WTF with Marc Maron Podcast - Episode 558 - Jenny Slate

Episode Date: December 10, 2014

Jenny Slate is making it happen on her own terms, whether it's her standup, her children's character Marcel the Shell, or her movie projects like Obvious Child. Jenny and Marc talk about how a difficult year at SNL helped her take control of her creative endeavors and learn not to stifle her joy of living. 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.

It's a night for the whole family. Be a part of Kids Night when the Toronto Rock take on the Colorado Mammoth at a special 5 p.m. start time on Saturday, March 9th at First Ontario Centre in Hamilton. The first 5,000 fans in attendance will get a Dan Dawson bobblehead courtesy of Backley Construction. Punch your ticket to Kids Night on Saturday, March 9th at 5 p.m. in Rock City at torontorock.com. You can get anything you need with Uber Eats. Well, almost, almost anything. So no, you can't get snowballs on Uber Eats. But meatballs and mozzarella balls, yes, we can deliver that.

Uber Eats, get almost, almost anything. Order now. Product availability may vary by region. See app for details. Lock the gates! All right, let's do this. How are you, what the fuckers? What the fuck, buddies?

What the fucking ucks? What the fuck, Tuckians? Welcome. This is WTF. I'm Mark Maron. Thanks for tuning in. I'm happy you're here. My guest today is the lovely, the talented,

completely charming, endearing, and oh my fucking God, I love her, Jenny Slate. Why do I say fuck so much? I don't have to say fuck so much. Why do I say it? Everything, so much of what I do, it seems is to stop from having a range of emotions just leveling them off fuck is a non that's a that's a stifler that's not an embracing word it's not a it's not a word

that that brings people in it's a it's a fist word and a couple of different ways. You know, it's fun to say. I punctuate with it, frankly. It's a little lazy. I know some people find it disconcerting and don't enjoy it. I'm starting to get to that point. I don't know if that's a sign of maturity or what, but I might be, maybe that's the next thing I need to give up is the word fuck. Maybe I got to get off of fuck. What do you think?

I don't know i'm trying to like i look a lot of you know what's going on with me some of it you know about a week or so off of uh of a nick of nicotine this is like day nine i'm off of coffee too but i'm drinking tea which is a different type of buzz it sort of sneaks up on you you know like empire does all of a sudden you know uh you're you're being run by something else the tea my big idea was that if i got off of the nicotine i got off the coffee that you know my hands and feet and my ears and everything they would all start ringing and stop ringing and tingling and and and and going numb in places.

But that has not happened. And I went to a neurologist and I went and got more blood tests and I just got some more tests. And everything's normal, which is not great news. Look, I'm not saying I want something horrible to be happening to me, but like a treatable explanation to why you know i my my hands and feet tingle and sometimes my ears pop you don't want to know that that it might just be you bottling up a childhood's worth of garbage on top of the stress that you're going through in the immediate present that you're walking cauldron or pressure cooker or or you know or bell jar full of bad jelly yeah full of bad jelly and tears preserved a childhood just just just stagnated and preserved within. My heart is a bell jar full of bad jelly.

Come on, man. Can't we just have one nicotine lozenge? Come on, man. It's been nine days. It's been nine days. No, no. Maybe you should give him one. How many people are in here?

How many people? There's a lot of us. There's a lot of us. There's a lot of us. And one of them is seven and he's sad. Well, bring him up. Send him up. Hey, how's it going, kiddo? It's okay.

Is it? Not really. I don't feel good. I feel sad. Give him a lozenge. Just give him one lozenge. Just give, give a little something. Give the kid some, give him a taste. Give him some Manischewitz. God, just holding back tears. Do you ever think about how, how much of your life is, is just holding back tears? I mean, I find this when I this when I have conversations with people in here. That I'll get emotional over very little things. I do get emotional.

But I stifle it. I put on a Nick Drake album the other day. And I almost lost my shit. But that's normal. That's a normal reaction to a Nick Drake record. Is to just lose your shit. But I held it in. I hold shit in.

What am I afraid of? I've taken away the nicotine. I'm ready to just let love rip out of me. Just shower the world with love. That is not what it is, man. That is not what it is. It is. I feel like I'm going to cry and my heart is going to explode with love for everybody.

Not what's happening. Jesus, fuck. Have a lozenge. Not doing it, man. Nine days in. Nine days in, like eight pounds heavier. So that's what gets me back. There's so much happening in the world of great importance,

but nothing quite as important as me being a couple pounds overweight. Is that selfish? Yes, it is. Is it true? Kind of is. Is that selfish? Yes, it is. Is it true? Kind of is. Is that tragic? I don't know. I don't know.

Okay, all right. Here's what's going on. All right. I got a pretty, I got a clean bill of health. I'm off the nicotine. I'm off the coffee. All right.

I'm not losing my shit too bad. My nerves are a little frayed. My emotions are very close to the surface. All right. I'm not losing my shit too bad. My nerves are a little frayed. My emotions are very close to the surface. All right. I've been dating this person and, uh, we're getting along good. We're not fighting. I'm not being emotionally abusive. I'm holding that in. Here's the deal. I'm not really sure how to date somebody that has their own life and, and they aren't, you know, tremendously needy and they enjoy the time we're together. And then they go do their own life. It's a very peculiar thing to have somebody just go, all right, well, maybe we'll make some time tomorrow to hang out. I'm like, what do you mean?

