The Three Questions with Andy Richter - Clare O'Kane

Episode Date: August 6, 2024

Comedian Clare O’Kane joins Andy Richter to discuss her new stand-up comedy album, the questionable hygeine of young artists, writing for “Saturday Night Live,” her path to “Spongebob Squarepants,” putting happiness ahead of career, why she might pump the brakes on hyper-personal comedy, farting around at the Oinkster, Ray-Bans for babies, why they both want to take a ceramics class, and much more.Do you want to talk to Andy live on SiriusXM’s Conan O’Brien Radio? Leave a voicemail at 855-266-2604 or fill out our Google Form at BIT.LY/CALLANDYRICHTER

Hello everybody! Welcome back to The Three Questions. I'm your host Andy Richter. And this week I'm here with Claire O'Kane. Claire is a very funny actor, comedian, and writer. She was deemed a comedian you should know by Vulture. And you know there's not really a lot of comedians that you really want to get to know. So that means something.

She's written for Spongebob Squarepants, Shrill, Saturday Night Live, appeared on Comedy Central.com, and was the sort of host of Viceland's Flophouse. Before I start my talk with Claire, I just want to mention that the Andy Richter Call-In Show is now airing every Wednesday on SiriusXM's Conan O'Brien Radio. Episodes are available on demand in the SiriusXM app or you can find them a week later in this same Three Questions Podcast feed. If you want to be a part of the show and we want you to, you can call 855-266-2604 or fill out the Google form in the description for this podcast episode. Let us know your story. Pay attention to my feed and your, the Team Coco feed and you'll get the themes. Or if you got a good story, we'll take anything. And we'd love to have you and we want to get you on the show.

Anyhow, speaking of shows, please enjoy now my conversation with the very, very funny and talented Claire O'Kane. ["Can't You Tell My Love's Love Is You"] Claire O'Kane. Oh. Hello, Claire O'Kane. How's it going? Good, how are you?

I'm pretty good, thanks for having me. Good, good, I'm happy to have you. And you're out here, because you live in New York now. I live in New York, yeah. And you're just out here for a wedding? A wedding. Right. Say that you were here to be on this podcast.

And I was here to be on this podcast. And then luckily this wedding happened. Yeah. No, now when you do this, everything, this is a business trip now. Yeah. You know that, right? I'm writing it off. Oh, fuck yes. Cha-ching, cha-ching., this is a business trip now. Yeah. You know that, right? I'm writing it off. Oh, fuck yes.

Cha-ching, cha-ching. I'm writing this day off too. Just personally? Right, right, right. I've actually written like the next 20 years off already. Well, you're here today because you have a new comedy album, which I listened to, which is very funny. Thanks.

Yeah, yeah, it's really good stuff. Yeah, you know. And, well, you're from out here. I'm from San Jose, California. Yeah, but I mean, it's, you know, relative. It's a big planet, and you know, you're in the neighborhood. Do you still have family there? I do, yeah.

Everybody is out there. I'm the one who moved the farthest away. Do you have siblings still there, I do, yeah. Everybody is out there. I'm the one who moved the farthest away. Do you have siblings still there too? No, I'm lonely. Oh, you're an only child. That explains a lot. The self-involvement. Yeah, we kinda just met.

Yeah, but that, we're in a podcast. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, so. I can say whatever the fuck I want. Sure. No, yeah, no, that's, you read me like a book. I was kidding, I was kidding. But I am always worried that I'm gonna be like, oh yeah, of course you're not a child.

Oh, is that a sensitivity that you have? I don't know, just a little bit. Well, I just stomped all over it, I'm sorry. No, it doesn't matter. I'm sorry. Are you an only child? I am not. I have an older brother

and then I have a younger half brother and sister. Oh, you're middle, almost middle? I am kind of middle because my younger brother and sister were twins. So they were sort of effectively one age. So yeah, I'm very middle and I'm like so fucking middle child. You're really, yeah. I didn't want to say it, but.

No, I talk, just, you know. Is everyone happy? Yeah. Is there something I can do to make people happy? Oh. You know, yeah, and the fun thing is, is after years and years of, is everyone happy? Can we take care of everything?

Yeah, okay, all right. And then, you know, and also too, like, there's in the sorts of Joseph Campbell paradigms, the like, the star of the family. Like the one part of it, like it's like all me, me, me as I read the description. And then the one is like, usually the first to leave. Yeah. And I was like, bye.

Yeah. And the second I get out of there after, what does everyone want? It's like, all right, now time to figure out what I want. Yeah. Ooh, boy, I don't know how to do that. And you know what? I'm gonna kind of surround myself with people who I wanna help all the time instead of focus kind of on my own thing.

Yes, exactly. And then present them for needing help. And also like, I'll get into improv. Yeah, oh brother. That's a group of people and you're not supposed to think about your spell itself. You're supposed to like surrender to the group. Ideally.

And then if you're on that path, you become a talk show sidekick. That's cool. Yeah, no, but I mean, but it is kind of like the notion of being number one on anything is not. That's so much pressure. It's too much. It's too much.

It's too much. Are you that way? Like do you feel? Yeah, well both of my parents are dead and I feel like now there is simultaneously less pressure but also like, well I'm the only one left of my bloodline. Right, right. And so I have to really. Of our little team.

