Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang - “Undeniably Essential” (w/ Ari Shapiro)

Episode Date: March 29, 2023

Good moods abound on Las Cultch this week as Matt & Bowen welcome true renaissance man, host of NPR’s All Things Considered and now author of the wonderful new book The Best Strangers In The World, THEE Ari Shapiro! The host with the most gets together with the gals who host this pro-gig economy podcast to talk “this is from my garden…” culture, performing with magic men Alan Cumming and Henry Koperski, Obama as chill president with razor bumps, PBS performances of Into The Woods and Sunday In The Park With George, Ari’s familial connection to Mandy Patinkin, Sweeney Todd and “Steve” Sondheim, Traitors, The Mole, journalistic responsibility during national tragedy, obituary culture, and bringing personal perspective to the stories that Ari reports. All that and just a bissle on The Eras Tour, metallic bookmarks and the trial of the century: Gwyneth vs. The Skiier. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City are back. I love that. I love that. Oh my gosh. Welcome. And last season's drama was just the tip of the iceberg. You're recording us? I am disgusted.

Never in a million years after everything we've been through did I think that you would reach out to our sworn enemy. We were friends. How could you do this to me? I don't trust her. The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, Wednesdays at 9 on Bravo, or stream it on City TV+. On Thanksgiving Day, 1999, five-year-old Cuban boy Elian Gonzalez was found off the coast of Florida. And the question was, should the boy go back to his father in Cuba?

Mr. Gonzalez wanted to go home, and he wanted to take his son with him. Or back to his father in Cuba? Mr. Gonzalez wanted to go home and he wanted to take his son with him. Or stay with his relatives in Miami? Imagine that your mother died trying to get you to freedom. Listen to Chess Peace, the Elian Gonzalez story on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Julian Edelman. I'm Rob Gronkowski. And we are super excited to tell you about our new show, Dudes on Dudes. We're spilling all the behind-scenes stories, crazy details,

and honestly, just having a blast talking football. Every week, we're discussing our favorite players of all times, from legends to our buddies to current stars. We're finally answering the age-old question, what kind of dudes are these dudes? We're going to find out, Jules. New episodes drop every Thursday during the NFL season. Listen to Dudes on Dudes on the iHeartRadio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Look, Matt. Where? Oh, I see. Wow. Bowen, look over there. Wow, is that culture? Yes. Oh, my goodness.

Wow. Las Culturistas. Ding dong. Las Culturistas calling. In really good moods. Because you know what? It's the weather. It's the weather on both coasts at the moment.

We're recording this on Sunday, the 26th of March. Yeah. And it's nice in New York. It's nice in LA. I don't know what it's like in our guest city right now. We'll have him chime in later. How are things in Glockamora? Glockamora?

Do you understand what that is referenced to? Oh, no, I don't. I hate it when this happens. It's from the Broadway musical Finian's Rainbow. And there's a song called, How are things in Cluckamora? Now, why would you say that? Well, just because it's sort of...

Now, why would you say that? Not, now, why would you say that? I don't know. I was having fun. I'm sorry. I said we were in good moods and sort of pattering the ball back and forth, you know, like you do with balls.

And I sort of just decided to go with something. And you sort of shamed me, Queen. No, Queen, I didn't mean to. You know, I was thinking of you this morning. I woke up. You were? I miss my friend, Matt Rogers. You said that to yourself? I said that out loud to no one. Oh, you sort of sent me a photo last night of you and the girls at iconic New York party event, Horse Meat Disco. And I was a little bit jealous, but not super jealous because I am avoiding those spaces because I have a new rule right now, which is no new gay men. I don't trust them. I don't want to talk to them. If you have to introduce yourself to me, keep it moving. But I'm happy that you wanted to go to that event.

I needed to because I was so hermetic in London for two weeks. I was like losing my mind. I was like, I gotta go out. I have to like release this. And guess what? It worked. Did you twirl?

We twirled. And guess what we did? We went to like this side room where it was like, the energy was not quite dark room, but it was like much hornier, but it was me. It was, it was the hens. It was meosh aaron patrick rogers matt whittaker we all went to this back room and we just screamed at each other and it clucked in a full conversation and then the bit

was dark room more like red table talk oh i love that we were chatting we were healing and that doesn't happen and who says that the dark room can't become the red table and that's a rule of culture number 48 who says the dark room can't become the red table sometimes all the girls in the dark room they need the red table the most like we need to really come to the red table sometimes when we're in the dark room. Absolutely. And horse meat disco, more like chicken feed dance off. Period. Period. Oh my God.

Wow. I'm so happy the energy is so good. Maybe it's the weather. Maybe, you know what we just said before we got on here? Chani Nicholas was right. Let's go to the beach. Did Chani Nicholas say, let's go to the beach? No, but she did say that things were turning around.

And we need to get Chani on the pod, I feel. 1,000%. I was just meditating to her like 10 minutes ago. Okay, this is going to be a huge moment for the pod going forward when we do have Cheney as a guest. But I will say, so there was that iconic week a couple weeks ago where she said, guys, this is not the week. Everyone stop what you're doing.

Stop. And it really was a truly awful week. And then the the next week i was still feeling in the doldrums really really bad yet chenning came on and she was like i know but you have to use today because i believe it was the equinox and she was like you have to use today to to put projects in motion and set your intention and put energy into things that you want to like see through and i did that and things are happening things are happening and our guest in his book the best strangers in the world says he doesn't believe in any of this bullshit which i was him once so was i on the record on this podcast i was like i don't understand this

stuff i've read too many carl sagan books to right buy into this same listen channing is someone if any readers katie's publicists out there are on that level channing is someone who like puts it in very understandable approachable terms it's not even too i would say mystic. It's just very, like, straightforward, and it's usually just about, like, reflecting and writing down your intentions. Like, pretty, like, full-stop healthy things. Yes. You described it to

me as, she's a scientist. And when you said to me she's a scientist, I said, well, I'm on board. There you go. I would challenge anyone, including our guests, to sort of grapple with this statement, okay? I'm just going to say this right now, and just know this changed everything for me our bodies are over 75 percent water how can you expect that we would not be affected by the moons the tides oh my god did she say that no she didn't say that but someone did who i don't remember but whoever they were

changed my life because i went from being like, I don't believe in that to someone saying that to me. And then I was like, not only do I believe in it, but I'm making it a large part of my personality going forward. In you as a water sign, that's on period. As a water sign, that's actually on aquatic period. Aquatic period. We mentioned our guests in passing.

Yes, we did. And I'm going do rupaul right now and my new thing is i'm saying how i meet people like rupaul would say it i met our guest in mexico city in 2021 it was new year's i was with my sister bo and yang and we connected and shopped together the next day after a night out on the town at the store boyfriend shirt. And I had active COVID-19. And I'm telling you, I had active COVID-19. I did not know about it.

And we shopped in a small store together. And I immediately texted our guest. I said, do you have the coronavirus-19? And he said, no. So not only is this person an author, the host of all things considered, the legendary NPR host. I mean, just like man myth legend performer. I mean, have you heard of Pink Martini? I mean, like, it's just like there's there's so much underneath the gorgeous visage of this man. And also know he is very bella ramsey in the last of us and that he needs

his brain removed and needs to be studied because he is coveted immune yes it will cure humanity if they study his brain this man is the vaccine this man is the vaccine can i just say you know who listens to all things considered every day in the car, my mother, Meng Su. Yeah, I was going to say your mother. I was going to say your mother. But this is a big deal, because I'm sure our guest gets like, oh, my parents love you. And like, certainly I put on NPR,

doing the dishes, in the bathroom, doing the routine. This man is in my ear. But for my mother to like, choose to listen to an English language program. Wow. Huge deal. Huge deal. Huge deal.

You cannot get her to watch anything or listen to anything that is not in Mandarin Chinese except when it is undeniably essential. And that is a big deal. Two words. Undeniably essential. Kind of redundant.

It's a front runner for title of ep. Undeniably essential. The new book. It's a frontrunner for title of ep. Undeniably essential. The new book is the best strangers in the world. It is quite a read. Quite readable. I read this. I was like, I'm going to need like five days to read this. I'm a slow reader.

I read this in three. Yeah, absolutely. We loved it. Beautiful stories from a beautiful life. Well lived. I've also been sent an iconic three copies of it from PR. And I want to say thank you because i absolutely love having a gift to give because i can't think of a better gift to give than the

book by our guest and this is a moment in time i know readers publicist katie's who identify as hashtag actually smart are absolutely over the moon today to welcome into our ears our guest oh my god you guys you have given me so much over the years entertainment fashion advice the only thing you have not given me is covid19 truly i know and let me tell you i was a just a way of covid like it was like peak, peak contagion. If only you had spit in my drink. I know. I thought about it.

That was a fun night. That was my last night there. We all went out. That was very fun. That was the night that I'm in RE2. Yeah, on that rooftop bar. And you know what was so meaningful to me? Was seeing over the course of the year that followed, all of the flowers that bloomed for both of you from Fire Island to I love that for you to Wicked.

I mean, it's been so glorious. This in a way feels like a full circle moment where we're able to reconvene and appreciate the amazing harvest you have both reaped. That is too nice. That is so nice nice i don't know what to say but this this man is here's the thing he's a host in all ways like here he is making us fluffing us on our own podcast obviously an iconic host in his own right and i'll say i've had dinner at the man's home in washington dc the district of columbia as many people say this man can cook he He can cook. It's unbelievable. Secret ingredient is love. I just pour a lot of love into it.

There is a culture out there of from my garden. There is a from my garden culture there. People who get to say the words from my garden, blessed bunch. I know that I'm a cliche, but yeah. No.

