too, little Tony Horton while we were exercising. I was out of breath. Okay, so I think when I went to UT, I think I always wanted to be in Hollywood. Yeah. I always thought this is crazy. I don't, okay, I'll go to college, whatever,

but I'm gonna be a star. Yeah. But my family, they were like, you need to either go to college or in the military. And I was like, well, I can't make it in the military. And I just, I didn't have the guts to come out here. I always told my dad if they ever draft women, I'll just get pregnant.

That's how much I didn't want to go to the military. Oh, lower, I could not make it. Yeah, so go on. So, I, so, and I, and I was, you know, I had these, all that my friends were getting married right out of Costco, but anyway, I went to college and then my Husker boyfriend and I broke up. And I think I was just I was taking classes

But I wasn't doing well. I was flying around in college and I and I really think that I'm marrying this man to To because I didn't know what else today because I was lost and I didn't know what else today You know walking down the aisle at you should know it was a terrible mistake. You have a big wedding It was being for little atoms You know, it was in my church and there was mints and nuts afterwards But yeah, not that big of no it wasn't like nail helping my son had but But in my mind baked in at 21. I thought oh my mom and dad have paid for all this and the dress and all that and I just but I knew It was a horrible mistake. And he was a beautiful, talented somebody,

but he was very mentally ill. And you know, like, then, and how was he? Bob Homer and he took his own life about probably five years ago. And then he was a beautiful family. So how long were you married? I was only married to him for about two and a half, three years.

And I left in the middle of the night because he was mean. But you know, I looked back on it and I didn't know what my polar was. Right. You know, like then I just thought he's crazy. It's mean and all that. But anyway, I left and I went back to school and got my

degree and I met their daddy while we were waiting tables. He was getting an MBA. OK. and I was getting I was finishing up this undergraduate it took me years because I'm so one organized anyway the whole time all of this happening thinking I'm gonna make it in shop is I don't know where I don't know how but are you but you're not I'm not doing anything are you thinking at stand up? Are you thinking you should be a star to sit? Come are you trying to do a play?

Come come comedy stand up, but but I really I mean I'm watching Jay Leno everybody on Johnny Carson Rose I end when she debuted on Johnny Carson and it blew me away the fact that you were doing this and you weren't pursuing that was that difficult for you. Like you're like, I gotta get from God and I'm not using it. Like when am I gonna have the balls to start to do something with this? Was that torture at all?

It wasn't knowing that me. It really wasn't because I knew I wanted to be a mama and more than anything. Yeah. I wanted to be a mama and I wanted babies. And so, but I was still kind of flailing around. Anyway, my husband and I wanted babies. And so, but I was still kind of flailing around. Anyway, my husband and I met and then he moved me too. This is, I know God had his hand on me the whole time.

All right, so my husband had never stepped foot in a mobile home, went and played golf with his daddy and a little crusty man named Fran that had a refurbishing business refurbished use mobile homes glamorous and then resold them to pay all like on a car lot. Okay, well my husband this little man said I'm gonna retire this has been very lucrative. I'm gonna sell this business my husband bought that business now we weren't married yet. He moved on to bean station Tennessee which is in the foothills of the Appalachia Mountains.

We got married. Move me up there. I got pregnant with my first baby, Charlie, who's about 29. Isn't the Appalachians like where people have like, is it Heather? Is it it like, like, Arthur's like, Mary, Menteries and Pals? Yes, there are. People that need like Mary their brother, they have like weird ailments because they marry their brother and they have like teeth. Like deliverance, remember, with blood rannels.

Okay, so the Appalachians go from Georgia to Maine and I don't think people realize that. So there are some, a stretch of the Appalachians where people really internally don't know who the president is. It is so you know, and now in those sweet people like opioids when you see, you ever see, oh, the dope thick. We're talking about like, you know, the South Eastern Kentucky all up in there. Right. So, so this was in bean station, which is very pretty,

Blake's mountains beautiful. Okay. But rural. Yeah. And I'm from rural, but not that rural. But my people know who the president is. Yeah. Anyway, he moves me up there and I'm thinking,

oh my wallward, what is happening? Okay, so I have my first baby, Charlie. Yeah. Who, you know, when you have your first baby and I nursed him and I mean, I thought I don't need anybody else. I've got this precious baby. And I tell my husband, I go, I don't, I don't want to put him in daycare.

I don't want to work. I'll do without. I just want this baby. And then, of course, I need my hair highlighted. And when you had this small business and we were young, I mean like 27, you know 28 and so I wanted to make a little I've always had a side hustle. I've always had some way to make money So I my friend in Nashville said I'm selling this jewelry like women sell Mary Kay and Tupperware and she said you ought to do it land you can meet people you can make a little money Chuck can take care of the baby while you're having these parties

And I don't even well, I don't even care about jewelry You can meet people, you can make a little money, Chuck can take care of the baby while you're having these parties. And I don't even, well, I don't even care about jewelry. I really don't. And it's just bizarre to me that I even did it. And I started doing these jewelry parties in women's houses. And I was supposed to be talking about jewelry and how like a clip-on can change the look of a pump. Yeah. And instead, I talked about it on your shoe.

Yeah, yeah. And it was very not, they didn't call it costume, but it was like 1999 for a period. Yeah, yeah. Okay, so I instead I was talking about breastfeeding and hemorrhoids and resenting Chuck because he didn't hear the baby in the night. And I developed a stick.

Yeah. And I look bank on it and I think there was no comedy clubs, but I had, it was like my own little comedy club with my demographic every night. Right. Women that were going through the same thing I was going through. And I started booking a year in advance

because people say she's funny. You need to have a jewelry party. For so fun. Would they at least buy some jewelry for me? Oh, I sold a buttload of jewelry. And we ate da up and brownies and we had a ball and people had fun. Yeah, you have people under you selling the jewelry and I had women. And I was not a good leader.

I was not a good leader. So then you're a part of the pyramids. Yeah, I'm a little bit low. I'm a little low row. Yeah, but it wasn't twisted. It really wasn't. It was sweet. It was sweet, people. It was twisted. It really wasn't. It was sweet. It was sweet, people.

It was a Christian company out of Dallas. And it was a little over there. All Christian companies, but that's good. Come on, yeah. But they were sweet and it gave me something to do. And I felt really about it. And I'm like, how long did you do that for? Until I got pregnant with my third baby.

And I thought I can't be sleeping all this jewelry around. Okay. Because it was getting too hard then. But I did it while I was pregnant with my second one, because I remember breastfeeding her and on in the toilet at Operin Hotel in Nashville, and then handing her over to my mama so that I could go on stage.

Because what happened was, I started booking so far in advance that the company asked me to start speaking at their big things. Oh right. So then I would do these big things and women would come up to me and there would be, now we were subwimming. Would they pay you extra?

No, they would just say can you talk about how you get books so far in advance? And then I'd get a third and talk about breastfeeding and hemorrhoids and women would say you need to be in standup, you're so funny. And that gave me the strength and the courage, but I can remember in my twisted mind, while I'd be doing these jewelry parties,

I would say to these women, in the foothills of the Appalachia Mountains, you can book a party with me now or you can see me in Las Vegas later. So yeah, because I'm gonna win my hand, I'm gonna be in Las Vegas, I'm gonna be on TV. Yeah. I remember thinking that, which how crazy is that?