Of our little team, I have to like make the most of it, or else like in my head I'm like, it's all for naught. And that's too much pressure. Cause I'm like, well, what am I gonna, what am I need to change the world to sort of make sure that like my life is worth something? Well, there's always, I always like to think too, there is the thing that like, some human beings

just are born, they eat, reproduce, and then die. And then, you know. Isn't that crazy? And they don't, and it's like, that's their life, and it's complete. Which is kind of awesome. It's fantastic.

Yeah. And it's a good thing to remind yourself of when you're like, you know, what TV show am I gonna get? You know? But also like, should I actually just be like a teacher? Like what's my footprint? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

It has to be special, but it's also like, nobody is special. Right, right, right. We're all fucking ants, who cares? And yeah, and your job, what is it? Just, you know, it's just what you do. It's just what you do. Because you live in this system and, you know, whatever.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. What kind of, you went out in San Jose, where you like it kind of, you were a skateboarder, right? Yeah, I skateboarded. Because I've seen you online skateboarding. I was skateboarding, that was kind of my main thing.

Was that your main thing? Yeah, I wanted to skate, and then I also was obsessed with comedy. So it was kind of like, my big idea was that I was going to sort of get really good at skateboarding and surfing and move to LA, but then also go to like the groundlings, because I found out like that's where welfare all came up. And then of course, I'm going to take to like the groundlings because I found out like that's where Well Fair All came up. And then of course I'm gonna take classes

at the groundlings and then live in a van on Ventura. On the beach, yeah. With like a dog. Right. But then I'd be somehow get on SNL and then that would be like the life. Well, it's a pretty safe bet

where you got the two fallbacks. Yeah. Being on SNL or being a professional surfer skateboarder. Those are real solid California game plan. I mean both extreme in their own way. They are. But also like I was really not very confident and I was really shy. And so.

And that probably hurt you in both. Yeah. All three, I guess, of you skating and surfing. Yes. And then just kind of generally being scared of getting hurt. And so I didn't really get good at any of those things. Like I could skate a pool.

Yeah. In an empty pool. But then at some point I was like, maybe I'll just be an artist. Yeah. I started taking photos and then I went to art school for that. an empty pool. But then at some point I was like, maybe I'll just be an artist. I started taking photos. And then I went to art school for that. Yeah.

Where'd you go to school? California College of the Arts. I don't think it exists anymore, but it was in Oakland. Uh-huh. But the whole time I'm like, oh, I wanna be a comedian, I wanna be an actor, but I'm not like, oh, I can't be like that.

I can't be good like those people. So just not even having that initial confidence. Even though I had been in all the plays and got good roles and was like, in my high school career doing quite well. But then I was like, but I'm not good enough to fucking. So I'm just gonna do the easy thing and be a photojournalist, I guess,

and go to Kuwait and take pictures of children. You know, like... Of soldiers on fire. Yeah, yeah, cool stuff like that. And, yeah, and it just kind of ended up, I don't know, lots of stuff happened. Right. Obviously, to get me where I am.

And you, and in my research, it said that, like, you started stand-. And you, and in my research it said that like, you started stand-up, was it after your mom died? Yeah. And was that kind of like, were the two linked in some way? Probably. Yeah. I, so I went to art school for a year, dropped out.

And then it was just kind of farting around for about a year. In San Jose? In Oakland. In Oakland, okay. I was living in a big warehouse with like six other people. And it was really stinky and there were bed bugs. And there was one woman who would like free bleed, you know about free bleeding? It's when you have your period, but then you don't use anything.

And then it's- I thought you said free blade, not free bleed. I mean, I wish free blade. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, and so there would just kind of be like... blood on the wall. Yeah. Just kind of living the life.

Mencius drops. Yeah, kind of living the artist's life. Ugh. And then, um... I was like... I was young and artistic, but I... the hygiene of the real young artist's life. It's pretty gnarly. Oh, I was young and artistic, but the hygiene of the real young artist life. It's pretty gnarly.

Oh, I couldn't do it. Yeah. I mean, I was a slob, but I just, you know, nah, I couldn't do that. No. Yeah. You weren't free-blading. No, I was not free-blading.

You were using tampons. Which is kind of- I was actually growing my own cotton and just shoving bowls up there. Yeah, that's cool. Yeah, yeah. But, what was I saying? Oh. You lived in a flop house with a bunch of bleeders.

I was living in a flop house with a bunch of bleeders. And at some point I started working in a video rental store and I was kind of like, I could just keep doing this, live my life, work at a video rental store. I was acting in short films every once in a while. And then my mom died and it was like, oh, well, it just truly shifted my way of thinking about everything.

Yeah. And it, I guess subconsciously it was like, well, life is short and you should try to do everything you want to do. And so like two weeks after my mom died, I did my first open mic, stand up open mic. I got drunk. Yeah.

Off of beer. And, um. Drunk off of beer. Can you imagine? Out with being. We wouldn't do that today. No, no, no. And I did well enough that I was like,

oh, I'm just gonna do this. And did you prep much? I wrote down some jokes that I think today would not be okay to say out loud. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Times are different back then. Yeah, better. Tell me about it brother. Oh boy and

Yeah, I wrote down some jokes and I practiced them in the mirror and then I timed myself to make sure that you know I got two minutes. I died died died died. Okay. There we go. Yeah Yeah, and then that kind of goes out of the window when you're drunk on beer Yeah, and some guys go and like, show us your tits. And I go, fuck you, brother. Anyway. Sit down, dad. Yeah, basically.

