The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Catherine Reitman "Workin' Moms" I Why The F**k Do We Celebrate Mother's Day?

Episode Date: May 13, 2023

Desi Lydic chats with actor and producer Catherine Reitman about jump-starting her career with Desi on "The Real Wedding Crashers," shares what it was like working with her husband on "Workin' Moms," and how the success of the show still surprises her in its seventh and final season. And Desi Lydic also reveals how the Mother’s Day holiday came to be.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. My guest tonight is the creator and star of the hit Netflix comedy series, Working Moms. Please welcome my good friend Catherine Reitman. Oh my gosh. Oh my goodness. Look at this. So Catherine and I met, how many years ago? Just a few? Just like two or three. We're so young. Impressably fresh and young.

We met doing a hidden camera prank show. That's right. That I believe NBC called their worst prime time ratings in history. Something like that. I think they might have said that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But you know what? They say that about all the shows. We were very special. We really were.

Yeah, yeah. We really were. And this was my first big break, the real wedding crashes. So we really cut our teeth. We did for 10 weeks in Vegas, and we somehow made it out alive. I don't know how. I mean, by the skin of her teeth. I was slapped.

A bitch slapped me. True. True. A bride who was in on it, just five-fingered me right across the face. Yeah, that was a rough day. weak. The budget was so low. You just had to like, grin and there. I just held a Coke can to my cheek and... Now, has that ever happened on working moms? Got and slapped?

Yeah, right in the face. Danny Kine, who plays Anne on the show loves to slap a bit. She'll get in there. She's very physical. I love her for it. I love it. Oh my god. So you, I mean, you're one you're one, you're one, you're one, you're one, you're one, you're one, you're one, you're one, you're one, you're one, you're one, you're one, you're one, you're one, you're one, you're one, you're one, you're one, you're one th. who has always been the total standout and everything that you've been in. You're so damn funny. You're constantly working, steal every scene. But now suddenly there's this baby of your seven seasons.

Isn't that crazy? Of work in moms. Oh my, 83 episodes? Yep. Dropping on Netflix this Wednesday, April. So, Jason, you created it, you star in it, you direct it, you executive produce it. What is it like, seeing your baby all grown up like that? It's wild, you know, I mean I entered the show thinking, alright, I'll probably get one season and I'll just try to be as authentic as I can, tell all my stories, cram it into one season. And each season that we got picked up for another one, I was in disbelief.

I still am. It's so good. It's so funny. And it feels, genuinely, I know you, you're a friend. Like, it feels like you. It feels like you. You can tell that you put so much that you that you that you this last season because I got a friend. She's got a hook up. I got a hook up. Don't be asking me. And just in the season you explore so many themes and issues that are so important. You have an entire storyline on the male birth control

pill. That's right. Yeah, you explore de-stigmatizing shame in female sexuality, marriage ruts, the complexities of female friendships. How do you get ideas for these stories? I guess I just live, you know what I mean? Yeah, just a day in the life of a woman. I mean, and I'm sure your audience could speak to this. It's like having a kid and, I mean, just watching this incredible show tonight and seeing all the horrifying statistics of what it means, to go back to work knowing that you're going to be looked at differently for being a mother was so paralyzingly terrifying to me. I didn't even know I had postpartum depression when I started the show and getting through, I

had a three-month-old when we started shooting. And when we wrapped the show and I all of a sudden realized like I feel like I white knuckled through it. I don't think I took a breath until they said cut the last time. Yeah. And that was part of the inspiration for the show, right? You having gone through that and thinking like, there aren't shows out there that really dive into these topics. They're sure more now. Seven years ago, it was a wasteland. any A storyline, meaning the main plot point of the show, about a woman who happened to be a mother and work. I mean, look, on work and moms,

the actual amount of time where you see the female characters with their kids is like 5%. This is about women being something outside of the nursery. It's a woman in the workplace show, and yeah, they've got to juggle it all and try to have it all, whether that's possible or not. Do you think it's possible? Yeah. You got this, right? Totally. Not affecting us at all. They say you can have it all but not all at the same time. I think someone's wise said that. It's different for each person, right? We all have our ways of sort of working it out of making sacrifices the guilt is real