It's believing in yourself, it's not bad, but I always talk about the secret, you know what the secret and manifesting things, and I just kind of discovered that, you know, shortly after like Oprah featured the people and you saw that weird video that everyone was talking about this secret. And I then realized, ooh, I would do that.

I used to do stuff like that without even knowing. And I never made the board, I never did the board. I was kind of sad, or sometimes I wouldn't say it a lot, I'd just say it in my head or whatever. And yeah, it's so true. So I don't think that's a bad thing. I mean, it's just, I think in our generation, at least with me, people were so mean if they thought someone was conceded. So it was like, oh, she thinks she can be a model. Like, people really mean totally

different because now every kid is glaring them, as all every kid's conceded. Every kid has their own TikTok, their own, and they're taking their own selfies. But in our day, that was like, that was bad to think so highly of yourself. Now you think? Yeah, you're wrong. Yeah.

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I came at we came out here to see my sister. She lived in Huntington Bay. Oh, that's nice. And um, weren't for a company. And I remember saying to him, I want to go to the comedy store. And I want to watch comedians because I just loved them and I saw Domarera and Paul Moon. You got a sense that?

Or, huh? Okay. And I remember my heart beating out of my body standing in line and it was like a physical thing like, I'm supposed to be doing that. And I remember watching them and thinking, I can do this, I can do this. And this is what you're what we married

That would have been in like 90 92 oh, so then you did had all the babies you did the Selina jewelry and all day when was the first time you actually went on the club after you established the act selling the jewelry. Okay, I was I had My baby child was 18 months old and I called Zaini's in Nashville, and asked Brian Dorfman, who is now my concert promoter. Nice. She was 18 months old, she just turned 25.

So I said to him, I know you don't know me, but because by then, I quit selling jewelry, and I was the person in Morris Town, to say that would do like the rotary. Like if you needed somebody to come and do 20 minutes and I dropped my babies off at preschool and I called myself a comedian. And I said, yeah. So then I got, I asked him,

can I come and open and open for Billy Gardell? Yeah. And I did 10 minutes and I'm sure I suck. But anyway, I went back and he took me back in the office and he said, when do you want to do? And he goes, because I think you've got some. And I said, oh, I'm going to, I'm going to make it. And I'm going to be a sitcom star. And I'm going to do, and you know, I'm going to make it. And he, he said, lean, there's no way you can go out here and do these clums

and raise these three children. He said that you cannot do it. Roseanne, he said this to me, he goes, Roseanne raised hers in a station wagon in the parking lot, and it didn't turn out well. Now, I don't know what happened with her. I don't know, but he's, I remember him saying that to me, and I remember getting angry and thinking, you're not going to tell me what to do. I can't do make it. And he and I have talked about it several times. I go, you know, you were right. Like I couldn't have raised them to be who they are today. If I had up gone on the road and just not, like I know people who've done it, women,

it's not many, you know, because it's so hard. It's really not. And, you know, kind of when I was like, you know, trying to get more people like interested in my stand-up, I, I was like, honestly besides you, I go, there's no other female comic who's currently married who is raising kids that are not babies. Like there's alley-wong and there's, you know, a bunch that have little kids, Amy Schumer and that are doing it, but I'm like, there's nobody that's doing it now. And I go, and I think that's like what makes it unique. But I was lucky too, and that I wasn't on the road

leaving my kid, like I was able to establish my comedy in other ways by being on TV shows and writing books and all of that. So I would leave for the weekend when my kids were school aged, and I'd leave my kids with my husband. But I was not gone for weeks on end, making $10 a Sunday.

Oh, so Sunday, yeah. Making $10 to try to get that act. And that's where, depending on the kind of, parent you're comfortable being with as a woman, that is why you see less women doing it, because essentially, there's all different ways to make it, especially today. I don't think there's that the strict way that people say

that you have to do it. Every now and then, you gotta go up five times. I don't really believe that. You did it differently. I did it differently, and we're both successful, so I don't think you have to do it. But, you know, it's, but a guy, most men are very happy to leave their toddler for four nights and go on the road.

Yeah. And I've got a wife at home that's got groceries. And nobody says anything about him because he's providing. But the woman, it's, you know, even my mom said to my friends, you know, she's never with those kids. I love my mom rest in peace, but she did tell my friend that. She did. Oh my God. Well, I can't.

I mean, I forgive her, but I was like, you know, and she always praised my husband, you know, that he was like, but he was having a great life being not working full time. He didn't have the stress of it. It worked out between us.

Nobody was suffering. Everybody got to do what they want to do. But people are very weird and critical of it, you know. It's like, I should have point I remember saying like, at Chelsea lately, like, when everyone was like giving me kind of, kind of like making fun that my husband was the stay at home dad. And I was like, I wanted so badly to be like, so to the men.

So your wives are the losers? Like, are you kidding me? Or would it be better if he was a traveling attorney? And we just had a nanny that didn't give a shit about our kids would would that make us better like it's like people are you know and that's why he said that you know like I think he was like oh you're so talented too bad you have children to raise yeah and he and we talked about it lately I mean Brian and Arvind closed and and I said you know I just need I and I were very close. And I said, you know, I just need,

I motivated me to find another way. I just had to find another way. Yeah. But we moved to Texas right after that. And my husband went to work, sold that company, that business and went to work for a large mobile home company. Yeah.

And he was over South Texas. And so I moved to San Antonio, which was not really a comedy time. Yeah, I've performed in San Antonio too. I don't. Yeah, yeah. Which was fun, but I think. It's darling, but when I moved there,

it was at the mall. Yeah. River. Yeah, I remember that. Something. And I did an open mic for the first time. It scared me today, and the manager came up, Don Loving, but he had managed to Friday.

He's a TGF Friday. And he was like, don't do any crowd work or don't do any. And I remember thinking, oh, they know what they're talking about. They really did. But anyway, I was, I, that clawed my went and I did late night. I'd get up at, at on stage at midnight. I had little children that got up at six in the morning, and everybody would be home or wanted.

I'd be talking about do-do on T-ball field, but I was different, and I think, and I stood out. Because ever all these male comics, all did Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonations. And I was just different from everyone. And so I would get things that other people didn't get. And then I mean, like, you know, I'd get invited to a festival or something.

So then I started driving back and forth to Cap City Comedy Club in Olston. Right. And Margie Cole ran it and she believed in me. And I would do chickstick that night, 10 minutes and she believed in it. And the only girls could do it. Check that out. It was like they had it on Wednesday night.

Yeah, of course, because you gotta have all the girls together because no one wants to see a female comic, right? Yeah. You know what I would always say to my audience, and they'd say, oh, I'm coming to see you, and they've gotten better now, because I've scolded them. They'd write me thinking they're being nice. I'm coming to see you tonight, I'm dragging my husband.

