WTF with Marc Maron Podcast - Episode 1636 - Liza Treyger

Episode Date: April 21, 2025

Comedian Liza Treyger is frequently mystified by human behavior. Why are people so mean when leaving internet comments? Why do adults continuously repeat the patterns of children? Why are friendships so hard to maintain later in life? She asks these questions as a sociology major but also as a comic, and was recently able to explore these ideas in her first Netflix special. Liza and Marc talk about these issues, as well as Liza’s path to comedy, which included many crash courses she didn’t anticipate. 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.

You searched for your informant, who disappeared without a trace. You knew there were witnesses, but lips were sealed. You swept the city, driving closer to the truth, while curled up on the couch with your cat. There's more to imagine when you listen. Discover heart-pounding thrillers on Audible. Hey folks, it's time to grow your business, enhance your online presence, and build your perfect website with Squarespace. Start with Blueprint AI, Squarespace's AI enhanced website builder to get a fully custom website in just a few steps. Then choose whatever features you want to get the most

out of your site, just like we do with WTFPod.com. Check out Squarespace.com slash WTF for a free trial and then when you're ready to go live, use offer code WTF to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain that's squarespace.com WTF offer code WTF Yes, Squarespace. Let's do the show All right, let's do this. How are you? What the fuckers what the the fuck buddies? What the fuck? Nicks? How you doing? I'm Mark Marin. This is my podcast WTF. Welcome to it. How's it going? Today on the show? I talked to Lisa Trager, who is great. So great. I met her a long time ago. I didn't really register her for a long time, but I knew she was around. I was like, Oh, I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I'm going to be a great guy. I I've met her a long time ago. I didn't really register her for a long time, but I knew she was around and Then I just saw her it's it's one of these things that happens to me with young comics I watched some of her special and I was like holy fuck. Why am I not talking to this person? She's hilarious She has a special on Netflix called Lisa Trager night owl

She's also on the Netflix called Lisa Trager, Night Owl. She's also on the Netflix series Survival of the Thickest. But it's funny that I've done a couple of these interviews lately with these kind of bombastic Jewish female comedians and they just kill me. Actually Jessica Curzon will be on Thursday show. So it's a big week of fucking hilarious women on this show. Could not stop laughing. Los Angeles, I'm back at Largo tomorrow April 22nd for an 8pm show. Then I'm at Dynasty Typewriter this Saturday April 26th and again on Tuesday April 29th.

Toronto, I'm at the Winter Garden on Saturday May 3rd for two shows. Burlington, Vermont, I'm at the Vermont Garden on Saturday, May 3rd for two shows. Burlington, Vermont. I'm at the Vermont Comedy Club for two shows on Monday, May 5th and one show on Tuesday, May 6th. Portsmouth, New Hampshire. I'll be at the Music Hall on Wednesday, May 7th. And then I'm in Brooklyn for my HBO special taping at the Bam Harvey Theater on May 10th. Two shows there. Go to WTFpod.com slash tour for all my dates and links to tickets. Had something odd happen to me the other day, kinda.

Odd and retro at the same time. You know, we do this bonus material and we did an Ask Mark Anything. And, you know, people send in questions and I answer them. And somebody asked me, what are my favorite Lynyrd Skynyrd deep cuts? Someone's been listening. You know, I have this weird thing where,

I guess I have a fairly broad personality in some ways. I mean, you can pigeonhole me, cranky guy or neurotic guy or angry guy. You know, whatever you want, whatever box you wanna put me in, you can put me in there. But those of you who listen to this know that it's not, it's a pretty big fucking box. And there's not much of a lid on it. And, you know, there are periods in my life that were kind of,

is it, do I want the word anachronistic? But I don't think they're unlike some other people. You know, because of my proximity to the college when I was growing up and working at a restaurant across from the college, and because of my fundamentally kind of New Mexico County upbringing, you know, I've got many worlds in me, you know? I've got Lynyrd Skynyrd and I've got Brian Eno, and they both exist,

and they both bring me a tremendous amount of joy. I can go from Brian Eno to Lynyrd Skynyrd pronounced just in the flick of a switch and be just as excited. I can go from Brian Eno to Linard Skinner pronounced just in the flick of a switch and be just as excited. I can go from Mingus right into ACDC Powerage. No problem, no problem. Doesn't require a big shift for me. I just have many, I have multitudes. What is it?

See, I got Whitman in me too somewhere. Someone asked me also about my favorite poem. I should have thrown this one in there. I chose William Carlos Williams, the Red Wheelbarrow, because that one succinct. That's the one I go back to in my head, but Song of Myself. Come on, Whitman.

Here's the line. Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself. I am large. Very well then, I contradict myself. I am large. I contain multitudes. That's right, man. I can do it. Skinnered and Eno.

Equal space. Equal space. But anyway, my point was being that we had another one of these horrendous school shootings, and actually a fan of mine's daughter was there and I got a DM through Instagram and it's fucking horrendous that they continue to happen and the only reaction from the political forces in control is that yeah, these things happen. People kill people, not guns. And the logic of it is ridiculous and disturbing.

That, but this argument's been going on, it shouldn't even be an argument, but this position has been going on forever, no matter how many kids die. And it's fucking heinous. And it's like a perfect example of the disease that is killing America. But the odd thing is,

so I'm listening to someone send me a song list of the Skinner songs that I chose. And one of them was Saturday Night Special. And it's on the album Nothing Fancy, and it's about a 38 Special. It's about a gun. And it's really an anti-gun song. It's about a handgun, the 38 Special,

and there's several stories within it about people getting shot with them. And the chorus is Mr. Saturday Night Special got a barrel that's blue and cold. That ain't good for nothing, but putting men six feet in a hole. So good lyric. But I would consider that an anti-gun position by one of the Seminole Southern Rock bands.

And you kind of associate the south with You know the sort of a cold cold dead hand sing can't take my gun away So I was having this moment where everything came together for me and I hadn't listened to the song in a while even when I chose it I didn't Think of it as an anti-gun anthem, you know, but I listened to it again. I'm like holy shit Do you know this is this is a this is an anti-gun song? by some real rebel southern rock guys and

You know, I I was kind of like wow. Well, that was ballsy You know back then maybe right? You would think so that these guys of that ilk would do an anti-gun anthem But what's very interesting is that at the end of the song, it kind of, so the last couple of verses, handguns are made for killing. They ain't no good for nothing else. And if you like to drink your whiskey,

you might even shoot yourself. Heavy, right? But true. And then the last verse is before the chorus is, so why don't we dump them people? Oh, oh, wow, I misread it. It's, oh good, well that makes me feel better. Oh my god, I had this big point and it doesn't even matter. The last verse verse is so why don't we dump them people to the bottom of the sea before some old fool come around here? I want to shoot either you me. It's empty gun all the way through but I thought the last verse was why don't we dump all people? To the bottom of the sea and I was like, holy shit That's how deep that amendment runs is that the solution on the level of this band,

of these representatives of the American South, is that why don't we get rid of all the people so the guns can live free of us? But I misread it, I don't know. Should I even leave this in here? Oh my God. You know, sometimes song lyrics, you know, you think you hear one thing and it's not.

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Plus free dessert for life, free dessert for life. Go to homechef.com slash WTF. That's homechef.com slash WTF for 50% off your first box and free dessert for life. Homechef.com slash WTF. You must be an active subscriber to receive the free dessert. You hear me? All right, well, that was a tremendously funny misread

of a anti-gun anthem, which turns out it was. Here I thought it was, but there was a caveat that at the end, you don't mess with the Constitution, you just get rid of all humans. My brain worked with that for a while. I thought it was very telling, but it was also very wrong, having read the lyrics right here in front of you. All right, so I'll give you an update on Charles.

You know, I think it also should be noted, if you'd like to note it, I noted it, that one of the things that made me realize that I was okay at this, at being on these kind of microphones, was at Air America. This was, you know, I was put together to try to stop a second Bush II term, a second W term. And the politics of that time were dire as well.

Not as dire as now, but seemingly they were because they were as dire as they could have gotten. But we didn't anticipate they'd get more dire. But that's besides the point. now, but seemingly they were because they were as dire as they could have gotten, but we didn't anticipate they'd get more dire. But that's besides the point. But the truth is, is that during that time, we were doing a political comedy and we were doing political news and political talk, but I was also sort of developing my own voice on these microphones and so much of it was built on cats. Really and so much of it was built on cats

Really it so much of it was built on cats. I I would say rescued four five feral cats kittens from my back alley in Queens and the narrative of that is what really Kind of gave me a voice these fucking cats. So, and also it was a nice reprieve for people during that time, the story of these cats. So here we are with another episode of where's Charlie at?

Where's, what's Charlie doing? What the fuck is wrong with Charlie? Well, I can't answer that question. But the struggle for me around medicating Charlie has sort of resolved itself. He's been off the Prozac now for almost a week, and he's back to himself. And I couldn't be happier. Yes, he's still running around beating up on Buster

and sometimes on Sammy, but I will accept that. It's the behavior that I'm worried about when I'm away, but I'm gonna try something different with that. Something less permanent, maybe some Gabapentin or this other stuff. Some people recommend CBD, other people recommend Felleway aromatizers. I got them all over the house, the Felleways,

and despite how they work for your cats, they don't work for mine. I didn't think they would, but I've had them on for, you know, over a week, two weeks here. And CBD, I don't know. I might go gabapentin, but the point is, what a relief in my heart and mind, and for Charlie as well, that I took them off this Prozac.

Because whether I was projecting or not, what I sensed in Charlie on the Prozac was he had all his impulses to be himself, but he couldn't get to him. And I sensed a frustration there. That might've been projecting, but who cares? You know your cats, I know mine. Some people think I anthropomorphize too much and that I'm reading into it, but he seemed frustrated that he could not be himself. And it was making me sad.