guilt is real. Guilt is real. You said something about mom guilt that really stuck with me. You sounds like me. Yeah very profound. You you said something in regards to the way that you talk to your children about going to work. Yeah I don't I to go to work. and I just you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you th th th th th th th th th th th th th thus th the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the guilt the the the guilt the the the the the the the the the the the the the the guilt the guilt the the guilt the the the the guilt the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the toooooooooooooo tea tea. tea tea tea. tea tea. the guilt is. the guilt is the guilt is the guilt is the guilt. the guilt. the guilt. talk to your children about going to work? Ah, yeah, I don't say I have to go to work. I say I get to go to work. And I just flip that tone. I go, like before I flew to New York to do this lovely thing with you, I told my kids, I'm so excited. You guys, I've never gotten to do this sort of thing. I'm so happy with it. And th th th th th. And th, and th, and th, and th, and th, and th, and th, and th. And they they they they they, and they, and they, and they, and th. And thi, and thi, and thi, and thi, and tho, and thi, and thi, and tho, and tho, and tho, and tho, and tho, and tho, and tho, and tho, and tho, and tho, and tho, and th. And th. And th. And th. And th. And th. And th. And th. And th. And th. And th. And th. And th. And th. And th. And th. And thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi thi thi to to to to to to to toeeeean, toean, I just just just just to to to to to to to to to thi to th tonight they were like we're so excited for you and that ship's great. That's so beautiful because you you are you are following your passion and

you're clearly meant to do this and you bring so much joy to so many people and you're teaching them that they can one day do that too and that's really important that's really powerful. Or marry a woman that takes care of yes yes yes also wonderful they're thi th th th th th th th th th th th th th also th also th. th also th. th. they're they're th. they're they're th. that that that that that that that that that that tho that that they that tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho that that that that that th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. That's th. That's th. th. th. That's th. they're they're they're they're they're they're that that that that that that that that the the the the to the to the to to the to the the the the the the the the the the tho tho tho that's really important that's really powerful. Or marry a woman that takes care of them. Yes. Yes. Also wonderful. Also very powerful. You work with your husband. I do. He plays your actual husband. He also is an executive producer and directs on the show. How does this work? Because there was a very brief time during the pandemic when we were filming from home and I one time asked my husband to hold the camera and we almost the the the the the the the the the the to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the to to to the to to to toe. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes..... Yes.............................................................................. t. t. t. t. the. the. the. the. the the the the the the the the the the the. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t was a very brief time during the pandemic when we were filming from home, and I one time asked my husband to hold the camera and we almost got divorced. How do you navigate that? It's tricky.

I mean, we've definitely had some serious fights. But then you also find ways. For those of us who work in separate places on our husbands or wives, you get to come home and try to share what happened. And there's sort of like a lack of connection because you can't talk about what you've done. When I get home, Phil knows exactly what I've done. He witnessed all my wins,

but he also witnesses when I fail. So that makes it really complicated. Lucky for me I got a guy who's a guy, I, I, I, I, I, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the to, thi, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, a serious cheerleader. You know, he's, yeah, he's had my back. It was his idea to push me into writing this thing in the first place, so. Thanks, Phil. Well, you're lucky to have each other. You're lucky to have each other. You're lucky to have each other. I am so grateful for you making this show show because I finally feel like there's a show where working moms are seen and it means a great deal to me and it's such a joy to see you do your

thing and shine your light because you are just you're you're a total inspiration so I'm really happy for you and I'm proud that I get to be your friend. Can I return the favor real quick that how amazing is it? That we broke our teeth on the first real wedding crash-a show which was a hit. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-s to-s to-s to-s to-n-n-n-nooooo'-n-no'-s-no'-s-n-s-s-s-noo'-s-s-n-s-s-n-s-s to-s toeth on the first real Wedding Crasher show, which was a hit. It maybe not critically acclaimed, but it was a hit. Really, real critical darling. Yeah, totally. We were doing some really cool stuff there actually, but I get to now witness your first night hosting the Daily Show. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for being here. I love you to bet. I really do. Thank you. Thank you for being here. I love you to bet. I really do, thank you. You can watch the seventh season and the final season of Working Moms on April 26 on Netflix. Thank you. If you're wondering why I'm in bed having