And I said, you know, you're not helping the cause. Why are you thinking that your husband won't find me entertaining? If you find me entertaining, that means he married a funny woman. So he will enjoy it just as much. If, let me just, you know, I'm like, if he got brought home tickets to Chris Rock and said, we're gonna go see Chris Rock Friday,

you're telling me that you wouldn't be thrilled, that you wouldn't get your hair done. I'm like, why is that? What, and I think some of it is women think because there's a lot of female comics that are maybe higher profile than us, that male bash. And that are like, super left and male bash. And if their husband is not that,

they think, oh, God, this is going to be uncomfortable for him because we all care about the man and his ego and that he's having a good time. It's just the way we are. And I think they think, oh, God, you know, if she is like, whatever, I'm not even going to say a name of somebody that's like that, then he won't have a good time. And then I'm like, trust me that like that won't happen because I know that the men love it. And after I like set it out like, I get so many more like couples and straight men that are like loving it.

Having them all. But I feel like, so early on in our careers too, even before we made it The male executives felt they had to market it. I remember there was a whole night of just female driven sitcoms all on one night like What like it was just so Weird and like and that they think that There's no way that unless we live your life, I can't find you funny.

I'm like, well, then how do I find Chris Rock funny and how do I find Dave Schiphol funny? Right. So, right. I couldn't, someone who's not a female who's a mother, finds you funny. Yeah. It's just, I even had a man at a big theater on my first tour, the big painting tour. I had him, he came out and did an announcement, you know, of, you know, if there's a fire or whatever,

turn your cell phones on. And then he said, well, I know you man got dragged to your. And my heart dropped. And it was one of the first shows I did on the big penny tour. And I was already freaked out because it was the biggest thing that it wasn't to me. And it was in 2000. And after the pandemic got better.

And I remember, I called my manager and said, I cannot believe that he just introduced me or introduced his tour by saying, and I know you may not got on drag tanger. And it was a theater I sold out and I can't remember somewhere, but I mean, you know, I don't know what it was a theater I sold out and I can't remember somewhere. But I mean, you know, I don't know what it was, 1,200 saints and I was like, I didn't set me up well. I'm so glad that you said something because I'm sure

there's been times that you didn't. And like I had the same thing. And I remember I was like, I thought, you know, I'd get some guide open for me and this guy did a whole thing, I was asked, the whole thing about what it's like to screw a woman over 40. At this time, I'm over 40. This is asked, this is people over 40 that can afford Aspen. And it's all like, oh, they're grateful

or they're dry down there. I could not. And I'm like, and I have to, and this is my show, but I trusted my agent who I still like and to pick somebody. And then he ends up and he goes, now I'm gonna bring out my really good friend. We just met backstage. I was just like, and after that is when I was like,

I will never just get the local unless you send me video and stuff and I can make sure, and I can tell you, don't be dirty, don't do this. And even when I've done that, I've had people backlash and say, oh, she told me I couldn't be dirty because she's such a so insecure in her career. I'm like, I don't need you talking about anal at seven o'clock before I come out. Like, like, no, I don't need you.

Oh, no! If I, if I, if I, I, if I don't talk about that, but if I get a little dirty, the opener shouldn't be dirty. I don't think that's unheard of for me. But I think some of these guys just immediately think that, oh, you know, and- I've had that too, but let me tell you what, my manager would say before I did this, yeah, big penny tape, we're in pick two, I wanted,

when I would do the clums, that would, and I would sell, I start selling out all of the United States couldn't get arrested you know for years nobody would book me and then they were like all of a sudden you know I was into my aunt and selling and they and he said she needs somebody clean and they automatically thought I don't know why but let's get a woman in her 60s in community theater who wears Not even Berkins dogs. I don't even know what you would call those shoes And somebody that like would get up and sing opera or or do something bizarre

Yeah, and I and they thought I guess because I'm a middle-aged woman that I they had to get another woman Who was a you know know, a coup. Oh my God. I have the cook and swimming. God Blomphum, but, you know, I mean, just bizarre. And also what you, you don't need a woman. Like, I don't need a woman. I'm not trying to take jobs from men.

I want someone different than me. Right. I just don't want them talking about me. We ended up having to say, yeah, all right, we'll take a man. But I've had, at Moon Tower, at Moon Tower Gold Festival, they said, they said, they said, they said, laying these somebody claimed to open for her.

They gave a list of women. They always put women with me, but a list of women and somebody came and did, I mean, the filthiest stuff. And that, I guess that was their idea of clang. You know, somebody's idea of clang is different than my idea of clang. I guess. But she, she did, and I loved her. I thought, I mean, as a person, I loved her, but I thought, is that who they put? You have to have who you want. You can. There's no gas in it. Right. Which was why I was telling There's no gas in it. Right.

Which was one I was telling you when I came in here, I'm in love with Chris Brinjolla. Yes. I love him with you. And I know that he opens for fortune some of them. And I just think he's so funny. He's great. Oh, he's great.

We've been friends for a long time. And yeah, I love stuff. Oh, he's so adorable. And so, okay. So when you started to like really make it, did you, I believe that someone sent me, did you have a script or a sitcom deal? Yeah, I've had several. Oh, okay. What happened to those?

Over the years. Which I think kept me in this, you know, when I would be kicked down and I get nose and nobody cares because I think about Comedy Central and everyone in me, you know, when I was back in that, uh, I mean, for years like Camp City Comedy Club in Austin would put me up for something. I never got that kind of stuff. Now I'd get funniest mom in America, but I was from Nick at night and stuff like that. But what did that? Oh, I did the first year.

And then Sandra Bernhorn was the okay. And then wasn't. Um, who are some other people that were with you? The on with me would have been the woman that wanted. I'm always the bronze might never the broad. I didn't win it. Darleen Westgoer wanted the year I did it. Um, there were funny people on. I mean, I watched it because I was just getting back into comedy. Like I didn't do stand up. I did stand up in my 20s and then I stopped at, oh, here's why I stopped doing it. So I got a deal, a TV deal, about my life and I was 30.

And my manager at the time said, don't do stand up because if for some reason you bomb in L.A. it's going to look bad that you have a deal. And I also never really bombed. I mean, I would have better nights, but I never was like crickets or nothing like that. And so I was just like, okay, and so then I kind of stopped doing it. And then I always lived far from the clubs and I was never a regular at a club. So then I just let like that I basically didn't do it for a bunch of years. And for the same reason, I'm like, I'm like, oh, to go and waste five hours like downtown

or whatever. I don't know how y'all do it here. I don't know how y'all do all that. Well, I don't really do the clubs here. So like because of the same time, I would just rather go to stand up somewhere else, but I did back then, you know? And, but okay, so when, so what happened with all your deals?

Did you ever get close to having a sitcom? I think the first one was probably, well, the second one was pretty close to, but just different things happened. All right, the first one was with ABC and Warner Brothers, and I did a, at the lab factory, I did a show case in front of a bunch of executives in ABC, bought it before we got out of the parking lot.

And they wanted Paula Dean to play my mother. I went and met her, we hit it off. She said yes and the writer strike hit. And it ended within a day. And I think I went into a clinical depression. Bring your show ended within a day. Yeah, they said it's over. Okay. The writer strike hit, we're not doing anything, it's a day yet. Okay. And I didn't know into a clinical depression. Bring your shell ended within a day. Yeah, they said it's over. Okay.