I garden, I grow vegetables, and I'm going to just come clean about this. I have a garden coach. I have this amazing urban farmer who every two weeks comes over and tells me how not to kill all the organic vegetables I'm growing. And I'm not ashamed to admit that. They are from this incredible, small, local, queer, women-owned company called Love and Carrots. And it's like the best decision

that I made in the pandemic. Oh my God. You have a trainer. I have a trainer. I have an organic vegetable trainer. I'm not ashamed to admit it. I have professional help. No, that's perfect.

At this point, I need a task rabbit for everything. Not that I actually hire them, but I need someone to tell me. But it's like at a certain point, I'm just like helpless. Literally, like all I can do is get help. You cannot be expected to be good at literally everything. You cannot be expected to be an expert at everything.

And if you have an opportunity to bring in somebody to share their gifts and talents with you and economically support them at the same time, it's a win-win-win. There you go. That's my feeling about the thing. This is pro-TaskRabbit culture. And I've always been very pro-TaskRabbit, too. This is pro-gig economy. This is pro-gig economy. Lost Culture is pro-gig economy.

Yes, we support it. We support it. I just say, Bowen, if you want to figure out how to do all these things yourself, just have the Tass rabbit come over and then watch intently. Right. Yeah, it's the whole give a person a fish, teach a person a fish thing. Thank you, Jesus. Teach a person a fish, watch that

motherfucker fish. Yeah. Film the person fishing. Kill the person fishing. I said film, film. I thought you said kill. Hmm. Where I'm at. Took a turn.

How is this book tour? How are you doing? Yeah. It is so incredible. I keep waiting for the experience of signing books to become just a repetitive hand cramp activity. But every time I'm doing it, I feel just in sort of shock that these words that

I wrote in private on my laptop, wondering if anybody would ever want to read them or have the opportunity to read them are now going out into the world and being consumed by people. And as I meet people, like it's just, you know, radio is this very strange medium where you might reach an enormous audience, as you both know with your podcast, but you don't often have the opportunity to engage with them because they're listening in their car or their kitchen or wherever, and you may never meet them. And now I'm like actually going from city to city and meeting people who are telling me that they listen to what I have to say and they're reading the words that I wrote. And it's this really meaningful experience. So it's a like ambitious 11 city tour with a crazy itinerary,

but I'm so thrilled to be doing it. Like originally I was supposed to be New York, Philly, Boston, DC, which makes sense. And then Dallas was like, oh, we want you to come visit. And I had one extra day. So I went Philly, Dallas, Boston and met some amazing people in Dallas and went two-stepping at a country western gay bar called the Roundup Saloon. Like, I'm having a great time. I'm really just loving this experience. Oh, that's

the best. Travel show. Travel show for Ari Shapiro. I'm down. Sign me up. You know what it's like to be on the road. You go out with Alan all the time. Yes, so Alan Cumming and I made this show with your friend and mine, Henry Kapersky. The magic words. And as soon as I finish this book tour,

we are all convening at the Cafe Carlisle in New York for a two-week run. There we go. Oh, amazing. It's the most fun thing I've ever done to just like bounce around the country with Alan and Henry. And like we do this show where we just make ourselves laugh and hopefully make the audience laugh too. And we sing songs together.

And it's never quite the same at any two nights. And Alan, I mean, you've both met him, you know. Magic man. Magic man, like mentor, friend, older brother figure, just the kindest, most generous, selfless, joyful person I've ever met. Yeah. I love the chapter, the essay.

What would you call it? Gosh, I never know what to call them. Chapter, chapter, story, essay, either. Yeah, whatever. Lovely. Chunk. Chunk. I love the chunk where,

because this is the dream, right? When you're performing with someone else on stage is that they put you at ease. Totally. You described like people asking you like, oh, it must be really intimidating to perform with someone of Alan's stature or whatever. And for you to say no, it's the opposite is huge. Well, because it's like if I jump, I know he'll catch me. If our show is going off the tracks he is so talented and

experienced and gifted he knows how to get it back on the tracks so I just have to like get up there and have a good time with him and in the moments when we do forget what we're supposed to do it's brilliant it's fun it's a moment that the audience experiences that will never be quite that way again I'm sure you've both had this experience where you're doing a scene or a show or something with somebody who has so much more experience, talent and expertise than you, that you just feel like, oh, they've got this. I can relax and I know that they can steer me where I need to go. But then you still get better in the process of just like.

Totally. Yeah. Yeah. You level totally. Yeah. Yeah. You level up. Yep. It's that thing of when you feel comfortable enough and I'm ad nauseum about this on this podcast, I feel, but I do feel it's the best advice ever for a performer, which is when you feel comfortable enough to start really having fun. That's when the audience feels like they're having fun. Like truly, I mean, I always credit it. It's an Amy Poehler's book. Yes, please. She said the hack is if you're having fun, they're having fun. And so, I mean, I always credit it. It's an Amy Poehler's book. Yes, please. She said the hack is if you're having fun, they're having fun. And so even in a very intimidating atmosphere

where, you know, you're performing at, say, the Hollywood Bowl, as you have, or alongside Alan Cumming, where there is probably not for nothing, but a ticket buyer who expects a certain degree of excellence. And I would imagine also someone that's coming that's like an NPR ticket buyer is not necessarily not going to be thinking about the value of their dollar oh but you know the great thing about that scenario is they come in with such low expectations for me that it's very easy for you like if i can carry a tune they're like oh okay you can carry a tune like alan cumming won a tony people come in being like i expect a tony award when actually two tonys i expect a a Tony Award winning performance. And then there's that other guy who's a journalist.

And so then when I can like harmonize with Alan, people are like, oh, yeah, it's amazing. And of course, Henry Kapurski, we call him the vegan meat in our sandwich. We couldn't do it without him. He's just such a perfect foil he's such a perfect sort of like you know straight man in the corner and we sort of toy with him throughout the show i mean listen you're talking to someone who knows quite a bit about toying with henry's meat yeah he he oh yeah right vegan meat vegan meat he um he really is he's just he is a perfect foil i mean like it's just me up there talking and i'll reference him and he is like the other half of my act on stage

but he is in musically he's so able to get on the page right right there i mean he's truly a super oh my god unbelievable so the other day as you know matt i said to henry look i want to do a version of celo green's song fuck you but i want to do it like in an earnest josh groban style with an accompaniment that's sort of like early pasican paul and he was like got you and he did it and i was like okay here we go and can we just say it is like an actual skill and talent to be like played off of in that sense right where it's like you're an accompanist or you're you're at the keys you're on display like you're on stage just as much as someone like as like either of you and you kind of have to like do something technical which is

to play the music but also like roll with like the vibe of the of the show and like smile and like play along with like everything that's happening. It is a true talent that I think is undersung. Yeah, absolutely. And when you look at the people who Henry has worked with, from those of us present here to like Greta Teitelman, Meow Meow, Larry Owens, Alan Cumming, like the list of people who he has made better than we actually are is long i will say my favorite person he's ever played for when i released my special which henry and i made together and i posted a separate like grid post like that was just all for him the last picture i posted in

like the carousel was him and vanessa williams because i'll just never forget when he got to play for vanessa will Vanessa Williams and I thought that was so amazing and that was like early on what like before he was like you know literally pals with you and Alan Cumming and like it wasn't a surprise to see him in like whatever country like I never know where in the world he is anymore it's one of the proudest times I ever I mean it's the proudest I've ever been when I hear what he's doing and um just because I knew him truly when like my image of Henry is like him covered in sweat like carrying a keyboard upstairs you know what I mean like going from thing to thing like truly being like

you know obviously deeply appreciated by the comedy community but we were not able to appreciate him financially the way that we were that we should have been and now i take great pleasure in being able to like give him these opportunities and like treat him the way that he deserves to be treated because we finally can but i just remember like back in the day the vanessa williams thing i was like yeah she's like a legit superstar you got to play with her and it's my favorite i love that the readers publicists kat, Katie's know Henry as a character on this podcast. He was a recurring guest star, even though he's never actually

made an appearance. No, he has. Early, early days. Oh, early days. He got his own episode. I came to it late. I have to go back into the archives. You do. That would be a really interesting listen because I think we were dating at the time

and I also think, oh, that was like right after Trump was elected though. And I remember he had gotten to meet Michelle Obama. Do you know this? Has Henry ever told you this story? Oh, wait. Oh my gosh. My publicist, Joseph Papa, showed me this.

I did not. And I had to just like last week say to Henry, how did I not know that this was you? Of course, I've seen this viral video yeah jimmy fallon is what you're talking about right yeah oh yes yes oh my god of course oh my god that was that was huge that was so special it was such a horrible time because he had trump had just been elected and everyone was truly it was horrible henry and i were living together i believe still in south slope he was going to go do this bit

on the Tonight Show where you had to tell a picture of Michelle Obama, like what she meant to you. I feel like now knowing what we know, like, you know, Michelle Obama, for some reason, he didn't. And she came out and gave him a hug and thanked him. And it was just, you know, there's not a more beautiful from the inside out person than him and to see him get that moment and receive that moment and like it you know he really felt like all of us in a way like and i was just overflowing and then we talked about that on the episode that was a very emotional time but yeah talk about just like a superstar inside and out that's henry i mean and you can't if you're if you're someone that wants to book him for december you can't have him he's mine that's

christmas time for the rest of my life period what is it first option no first position sorry he's in first position with me for all of christmas that's right The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City are back. I love that. Oh my gosh. Welcome. And last season's drama was just the tip of the iceberg. You're recording us? I am disgusted.