burnt bacon and a pancake filled with jelly beans then you've never celebrated with jelly beans, then you've never celebrated Mother's Day. It's that special day each year when your husband gives you flowers he bought in a panic at the gas station and a card you thrown. And accord you wrote with his feat so Day. It's that special day each year when your husband gives you flowers he bought in a panic at the gas station and a card he wrote with his feat so it looks like your dumbest kid did it. But societies have been honoring mothers since ancient times, including all the way back in ancient Egypt, where an annual festival honored the mother of all pharaohs, ISIS.

No, not the one that you're thinking. Isis was was was an an an th was an the th is an th is an the Egyptian was an the Egyptian was an the Egyptian was an Egyptian the Egyptian the Egyptian the Egyptian the Egyptian the Egyptian their their their thian. their thian. their thian. thian. thian. thoe, thoe, thi. their, thi. th. th. th. th. th. their, the the the the the the the the the the the the the thoom. thoom. thoom. thoom. thi. thi. thi. thi. the thi. the the the thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. the. the. the. the. the. te. te.a.e.e.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a. It.a. It. It. It. It's. It's.s. ISIS. No, not the one that you're thinking. Isis was an Egyptian goddess and style inspo for every white girl at Coachella. The Greeks and Romans also had spring festivals celebrating the great mother. The Greeks called her Rea, who's usually depicted with a mural crown seated in a chariot pulled by two lions, which is badass and carbon neutral. We should bring that back. But what we know to me Mother's Day really traces back to 1852 and a woman named Anne Reeves Jarvis. She started something called Mother's Day work clubs,

where women in the community would help needy families buy medicine, get clean water, and practice safe sewage disposal, which is pretty intense as far as mom groups go. The one I'm in mostly just swaps, hand me down Elmo onesies for weed. After Anne Reeves Jarvis died, her daughter Anna Jarvis decided to honor her. In 1908, she organized the first official Mother's Day celebration in Philadelphia with the help of department store owner John Wanamaker, handing out hundreds of white carnations because her mother loved them.

Even though, let's be honest, they're kind of the basic bitch of flowers. And because the day was so successful, Jarvis lobbied to have the holiday honoring mothers added to the national calendar. She led a letter writing campaign to newspapers, politicians, and the governors of every state. This was before Twitter, so she couldn't do that thing where you just tag a bunch of important people and retweet yourself. It didn't work, by the way. After years of pushing and fighting and writing, Jarvis' dream was realized when President Woodrow Wilson finally made Mother's Day a national holiday in 1914.

It was the best thing to happen to mothers, until the invention of White Zinfandel. But guess what? Once Mother's Day became an official holiday, Anna Jarvis hated it. She thought her sincere holiday had become a commercialized racket and called the florist and greeting card manufacturers, charlatans, bandits, pirates, pirates, racketeers, kidnappers, and termites that would undermine with their greed one of the finest, noblest, and truest movements in celebrations.

Which basically sounds like how William Shakespeare would give a one-star yelp review. Jarvis hated the holiday so much that it soon became her life's work to undo her life's work. She went door-to-door collecting petitions to take Mother's Day off the calendar. She threatened people who used the phrase Mother's Day with copyright infringement. She got in a fight with Eleanor Roosevelt for using Mother's Day to raise money for charity, and one time when a waitress told her to enjoy her Mother's Day salad, Jarvis threw the salad on the ground. It's true, you can Google it. Although don't search for Mother Toss' salad, those are not the results you want. I'm trying to get to get to get to get to get to get to to to get to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the the the the to get the thoe, the their their the results you want. I'm trying to get it off the dark web. Oh, you saw it?

Yeah. Thank you. But basically, Anna Jarvis brought Mother's Day into this world, and ever since it was an endless source of disappointment and frustration in her life, which, ironically, is a pretty perfect metaphor for Motherhood. Anyway, that is why the f-fix we celebrate Mother's Day. Now, if you don't mind, I'm gonna try to enjoy this abomination of a breakfast. Mmm. Mmm.

Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. that. Yum. Yum.