So I took him off that and he's back. He's just the same guy he was, very engaged, very excited, very intrusive, a little bit crazy, maybe a lot crazy, but he's not even three yet That was the other factor like what am I doing to this guy? so I'm thrilled to have him back and I try to get in the way of him fucking with the other cats and I've decided to get him more enrichments More enrichment. I didn't know that word enrichments until I went to the North Carolina Tiger rescue

They have enrichments for the for the for the Tigers in the form of tires I didn't get I didn't get Charlie a tire hanging from a rope. It's not quite big enough for that but um Looking at cat trees people you know people who have a nice house or Enjoy the decoration or the the decor of their house Eventually if you have cats you you'll echo of a couch, you'll echo of some chairs, you'll put up with some stink,

you'll put up with some things, some vomit, you know, you'll sacrifice furniture, you'll make exceptions. But the step to cat tree is a big one because then you're just giving your house to the cats. They have it anyway, but if it's a big enough house or there's enough space, you can spread it out a little bit. But once you dump one of those big, ugly cat trees, and there may be nice looking ones, but let's be honest, it is what it is.

Once you dump one of those giant cat trees into a room, not your house anymore, pal. Nope. You've given in and that's that it's their house and that's where I'm at I'm on the precipice of buying hideous cat tree because maybe Charlie with a little more enrichment will settle the fuck down and stop beating up on Buster but that might just go on for a while anyway that is what's going, that is what's going on That is what's going on right now

Looking at Catre's Charlie's Charlie again Guess I should give you an update of my parents. They're both hanging in Thought I'd give you an update talk to my dad still knows who I am. We have conversations that are limited to the several hours of memory that he has Memory of the several hours before I talk to him. But it's okay. My mom's okay.

Okay, yeah. Yeah, the conversations with my mom are like, how you doing, mom? All right, how are you? I'm good, what's going on? Well, nothing. What about you, Mark? Well, I'm doing this, I'm doing that.

Okay. Yeah, so nothing,, I'm doing this, I'm doing that. Okay. Yeah, so nothing you do, you're not doing anything fun? I don't know. Not really. Okay, well, I guess that's it. I love you. But that's fine. Maybe I should call her after I do this.

Just have that conversation again this week. All right, so look, Lisa Trager, this is great. It was a great comic talk, it was a great funny talk. It was, I love her. Her Netflix series, Survival of the Thickest, is now streaming. She's got a special on Netflix called Night Owl. This is me talking to Lisa Trager. Senocot laxative gently relieves occasional constipation, typically in six to 12 hours.

If it is hard to pass, try Senocot S. It uses natural Senna plus a stool softener to help you achieve pooforia. ["Pooforia"] Your cat died 17. Yeah. That's about the age where they start dying. Yeah. She had a good life.

Yeah? Did you have it since it was a kitten? Two. Since she was two. Oh, really? Yeah. In New York? No, Chicago.

Subway. Skokie. I was just in Skokie. I know Allie was texting me, but you guys were saying in the sit, like I was sending her all my recs, but why would you stay in Skokie, you know? No, we didn't. That's what I mean, like. Is there recs in Skokie?

Yeah, PETA Inn is like a famous lunch special. It's a Middle Eastern spot. Oh really? Mm-hmm. Well, what's the story in Skokie? I have no idea. Like we were just at that, what she had. The North Shore Center for the Performing Arts. Well, Old Orchard Mall, how incredible.

Outdoor mall, gorgeous. But what Skokie is known for is having the biggest population of Jews after World War II outside of Israel. So the Nazis would come march. Well, and I knew that. And then when I was a kid, the KKK would come. Oh, really? And then there was also a hate crime killer.

Was there a family outing when the KKK? No, but we talked about it a lot in school and like, you know, freedom of speech. I just, we had to talk about it all the time because the KKK would come. And then the Northwest- Just because of the Jews. Yeah, but it was also really diverse.

Like a lot of Pacific Islanders, Indian people, Assyrians, like it was really a diverse place, but I'm assuming it was still for the Jews. I wonder, like, cause when you go into a place for a night, I had no sense of anything there. Well, yeah, cause it's just like a suburb. Yeah, is it just a suburb? Well, it's the biggest village in the world. The biggest village.

Yeah, and we had an amazing award-winning library. I hope it's still doing well. You know, I have nostalgia for there, obviously. I grew up. It's like so suburban to me. I love taking walks there. Now, when you're like, but your parents are not from here. No, I was born in the former Soviet Union,

present day Ukraine. Yeah. And then we came over when I was three. Yeah. So were they part of that kind of like- The Jews. The Jews go? Like Eugene Merman's parents are from that.

Well, so I was hanging out in the Hayat lobby of JFL once, and we had mutuals, and so we were at the same like little lounging area, and I was like, oh my god, you know, I know about, and he goes, oh, we're not going to do this right now. And I went, for sure, for sure, my bad. And so he didn't care. He didn't want to connect on the Jewish expulsion from Russia to parents? No, he didn't. But how did that work? Do you know how it worked?

Yeah, it was like the Jewish United Fund and the government, because in Fran Lebowitz's documentary Public Speaking, she talks about how there was like a giant meet, like protest in Washington and everyone talking and people like bring us here. And so I'm not, I don't know, but we had like a volunteer family in Chicago and they would teach us how to be American, got my mom a job, like my sister would babysit for them. And then my sister would go to like, she went to private Jewish school for free. Like it was the community and then the government. But were they being like suppressed and treated badly in Russia?

Yeah. You couldn't do certain jobs or go to certain schools. As a Jew? Yeah. Really? But I don't know how bad, because my mom, when the conflict now happened with Russia and Ukraine, we were talking about it because I only speak Russian. I'm for Ukraine, but Ukrainians don't want to speak Russian anymore. Yeah, which is fair

But is there a Ukrainian language? Yeah That was like forced out because that was the whole thing like everyone had to speak Is it its own thing or is it more like Polish or is it more like it's its own thing? But they all sound similar, but I don't understand Ukrainian or anything like that But I had a Ukrainian tattoo artist who's like, I'll never speak Russian again. There was like, we know a Russian speaking doctor. She goes, a lot of my patients

don't wanna speak Russian anymore. Can they speak English? Barely, you know, that's why the doctor's like, I don't know what you want, we came here before. But so when my mom and I talked, she goes, Russian, Ukrainian, we were Jewish, both of them hated us Yeah, so I don't know and my parents are older. They were born 1938 and 1945. I took my parents

Yeah, so what your dad's like 86. He's 87. Yeah. Yeah, my dad's 86. Yeah, it's crazy My dad was 50 when I was born that's crazy Do you have other siblings? My sister's 10 years older than me Oh, so he was 40, which is no youngster. No. Yeah, and did they still speak Russian only real? Yeah, my dad's it's broken English and then my mom when she worked was in an office, but now they like They just speak Russian. Yeah, they go to Costco. They'll like they could talk they can go to Home Goods Yeah, but they never learned it No, not really and you're you're good with Russian. Yeah, I actually sometimes feel insecure about it about your Russian

Yeah, like cuz I can I can do an English word here and there I can like fuck around My parents know me really well, but last time I was home my best one of my best friends from high school came and she's a Russian Jew too and We're talking about survivoror, TV show. My dad goes, in Russia, I wanna know. And I explained all of Survivor, the psychological intricacies of it. And I was like, oh, I guess I'm pretty good.

Yeah, yeah, the nuances. Yeah, I was proud of it. But my driver here, my Uber driver, I could tell by his music and I started speaking some in Russian. He's Russian? No, but you could be like from Tersbekistan, from all these different places and speak it.

And they kind of speak Russian? Mongolians, yeah, like, you know, you never know. Previous parts of the Soviet Republic? Yeah. And you knew he was? Yeah, but he was more darker skinned, so I assumed he was like from the other parts, you know, from a country.

Did you speak Russian with him? Yeah, but he wasn't that chat, He would didn't care. You know, you were excited eating Yeah, I go with what they want and so but sometimes I'll have drivers that are excited or someone to learn English Yeah, and so they want to speak English, right? And so I'll do that too. Yeah, it's a wild day I can't even wrap my brain around another language That's what I mean when people like if I moved I moved somewhere now, if I moved to France, would I learn French? No. Like, I doubt it.

Yeah, but you just grew up with it, but your English is so good. Yeah, and my sister doesn't have an accent either, which is pretty wild. Did you ever? Mm-mm. Oh my God. No, because I learned English watching like Baywatch.

Yeah. Yeah, so. TV, movies. But so Skokie, that's, when did you leave Skokie? Well, I went to college, came back. I lived with my parents while I went to college and did a lot of my standup in Chicago. Where, in Chicago?

Yeah. So it was all Chicago for you? You started there? I started in 2009 in Chicago and then I went to New York 2014, then LA 2019 and then I went back to New York last year, last February. So you've been doing, so you haven't, you've been out at a pretty long time.

I feel bad because I used to see you at the store, but I never registered. No, we would sometimes say hi, you know, I kind of go out, you know, I know who you are. You know what actually happened recently? You were at the cellar. Okay. And I think we said hi, but the next day,

I was, someone mentioned a comedian who annoys me and I was like, ugh, and I talk shit. And they go, you won't believe it, Mark was here yesterday saying the exact same thing as you. And I was like, oh, fucking A, that's fun. So I got excited. Now I gotta guess who it is. I know.

Is it Mike Birbiglia? Yeah. He just texted me like, I've been like that with that guy. Stop! Ha ha ha ha ha. He just texted me like, I've been like that with that guy for so many years. Yeah, I don't even know him. I just don't like when men talk like babies. No shit. It's, oh, and it's like, you're a grown man.

I know. Why are you acting like you can't say, like, I just, I don't get it. Yeah, and I've always kind of, I've said that, but like, look, he's, you know, his craft is in place and he can do it, but he's just sort of like, oh, I'm just a dumb, doughy guy. But I don't, I don't think that's what he, I don't think it's authentic. No, that's my thing.

And so I get like, stop talking like a baby. Well, it's a shtick. You fuck your wife, you have a kid. Like you're a grown man. I never understood comics that like somehow land on a character. I imagine we all have a stage persona, but you're pretty much yourself. I'm pretty much myself. I think people that somehow figure out some kind of

functional clowns mask for themselves might do better. But I've spent all these years just trying to be me. Yeah. But just the idea that like you have this thing and everything's so deliberate when you're a weirdo on purpose. Yeah, I don't like to write set lists. I just wanna be in the moment.