Never in a million years after everything we've been through did I think that you would reach out to our sworn enemy. We were friends. How could you do this to me? I don't trust her. The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, Wednesdays at 9 on Bravo or stream it on City TV Plus. Hey, I'm Jay Shetty and I'm the host of On Purpose. My latest episode is with Jelly Roll. This episode is one of the most honest and raw interviews I've ever had. We go deep into Jelly Roll's life story from being in and out of prison from the age of 13 to being one of today's biggest artists. We talk about guilt, shame, body image, and huge life transformations.

I was a desperate, delusional dreamer, and the desperate part, that made a lot of trouble. I encourage delusional dreamers. Be a delusional dreamer. Just don't be a desperate, delusional dreamer. I a delusional dreamer. Just don't be a desperate delusional dreamer. I just had such an anger. I was just so mad at life. Everything that wasn't right was everybody's fault but mine.

I had such a victim mentality. I took zero accountability for anything in my life. I was the kid that if you asked what happened, I immediately started with everything but me. It took years for me to break that. Like years of work. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Trust me, you won't want to miss this one. I'm Cheryl Swoops, WNBA champ, three-time Olympian, and Basketball Hall of Famer. I'm a mom,

and I'm a woman. I'm Tarika Foster-Brasby, journalist, sports reporter, basketball analyst, a wife, and I'm also a woman. And on our new podcast, we're talking about the real obstacles women face day to day. See, athlete or not, we all know it takes a lot as women to be at the top of our game. We want to share those stories about balancing work and relationships, motherhood, career shifts, you know, just all the we go through. Because no matter who you are, there are levels to what we experience as women. And T and I, well, we have no problem going there. Listen to levels to this with Cheryl Swoops and Tarika Foster-Brasby and I Heart Women's

Sports Production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. Speaking of the Obamas. Yes. This weird thing that I've clung onto from the book, Ari, is that you describe being on Air Force One. And I don't know why this is sticking with me, but you're like describing eating, I think, spaghetti and meatballs. And I think you wrote

the line, the food on Air Force One tends to lean heavy. Yes. Talk about that. What is that about? Well, even after Michelle Obama did her whole let's move, eat healthy, improving school lunches thing. Oh, I loved let's move. Well, we in the press corps, in the back of Air Force One, would still for lunch be served like a slab of meatloaf and mashed potatoes. And we'd be like, why is this happening when the first lady is encouraging consumption of fresh, healthy meals? And we speculated that it was because they wanted to

keep us sedated and lethargic. Yeah, exactly. You're not going to ask the president tough questions if you're in a food coma. And so our theory, never proven, was that they were trying to keep us down by overfeeding us heavy meals on air force one interesting i think that that makes a lot of sense it's just a theory we need an investigative reporter to get on that i mean you were too tired to investigate it i mean look this was yeah the obama administration so things may have changed for all i know there's now an air force one salad bar but at the time there was a real dearth of vegetables that's so funny can i ask about obama in person so you describe him sort

of coming up and like you know asking how's lunch and like being very present and you being in his immediate vicinity many times is it giving star quality yeah in the sense that so like there's sort of paparazzi star quality and then there's i'm so comfortable in my own skin that i don't need to tell you that i'm a star star body and he always he really gives off super laid back very relaxed and actually so my husband worked in the obama white house we overlapped for like one year which was an interesting moment um he was a white house lawyer and so he kind of had a different perspective on the president from me but he describes him the same way as just sort of like kind of bro chill yeah chill president yeah that first time i met him i remember so i'm like sitting in my chair in air force one and he's

standing literally right next to the armrest taking questions and i remember looking up at him and i saw razor bumps on his neck yeah you talk about this in the book it was like it was my first time on air force one and I had never been quite that close to the president. And I just remember thinking like, Oh, this is just a normal dude. Like he's a guy who shaves in the morning and gets razor bumps like anyone

else. And he had been such a larger than life figure, any president, you know, like the symbol of the hail to the chief, the like trappings of the office. Right. But especially him. Totally. And in that moment, I was just like, oh, he's just a guy like any of us. It humanized him for me. The razor bumps were the thing I latched onto. I affected to. Isn't that a great word? I love that word. Cathesis.

Which is even cooler because once you throw the X in there, it's like... Any word is better with an X in it. That's a rule of culture. That's a rule of culture. What number is that, Bowen? That's rule of culture number 26. Any word is better with an X in it. I was just

trying to reference a word that had X. Xanax. A great word. It's the umami of letters. It just makes every word a little tastier. Is that another Rilakkuma? X is the umami of letters? Yes, it is. It's Rilakkuma number 15. X is the umami of letters.

It hits you in the back of the tongue. Yes, I never understood umami until someone was like well what's umami is ketchup and I was like okay I understand ketchup has everything ketchup is umami sweet sour a little bitter you need a little bitter just to round out

yes yes yes yes yeah oh my gosh you really need all tastes and that's rule of culture number 18 you really need all tastes and i would say that about culture too and you know that's a great segue because i think you need all different kinds of people in this world to blend together to make the culture and you are a person in culture you're a culture former you're a culture reactor you are the perfect person to ask this question which is the

center question of las patricias ari shapiro what was the culture that made you say culture was for you okay i've thought a lot about this and i realized the true authentic answer is one that is not necessarily mainstream or cool but it's real and so i'm going to give it to you. That's perfect. When I was a kid, my parents had a VHS tape dubbed from the television of the PBS performances of Into the Woods and Sunday in the Park with George. Original cast. Wow. Bernadette in both. Yes, Bernadette in both. Mandy Patinkin in Sunday in the Park with George.

Chip Zine in Into the Woods. Joanna Gleason. Yep. Joanna Gleeson. Joanna Gleeson. And like, I watched those VHS tapes to the point that now, 30 years later, I can still recite literally every lyric from every one of those shows by heart.

my parents said, oh, you know, we're actually related to Mandy Patinkin. And I was like, wait, what? And they were like, yes, our cousin Phyllis is married to his cousin Bert, not my first cousin, not his first cousin. This was like, wait, what? And they were like, yes, our cousin Phyllis is married to his cousin Bert. Not my first cousin. Not his first cousin. This is like not actually related. But I, as this like young teenager, was so excited about it.

I wrote a fan letter to Mandy Patinkin. Wow. We're related. My cousin is married to your cousin. And I loved your performance so much. And I watched it. He sent back an autographed headshot oh i love it which i pinned to my wall and had in my childhood bedroom all through high school like other people

had guns and roses posters or christy brinkley photos i had an autographed headshot of mandy patinkin who i'm sure looked gorgeous of course it was like the princess bride years okay but just star there is a coda to this story is such a star yeah fast forward to my adult life as a host of all things considered yes and i'm interviewing mandy patenkin about his album wow and before we start the interview i say mandy i have a funny story to tell you and i tell him this whole thing. And he says, wait, who's your cousin? And I say, well, my cousin Phyllis was married to your cousin Bert. And he says, oh my God, we're related. Bert is my favorite cousin. He was the greatest. I wait until I tell Catherine, Mandy's wife, that we are related to Ari Shapiro of NPR. You have to come to my live show.

I'm doing it in D.C. When we came to his live show, my parents happened to be visiting D.C. We went backstage. He greeted them like family. I'm getting emotional just telling you about this. It's yeah. So that's that's my story. That's like those VHS tapes of the original Broadway performance

of Sunday in the Park with George and Into the Woods set me on a journey of culture that continues to this day that reads actually perfectly for you because it is because I'll tell you it's a thinking person's musical theater

and I would describe you as a thinking person thank you I would describe you as a thinking person too Matt Rogers. I would describe you as a thinking person too, Matt Rogers. Well, that's huge. Not everyone would. I'm a feeling person. But that's perfect for you. Like the Sondheim of it all.

And then your, you know, musical theater inclinations. Like that's perfect. And when I think back to those shows, as a kid, I saw Into the Woods as very much about fairy tales. Which as a kid made sense. And when I saw the Broadway revival, you know, it was very loyal to the original text. It didn't revolutionize it. But now as an adult, I realize, oh, it's a show about parents and children that uses fairy tales as the vehicle. And I think that as kids, like we absorb what we're able to absorb. We take in what makes sense to us and great works of

art can evolve over time in our minds and our understanding and operate on so many different levels you know it's the genius of Sondheim the genius of great art the genius of great art I thought the same thing when I saw Into the Woods on Broadway too where I was like oh my reading of this show in high school was completely different than what it is now as an adult. I'm like, this is insane. What a gorgeous sort of kinetic work it is. Yeah, it's amazing.

And I thought the revival was outstanding. And I will say, I just saw the revival of Sweeney Todd. Ooh, how did it come? Well, so i saw it in previews and so i'm actually seeing it i'm actually seeing it two more times i'm seeing it this friday and next friday as many times as you got copies of my book in the mail exactly well i'm gonna read on the subway i'm gonna read each time yeah um but that's my favorite musical so it's it's sweeney into the woods are up there yes me. Yes, I love Sweeney Todd.

I feel like you could write a whole other musical with just the backstory that is delivered in a single song in the beginning of Act One. You know what I mean? Like, there is so much information delivered in that first song. Yep. It's like, you can make a whole other musical about...

Anyway, before he went to the penal colony. You're talking about Sweeney? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, absolutely. Whereas, like... I mean, there's so much there. Yeah. I mean mean it's

before the action even like begins you know yeah absolutely yeah it's so hard sometimes when you really marry a certain version of something in your head like i wonder if when you're seeing the revival of into the woods it's like you find yourself like sort of trudging along a little bit mentally watching it because you're so in love with a certain version that you're able to quote. And I would imagine like sing along to in ways like because once you get really marinated and like Bernadette's witch. Oh, yeah. It might be hard to hear another witch. But you know what I mean?