And yeah, so I kind of just ended up doing that for the rest of my life up until now. Every night going out, drinking, alcohol was a big thing. Cause I was like, oh, I can't go on stage without a drink. And that also kind of distracted me from grieving. So I was just kind of plowing through that for a while. What age were you when? 20.

20. And that's young. That's like- Yeah. That's so young. That's a lot to happen to somebody who's 20 cause it's like, you think, you know, it's like, yeah, you're an adult. It's like, I have a, my daughter's 18 and my older daughter

and it's, and it is like, she's an adult now. And it's like, no, she's there's like you're adult but also there's still just a child still in there. You know? You know? I mean, there's still a child in- Waiting to be crushed.

Yeah. You know? Waiting to be squashed. Yeah. Do you just, I look at them and go, just wait. Something's gonna happen. No, no, no. There's, I mean, I kinda, no, I don't do that because I like them.

And I want, you know. I'm not saying like, shot and Freud for your children. But I'm saying like, well, especially when something comes up that they're upset about and you're just like, oh, this is, just so you know, this is not gonna matter. Oh, absolutely. There's all kinds of stuff like that that happen where,

or where they're, they will, because I have also had my son's 23, and they will kind, there will be moments where they will kind of proclaim like, this is the way it is. And I'm just kind of like, well, I actually, I think it might be, no, this is the way it, and I'm like, okay, I hope that it's that way for you. Good luck with that. But, you know, and I mean, and it's all, it takes so, I just said this is a joke the other day. I'm like, you know, the thing they don't tell you

about being alive is that it takes like 40 or 50 years to get the hang of it. Isn't that crazy? It really takes a long time to where you're just not like clueless about so much stuff. I mean, really, you get to be really old, you know, and you're still like, I look back and I'm just like, oh my God, I just did so much stuff that like today I would be like, oh no, no, I'm not going to do that. Yeah. But that's also if you choose to like think that way, if you choose

to kind of be introspective. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. You could just plow ahead being stupid. Totally. Which again would be awesome. Yeah.

I would much rather that. Blissfully ignorant. That's fantastic where to live. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. When did you feel like you could really start doing comedy? Like for real? Was it, was it pretty soon? You kind of mentioned it, I guess, you know? Yeah.

I mean, I, I guess, so I started in San Francisco in the Bay area. I don't know. And it was just really, it, it like almost immediately like just in general the people around me and like this is the first time I've related to a group of people. Yeah. Yeah, maybe pretty powerful stuff super powerful Yeah, and where you're just like oh I can be myself Yeah, so it kind of unlocks that whole world. And I guess I was serious about it in that I was doing it a lot. It never really feels like I'm doing anything.

So I have to have like something else where I'm like, I guess I should make a shelf. So like, or like, you know what I mean? Like something tangible. Cause going, even going on the road and doing a long set doesn't usually feel like work unless it's hard. You know? Yeah.

So... No, I know there are times when I'm like, when people will be very nice to me and tell me how much like what I've meant to them. And I am very grateful to that, but then there's also times where I'm like, what did I really do though? Yeah, because it doesn't feel like.

Yeah, I just sat there and like was a wise ass or, you know, or put on a costume and read the cue cards. Like, what is that? I didn't really do anything. But being funny is like, is valuable. Yeah, I know. I mean, it's like there's the both sides of it though. Because I will be like, yes, thank,

I will be thankful for the compliment. And I will also be like, yes, thank, I'm, I will be thankful for the, for the compliment. And I will also feel like, no, I know how much the shows that were meaningful to me, how much they meant to me. And then there's like other people who, you know, were serious about being funny, who were watching our show, and it was meaningful to them. So I appreciate that. And I understand that I'm very proud to have been And I understand that I'm very proud to have been on a show that I'm very proud to have been on. You know, I mean, it was a funny show and we made sure that it was really funny.

But then again, it is like, like when the alien force comes and they get rid of non-essential personnel, I feel like I'm fucking vaporized because what am I gonna do, you know? No, they'll put you in a little cage. Really? And hopefully in a hat. Oh, nothing but a hat.

Yeah. Because that would be funny. And then they kind of just make you do TikTok dances. Ha ha ha ha. Ah, ah, ah. Wrong. Yeah. You got the hand gesture.

They swipe you physically. Those are jazz hands. Ha ha ha ha. They swipe you physically. Those are jazz hands. Well, you ended up getting writing jobs too. You started writing comedy, right? I did. I got a job. Well, my first writing job was at SpongeBob. Oh, nice. Squarepants.

How did that happen? My... I'm familiar, I know. Yeah. Yeah, there is only one SpongeBob. So usually when you say SpongeBob, you can leave off the Squarepants. Sure'm familiar, I know. Yeah. There is only one SpongeBob, so usually when you say SpongeBob, you can leave off the SquarePants. Sure, yeah, you know.

It's like if you say share, you can just say share. Share SquarePants. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think that'd go a little something like this. Oh, my pineapple. Whoa. I'm an apple. Whoa. That happened because my boyfriend at the time's neighbor

became the head writer of SpongeBob. Oh wow. And he was like, you guys are funny. Do you wanna like write on the show? It's called SpongeBob. And I'm like, yeah, it's my favorite cartoon ever. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But first he hired my boyfriend and I remember the day that my boyfriend went off to go to

Burbank to Nickelodeon, right? It's like going off to war. Kind of going off to war. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It did turn out, it ended up being like that. I hope I see you again. Burbank, it's so dangerous. And I was just kind of laying in bed and I was like,

oh, that'd be so cool to write for SpongeBob. It's good that he gets to do it, but I wish I could do it. And then later that day, the head writer, the neighbor texted me and was like, hey, do you think you'd ever want to, or called me, and was like, you ever want to maybe write on SpongeBob? And even then I was like, well, I've never written anything before,

so maybe I'll write like a spec, and then I'll send it to you, and then you tell me if it's like fine. And then yeah, you can like figure out if that's, like he was offering me the job. Right. And you were saying. Because he knew I was funny.