Maybe. Why aren't you living inside of me already? How come we aren't completely enmeshed and connected in a way that i can't differentiate my emotions from yours and it just becomes this this symbiotic disaster of of abusive emotions because of needs that can't be met why and full of drama and chaos why isn't it that it's not it's insane because here's the here's the funny thing is i i've gotten to this point in relationships where i've become a bit cynical the last two kind of kicked my ass in a big way and now i'm back you know i'm solid you know i'm clear i'm um i'm out of the woods i'm dating this one person and uh and i'm a little um i i'm a little protective which is completely new it's better be it's better to be emotionally protective than emotionally abusive and crazy so now without this nicotine god damn i'm just feeling all these

emotions and my my nature is to stop them if i can't make my emotions anger i don't know what the hell to do with them shut that dog up all right don't so i'm not even that angry at that dog he's part of it we're all live in the world so so this is new so now i'm just going to try to let these these emotions you know kind of come through in a way that i can handle slowly without letting it without letting them be anger you know maybe i'm going to do some crying appropriate crying maybe i'll do some crying on stage fuck man do us all a favor have a goddamn lozenge. No, man. I'm going to let my emotions happen naturally.

Yeah, that sounds like a good idea because I've been waiting a long time for that to happen. I've just been in here waiting. Yeah, see? Why don't you listen to the kid? Fuck the kid! He had his time. It's not his his time now why is that guy always yelling i don't know i'm trying to stop him go what are you gonna do now kid cry make him stop yelling i don't want him to yell anymore just take it easy kid would you shut up just go get something else go jerk off or something yeah all right i'll do that okay you. You all right, kid? Yeah. Yeah.

Let's jerk off. It's going to be okay. I'm going to just, I'm going to relax. I'm going to let myself live. I'm going to get reengaged in the world. I'm going to stop talking about myself so much. I'm going to help other people in this Christmas season. I'm going to open my heart to the animals. I mean, human animals and regular animals.

I'm going to think before I yell. What am I making a list for? It's not even New Year's. I'm going to eat less. I've got to fucking eat less. God damn it. Get off the nicotine between Thanksgiving and quitting the nicotine. I got on the scale yesterday, and I almost started running away. I got on the scale yesterday and I almost had to, I, I,

I almost started running away from whatever happened on the scale. That's a weird reaction. You stand on the scale, you just start running for your life. What is that? Can't be my weight. I'm a fucking troubled man. All right. Let's talk to Jenny. You can get anything you need with Uber Eats. Well, almost, almost anything. All right, let's talk to Jenny. death is in our air this year's most anticipated series fx's shogun only on disney plus we live and we die we control nothing beyond that an epic saga based on the global best-selling novel by james clavelle to show your true heart just to risk your life when i die here you'll never leave japan alive fx's shogun a new original new original series streaming February 27th exclusively on Disney+. 18 plus subscription required.

T's and C's apply. Sweet. You are surrounded by stacks of birds? I like it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What part of town do you live in? I live in Los Feliz. Oh, you're one of them? I like it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What part of town do you live in? I live in Los Feliz. Oh, you're one of them?

I guess so. Okay, fine. You have a house in Los Feliz? Yeah, I rent a house. Yeah? Yeah. And you have a husband that you live with? Yeah, Dean.

I'm a traditional person in a way. Yeah? In my way. Yeah? But I'm also very lonely. Really? By nature. Right now?

No, I mean, like, it's really really this is what i would prefer to like be in a little space and be able to just like talk for you know i like that and i don't i don't like to be by myself so i need to have a partner right just someone like almost like furniture hey that guy's there and pets yeah yeah i don't care if he's even like talking to me but yeah just knowing he's over there. Hey, check in. Yeah. Are you still in that room?

Yeah, exactly. And we had like months of arguments because he wanted to get an office. Uh-huh. And I was like. Like an offsite office? Yeah. Ooh. And I was like personally really offended by it.

Really? Did you fight? You're like, why would you want to be away from me during the day doing your work when you could do work in that room down the hall? Where I could walk in and go like, what are you working on? And he was like, because you always work in that room down the hall exactly where i could walk in and go like what are you working on he was like because you always walk in and you're just like stoned and you walk in and like say stuff and you're like distracted did you say you're stoned and you walk i'm like because i'm delightful because it rules i'm just why can't i be a pet so so you walk in with sort of like, did you ever notice this fruit is really good?

Yeah, I'll be like, babe, cut up a watermelon. Yeah, it's amazing. And he'll be like, ugh. What does he do? He's a director. Oh, he directs things. Yeah. I should know all this, but I don't.

His full name? His name is Dean Fleischer-Kamp. That's three names. It's a hyphen, yeah. It's a hyphen. Well, his middle name is Lewis, so he's Dean Lewis Fleischer Camp. I think he should go with that.

Why'd he drop the Lewis? I don't think he dropped it. I just didn't say it. I would have dropped the Camp, quite honestly. Well, yeah. Dean Lewis Fleischer. Now that's a fucking director. Yeah.

Yeah, I feel like, well, he, yeah, he made the hyphen himself. He did? To use both parents' names. Oh, they didn't do that? No, he's just sort of like honoring both mother and father. I'm glad he feels that way about them. Yeah, he's like a pretty cool person.

So your name's Jenny Slate. Jenny Sarah Slate. I'm slating you. I'm slating Jenny. I never do that. It doesn't matter because I wouldn't introduce you anyways. But I want to make it clear that I know who you are.