The water strike hit. We're not doing anything. It's dead. Okay. And I didn't know how Hollywood would work. And I'm really in my heart thought, this is it. I'm gonna be a sitcom star. And I didn't realize how, you know, it's easier to win the lottery than it is to get

a television show on there. Right. So I thought, oh, this is it. And then it ended in a day and they were like, it's overlinging. And I had been, you know, traveling all over, they would send me to go with Paula to open for her to do all this stuff. I was banking for Delay and then they were like, it's over. So my husband bought me a bank on an Ogden U talk trying to make it up to me. And I love that dog.

And he's an old little man now. And he's been the best dog we've ever had. But I remember just me and just standing, you know, sitting and staring into space and that little precious vehicle would just sit and look at me and pee in the floor and I just thought, what is, I mean, my life is over. And then I'm not, my life is over because I had these precious children. Well, then I get the second day on, but could not, I was on a tour called the Southern Frontierks. I don't know if you ever heard of it. Yeah. Yeah. Is that where you were?

That's what Trish did. Trish did that. Yeah, she did it after I did it. Okay. All right. But I was one of the original ones. Yeah. And and they were going to shoot a special for CMT. And I couldn't do it because I had this deal with ABC that didn't want me to do it. And so I Because God forbid you have more exposure to get people excited to possibly watch your show. Yeah. Yeah. Does that make sense? Okay. Go on. And then so, um, yeah, but that's how I meant trash. But I'm that, but some of my cheeks was wonderful for me because it was on the weekends and small theaters. Yeah. And it, and I was really the opener for the other two that were very seasoned. Yeah. Professional comedians. But it was, it was a good way for me to get that time on stage

Yeah, it was from heaven really and that was about three years We did 50 dates a year and I never had to hire anybody to take care of these kids Chuck would be with them on the weekend Yeah, I could take him to school during the week and I didn't work every weekend, but anyway, and then I got it and then I couldn't it's like that deal came I thought I'm gonna be the next rosanne then it was over then Couldn't get booked was just begging anybody if I could you know do the I was your big fundraiser person in Knoxville like if you made it somebody to come and do a few minutes for the breast cancer fund Right, yeah, I was your person, so I was doing that kind of stuff I felt like it was over when you weren't making like good money. I was making pretty good

Oh pretty good make sure you're you know a few thousand and I to do these things. Okay, yeah, and then And then all out of the blue I get Freemantle that did American Idol yeah said we'd like to do a sitcom with her. And we want to put her with Matt Williams who created Roseanne and home improvement. They want to do a show with him on Nick at night, like the Cosby show and all those kind of shows. And so I met Matt Williams,

we fell in love, darling, and he said, yes, I'll do it for her. And he came to Knoxville, met met my family built this sitcom around me and then Nick at night he called me and he said, Lian you're gonna have to trust me. Nick at night I think wants to make this into like a children show like Disney. Not not a sitcom like yeah like Coral. Yeah like Possum Lucin the living room is what he called it. What Possum gets loosened in the neck. Yeah, that would be the big funny moment. Yeah.

And he said, I'm not doing that. And you got to trust me. I got to take it back. So he took it back from Nick at night. And that caused big sting. And then we went to TV land. And they bought it in the room and said, we want to do something. And then he'll don't do it for nine months and then came back and said, she's take traditional. She's married to a man. She's got Keynes. It's just not what you know this. This would have been what year would that have been lower than I can't have no conception of time. Like 10 years ago or like five years, yeah, 10 years ago. Okay. Like modern family, he come out was a huge. Right. And I understand. I sold another shot. Well, first of all, when the

first show didn't go, okay, after that, and it got to like the pilot stage, it didn't go. And so right after they said, it's not going to go. I don't remember. They're like Les Moonves is reading it this weekend and blah, blah, blah, I was with CBF. And then they're like, they wanted it for Sherri O'Terry to play me because I wasn't famous enough. They're like maybe you could be the sister. Anyway, she didn't like it. She had a deal with CBF so she passed on it and they're like so it's not going anywhere. And so then I was like oh okay and then I went off the pill. Oh, do we have the other iPad? Pop it on the other one. I'm just gonna keep talking, who cares?

Most people like to see the behind the scenes stuff. Anyway, so then she, so then, but then I went off the pill and then I got pregnant right away with my first child. But if had the show gone, I wasn't going to try to get pregnant. So then I had another show, which reminds me of being... And I thought, I met with these people and I thought they were really interested. After it had gone already, they were like, these people Fox doesn't want to, maybe USA will want it. After Fox bought it, they didn't want it.

And the guy goes i mean again he's like i mean like a great family it's just like to original or mean to two for to for the show you like maybe if you're like eight i'm not kidding you know maybe if you're like aliens or something i'm not kidding he said maybe if you're alien and i'm like, well, then no, like I'm not

going to rewrite it to be an alien. So goodbye. Okay. So they said that said then they said you're too traditional after nine months. Yeah. And we have said to me who, who, who creates a rose in and home improvement. Yeah. And you know, for carcy warner and all that. Right. He goes, Lee, and I don't know what to tell you. He goes, I don't, you know, what are you saying about it? He goes, there's all, they want to have a hook like, and so for a while there, we were playing.

Like it, like it, like you could, like you had to be a lesbian. Yeah, yes, because I'm white, you know, if it would be good, if I were an alternative lifestyle, they even talked about like an interactive thing, like if people could almost rewrite the script as we're going through the, and man, it goes, I just don't even know what to do. Okay, I have another, I have another friend of mine who did have a show.

Um, I don't even care. I'm just gonna tell the tell is fortune. Fortune out of show. And during her time of trying to get her show off the air, they were like, but you, but your family, you know, is all white. So can her be a gang girl? I mean, she's told, yeah, she's herself. She's gay. Yeah. Yeah. But the people, but, but that's her family. Like, and so that I remember she's told yeah she's herself she's gay. Yeah yeah. But the people but but that's her family. Like and so that I remember she was like so they were saying like can we cast like your brother's wife to not be a white person and I mean she's like sure anything you want to make the show work.

Right. But I remember her telling me that's up, but you know what? If you're this Southern white family, and now your brother's married to this woman who's not white, wouldn't there be storylines and discussions about that? You could be embracing or it could be great. Yeah. But if we're being honest about a family in a home and how they talk, it's not like you would just never acknowledge that your brother is now not married to you know what I mean? Yeah, so that kind of changes This her life story because it was based on her life story Anyway, I think they I don't know if they ever filmed the pilot or if they got to go to the writing site But it's that kind of thing when then you're like and it's why like everyone thinks like oh you come up with this sitcom idea

Or you have this perfect 10 minutes that I can see it. I can see what your sitcom would be for your 10 minutes. But then when you get all these people involved that are like, I had the first time I still to show I had, I was about a young girl working with a parents in real estate, which is based on my life and based on my stand up. And I had these brothers that were like arrested development brothers. They were like, you know, like 40 and like living at home

and dead and I don't really go. We're gonna make the brothers into one and he's gonna be 18. And I'm like, well then that's not like no offense, it's not a loser. Like it was kind of funny that we had this kind of like like the whole, I'm like, it doesn't even make sense. Mm-hmm.