But I was still like, well I don't know, I might suck ass. So I wrote a spec, I sent it to him, I don't even think he read it, and he's like, yeah. Right, right, I don't know, I might suck ass. So I wrote a spec and sent it to him, I don't even think he read it, and he's like, yeah. Right, right, right. No, cause he knows it's like, no, no, you don't have to be able to like, that's like all the unfunny motherfuckers

in comedy writing will be like, well, you have to really know the structure. Like, no, you don't. Are you good in a room? Yeah, yeah. Are you cool? Just be fucking funny and have good jokes. Totally.

And. And make other people's ideas funny. Yeah. Yeah, that's all you gotta do. Which I think I became good at. Yeah. But that was the first job and it was hard. Because I was the only woman in there.

Everyone was kind of older. Yeah. No offense. Um. Who are you talking to? They're older guys who had been there for since the inception of the show. And my friend who became the head writer,

it was like the first time they'd ever had like a writer's room proper. I think they were used to like animation writer's rooms where it was heavily storyboarded based, storyboard based. This was actually like, oh, we're in a room, we're shooting the shit, we're trying to figure out the show. And some of the guys did not like that. The creator of the show was awesome.

He decided to come back that year and be a part of it and he was very cool, but I don't know, it was funky. In a word, funky. And how long were you there for? Just a couple months. Oh, really? Yeah. And did you move on, or did...

No, my friend, who was the head writer, was fired. And then all of us who he hired was like me, my boyfriend, Solomon Georgiou. Uh-huh. He's been on this bot gans. You rock. Yeah. Some of my oldest friends. Very funny. All of us who he hired, it was like me, my boyfriend, Solomon Georgiou. He's been on this bot against. Yeah, very funny. We were all let go when he was let go. Oh.

But so then I was like- Cleaned house. They cleaned house. And then I kind of just kept doing standup and didn't hope for a writing job. Was kind of just like, well, I did it. I worked at this place for a while called The Oinkster. You ever go there?

I know of it. I've never been. It's like a burger place, right? Yeah. It's good. All right. They got ube milkshakes. Oh, that's purple.

You said it, honey. That's purple, Papel. And yeah, I just kind of farted around until I ended up doing this show on Viceland, rest in peace. And I was kind of a host of that show called Flophouse. Oh wow, I never saw that. It was on, well, it was on Deep Cable.

Uh-huh, the dark cable. Basically. The channel obviously doesn't exist anymore, but I was there sort of at the inception of it. Oh wow. So it was like the show that I was on where we'd go to, go around the country to these different houses that where people put on

like comedy house shows essentially. Oh cool. Because that's what we used to do. Yeah. And so we go to the house and film and fart around. So it was like kind of like a, I'm gonna speak in development talk. It's like a punk standup show.

It's basically like the most punk rock standup show you can think of. Yeah, yeah, yeah, right, right. But we're taking it on the road. Sure, sure, sure, sure. And yeah, it's gonna be cheap. Yeah, instead of a brick wall, it's gonna be like somebody's kitchen. Yeah. Like a filthy kitchen

you would never wanna go in. And we've never seen that before. Yeah. And yeah, there will be lots of different types of people. Oh. So that's interesting. Nice. It was fun.

Yeah. And I did that. Was it just like fieldwork, like were you just kinda promo, you know, like doing ins and outs with the other comedians? I was like kinda just going around and talking to people. It was directed by Lance Bangs. Oh yeah.

And yeah, and we would, I would do a set on the show and everybody would, you know, where it's like a filmed standup show as well. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it was pretty cool. That's fun. I gotta check that out, yeah. Check it out.

All right, I will. I'm not gonna do it now because we're in the middle of something. Yeah. Right. So they say. So how, I will. I'm not gonna do it now because we're in the middle of something. Yeah. Right. So they say. So how do you get to SNL? Between then and SNL,

I wrote on this show called Shrill. Starring Eddie Bryant. Yep. And I was on that for two seasons. That was, and, cause it was based on the book by- Lindy West. Lindy West, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, she was in the writers' room. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And, she was in the writers' room. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so was Solomon. And that was just a great experience. Yeah. This was like, oh yeah, this is what a writers' room is. This is what it's supposed to be, yeah.

Supposed to be fun. Yeah. And that went well. SNL was hiring, my name got thrown in the pool, I was recommended by her, and my friend James Austin Johnson had just been hired and he recommended me. And I just got in there.

Yeah. And I never, for a while I was like, I don't wanna run on that fucking show. It seems hard. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it's not punk. Right, right, sure. The bathrooms aren't dirty.

Um... Yeah. The food is good. The food is good. The food is good. They order good food. I guess sugar fish is interesting. And, um, yeah, and then I ended up doing that. Yeah. And that's just sort of a crazy...