Okay. What, Sarah's your middle name? Yeah, with an H. Can you turn down the Jew a little? I mean, seriously. I bet you that was tricky for your parents. I bet you they were like,

Sarah or Jenny? Sarah. Because you could be a Sarah easy. You think I could? Oh, Jesus. Did I say something wrong? No. Is this over?

Yeah, fuck you i just kill myself that is the last time i'm gonna hear that see i'm gonna assume a tremendous amount of familiarity with you because i feel it yeah no it's cool that's like what happens it is yeah it's easy for me to slip into familiarity because you have no boundaries. I have some. I have the right ones. Do you? Yeah, like I've never gotten drunk

and taken off like clothing when I shouldn't have. Maybe I don't like to take physical risks, but like I, like one time was like on a serious amount of like MDMA and everybody was naked in the pool and I was like,

I don't take off my clothes and I went in in my clothes. So that's weird. So you're probably a person that can't be hypnotized. Not untrue. Huh? I have been.

Really? For stage fright. Really? Yeah. And it worked? Yeah. I don't understand that. You have this fundamental core defense that won't let you enjoy yourself naked with a

bunch of other people who are naked. I don't like group nudity. I can't handle it. Yeah. But I love looking at it. What is your fear about that? Is it like, because I don't either. Is it like you'll be judged like you know mine's different than theirs like they're gonna see my dick what i'm i don't want anybody to see my dick i'm not ready for it i've i've

only been in this profession for about five years that would be a shocker exactly it would be a shock you'd be you'd be branded somehow because my dick is like six feet long wow i'm only five four that's amazing so it's a lot more like a tail yeah yeah you just roll it up it has a spine that's so gross i don't know like we were okay so we were driving it was my ex-boyfriend and his boyfriend had rented a house his His boyfriend friend? No, his boyfriend. He's gay. His boyfriend had rented him a house. So were you the deciding factor in his?

No. I mean, when we were together, we were young and he wasn't ready to come out. So you kind of helped shepherd him. No. Well, anyway. So, Well, anyway, so. Well, no, no. I just was there a moment where he just looked at your vagina and said, I'm done here.

You know what? I actually feel that he and he will still say that he he was like he was into it as much as he could have been. I felt like we were vibing like I didn't really as much as he could have been. Yeah. I think essentially he needs a dick yeah but he's not on the Kinsey scale

or whatever like he's still like turned on by pussies if that makes any sense sure well it must have how long did you go out with him not that long

oh like five months okay so back to the story so he and his boyfriend who you get along with and you're still friends with the guy yeah yeah yeah

we're sweet sweet friends so his boyfriend rented a house in Palm Springs and a bunch of us were going there to go and hang out and the plan was we're gonna take MDMA and just chill out. Yeah. And I'd never done that before and on the way there I was

That's like ecstasy kinda? Yeah, it's like, I don't know. That came out after I stopped doing drugs. It's one of the. And I've, yeah, and I did it for the first time at 30. Yeah. But it's one of those ones where it's like i've like i did it for the first time at 30 yeah um but it's one of those ones where it's like i just feel loved yeah totally but i thought it was like ecstasy yeah and the only thing i knew about ecstasy was like some sort of like 2020 report where they're

like you get too horny and like you get holes in your brain and i was just like i would never do that and spinal cord things right and you're just like get away from me i don't i don't i never want to die yeah yeah yeah who does right so but i think mdma is something that's like the pure it's just the chemical thing it's a healthy ecstasy yeah i mean whatever whatever you need to tell yourself to get there sure so we're driving there and i was like oh i don't want to take mdma with all these like visual artists they're all going to be naked yeah and i don't like that he's a visual. He's a visual artist? He's a visual artist. What does that mean?

Painting? He's a painter. Oh, painter. Yeah. Okay. And so were his friends and stuff. And I was going with like a comedian friend of mine and his, our other friend, his girlfriend. And it was terrifying to think they were going to be naked.

But then we all took it and then they were naked and they all looked gorgeous. Everyone's body was beautiful. Yeah. Maybe it was the MDMA gorgeous. Everyone's body was beautiful. Yeah. Maybe it was the MDMA talking. Oh, it definitely was. We were just surrounded by cherubs. They looked so good. Okay.

Yeah. And you were like, I'm not, nope. I was like, I can't. And I don't know, I really would like to know why I can't just like be naked around groups, but I just feel really, really shy. I don't think it's a, like I don't think you should trouble yourself with it too much. I don't think you should wake up and go, today's the day I leave my house naked.

No, yeah. There's no reason for that. Why force yourself if it's just not, it might just be because there's like just a part of me that is traditionally kind of just old fashioned. With me, I think it's sort of like, you know, what do you like for me with a dude? I would think. I mean, I'd like to be that comfortable. Me too.

I'd love it. Yeah. But like for me, like, OK, so everyone's taking their clothes off. I'm taking my clothes off. I got to walk around going like, it's a grower. It's a grower. Right. The penis whole thing is like a bummer.

It's like a horrible. You don't want to be that guy at the naked party. Huh? No. And the whole thing. Look at it now. Right. And then here's what I don't get is how people act like they're not staring at everything.

Because I was like staring at everything. Yeah. But you're on MDMA. True. How close were you when you were staring? Will you come here a second? I spent. Wow.

Yeah. It's really. We're complicated than I thought it was. Yeah. I was like an inch away from everyone's bush like all night long. Just smiling, a really gentle smile. Where did you grow up? I'm from Milton, Massachusetts.

