WTF with Marc Maron Podcast - Episode 1470 - Hannah Einbinder

Episode Date: September 14, 2023

Hannah Einbinder was a fan of WTF as a teenager and drew inspiration from Marc’s conversations with comedians while she considered pursuing a career as one herself. Hannah and Marc talk about her multi-generational Los Angeles family, whose businesses included cattle ranching, brothels and, in the case of her mom Laraine Newman, performing on Saturday Night Live. They also talk about Hannah’s experience making Hacks with Jean Smart, wanting to be like Rachel Maddow, and her time as a cheerleader. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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just to risk your life when i die here you'll never leave japan alive fx's shogun a new original series streaming february 27th exclusively on disney plus 18 plus subscription required t's and c's apply Lock the gates! How's it going? How was the ayahuasca retreat? How was the birthday party? How was the doctor's visit? How's that thing on your nose? What's going on with that cut? Was that broad enough? Did I throw a big net?

How's that kid? How's that kid? Did you get your car fixed? Do you think you're going to get that job? Do you think you're going to get fired? Maybe this isn't the right time to arm yourself, or maybe it is, right? Broad enough, throw out a big net. How's it going? I'm Mark Maron. This is my podcast. Welcome to it. Did I say that already? I'll be in St. Louis tonight, tomorrow, and Saturday at Helium. You can go to wtfpod.com slash tour. I'll be at Wise Guys in Las Vegas on September 22nd and 23rd for four shows. I'm in Bellingham, Washington at the Mount Baker Theater for one show on Saturday, October 14th,

as part of the Bellingham exit festival, I'll be at the chemo theater in Albuquerque, New Mexico for one show on November 11th and Denver, Colorado. I'll be at the comedy work South for four shows, November 17th and 18th. You can go to, uh,

WTF pod.com slash tour for tickets. And that's where it's at. I've got Hannah Einbinder on the show today. She's very funny. I like her a lot. Uh, she's, uh, featured for me here in town. I've tried to get her to feature for me on the road a bit, but, uh, she's got her own thing going on. And that's why I'm talking to her. Actually, she's got a bunch of tour dates coming up starting tonight in Sacramento at the Punchline. Then she'll be heading to Raleigh, Denver, Minneapolis, Toronto, and Delaware. You can go to hannaheinbinder.com for tour dates and tickets.

She's the spunky gal from hacks. She's Jean smarts assistant on that show hacks. And she's very funny. And she, she's kind of a, has a good pedigree. Her mother is Lorraine Newman, who I talked to a while back. And oddly on the day I talked to Hannah, earlier that day, I talked to Chevy Chase, who also a, uh, original not ready for primetime player along with Lorraine Newman. And I brought to, I brought that up to Chevy that I was talking to Hannah and he was just basically, huh, how old is she? You know, in terms of, you know, I, I, I just assume everyone stays in touch, but, uh, I don't, You know, in terms, you know, I just assume everyone stays in touch, but I don't, I don't, I never learned that lesson. Not everybody stays in touch.

So I wanted to get this haircut because I got tired of this like crazy, weird, long, gray, kind of bozo looking, stringy hair that was making me kind of look like a crazy old Jewish man. You know, like the guy that's got a bunch of books and records in his house and stacks. He's got files of things. He's got pictures from his entire life up on the wall. You know, he's got, uh, he's got three shirts that he wears and two pairs of pants and he's got like, uh, he's got hats and, you know, people know him as that guy. There's that guy walking quickly down the street again. Holy shit. Wait a minute. I am that guy.

I'm, I'm already him. So the least I could do was try to hide the reality of me by getting a fashionable haircut. That was my big plan. Just to get like, it was just going all over the place. You know, I get the long hair thing and I like it. And I've been up and down with haircuts, but I was just sort of like, I got to get it. Got to get rid of this shit, man. I got it.

It's just making me look too crazy because I when I look in the mirror I don't think that and then when I see pictures of me I've told you I've done this bit before but it's just sort of like we got it got to reel it in man so I was wondering where to get a haircut because generally my process has been over the years the woman who cut my hair on my TV show, Marin Laney, she lives in my neighborhood. So for years, she just has been cutting my hair one way or the other for years on my porch. We cut the hair and then she moved away and,

and I, and I just didn't have any solution. So I went like six, nine months without the haircut, and I'm like, I've got, you know, there's other people that cut hair, so I'm like, well, what if I want a really good haircut? So I'm thinking, like, what comedians do I know? Like, basically, it was like, who is the vainest comic? I know who would have an amazing person to cut the hair. I know some of you are like,

Mark, we don't give a fuck. Just go get it cut at the place. Go get yourself a $20 haircut. Go get yourself a $30 haircut. Maybe they still even have $9 haircuts. It's hair. What are you hung up on?

I'm in show business. I, part of my job is to look presentable on stage. So I have to, you know, it's so crazy. It doesn't matter. I've had all the cuts. Some of you who have been with me for years, remember the razor cut period? And then that become popular with uh the uh the kind of young white supremacist class so i kind of got away from that that that kind of

like mid-30s fascist buds buzz cut long on top and just uh nazi on the sides i didn't want to do that anymore although it's very easy and very comfortable and not all the people that have them are Nazis. I throw that word around a lot, but you know what I'm talking about. There's sort of a butch bro kind of vibe to it. Very popular now is the sort of like Hans, the kind of like German butcher haircut with the large beard. In some sort of boot, in dark clothing, and some sort of mostly meat diet.

So I'm going the other way. But the long, stringy hair as an old guy is not good. So anyways, I'm like, who is the most, who's the vain guy? Who's the guy, the put-together, who together who's the put together fella I know in my racket that's gonna know the good barber and there's only one answer for me and it was Jeselnik and I'm like I'll go ask Jeselnik what uh where he goes to get his hair cut and I was in the hallway at the comedy store I'm like dude you got a good hair person he's like the best I've got the hallway at the comedy store. I'm like, dude, you got a good hair person? He's like, the best. I've got the best.

I've been going to her for like over 10 years. She's the best. And I'm like, I don't even want to say how much it cost. But I threw a number out there. I'm like, was it? He's like, yep, that's exactly what it is. I've said it publicly before. I'm not ashamed of it, but I think it detracts from the story because if you knew how much I paid for the haircut

or how much Anthony paid for the haircut, you'd be like, what the fuck is wrong with these guys? We are professional entertainers. We need to put some money into it. It's a business expense, you guys. And I wasn't always like this. I've tried a lot of haircuts. I've tried a lot of outfits, but I just needed to go someplace where I would believe. So I made an appointment, his person, which was in Santa Monica, which is sort of like from my house to Santa Monica

on any given day because of traffic, I considered getting a hotel room just for the night to get my haircut. But I went down there to this place, Shin Collective, and Shin was, she's great. And it's a little place in Santa Monica. And I booked it. And the woman who booked it, who works there was like, well, I told her, I said, you know, Jezelnik referred me. I said, what days do you got? And she told me a day and she goes, Jeselnik's actually coming in that day.

Do you want to book it so you run into him or would you rather not? And I'm like, of course. She's like, you want to go before or after him? I'm like, before. So I'm getting my first haircut, which is a whole thing at the place. And it's going well. And I'm just so happy to see all that fucking stringy ass gray hair go i didn't color it i'm not gonna i'm not going back on what i feel about coloring

hair at this age but she was in she's doing a great job with my hair and then jeslinic walks in because he's going there for his you know with this haircut you know you get a touch, a trim on the house five weeks after, which is nice, kind of a refresh. So he shows up and now we're having this thing in this back room. There's two chairs, two barber chairs, and she's cutting my hair and Jeslyn's there and we're talking. He was showing us his new tour t-shirts and stuff. But then it just gets to this point where, you know, I go get my hair washed and the both of us are sitting there and she's, she has cut both of our hair and she's now telling us about product and about how we have to handle our hair in terms of not washing it,

getting the height out of it. And it just, it was like just me and Jeslyn sitting there while Shin was telling us how to, how to do our hair. And it was just so funny and kind of cute in a way. But I said to Jeselnik, I said, do either of us have the courage to Instagram live this right now? And clearly we decided no. But he's off on the road. Go see Anthony if you want. And,

you know, and we both have nice hair now. I, I, I think his hair is probably a little nicer than me naturally, but now I'm in, right. So now I've got to carve out of my business expenses, you know, at least, you know, like four or five visits a year at the shin collective. But it's, if, if it works, it works. It's going to be great. I'm looking forward. She said, this haircut's going to be great in a few weeks or something like that. And that's something to look forward to an evolving hair situation. But to be honest with you, I doubt that me or Anthony are going to do what she told us to do. I mean, the idea of a blow dryer came up and it was like, no, that's not going to happen. And I walk out of the salon, which is just down in Santa Monica, not even on a busy street. And I'm walking to my car and I see a guy, just this stout dude, older dude, kind of gray hair, gray beard and mustache,

and all of it's the same length, kind of crew-cutted, a crew-cutted head and sunglasses. And I'm like, holy fuck, that's David Mamet. And I'm like, I know David Mamet. I talked to David Mamet. And I'm walking closer. I'm like, it is. He's just walking down the street. And I'm like, David Mamet.