Still seems nuts that I got to do that. Yeah. It's a very strange place. How you've hung out there? Well, I mean, I work next door, basically. And I know a bunch of people who have been through there. And I also sort of live next door through really different kinds of regimes and different kind of feelings. Like when I started, SNL was very stand-up, like it was a lot of stand-ups.

And then it kind of evolved into more of a improv, comedians kind of place. And it, like, it got better. Because stand-ups aren't used, they don't play well with others. I know. And it's very helpful to have people that know how to play well with others in a show that's about people playing with each other. Mm-hmm.

So yeah, and I'm, and there were also like, when I first was their neighbor, it was a very misogynist place to work. No. Yes, I'm not kidding you. Okay. And then that got better, you know? I think, you know, having Tina Fey be the head writer just made it better for women.

Isn't that crazy that that changes things? Isn't that weird? Isn't it strange? Yeah. And then I know for a while, and then for a while, I mean, I don't know, I'm not like completely up on it, but I know that there was a lot, it got a lot of gay sensibility that made it funny too,

that you could see on the screen that it was just, that it was funnier. Yeah, that's what I gathered when I ended up there. When you talk about it in your special too, it's kind of you open up with that about being unemployed and how... Yeah, I mean, you know, I try not to talk too much shit and be...

Yeah, because you want to work eventually. Yeah, yeah, I do. You talk too much shit and be... Yeah, because you wanna work eventually. Yeah. Yeah, I do. You're unemployed now, but you do. Believe me, I have to do the same thing. There's so many things that I go, I don't tweet anymore, but I would just be like, oh, fucking, oh man, do I have a funny thing to say about this show.

I know. Oh, wait a minute, I'm not working. Yeah. I'm gonna need a job one of these days. I better be careful. I know, we used to be able to just talk shit and nobody cared. I know.

I mean, I quit, so I kinda had that control. Talk about punk. Yeah, I guess. Damn, fuck you, SNL. Yeah, I was kinda going through some stuff. Oh, were you? Yeah, and it really wasn't the, I mean, it is intense.

Yeah. And it is honestly like, you have to really wanna be there to kind of handle it. And I think I was going through stuff personally at the same time and it just wasn't sustainable. Yeah. And I thought I need to like fix my life before I can even focus on making art or working in this stressful. In a very commercial art area.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Cause I think if I had just kind of pushed through my whole life would have blown apart and I think there are some people who would pushed through my whole life would have blown apart. And I think there are some people who would be like, yeah, okay, but I get to work at SNL. And I think maybe if I was younger,

I would have been okay in that way. But I think I value my happiness quite a lot. Well, la dee fucking da. Yeah, I know. Princess wants her happiness. But everyone was really cool there. Yeah. It's a really good group right now.

Everyone's very kind to each other and supportive. And it is like when you work there, it's sort of a trauma based bond. You have almost immediately. Right. Which is not the most healthy. No, no. But the most healthy friendship. No, no. But you feel so close and I've heard, I've just, almost exclusively on Wednesdays in

the read through, I've heard some of the funniest shit I've ever heard in my life. And sometimes it makes it to air, but usually it's sort of false by the wayside because there are some, you know, 40 or 50 scripts go to read through, maybe 10 go to dress. And then I think it ends up being like eight or something. It's kind of, I don't envy the people who have to pick the sketches or figure that shit out. And it's, you know, and also you get, you get, and it's not really like even a jaundiced view,

but you're making things for television. You're not making things for your friends. Right, right. So like the things that you, like my friend Tommy used to say, you gotta put that in the too good file. Like that's too good for television. Save it for something else. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Or nothing. Or nothing. Or us just talking about it and something else. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Or nothing. Or nothing. Or just like, or us just talking about it and then laughing about it right now, that the flower has blossomed and now the petals will fall. Something good happened once. Yes, exactly.

Yeah. Was the experience at all, like, were you, was it just miserable? Like, were you miserable? Cause it was just to go from having, you know, issues issues not feeling happy in your life and then going into this pressure cooker I mean it was there like a moment where it's kind of fun and exciting or yeah Oh, that thing it's stuff. It was always fun and it was everything all at once at the same time. Yeah. Yeah, which You know, of course, I'm gonna start smoking again, right? Of course. I'm gonna start smoking again. Right. Of course I'm gonna start drinking again a lot.

Of course, yeah, yeah. And that made it fun and I'm meeting famous people who aren't always the most interesting people. Yeah, yeah, yeah. On paper you're like, wow, and then you know. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that happens. Yeah.

That sure happens. Isn't that interesting? For a minute. For a minute. For a minute, it's an interesting, yeah, yeah. That fascinates me and fame fascinates me and I really like being behind the scenes and seeing how everyone is affected by all of this. And, you know, again, it's like not a natural environment

or even like the work pace. It's like kind of not inhumane, but it's, it's just not, nobody else does it. This is the only show that does it like this. Yes. To varying degrees of success. Yes. But it's endured and they do have done it the same way

for 50 years. Yeah. And a lot of great stuff has come from it. Yep. I don't know what the fuck I was saying, but it wasn't, it wasn't miserable because of the job. I think it was miserable because it was really

intense. I'm a depressive and you know, I like, will deal with things in my own way. And it was just anxiety inducing. Right. Yeah. Right. So having to regulate in that really intense environment when you don't really have time to do that,

everything is after the fact. Yeah. To let be like, okay, so this is how I should feel about how things are going at work. You know what I mean? Oh, absolutely. Yeah, no, I, you know, like, when I started on Late Night with Conan O'Brien,

I was unmedicated. Oh, that's rough. And it was fucking rough. It was pretty fucking rough. And I have been medicated now for decades. And just looking back on it, like I cannot even believe that I went into that. Just that was, I didn't know.