Okay. First, there's a word association. Okay. Ready? Go. Curry College. Oh, man. Man.

That's what you get. You stop yourself. Man. A man. There's a man, you stopped yourself. Man. A man. There's a man that I know that went there. Uh-huh. And my sister, he played tennis with my sister. One of my sisters.

At Curry College? No, yeah. At New England Tennis Camp? There was like a tennis camp there and my sister was a tennis teacher there and there was like a cute guy there. Yeah. How do you know about Curry College? I went there my freshman year. You did?

I was down the street from you when you were a child what when what year um 81 82 oh yeah i wasn't born you weren't even there i was getting born your dad was around though yeah my dad ron slate yeah he was down the street yeah and your mom actually they bought the house in 81 so you guys were arriving in the town they were excited to move in and i was like what the fuck am i doing here did you like it well no because like i it was one of those uh it was a hail mary pass to get out of albuquerque new mexico my grades weren't great in high school and they sort of had a program like you know it was basically one of those schools where i think they had a very like nationally renowned program for dyslexics but they also sort of like we'll take your fucked up middle class kids too

if you can afford to have them here. And so you were like, I will go to this college. Yeah, and transfer out and try to nail it and move on. And then where'd you go? BU. Oh, cool. It's all right. It's cool.

But Milton's like, it's hoity-toity. You think that? What do you mean? What, just own it or not? I don't know, actually. My experience of the town is so isolated because my parents, we all just stayed in our house all the time. Really? Yeah. I didn't go to the public school, so I didn't really know the kids in the town. Yeah. I think you're defining hoity-toity as we speak. No, I just mean those children seem dirty and i yeah where'd you go uh i went to milton

academy of course you did sure yeah that was like the really smart school and then you had this stupid expensive college and there was nice houses right and then five miles away there's mattapan and you're like everything's different here yes everything is very different and dorchester there's like a major class discrepancy there yeah it was sort of fascinating to me I'm trying to remember my experience there I you know I did I studied hard and you know I did well you know to get out yeah yeah I kind of like focused I was one of those sort of like he's really bright but he just is not motivated yeah like I I nailed it a bit did you you feel bad that people said that about you?

That you weren't motivated? No, because in retrospect, what I'm learning about myself is it is what it is. You know, I was a creative kid, but I just couldn't focus. Yeah. Like I just was like exhausted

all the time. Yeah. Like if somebody started teaching me anything, I'd be like, oh my god i can't i can't stay awake for this yeah that's how i felt about math and like clocks clocks in general like clocks like when i look at the clock that has the face yeah with the numbers

one of those one of those clocks i still have to go like 5, 10, 15, 20 to count the minutes because I just got so bored whenever it was math or that kind of stuff. And I felt really bad about it until I think recently. But I would do the same thing where I would just be like, I am not going to even fucking do this. And I felt so bad about it. But then English and history, I could get there. But I still just had a really hard time focusing. But I knew I wasn't dumb. But I still just had a really hard time focusing. But I knew I wasn't dumb.

And I was just like, oh, like, just like, I just want to be done. Well, it's weird, like math and those things, like the puzzle sciences. Uh-huh. Yeah. Where there's definitely a correct answer. Right. There's no speculating. It's like, if you learn this,

the answer should be that. It's like, well, if you already know that it's going to be something, why do you need to fucking hear it from me? No, I get it. I get it.

But the idea is like, well, maybe you should make your brain do that. It could help you when you're counting later. It could. And you should try to do everything. I do think like as a kid,

it's like, just try to do it. Just try to do it. I couldn't do it because like, I just, for some reason, my brain wouldn't do it. Yeah. Like, like there I couldn't do it because for some reason my brain wouldn't do it. Yeah.

There was not enough poetry and algebra for me. And people would argue that's one of the more poetic maths. Yeah. I actually kind of got into geometry for a second. The proofs are what would do it. Because there's a mystery. And also it's sort of like there's a picture. Yeah.

It's sort of like, oh, you can prove why that picture is the way it is. Right. And a picture yeah it's sort of like oh you can make these like prove to why that picture is the way it is right and you can see it and fractals are super cool and poetic and exciting and contain obviously like the concept of infinity and that's really cool to think about that's a little exhausting but yeah it's exhausting in a way that like it's exhausting to look into the sky right because you're just like ah my heart right yeah yeah it's exhausting to look into the sky. Right. Because you're just like, ah, my heart. Right. Yeah, yeah. It's so great.

Yeah, there's the poetry. Yeah. And from there, there's like, we're just floating through space. Yeah. And then there's like, this is really temporary. And then there's, we don't really matter. And then there's darkness. Do you go there?

Can. I just did. Yeah, you definitely did. It was like three or four steps and I was there. I don't go there. I would just much rather like be a witch and just be like, I'm going to die one day and I'm going to be like 99 and my skin's going to be like bark

and my hair is going to be like 100 feet long and I'm going to become a ghost. That's probably good. Yeah, that rules. I think you're going to be that. I'll go with that. I hope that for you. Me too.

Yeah. Like long, I'm not going to be like, my grandmothers are like beautiful, wonderful old ladies who have hairdos, like sprayed, you know, like steel magnolia, like helmet heads. Yeah. There's only like, I think there's only two or three options at a certain age. Either you just let it go gray and wild or you do the three things. Yeah. You gotta be like Maude, like Harold and Maude.

Just like long, white braids. Yes. Very few women have the courage. Gotta do it. That seems like the best. Ruth Gordon from Quincy, Massachusetts, the town where my father is from. Quincy, Massachusetts.