I expected to feel that way about the revival of Once on this Island, which was another show that I had memorized at the beginning of the year. And that revival reinvented the show in a way that was so exciting. So beautiful. You will always be famous. Incredible. Incredible. Moment by moment. Just surprising.

Delightful. Yeah. Loved. Loved. Loved. Yeah. There's something about Sunday in the Park, that original production where

the dress is still like insane that they made that happen like people haven't seen it like bernadette like steps out of a dress that like mechanically animatronically like opens up and i'm still like how did they do that that would be hard to do today i feel even that and the witch's transformation both Both of them. I'm like, Bernadette has these two moments that are stage magic. Yes. Bernadette is such a superstar. I mean, like, duh.

But like, Bernadette is one of the best of all time. And I wonder, has she gotten like a Kennedy Center honors? Oh, she's overdue. She needs that. I was once at a gym in South Beach, Beach Miami and she was there working out with a trainer and I actually like subtly followed her around from station to station

yeah you have to how could you not what was she doing there I can't remember it was literally 2004 she was doing back and shoulders that's what I was asking what was she doing there it doing back and shoulders, Beau. That's what I was asking.

What was she doing there? It was back and shoulders day. It was upper body day. Oh my god. Those are formative times. Those are really good. Well done. Thank you. Slayed the question. Wow. I was stressed about that. Really? Yeah. Those are wonderful, wonderful answers.

Thank you. Thank you. No, I'm so honored that you think so. You know what? You absolutely have to go see. And I talked about this the last time because I sort of went on a Broadway tear and I saw everything. You have to see the new Parade revival. Oh, I know. I know. Ari, you will be really moved. You'll have a great time. He is, I was just listening the uh cast album it's out now right for the studio revival it's just so so good i think jason robert brown is sondheim ascending you know what i mean like i think he is so good i i feel like he has like really revolutionized like and like mastered this new like contemporary musical theater sound

and this is like his first thing. This really holds up. It's beautiful. It's one of his best. I love pretty much everything he does, but you got to make this, and Bowen, you too. If there's any free time, this is the one.

I'm dying to see that. I'm dying to see Merrily We Roll Along, and I'm dying to see the new Sean Hayes play that ran in Chicago, where a friend of mine said it was astounding, and it's about to open on Broadway. It's called Good Night Oscar, I think. Good Night Oscar. Yeah, I hear it's amazing. I also want to see that one. And also Jessica Chastain and Nadal's House. Yes, my college

friend Amy Herzog wrote the new translation adaptation. She did well. I hear great things about it. Something happens at the end that is such a gag like it's like i can't even spoil it but if anyone out there has seen jessica chastain in a doll's house what happens at the end of the play like the way that nora like well spoiler alert for a doll's house but even though this is the hashtag actually smart episode if you've made it this far in this episode of lost culture you know a doll's house i'm gonna going to assume. Oh. But the way that Nora leaves. Mama. It might as well have been a death drop.

Mama. Is there a trap door a la The Witch throwing the beans into the woods? Just, you know, a screech and a puff of smoke? Wait. Really? Did I just call it? Is that what happened? I can't confirm or deny trap door.

Oh my God. But your eyes went wide. Wow. My eyes went wide at the recognition. Now, Matt, I have a question. Do we think Annalie is like, because this is her, what, at least her second time doing Sondheim? Because she did Sunny in the Park.

Sunday with Jake. She's like the new girly, or a new girly, I would say. Yep. I think that is very exciting. I don't even know if we can call her new anymore. She's like established. She's not new. Of course. But I think what Bowen is saying is like, there comes a time when

you become like, yes, musical theater beloved and then you ascend to Sondheim's fave. You're doing Sondheim multiple times is basically what the status is. And I think that's important. So you're saying that in the same way that we refer to like Bernadette, Patty, Ethel,t we're we should start just saying annalee maybe which is crazy and also donna murphy too don't forget donna murphy in that conversation like honestly i will say this

if ever you see an interview with a musical theater actress and they say well the first time i met steve and they refer to him as Steve, that's a tell. That is a huge tell. And I think it is so funny when these women say Steve because it's just so familiar and it makes me laugh. But what I will say is that he definitely signed off on her casting and liked her casting. I believe I read something in the New York Times that said he was to see a reading of it and then pass of Sunday in the park of Sweeney of sweet oh yeah yeah like this has been in development now for long enough that he was aware of it knew of it and signed off on it but the interesting thing I

found in that article was that this actually was his most personal piece yes I was so surprised to read that yes we're saying that you know steve this is the story of your life and he maybe wasn't even conscious of that or didn't want to necessarily admit that but i mean minus the eating people right right exactly besides the murder and the you know cannibalism yeah and they having rumpled bed with a woman rumpled bedding legitimized but um yeah this idea that he had been done wrong by the world i'm not sure how i feel about his unfinished musical being staged i don't know yeah that's hard we'll see we'll see i don't know much about that actually it's based on a like

bunuel short story i might be wrong it's like a lorca baby it's based on a like work of fiction yeah and he'd been working on it for a really long time. But I don't know much. Clearly. More than we do. But I saw that headline, too, and I was like, okay. Okay. Reserve judgment. I guess we have

the gall. The Real Housewives of New York City are back for another bite of the Big Apple. Look who it is. Joined by elite new friends. Rebecca Minkoff. Have you ever heard of her? But things could change in a New York Minute. She had this wild night and ended up getting pregnant by some other guy.

What? You told her? Not today, Satan. Not today. The Real Housewives of New York City. All new Tuesdays at 9 on Bravo or stream it on City TV+. Hey, I'm Jay Shetty and I'm the host of On Purpose. My latest episode is with Jelly Roll.

This episode is one of the most honest and raw interviews I've ever had. We go deep into Jelly Roll's life story from being in and out of prison from the age of 13 to being one of today's biggest artists. We talk about guilt, shame, body image, and huge life transformations. I was a desperate, delusional dreamer. And the desperate part got me in a lot of trouble. I encourage delusional dreamers. Be a delusional dreamer.

Just don't be a desperate, delusional dreamer. I just had such an anger. I was just so mad at life. Everything that wasn't right was everybody's fault but mine. I had such a victim mentality. I took zero accountability for anything in my life. I was the kid that if you asked what happened, I immediately started with everything but me. It took years for me to break that, like years of work. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Trust me, you won't want to miss this one. I'm Cheryl Swoops, WNBA champ, three-time Olympian, and basketball hall of famer. I'm a mom, and I'm a woman. I'm Tarika Foster-Brasby, journalist, sports reporter, basketball analyst, a wife, and I'm also a woman. And on our new podcast, we're talking about the real obstacles women face day to day.

See, athlete or not, we all know it takes a lot as women to be at the top of our game. We want to share those stories about balancing work and relationships, motherhood, career shifts, you know, just all the s*** we go through. Because no matter who you are, there are levels to what we experience as women. And T and I, well, we have no problem

going there. Listen to Levels to This with Cheryl Swoops and Tarika Foster-Brasby and iHeart Women's Sports Production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. And I'm actually going to have some gall right now because I have to ask you a question,

and I think it's going to be a pointed question. Ari, here's the thing I have to say to you. So I was at the Kennedy Center and I watched your set. Just no big deal. You were hosting your show. I came because I was headlining with Henry the next night and I watched your set and you were performing a song and you said there was a lyric in your song that was like,

and some people watch Housewives. And you sort of rolled your eyes at me and I thought this motherfucker is being elitist towards me so here's i was performing the noel coward classic why do the wrong people travel but having been written in the middle of the 20th century it there are some lyrics that are quite dated. Of course. And so I replaced some with more updated lyrics. However, I think you're pulling that quote out of context because the full line was, while the right people stay back home

and watch Real Housewives. So in the dichotomy of the wrong people traveling and the right people staying back home, you, my friend, are the right people. So rest easy. So I should be out there traveling so i should be out there traveling you should be out there traveling okay good here's my question to you what's the quote-unquote trashiest or lowest culture that you enjoy i want to know in your opinion i mean i was an early housewives watcher but I kind of gave up on that. Love is Blind. I mean, you know, okay, wait, it's not trashy, but my friend, Alan, I have to shout out The Traitors,

the best reality competition television show I've seen in at least 10 years. I binged it. I savored every second of that show. The Traitors, full stop. Wait, not to like connect too many dots, but the fact that you're good friends with Alan and that you officiated Alex Wagner's wedding between the mole and the traitors. Oh, my God.

As a child, I wanted so badly to be on the mole back when Anderson Cooper hosted it. There's such a journey with the mole for people our age. I think like the mole hit at a very specific, important time. I hope I'm not divulging any secrets here, but I actually had a conversation with Alex Wagner when she was considering whether or not to take the mole. And it would have meant going to Australia and quarantining and being away from her kids.

And I was like, you have to do this. I do not delude myself into thinking that is why she said yes. I'm sure it influenced it. But I was like, this is the dream. This is the dream. That is the dream. She and I were on the same episode of Seth Meyers.

And I was like, I have to go say hello to her. I'm such a huge fan. And so we talked. And yes, I think she even volunteered that. She was like, I was really debating going. But I think she was saying like, I was so much happier that I was in Australia instead of America during January 6th. Oh, wow. I think the insurrection, I think January 6th, 2021, she was in Australia shooting the mole.

Maybe I'm getting that wrong. It's weird when you're a news person. So NPR was going through budget cuts, then is going through budget cuts. Now I was on furlough on January 6th. And so I was literally not allowed to check my work email or do any work. And it was so strange as a news person to be watching what was unfolding and just thinking like, should I be doom scrolling right now? Should I turn off the TV and go for a walk? Should I like, I can't do what I would instinctually go do, which is like help tell the story of what's happening. And I just found myself so kind of like adrift and at a loss for like, how can I be helpful?