I don't wanna have to do- You don't write a set list? No, unless I'm like working on stuff, I try to just be in the moment. Oh, I mean like, right, but not jokes, but you write your ideas down. Yeah, yeah on stuff, I try to just be in the moment. Oh, I mean, like, right, but not jokes, but you write your ideas down. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I write, but I don't, like, for my special, I didn't write a set list for it. I was really deliberate about that.

But had you been doing hours? Yeah, but I like, I knew I was gonna end and start, but then I like to just do the chunks as they come. Yeah, no, it was funny. It was a funny special. Thank you. Yeah. And I wanted to, because I've taped two half hours

and it was like the teleprompter with the set list. Oh. And I'm like, but I don't perform like that. Why am I doing that? Yeah. And so I want- Was it distracting? It's just, I don't like being,

it makes me not be how I am. It makes me feel like I'm putting on a pageant verse like this is how I do my show. I'm so worried about that now too. What do you mean? Because like the more, like for me, as I'm doing a special in May for HBO, and you know, I work these sets,

cause I only get a certain amount of time. So it's 60 minutes or 70 minutes. And you know, as I got older, I used to do it more like you, like on Thinky Pane. That was like an hour and a half. I had notebooks around, I didn't know where the fuck I was going. And people loved that special.

But then I got mad at people like Burbiglia and stuff. Like I got mad because they structure these things and they have these callbacks. And I'm like, everyone thinks a callback's fucking genius. Well, I can do that. You know, so then I started to like, you know, what's the callback? So everyone goes like, oh my God, it's from the other joke.

And then I got into this structure zone, and then by the time you get to the special, you just fucking hate it. Yeah, but also you're at a place where people want your more time, like in a year they want another one. Yeah, I guess somebody does, I don't even know anymore. Time limits of it all. Did you do yours for a place or did you do it on YouTube? It was for Netflix and it was

Yeah, it was one hour Netflix yeah, cuz I can't like I'm I don't have a YouTube presence. I'm not gonna just self-produce I'm old school like pay me for the thing no in my head I wasn't hearing back from I got a lot of no's and no one really wanted it and I was like that's fine Then I won't do it. It's not like I'm not gonna not do standup, who cares? And then a week later I got the call. But I don't want, people are mean to me.

I can't be on YouTube. I can't have people like call me fat all day. Like I can't. It's just not what I want. You can't not look at it? It's just, but that's not, I should be able to look at, comment, you know? Like it bothers me.

Like I don't have that fan base that it would get the numbers right away. And I think that would fuck with me. That would fuck with me. And I didn't want mean comments. Yeah. I just really, I like not foot like, yeah, I don't know what people think. Yeah, I don't, I'm still pretty thin skinned, but I try, I pretend to suck it up,

but it always goes in. Sometimes it's like for a while, it's fine. It's fine, but it's always the same stuff. And it's like, it has nothing to do with what's happening. Like what is up? Yeah, yeah, why? It's just women get it worse though. For sure.

It's like we used to have- There's a lot of weird looking men and their YouTube comments are spick and span. Yeah, we used to have a comment component on our site and we took it down. Because any woman that would come on, it was just sort of like, they come out on purpose. I was just on little Esther Pivotsky's podcast.

And we were just talking about Tybo. The clip is truly about Billy Blanks and Tybo. And someone commented, Lisa Trager is the human version of a pit stain. I go, what? Like, what could I have done? Like, I was just like, damn, so like, human, kid-stained, geez. I don't, I don't, as I get older,

I just don't, I don't understand people. I think the best, and it's just not true. It's not true. People are shitty, and they're stupid. And they're, and it's, what pisses me off is like, fine, then say it to me, say it. But you have no follower, this is a burner account, this isn't real.

And it's like, oh how lucky you are that nothing you say ever gets heard, no one cares. You're just living this secluded life, saying fucked up things to people, I don't know. I definitely fight in the comments. You do? Yeah, like about TV shows, like I follow a lot of Bravo accounts So if like something's happening, I'll be like, oh, I'm on this person's side. That's what like a couple broke up

So I was like on an account. Yeah, watched a clip wrote like yeah I think he said something blah blah blah and someone wrote whatever you manatee and I was like Jesus Christ Like this isn't even real. What the fuck but yeah And it was just like me talking about a TV show. And I understand going back and forth, like, no, I actually think she sucks or this, but like, okay. Well, you gotta make it personal.

Yeah, and the things that I'm obviously insecure about. You know, it's like, so I can only be so strong, but then eventually I'm like, no. See, because that's where they get you. No, I don't respond to like that kind of stuff. And stuff that like is directly about you, like on YouTube, you don't respond to it? No, or some, I try, I don't even look at the YouTube.

I remember I did, This Is Not Happening, and I liked my set a lot. Yeah. But I got, someone wrote to me going, love your This Is Not Happening, who cares what the comments say? But I'd never looked at that. Yeah, yeah.

And I talked to Ari, he goes, yeah, they hate you. And I go, but why? Like, what the fuck? Well, look, we kind of, like, he's, like. And I feel if I was a dude, they would love my personality. Because I'm like, brash, I say what I mean, all these things that they admire, and these male comedians, they really don't like about me.

I'm just like an annoying person that bitches a lot. Yeah, well, I just don't, I don't think they really like women. Yeah. And it's fucking monstrous. Yeah. Like I don't, I never understand who sits there and makes a decision,

even if it's to fucking just tweet like, eh. It's like, what the fuck? Why is that an impulse? Yeah, this is terrible. You know, yeah, I don't know. So when you're growing up, like, are you living in a funny world? I mean, the stuff you talk about in your special

about your dad seems crazy. Yeah, I- But not like, you know, like dangerous crazy, just sort of- Just immigrant stuff. Not understanding the world around you, but also not caring about the world around you. He doesn't get embarrassed. Oh, that's a problem.

He just doesn't, he... So that's, well, that's why probably one of the reasons you became a comedian is because when you have embarrassing parents, it's like you just have to learn how to suck it up and... Yeah, you have to translate. And no matter what they're asking you to ask the bank employee or the store employee or wherever we are

Yeah, I don't have the authority not to do it right so no matter what or he was guilty of always being like stand in line I'm gonna get one more thing yeah that anxiety like he just had no Care for me he would come to my sports like what would you what'd you play? I mean the worst okay. I played basketball for eight years really Yeah, but from like fourth grade, and then I swam throughout high school That was my big thing then I just swam all year round But I played football on an all-boys team for one year in eighth grade really do you have do bits about that? I had one old joke about it

It was truly like the worst time of my life outside, but I didn't want to quit because it was like for feminism I Did it for them what position I was an offensive lineman on the lightweight team. So I didn't understand football, never watched it. Didn't care. Yeah. And they would just give me a number and I'd push the other guy in the direction that they told me to and that was it.

Were you like, were you in the game a lot? Not very often, but they would put me in there. We weren't good anyways, but they would terrorize me in practice game a lot? Not very often, but they would put me in there. We weren't good anyways, but they would terrorize me in practice. Like what? I was just black and blue. Oh really? They would headbutt me.

There was a game where one person starts in the middle, we're all standing, and then everyone tries to run across, and everyone that person tackles then is in the middle, and then you keep going back and forth, and it's a fun game. They would purposely leave me to the end. So then they could all just beat the shit out of me. Or it would be like the play would be over,

we're all like walking back to whatever and someone would grab me and just throw me on the fucking ground or headbutt my chin. These are the same guys that are doing comments. Yeah. It's just a different form of what's happening on the comment board. And they wanted to talk different.

They didn't want me there. Yeah. Like I remember the coach once was like, get these motherfucking pussies and then truly turned to me and goes, sorry, Lisa. You know, like shit like that. Like they didn't want me there. And now you've got a dirtier mouth than any of them.

Yeah, always. I don't, yeah, that's another. So you're wearing shoulder pads and the whole thing? Everything and the white, all of it. All of it. But why did you seek that out because we're all the girls we were in homeroom Yeah, and we there were flyers and we're like we should do it for we should fucking do it And then I was the only one that went and then because of whatever I had in me personality wise I was like I have to see this through yeah And so I saw through. For how many?

Just one season. But you hung in there the whole time. I hung in there, and then my dad would come and embarrass me during practice and take photos and get involved. And one time I wore a new shirt and he would be like, why are you wearing the new t-shirt to practice? Like truly, no care.

He worked at the community pool. Yes, he worked at the pool. He would sneak me in, everyone would see and I would be embarrassed that I was snuck in, we would sneak into the aquarium. Like, he didn't wanna pay for shit, and I was just always kind of being dragged along. I mean, he spent time with me. But it was always just like, shadiness,

or go steal this or take another one, or we're getting a rain check. Like, it was- And you think that was primarily because of how he lived in Russia? Just trying to hustle, get away with stuff? Maybe. And my mom's this like honest woman and I don't know how she ended up with this man. It's like such a nightmare.

Well, what do they bicker? Yeah. Oh yeah. They've never, because now after doing therapy and growing up, you know, you go home and you kind of see where your flaws come from. What'd you figure out? The defensiveness. Like, when I lived with people, I had to figure this out.

But, hey, will you wash the dishes? Yeah, well, you said, like, and it's like, who cares? Like, say, oh, of course, like, it doesn't, they're not insulting me as a person. They just want me to do this thing. But it's, everything is a personal attack in my home. Yeah. It was? Yeah.

Can you turn it down? Why are, like everything was a fight and a defense and a personal attack. With everyone in the family? My sister fucking left. She's 10 years older than me, so she left early. But with them, it's like, oh, where is this? I didn't, I didn't touch it.

I didn't say you touched it. I just can't find it. It happens now because I have a sound thing. Like if people itch denim or like material, I get uncomfortable. Like it just, I don't know what it is. That's the thing. Usually it's like, loud environments or eating. I don't like loud music either.