That's the town where one of my leather jackets is from. Seriously. Cool. I drove there to get it. Where'd you get it? Vanson. What is that? They make really good weather jackets for motorcycle people.

They're renowned American weather jacket makers in Quincy, Mass. Yeah. And they have a showroom there, and I went. Cool. But where were we going with this? Oh, your hair. You're going to be old in your hair? I'm for that.

I think so. And that's the reason why you don't go to meaninglessness when you look in the air. Maybe. Because you want to live to an old age. And that makes sense. Yeah, I want to live to be really old. And the one thing that scares me about it a little bit is that I don't know who will be with me.

That scares me because I don't know if I ever want to have kids. So then I'm like, well, I better make a lot of friends and young ones. I think that what you just said is your version of looking into the air and seeing meaninglessness is it like I don't know if I'm gonna be alone or not and I should try to counter that now yeah start collecting people right then the wild card is what if I outlive them all right you'll be the one with the story to tell and by then maybe you'll be comfortable maybe that you know that's the other thing is like you'll be the one with the story to tell. And by then, maybe you'll be comfortable. Maybe. That, you know, that's the other thing is like. You'll be able to smoke pot by yourself and not freak out.

Oh, I can do that very easily. Okay. I mean, I freak out sometimes, but I just like ride it. Yeah. That's right. You just got to get through it, man. I do. I like.

Sure. It's weird. The only way forward is through. Is that how it goes? I think the only way out is through. I don't know. Forward, that's fine. Or the door or go back the other way.

The door is through the forward out. Yeah. No, but with drugs, you just sort of ride it out, man. I really, I go through times where I'm like, I should not be smoking weed. I look way too anxious. But then I just think about that it's there and I want to smoke it really badly.

And I do smoke it. And then I'll go through like 15 minutes of a very harsh freak out that is like acid in my heart like it just like it's bad really emotional and then I'll be like you're not gonna feel this way in 10 minutes yeah don't even worry about it 10 minutes it's like everything's gonna seem okay yeah and you'll be relaxed it's like everything's going to seem okay. Yeah. And you'll be relaxed. It's so cool. And entertained by almost nothing. Yeah. Yeah. And just like, wow, I'm thinking.

Yeah, I love it. Sometimes, like the other night, I hit a really cool sweet spot where I felt like everything I said was exactly right. Oh, good. But all of the people I was talking to didn't seem like they felt that way. They didn't understand.

Yeah, my husband was like, uh-huh. Oh, really? There's the annoying stoned lady again yeah so what did you study if it was not math what was your thing what what what inspired you and made you the creative uh juggernaut that you are i studied well in college i studied english and comparative lit. Where you went to where? Columbia. Fancy. Yeah. So you did pretty well with your no math policy. Yeah, but you know what? Yeah, I always was like a B in math and then an A in English.

Okay. And then like really focused on like how do I just get out of here? Yeah. Not that I didn't like my life, but I really wanted to become a performer and I always felt like- In high school you knew you wanted to be a performer I knew always what what kind of business were your parents in that invented you my dad's a poet and my mom is a raccoon potter raccoon that's the earthy one yeah you like you make pot porcelain um pottery and then you fire it in a kiln and you fire it in your paper like I don't know what it's going to come out like. Yeah.

I can only control so much. It looks a little burnt, but I think that's the way it's supposed to look. That's the way it's supposed to. Yeah. My mom set our woods on fire like 50 times. With her kiln? With her barrels. Because the kiln is contained, but the barrels have fire coming out of them.

Uh-huh. Does she have both? Yes. Okay. And she's like a super neurotic woman who would set the pots on fire in the woods on purpose. But then, of course, the woods were like brambly and wild and they would catch on fire. But she didn't have a permit to be firing the pot. So she'd be like, girls, girls, fire!

And then we would all run out with buckets of water and put it out. And did that add to the quality of the pot? Like, you know, I don't think I could have gotten this texture had we not caught the woods on fire. There's something about my mom that wants to make danger all the time. With pottery. Oh, yeah. That's the way she does it, I guess.

Really? She makes danger with her art. Just on the edge of chaos. Yeah. Well, did she ever get into kind of like integrating sticks and leaves into the pottery? Like making holes? And did she do something other than vessels? Like hanging things?

She did like really 90s like collages. With the ceramic pieces? With like chopsticks and like ceramic pieces. And they really always bothered me. But she likes them. And they are around our house a lot. Are they in other people's homes? Yeah.

Because she would like most of my childhood, she was, like, in crafts, like, traveling. Like, she would go in crafts fairs and sell the, take orders and sell the art. Sure. There's a couple approaches to the pottery thing. There are the practical potters. Yeah. They make vessels for everyday use. Right.

And then there's the art potters. She was an art potter. Right. But she kind of, like, she also sold them in, like, Neiman Marcus and stuff when they had a gallery there. Oh, so she was, she also sold them in like Neiman Marcus and stuff when they had a gallery there. Oh, so she was, she was working it. She worked it. Yeah.

Yeah. She did her best. She, and I mean, I love her pottery. I don't like the collages, but I love. And your dad was in his study looking out on the yard saying the woods are on fire. My wife's pots. My wife, my daughter's, my fire. My dad.