And he's like, yeah, yeah, thanks. And he keeps walking. I'm like, it's Mark Maron. Yeah, yeah, thanks. What is that? And I'm like, he's like, oh, how you doing, man? It's like, this guy, one of the great playwrights, one of the great screenwriters, he's now, it's like talking to a Jewish mobster. He's like an old Jewish mobster. But I just was like, I said, yeah, he's like, you're still living up in that area, that place. And I'm like, no, I moved. He's like, oh, did you get the book? And I'm like, I don't know. What are you talking about? He's like, I told my people to send you a book. I wrote a book about my 40 years in Hollywood. And it, you know, it's, it's, you

know, I, I tell the stories, you know, I know he said something implying something. He said, like, I don't hold back. So I'm like, definitely get me that book. He's a character. Anyway, tonight, St. Louis, and tomorrow night, St. Louis, and Saturday night, St. Louis. So look, Hannah Einbinder is here. Again, her fall stand-up dates start tonight in Sacramento at the Punchline. She's doing a lot of shows, Raleigh, Denver, Minneapolis, Toronto, and Delaware.

You can go to hannaheinbinder.com for But meatballs and mozzarella balls, yes, we can deliver that. Uber Eats, get almost, almost anything. Order now. Product availability may vary by region. See app for details. It's a night for the whole family. Be a part of Kids Night when the Toronto Rock take on the Colorado Mammoth at a special 5 p.m. start time on Saturday, March 9th

at First Ontario Centre in Hamilton. The first 5,000 fans in attendance will get a Dan Dawson bobblehead courtesy of Backley Construction. Punch your ticket to Kids Night on Saturday, March 9th at 5pm in Rock City at torontorock.com. So good, that banana bread. It's really good. I don't always go for the nuts in the banana bread, but I really like it in this case. The walnuts.

Isn't that an interesting story? It is an interesting story. I'm glad it went on after I don't always go for the nuts. And isn't that. Hilarious. Isn't that what I would say if I was a. Comic. Yeah.

That kind of comic. I guess my next special when I sell out. I'll do. It'll be called. It'll be called. It'll be called. I don't always go for the nuts. I don't always go for the nuts i don't always go for the nuts

hannah einbeiner the bisexual story i think we just we don't even have to do a show i think we we've got i think we got it should i is it can i keep these off do i have to wear the headphones what are you worried about i don't want to hear myself come on i don't know what are you talking about well it's it's um it feels like I'm aware. When I hear myself on a mic in headphones, I'm aware of the fact that this conversation is not limited to the two of us in a way that makes me feel a little less free. I think that you're jumping the gun on that. I think that you're, maybe I'm wrong, but I think you're overestimating your self-consciousness. I think that you're, maybe I'm wrong, but I think you're overestimated in your self-consciousness.

You hear me as not me in front of you, but as something that is being listened to by many. No. No, I mean, I mean, I, no, I mean, like, like if I were to do this. Yeah. No, I'm just hearing you. Okay. I'm not hearing Marc Maron on a microphone. You're hearing Marc Maron on a microphone, but not on a microphone. Yeah, I'm seeing Marc Maron on a microphone.

Yes. I'm hearing Marc Maron in a chair. It's completely changed your entire disposition just like that. Yeah. Are you looking at the levels? Yeah. Yeah, they're through the roof, huh? No, they're good.

Okay. You know, I think I'm overly vigilant on the levels. Okay. What do you know about sound? I'm overly vigilant on the levels. Okay. What do you know about sound? What do you know about levels? What do you? Only knowing mostly my knowledge of levels is on the emotional nature, not so much the tech. I don't know that I can help you with that.

How are you on the faders with the emotional levels? Can't get enough of the stuff. Okay, addicted. Like tech, like by, you know. I'm working on a concept for a joke that I think is pretty good, but I don't know. I bounced it off some comics last night, and they didn't seem to jump on board. The idea is that I wish I had control of my imagination because what it's doing on its own is not great. And then I started thinking, like, how much time during our day do we spend negotiating with our imagination?

Distorted thoughts. Right. But have you ever thought about it like that? That it's just sort of like your brain's just going. It's making shit up all the time. And then you have to navigate this bullshit landscape. A hundred percent. Now, Mark, this is where the power of prayer comes in.

Do you do it? Of course. I'm like, of course, saying that like as an annoying little bullshitter. But yeah, no, I actually literally, I find that the only thing larger than the distorted sense of self that I sometimes experience is God, is a higher P. You know what I mean? So you do the higher P. You're locked in? I'm doing HP. Really?

Always? Oh, yeah. Always. I had a brief period of atheism in college, of course. Right. But I actually took a class my senior year called The History of Myth. Yeah. And it was taught by a wonderful queer pastor.

And he was sort of talking about the- That sounds like some radicalization going on. Yeah, I would say so. Yeah. I would say so. So he was teaching myth and then somehow landed that on God being real? You know, I don't know that he was even trying to say that. I think he was more so, first of all the the history of myth was uh the the idea

behind the class and kind of the central thesis of his his argument around it was that like these myths from these texts existed pre these texts these are just the same stories twisted and turned for moral right you know right yeah i get it but but he saw sort of more so was describing faith as a as a tool in desperate times. Right. Our need to feel connected to something bigger than ourselves is almost genetic because, you know, without that, how do you stop the terror of being alive? But it could be anything. And it's very, it plays into that. It's belief. And I think that people need it. Personally, I'm pretty day-to-day with it. Okay.

Yeah, it could be the banana bread we just ate. I'm moving on to the nicotine lozenge. Okay, partying. Yeah, and then, you know, then I'll experience some dread. Sure. In between you and. Sure. It's a very interesting day because I have to talk to...

I'm talking to you. Yeah. The offspring of an original cast member of Saturday Night Live. True. And this afternoon, I'm talking to Chubby Chase. Whoa! Isn't that crazy? That's the guy.

Is he? Well, he's a guy. But you didn't grow up knowing that guy. No. Because your mom was out. Yeah. A long time when you up knowing that guy. No. Because your mom was out. Yeah. Long time when you were born. Yeah.

Oh, yeah. It was way behind her. I was 42 when she was 42 when I came around. Yeah. So she'd been done for decades. Yeah, yeah. All right. So let's get back to this God thing.

So you. Yeah. Oh, I will say I prefer to get my dread. You do maybe an afternoon dread. I do dread sort of the moment I take my first glances at the day. I wake up 6.45, the powerful fear of generations screaming out in rebellion, coursing through my veins. Yeah? You know, that's just on Judaism, obviously. Yeah, sure. Really?

Yeah, I think so. I think— You wake up out of the gate kind of like, oh, fuck. Just heart-beating. Really? Heart pounding. I think I used to, but now I'm just so concerned with making my body work. Okay. Say more on that.

I mean, I get up. I got to stretch. I've got to pull it together. I don't sleep much. Each day is like two days because I have a day and then I'll go do comedy. So when I get up, I don't feel dark. What are we talking about in terms of the sleep? What are we doing hours wise?

About six. Six, that's good? Yeah, six is about good, about right. Maybe six or seven. Okay. Why? What are you doing, nine? I'm doing nine.

I'm doing nine. If I can help it. You know what? I might fuck around and do ten. Yeah? Yeah. Because I want the day to end, Mark. I want to be in at nine.

I'm winding it down, 830, 845. Really? Yeah, getting in the bed. What's the matter? Yeah. I mean, come on, man. It's in me, Mark. No, man. It's in me, Mark. No, no.

It's in me. No. Yes. By the way, there's a way through. What, by the end of the day? I mean, before I take my last bow, sorry, pause for. Oh, crack it open. Yep. Yeah, I just mean before. I for... Crack it open. Yep.