The eating doesn't bother, but like material. So when I play backgammon with my father, sometimes his nails will like hit the little fork, the felt. Yeah. And I just was like, Hey, it re the noise really. And he's like, you and your mom never, you always find something wrong with me.

I can't do anything. Right. And I'm like, it's not you. It's like truly, I just, so I, yeah, that was like a long journey for me of like not jumping to defense on things that could be a discussion. We also never apologized in my house. It's screaming, silent treatment,

and pretend nothing happened. And so when I started living with people or making friends in adulthood, I fell into a lot of problems because I had absolutely no conflict resolution. Yeah, and you would avoid it? Avoid it or like, I wrote quiet resentment. I wouldn't say anything, I wouldn't say anything,

and then I would explode in psychotic ways that someone didn't deserve. So are there a lot of people out there that are like, we had this fucking lunatic as a roommate? Be, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I've ended friendships, I've lived with comics, roommate. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I've ended friendships. I've lived with comics.

Even caught my college freshman year roommate ended up moving out. Yeah. Because. Why? So this actually wasn't my fault. I don't think, but I love having that knife. Yeah.

I left for class early in the morning. I leave, I have, I leave the class, I have all these missed calls from her and texts. So I call her and basically I locked the door, but she was in the shower. So she couldn't get back into our room. And so she had to go downstairs and get the key, but it's like such an honest mistake.

But she refused to talk to me, would not forgive me, would not see past it, and I was like, I'm not living in this uncomfortable space, so my goal was like, I'm gonna ruin her life until she moves out. How'd you do that? I would blow dry my hair in the morning, I moved the TV so she couldn't watch it,

she said I was like self-centered, I put photos of myself everywhere, I would play songs that would be like, she's a bitch. Like I would just play like loud music. And then when she moved out, she like ripped down my white socks posters and like also, you know, did something on the way out. Oh my God.

Yeah. Has she reached out? No, I would love it. I wonder, I wonder what her father is. Were you willing to apologize? Oh, for sure, yeah, yeah, yeah. But I wonder, I wonder where she is. I should try her father is. Were you willing to apologize? Oh, for sure, yeah, yeah, yeah. But I wonder where she is. I should try to find her.

She had a pretty distinct name that rhymed. Yeah, I can't believe you haven't tried to find her. No, I haven't, I should. Were there moments where these things were, was there any sort of, was it a buildup of these moments that caused you to seek help? Or was there one significant one

where you were like, oh boy. No, I had a lot of toxic friendships in both ways, me and the person. And then I had a really breakup that fucked me up. And I was too depressed for too long and my friend was like, you need help. And then I started going to her therapist. And that, she made me realize a lot of stuff,

but she was like kind of a witch too. So I need to find- The therapist? Yeah, she was like a witchy woman. Like crystals and stuff around? Not crystals, but we would like, I would hit stuff to get physically moving. Like she just, she's not a PhD, I guess.

Not even a PhD? No. Just someone like a hobbyist? I don't know what she was, but she did help me with a lot, but now I need a new therapist to pick up where she left off. Have you been diagnosed with something? No. No. There could be something.

I don't know. I went and got an evaluation recently. And? And I haven't had one in, I don't know. I went and got an evaluation recently. And? And I haven't had one in, I don't know if I ever had one. Obsessional anxiety, I like it. What does that mean? I'm full of dread most of the time. That like, the jokes I'm doing about it on stage

where it's like people talk about having any sort of resting mind. It's not, I'm not capable of it. Because if my mind has any moment of rest, it's just sort of like, should we open up the worry folder? So like, and it's not even things that are rational. I mean, sure they could happen,

but it's just, my brain's constantly occupied with possibilities that cause me, you know, dread and anxiety and all kinds of shitty stuff, catastrophic thinking. It's very intrusive and it's gotten worse. I've always been that way, but I always thought it was practical. Why not think of the worst fucking thing? But the whole day and just turning around in your head,

it's fucking nuts. I mean, I've got other problems, intimacy, trust. I get a little, I don't know. Do you know intimacy trust. I get a little uh, I don't know Do you have do you have that thing where if you have a friend they're like your friend? They're the only one Yeah, that was a pattern for me. Yeah, that's that's a that's a bad one. That is a bad one because Well what my friend said to me once she goes you're having too many fights with people you're not fucking and that's embarrassing to me once, she goes, you're having too many fights with people you're not fucking, and that's embarrassing. And that really stuck with me where I'm like,

I have to stop having these intense friendships and fights and fallouts. I'm like, I'm sick of it. But another thing that therapist said to me that changed a lot of the way I live, and I'm still working on it, but she said, not everyone's crazy. She goes, let's say all these toxic people, quote unquote,

are using you You have to figure out what you're using them for because it's a two-way street And you really need to find what you're lacking in yourself that you're finding in these people So you are you you were hanging out with? Toxic people no, I wouldn't say that together. We were toxic. Oh, right, right, right I think like us connected I would get these deep like kind of what movies are made of. Like these deep, because I wasn't dating. So it's like I would befriend another girl and we'd become best friends.

And then let's live together and let's do everything together and let's write a show together. And then it explodes. And I was, I don't like that cause I'm in the center of it. So I can't deny that I'm a big part of that. And I didn't want to do that anymore.

I just had to shut it down. If I get one good friend, I have to sort of hide all of my sensitivity that's irrational. Do you know what I mean? If I'm in a friendship that's too intense, and I know that, I'm like, dude, it's not their job to parent you properly. Yeah. So if my feelings are hurt or I'm like, so why didn't you call me back or whatever,

I just had to go through two thoughts. I have the feeling I'm gonna be like, it's a little unreasonable. And I just have to like sit with it till it goes away. Yeah, I feel like maybe it was just my friend group here, but I felt that more in LA than New York. Well, yeah, because... I feel here it's like who's invited, who's party, what dinner,

what's happening, and in New York it feels like, oh, Q, oh, I was at this, like, I feel less... Yeah, because you can just re-enter, you can leave your apartment or a bar or whatever, and you're just part of this huge social fucking shit show. Here everything happens in these isolated things so it becomes very apparent. Oh, you went to dinner with her and it's like, why don't you call me?

And it's like, because we didn't want you there. Like, what are we doing? Like we're adults, you're allowed to, but it got really, and with the pandemic. We're adults. You say that and you're special too. You just said it about Mike too. Are we adults? Is that something you have to tell yourself?

You're right. No, we're never adults because I do suffer from the same kinds of thoughts. That's like the saddest I get is when I realize I've been really dealing with the same problems for decades. Oh my God. How, how many decades? I'm six decades in. You know, I'm 37. It's a fucking ridiculous. To have the same insecurities or behaviors that I had at 12

over and over is so upsetting to me. Like, why can't I break free? Because they're so deeply wired. Yeah. Right? Yeah. It sucks. I know. Well, I start to notice it in my jokes.

Like when all of a sudden you do these jokes, you're like, I'm just rephrasing. Yeah, but this is actually amazing because this, my special now, when I look back at my half hour, I talk about the same shit. It's weed. It's like my lack of dating. It's family. It's the same. And I recently went to see a friend at a theater and I went,

yeah, we all just talk about the same shit for decades. I'm like, it's different. I mean, I loved the show, but I was like, damn, we really are just talking about the same five things over and over again. Nothing new has entered my psyche. I think some things have for me, I think, I don't know, man.

It's annoying because I feel like I'm running out of time. And it's like, am I gonna resolve this shit? Is this gonna, like, am I going to figure out how to have a grown-up, relatively emotionally healthy relationship? Do you have the same sensitivities with romantic and friendship of like being included in all of that? Well, I've gotten a little more isolated.

I realize that I'm not included in almost anything anymore. Nobody invites me to a Seder. I don't have a bunch of comic peers that are like, hey, let's call Marin. No one ever says that in a group situation. Let's call Marin. I almost think they're sort of like, hey, let's call Marin. No one ever says that in a group situation. What's call Marin? I almost think they're sort of like, someone goes, should we call Marin?

And everyone else goes, I don't know. You know, he's a little intense. The only time I don't want someone around me when I'm with other comics is someone that I can't talk shit with. When people are like, can we bring that person? I go, no, they're not to be trusted and I would like to talk shit tonight.

But I have talked so much shit, I've gotten myself into trouble talking shit. Me too. You have? Yeah, of course. Because then it's like you talk shit, someone hears you talk shit about them, or someone who likes the person.

It just becomes, and then you have these, you don't know who is looking at you, like you talk some shit about them. It's fucking crazy. Yeah. I'm really shocked that you're not invited You don't know who is looking at you like you talk some shit about them. It's fucking crazy. Yeah. I'm really shocked that you're not invited to group events. Occasionally, millennial invite me to things.

But I really am starting to believe that I've become this kind of like old eccentric of some sort with this particular, the particular social vibe that certain people understand. I mean, there are people that know me and get me. Some people think, well, he's like a smug asshole or he's angry or, you know, he's kind of intimidating or whatever. But people who really know me are like, no, he's kind of like a hypersensitive nut job, and that's better. And those people, the few of them, they're like, yeah, let's have the hypersensitive nut job. Yeah, I'm friends with a lot of people who say they were intimidated or scared of me at first.

And it is so funny when people then know you and are like, that's embarrassing I was ever intimidated. I'm like, yeah, for sure. Well, I mean, you're intimidating just because we're loud and emotional and we say what's on our mind. And most people don't. But then also now I'm thinking about it, I don't always do that in relationships.

Sometimes I just shut up, shut up and take it. That's what's bad. It's like the closer you are to me, the harder time I have speaking the truth. Well, yeah. Well, I mean, because you have to navigate it. You have to, at some point you have to realize I don't wanna be unintentionally or intentionally hurtful.