Ceramics. He taught at the University of Madison, Wisconsin, the Badgers. And then when my older sister was born, which was in Wisconsin, he got a job working for writing speeches for the head of a dude of a computer company called Wang. Wang. I remember Wang computers. And like Mr. Wang. No end to the humor to wang i mean mr wang wang center downtown boston yeah the wang center um my dad see some shows at the wang center uh-huh i saw grind with the wind i saw the film oh uh-huh with the reissue the replay i went with my grandfather um yeah my dad my like this is the crux of my stand-up but that

my dad spent like the majority of my childhood in a nightgown like a big long pink night shirt nightgown that said wang on it that was what he wore to sleep yeah that's what you saw him in in the morning yeah and when he's going to bed yes okay yeah i mean it's like i have like a good 45 minutes on that well yeah I mean I could see how it could be both funny and traumatic uh not traumatic at all I guess if you don't know any different sure like but then you go to school and you're like my dad fell down all the stairs and he was wearing his night shirt and we like all saw his butt and everyone's like your dad wears a nightgown that says wang on it yeah so he kind of like- Is he a published poet? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

He won the Bread Loaf Award, which is like a big poetry award. I enjoy some poetry occasionally. Oh, yeah? Sure. You would like his poems. They're in the New Yorker, and they're good.

He's really wonderful. Do you like poetry? Yeah, I do. Do you have to? No. Okay. He doesn't care. He doesn't.

I think he would be upset if I didn't read. No, I think that would be upsetting to everybody. That's like bad. Yeah, that to everybody. That's like bad. Yeah, that's bad. That's like bad. But poetry, I'm not great at spelling, I'm finding on Twitter.

I'm not either. But poetry is like, I think it's easy to sort of dismiss it or be condescending, but it's a tough racket to kind of get those words to work like that. It takes a certain, like it's one of those things where people are like, yeah,

you can write a poem. Oh, that's true. No, I don't think it's, I mean, people think that about photography too, I guess.

Well, that was a big problem with photography. Yeah. Once they released the Brownie McGee cameras, everyone who was already about it was like, now what? Right. And now it's ruined.

See that person across the street taking a picture of her son? She ruined everything. Right. Exactly. Yeah. her son? She ruined everything. Right, exactly. A lot of people ruined everything, but it's actually all fine. Yeah, yeah. Look, it's leveled the playing field. Now everybody can do whatever they want

and put it up for everybody to see. Exactly. It makes the world better. Yeah, the only thing that matters now are our intentions. Welcome to the future. Oh, our intentions and our visibility yeah sure well my dad you know he worked in the like business world for most of my childhood to you know make money

and didn't have his first big success um until he was like 50 oh and that's encouraging yeah it's cool um as a poet with the bread loaf award yeah he took he had a long sometimes poets take some time he had a long period of not i i don't know i don't know if i should i'm not sure if i'm correct but i think not being able to really write what he wanted to write but he he used to like when they lived in wisconsin he had a poetry magazine called the chowder review and well he could always write what he wants to write it's just like where is it going to go i think who was that there was another big poet who i believe was a insurance salesman like wallace stevens i think was well wallace stevens is who our dog was named after okay there you go yeah

that makes his name was wally and he hated my dad and he hated all of us but like as a uh sort of barometer for your dad's life wallace stevens was he was a businessman yeah yeah so your dad knew that yes he did your dad is sort of like uh you know he was like well that guy didn't make it till he was that guy did yeah he was the hope wallace stevens was your father's hope maybe my dad's like he knows he's the person that i think except for maybe bugs you know yeah um like he knows everything his blind spot or insects like he'll be like he couldn't he'll know stuff about like poetic bugs you know like oh like the praying mantis like the female eats the male after mating like he'll know something like that because it's like

kind of like sexual and interesting yeah but he doesn't you know and he'll know about like beetles and stuff like that but um i think my dad i my impression of him is that he knows the answer to so many questions almost all of them it's good to have a dad like that yeah but then he's also like really open and sensitive and i'll call him and be like i don't know man i don't know and he'll be like how can you know jen yeah how can you know then i'll be like oh phew okay i'm in the car i have to go thanks for talking me through the first 10 minutes of my high. Yeah. Does your dad ever say that?

Are you stoned, Jen? Oh, I think I smoked a little bit too much pot around my parents when I went to visit them recently. Oh, so there's a concern. I don't know. I mean, I just was so relaxed and I just kept wanting to get stoned. Like at dinner? Like at everything. And you were just smoking it in front of them?

Well, yeah, but they don't mind. I think if I smoked a cigarette in front of them, they would be like, What are you, stupid? What are you, fucking idiot? And I'd be like, yes. Do you smoke cigarettes? Yeah, sometimes. I'm definitely trying to stop.

It's really hard. I don't want to. I don't think it's like cool. But the other day, someone took a picture of me and I put it on my Instagram. And I was smoking in the picture. And I thought it was a nice picture of myself. So I wanted it to be there. And then somebody that I looked and saw who they were were like,

you're the best or whatever. And it was like a teenager. And I just was like, ugh. Yeah. Why are you doing that? Don't smoke. Don't do that. You should put that at the bottom of the picture. But you know what? whatever and it was like a teenager and i just was like oh yeah no why are you doing that don't smoke don't do that you should put that at the bottom of the picture but you know what i love smoking yeah i did too yeah i smoked marlboro lights yeah i smoked a lot of things yeah i

smoked marlboro lights towards the end so you don't smoke cigarettes anymore do not that's really good it's been a long time i I don't do anything anymore. No drinking. Nothing. So, okay. You go to Columbia. The world is your oyster. Yeah. Yeah.