I'm like, hey, come here. Come make television. Okay. Me? Yeah. And I mean, some of the television was like, go to Mardi Gras and interview little Richard for television. That's so cool.

You know, like in months before I had been like, I better get a bartender job, you know? Yeah. And then it's like, go interview little Richard. And there's no, well, what do I do and what do I say? It's just. Do it. Here's little Richard. Mm-hmm. Eee, okay. And there's no, well, what do I do and what do I say? It's just. Do it.

Here's a little Richard. Mm-hmm. Okay. So. There is something though, you know, while it is scary, the initial like, wow, this is incredibly validating. Yeah. Somebody thinks I'm funny enough to give me money. Yeah, yeah.

And then sit, I get to hear my words on TV. Oh, it's intoxicating. It's intoxicating. Absolutely. And, you know, the moment you get the, like, I just gotta keep, I need to make sure I keep this up. Yep, yep. I'm sure the same feeling with like fame or whatever,

you're like, well, I have, now I have to be on a certain level because everybody knows me as this kind of person or this is the thing I do. Yeah. And then like straying, even straying from it a little bit. I don't know. It just feels, it's just always outside pressure. The fame part is as you get older, I mean, if you're healthy, that you realize that that's like kind of silly. I mean, it's nice.

It's nice to be able to get a table at a restaurant. That's all I want. Yeah. And I mean, and believe me. It's nice to be able to get a table at a restaurant. That's all I want. But yeah. And I mean, and believe me, that's really nice. And the nice part of it that I've always said is that you get treated like you're a regular everywhere. You know, like when you go into your favorite restaurant and you're like, hey, Claire, how are you? You get that, but it's kind of from strangers everywhere. And there's not, you know, there's very little sort of unpleasant recognition, at least in my life.

You know, I'm sure that, you know, some people, you know, it's different for Tucker Carlson. It's one of the only ways my life is different from Tucker Carlson's. Yeah. But yeah, but the fame portion of it is like. You know what I want? I like making stuff. I like making stuff. Yeah.

With friends. Yes. And I mean, at most, maybe it's just a free thing every once in a while. Come on. I just got a free, they sent Conan's podcast a big LL Bean tote bag Bean tote bag and I got it. Nice.

It says Chill Chums on it, which is something that they talk about on that podcast. But I figured with a seam ripper, I can take out the Chill Chums and then I'll just have like a big nice tote bag that's literally big enough to carry my four-year-old in. That's great. Because believe me, I was carrying her around

to the point of pain in my shoulders last night when I got home. Yeah. I can't imagine carrying a sack of kid on. Oh, it's, especially when she insists on going upstairs, it's scary. Yeah. Because I'm like, what if I drop this child down these old stairs?

That's cool. Yeah. That's cool. Yeah. That's cool to think about. Yeah, yeah. ["I'm Not a Man"] Can't you tell my love's a girl? In your special, what you taught, you said a really funny thing where you're like,

look, this is, I don't remember the phrase, oh, it's identity comedy. Yeah, and like, I wish're like, look, this is, I don't remember the phrase, oh, it's identity comedy. Yeah, and like, I wish I had an observation, you know, which really made me laugh. But like so much of what you talk about, and I think right off the top, you talk about being in a poly relationship or an open marriage.

And I just, that kind of, talking about that sort of thing because you also talking it too about like being nude in something and people saying like, well you asked for it. Yeah. And it's kind of in a similar vein. I like I am so scared about I mean I talk about a lot of stuff but like there is like some stuff that I just feel like I don't't wanna share that, because there's part of me that's like, I'm not ashamed of this part of my life,

but I don't wanna talk about it because people are so stupid about stuff. Yeah, and honestly, that specific material, I did it so much, and I think it was presented as one of the more interesting things about my life, which it is on the outside, I think, to people, because it's sort of titillating stuff. Absolutely.

And there's a lot of funny stuff that can come from that, but I am finding myself more being like, I actually don't want, I don't wanna talk about that kind of stuff anymore, and I am like, well, maybe I should go into observations, because there is something about, like I love talking about my life, even especially the gross weird parts

that just comes naturally to me. Yeah. Also that kind of talking about the gross weird parts is almost like less personal. Yeah. Because it's just like, it's just this stupid body. Or it's just, you know, it's like yesterday I left the house and I took my daughter to her, you know,

she goes to like a little summer school in the morning. And I realized I didn't powder my balls. So I went back home to powder my balls and take my heart medication. But you know, but like that, like I don't have any problem with like, yeah, I powdered my balls, but I don't want to talk like about my marriage or, you know? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

No, and I don't talk about my, I'm not talking about it here. I'll tell you that much right now. What? You're a publicist, Zach. But I, but you know, like the things I'm not talking about, I'm not talking about a lot of stuff. Yeah. I'm really, I mean, and that's the thing with stand-up where you can control the narrative.

Right. And how people see you by what you share. Yeah. And there's a part of me that wants to, that thinks, maybe I should be putting up a few more boundaries when it comes to that stuff, but I feel like what I shared in that specific album is not, I'm not ashamed of any of it because I think it's funny and I think I like talking about it because I don't hear other people talking about it that much from someone who's in that kind of relationship or someone who's going

through this kind of stuff. Yeah. Yeah. But is it inconvenient that you have a new standup special that you're promoting by going on podcasts and things like this? Well, I like that. And then there's big chunks of it that you're like, nah, I don't wanna talk about that anymore.