I just mean before. I'm going to sort it out. I'm actually doing better now, today, as I'm sitting here, than I have maybe ever. That's because of me. That's because of you. It's because you intervened on me. Because you had to pull it together to figure out how to

talk for a chunk of time without revealing too much. It's a lot of discipline goes into that. You really got to kind of like, okay, I'm going to put this together. Wait, so tell me about the prayer. You pray like right out of bed or during the day? Yeah, just sort of restore me to sanity, et cetera. Mm-hmm.

The secret club stuff. Deliver me from anxiety. Oh, yeah? I got a meditation. Do I have my phone? I, you know, I'm kind of a shame junkie. Yeah, yeah. You?

Yeah. What the fuck is that about? What do you feel like? You know, it's just familiar. That's what it's about. It is? It's familiar. It is an addiction to safety, and there is safety in shame.

Why? Because you're shitty? Because it's a—I can tell you today, no, I'm not shitty. That's a nice thing. So this was a big step. That's big for me. I'm new to that. Hold on.

I'm going to read you this thing. Wait, let me see if I can find it. Lay it on me. By the way, I'm looking at your nicotine lozage and I've never had one and I kind of want to pop one live on air. I'm not going to let you do it. Really? No.

Okay. Look, this is what- Trying to use in the garage. Well, No. Okay. Look, this is what. Trying to use in the garage. Well, yeah, but I mean, did you smoke? Yeah, I had a cigarette today. Oh. Yeah, these are, they pack a bigger punch than you think.

Oh, I'm scared. Okay, never mind. Like, you know, you might get the little queasy. Oh, you know what? Yeah, yeah. Absolutely not. Not great. So this is, like, this is what my therapist sent me. It's got a little Buddha on it.

Okay. Yeah, the image. If I have harmed anyone in my way, either knowingly or unknowingly, through my own confusion, I ask their forgiveness. If anyone has harmed me in any way, either knowingly or unknowingly, through their own confusions, I forgive them. unknowingly through their own confusions, I forgive them. And if there is a situation I'm not ready to forgive, I forgive myself for that. For all the ways that I harm myself, negate doubt, and belittle myself through my own confusions, I forgive myself. What do you make of that? I think it's solid. Now it's about the, you know. I like the confusions is plural. You know, there's a spectrum.

Yes. There's many confusions. Yes. Yeah. Do you think you're able to, are you able to put that into practice? Does that sit with you and do you enact that? I just got it, Hannah. Just today?

No, a couple days ago. I think. And I looked at it once and I read through, and I'm like, all right. And this is literally the second time. Will you text that to me? Oh, look at you. I'm saving lives. I need to, yeah.

This was August 25th I got this, and this is the second time that I've. It's September 1. Yeah, it's not bad. It's not bad. I have a therapist that has been doing this to me, like with these, she's kind of Buddhist-y. How long you been with her? On and off for a few years, but not on much. She's kind of practical, kind of like, what do you, like I'll call her, I'm like, I need to work on this.

She's like, all right, let's work on that. And then after two or three sessions, she's like, are you good? And I'm like, yeah. Great. Sort of an a la carte tapas style therapy. Exactly. Great. Do you have one? I do. It's not a la carte. This is controversial. I've been with the same therapist since I was 15. Is it controversial? Yeah. They say you got to get a new one every five years. Who does? People. 15. Yeah. Controversial. Is it 15 yeah controversial is it like a like a therapeutic

grooming situation no no no no she's fabulous uh huh I love her she's so great 15

so she knows the whole thing she knows it all yeah she's guided you through it she saw it live yeah

why'd you start going to therapy at 15 um my uh I think um my parents. Fucking weirdo.

It's not going to matter. I don't think your mom listened yesterday. I think she's listening to all of them, Mark. She didn't comment on my slide guitar. Usually I can pretty much. You got to be, you got to break it out for my app. Break out the slide? You got to get the slide.

I did it last night and I did not hear from Lorraine on my Instagram. You know what? She's probably listening right now. She's probably slicing vegetables. She's got you in the kitchen. And you're waiting for you to say something. Hi, Mom. Where she's going to hurt her hand.

Oh, she loves you so much. Does she? She does. We had a good chat. We moved through some things. And as soon as things got a little uncomfortable, I was introduced to a new voice. That's how we do it in the Newman Ninebinder house. Okay.

Did you grow up with that? Did you grow up with... A lot of voices. Yeah, of course. And they, of course, you know, seeped into my consciousness. Yeah. You can do some of them? Oh, yeah. Oh, you know, seeped into my consciousness. Yeah. You can do some of them? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I'm doing one right now.

No. I don't think you can. Just kidding. All right. So, 15, your parents were like, you need help. They more so were like, you know what, Hannah, it would be nice to get you some profession. Like, they were just kind of like, we, I think the idea was kind of just like, we have our, first of all, my dad has a degree in psychology and he's very emotionally intelligent. And he's always been a really great source of like advice. But I think it's – I don't think it's about that, right? It's like you need the unbiased, non-involved person. But, yeah, I think my mom was kind of just like, you should probably – like I'm going through my own – I got my own darkness, right?

So she was kind of like maybe I'm not the girl to ask type of a thing. And your dad was like, I've taken you as far as I can. Yeah, my dad phased me out to a new. But like, so you grew up here though, right? Yeah, Los Angeles, California. And you grew up like, this is a show business upbringing. I didn't realize quite how much until I did even the smallest amount of research. Oh, yeah.

I went down a very shallow Einbinder rabbit hole. How am I doing? Fine. Great. But like your family comes from here pre-show business, right? Yeah. I'm a third generation Los Angelino. Wow.

My grandfather was born in la but wasn't he like in agriculture yes okay yeah cattle guy a jewish cattle farmer if you can even picture it of course the jews did everything i wish people would stop pigeonholing i tell you tim blake nelson from oklahoma an oklahoma jew parent. His family's oil Jews. They're oil Jews. Oh, well, we don't need that narrative, Mark. Come on. No, we don't need that narrative.

They gotta be oil Jews? It's okay. It was a different time. Okay. You know what I mean? I love this. It's a different time, and Tim Blake Nilsen talks with an Oklahoma accent,

and he's a fucking Jew. Enough with the pigeonholing. No, I mean, look, who are you talking to? I mean, that's... Right, but cattle Jews. You know, I get it. Did you know who who you're talking to i mean that's right but cattle i get it did you know the guy i did great guy yeah he had a he had a great life he wrote a he wrote a memoir but he wasn't he was he was he wrote a memoir just for the sort of like for the family for the family yeah yeah he he um he was born in los angeles what was his name his name was arnold newman arnold Arnold Newman. Yeah. From Los Angeles. Born in Los Angeles.

Born in Los Angeles. Early 1900s? Yes. And he. How'd he get here? How'd the Jews get here? By way of Eastern Europe, of course. But then they came all the way across and with what? There was only a handful and they were movie Jews.

But your grandfather decided to be cattle Jews. Yeah. They went up to Arizona when he was seven. They were cattle Jews, but your grandfather decided to be a cattle Jew. Yeah, they went up to Arizona when he was seven. They were cattle ranchers. And then they returned to L.A. My grandfather served in the Air Force. He received a Purple Heart, decorated War Hero. World War II?

War Hero is an oxymoron, I think, and I'm just realizing that. Let's just tell the story of the family. Sorry. We don't have to infuse progressive politics into all of it. It's the neurodivergent hour over here. Sorry. He saved somebody or a few people. Probably.

And was awarded for his valor in combat. That's a very human way. You don't have to say war hero. You have to say it's a difficult situation. They were fighting for a reason. It was a different time. It felt like the right fight to fight. And when it came down to it, your grandfather saved some people.

Thank you. Yeah. Thank you. And then, you know. You should have done the foreword for the memoir. We could question his cattle policies if we're going to go crazy. I mean, you know what? You have go crazy. I mean, you know what? You have a great point.

Although, you know what? I'm sure they were doing some sort of a regenerative farming situation. Don't be so sure. Regenerative only because they need to feed the cows. Well, there was no technology for mass agriculture at the time. So they couldn't have done it if they wanted. But it's probably pretty big. I mean, you know.

Well, the introduction of pesticides didn't happen until after the Second World War. Oh, really? Yeah. So he was just dealing with bugs. Yep. And raising cattle. Well, you know what pesticides didn't happen until after the Second World War. Oh, really? Yeah. So he was just dealing with bugs. Yep. And raising cattle. Well, you know what you do with bugs. What?