It kind of felt like that. Yeah. And you're in New York city. Yeah. And you're going to study comparative lit and English. Yeah. English was your comparative literature. Yeah.

And now you're on the upper west side. Yes. And you're like, fuck it. That was like, I thought I I was like, Felicity, I thought I wanted to be like Felicity. How'd that go? You know, it's never what you think it'll be.

Like I was like, look at me. I'm like a young 18 year old with like limited experiences in every way. And I have long curly hair and I'm just like wearing a big sweater. But- Don't you love wearing sweaters in college? Yep.

The best. Loved it. The fall. It was cool. But then I kind of got like a weird look that was like a Jewy Shakira. It was like low riding pants and a belly button pierce. You did that? Yeah.

That's what I had. Gross. Yeah. I was like kind of, I'm Erykah Badu, but I'm Jewish. But like I'm Shakira as well. But like I'm Felicity. of I'm Erykah Badu but I'm Jewish but like I'm Shakira as well but like I'm Felicity and like it was like just the way that um my best friend Gabe described it was like gypsy chic but I was also like a virgin cocktease I know Gabe yeah yeah oh he did your show the live one he did

a live one it was very funny yeah he's the best and he's in the movie with you and he was your comedy partner from what I understand. See, I was already out of New York by the time you kids were, you know, cutting your teeth. Yeah. Making the scene. Right. But what, the literature thing, what was your focus? It ended up being pretty split.

Like, I got really into Dickensian london um and infectious diseases and like really into how like just like smallpox and cholera and stuff like that but then the weight of it yeah well like god i was just i feel like i was just talking about this but um maybe it was when you interrupted your husband while he was working maybe um but i had like one class that i felt like shaped everything and it was wolf yates and auden and that was everything to me that was thomas wolf uh virginia wolf virginia wolf yeah okay yates and there's a few wolves wolves yates and auden yeah interesting huh how did that all work together it's sort of like a like people who were used to a certain structure and then um shell shock and world war

one like changed everything and how like structures started to fall apart because of our emotions and how we try to keep them together but like should we or should we not? It's very interesting. Transitional time. Yeah, and really beautiful, and I got really into that. And then I didn't have to write a thesis, so I didn't really have to focus on anything, but I got really interested in magical realism because it's beautiful.

I really liked anything that just represented like an open heart and unmanageable emotions yeah that seems to be is that on your resume yeah god i don't have a resume i haven't seen a resume in years no i don't have one i had one for waitressing i passed around don't yeah after a certain point they're not necessary no you can just see you can just say well you can go online and see the thing. Yeah. You're like, fucking get on the computer, dum-dum.

Which Yates poem? I guess I always loved Lita and the Swan. Yeah? But. Not like Ode to a Grecian Urn or The Second Coming, The Second Coming? I like that a lot. Come on, The Second Coming? Yeah.

Like things are not good in that poem. fall apart yes god damn it yeah things fall apart you know and i can see why you avoided that one i mean i don't i don't sometimes people think that because i'm cheery or whatever that it means that i'm like silly or repressed but honestly i just think it's the opposite that's weird i would never would never associate that with those character traits. Like, because you're silly, and what was the other one? Some people think you're silly. Because I'm silly and cheery. No, I would immediately go paralyzed with fear and occasionally sad.

I am occasionally sad. I'm not paralyzed with fear, but I would say that I feel feel very lonely often yeah even among people no no not among people but like if there's an hour or two where there's no people around it's sort of like yeah I feel sad like a puppy like a dog looking out the window you need connection yeah yeah and that also made it hard I think, to have proper relationships with people. Because too needy. Yeah, too needy. Yeah.

I'm drained right now. Yeah. I'm really sorry. You asked me to come here. You invited me. I'm the same way. You are? Yeah.

No, what do you think? Why am I doing this? Yeah. This is what I do now. It's good. It's just because I need to connect with people and feel like if you were if you were just sort of rambling off and not actually engaging with me it'd be horrible it'd just be me pounding up against your boundaries yeah saying like why don't you let me in and identify with me I can't let you pound up against my boundaries I'm

sorry you're married it's just wrong yeah it's just not right that's not what i'm like i told you i'm an old-fashioned person um i'm a boundary pounder yeah i just uh i don't know i yeah so but i tend to look at all those things as like um because i think i went through a time of being embarrassed of being naturally lonely by nature but i also think that there is something really great about it because I know how to use it in the way that is useful for me well I think there is something about like even in um I don't know a lot of your stand-up work but just in your disposition like in in the movie obvious child I mean they're they're like it's not it's not a depressive loneliness. It's sort of like, you know, it's full of an aggravated excitement to be part of something. Thank you. That's a really nice way to put it.

I think, yeah, it's like, how can loneliness also be a total celebration of being alive? But that is what it's like. And it's like when I, I've never, I never have like made a standup album or toured, but when I do my standup, it's just a need to connect, but not like, I'm very careful, I think,

of making sure that it's not masturbatory. Like it's just, I'm just like. No masturbation jokes. No, tons of masturbation jokes, but it's like, do you wanna like, can I tell you stuff? Do you want to know stuff?

It's a framing. It's a context. Yeah. No, I'm the same way. The problem that I had early on was I had this need to connect, but I didn't trust the connection. Yeah, that's why I got stage fright. Yeah, well, I didn't get stage fright. I'd be preemptively aggravated with the audience.