How can I be useful? Which frankly is one of the things that I love about being a journalist is that whenever there's a moment when it's like, everybody wants to do something and doesn't know what to do as a journalist, I know what my job is, what I'm supposed to do. And so that was a strange experience for me on January 6th, especially as it was unfolding like a 30 minute walk from my house because I live not that far from Capitol Hill. I mean, look, it was a tragic moment. It

was horrible for democracy, for society, people physically and emotionally and psychologically suffered. For me as a journalist who wasn't able to practice journalism, it was just, it was very odd. Yeah. Yeah. I can't imagine. Because something had to practice journalism, it was just, it was very odd. Yeah. Yeah. I can't imagine. Because something had to kick in, but then you have to like completely stifle it. Yeah. And at some point when I've been listening to NPR with CNN on mute for the last two hours, it's like, well, do I turn away now?

Like, do I go take the dogs for a walk and listen to Las Culturistas? You know? Yes. We were no help. We were no help. Yes, the answer to that question is always yes. What if literally all the journalists had been locked out of their accounts and only Las Colch

could report on January 6th? It was just like, we are here on the ground and what we're seeing is just disgusting. I would love to hear that commentary. People would pay money for that commentary. Honestly though, in a real way, like, to have to be a spectator there is really tough

when you have the talent and you have the experience that you have to be able to, like, you know... Especially, I remember watching it, and there was an element of knowing exactly what was happening, but being so confused. And I think that that is such a... Yeah, because we've never seen anything like this before in the United States right and so it does need to be explained like what we are seeing is an insurrection this is the definition of what that means this is how this could end this is how much

danger these people are in so it does fall to people like you to be able to get that information across and i will also say one of the most moving and stirring parts of your book, Best Strangers in the World, is you talking about your experience with 9-11. And literally speaking on the phone to people in a journalistic capacity, who then would perish, you know, I guess, minutes or hours later, just that had to be, that has to, I don i don't stay with you forever is not even the words it has to be formative as a person well it was formative i mean at that point i was sort of the most junior person on the staff of morning edition i was working a temp contract i was working overnights from 1 to 9 a.m and i was actually going to go home early because i couldn't stay awake and then we started seeing smoke coming out of the world trade center and so my job was just to call people in the towers

and put them on the air and say like what are you seeing um and what i realized that day was so at that point bob edwards was the host of morning edition and he was not a person who spoke more than he needed to he was a very kind of taciturn person he's still alive he is a very taciturn person um and i remember when we went off the air at noon that day and handed off to the next show he said in these moments when everyone is wondering what they can do right we know what our role is we know what our job is and i i remember everybody was lining up to donate blood right and as a I remember everybody was lining up to donate blood. And as a gay man, I was not allowed to donate blood. And I was like, well, here's something I can do.

And so I would come in for the next several nights. I would like work from 9 p.m. to 12 noon. And one of my jobs was to write short obituaries that would be slotted in when segments came in like a little bit short. And so they were like 30 seconds to a minute. And I remember I found the story of these two men and their son, who their son was a toddler. He was one of the youngest people to die that day. And they were flying back from a vacation. And I remember writing an obituary for the three of them and referring to them as a family and just thinking, you know, that is something that somebody else in this position might not have done. And I felt like even though it was this tiny little 30 second thing that just slotted into like a hole in the show, I felt like I had left a small fingerprint on the record of that day. And I thought like, this is a way I can be

useful. This is a way I can actually help shape the stories we tell, not as an activist, as a journalist, but as a journalist who brings my own experience and history and identity to the world. So yeah, that was a really profound turning point for me. Unbelievable. You write in the book about how like starting out, you would work on obituary packages. That is like a fun peculiarity about like journalism that I find interesting is that like,

when like our friend Henry Melcher started working at MSNBC and when we were in college, man, that was like one of the things I learned. He was like, no, like it's so funny in these. And like, or my sister would like come home from like Bloomberg or whatever. She was working for Bloomberg at the time. And she was like, yeah, like all these news networks have these obit packages. Do you think that probably like honed some? Absolutely. The great thing about an obituary is it's basically a profile. Yeah.

And journalists write profiles all the time. But this is a profile that you don't have to do on deadline because the person is still alive. And for me, as a beginning journalist, it gave me an opportunity to work with NPR editors on important stories that didn't step on any beat reporters toes. And so I could like gain those skills and build that expertise and do as many edits as I needed to do for stories that, you know, might air a month or a year or five years down the road. And it also helped the editors get to know my skills and my interests so that later on, they would start pitching freelance stories to me that were not obituaries that were on

deadline. And so it was a really important stepping stone for me along the way. And as I write in the book, Hume Cronin was like one of the first big ones who, you know, he was married to Jessica Tandy. They both won like a lifetime achievement. Tony, I think they were on Broadway and a million things.

They were in films like cocoon. Yeah. And so, yeah, I'll always think fondly of Hume Cronin who has the courtesy of dying shortly after I did that obituary. So it actually got on the air. So nice of him. What a man.

So nice of him. You didn't have to sit on the shelf you got published yeah exactly wait i'm not done with the mole and traitors oh yeah yeah yeah let's talk about it wait so genius first of all alex wagner energetically is so perfect for that job so like cool but then another person I could see being good at something like that is you. I would, in a heartbeat, in a heartbeat, anyone who is making a glam reality show set in some castle. Look, I don't want to be eating worms. I'm not interested in having cockroaches spill on my head.

But put me in some fancy James bond-ish get up and telling 20 desperate people what to do yes sign me up yeah like what i had heard was alan had the best time doing it like henry was saying that he came back and was like you know i'm not going to do my alan coming but it was great you know like he was so He, that he had the best time and that he was thrilled that they were getting a second season. And that absolutely. Yeah. And you know,

most of those clothes were his. Really? Yeah. I mean, like would add a sash or a beret or a brooch or something, but like they were mostly his clothes. But something tells me for season two, they're likely to have a bigger costume budget,

given that there was an entire New York times feature just about the clothes that alan wears in that show yeah but that is like an important like it's not even like an ornamental thing it's like it's an important thing about the visual language of that show which makes it distinct from everything else the thing that kind of burst the bubble a little bit for me was learning that none of them actually slept at the castle they slept at a like crappy airport hotel off-site i was gonna say that makes total sense that makes total sense but also it makes it seem so much less fun and alan had a little cottage that was not far from the castle nobody slept in the castle right right oh bummer yeah there is that like level of like you want to believe they're all in there but then i guess that's easier to produce whatever tell movie magic oh but also i heard that one of them who made it to the finals i'm not i don't

know if this is public i don't think it's a secret but i'm just not going to name them tested positive for covid on literally the day everybody was supposed to fly home and then had to quarantine in that shitty hotel for another like 10 days or two weeks yeah after they had wrapped on this on the show after they had wrapped on the show. After they had wrapped on the show. I thought you were going to say that they tested positive and showed up. I want to find out if I win.

Although one contestant tested positive in the middle of the run and disclosed on their Instagram that that's why they like dropped out and disappeared

halfway through the season. That's why. That's crazy that it tests positive midway through the run and like have no one else. That's giving false positive and that sucks. It's giving Matt Rodgers in Mexico City.

I actually did get COVID one month ago, thanks to Alan's husband. We all had like an upstate Catskills weekend. And I was so grateful that it happened one month before my book tour. Because I was able to host all things considered from home. I sounded like I had a cold, but I felt fine. And now I'm like maximum antibodies, ping ponging from city to city, shaking hands with strangers and not worrying about getting COVID. That's beautiful. Are you still enjoying, and this is like, obviously like don't, you're never going to say no, but like, are you still invigorated and excited about all

things considered? It's been years. And and i wonder like because whenever you do something for a very long time and like it has an identity and it has a way that it's done i know us with this podcast we're always trying to find ways to make it exciting for us and yeah we've succeeded like are you still succeeding in doing that here's what i love about hosting all things considered is that even after six years i know when i wake up each morning that I'm going to go to bed knowing about something that I didn't know when I started the day. Like I can be curious. I can ask questions. I can follow my curiosity wherever it may lead.

And the show is formatted so that I can do some big ambitious project where I travel from senegal to morocco to spain connecting the dots between um climate change migration and political extremism and then i can interview the incredible south african pop star nakane about their new album which by the way is my soundtrack of the summer it comes out later this month nakane nakane oh do you know nakane they released an album um a couple years ago that included an amazing track called New Brighton that was a collab with Anoni. Anyway, this new album, it's called Bastard Jargon.

I'm obsessed. There are a couple tracks out already. One of the tracks is a collab with Perfume Genius. Put it on. It will make your life. Queer summer anthem? Queer summer, non-binary, South African influenced, London based, pop dance extravaganza.

You're going to love it. Wow. Okay, damn. Anyway, so the point is, hosting all things considered allows me to do both and. I can be like hashtag actually smart, and then I can queen out with Nakane. And that's a combination that's hard to find.