And then but at that point I was like, whatever, my deal was like even if I never even show up, I'm like, it doesn't even make sense. And then, but at that point, I was like, whatever, my deal was like, even if I never even show up, I'm gonna get a check. So if they wanna sell this dumb watered down, I didn't care. But the second time around when they wanted me to be an alien, it's what I was like, you know what? I just don't even care, it's like, it's so, anyway.

So now, so they can sell that. So they can sell that for. Yeah. And I've loved all the writers and all that But then they get to the Exanculatives or whatever and they had to check off boxes. So the last one they said you're gonna be married to a Hispanic man Which I've always loved Hispanic man. Yeah, I've always loved Hispanic man And and my girls know that they're sitting in here. I

My grandmother married a Hispanic man who was my girls know that they're sitting in here. My grandmother married a Hispanic man. He was my step-granddaddy. Who was a darling and he would talk Spanish. We believe you in love talk. And I've always loved to spend it. But it's not your life. But it's not my life story. And if you want to, and if you want to be quiet and, and, and, and if you were

in marriage, introverted like Chuck Morgan, no, a Hispanic think my end would be you know we would have a completely different life a completely different dynamic you'd have those in love it would just change it too much if that's what they want the go get some talented writers and write a story about uh... you know of of a white girl here but it's not your or any in it yeah you know you don't have to have me exactly but but you're right they a wake girl on the air, but it's not your story. But Laura in it. Yeah. You don't have to have me.

Exactly. But you're right. They take, they go, we love it, we love it, we love me. And we love these kids. But then they wonder why these shows don't work. And then they put it into, well, this child is, they are not, not how my real, so I don't have storylines for that. I can't write for that.

I don't know. I don't know. Yeah. You know, that's not't have storylines for that. I can't write for that. I don't know. I don't know. You know, that's not who my child is. Right. So now, I mean, yeah, I'd like to have a, I guess I'd like to have a television show, but I mean, you know, now I'm traveling and these live shows are so wonderful that I think

my goals have changed. Don't you feel like even if the offer came to you right now, you'd be like, fuck it. If it did and it was somebody that it made science, maybe. But it would also have to be like, no, I'm not gonna give in. Like I was giving in on things. I remember one of the things in my pilot for the second time around was, I met with this girl,

they wanted me to write it with somebody that was actually like a showrunner of other shows. And I was like, that's fine, I liked her a lot. And some of my friends at Chelsea Leighley read it and stuff. And this one guy that I really liked, he's like, I don't feel like this is totally you because there was like a Zannex reference or something. And I don't take any prescription drugs that i never have

and but the mom you know my character was like kamiya that i have a shardney that's real but like oh hammy and xanx i'd be a little edgy let's you know what mom is an unlike drugs or whatever i've ever said that and i go i know you're right

i don't know why this i don't know why i couldn't tell this woman i don't remember he said that and I go, I know you're right. I don't know why I couldn't tell this woman, I didn't want that joke. Like I wasn't ready to be my complete authentic creative self in that because it was like, I didn't have another way of making money and how could you say no to like possibly start a sitcom? But then you wonder about all the ones that made it and it's like every element has to be there

It has to have the great you know has to have the great time slot and all that but then it has to have I remember when I would guest it on Frazier and They were at the lucky lot like there was a one of the lots is like 13 at I think Paramount or whatever and 13 at I think hair-mount or whatever and They were like this is this the lucky lot because this is like literally. I don't know if it was I love Lucy or whatever every show that was there Lasted a lot of years. So I'm waiting so they're like, okay, and this is where you're gonna hang out You know you work all week and then you do like you know a live audience at the end and We're in this room. that's not bigger than this.

And there is Kelsey Grammer, and there are the two girls, and there's everybody. And I'm like, don't they have their own dressing rooms? And they're like, no. And I'm like, that's why this show work. Because they're talking about their weekend, and they didn't ask for it. That's what they got.

But I'm like, this is why it's the lucky lot. It's because they're not all in their trailers or back then on their phones. And that chemistry, you just cannot, it has to be cast right, but then they have to actually love each other, like friends. You know, it's like what happened with everybody else, Raymond,

because I read Bill Rosenthal's book of the interview Phil So yeah, yeah, and I read his book about how they would come in on the winky I mean I'm during the wink and talk about what happened on the winky Yeah, and they were all very close and that With the writers. Yeah, that's what it was. I talked to him about it too, and he was just like It was the yeah, it was a perfect thing. And I've said that too. It's like, it just, it's lightning in a bottle.

And that's why there's only, and then the after friends made it every year, I'd get tons of pilots. It's friends in Alaska. It's friends in San Diego. Everybody was trying to do a different combination of it, but the only one that lasted was friends. You know, and like.

What do you think about TV now? What is there a place for sitcom? I mean, I know Abbot Elementary. People always talk about that. But that's not a sitcom in front of a live audience. Right. I don't even know. What shows are in front of a live audience?

I don't even know. I don't know. But are people even dating? That's what I always imagine my life to be. That I'd be a mom and a sitcom. And I'm kinda like, that doesn't really, that's not my desire anymore, it kinda changed. And, you know, and like, I don't even know

that it would make financial sense, you know, like to do it. And I think that's why some of the biggest stand-ups now, like I know, we're a Christ, you're all these people have been offered all this stuff. And if it, and you're like, no, they're not doing it because it's like, are you kidding me? He goes on tour and this and that. And if it's not going to be what they want, it's like, well, why would you? I also think sometimes, and I've said this to like, I do think sometimes the stories that we tell as a stand up that art form is better when you're sitting in the audience and imagining what your kids look like than when 13 people

get together and cast it and now we're going to see the story of when the chicken burned. It's not as funny. Yeah, and I think everyone thinks like oh my god, this is so great, you know, but then they have to not then tried it like I remember Margaret Cho, I read her book and she got her deal when she was 25, called All American Girl and everything. And here we and they made her lose all this weight. I need to read that book. And she became like anorexic and they were like, no, you have to be like the hot girl, which wasn't what made her funny. Like she was this

girl from San Francisco, who blah, blah, blah. And, um, and then the guy that she paired, that was paired with her to write the succumb, she's like, he just watched one of my specials and just only one. And then literally took all my jokes from that one special and put it in the second, like extremely lazy, you know what I mean? And it's like, well where would this show go like in five years? And I have a hundred episodes. Yeah, like I don't think people think like that, you know?

Okay, so now you're like, okay, so you have all your, so then, so now you're just exploded as like, was it the Facebook stuff? What made it like that now? I feel like a lot of what's right is. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Okay, so in to one of those little Chris Brinjolete. Yeah. But I mean, Joe Danny.

Yeah. You gotta watch he is. Yeah, but it has to be cleantingey. Yeah, I gotta watch he is. Yeah, but it has to be clean, right? It has to be clean. And I was one of the, is it run by like Mormons or something? Yeah, yeah.