You fly in the snails. Oh, is that what he did? Yeah, the snails eat the bugs. Is this part of the memoir? Is this like a whole chapter? You know what? If I was editing, it would have been. I go, get into the soil on this.

Yeah, the snail thing is interesting. Yeah, we want to know. No, it was more so, I mean, his foreword was so funny. It was basically like, he was a serious man. He was a businessman. Ultimately, he worked in textiles, and then he was a lawyer. He just did, like, various things. After the cows?

Yeah, that was his upbringing, I would say. Oh, so he came to L.A. to be a regular Jew. Yeah. He started as a cattle Jew. Yeah. Well, no, he started as a regular Jew, and then he became a cattle cattle Jew and then he was like, I'm going to go be a regular Jew. Okay. He was a businessman, but he started, he did in the beginning of the preface of his book is like, he basically just says like, I'm reporting on what I was told, but please take this with a grain of salt because my family is prone to hyperbole.

Uh-huh. my family is prone to hyperbole. It was revealed that when we were in Russia, both my mother's father and mother, both of those, because he kind of gave a written account of both sides of my mother's family, they both separately worked in the brothels, basically, like owned whorehouses.

Their families. Their families, both of them. Because I think it was one of those things where the Jews can the only jobs the Jews can have are like. In Russia? Yeah. Were they Jewish whores? They, well, I mean, who's to say? That'd be, I don't know why that's interesting to me.

I'm like, see, we are not predictable. Yeah, we can be. We can be filthy. Yeah. Sex workers. Jews. But that's, Annie Sprinkle, I believe, is a Jew. There's a long history of that.

It's a tradition. For sure. Tradition. Yeah. That's a different fiddler. It's like a parade of sex workers. Diddler on the roof. Hey, now.

Do, do, do, do, do, do. Shaking their boobs around. Yeah, totally. What do you think? Hey, I'm not against it. Yeah. Well, I mean, you're not working. Why don't you fucking get on it?

You know what? I might at some point. All right. So that's the grandfather. But when you met him you're not working. Why don't you fucking get on it? You know what? I might. At some point. All right. So that's the grandfather. But when you met him, he was old. Your memories are old. He was old and he was lovely. And you'd go to his house? I'd go to his house. Chocolate cigar from See's Candies. Don't tell your mother. Yeah. Oh, See's Candies. Go eat it in the closet. Nice guy.

Good guy. Sweet guy. And was your grandma still alive too? No, never met her. She was, by all accounts, wretched. Yeah? Yeah. Really terrorized my poor, sweet mother. Your poor, sweet mom. And her sibling.

I didn't realize her sister was a big TV writer. Yeah. Cool girl, Tracy Newman. Yeah. Yeah. Did some writing. Did she create a show? Cheers, Ellen.

Did she create any shows? I think she created According to Jim. Oh, that's right. Yeah. Yeah. Did some writing. Did she create a show? Cheers, Ellen. Did she create any shows? I think she created According to Jim. Oh, that's right. Yeah. See, that's interesting. There's a Belushi tie-in. This Not Ready for Primetime Players original casting just kind of lingers. Wow. I'm now thinking, I'm so, I can't,

I just think your conversation with Chevy's going to be incredible, because he's a tough one. Well, that's the problem. It's all going to depend on whether I can get through. Yeah. No, I know. Because he's like so guarded and it's like I just don't have – I don't have patience for it. You know, we'll see what happens. You know what I mean?

Totally. I have literally said, you know, because Kaylee works at the comedy store. She plays piano. And she's great. And I love her. She's awesome. And she's great. And I love her. And she's sort of like, do you think you might want him? I'm like, I don't know.

I don't know, man. He's tough. She's such a sweetheart. Tough not to crack. But she's been wanting me to talk to him for a long time. Well, you know what? Yeah, if he's willing, it'll be fucking awesome.

I talked to his wife. I talked to her mother. You know, she, the mother, Jane, Janie, I think her name is, called me and was like, you know, well, what do you want to talk about?

I'm like, what's the matter? It'll be fine. I'm not out to sandbag Chevy Chase. Like, you know what I mean? No. But your mom doesn't have a relationship with that guy, does she? I think they're fine. I mean, she's cool with everybody.

Yeah? Yeah, I don't know that they're in each other's lives really. Okay, so you're growing up, you know, I would say a nice childhood. Yeah, I would say so too. In terms of economically. Sure. In Los Angeles, California. Block south of Wilshire, it's not nothing.

Yeah, in a house? Yeah. Still there? No. Oh. Condo? Yeah. Folks still together?

Nah. They never were, Mark. They never were? Not really. No, I'm kidding. I got to say that, obviously. Just do that after every bit of weird honesty that makes you uncomfortable. Just go like, ah, come on.

I'm joking around. It's my job. So what was the plan? And what was your point of view on that? And you have a sibling, right? I do. They? They.

Their name is Spike. Spike. Yes. Older. Older. A little bit? 3.8 years, as they like to say. So you guys had the same life-ish?

Kind of. Not really. Really? What was it? What, different paths? I think older sibling gets a different experience than the younger sibling, don't you? Better, worse? Less experienced, right?

I'm the older one. I'm the older one. And I was the golden child. Yeah, but my brother didn't fare better. There was no lessons learned. Well, it's obviously not a hard and fast rule. No, I just hope there's an evolution. No, I mean, I think that, you know, was relatively entertaining, and my brother was a little quieter.

And my mother was sort of like, I don't know what to do with this one. And then he would cry a lot, so she'd lock him in a bedroom. Yeah, it turns out he's lactose intolerant. Believe me, did not. There's always an ongoing conversation with me and my brother, Craig, about the upbringing. But I seem to be generally more forgiving of my father, and he seems to be generally more forgiving of my mother. What do you attribute that to? I don't know, because I think that, you know, my father was kind of self-centered and, you know, kind of unattentive.

And my mother, I think, wanted me to be her husband. So my brother dodged that bullet. You know, he was lucky that he was the second suitor. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. What about you? What do you mean?

So how did it pan out with being the second child? You felt like you got a better deal? Yeah, I think, well, yeah. I mean, I think like that's just in line with, you know, more experienced. Do you? Parents, I do. Now, when you were growing up, they transitioned? No, they came out as trans, I want to say maybe my senior year of high school.

And they, yeah, it's not, they're non-binary and so their hormone therapies have been, yeah, something they've been doing for a while. Oh, yeah? Yeah. Happy? Yeah, I think so, for sure. Definitely necessary. And that seemed to be like ahead of the curve in terms of it being a cultural hot point or a known thing. Was it?

Yeah. Yeah. I would say, yeah, they predate sort of like the more of like a cultural consciousness. Right, exactly. And was that difficult for the family or was it okay? Everything good? No, not difficult for the family at all. We were fucking liberal LA Jews.

We were fucking chill. My dad had two moms. Like my dad's mom's mom was a lesbian and he was raised mostly by her and her partner. Like we're, we're. It's wild, right? It's all good. Yeah. I, yeah.

My, yeah. I kind of, I kind of regret that mine was so conventional. I think my parents were just, you know, pretty standard, but I think clearly out swinging to some degree. Really? Maybe. How was that clear? My dad was kind of a philanderer.

Yeah, a bit, yeah. I don't know what my mom was up to, but she was always pretty sexual. Wow. So I grew up in the land of secrets, and you grew up in the land of radical honesty. Oof.

Maybe too much of it. Yeah? Yeah. How so? Well, you know. No. It's like, no, I asked. I mean, you know, it's like no i asked i mean you know it's like every every feeling every

emotion uh had to be assorted yeah nothing nothing kept in always just kind of externally see my dad did that but we were just all afraid yeah he did it loudly he did it at a high volume, probably. Yeah, over nothing. Yeah. So your dad's in show business, too? Yeah, my dad works in advertising. He directs commercials. But didn't he write some movies? Not that I know of.

He's a commercial director. Yeah. Yeah? Yeah, he did some commercial acting back in the day. He was like a groundling. He was a groundling with your mom? No. Before?

Much after. Far after. They have a 12-year age gap. He's younger. Really? Yeah. So they met years later? Yes.

So he was a groundling and decided not to pursue groundlingness? Well, I mean, I think in many cases, a lot of groundlings end up doing a lot of acting and commercial stuff. Many of them don't make it. It's true. But, you know, your favorite spokespeople are groundlings usually, you know, Flo from Progressive. That's right, yeah. You know, you got your, let's see, Others, right? There would be other examples. I don't know that I can recall them now.