Wow. Nakane. And that's a combination that's hard to find. Wow. Nakane. This is very, I'm going to like really try to, again, connect dots. But this is on a meta level. Like, I think this is like the thing about the book. The thing about you is that there's so much like connective stuff here between like the way you're able to like bridge something from like the way you currently are now is like a journalist quote-unquote like buttoned up gay guy in dc but like you like trace it back to like your days in high school like being like

queer even though like that wasn't the word you used back then yeah to bridge that thing and to bridge like the things between like all of your stories and to bridge the thing between like you having these like journalistic boundaries and reconciling that with the fact that you have to be vulnerable on stage sometimes that was my big takeaway of the book is that like you can like really shift between these modes i'm so glad to hear that that was what you took away from it because i i realized kind of in writing it that the through line of my whole life has been trying to make connections and trying to help people appreciate similarities and build bridges across chasms of difference and the quality that I admire most in people is the ability to make those unexpected connections, bring people together, introduce them, you know,

build opportunities for synthesis. And so, you know, like when I was in Mexico City and Henry said, you have to meet up with my friends, Matt and Bowen, it was that kind of a thing where I was like, these different worlds coming together and interesting people connecting in a foreign place. Like that is the thing that recharges my batteries. And so whether it's performing with Pink Martini or doing a show with Alan Cumming or reporting the news on the radio from a war zone, I'm just really glad that's what you took away from the book because I feel like that is kind of the underlying

like base note of the whole thing. Code switching international icon. International code switcher Ari Shapiro. International code switcher, Ari Shapiro. International code switcher, title of app. Wait a minute. The queer mole style show should be called like code switch or something. Do you know what I mean? That's good, Beau.

Ari hosts, Matt and I can EP or be in it. Can we please make this happen? Code switch. That is the name of an NPR podcast. Damn. Oh, shit. Fuck. It's all right.

It can be a reality show, too. It can totally be. we just got to put an x in it somewhere so it's different like here's what i'll say because i'll like make a joke and be like yeah i want to go on survivor i actually want to go on traders i really want to be on traders bowen you'd be an amazing trader i would not be an amazing trader i would be an amazing faithful you'd be incredible faithful here's the thing i've played mafia with friends over the course of an evening and i get so fucking stressed out and like my blood pressure rises and that's over you know two four hours i try to imagine doing it over weeks and i think i might literally have an aneurysm that's why whenever the traitors like that's why they all like fucking break down into sobs when they leave especially the traders when they get like the ones who got found out spoiler alert

they're like yeah sobbing by the time they go i'm like yes because you've been holding you've been like holding it together this whole time yeah it's literally and you don't have any interaction with anyone else right when you are a trader you are experiencing what it means to be closeted and i hope that the straight traders are really considering that what they're experiencing for two weeks, many of us experience for many years. And you're being closeted. This is a think piece you need to write. I am going to write this think piece. We need to see this published in The Atlantic, New York Magazine, and The New Yorker.

Well, first. It's that good. First, I'm going to publish it as a rule of culture. This is rule of culture number 90 when you are a traitor you are feeling what it's like and i know it eats them up because it's very hard it's it's very hard meaningful that the only non straight white male traitor was sari. Period. Like someone who like is like you know visibly a very specific like identity

let's say. Yep. And so she knows how to like in a way code switch maybe. Wow. Is this such a strategy? Look if you're going to write a think piece you need more than one idea. So this is I like where this is going. First of all co-authored co-byline

he writes the foreword to the published piece um but no but like i have to say if these people on traders did not know who sari fields was and what she was capable of then that's your problem she is an iconic four-time survivor contestant who has been robbed of the win at least once in a real way. And I will say this, the most cathartic moment for someone who loves reality television was watching Ceri Fields do that to Ari Leindyke Jr. Because there is not a more unsung hero of reality television than Ceri Fields. And there is not a more unsung hero of reality television than Surrey Fields. And there is not a more despicable act than the one that Ari lined like junior committed on his season of the bachelor.

So to watch that happen in real time, what was Ari's thing in the bachelor? So Ari basically proposed to one woman and then Becca. And then three weeks later with the cameras in tow came to her house and said i'm i'm actually picking the other girl and the cameras okay but that's great television if you remember cecily did this on snl yes cecily played this girl and they did a whole bit of like the cameras following around like they were like outside the bathroom door while she's sobbing and like ari's there like you have to come out and

she's like fuck you and basically that was as low as it possibly gets yeah for sure a show like the bachelor and so to watch sari fields look him in the eyes and said you don't deserve this do we think she knew that do we think she had seen that season of the bachelor i think she's seen everything okay i don't think that's why she made the decision. I think she made the decision to be like, you're a traitor because she was like, fuck you. You were not coming in at the last second and splitting this money with me. This is my money.

Goodbye. There was an interview where she was like, if it had been $2 million, maybe I would have shared it. But $250K? No. Absolutely not. They need to raise that prize pot too. I'll say. I agree agree I want to start a GoFundMe to like but that's you want to be Sia

I want to be Sia how much does Sia give depends year to year do you know about this Ari I have no idea what you're talking about I know who Sia is I do not know about this money thing you know the iconic Sia she watches Survivor every season and just picks

her favorite contestants and just sends them money like that is iconic it's a thing that is iconic and it started years ago when she came to like uh like a survivor finale reunion and jeff probes was like my friend sia is in the audience and she loves the show and she wants to come on stage and so she's wearing the wig she sure was and she to come on stage. And so Sia just... Was she wearing the wig? She sure was. And she just comes on stage with her wig and was like, I love Sia. That was my Sia. But she was like...

You do a better Sia than an Alan. I'll tell you that. Sometimes I can do Alan, but only in private. And no one will ever know. Oh, well. But basically, like, yeah, Sia is like another prize pot that you can win. It's like if you impress Sia, aka you get a good edit

on the show. I love it. It's the wild card. It's the Sia prize. It's the wild card. It's the Sia moment. And so Bowen wants to be that for traitors.

Yeah, I want to be the Sia for traitors. That is a hole waiting to be filled. Oh, yeah, absolutely. Period. Honey, where's my disco?

I hope Alex gets to do another season of The Mole. Yeah, do we know? Is The Mole renewed? I have no information on that. I feel like it was a big success. I have no information on that. I thought it was too.

I mean, here's the thing. It's weird because like Netflix is The Mole and Peacock is Traders. I do feel I felt more conversation around Traders. Oh, absolutely. And also Traders was Big Fish, Small Pond. The Mole was Small Fish, Big Pond. Like nobody was talking about Peacock. absolutely and also traders was big fish small pond the mole was small fish big pond like nobody was talking about peacock before they say and and this is such terrible synergy but they did

send me like a huge care package full of peacock swag and it was like and then literally susan rovner head of nbc emails me pictures of the wheelhouses of Miami reunion. Oh. Photos. They were like, it was the day I went on set talking about how much I love Peacock. She was like,

thank you so much. Here are photos from the Miami reunion that we just shot today. Anyway. What? I want that. I want a care package from Peacock. I want a care package with those little packets

you can throw into the fire to make it burn green or red. The drama that so good i love that you guys need to watch uk traders i've heard yeah uk traders doesn't have alan but it has this other iconic woman hosting it i'm forgetting her name i'm losing her name but she's like a thing in british culture she's amazing wait are there reality stars in that one or no it's all regular people which i actually is my big note for us traders is i think it should just be all reality people because i think that they get what's necessary of them oh claudia winkelman is the host of uh uk traders and she is a story that's never been told. I love her, her bangs.

I love it all. I love her energy. She's, like, Alan is very, like, dramatic, and Claudia's very British and cold. Yeah. I love it. So, okay, we're gonna make code switch with an X, and we can first option to Peacock, and after that, we'll see where it goes.

Yep. I love this. Really? I actually love this. I think it's time for Bowen and I to co-host a reality show. It's past time. It is long past time for that. All three of us. I'm going to say I'm not entitled to much in this life and in work,

but I think all three of us deserve to host that kind of show. Can I tell you, I actually have a concept for this, Bowen, and I'm going to sidebar with you because I think I've come up with an idea for us to co-host a reality show yes but it's really good and I actually do want to pitch it and I think it's

really good this is I remember was it Otzko who her I don't think so honey was about friendship reality shows yeah this is the show that she's been longing for. It's not necessarily that. It's more, but it's a twist show.

So it's like you think it's one thing and then it's another thing. It's like a Melf Manor thing. It's exciting. I am really excited. It's like Melf Manor. I got it. Have you watched Melf Manor? I'm going to guess no.

No, I have not. I'm so sorry. I'm too afraid. I'm like, it's's gonna be too disturbing you know it gets really it's the darkest version of what you think it's gonna be very fast yeah

it's hard to come back from abyssal stuff like that yeah truly abyssal is a Yiddish word that means a little bit abyssal just abyssal oh that's funny just abyssal just abyssal also a Yiddish word that means a little bit. Abyssal. Just Abyssal. Oh, that's funny. Just Abyssal. Just Abyssal. Also a frontrunner for Title of Up God. This episode's full of them. I think it's B-I-S-S-E-L. B-I-S-S-E-L? That's not what I thought. I would have thought B-I-S-T-L-E.

Ooh, like a bristle without the R. And that's what gets me cut out the spelling bee like a motherfucker. The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City are back. I love that. Oh my gosh. Welcome. And last season's drama was just the tip of the iceberg. You're recording us? I am disgusted. Never

in a million years after everything we've been through did I think that you would reach out to our sworn enemy. We were friends. How could you do this to me? I don't trust her. The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. Wednesdays at 9 on Bravo or stream it on City TV+.

Hey, I'm Jay Shetty and I'm the host of On Purpose. My latest episode is with Jelly Roll. This episode is one of the most honest and raw interviews I've ever had. We go deep into Jelly Roll's life story from being in and out of prison from the age of 13 to being one of today's biggest artists. We talk about guilt, shame, body image, and huge life transformations. I was a desperate delusional dreamer and the desperate part had me in a lot of trouble. I encourage delusional dreamers. Be, delusional dreamer. And the desperate part got me in a lot of trouble.

I encourage delusional dreamers. Be a delusional dreamer. Just don't be a desperate, delusional dreamer. I just had such an anger. I was just so mad at life. Everything that wasn't right was everybody's fault but mine. I had such a victim mentality. I took zero accountability for anything in my life.