Yeah, no, no, I mean, I'll talk about it. I mean, because I don't want you to talk about anything you don't wanna talk about. Sure, sure. But I imagine there are other places where they're like, what the fuck? I wanted to hear about the dudes you're fucking. They can ask me directly and I'll tell them all about it. I would have very easily talked about every little aspect of my life, but now I'm going on more podcasts in a way that it's like,

oh yeah, people aren't gonna listen to this. I's like, oh yeah, people aren't like gonna listen to this. Even my special itself, where I talk about being in this poly thing, my husband and I were like, well, none of our family knows about this yet. So some of them are gonna find out through just like these clips that I'll be posting online. And then they did. Yeah, yeah. And basically his mom and dad are like, oh, maybe she's just lying to be funny.

To do a bit, yeah, yeah. Yeah, but I had some aunts and the, not that, bugs, aunties. I understand. Some of my Filipino aunties were in the crowd that night and before the show I was like, you're gonna learn a lot about me in a really short amount of time. I understand. Um, some of my Filipino aunties were in the crowd that night and, uh, before the show I was like, you're going to learn a lot about me in a

really short amount of time. And, um, you know, but they are really like, supportive and it doesn't really matter what my life is like, as long as I'm happy, I think is what, what they care about. But now everyone's going to text me and be like, how's your poly glamourous lifestyle going? That's all anyone wants to know is like, how's it going? Yeah, yeah.

That's fucking fine. Right, right, right. It's whatever. It's not as exciting as you think it'd be. No, I bet it isn't. No. I can't imagine. I just feel like I, my joke is I just,

I can't imagine disappointing more than one person at a time. Yeah. It's too much pressure. Totally. And you too much pressure. Totally. And you were on TV. I was on TV. I disappointed a lot of people.

No, I just, I can't. It just seems stressful to me. You know, it's as stressful as monogamy. I'll say that. For me. It wouldn't be for me. Yeah. It wouldn't be for me.

For me, it would, I just couldn't even like. It is kind of like an orientation. I would melt into a puddle. An orientation in what? Oh, yeah, yeah, I understand. I think you meant orientation like when you show up to college. Like here's how things are gonna be.

But like everyone said, oh no, no, the other orientation. Yeah, it's, I think, I mean, at least for now, I think I like to think of it as just like, you know what? And if we decide to kind of do things differently, then we do that. Yeah, yeah. But also not, again, not to put too much pressure

on being any one way. Right. So going forward, do you think you're gonna try and not, like you're gonna be a little more protective about the details or? Maybe, but already my new jokes are like, I guess they're more about my insecurities. It kind of depends on what I'm really thinking about

at the time. And these days it's about insecurities and getting older and all that jazz. and getting older and all that jazz. Yeah. Yeah. Have you, has there been, you know, throughout the evolution of coming up with material, there's this stuff that you look back on and you're like, oh, I wish I hadn't served up that portion of myself and my soul.

Just mentioning, like talking about other people. Uh-huh. Because they don't really have a say in it. That's the only stuff that I wish like sometimes I wish I didn't really talk about that person or had it less detailed. You know, usually when I'm talking about other people, it's an amalgam of.

Yeah, you keep it vague enough so no one can really. Yeah. Yeah. But I've like used the names and stuff. Oops! But I was used names and stuff. Oops! But I was drinking a lot back then. It was the bottle talking, hun. Sorry. And the schnapps.

Well, what are you, where are you headed? What do you want to be doing with the rest of your life? That's interesting. Yeah, yeah, well, you knew it was That's interesting. Yeah, yeah. Well, you knew it was coming. Yeah. Yeah, I guess I did. One, two, three, yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think I'd like to just, I would like to keep writing if I could get another job. I'd like to direct stuff. I'll act if someone wants to put me in something. But it's not like, it's not central to your desires. It's not essential. I don't like looking at myself.

I don't like thinking about how I look. Oh boy, tell me about it. Yeah. I fucking look at that, I'm like, oh my God, look at that big pile of soft serve. Jesus Christ. Oh, now it's talking. You don't go, yummy.

No, no, I go, ooh, it's melting. As time goes on, it just continues to melt. So I'm trying to get more secure in that way, but otherwise I'm pretty confident in all the stuff I know how to do right now. I wanna make more music. I like playing music. I wanna do all this shit.

I wanna take a damn ceramics class. Yeah, me too. Pottery. What's that pottery, that British pottery show? The guy who cries. Oh, no. The guy who cries with the nice hair. Yeah.

With that weird haircut. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I love that show. I love that show, but I really do. When I was a kid, I used to do pottery when I, you know, like in art class. Yeah. And then, but I really, I seriously looking online and I have, I just have yet to sign up,

but I really do feel like I'm going to, cause it looks so satisfying. Yeah. To put that big lump of poo like sub substance and then make a pot out of it. Yeah, totally. Like a nice bowl that you can go like, here mom, I made you a bowl.

Yeah. Now shut up. You put your pills in it. Yeah. I would love to do that. Toss something, toss the clay around. Yeah. Something tactile. Yeah.