And I was one of the first ones to, I think I was in the second season and back then, they gave you a list of like, do not say these words if you do. It'll get, at the time, it was on a different platform or whatever you would get you wouldn't get as much money I don't even remember now I don't think it's like that at any moment but so my manager at the time said they want

you to do this dry bar he said nobody's ever heard of it nobody'll ever see it and he goes we can get at least it'll be a nice thing on you can get clips so you can get more breast cancer fundraiser so because that's what I was doing. Yeah. And and I need my boy got married right out of college at 23 and I knew they wanted to have babies and I really was going through a like a crisis in 2018, 2019 like this is I don't even know. It's not going anywhere. You're going through a career like identity. Yeah. And I'm saying to my husband, I don't even know, it's not going anywhere. You're going through a career like identity class. Yeah, and I'm gonna say into my husband,

I'm gonna, maybe I could open up a store in Knoxville, like a hardware store, and I could just sit out in front, dance with people, and I was about in tears and he was like, what? And then, and I was like, I don't know, it just didn't say nothing was happening. There it is.

It was, I was very silent. One time I asked, one time I was like, what I was for so long, like things weren't happening either, you know? And I was like, is it a fine line between positivity and delusion? Like am I delusional? I thought I was delusional. And I thought I was like, the kids on American Island, but think they can sing. I thought, am I one of those?

Am I, do I think I'm funny and I'm really not? I'm going through that. And then I think, no, no, I'm going to the hospital. So I told him I go, I need that job. Always, I wanted to, they were grown. I thought, I'm, I'm going to do something and he was like, you're losing your mind. And then, so, but I thought, they'll have a baby

and I'll be, I'll just be the grandmom and I'll help with the baby. And my manager at the time said, why don't you go do this, draw bar thing. He goes, nobody's ever gonna see it. It was like before the, even the first season came out. So I, he said, they're gonna give you a little bit of money. So I went and did that and just like, forgot about it and thought nothing's gonna, you know, I didn't think you think about it

that aired I got millions of views like 50 million views One of the bands about her being about the middle child being mean when she was 16 must resonated with people That got a lot of but it did not translate into I got a lot of gigs. Yeah. But it wasn't great gigs. Like a lot of people, it was still like low paying, you know, we'll pay you $3,500, like corporate things, but you got to pay your travel out of it. And I was busy, but what are you doing like weekends where you do like five shows at a club and headline it?

I did. I did only like a few clubs a year That would book me that love me and and cared about me like camp City comedy club in Austin Zainies I didn't do the weekends of Zainies because I couldn't bring in you know, I couldn't sell tickets But he brought me a Sunday or a Tuesday night or something and But no nobody nobody wanted me like that. But I had a show on Series 6M for a while. Like there was always something God would drop and go stay in it. And then, you know, I've had a lot of nifty things happen to me and Hollywood stuff. You know, four dingles, you know, people coming there. But anyway, but wouldn't make it. But so I always felt like I was in the game. Yeah

But it around that time I thought this is this is crazy. I'm getting older And they you know, I'm probably gonna have a grand baby. This is nuts I'm gonna I'm gonna go to work at Target or something and then in my manager after the drop-bar thing got me in Orlando and Prove and a couple of places, Congo Zanies and putting sell tickets and they were like, oh, you're one of those dry bar comics, like, like, you're not really a comedian,

but we're letting y'all come in here because that had boomed and was very successful and people were loving dry bar, but I don't think it translates into ticket sale. I know what does. It didn't for me. Yeah, I mean, nobody was buying tickets.

Yeah, it's really interesting what translates into actually leaving your house and going. Right, and I don't think drop our paperwork. Or even like huge follows, like a follow. Like it's interesting like these people that have huge Instagram following, then they start a podcast and they're like, no, I like your picture,

but I'm not gonna listen to you talk for an hour. So not every medium like crosses over. Right. Okay, so they were, they would say in Orlando, love her. She doesn't get drunk, find the parking lot, but we're not having her back. I mean, you know, she can't sell tickets and I was devastated. And I was like, I had a good time. And, and so then I send to my manager at the time. I said, I love, I've always loved Jim Gaffkin. There's different people, you don't love to watch. And I was watching his social media

and I said, he's got somebody doing his social media. And I said to my manager, I think I need to hire somebody to do my social media. And he was like, you can't afford that and you don't need to be doing that. But I'd made some money from dry bar and the gigs, I worked like a meal that year, but it wasn't good gigs. So what and what I wanted, it wasn't like what I'm doing now.

And I was very discouraged, but I thought, I'm gonna hire these boys, and I call them boys, they're 30 and they've got children, darling. But I thought, I'm gonna hire these young people that know call them boys their third and they've got children darling, but I thought I'm going to hire these young people that know how to put all this together because I was putting up pictures of my donks and I didn't know what I was doing. Yeah, yeah. And and um or they had post something or they had to inform me. I didn't know.

Yeah. And so I gave them all my stuff, you know, that I feel my head and because I never done anything, Dr. I wouldn't let us use their special. I'm going to cut that up and use it. But anyway, I got all my old stuff and gave it to these young guys. And I was moving my baby into shoes going to school in New York. And they started October, 2019.

They put out a clip about me talking about taking my husband to go see Deaf Lampard in Journey and how everybody looked old. And people had a planter fasciitis. And, you know, the little man that we're all saying rock and roll got tiny legs. Okay. We were moving her out, and we had all these suitcases. We were in this tiny hotel room.

And I said, I looked down, and I could see it was being shared thousands of times. Like I could, I saw something, and I, and I could see it was being shared thousands of times like I could I saw something and I and I could they let I said something's happening and Their day I was like, look at it. Look at it. You're falling the Uber's hair And we got to get these suitcase out because we had to move her into her apartment Everybody's stressed out over the end and I thought, oh, okay and

And then throughout that you know putting her stuff in her cabinets and her you know in her Portment I through the day like I thought I'm a lord like I've never had anything Yeah, and then And they may have put out another one. I wish I could remember because it was I'm not kidding the beginning of October And it went like wildfire. Yeah, I don't know women, then they started looking at other stuff I had done. Like, they liked deaf, leopard, and journey. They looked at other stuff I had done. And within a month, people were, comedy clubs were calling my manager.

We weren't heard. Like, people must started calling the comedy clubs asking for me. Yeah. So, I didn't have an agent. Nobody wanted to represent me. We couldn't, my manager banged people to be my agent. And I think he got somebody to be my agent because he owed him a favor. Like people passed me up and were like, and I was selling out all over the United States

and they were like, you know, this mom, I don't know what, I don't know. Because it's men. It's predominantly men. And there's more human it's predominantly men. And even women agents pass me up. Yeah, well, that's true too. And so don't see it. So I don't see the value.

I was going all over the United States, selling, I had checks in a backpack, traveling, my husband's like, you're like a drug dealer, you got all this money in your backpack, we didn't even know. It had never happened to me. I did not know how to even handle it. And I was doing first.

I was doing like one nighters and I would sell them out. But I think, Heather, that I hit a knit, I know that I have gotten into a lane that nobody else was in. Yeah. It was like just middle of the United States women who've been raising children and You know, I'm pretty clean. I mean, I you know, have you any new endow and stuff? But and it but I'm not I'm a Christian, but I'm not a Christian comedian. I'm a I'm a mainstream Yeah, comedian who's a believer right? So I'm pretty clean, but I know I go to the edge but you know nothing

crazy. Yeah I talk about I've prostated myself to their deity for years so they can have nice shoes and stuff but yeah but I just if hit something that people I that was Elaine like Jeff Foxworthy says to me you know if you can get in a lane that nobody else is in and I think I'd do it. He told you that. Uh huh. Oh, that's great. And it has just been crazy.