I was the kid that if you asked what happened, I immediately started with everything but me. It took years for me to break that, like years of work. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Trust me, you won't want to miss this one. I'm Cheryl Swoops, WNBA champ, three-time Olympian, and Basketball Hall of Famer. I'm a mom and I'm a woman. I'm Tarika Foster-Brasby, journalist, sports reporter, basketball analyst, a wife, and I'm also a woman. And on our new podcast, we're talking about the real obstacles women face day to day. See, athlete or not, we all know it takes a lot as women

to be at the top of our game. We want to share those stories about balancing work and relationships, motherhood, career shifts, you know, just all the s*** we go through. Because no matter who you are, there are levels to what we experience as women. And T and I, well, we have no problem going there.

Listen to Levels to This with Cheryl Swoops and Tarika Foster-Brasby, an iHeart Women's Sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. Is the book out now? Yes. It is. Audiobook as well. I narrate the audiobook. If you like

me telling stories in your ears, you can get the best strangers in the world on audiobook. And why wouldn't they want that? I mean, maybe because they get two hours of it every day on All Things Considered, but I don't know. No, because they love it and they're addicted to it. Can I ask you a question? Did you find the writing of the book a difficult process i feel embarrassed saying this but no for me it was actually yeah really an enjoyable process um it was just like one step

at a time one bit at a time and then you know i i just gave myself permission to not be great in the first draft and then i would set it aside for a few weeks or months and go back and make it, you know, hopefully better. And I just right now feel so like fortunate and satisfied to hear the way these stories are connecting with people and people are finding meaning in them. It's really a very unusual experience for me that I'm kind of just trying to savor. It's really excellent. I mean, I think one of the big reasons people connect with you is that you find the angle

that cuts through the noise and the way you talked about Pulse was the perfect example. You did a story about people going out the next day in Orlando to Parliament House. It's like, oh, but what other news outlet is doing that? It was probably just several days,

if not a couple weeks of coverage about the victims, obviously, and necessary storytelling in that way. But I think the fact that you would go to these bars in Orlando immediately after and talk to people going and why is really beautiful. And I mean, that particular story, like I knew what that place meant. Like I've been going to gay bars my whole life. I had gone to gay bars in Orlando and like

it wasn't until the very end of that reporting experience where I was talking to this guy who was editor of the Free Gay Weekly paper in Orlando. He has since passed away. His name was Billy Maines. But I was telling him like, oh, yeah, years ago, I went bar hopping in Orlando and I didn't remember the name of the bar and I was sure that it had closed. But Billy Maynes said, what bar was it? And I said, I don't remember. I'm sure it's long closed. And he said, well, what was the layout like? What did it look like? Because he lived in Orlando forever. And so I described what it looked like

where you sort of walk in and there's a dance floor on your left and a sort of bar on your right. And he said, that was Pulse. And I just in that moment realized that like this place I had been reporting on all week, that I knew I had some connection to just from it being a gay bar,

which is a place that I had spent so much time in my life. Like it was not only a place that I had an abstract connection to, it was a place that I had a personal, immediate connection to. And I looked on my phone for the name of that bartender who I had met 12 years earlier and his name was in there with an email address that said at pulseorlando.com there were two bartenders one had moved to Chicago and was

no longer working there the other was still working at Pulse but not on the night that the massacre happened but it just made me realize that like, as a journalist, I can approach stories as an outsider, and there's value to that. But also, the experiences that I have my life, my history, my perspective on the world is not something that I have to set aside and put in a box when I go out and tell stories. It's something that I can bring to the stories I tell that can make them richer and deeper and more nuanced and more meaningful. Incredible. It gives you the take that really does, again, cut through something,

that cuts through the din of what everyone is already hearing over and over again. I just always ask myself, how can I make listeners who are busy doing other things hear this? How can I make them try to stay parked in the driveway, even though they're late to pick up their kids or whatever the case may be, because they need to hear the end of the story. What's a way I can tell this story that people are going to say,

oh, I see what those people are going through and relate to them and don't just see them as somebody other, somebody far away, somebody different, but somebody who I have a lot more in common with than I might realize. Do you consume a lot of other NPR stuff? Like, are you an NPR person outside of working there? Well, I graze widely. I mean, I try to know what's on Morning Edition each day, and I try to listen to All Things Considered every evening when I'm not hosting. And that's

a total of like four hours of content. So the rest of the stuff that I consume is sort of a little bit of a lot of things. Gotcha. You listen to Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me? Just for kicks? Sure do. In fact, my Chicago book event is with Peter Sagal, the legend, who just had a baby.

And he's so sweet and wonderful to do my book event with me, even though he has a little tiny child at home. What a king. I'm doing that show this week. You are? Yeah, I'm going off to Chicago. Matt Rogers, marry the lead. Is this your first time?

Second time. Oh, you're going to have so much fun. I love it. I love doing the show. That's the best. I don't do well on it, but I think I bring a good energy. Bowen would absolutely slay it. I did it over Zoom,

but like the thing is, you don't have to be good at it to have fun. No, no, no, no. It's a blast. People don't listen for the knowledge. That's not why people are tuning in. It's schadenfreude. People also not knowing

what the fuck is going on, which is not necessarily true. Okay, so I think we have to segue into I Don't Think So Honey, which is not necessarily true um okay so i think we have to segue into i don't think so honey which is the segment of our podcast where bowen yang matt rogers and the guests on this episode it is ari shapiro they all take one minute to rant against something in culture that absolutely deserves a pulling down from from the perch and a slapping in the head. I have something. It is topical.

We haven't yet discussed this major moment in culture that is in process, but I have, but I don't think so, honey, about it. I know what this is. He intrinsically knows who I am. You know what this is? I can't wait to hear it. I think so. Yeah.

I have a feeling. This is Matt Rogers' I Don't Think So, Honey, as time starts now. I Don't Think So, Honey, time starts now. I Don't Think So, Honey, your notes on the ERA's set list. The ERA's tour set list, we're not giving notes on it, okay? I understand there are some odd choices. Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince

as the opener. Listen, all she wanted to say was it's been a long time and then she segues into what should and I predicted that she would open this concert with Months and Months and Months Ago, Cruel Summer. That is essentially the first song that opens the show.

30 seconds. I don't want to hear that you miss Sparks Fly. We are getting the Speak Now era across with Enchanted. She comes out in the ball gown, gives you the moment we have felt the Speak Now era. She gives you full-on reputation. She gives you everything you need from 1989 i don't want to hear what you're missing from 1989 we get all the hits

i don't want to hear that you miss the self-titled the self-titled as an era is encompassed with fearless we don't need the self-title if you're lucky maybe she'll give you tim mcgraw on that one song she does which is a different song every single time. Error's tour, no notes. I am watching on YouTube. I'm going three times this summer. I don't think so, honey. Your notes. That's one minute. In Vegas, she sang our song too from debut from the first album.

And you know what? Maybe what I hope for everyone out there is that if they are the types of people that want another Speak Now moment that she gives you sparks fly that may, who knows? Maybe you'll even be the lucky one period. I didn't even mean to do that. And also get dear John. I think it's probably too long back to December. I would love,

but there's so much acoustic ready-made stuff. Maybe you'll get one, but listen, but isn't the discourse. The point isn't the hating the point is the disagreement, you know? Yeah. And here's the thing.

I am anti-sicophant, okay? I believe that fandom is dangerous because I believe that fandom is dictatorship. And I believe that intense fandom actually defeats the purpose of even enjoying things because if you can't actually talk about- Okay, Donald Glover swarm. Thank you.

If you can't talk about and enjoy and pick apart the things you like and also drag and be a little nasty sometimes like you're all you are is just an unhelpful clobber on in discussion and then it all gets like clobber on you're a clobber on okay i couldn't find the word because i already used the word sycophant and i only have so many words that I say. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But you know what I'm saying.

No, totally, totally. But I'm the kind of person, I always have something to say. I don't think there's ever been a Taylor album or Taylor moment in culture that I've not been like, this is great, but this. I always have something to say. With the Eris tour, she's out there giving you three hours and 15 minutes of constant entertainment giving you the whole thing she said i know it was difficult to get these seats i know it was difficult to get these tickets i'm gonna make it a moment you'll never forget yeah i don't want to hear notes on a three hour and 15 minute set list i just don't matt i have

a question for you for your three viewings of this performance correct do you have a plan for the scale of sobriety to inebriation how you plan to experience each of the three you know i think that what bowen and i have found recently is that mushrooms are a girl for all three or for one of the three or like or take them in one hour into the three-hour set like what's the strategy bowen what was our cocktail when we saw chromatica? Chromatica was... Rums and Cokes. It was Rums and Cokes.

And then it was... Mushrooms. And I think we got beers there. Yeah, but we also had... And what I mean by cocktail is drug cocktail. So we were on a little bit of mushrooms. No, I know, I know, I know, I know. But it was Rum and Coke at the bar pregame.

And then we took mushroom chocolates before we got in the car. And then once took mushroom chocolates before we got in the car. And then once we got there, we ordered beers. That was the full journey. And I would describe the way we felt at Chromatica, or should I say on Chromatica, as one of the happiest nights of my

life. Well, then you've got to reapply that serum. I am beyond excited for this. And we haven't talked about Erastor, but I've been watching the YouTube videos. It looks so fun. Wait, Bowen, was that what you thought Matt was going to do?