Can you imagine Flo? It's just like, you know, that's, I mean, she's got a fortune. And she's been doing Flo probably for 20 years now. God bless her. You know her? No. She was probably. I feel like I do.

I always liked her. I thought she was funny. She's fabulous. She know her? No. I feel like I do. I always liked her. I thought she was funny. She's fabulous. She made those commercials fun. I couldn't agree more. Are you adverse to commercials? I'm a big madman head, so I do see the artistry in advertising. Well, your dad was in advertising, right?

Yeah. Yeah, I do see the artistry in it. I, of course, resent it as a tool of capitalism. Yes. Man. Yeah, man. That's how they fuck you, man. Yeah, man. Exploiting our desires.

Yeah, man. And feeding our denial of the real problems. Yeah. It's a manipulative art, which, of course, I love. Yeah. But where do you stand on doing commercials? I don't. Have you been offered? love. Yeah. But where do you stand on doing commercials? I don't, um, have you been offered? No. Hmm. I mean, I, I've told, I ha you know, I have kind of, I know I, I, you know, I,

I, I did an ad for an electric car once and you were able to rationalize that. I, I, um, I did. Yeah. I thought, well, it's an electric car. Sure. It's helping. Not that the batteries aren't made from a precious lithium. Where does that end, though, really? Of course. It's all, it's all. There's too many people. We just, it's over. Well, no, it's like, but that's an interesting conversation about progressives. The idea that the right accuses us of having some sort of organized agenda is hilarious. Uh-huh. Because we cannot sort of come together on almost anything. And most progressive activism is neutered because of class.

Mm. There. I said it. Yeah. Hey, by the way, Mark. What? Talk your shit and never stop. Okay?

Say it, King. Say it. Yeah, all I'm saying is we're all a bunch of liars and just sending a check somewhere does nothing. And unless you're organizing people to do things, you're not doing anything. Well, it's, you know, there can be, there are certainly organizations where donations lead to tangible, like, help for people. You justify it however you want, but I thought you might have been a leader, but I guess I was wrong.

No, I know what you mean, though. I know what you mean. It's like. Now, I'm just, I'm helping you with your desire to not go too deep on the personal level. Thank you. That's all that's happening here. Thank you. But.

It's not, yeah, it's fine. You know off air, I'll dive to the ocean floor. I know. I remember we scrambled to find a meeting that didn't exist. Yeah. We had our own little sort of, you know, trauma bonding session. Yep. Very proactive.

Yep. Talked about relationships. You know it. So let's talk about you personally then. Let's do it. Now that we've kind of glazed over, or I think we've dealt with the family enough, and I don't think anyone's going to have hurt feelings. I agree. Yeah.

I think that you've been diplomatic, and I haven't pressed you in any way. That's something you can do with your therapist. Yeah. But clearly, something fucked you up. And if you want to keep that to yourself, you go ahead and keep doing that. Then that is my right as an American with red blood coursing through my, well, blue. Yeah. Red hair, red blood, Jew blood.

Can't lose. Jew blood. Jew blood, red hair, can't lose. Yeah. But so show business was not the original idea, was it, for you? No, I don't know that there was an idea. So you're growing up. Your mom's your mom.

Your sibling is your sibling. Your dad's nice. And he's there for you emotionally. How's that been, Amber? So good. Yeah. Take your time. It's okay.

People, you know, there are some people that just can't get enough of people eating on mic. I'm kidding. There are some people where if someone eats on mic, it's like they go crazy. I've had it. There's only been a few instances of people actively eating on mic uh and that's been rosanne and that was cantaloupe it's like back in the day sometimes people would come over like do you have anything to eat and i'm like yeah i have some cantaloupe so rosanne did some cantaloupe john glazer uh i made him a sausage wow yeah. Yeah, he's funny.

Do you know John Glazer? Funny man. Not personally. Okay. So you're growing up and you have parents that are kind of in their own worlds, not your dad so much. And your mom, though lovely, was kind of dealing with her own things. And so where are you in that? What are you just wandering around lost you know i i i believe

me when i say this is in no way a cop-out there are um i have very few memories from my childhood why i i wonder what happened no i i i have you know i know, I'm hyperactive. I have ADHD. You do? Yeah. I am very rarely present. And so for that reason, first of all, my short-term recall is shot. Really? Yeah. From what? It's, I mean.

Just is? Well, there, I mean, later in my teen years, I definitely, you know, did a lot of, went a little overboard with the Adderall and the weed. Oh, yeah? Yeah, I definitely. You prescribed Adderall? Yes. But you adjusted your intake? I mean, well, yeah, my tolerance grew.

So I kept. Was it one of those things where you're like, I know the doctor didn't say I should snort it, but. No, no, no. Never, never went that far. Yeah. But, but yeah, I, I don't have a lot of memories from my childhood, honestly. Like I, I really think hard and I, and this has been something that I've been trying to figure out. In therapy?

Yeah, for sure. Putting it together? Yeah, for sure. Yeah. Yeah, I, I, I was a, I can tell you, I was a really like a extracurricular heavy kid. Yeah. Like that's where the cheerleading came in. I saw the movie, bring it on and it really changed things.

So you were like a hyper in a productive way ish. Um, well, I, I think that was my mom's effort to kind of like get me, uh, get my energy out, you know, putting me in various different camps and things. Oh, so you, well, that's a, I think that's a nice way to look at it. Because when I, so when you were growing up, was there a lot of like, you know, Hannah, please. You know it.

You know it. Hannah, just go outside. Yeah. Yeah. 100%. Or Hannah, come inside. You know, she's in the go outside. Yeah, yeah, 100%. Or Hannah, come inside. She's in the trees. Get her down. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

You know? She's talking to the flowers. So it took a while for them to know what was up? I was tested pretty young. For ADHD? Yeah. And hyperactivity? Yeah.

Wow. Yeah, I was tested pretty young. My dad has it. My mom has it. I have it. And Spike has it. Yeah. And hyperactivity. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. I was tested pretty young. My dad has it. My mom has it. I have it. And Spike has it. Yes. Spike has it too.

Yes. And we were all on Adderall during my childhood. A lot of talking. Not a lot of talking. Interesting. You see, when you have ADD and ADHD, it creates an opposite effect. So if uppers make you up, up up up yeah it is usually a sign that you are neurotypical so everybody was on adderall even keel even keel sort of just you know and

the listeners of course didn't get to see the act out but there was it was a a a gaze beyond it was a gaze beyond yes into the great beyond yeah yeah i was a sort of shell of a person i was sort of wiped of any spark any sort of from the adderall yeah yeah i i definitely uh lost some years um like what years talking? We are talking 2008 to 2016. Wow. Is that high school? Roughly. Yeah, that's high school halfway through college.

Oh, my God. Yeah. So you don't remember being a cheerleader? I do. I remember being a cheerleader. You liked it. I remember the ecstasy of soaring through the air. Yeah.

I remember the sisterhood. Yeah. I remember just sort of the beauty of performing. Yeah. That's sort of where I started. And also athleticism, correct? It's, yeah. I mean, it's just the best.

The outfits. Come on now. They're rocking. You know that. Yeah. Head to toe. They're rocking. You know that. Yeah. Head to toe. Dripping with glitter. Oh, really?

Oh, yeah. Good. Really good. When do you come out on stage in that getup? Now. I think that when you do the one-person show. It'd have to be a charity auction, I think. It'd have to be a prize.

I'm saying get a new getup made. Oh, my God. Wouldn't that be sad on a whole new level? No. I'm doing a bit about cheerleading right now, actually. I think. It'd have to be a prize. I'm saying get a new get-up made. Oh, my God. Wouldn't that be sad on a whole new level? No. I'm doing a bit about cheerleading right now, actually. I know, but I think it should be a whole one-person show, Adderall and cheerleading. That's so funny. Why not?

It'll end in me getting that. You know, honestly, that's actually really... Yeah, it's going to start that way, too. I think I should get into adult gymnastics. Yeah. And it's about, you know, that's sort of the through line of the show of like, so I'm starting this gymnastics class. And then, of course, that's the, you know, you take little asides.

Yeah. Can you do all the stuff still? No. My body is ruined. It is? It is. What parts? Joints, ligaments.

All of them? Most of them. From that? Neck, lower back, knees. That's where I got it. It's really bad. Oh, my God. So you're finished.

You're like 12 years old and you're done. You're retired from physical exercise. You know, I do a little bit of Pilates here and there. Oh, yeah? I take a walk. On the Reformer? You know it. Really?