Yeah. Right? Yeah. Because sometimes you have to make compromises. Yeah. For me, I'm just working on not being as obsessed, having bound, having the friends I have, not have it be all encompassing

and not feeling ownership over, like that's what I'm really, like I'm meeting, because I'm meeting new people when I moved to LA that I really liked. And I was like, don't, you don't need everything from this person, like chill out, have fun. Like, and I've had richer friendships for it. Yeah, I mean, I... I'm excited by that. Also, I love having friends where I can cancel

and no one's mad. Yeah. You could just be honest, like, just real friends. Like, I'm really actually not in the mood to do that. And I used to have such fear and, like, the dread of doing something you don't want to do. And I really love my people right now. Boundaries.

Of being like, I'm not gonna make it. Yeah. And no one's, even if they're annoyed, they're not mad at you. They're not gonna hold it against you. They don't see it as disrespect, you know? Yeah, I was just at the vet today. And you know, the guy from White Lotus came in.

Which one? Greg. Oh, cool. OK. Yeah. And he's like an interesting guy. Yeah. And like, some days I feel like, well, I'm

enough of a known entity in show business on some level. I've talked to several people on that show. There's been several? Yeah, two at least. Three. I've talked to Mike White. two at least. Three. I talked to Mike White, I've talked to Parker, I've talked to Kerry, I've talked to Walton, you know, like whatever, it doesn't matter. I certainly don't have an inflated sense of myself in the business, but you know, I'm not nobody. And this guy walks into the vet and I see

him, I'm like, hey, great job on that show. And he's like, thanks. And he walks by me and I'm like, all right. And I walk up to him and I did the see him, I'm like, hey, great job on that show. And he's like, thanks. And he walks by me and I'm like, all right. And I walk up to him and I did the thing like, I'm Mark Maron. And he goes, yeah, John, I think his name's John. And that was it. And then he walked away. And there was part of me that's like, what the fuck?

And like, I had to fight the idea. Like I had the thoughts that went through my head where like, I can tell him like, oh, I have a podcast. I've talked to Kerry and everything else. And I'm like, everyone has one now. Why don't you just suck it up? Maybe his dog's in trouble. You were in the forefront.

You were in the forefront of podcasts. Do you bring that up a lot or no? What? That you were one of the first podcasts. Yeah, not too much. But it was just sort of like, I get upset when someone doesn't know me and I'm not mad at him, but I have to,

it wasn't even dismissive. His dog could have been dying. I don't know why the fuck why he was at the vet. Do you know what I mean? But I'm sitting here going like, the fuck I mean? You know what I mean? He should know me or whatever and I have to go through this whole thing in my head. It's like, let it go, dude. But it's a process. It's not natural. Danielle Plet. To what? To get to that point where I'm like, he wasn't sliding me. It's almost like learned empathy.

Like you don't know what he's going through. You don't know why he's at the vet. You don't know, like why should he know you? He seems like an odd guy. He might not even listen to podcasts. Who gives a fuck? Yeah. I know he's like a hippie-ish guy, I would say.

I guess. I hadn't seen him since Napoleon Dynamite. Yeah. I hadn't seen him since Napoleon Dynamite. Yeah. I hadn't seen him in like decades. Yeah. And he showed up in White Lotus and he's good. I saw Leslie Bibb at SoulCycle

and wildly I was gonna do Watch What Happens Live that night, which has been my goal for ever. And she's a big Bravo person and I was like, I see her at class all the time. I go, this is finally my moment. She's in where, New York? I've seen her in class and her husband here and in LA, but this was in New York.

I know Sam. Yeah, Sam goes to SoulCycle too. Good for him. But I leave everyone alone, but at this moment, I was like, this is my in. When I went Leslie, you could tell the look of fear. Okay. Like I was, and I went, oh, I'm doing Watcher,

and then we just talked about Bravo, and it was like a normal interaction, and it felt like so good, but I could see the sense of worry. Of her. Of her at first. What is this? Why is this?

I was like, great, I don't wanna talk about White Lotus. And they're like, what does she want? But I was, I just wanted to talk about Bravo, so. Yeah, well, how have they not, it seems like all they wanna talk about is White Lotus right now. And I love, I like it. I do too.

I'm into it. I like reading all the recaps. I'm a big Mike White person. Yeah. Big Vulture recap person. Jason Isaacs. I only know him from Friends With Money, which is one of my favorite movies.

That performance was kind of stunning. There's a lot of good performances in there. A lot of good facial stuff. All right, so how many times have you left cities because you made such a mess? Oh, like I caused so much trouble I had to leave. Just Iowa State, I would say. Just college.

I got arrested twice in like a month. For what? Being a drunk, like lunatic. Like being a true maniac. Really? Yeah, yeah. They, and you spent the night in jail? I spent the night in jail twice.

My sister then with her husband drove through a blizzard from the Chicago suburbs to get me. And then my parents were like, maybe it's a good idea for you not to go back. You keep getting arrested. And thank God I didn't stay in Iowa and finish. But I had to take a Greyhound back and serve two days.

Serve? I had to go to like jail for two days. Really? What the fuck did you do? Well, the first one was drinking and driving. And then the second one was an interference charge. But if I was black, I would be like, I don't know what I would do. I truly fought the cops.

Really? Fought the cops. And then when they handcuffed me, I went numb. They had to drag me. Like my friend and I were going to have a sober night in because we were so like she had had some issues and I had that arrest and drunk driving. That's embarrassing. And then we downed a bottle of Parrot Bay in her dorm.

We were just supposed to go to the gymnastics meet. And then she punched through a fire extinguisher glass. Blood everywhere. The cops come and I'm fire extinguisher glass. Blood everywhere. The cops come and I'm just blacked out and I fought them. Slammed the door, like, pushed, like truly physically assaulted officers. Is there video? I wish, I haven't even found my mugshot.

I wanna find my mugshot. Did you try? I've tried, but I should try harder now that I have all this like crime research under my belt. I gotta try to find it. So did you finish college? Yeah, but I went... So, then I went to Columbia College for one semester in Chicago. And then I ended up graduating from North Park University, which is an evangelical Christian

college, but it was by my parents' house. So I went to it as a commuter school, like, oh, it's by my parents' house. I have to graduate for them. They really want this. But it was like a weird Christian college. What'd you graduate with? Sociology. Oh yeah, you talked about that.

Do you? Love it. You do? I do, I think for a comic, that's a good major to have. Did you tangibly learn things? I think I just learned more about people, it's basic, and I probably say this,

but it's like people are made up of where they come from. And so you can't expect people to do things when that's not even a reality to them or they've never seen that or they come from places. It's just like understanding people, I guess. So it's helpful at home. At home. But just like... I think it's like it rounds out your empathy, certainly. 100%. And when you're at places and you're, yeah, just learning of like, there are some people

who don't see a life past age 20, because everyone dies around them. And so you're telling them like, you should care about your future. They don't even know what that is. You know, things like that. Right. So when you get arrested twice and you're sent home from college, like your parents, did they, was? They were happy.

They wanted me home anyways. But they weren't like, we should get you help or anything? I had to go to alcohol class because of- Alcohol class. They forced you to, but we just watched like, leaving Las Vegas, which makes you want to party. It's like, we like watch just videos.

That was alcohol class? Yeah. For the state of Ohio? No, I had to go back to Illinois. So I was living with my parents doing alcohol class, got my license suspended, and then started being a receptionist at a hair salon. Oh, that must've been great.

Oh yeah, I've receptioned at like multiple hair salons for years. That was my job. That was like a day job I had. They must love you. I loved it. I was so good to start, like if you were a good client, I would go above andons for years. That was my job. That was like a day job I had. They must love you. I loved it. I was so good to, like if you were a good client, I would go above and beyond for you.

I would squeeze you in. I would get you the appointment you needed. But if you weren't kind, like, yeah, they're not available. And then I was also shocked by the stylists that would be rude to me, because I'm like, I control your money. I can control your day. I control these walk-ins.ins like what are you doing? And then the smart people were like Do you want an updo before you go out like should I do your makeup?

Oh, let me do your eyebrows real quick and it's like I learned about that too It just seems like as far as like a template for the things are interested in it seems like a hair salon Oh gossip.? Yeah. Drama. Also, it was amazing as a young girl to see young women making money, making real money owning condos, like being business women, for sure.

You should do a TV show of hair salon based. I know, right? It's just so many, it's hard to make TV. Yeah, I know. It's like so easy to have ideas and then so hard to write a TV show. It's so funny when you have an idea, you're like, this is an amazing idea.

And then they're like, well, what are the episodes gonna be? Like, you know, it's just. That's how I feel all the time. I finally met these two writers where I'm like, I think maybe we can make something and I'm so excited, but I don't wanna get overexcited and obsessive. But I finally met people where I'm like,

okay, you guys, this might work, but it's been a year, it's so hard. Yeah, so, okay, so you're a felon. Oh, I got arrested one more time in Chicago. So I moved back home, I learned nothing. And I got drunk at a White Sox game and got arrested. Didn't make it to the third inning. Home opener.

What would you do? You don't know. No, no idea. I was blocked out. I have no idea. Ugh. I just was let out on my own recognizance on the South side of Chicago with a bag with my shoelaces.

And that was that. No. No recollection. No, and then they dismissed it when I went to court. Oh my God. You still drink? I do, but once I found, this was all pre stand up and I think I found such purpose in stand up.

Well, when does that happen? So you get- 21. But so after you finished college? No, I was in college still. I had been like embarrassed. I was avoiding it. No, I went to North Park to be a gym teacher. And then- A gym teacher.

Yeah, I just thought like, all right, I keep getting arrested. I'll go be a gym teacher. You don't have to work that hard. Summer's off. I like sports enough. Yeah. And then-

Were you a good swimmer? I was, I was, but then I started smoking pot. But I had a JV record for the 100 butterfly. That's a hard one. But I was never the best, but I always worked really hard. Yeah. Butterfly's a hard one. Yeah. For 100? It's pretty good. And I did. Butterfly is a hard one. Yeah.

For 100? It's pretty good. Yeah. I did it in the relays and stuff. Yeah. You need a good butterfly. You do it so hard. The ones that can get their hands up out of the water. It's so hard. I know. You really got to get it. I swam when I was a kid.