Was that where you thought he was going? I thought he was going to talk about the Gwyneth trial. Oh my god! The Gwyneth trial! New episode. Start from zero. Gwyneth trial. Beginning now. No, the Gwyneth trial is its own episode to the gills with the gwyneth trial was such it was like lost half a day skiing we lost well i lost half a day skiing what was your name kristin kristin i was gonna say kristin i was gonna say kristin you skied into my fucking back is the new from Aaron Brockovich

that asshole smashed in my fucking neck you skied directly into my fucking back what a legend it was unbelievable to consume and it never stopped like the hits kept coming

all day when she was on trial and I don't think it's over right like I think it's currently still present maybe maybe well Apple Martin hasn't yet been called, I think it's currently still in process. Maybe, maybe, but it's not. Well, Apple Martin hasn't yet been called to the stand. It will live forever in our hearts.

It will live forever in our hearts. I'm so grateful that it's happening. That they allowed cameras in the courtroom. I'm grateful they didn't inflict those courtroom sketch artists on us. No cameras were allowed. You don't want to see Gwyneth Dunn in wax pastel chalk.

I don't think she did. I think she wanted the cameras in wax pastel chalk. I don't think she did. I think she wanted the cameras in there. Yeah. Good. I think she said, everyone, look at how ridiculous this is. She knows her audience. She knows how to play to them. Unbelievable.

But wow, I understand why you thought that, Beau, and it really should have been that. But I have to say, people discussing what they're missing from the Eris tour of a three-hour, 15-minute performance. I'm like like you guys come on she can't do the full discography she cannot all right so bowen yang are you ready for your i don't think so honey i am okay this is bowen yang's i don't think so honey his time starts now i don't think so honey a bookmark made of metal oh you mean a, you mean a knife? You mean a switchblade? I was reading, I've been reading very recently,

including with Ari's book, with a metallic bookmark that I'm not going to name the company that makes them, but it might as well have been Lockheed Martin because these are weapons that can kill.

These are weapons that can take lives. And I had many close calls with this blade of a bookmark, and I said, enough. I tossed it in the hotel trash bin, which is, we've discussed on this podcast, those hotel trash cans are too small.

And I realized, this is a sharp spin. This is for needles. This is for bookmarks that are knives. And if you're making bookmarks that are metallic, there are going to be casualties. Someone's going to die. Five seconds. There will be consequences. There will be consequences. Period.

Trust. You will be dealt with. Lockheed Martin, stop it with these bookmarks. Any company that's making metallic bookmarks is Lockheed Martin. Did TSA let you through with that? Somehow! It was in my carry-on and I was like, how is this?

I can kill someone with this. And he told them that. It's a razor blade. You're going to let me through with this? I will kill someone with this. This plane is going to Cuba. Jesus. In a war zone,

you could like perform surgery with it. That's a scalpel. Owen Hunt probably performed surgery with that. No, Owen Hunt. I'm going to guess you don't watch Grey's Anatomy. Me's a scalpel. Owen Hunt probably performed surgery with that movie. I'm going to guess you don't watch Grey's Anatomy?

Me? No. Not even during the Golden Age when it actually was prestige? I actually did not. I am so sorry to disappoint you. As a Pacific Northwesterner, you ignore... I know, I know. I know. I watch Portlandia. Does that count? As a Pacific Northwest show. Yes, definitely. Is that, yeah. From an earlier era, Twin Peaks also, you know. I watched Portlandia. Does that count? As a Pacific Northwest show. Yes, definitely.

Is that? Yeah. From an earlier era, Twin Peaks, also, you know. Yes. Oh, yeah. Certainly. Yeah. Isn't X-Files around that area? Is it? I mean, I watched it when I was a child, but I don't remember where it was set. I feel like X-Files would make more sense to be set in DC, right? Because they're dealing with sensitive

information. Those are the later seasons. Oh, okay. I will say, I did try to watch X-files once from the beginning and i was like it's a different time it was a different time yeah but they still be making them all right do they really yeah there's like every now and then they'll be like an x-files movie and everyone's like oh great and then like i guess i don't think there's been one for a while they're not okay yeah i don't know if that's true. Every once in a while, like in 2001 and 2005.

I feel like constantly always in the news it's like, and the new X-Files movie is right around the corner. And I'm always like, huh? You're thinking of Scream, I think. Yeah. That's what it is. Okay, so Ari, this is the moment. Are you ready for your I Don't Think So, Honey? I'm ready. Okay, so Ari, this is the moment. Are you ready for your I Don't Think So, Honey?

I'm ready. I'm ready. Okay. This is Ari Shapiro's I Don't Think So, Honey. Very exciting moment in time. And his time starts now. I Don't Think So, Honey. Strangers going out of their way to tell me that I sound sick on the radio.

If you show up to a party and you feel like, maybe I shouldn't go to this party. I'm a little worn out. It's been a rough week. And you get to that party. And the host of that party greets you at the door and says girl you look tired do you really want to hear that from the host of your party no this is the same thing but coming from strangers if i'm congested on the radio girl i know that i am congested on the radio and unless you were reaching out to actively uber eats matzo ball soup to my house and no i am not

giving you my home address i don't need you to inform me of that which i am already aware and furthermore if i am hosting with a cold i am doing so from home and you are getting a free product it is public radio yes i know you can donate to your local public radio station but you know 90 of listeners do not i just made up that statistic but i'm pretty sure it's true so appreciate what you you're getting for free, even if you're getting it with a little bit of a raspy cough and a little bit of congestion, because I know that I am hosting with a cold and I don't need you to tell me. I don't think so, honey.

And that's one minute. Very well done. Do you get that? When you're hosting the podcast with a cold, do you get readers, Katie's publicist commenting on your vocal quality? You sound sick. Thanks. I was unaware. appreciate the info what i got recently was it sounds like matt rogers has a cocaine problem rude actually i do kind

of appreciate that i think that's kind of hilarious that's amazing i literally responded i was like i don't have a cocaine problem thank you very much i have a cocaine solution yeah period and then they were like oh well it sounds so i guess you just have a cocaine problem. Thank you very much. I have a cocaine solution. Yeah. Period. And then they were like, Oh, well it sounds, so I guess you just have a habit that you're on top of then. And I was like, wow.

Wow. You ever get into these DMS again? I was like, I can't believe this. I was like, if you must know, I've been sobbing for months. That's why I sound nasal.

Cocaine. You don't need to say that. It's so wild. I felt like you two could probably relate to that oh definitely absolutely yeah i'm aware i am aware when i sound less than my best and y'all's noting it for me is not appreciated also you literally had covid19 i literally had and was hosting from home and when people were like you sound like you shouldn't be on the air. I was like, no shit. You know, I guess I'm kind of like, I'm really happy that you didn't get COVID that day.

We were in boyfriend shirt in Mexico City. I'm really happy you didn't get it. But that makes me feel like I have like limp dick COVID. What does that mean? My COVID wasn't powerful. Oh, I see. I'm sorry. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

My COVID wasn't coming out of my body like that girl you're sad that you didn't give someone else i'm kidding not just someone else it would have bonded our friendship it would have cemented whatever our meet cute story that yeah and then after we went shopping together we got covet i know i was like i swear to i i know you have covet now i was like because i literally i think oh yeah i remember and i started to feel awful like right after and then took a test and i was like oh god i have to tell ari shapiro that i gave him girl nobody was surprised to get a text from you saying i have covid we all know how that new year's that new year's trip went it's like yeah well

that's what comes of it tame though were pretty tame, though, honestly. On a scale of what to what. The Biscaleria. Oh, that night we were pretty tame. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's true. We were tame. We had lovely cocktails. Yeah. Some sushi. This was coming off of Omicron, though. Omicron was still kind of in the air.

It was the winter surge. It was that time. Omicron era. That was when I guess, you know, 1 million people got it all at once. Yeah. You're one in a million, Matt Rogers. No,

you are because you not only didn't get it, not only didn't contract COVID that day, but happened to be you. And you've written this incredible book and it's called the best strangers in the world. And it's stories from a life spent listening, which I think is beautiful. Thank you so much. We absolutely loved it,

and we've loved having you. I have loved this conversation. The best 90 minutes of this entire book tour. That is really hyperbolic. Name one person that this was more fun to do than talk to them. You expect me to call them? Absolutely not.

This is the last question. We're messy here. I want you to name one person on the tour i'm gonna just whisper it really quietly so that only you can hear it with your full throat but wow thank you so much pick up the book buy the audiobook it's a really special one you're not gonna regret i really was just like what a a gorgeous, enriching read. Thank you. Everybody, pick it up. And we, Bowen Yang and I, we end every episode with a song. And it's true. The same way everybody is blue.

And beautiful heaven is blue. It's a cool summer. He gave the thumbs up on his emoji. And if you want to hear more of that, go see the Eres Tour. It's the first song. Bye. Bye. Bye.

Bye. On Thanksgiving Day, 1999, five-year-old Cuban boy Elian Gonzalez was found off the coast of Florida. And the question was, should the boy go back to his father in Cuba? Mr. Gonzalez wanted to go home and he wanted to take his son with him. Or stay with his relatives in Miami? Imagine that your mother died

trying to get you to freedom. Listen to Chess Peace, the Elian Gonzalez story, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. dudes. We're spilling all the behind-the-scenes stories, crazy details, and honestly, just having a blast talking football. Every week, we're discussing our favorite players of all times, from legends to our buddies to current stars.

We're finally answering the age-old question, what kind of dudes are these dudes? We're gonna find out, Jules. New episodes drop every Thursday during the NFL season. Listen to Dudes on Dudes on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, I'm Jay Shetty, and I'm the host of On Purpose. My latest episode is with Jelly Roll. This episode is one of the most honest and raw interviews I've ever had. We go deep into Jelly Roll's life story from being in and out of prison from the age of 13 to being one of today's biggest artists. I was a desperate delusional dreamer. Be a delusional dreamer.

Just don't be a desperate delusional dreamer. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Trust me, you won't want to miss this one.