And if you tell me this was going to happen to me, because in my idea of success, I really wanted to be Roseanne, like Ramon O. Yeah, me too. Yeah. All that. And so for this to happen for me at 50, I'm 57, I got a green baby another one on the way. Cause my new tour is called Just Getting Started Tour.

Cause I feel like I'm just getting started. And in my life, at this time in my life, and it has been wonderful. So the first tour is called The Big Painty Tour. Yeah. We had a ball talked about my panties. Women brought panties, they were paintings, and it was just like I was Tom Jones.

I did a hundred cities. And, and when you did all these cities, like does the husband come, what is his- A lot of husbands come? No, your husband. No, he, we, he's still working like a meal, providing health insurance for us. No, if I go to the weigh-in or somewhere like that,

he wants to go and play Black Jack, or if they're somewhere to play golf. But my husband stays at home. My husband and my husband only, only if he comes, he always books like all the hotels and stuff. And then all of a sudden he'll come, and I'll be like, oh my god,

like this hotel is so nice. How did we get such an, and then I realized it's because he's coming. So he's booking like the nicest hotel room or not the nicest, but nicest for me. And, but yeah, like if it's, yeah, if it's, you know, gonna be kind of some fun or whatever. They're dating. I hate just like this in front of them, but when he does travel with me, he acts like it's our honeymoon and makes me do, you know, be it all night. And I'm too tired. I've got to get on a pair of spanks and my eye ish is and he's holding on to me and I'm trying to get ready and I'm breaking out and sweating over my limp. I'm sorry. But he's got a lot of testosterone and that's good. Yeah.

So it's just too hard for me. I've got a world. That's why you just have to be smarter about how you do it. And that's why I feel that too. In doing tours, to be smarter about, okay, what's not going to exhaust me. And sometimes when you've been kind of like selfless and you haven't always had the money, you're, you know, I finally was like, we need to book a professional driver to pick me up from the airport. I'm not going to drag my bags to the Uber lot and wait for the cheapest Uber.

And that took a long time for me to do that, to finally go. And I don't do that all the time. I don't get a driver all the time. I still kind of drank some stuff out to the Uber thing. But like if it's, if I'm in a big city and I'm scared, like if I'm in New York, they get me a driver. Yeah. And I pay for that.

Of course. It's so expensive. Yeah. And it's hard for me because I've got Chuck Morgan. Their daddy has always been a saver and it's been so stable. And so I was the dreamer and I was like, oh, and he's the one that's been like saving for our time and got a ball one K thing with my husband. Yeah.

Okay. So when I would be out with Southern front chicks, for instance, they would say, let's go to Panera for breakfast. And I had Chuck Morgan in my ear and going, eat that continental breakfast. That's for it. Oh, I would say they're in an old muffin. Oh my God. So my husband would go, he want, he would

call me in the morning and wake me up. Cause we're three hours ahead. I mean, he's, I'm, I probably East Coast. He's so you'd call me like at nine 30. And that means he said his alarm at 630 to call me to say I got you a free breakfast. It's

going to expire at 10 so will you please and I'm like I'll brought like no and adjust recently have I been like I still will take advantage of a free breakfast who can't but um and I have stolen like an orange and stuff I have to like I always got something yeah put my yeah, and like in the in the green room like the snacks and stuff. Yeah. Oh the waters the waters in the green room I take the waters all the waters in the Diet Coke's and yeah, I do. Yeah, I do And I still take left overs and stuff and my kids are like Mom if you

They got so mad at me about the leftovers thing and then sister the same thing and so now it's that I go I will only do now leftover if it's like a really good pasta Or a steak that's it now because that was I think do last the next day But I mean I would take every fucking and I still do it's still hard for me to I don't like Heather I we I was with the next a co and I got the buffet and I couldn't finish the No, no, no, I ordered a locks and avocado like toast and I couldn't finish it and I took it In the bag to the beach where it's hot getting hotter and then we moved to a different pet to a different

getting hotter. And then we moved to a different pet, to a different, uh, lounge chair. And I carried it with me. And my studies, like, wow, I can smell that fish. I'm going to throw up. I'm like, I'm looking at the, all the cutters are brown and I go,

God, but you know, it was like $28. I know. And I'm like, throw it away, you loser. Throw it away. I know, I do the same thing. Yeah, they're, brought away, you loser. Throw it away. I know, I do the same thing. Yeah, they're. I do the same thing.

And when I started this big penny tour, you know, I have a rider and they have stuff back there, fruit and cheese and all. So the, um, the guy that they put with me, um, without that concerns, he started bringing ziplock bags for me so that I could then tank it and run and put it in the hotel refrigerator and then get up the next morning and eat that cheese and that fruit. I've done that and And then I got to think like the the people that work the Whatever in the theaters. I think wanted to eat that stuff and we're like, you know, I think getting angry Well, then I realized that I realized because then

Peter goes through the contracts that has been any so now we're like don't be getting me a tray for $200 that comes out of my final net. I will eat before I come. All I need is some waters. Yeah. And how much are you going to charge for those waters? Because otherwise I'll bring my like there's all those like kid and fees that you like didn't know.

This isn't too getting boring. Okay, listen I have another question your girls are here your daughters are here and Was there a time where the girls were like I don't like that you told that story on stage or anything like that No, they've never said anything to me my boy when he was and I think he was in fifth or sixth grade, he was going through puberty. And I was on local radio in Knoxville and on WIVK. And I don't even know what was on there for. I guess because I'm lonely comedian, I don't know, I'm not in Knoxville and they used to have me on all the, anyway, I was telling about him having like one little arm hair under this arm

He had but not under this one something and his voice was changing and He was already in school. They were already in clients one of his friends went to the orthodontist and was it was run home Run to school with his mom after his orthodontist appointment and went in and told Charlie your mom's talking about your P.B.D. on W.I.B.K And he said to me after school, don't ever say anything like that again and I felt terrible and I went, I won't, I promise. So when they were in middle school, I tell everybody that was a dry time for me. You know, middle school is a hard time for everybody.

And I knew that they didn't, they were very self conscious and they didn't want me to say anything. I guess I really wasn't working that much when you all were in middle school because that was but y'all were in I was with Southern Front Chiques when you all were in elementary and on Nick at night when you all were in elementary and then middle school I think I could barely get arrested nobody cared and then they were in high school they were like we don't care what you did like you know they were over me. I think that's really important, because like I've talked about a lot about this,

about a lot of people exposing every moment of their life, because they're like TikTok influencer, moms, or whatever. And there's a big movement of like, these kids don't have any say in it. You would if you were on a sitcom, you don't, you know, how much you're exposed or whatever. But the same thing goes with talking about your kids on stage or writing them out on a book or whatever.

And I did talk about my kids in my special, but I always told my kids, you can't see my stand-up till you're 16. And they're like, why? I go because at 16, you won't care. And so then, yeah, they never saw what I said. Cause like if I tell a story about my son crying about his, you know, hot wheels car that, you know, bellened the toilet with a big poo,

like, I think that's really funny, but if he hears me tell that, like, and he was only eight and he was eight at the time, like, it's that. It's like, they don't, they don't get it. And like, recently my son told me like, you know, it's that. It's like, they don't get it. And recently my son told me, yeah, that would have been really hard if you were a housewife or something while I was in middle school

and because kids see everything and say everything. And especially in Hollywood and how much people are sharing about their kids, I do think it's something to be kind of conscious of the age. Like talk about the two- 20 year old, whatever, and talk about the 20 year old, but it's, it is that, that age that, oh my God. And especially if another kid hears about it. Oh, it was awful.