Oh, you did? Competitively, yeah. What was your stroke? I think I was pretty good at breaststroke. My feet wouldn't flex. For the weird frog kick? I think I was pretty good at breaststroke. You know, I think that like my- My feet wouldn't flex. Oh. For the weird frog kick? I couldn't, I cannot do it.

Yeah. But I wasn't great, you know, it's just something my parents, my mom could dump us at after school. Like- Oh, I was like morning practice and afternoon practice. You were swimming for school.

For school. We were in like- And then in the summer, I swam at like 5.45 in the morning in the outdoor local pool. No, we were like in like the kind of independent swim club circuit. Yeah.

Like for like, I think we were on the Elks Club team and then like one summer and then we were on the university swim club. It was a good- What else did you do? Did you like it? I don't think I liked it, because it was just too,

just so long and so boring and everyone's running around in bathing suits. I think the best time, the best moment in swimming for me was one time where we were at the university swim club and it was during practice and in the sort of shallow pool there was like a special needs situation going on. Yeah. And like at some point during practice, a guy with Down syndrome came out of the men's walk room, just totally naked. And there was a little kind of like, what do we do?

And they just had to bring him back in. I thought that was the best thing that happened. That was the best thing. I never won much. I didn't, you know what I mean? I kinda fucked up, I couldn't backstroke, I couldn't do it, and I'd always turn over to see if the wall was coming, it was bad.

It was bad, I liked it, I did like it, but I also did theater, I was just finding my way, but that's why it's so- What'd you do in theater? I, you know me and little Lester went to high school together. No, that makes sense. We were not spelled together.

Really? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I was in a Kabuki play. Are you guys the same age? She's one year younger than me. Is she from Russians? No, she's like Finland, but she's Jewish. Yeah.

But I don't. I love her, she used to open for me sometimes. Yeah. She's the best. So you were, oh, that's so funny, that makes sense. You guys should do a team thing together. We, I just finally did her pod, but it is so nice cause there's no one else that knows me

this new life and old life. So it's like, yeah, but our parents live a mile apart. Oh really? Yeah. And so did you go to the same temple or something? No. Did you go to temple? Not really.

No, only like, they were my sister's husband's family. So for my holidays would go, my dad started going once he hit like elderly age. Oh, really now he goes every Saturday He does the cream cheeses. He steals shit. He takes the little juice it like he's just cannot stop stealing. Yeah So when you start doing comedy white how what made made you think you could do that? Oh, so but that's when I switched to sociology when I was like, oh, I'm not gonna be a gym teacher, I'm doing comedy. I saw Superbad. I wanted to write a movie like Superbad.

I was like, oh, maybe I can write a girl movie like this. And so I signed up for Second City, and then someone invited me to an open mic. And when I went, I went, I think I could do that. And I went out bombed, like couldn't, I couldn't even finish the time, I turned red, I was like shaking. And then I came back the came back the next no I was just sitting there to watch I didn't even know what stand-up was like in my head. I

Didn't even think it was a thing right and so then I spent all week writing jokes came back and Like killed yeah, and these guys like did you write all those I'm like yeah And then I never stopped. And then I never went back to Second City either. Because once I found comics that was like, I finally felt like I found my people. All right, so you mean Second City, the improv situation? Yeah, like I stopped going to class.

I didn't want to write. Oh, you went to class. When I wanted to write a super bad movie, I took like a writing class. How were you with the improv? I honestly didn't even finish. Because once I found open mics, I like never went back. Yeah. And who was around? Like, do you have the improv? I honestly didn't even finish, cause once I found open mics, I like never went back. Yeah. And who was around?

Like, do you have a class? No. Of people? Who was still in Chicago when you started? Oh, Chicago. I'm friends with a lot of the people that I remember in that, cause that was like,

my first open mic was poetry, music, it was like random. And then a week later, that Sunday, I went to Shuba's open mic and I met so many people. But like who were the pros that were around them? Well, Hannibal was like random. And then a week later that Sunday, I went to Shuba's open mic and I met so many people. But like who were the pros that were around them? Well, Hannibal was our hero. Oh, Hannibal. But he had just left New York. In homes and commi-

Them I didn't know. They would come back, cause then there was a JFL Chicago where they would come back and do the Lake and Lodge. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And it was a huge deal. Well, I saw you at the Lakeshore Theater. Oh.

I was, yeah. Lake, Lakeshore Theater? It's now where Laugh Factory Chicago Theater. Oh. I was, yeah. Lakeshore Theater? It's now where Laugh Factory Chicago is. Oh, the old movie theater. Oh yeah, with what, Janine? No, it was just you. It was after a divorce. It was like your divorce hour.

That was a heavy one. Yeah, that's, I went. Cause the Lakeshore let comics come for free. Chris, what's his name? Who's the guy that ran that place? Chris Ritter. No, I, yes, Ritter. Chris Ritter. Cause, Ritter. Chris Ritter.

Because then he booked the main stage for a while in Rogers Park. Or like, what was it? Oh, that's what. Because I remember seeing a tell there. Yeah. So that makes sense. Yes.

Yeah, the lecture was OK. Was I funny? Or just? Yes. No, I had a lot of pivotal moments there. I'm so glad they let comics go up there. We could watch from the sound booth. Yeah. It was, I'm so glad they let comics go up there and we could watch from the sound booth. And it was, I'm so glad I got to see so many people.

Yeah, because it was sort of a venue, a lot of alt comics and then regular people. I saw Judy Tanuta there. Like really. Oh shit, yeah. It was, and I remember, I think the reason I like to do comedy, how I do it, is because I went to all four of Vattel's shows.

I was 21 and all of them were different.. I liked that. I was like, cool. He's also like, he's like a compulsive joke writer. Yeah. Well, that's when I knew like I was like a cool girl when I started getting the Attell like texts or in calls. From him? Yeah. Have you heard this? And I was like, oh, I'm finally getting these. That was a big moment for me. I used to get them for very specific things.

Like he'd text, like, do you do anything about masturbating in the Bible now? No. Yeah, I remember that special. Did you open for him? I saw Bobby Kelly. I did like years, years, years later. I have at Caroline's, I used to open for him.

And we went up to Long Island once together, and that was cool. Yeah. Where else? How's he doing? I think good. I mean, I only see him late night at the cellar, and he's just always bringing candy

and being thoughtful and sweet, I don't know. Yeah, he's a sweet guy. But, and then if I get extra attention from him, I'm excited, and sometimes he kind of just walks away from me, and that's fine too. Yeah, see, that's one of those things you earn. Like, you know, that's growth on your part. Yeah.

You get to know, like, I've known him for, what, fuck, 40 years or whatever, 35 years. See, that's what I think is so cool about comedy too, is I hope that, like, I know a lot of these people for decades. It's so cool to see people. And he does that to me. You'll see Attell after five years, he'll be like, what? I'm like, all right.

Because. Yeah, sometimes I want more from him, sometimes less, but any Attell is good. Right. So, okay, so then you're in Chicago and you're figuring it out? Yeah, I'm just like, I'm going to college. I'm taking tons of credits.

I'm doing standup. I'm waitressing at this point. And then I started running a weekly show at this restaurant, this Chicago Joe's that I waitressed at. And it was the hip show. Oh, really? Three girls ran it, like me and two girls. And it was just where everyone came every week to hang out and eat and drink for free,

and it was just like a hip show. Yeah, so when did you move to New York? How much time did you have? Were you working? I wasn't, but I had done Chelsea Lately, and Adam Devine's House Party, I think I did, and I got comics to watch for the New York Comedy Festival. Well, before you went to New York?

Yeah, those were my big things. So how'd you get booked on Chelsea lately? They came... So there was like a showcase for comedy set that... The New York Comedy Festival for comics to watch. And then a manager who wasn't a real manager was like, I'm gonna manage you. And I went, okay. And he got it for me.

Yeah. And so... And that was the end of it? And well, I had to let him go because someone came up to me at a party and goes, why'd you pass on this thing? I go, well, I didn't know about that. And I go, why'd you pass on this thing? I go I didn't know about that and I go why'd you pass on this? He goes I didn't think you should do it

I go but you you gotta you gotta tell me even if it's not the thing for me Why not take a meeting like for me? I'm like, I'll always audition. I'll always take a meeting. Sure. I don't Yeah, you're not at the place where they can just speak for you. So in the even that young I was like I don't I can't trust you. Yeah, yeah. It was for last comic standing, which I knew I wouldn't do. I'm a pretty dirty comic, but why not meet a bunch of comics and get flown to LA and meet Wanda Sykes?

Like, who cares? Yeah, yeah. But he got me that, and I met Michael Cox there, and that was fun. And then from the New York Comedy Festival, they booked me on Adam Devine's House Party and that was like my first TV set and then I timed New York perfectly.

Me and Megan Galey moved out together and I got JFL that year, Unwrapped. So I did good at JFL so it was like right as I got new faces, I moved to New York and then I booked an MTV TV show. When did Chelsea happen? I would say like 2012, 2013. You were out here, was that out here? No, I would fly out.

Oh, did you do it a lot? I would fly out to do it four times. How'd it go? It was fun, I mean, it was so intense, so I was so happy it was my first experience because she doesn't, like, at the time, she didn't come say hi to you, she didn't prep, like it was just very intense,

and Michael Cox would be like, you only have seven minutes, you have to interrupt, finish your thought, don't let anyone get in the way, she needs to like you, like he just would, he just got me so, Michael Cox. Who's he? He works, he picks the Tonight Show sets now, he works at the Tonight Show, but at the time he was like the talent guy there.

And so he like, it just was so intense. Yeah, I did it a couple of times. Not for me. That since then, every other show I've ever done, they're like, oh, check your notes. We can edit. Talk to the crowd. So it was like a crash course of like, you have seven minutes. Survival.

There's people that are older than you. I got to do it with Margaret Cho, like people I couldn't believe. Yeah. And so having him be like, you better fight your way and say your jokes, don't let anyone talk over you. Um, and like, it was a good first experience. Yeah.