And on the other one? Do you ever do it on the Cadillac? On the what? Yeah. What are you talking about? There's another Pilates machine. There's the Reformer. Is that the one that looks kind of like a massage table?

The Reformer? The Cadillac. No, the Cadillac looks like a small trapeze getup. Yeah. I've seen it. Yeah. Haven't taken it for a spin myself. I was put on that thing by a Pilates instructor recently.

I've been doing Pilates classes. That's fabulous. Just one-on-one things with the machines. So, yeah. And a very interesting and hard-to-read instructor. Who talks like this? Hi. Hi. Hi. How's your body feeling today?

Hard to read. How? Well, these trainers, and I have two of them, and they're women, they've got their shtick. They've got the zone that they stay in when they train. Like some of them and their women are, they've got their shtick. You know, they've got the zone that they stay in when they train. Like some of them, like when you're, like my, the one who I train with for weights and stuff, she's literally like going, ooh, like going, like, you know, making noises for me. Like, okay, here we go. Like she's like locked in to the training thing.

And, you know, you get bits and pieces of conversation, but I don't know their lives. No, 100%. I'm familiar with, there is almost like a lack of breath in the trainer speech. Exactly. And one and two,

holding three. Three, hold it. And four, one more minute. Guys, here are five. Yeah. Six, pulse, seven. You know, there's kind of that thing where you- Pulse, pulse, pulse. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know there's kind of that thing where you

you know yeah yeah yeah it's sort of not there's no you can't really break in and go well they're but that's they're doing your job a hundred percent no you get bits and pieces of their life and then you can just it's left to your imagination i got a good uh i want to say shout out to mckenna at reforma core reformaa Corps. Reforma Corps, great studio. Yeah? Yeah. And you've been doing that? Been doing that. All right, so you're doing this cheerleading. When do you realize that you're bi? You know, in looking back on my life,

I think there were various points in my childhood where, you know, the odd girlfriend after Hebrew school bumping and grinding in her room. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, sure. There were gay experiences very early on. I like it. Camp? Just Hebrew school.

Just Hebrew school. Yeah. So you didn't have to see them the next day. You had to wait a week. Right. Tuesdays only. Tuesdays only. We called it Tuesday Delight back then.

No, we didn't. Where would it happen? Like in the social hall? In his closet? At the temple? The top bunk of her bed. Oh, okay. So after Hebrew school.

Yeah. But, you know, yeah, I think college was when I Locked in? Really just accepted it. Yeah. That's weird because

like with the dudes in Hebrew school, there was a lot of talk of masturbation. Yeah. But no, let me do that for you. Sure. But I remember very young that there was a lot of talk. Yeah, of course. Of masturbation. Of course.

Jews are kind of, you know, pretty open about that stuff. Yeah, yeah. But, you know, the fugitives I know from Hebrew school, we still talk about masturbation. But now we talk about prostates and tests. Sure, sure, sure, sure. Blood levels. You still hanging with those guys? I know one guy.

That's awesome. In Albuquerque, David Kleinfeld. Shout out, David Kleinfeld. We know what your conversations are with Mark. David Kleinfeld was the first guy to he puts a limit on health talk he's like 10 minutes about health I love this guy he's a good guy

I know a couple other ones from Hebrew school you don't know any anymore? oh yeah friends? I guess let me think not really anyone that's super in my life on a day to day but I feel like all my friends are Jewish pretty much really? a lot of them that's wild I in my life on a day-to-day. But I feel like all my friends are Jewish pretty much. Really? A lot of them, yeah.

That's wild. A lot of Jews. Yeah, I don't... I can't get enough. I guess my two best friends are Jews. That's so great. But I see one of them. One of them's in New York.

I talk to him almost every day. Really? Yeah. That's nice. Okay, so you're kind of Hebrew school grinding with a girl named Rachel or... Let's say that. That's fine.

Rachel or Jody. Et cetera. Jody. That's the most Goya-ish name I've ever heard. Is it? Actually, no. Jody Rosenfeld. Cheryl.

I guess I can see. Cheryl. That's as Jewish as it gets. Cheryl. What are some other ones? Oh, I mean, Rebecca. Oh, yeah, Rebecca. I knew a girl named Eliana.

There you go. That's nice. That will do it. Yeah. That's doing it for me. Okay. Is it? So, all right, so you do the cheerleading thing, you do Hebrew school, you go to college,

and you're still, like, untethered, don't know what you want. What do you go to college, and you're still untethered, don't know what you want? What do you go to college for? I went to college for... I went to the film school at Chapman University. I studied broadcast journalism because I was a big Rachel Maddow fan. And I thought... I knew her when she started.

Go ahead. Is that so? Uh-huh. Started what? News? Yeah. I was at Air America at the beginning. I did a good interview with her, but I used to, I was at the beginning of Air America where she was hired as a newsreader and then just took over. I love her.

She's, like, she used to sit there. She's a fucking performer. Total performer, but also a Rhodes Scholar and a completely brilliant intellect. And an athlete. Yep. And a fisher person. I love her. Oh my God. And a mixologist. Oh, you know what? I see sometimes an athlete. Yep. And a fisher person. I love her. Oh, my God. And a mixologist. Oh, you know what?

I see sometimes she would do that at the end when she was tossing to Lawrence. But, yeah, she was hired on at Air America as a newsreader, and then she became a co-host. Then she became her. She used to spend hours putting together like an hour show. It was unbelievable. You'd see her. You'd get to work. And we were the morning crews. so we were kind of leaving work.

And she was just there at a full fucking table with stacks of papers laying out her shit. Wow. I miss her. It's harder for me to keep in the loop without her. And I very much watched her every night. I'm a big fan. But I was happy to have known her at the start. She's truly a brilliant and inspired performer.

The way that she reads the news, it's as if she's not reading. I mean, she's an actor to me. Well, she writes in her own voice. You know? It's because she writes all that stuff. Oh, she's fabulous. So, okay. So you love Rachel and you're like, I'm going to be.

It turned out that I loved Rachel, not the news as much. It was more of a Rachel thing. Yeah. Rachel. Yeah. If you're, if you're hearing this. Yeah. You know, I wish you and your wife the best.

You've never met her. But I love you. No, I've never met her. Oh. This is a desperate plea. No, I'm kidding. I didn't think you could probably arrange a hang with Maddow. Yeah. She, she was a big figure for me.

I loved her a lot. And then, yeah, I went to school and kind of quickly realized that that was not my calling. The life of a reporter is fucked up, y'all. It is fucked. Y'all seen Nightcrawler? That shit is real. Yeah, but you can be a commentator. I mean, I don't think that, you know, is Rachel a reporter as much as she is an aggregator and intellectual kind of, I don't know, pundit. But yeah, I think that's right. Broadcaster. Yeah, I think so. I think so. But I think like the more common path and certainly the type of broadcast journalism education was geared

towards more of a reporter right at chatman and you know where'd you go chatman university what is that it's in orange county hmm yeah it's all right what is that just a liberal arts college yeah you know it uh-huh not not special it's you know honestly yeah it's uh it's it's making a bit of a name for itself oh yeah yeah yeah? Yeah. In what way? Well, you know, the Stranger Things guys went there. They got some good alumni. Okay. Yeah.

So how are you doing? You holding up? I'm cool. Yeah? Are you? Yeah. Nope. That's why.

What's the matter? You know, I just, nothing really. Nothing really. Are you now worrying about what you said? No. Are you tired of talking? No. Oh. Are you now worrying about what you've said? No. Are you tired of talking? No. Oh.

Are you? No. I like you. Yeah. Okay. I like you. We have a blast. We have had some good times.

We have. And we did some good shows together. Yeah. And I offered you a feature spot on my shows, but you were just too fucking big for that, weren't you? No. Too fucking big. Guess what?

Too fucking anxious about flying and I just hate leaving LA. No. No. No. This thing is too big. I offered you a golden opportunity to come with me to Salt Lake City.

Yeah, and work on your shit. We can work on our shit at Dynasty, can't we? No. Damn it. You got to bring it to Salt Lake City. Yeah, and work on your shit. We can work on our shit at Dynasty, can't we? No. Damn it. You got to bring it to the real people. You're right. You know what I mean? What are you just going to be like?