And probably have a kid at some point. Oh, nice. Yeah. Kids are good. It seems like. It's really great. I didn't know there are a lot of arguments against. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

The arguments against are, they're sort of going against the grain of the fucking universe. You know what I mean? Right. And I understand, you know, I've said this before, and I was just talking to somebody, and it's like, I know people that don't have kids,

and they're like all sensitive, and they feel like, you know, having kids is shoved down their throat. And it's like, well, yeah, well, so is like when you, when you like cut down all the vegetation somewhere, then it turns green eventually. Like yeah, because that's kind of what happens. It's it's how more people are made. And that's sort of like, I'm starting to think about it more like, I have this one life, I kind of want to experience all it has to offer.

I think having a kid is a big part of that. A really big part of it, yeah. And you know, my bloodline, I must continue the bloodline. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's very important. And it is like when you think about just like the way, there is the grand evolution of human beings and then the sort of which is the macro and then the micro is the evolution of a

human life and like within the macro evolution the micro evolution is usually about having some kind of procreating or even if you don't have kids, to just find something outside of yourself, to devote yourself, is like a major developmental point. And if you don't ever go through finding something outside of yourself, to give yourself to possibly more than you give yourself to yourself. And it just feels better to do things for other people in general.

So if you don't have one, have a kid, you can do things for other people. Right, that's kind of what I mean. Yeah, get a dog. Yeah, get a dog, rescue animals, paint, you know? Yeah, create something for God's sakes. Be nice to your old neighbor, you know? If you have to. Whatever.

But also when you have a kid, it's like so many more to buy stuff for. That's really what I'm looking for. Really cute shit. Yeah. There's so much stuff you can buy. So close. Oh, shoes!

Tiny shoes. You know they got Ray-Bans for babies now? I, do I? I know all about it. Do you think you're gonna stay in New York? Yeah, we're talking about maybe moving here. I've lived here before and all my good friends are here, but New York is just the best

and I've always wanted to be there. It's really nice. Yeah. It's hard. It's a toss-up. It's a toss-up. It's easier to have less money here. That's what I'm hearing. So if I continue to be unemployed,

we'll see how I get here even, but it would be nice. No, New York could be mean when you don't have money. Yeah, totally. And here you can, it's like, you know, at least the sun's shining, you know. It's hard to live there. Yeah. It's really hard to live there. It is, it gets worse.

And I think about people having kids there, or people getting old there. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It just seems like, hmm, hard. It is. Harder. Well, thank getting old there. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It just seems like, mm, hard. It is. Harder. Well, thank you so much for coming. Thank you so much for coming.

We do have the final, the final question of like, what have you learned? Like, do you have kind of a motto? Do you have advice for the young folks, for the young Polly's out there. Oh Lord. Don't do it. Don't do it. Just fuck yourself. Fuck yourself.

It's good. You know how to make yourself come honey. Um, I think, uh, give up control, give up control when you don't need to take control. Cause I think, I have OCD, so it's like built in, I need to control my environment around me or whatever, but that really closes you off to a lot of things. And you'd be surprised by just opening yourself up

to all these experiences and not being worried about what's gonna happen or what people think about you. Your life is much better. Yeah. And get medicated. That helps too. If you gotta be. That's the thing about like people that,

like I just don't understand why not, why everyone isn't in therapy. Yeah, if just therapy alone. I know, yeah, Jesus. You're just white-knuckling it through life? Yeah, yeah, yeah. In this time're just white-knuckling it through life? Yeah, yeah, yeah. In this time? Yeah, it's like, you can't,

we just were watching Family Feud last night, and one of the fast money questions was, on a scale of one to ten, how badly do you need to shrink? Mm-hmm. And the number one answer was one. Yeah. Like, there's, like, the bulk of people out there are like, I don't need a fucking shrink.

And it's like, what? Well, a lot of people are watching Family Feud or maybe 85 average. Yeah. So they're kind of just like, what? Yeah, okay. And you, I guess. And me.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. You're throwing off the average. Family Feud, I, you know, I could- Do you have TV normal style? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Wow. Definitely. It's through H Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely. It's through Hulu.

Oh, stand the gun. I still am very old fashioned in that I like to just put on the TV and flip around and see what's on. Yeah, I love flipping around. My kids are like, what the fuck, don't you know what you wanna watch and just put it on? And I'm like, yeah, but I like to, I'd still like, like I like to listen to the radio because I like

that there's someone out there that I'm connecting with someone that's providing me with something. As opposed to just me in my little bubble playing recorded whatever it is. So and you know, it's fam, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Porno. Porno, I can't. Weird. I don't know anything about step-porn, step-sisters and step-brothers. I don't know anything about that.

Clara O'Kane's new comedy album, Everything I Know How to Do, is available to download now, and it's very funny and it's very revealing and it's very funny, and it's very revealing, and it's very truthful. And I'm so glad that you came and talked to me. Yeah, me too. And it was fun, and I wish you the best. God bless us all. God bless us all.

Tune in next week for more goddamn uplifting shit like this. The Three Questions with Andy Richter is a Team Coco production. uplifting shit like this. by Paula Davis, Gina Battista, with assistance from Maddie Ogden, researched by Alyssa Grahl. Don't forget to rate and review and subscribe to The Three Questions with Andy Richter wherever you get your podcasts. And do you have a favorite question you always like to ask people? Let us know in the review section. Can't you tell my love's a-growing? Can't you feel it ain't a-showin'?

Oh, you must be a knowin' I've got a big, big love