Because everything since then has been really relaxed. Yeah. So you, so you moved to New York on that after JFL and everything. So you had a little juice. Well, cause that festival was so fun when I did New York on that, after JFL and everything, so you had a little juice. Well, because that festival was so fun when I did New York Comedy Festival, it was so fun,

and I did Matchless, which was a bar show that Michael Che ran with Nimesh Patel. Yeah, he's funny. Yeah, and I remember Che was like, you should move here, and then everyone was drinking and having fun, and it reminded me of Chicago, and I was like, I need to come here. Have fun? Have fun, and we did, and then me was drinking and having fun, and it reminded me of Chicago and fun. I was like, I need to come here. Have fun?

Have fun, and we did, and then me and my friend, we shared a bed in a one bedroom, real road. How'd that go? Well, it's in the, we caught our building super on the ladder spying in our bedroom window. Oh, that was what happened? Yeah, we were also sharing the bed, no sink. Like it was, but we wanted to be in Manhattan,

you know, like Harry Bradshaw. Where was the apartment? Hell's Kitchen. Oh, 44th or something? No, it was 50th or 50th, between 10 and 11. Yeah, and you got this, and so you left that apartment. Yeah, and we went to Williamsburg, and then in Brooklyn I lived there for three and a half years

and other comics would come in and out. So the other two bedrooms, people would shift and I stayed there for a while. Oh yeah? You were the... The anchor. It was the least in your name? I guess at that point, maybe.

And then I made some money from like my Netflix half hour and I went and lived alone in Crown Heights and that ruined my life. It did, why? I got carbon monoxide poisoned a bunch. What? Yeah. How does that happen? I hear about that more and more. What the fuck is that? They did why I got carbon monoxide poisoned a bunch what yeah How does that happen? I hear about that more and more what the fuck people like make sure your

Detectors are batteried up the alarm would go off the fire department didn't care. No one cared about me Everyone thought I was like a Karen So no one cared But basically our neighbors set up Generators in the basement. And that is what the fumes. And how did you, you can die from that? I can, so I slept with the windows fully open for months in the winter. I was just like shivering in my bed.

What happened when you got the poisoning? Well, I didn't, so the alarm would go off, the fire department would come. They would air it out, the detector and they'd be like, yeah, there's monoxide. And they wouldn't solve it. I called, what is it, National Grid, like no one wanted to help me. And then my landlord would be like, you fucking bitch, don't you call 911, don't do this, this is my apartment. I'm like, no, this is really like a poison that can kill you.

And the alarm would keep going off, the fire department would come, like no one helped me. Did anyone die in the building? No one died in the building, thank God. And then there was this one night and I was with my friend, Joyelle, and she's over and I go, I don't really feel safe. I have a flight tomorrow,

but can I just sleep over at your house? Yeah. And I slept at her house, got my luggage, flew, and then I had a voicemail on my flight to LA and it was my third floor neighbor that said, the fire department finally came, the alarm went up. At our house, our apartment, we have a gas leak and also they broke down your door, they broke a bunch of my art, my framed stuff. Like the fire department finally did something about it when I wasn't there after months and months of like pleading for

help. Wow. Yeah. But I'm glad I'm alive. Yeah. I know someone just died. They die in your sleep. Yeah. But I'm glad I'm alive. Yeah. I know someone just died. They die in your sleep. Yeah, it's the silent killer.

From heaters. Yeah. Generators, heaters, like all of that stuff. It's really dangerous. Is that when you left New York? Yeah, I was like, I need to get the fuck out of here. But that was July. I didn't move until December.

I did, I went from JFL that year to Ireland, I did Edinburgh, this is 2019. For a month? Yeah, I did the full month and then I did like a UK Euro tour. How was the month in Edinburgh? I loved it! I know people hate it, I had the best time. Yeah, I lived with Emi Blotnick, I don't know if you know her, she's so funny, and she's just a great person, but I love doing stand-ups, so it's like fun to do it an hour.

I saw 30 plus shows, I went to plays, circus, musicals, stand-up, I partied till five, I loved socializing. So it was perfect for you. Yeah, I would go to spin class. In Scotland? I kind of thrive at a festival, because you don't have to make plans, people are there, it's like social, but you can go to your, it's like work, it's everything I love, I kind of thrive at a festival because you don't have to make plans. People are there.

It's like social, but you can go to your, it's like work. It's everything I love. Like I really thrive at a festival. Maybe you should find some year long festival. Yeah. Well, that's kind of what New York is. Yeah.

Yeah. And then that year I like then lived with my best friend for two months in between and then moved to LA. And what was that transition like? Cause you didn't stay. I didn't, I didn't love it, but I was also here for pandemic. I booked a pilot and after I filmed the pilot,

it didn't go, but I was like, this is the life. Yeah. Are you kidding? Like in my dream, I'm like, I gotta be a sidekick on a sitcom and I can work forever. That was kind of my, so I go, so my agents were like, why don't you go to LA and like really work on auditioning in person and stuff. And then the pandemic happened.

Nothing mattered. But I was just, it was a ABC pilot. So... And you got it. I got the pilot, we filmed it. It just didn't get picked up. But you see how much money you're going to make. And then not only that, but like, they got me a hotel.

They got me a car, a per diem. They paid for valet. It's people bringing you breakfast and complimenting you. And it's not like I'm a lead. I don't have to work that hard. I had three scenes. I'm fully memorized at this point. And so then it was just like, cool.

And my outfit was a sweatsuit. I played a woman named Orange who was a pothead. So I had him like, got to book one of these, Pat and Oswald on the King of Queens parts. That was my goal in a way. Then I finally booked a kooky roommate part, but it was filmed in New York. I was like, I need to get out of here.

But that was the plan and now it doesn't even work like that anymore. It doesn't matter. Yeah. You just send in tapes. It truly doesn't matter. I also You just send in tapes. Yeah. Like truly doesn't matter. I also, my podcast co-host lives here. So it was nice in the beginning of our podcast to be near each other.

Who's that? Kara Klank. Yeah, what's the podcast called? That's Messed Up, an SVU podcast. We recap an episode of SVU. We do a deep dive in the true crime it's based on. And then we interview an actor from the episode. How's it go?

Good? It's going good, yeah. It's a lot of work and it's dark, you know? We're like researching really horrific crimes. Sure. But, so it's made me a more paranoid, intense person, I would say. Yeah, Ali opens for me all the time.

She seems to be obsessed with it too. Yeah, like I won't turn the lights, like I'm always waving to cameras at bodegas for evidence. Oh, really? Yeah. So people can like trace me for sure. I'm more suspicious of everything, yeah. But the pod is really good, and it was good to be close to her, but my social circle here

was mostly married people with children. Those are my close friends. A lot of comics from Chicago that moved here. And that's just not the life. Child free, I'm single. And I just love doing stand up. And I love, when I'm in New York on my Saturday, Friday and Saturday are like five spots a night.

I really love that. And I like getting cash in hand. Yeah. And like. At the end of the night, just throw the wad. Yeah, and my like tour. And like, I just love the train and the walking and like the city life.

I enjoy that more. Are you friends with Maddie? Weiner? Yeah. Yeah, I mean, she's a little wonder kid. Everyone loves Maddie. Yeah. You two on a show together would be crazy.

We did do a show together at the Cipriani Club for the ultra wealthy. We went back to back. My friend called it diabolical. She's like, you guys going back to back is diabolical. That'd be a great double bill to tour with. She's like so great. I haven't met anyone who doesn't like her.

Yeah, and she's very, you're both very strong. So it's a very specific type of female energy. Yeah. She's good. I like a lot of the younger people. I feel like a vet, you know, I'm still young too, but there is like a new crop. And it's tough.

Like I've hung out with some 28 year olds, and it's like, I get so hung over. Like I have to remember I can't hang. But a lot of my older friends are partying like that, so then I'll like go out with a 28 year old and then be like spent for 48 hours. I went clubbing a few weeks ago with some famous youngster. And it was just crazy. a few weeks ago with some famous youngster.

And it was just crazy. Yeah, and it fucked you up for days? For days, yeah, I stayed out till 6 a.m. But I wanted that life. I was like, yeah, I'll go clubbing. It was just a seller spot that turned into clubbing. So I was in a sweater, I was in Birkenstocks. I wasn't planning to go clubbing. You weren't in the mindset?

No, but I like to say yes. So this is an abstract question in terms of like watching your special. What do you think about the, you know, what do you think's gonna happen with the Devil Wears Prada sequel? Oh, that's fun. I thought you were gonna go in a way different direction.

That's so funny. I can't wait. Yeah. I love that movie. Oh yeah, it's fun. I thought you were gonna go in a way different direction. That's so funny. I can't wait. Yeah, I love that movie. Oh, yeah, it's so good. I actually, this was when I first moved to New York in like 2014. Henry Kupursky is the composer. Yeah. And he made, we did the Devil Wears Prada with the music from Wicked. And Matteo Lane was Anne Hathaway.

Bowen Yang was in it. Matt Rogers, like all these people, and I was Adrienne Grenier. And we sang this music from Wicked into Devil Ors Prada, it was so fun. Yeah, it's one of those movies where I don't know, I talk, it's like a, I don't even know why I think it's a guilty pleasure. I don't think I seem like the kind of person

that would like that movie, but I watch it all the time. What do you mean you wouldn't see a person that like- I don't seem like the kind of person that would like that movie. But I watch it all the time. What do you mean you wouldn't see a person that like it? I don't seem like the kind of person that would like that movie. That's just like, because it seems like a chick flick or whatever that is, but it's like a movie with substance. Oh yeah, it's good.

Good characters and it's funny and quotable and comforting and it's long, it's nice for flights. Yeah, I would watch, I watch, yeah, I re-watch movies on flights all the time. I watch Burning Man, Man on Fire, is that it? Or Burn After Reading or Man on Fire? Man on Fire. With Denzel?

Yeah. Okay. I've never seen it. It was pretty good, pretty satisfying. Maybe I'll do that. I did Trap yesterday. What's that? It's Josh Hartnett, it's the latest M Night Show.