So, well, okay. Tell me about me. I want to hear the story about when you came to the comedy store. Oh, this is nice. Okay. So, so. Where were you with comedy this time? I just want to speak directly to the

what the fuckers yes if i could just address sure with your permission hey guys yeah uh we're coming to you from marks um just to tell you that i am one of you okay just to tell you that you know i get you i feel you i am you i see you and i and i have listened to this podcast for a really long time and especially when i was starting to figure out that I was into comedy. I would listen to Mark. I would listen to his life and his feelings and where he's been. And I would listen to him talk to other comedians I loved. And I was in college, and I worked up the courage to go see Mark at the comedy store

when I was maybe, gosh, how old must I have been? I guess 19. I got into the comedy store illegally. Shut them down. But I was first in line, and I saw the show from the very beginning. Mark was not on until late. I think I was there for four hours before he got on stage, I think. It couldn't have been that long.

I don't go on that late. I think it might have been a Monday or something something where it was like, I might have seen Potluck, that type of a thing. I wouldn't have been on Potluck, but it doesn't matter. No, no, no. I'm saying like later in that night. Is that how it works? No, I don't know what I'm talking about. Maybe. Oh, maybe. I don't know. But it doesn't matter. Anywho, I was there for a while.

And, you know, I was first in line and they sat me at the lip of the stage. I'm not talking about like, oh yeah, there's the stage and then there's a walkway and then there's tables. I'm talking about stage table. Yeah. Stage to table to Hannah. So Mark to stage to table to Hannah.

Yeah, the original room at the Comedy Store. You're right there. At the original room. You're right there. And I was with my friend from high school and she came with me and and we were there and i saw mark and i was so excited and i was so new and my friend and and you started to kind of talk to us and be like what's your guys's deal and my friend was like pointed to me and totally embarrassed me and was like she loves you and you were like oh that's nice or something i don't remember i popped out but um

yeah it was just like a fun experience it was my first time at the comedy store, which is of course a place where like I would later go to do open mics and really sort of idolize as an institution at that time. Was that funny? Of course. Okay. Of course. But you probably didn't know because your friend had made you uncomfortable and you were- I was probably panicking. Spiraling. Yeah. You know me. Yeah. That was the beginning. So you were 19 when you wanted to do comedy? I was getting into it at that time. Yeah. That was the beginning. So you were 19 when you wanted to do comedy? Um, I was getting into it at that time. Yeah, I was doing improv at my college. I'm embarrassed to say. Yeah. Um, I was an improviser.

Yeah. Um, which I was not very good at because it required a sort of mental freedom that I did not at the time possess. Do you have it now? Yes. Okay. Yes, I do. It's great. Yeah. I like it. Yeah. yeah um and then sort of yeah just started doing stand-up like more so like my senior year of college really at college um yeah like sort

of towards the end i would go up to la and do open mics and in the alt scene i went all over i would do the club you know the clubs didn't have like really accessible mics, but you know, most mics were like coffee shop vibes. Now, as the child of a comedic legend, did you watch your mom? You mean on old? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Totally. Oh, that must be wild. It is. Did you grow up doing that or did you do it more seriously when you got older? I think way more so when I got older. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, and it's trippy, man, because she, you know, I just, knowing, you know, I feel like I was living with her in her apartment when she was writing her memoir. And so kind of knowing the backstory of a lot of those years and then after that seeing.

You mean the dark stuff? Yeah. Drugs and. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Was she a food person too?

Yeah. We all are. We all are. But like Gilda and everybody. I mean, that was it. That was the beginning. Well, I think. Yeah.

Right. Totally. Drugs, food issues, insanity. But in her, like the one thing that comes to mind is the daughter in the cone heads. That's a big one. Right? Yeah, yeah. That's a big one.

My favorite one is the exorcism sketch with Richard Pryor. So great. She's so fucking fierce in that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. She's funny. She's really funny. So, okay, so now you're doing stand-ups. Yeah, I'm doing it.

19, 20. 20-ish. Yeah. 21, I want to say. And you like stand-up? I do. I will say that it was this thing that I relied on to feel good. Yeah.

I didn't understand really at the time that that's what I was so addicted to. good. Yeah. I didn't understand really at the time that that's what I was so addicted to. Right. And chasing. But yeah, it's also like there's a purity of my love for it. I love comedy. I love comedians.

Yeah. And you know what? Listening to WTF, I think I fell in love with comedy through falling in love with comedians. And listening to you and listening to the other comics that you talk to, I can't tell sometimes if I like comedy more than I like comedians. I think I maybe like comedians more than comedy. But I think if I'm hearing you correctly, the thing about stand-up, it is this solitary thing, and it is very immediately engaged, and you don't really have to rely on anybody else. So when it goes

well, you know, there's nothing quite like it, and it's all you. The feeling of sort of accomplishment or, I don't know, do you get off on laughs or do you get off on doing bits? I think it's both. Tied together, yeah. Yeah. So how does Hacks happen? I think it's both. Tied together, yeah.

Yeah. So how does Hacks happen? So I was doing comedy in L.A. from around like end of 2017 to 2020 when everything kind of shut down. Yeah. And I had been auditioning. I got repped through just like my agents and managers coming to shows in L.A. And they signed with those guys. And then they sort of suggested like, because I only wanted to be a comic.

Well, how'd you get a break? How'd you get seen? Were you in a Montreal thing? Yes. I did New Faces, 2019. And that's where you got the attention initially or what? Yeah, I would say so. Yeah, yeah.

I would say that was a big pop. I would say that was, I, I would say that was, was a big pop and then, uh, doing Late Night was a big. Late Night? Yeah.

With, uh, Fallon? Uh, uh, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Oh,

The Late Show. You did stand up. Yeah. Huh. I don't even know. Do they do many stand ups on there? They do.

They don't do many. Yeah. But they do. Yeah. And you nailed it? It was pretty good. Yeah? Yeah. It felt good. And you weren't repped yet? So then you were many, but they do. Yeah. And you nailed it? It was pretty good. Yeah? Yeah. It felt good.

And you weren't repped yet? So then you were like a... I was. I was repped. All right. So that's how you got on the radar. Now, all right. So 2017 to 2020. So what happens with the haxing? You, just auditioning. No callbacks. Yeah. Not one. And then, yeah, like around March, like right before the pandemic, I got an audition for Hacks and I went in person to the casting office. Did it. Thought nothing of it. Obviously, I figured, you know, this is kind of, this is great. Yeah.

It won't pan out. And then the world sort of shut down. And then a couple months later, they said, you know, we want to do a callback with you on Zoom. Yeah. Did a callback on Zoom. Yeah. A couple months later, they said, we're trying to figure out how to get you in person with Jean for a chemistry test. Yeah. Chemistry read, forgive me. And yeah, did the chem read a couple months later. And then a couple weeks later later they called me. And that's how the dynamic duo of you and Jean started. Yeah. You like her?

Love her. How's she doing? She's doing well. Yeah? Yeah. So now we can work as comics, and that's what you're doing. Yes. I'm going on the road, folks.

Yeah. I had some comments about your poster, but, you know, that was... I think it's a beautiful design for a T-shirt, maybe. Maybe. You know, I didn't have a problem with the design, but I didn't know what it was. If you look at it from a distance, you're like, that's interesting artwork. Wow. And then you're like, oh, it's a name.

Yeah, that's kind of like my act. It's a gorgeous design, but I don't know what it is. But you're going all over the place. Have you started? I haven't. How are you going to overcome this fear of leaving LA or flying? I'm just going to do it. Are you bringing openers? Some places. Yeah. I didn't get offered. You're too big for me, Mark. Oh, is that it? All right. So what's the plan? Are you freaking out? About?

About doing the road? No, it's not my first time. No. How was it the last time? It was great. It was great. But you know what? I was like, I think I smoked a little pot with my touring agents.

Yeah. Not with them, but before I called them. Yeah. For my last tour. And I was like, I got to get out of the clubs, man. I want to be on the road, man. I got to play the music venues. And I did all music venues.

And I was like, okay, this is not acoustically correct for this. Yeah. So, yeah, I'm doing the clubs this time. Oh, you're doing comedy clubs? Yeah. Pretty much only comedy clubs. And do you find that, you know, who comes? We got a lot of queers.

Yeah. We got a lot of girls. Yeah. And we got their husbands that they begrudgingly bring. We got some cool people, you know. We just got, like, the folks who want to see a gal talk. Yeah. Well, good.

So you find that you got people. I do think I might have people. It's nice. And where are you at with the hour? The hour. You mean the 50 minutes? I don't want to do an hour, guys. 50.

Who's sitting for an hour? You're doing the 50 and you got an opener or two? I'll tell you what. I'll give you 50 rock solid shiny minutes. Okay. And I'm not wasting time. That's a promise. And I'm trimming the fat.