And I never did it again. And, and the only time, and then, you know, now they're like, oh my gosh, mom, tell it, we don't care. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, they don't care. Yeah, yeah, you all don't, they don't care. Yeah. Okay, but my husband, one time, when I first got started, I have breast implants that are old and they've calcified,

and I need to get them out. But I'm breast fed, all these three tuners. Yeah. And I had to do something because my, I nursed all those babies and they had just, they looked so bad. And I still had life left in me anyway. I Got these breast implants, but but I started comedy before I got the breast implants and I was saying on stage

Something about I'd get breast implants, but it's been a bad mobile home year and my husband's saying heard it and said don't you ever say that again He said you know that I've always taken care of you I could write a check for those breast implants right now And he said I'm because he you know, he's been a wonderful provider, right? So and he and he and that's his job and he takes it very seriously And he said don't ever say that I cannot provide for you because I can't and I was like I was just laying It's been a bad mobile home year, you know, it's like back then

It was like $3,000 to get a breast implant surgery, but anyway, I said I laying. It's been a bad mobile home year, you know, that's like back then it was like $3,000 to get a breast implant surgery. But anyway, I said, I won't, I'll never say that again. And I've never said anything like that again. And I got those, then he wrote a check for my breast implants. And they all, now they're old and the cows finding goes nothing's wrong with those.

And I go, yeah, I mean, they're, you know, 20 years old and 20 something years old and they gotta to come out and he's like, you know, he doesn't like spend money. He's like, oh, good lord. You know, he ain't any new ones. I go really don't want any new ones, shot. They're calcified. They're getting hard. They're huge, you know, I know. What are the doctors says? You know, he said, I needed them. I, okay. He said, I need them out and he said, I'm with that. Yeah, with the skin, I think you need to put a small one back in.

I didn't want to put anything in it, because I think you're gonna need to put a small one in because it'll be a horror. You don't. But anyway, I don't have time. I don't have time to do that. I don't know what I'm ever gonna do. But I think that's interesting.

And you know, speaking of Roseanne, yeah, I did meet her son. I was here at a radio show and i was on it like years ago and i did ask them the same type of things how did you ever feel about your mom like talking about you whatever and he said something great he's like well wasn't like my mom was out going to clubs and drinking she was doing stand-up

so so they don't know that okay and i don't know what all the kids are doing and she just did a special. So I know there's like, there's just three and then she had the youngest with like, the, you know, the husband after Tom Arnold. But I mean, the three older ones, the two girls and the boy, I mean,

they must be, you know, in their 40s by now. So I don't, but I don't know what they do, but I'd love to know like, you know. But yeah, that's, that's, you know, it's interesting. And I wanted to get more in, because I was like, then you went from like, whatever, being so middle class is so rich, what could that have been like for kids, you know?

Oh, I know. Yeah, and then in the tabloids and like all that tabloid stuff that like, you know, you and I never had all that tabloid. Oh, I know, and Tom Arnold, all by yet. Yeah. Do the girls, when you meet new people, is it ever like, no way, that's your mom or what is that like? Hey, this is Maggie, middle child. Um, yeah, I mean, oftentimes if it comes, I look a lot like

my mom. And so a lot of times now people say, I feel like I know you. Do they see you on her Instagram or anything? Yes, yes. My kids get recognized from that too. Yes, exactly. So that happens a lot pretty locally, but yeah, I mean, if it ever comes up, I mean, I've been all over traveling in the US and somehow it's come up and people are like, no way, there's no way. And then they always ask, what was it like having a mom?

That's a comedian. Do your kids get that? And what do you say? And like it's the best. I mean, she was, I mean, always mom first. So she's funny, but I feel like it was just the same. I don't think I even realized she was a comedian until like people talked about her being comedian

and I knew it was unusual, but it was the same as her working at Target. You know what I mean? Like she didn't talk about comedy. I don't think you talked about it till I was maybe in high school. Yeah. I mean, Nick at night came and filmed y'all and about it, Todd. It was maybe in high school. Yeah. I mean, Nick at night came and filmed y'all and all of that, but it was when y'all were babies.

It was like seven. You know, I knew people came and filmed, but I never, I don't think I quite understood what it was or how unusual it was. Well, as we were living in Knoxville, it's not like we were in a lot. When you go and like go out to eat, like while you're here,

like will you get recognized and what is that like for you guys? Yeah, I think I think at first when we were growing up because she was the only comedian and noxwell There would be some local fans, you know, that would have heard her at a breast cancer awareness thing or heard her at W You know on the radio But now everywhere we go. I'd say every single place we go, she gets recognized. And at first I thought, oh my gosh, I'd get butterflies and feel like I was getting recognized.

And now it's kind of become the normal, but it's so sweet. Her fans are so sweet and see in her exactly what we see, you know, and how special she is. So I think it just, oh my gosh, it's so sweet. Yeah.

Today's her birthday. She's 27. That's why she's here with me this way So if I knew everyone camera, I wish I would have worn something else We'll tell everybody where they can you have a special out or coming out of Netflix I am pulled of the 11 I'm every woman is what it's called and then I'm on my new tour and just getting started to where it's a hundred cities all over the United States and that's at lamborgon.com. We're about to announce the fall dates and yeah and it's fun and I'm having a good time and I'm doing some small arenas.

Wow, that's amazing. I'm so happy for you. Thank you, Heather. Yeah. I mean, I just think it's every day I think, what in the world is about to happen now? And my book that's coming out in 2024 is called What in the World, because I just feel like, I mean, every day it's just a miracle

of things that are happening. And I even though I felt like this, it feels right to me. I knew something was gonna happen, but I just didn't know it was gonna be theirs, and it's so much sweeter and better than what I imagined. Yes. Because I'm in front of these women every night, and their, and husbands are with them,

but it's a majority of women. Right. But I look out there and I think, you know what, I'd be best friends with all of them. In every town. I think I'm gonna rush their money. We would have a ball, we got a jazz or a size. Yeah, we'd have a ball.

Leanne, I have to go. Don't it, and I know there's so much I want to talk about. Well, let's hang out more. This has been amazing. I've been loving it. I love it. I'll get your details of when your shows are in LA and stuff. Anyway, everybody, Leanne Morgan, special Netflix.

April 11th. You'll love it. Follow her so that you know when she comes to your town and you buy the tickets. Love you. Anyways, don't forget to check out all of my new shows that are coming up this summer. You go to Heathermriekt McDonald.net, get your tickets, it will sell out, make your fun summer plans. I'm going to a bunch of cities, Las Vegas, San Diego, Napa, Irvine, Redbink, New Jersey, Connecticut, Hampton, Sacramento, and San

Francisco. And then after that, I don't know. So get your tickets for those now at Heather McDonald.net. Thanks, guys. Thanks guys.