It was really bad. It was bad? It was, but I'll watch it again. Oh, what did I end up, oh, I watched the equalizer, the first equalizer. Okay, you're in a Denzel moment. Yeah, a little bit, a little bit. I wanna go see Othello.

Do you? I do, if it's, yeah. Well, a Real Housewife of Atlanta producing it. Is that true? Yeah, Candi Burrows. I wonder how it is. I don't know if I've heard good things, but I don't think I've heard anything, Well, a Real Housewife of Atlanta producing it. Is that true? Yeah, Candi Burress. I wonder how it is. I don't know if I've heard good things. But I don't think I've heard anything, but the vibe is not great.

I want to see him on the stage, because, you know, he's very much like, I'm a theater actor that does movies. I'm not a movie star. That's like a big thing he says. So I want to see him on the stage. Have you, how are you at Shakespeare? In, oh, like, watching it. Yeah, watching it.

It's like so hard. I haven't done it in forever. I can't follow it. That would be hard. And I get like so unnerved. But our theater department in high school is good. We did, every other summer, and I got to do it, it's a one week stage combat Shakespeare.

Oh yeah. Intensive. So it was like eight, 10 hours a day, and we would learn how to fight with swords, and then we would do scenes with the fighting. Oh, that's good. Yeah, it was so fun. And how do your parents feel about your career?

They're pumped. They're pumped. I have freedom, which is cool. I'm living this special life. And my mom loved Hollywood, and she loved the movie, Some Like It Hot. She was so poor in the Soviet Union, but like she would go to the movies

and the front row was always cheaper and her and her friend would go and she just, even as a kid would go to the movies every week. Like we just, we watched the Oscars. We love it. We got People Magazine. And so it's like, I like giving her tidbits or like how being on set is

or any time I meet a celebrity, we get to bond over that. And she loves it? Yeah, and it's kind of me living out her dream that she could have never done. Oh, yeah. Ever. What does she do now?

She's retired, but she was an accountant, like a bookkeeper for a company that did nursing home books. So it's like, whatever. But it was the first job she had in America and then she kept it. My dad was a school bus driver. And what about your sis? She is a teacher, but she quit her job

from this one school after 15 years. Basically with my sister, she had to be mature real fast. When she was a teen when we moved here, she had a lot of responsibility and we were also poor. So she had to really find her own way and pay for a lot of her own stuff, and our parents were clueless. And so she got married at 22 to her high school sweetheart,

who's one of the best men I've ever met in my life. Shout out to Elon. And then first kid at 25, and then she had three kids, by the time she was 30-something. So right now, she's going through a little bit of a second adolescence. Oh really? Yeah. Having a good time? Yeah, so she had three kids, but at the time she was 30 something. So right now she's going through a little bit of a second adolescence. Oh really? Yeah.

Having a good time? Yeah, so she quit her job and then her and her husband are like, he's working, but she, they rented a house in Mexico, they're like staying in Mexico, they are going to Imagine Dragon concerts. They're doing mushrooms. They're like, you know, she got a tattoo. Like, she's just kind of doing all this stuff. That she couldn't do.

That she couldn't do. So she's sending photos of her like eating oysters in the day with a cocktail, like stuff like that. And her kids are late teens, early 20s, and she deserves it. So she's like in a different spot right now. But she was a teacher and head of technology at a school for awhile. Oh, that's cute and good. Yeah, she like started smoking weed and we bonded over that during the pandemic, but she just got married so young.

Yeah, yeah. Well, that's good that she's, it's okay. It's not a dark story. Yeah, but it's, you know, it's a little midlife crisis-y, I would say. But not a crisis. She says it's not a crisis. It's a something she like, she doesn't like would say. But not a crisis, she says it's not a crisis, it's a something, she doesn't like that.

She's got a good spin on it. She has a really good spin on it. But she's always been in charge of her family, so it's good that. Oh good. And what are you doing when you're out here, anything? No, just I came here to do the pods. The fun pods.

To push a special? Yeah, I mean they're not gonna promote it. I mean I paid for PR for four months. What was the deal? Was it one of those sort of like, we'll give you this- Licensing. Okay. But I spent all my money on the production.

Yeah, but you broke even? Um, yeah. Probably not when you incorporate like- Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. The stylist you hire for all the press, you know, all these things, but yeah, pretty much. Yeah, and how long has it been up there for? It came out January 28th, and you know.

We have no idea how it's doing. Yeah, I had a couple phone calls that first month, but now it's whatever. So for me, I'm like, I'm gonna keep promoting it because I'm proud of it, and it's like, I feel like it's my life's work, you know? So I want people to watch it. Yeah, well, good job.

Thanks, I wanted to be, is life's work, you know? Yeah, sure. So I want people to watch it. Yeah, well, good job. Thanks. I wanted to be, is this over? Almost. Why? Give me a warning, give me a heads, yeah. Now that I know it's ending, it'll be okay. Do you have some way of landing? Not at all, I just never want things to stop abruptly.

Oh, because I thought you were like, what am I gonna do now? Where am I going? This feels like a big milestone. Yeah, yeah. Well, I'm glad you did it. What's it called? Rite of passage?

Yes, that's the saying I was looking for. Yeah, that's what I am now. It's like, I don't know how many people listen anymore, but you should go over there. I know, I was telling Ali, he's like, put in a word for me. I wanna come in. Oh yeah, no.

I want to be in the garage. We still got all our audience. Everything is all good. People like when I talk to comics, I think it was fun. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. I remember the first, Well, you missed the original. Louis CK said my name on here once.

Oh, really? Yeah, because I was in Horace and Pete. And so people, I remember that was a moment I got a lot of messages from people. Oh, with the big Louis episodes. And that was like a moment I got a lot of messages from people. Oh, with the big Louie episodes. And that was exciting. Yeah. Yeah, that show, I mean, I had lines,

like I had scenes with Jessica Lang and like Alan Alda. Like I couldn't, it's still the best thing that's ever happened to me, I would say. Yeah, it's so trippy too. Yeah. It's weird. I was just sitting next to Steven Wright. Yeah, yeah. It really was, that was cool.

Where did Louis find you? At the cellar. I knew he was in the room and I was like, oh, I have to rip it. I'm like, I really have to rip it. And he was like, I think I have something for you. And I was like, uh-oh. In my head when I was invited to the house,

I was like, I wonder what's gonna happen. But then Edie Falco walked up the stairs as I did, and I was like, wait, is this like, what the fuck? And then they were all in his house and I couldn't believe it. And they were doing a reading? Yeah. Wow.

And then I got to, like some people couldn't make the reading, so I got to read scenes as other characters with Steve Buscemi with everyone. I mean, it was wild. And I learned such a huge lesson during that because I saw Jessica Lange napping on a couch in a hallway. And I went, if she's doing that, for sag minimums,

who the fuck? The people that are diva, I don't know, it just, sometimes people get really successful or on a job and they're annoying or rude or mean. And then you see this legend napping on a couch for no money. And it's like, okay, that's what actually great people do. Right.

And that was like a beautiful early lesson. What's your next show? Dynasty in Two Hours. No, I mean on television. Are you filming something? Are you in a movie? Yeah, I've got this Apple series I did with Owen Wilson. That comes out in June.

We did 10 of those. It's about golf, which I know nothing about. I got a movie I did. I played the lead in this indie that I guess they're finishing up editing and stuff. I'm going to try to get it into Toronto. I did a small, small part in that Bruce Springsteen movie with the two Jeramys.

Okay. Jeremy Allen White and Jeremy Strong. Nice. Did a little part in that. Did that come out now, right? Not yet. Nope. I'm in the bad guys too.

Stop. Yeah, I was in the first one. I'm the snake. Wait, do you have merch and stuff? No. There's no toys or little sales? Well, yeah, there are, but I don't have any. You gotta get them.

All right. Being a cartoon's the coolest. All right, I'll get a snake. I'll get one. Get the snake. All right, good talking to you. Thanks, yay. There you go. Fun, right?

You can watch both seasons of Survival of the Thickest and her comedy special, Owl on Netflix. Hang out for a second, folks. You knew there were witnesses, but lips were sealed. You swept the city, driving closer to the truth, while curled up on the couch with your cat. There's more to imagine when you listen. Discover heart-pounding thrillers on Audible. Imagine waking up to breathtaking landscapes, vibrant culture and a welcoming community.

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Hey, four years ago this week, COVID was still keeping us from having guests in the garage, but I wouldn't let it stop me from talking to the one and only John Waters. Did you quit smoking? Oh yeah, I haven't had a cigarette in. I write it down every single day of my life. I have not had a cigarette in. 6,616 days. Wow. in 6,616 days.

Wow. So, but it's, it seems like you must make yourself think about it every day. No, I just don't want to ever write one again. No, I see people smoking now in the corner and think, oh, it's the only thing in my life I regret. I used to smoke five packs a day. I know, I was talking to my producer,

he pulled up that ad that you did to not smoke in the theater. I don't regret that. No, it's funny. Yeah. But I regret smoking that cigarette. I know, I smoked a lot of them. Because when I was young,

they said that smoking menthol, doctors recommended it when you had a cold. Why aren't they in prison? Yeah. That's a good question about a lot of people that did those things. That's episode 1220 with John Waters and you can listen to that for free

on whatever podcast platform you're using right now. To get every episode of WTF ad free, sign up for WTF Plus. Just go to the link in the episode description or go to WTFPod.com and click on WTF Plus. And a reminder before we go, this podcast is hosted by Acast. Here's some guitar. Yes, just, you know, the things I play. I'm gonna be a rock star I'm gonna be a rock star I'm gonna be a rock star

I'm gonna be a rock star I'm gonna be a rock star I'm gonna be a rock star I'm gonna be a rock star I'm gonna be a rock star I'm gonna be a rock star I'm gonna be a rock star I'm gonna be a rock star

I'm gonna be a rock star I'm gonna be a rock star I'm gonna be a rock star So I'm gonna be a good boy. So I'm gonna be a good boy. Boomer lives, Monkey and La Fonda, cat angels everywhere.