Okay. I mean, there's not much fat. But I'm giving you good shit, and we're getting in, and we're getting out. You don't need to be, because I can't sit still. I've been to a comedy show. I've seen the material. It's funny. Interesting. Sometimes there's additional sound.

You know it. You know it. I use the tools that are before me. I've been using music in my act. That's right. You know that? I believe it. You haven't seen it. I have. I do it from my phone. My Taylor Swift story. Oh, my God.

Amazing. I integrate some Taylor Swift into my act right now. Okay. That's huge. It's big. It's big. I don't know if Taylor's going to get upset. Uh-oh.

Be careful, Mark. Those fans are vicious. No, the fans are going to like it, but I don't know if Taylor's going to be upset that I'm using a snippet of a song of hers during my set on my phone, holding it up to a microphone. I don't know if she'll send some sort of— Some goons after you? Yeah, some Taylor goons after me to shut me down. Some blonde goons to stomp you?

Some 17-year-old girls. Yeah. Angry. I'm telling you, they're fierce. Angry. They are fierce. They're scary. There's a lot of them.

They are an army. So if people want to find out where, this is a big plug section, because it feels like you're crawling out of your skin and you're ready to leave. Does it feel that way? No, I'm just looking at your face. Oh. And it doesn't sound that way to the people listening. But me looking at you right now, all I see is like, how long is this?

No, that's so. All right. I'm projecting. You are. It's my own insecurity. I'm here to tell you you are. Okay, good. They can go to hannaheinbinder.com.

Yeah, I'm going to be at the... Should I rattle them off? Sure, why not? Folks, I'm going to be at the Sacramento Punchline Five Shows September 14th through 16th. Wow, that's a big place. Have you been there? I have. Yeah, I used to play that room.

It's pretty good. Big room. Big, wide room. Big, wide room. Next to the mattress store. You know it. In the strip mall. I love it. Go ahead. Raleigh Improv, Raleigh, North Carolina. I used to play that room. It's pretty good. Big room. Big, wide room. Big, wide room. Next to the mattress store. You know it. In the strip mall. Yeah, go ahead.

Raleigh Improv, Raleigh, North Carolina. I know that one. You know it? I don't, actually. You don't? I used to do Good Nights in Raleigh. You got to do Raleigh Improv. I used to do Good Nights.

Good Nights was the old-timey comedy club. I think it's a helium now, but it's all right. Go ahead. Five shows, September 21st through 23rd. Uh-huh. Comedy Works Denver. Make some noise. Downtown? You know it. Oh, that's a hot room. Can't fuck up there. Can'thuh. Comedy Works Denver. Make some noise. Downtown?

You know it. Oh, that's a hot room. Can't fuck up there. Can't fuck up there. That's what they say. Yeah, it's good. Addicted to comedy over there. Yeah.

October 5th through the 7th, five shows. Uh-huh. Come on down. Acme, Minneapolis. Oh, you've been there? Yep. That's a good one. Big room.

Open for Dana there. You open for Dana? Yep. But not for me. Fine. I get it. You know, I read the Wikipedia page, so I did a lot of influences. I was not one of them, but I still am showing up for you.

Mark. It's okay. You know that Wikipedia cannot. Fine. It's fine. But yeah, Acme's good. That's Lewis Lee. That's always interesting.

October 12th through the 14th. Strong word. But yeah, go ahead. You love the club. Yeah. Yeah. Go ahead. And 12th through the 14th. Strong word. But yeah, go ahead. You'll have the club. Yeah. Yeah. Go ahead. And then I'm doing a comedy bar in Toronto.

Oh, yeah. I know that place. That's in the big room over there. I think there's two rooms at the comedy bar, isn't there? Yeah. Yeah. Probably in the big room. That's a nice intimate place.

Yeah. That's good. Yeah. That'd be good. October 20th through the 22nd. Okay. And then? And then I'm doing a festival rehoboth beach

delaware wow yeah november 11th one night only is that outdoors i don't know one night only babe yeah one night only i hope it's not outdoors might be why outdoor is hard it's weird to me that's very but like as an la, you kind of get used to outdoors. When you, when you, I think. I never did one fucking outdoor show during the entire pandemic.

Well, you're a fucking door guy. You're doing the clubs. You're doing the store. You're doing the inside. Yeah, but even when, when there was no inside to do,

I was like, I'd rather not do. Outdoor than in. Yeah, I don't like it. It's just everything. It's just, I can't, you know, it's it's it's it's hard for me to compartmentalize what's happening it's hard for me to compartmentalize generally speaking well you know i understand that yeah it's just there's a dissipation

there's it doesn't matter and it doesn't matter hold on i just got a text. Jeselnik? No. Yeah, he texted me. What's he saying? Oh. Huh. Oh, Jeselnik said he's been with her for 10 years. Oh? Gave me the information. Oh, my God. She's in Santa Monica, but she's the best.

You can drive to Santa Monica? For a haircut? Knowing Jeselnik is probably going to cost me $400 to get a haircut. It's a moneymaker, baby. You got to keep it tight. Do I? I don't know. We're comedians.

I guess not. I barely keep it tight. I don't keep much tight. But actually, you keeping it tight is you keeping it loose. That's true. If that makes sense. Yeah, it took a long time to sort of bring that together, being loose but it's tight. It's a long road.

A long road to looseness but tight. Totally. All right. Are you done? Are you? Almost. I mean, yeah. What's going to happen now?

Well, I'm going to finish this banana bread. Yeah. What's today? Friday? Yeah. You working tonight? I don't think so. Are you all right?

What, are you just going to go home? I'm going to go on a walk. Around Silver Lake? Yeah. Thanks for hanging out. Okay. There you go. Me and Einbinder.

Go to hannaheinbinder.com to check out her tour schedule and get tickets. She can do the job. She's an enjoyable act. Hang out for a minute. Are you sure you parked over here? Do you see it anywhere? I think it's back this way. Come on.

Hey, you're going the wrong way. Feeling distracted? You're not alone. Whether renting, considering buying a home, or renewing a mortgage, many Canadians are finding it hard to focus with housing costs on their minds. For free tools and resources to help you manage your home finances and clear your head, visit Canada.ca slash ItPaysToKnow. A message from the Government of Canada. Hi, it's Terry O'Reilly, host of Under the Influence.

Recently, we created an episode on cannabis marketing. With cannabis legalization, it's a brand new challenging marketing category. And I want to let you know we've produced a special bonus podcast episode where I talk to an actual cannabis producer. I wanted to know how a producer becomes licensed, how a cannabis company competes with big corporations, how a cannabis company markets its products in such a highly regulated category, and what the term dignified consumption actually means.

I think you'll find the answers interesting and surprising. Hear it now on Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly. This bonus episode is brought to you by the Ontario Cannabis Store and ACAS Creative. Okay, people, there's more movie talk this week for Full Marin subscribers. I watched Mulholland Drive with Kit, which is one of her favorite movies. I was on board. I was watching it. It looked good.

I like the stylistic elements. I liked all the little bits and pieces of it. Yeah. But then in like the last act, it takes a switch. People are in different roles playing people you're kind of familiar with, either as corpses or other characters. And then I'm sort of like, what's happening? And what's, you know, what's with the box, with the key? Who's who?

What's happening? Yeah. And, you know, I just, not unlike other Lynch projects, I just got aggravated. Yeah. And I tried to make sense of it. And I know that, you know, I was told Sam Lipsight said, well, there's a dream logic to it. And it's like, okay, so when I wake up and dreams are still fresh in my mind, I try to figure them out. And you know what?

I can't. And so I'm not going to say it's a bad movie. But for me, it was not a great experience because I end up frustrated at the end. And when I go over the parts and stuff, I can be like, well, that was a good part. This is a good part. That was interesting. That was acted well. I like this view of Hollywood and whatnot.

It's a Hollywood movie. It's a Hollywood movie. But you claim that there is sense to be made. Yeah, there is. There is. Check out all the bonus episodes. We're doing two a week by signing up for the full marathon.

Just go to the link in the episode description or visit WTFpod.com and click on WTF Plus. Next week, Gary Goleman is back on Monday and on Thursday, I talk to comedian Aparna Nancherla and here's some... I keep evolving my three-chord thing. There's a vibe, man.

There's a vibe to the Maron Blues. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. ¶¶ Boomer lives. Monkey and Lafonda. Cat angels everywhere. Okay, okay, okay. All right, it's a little sloppy.