Oh. As opposed to being stage fright, I'd walk outemptively aggravated with the audience. Oh. Like my, as opposed to being stage fright, I'd walk out going, well, this is going to suck. Right. And there's, why would they like me? Yes.

And now I'd walk out ready to sort of defend myself. Right. To fight. And I would walk out, I had the same thing, except I think I tend to turn it on myself. So instead of like, well, these fucking assholes, they don't even like me.

Yeah. You know, it would just be like, I'm such a. I turn it on myself, but that seems to be established. That's a given. Now let's take on the rest of these idiots. Yeah. Yeah. Sometimes I think I would have an attitude that would be like, I like myself.

Fuck you. Just give me a chance. And it would be like, nobody said anything. You're the person who's supposed to be talking. The defense of liking yourself is the first sign. Fuck you. I'm good. Yeah. Crying. Right. And you're like, what? Yeah. Yeah. So what was so you did well in college. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I did. And that's where you started doing the sketches and whatnot. Yeah, I did. And that's where you started doing the sketches and whatnot?

Yeah, I started doing improv. That's where I met Gabe Liedman. In an improv group? Yes. In college? Yeah. Actually, auditioning for this stupid, well, I probably shouldn't say that, because I'm sure it meant a lot to me at the time.

But it's this thing that they do at Columbia called The Varsity Show, which is kind of like the Harvard hasty pudding pudding it's like a musical comedy about college so it's like a lot of inside jokes about the chicken fingers in the snack bar or whatever yeah um there was like literally a song about chicken fingers i get it it's regional within the college this is all like oh they're talking about that cafeteria. Right. Yeah. So that's how Gabe and I met auditioning for that. And it was like fast friends? Yes. It was like immediate.

The first time we hung out, we got really stoned. And there was a website called Cosmo.com. And you can order anything. You could be like, I need a toothbrush. I need like a pineapple. And I need E.T. on VHS. And so we were like, sweet and i need um et on vhs yeah and so we were like sweet we need doritos and we need actually we were looking for et we're looking for et and it'd come within hours or well i don't know because it never worked because we kept typing in et and it just kept

saying did you mean tank girl we were like no we don't fucking mean tank girl um and so we went on like a adventure to try to go to the blockbuster to get et um but we took us like a really long time to get there because we took the train the wrong way and we're just like two stone to do everything right and when we got there we finally found et and then neither one of us had a um id or an account oh yeah but that was you know from then on we were best friends. It's about the journey. Yeah. Yeah.

That was the first time? That was the first time we hung out. When did you start just performing solo or outside of the group? Gabe and I, we were like in a sketch group with some of the people from the improv group that we were eventually in in college when we graduated in 2004. And then some of those people wanted to like get other degrees and stuff. So we started doing standup as a duo at Rafifi. And then we started doing standup separately also,

I would say like maybe a year into that. Okay, so Rafifi was where, what, Bring Your Friends or what, Bring Them Up or what? Invite Them Up. Invite Them Up. Invite Them Up, Merman's Empire. Bobby and Eugene, yeah. Bobby and Eugene sort of put that place on the map. Yeah, they did.

That was after I left. I remember doing one or two shows there when I went back. Yeah. But it was like a significant alt-comedy venue. It was a hive. Yeah, it was everything. Era that you were coming up in yeah what year are we talking 2005 god damn it 2006 jesus yeah and it was like everything to just do they had a bit on

invite them up that was called 30 seconds of stand-up and uh you were given 30 seconds to do stand-up and i remember the first time gabe and i got that and we were like this is our like big break it was like you know you know, it sounds crazy. It was great. It went great. And then it was like Nick Kroll and John Mulaney had the Thursday night show. Greg Johnson had the Friday night

and Gabe and I eventually got the Monday night. Where's Greg Johnson? He's in New York. Is he all right? He rules. Good. Yeah, I love that guy. He's a good guy.

He's really special and funny. Yeah. Yeah, I haven't seen him in a while. All right, so you're doing solo stand-up. You're what, 20? 22, 23. And he's still, because I don't know you as a stand-up.

Yeah, because I just do it for fun. Right. And which is weird. Like all of my friends make albums and I'm not bad at stand-up. I think I'm good at it, but I just have never wanted to do albums because it makes me feel scared to say something

and not be able to say it again oh what oh I get it because it's already done and I kind of like to I do talk you know say the same stories like again and again but I just I like to say them differently to the new people every time no I'm on board with that yeah but sometimes my husband's like why do you do that like you, you're going to really regret this. Like, you should really record this. And I just don't want to. I'm like, you know what? Well, you can record it for yourself.

Sometimes I record my sets and I listen to them in the car on the way to a new show. But yeah, I loved that time. But looking back on it, I feel very romantic about it. But at the time, also, it was really hard, obviously. Why? Just because I was unemployed. And really, I got into stand-up, but I always just wanted to be a movie actress. And then I just became a stand-up comedian.

I was like, oh, this is like... And I've always felt like I'm kind of a storyteller. I'm kind of just like a talker. When did the opportunity start to happen? I, in 2009, I made it, I was like, okay, this is really weird. This is like, it sounds stupid, but why not? So I was doing, mostly stand-up with Gabe. Team thing.

Yeah, and also separate. And then we had a show, I believe we had it then, called Big Terrific with Max Silvestri. I remember that. I remember Max. It's still there. Max is in an unreleased WTF. Oh, cool.

He's the best. He's never going to be released. We should have him for a real one. I think he's one of the funniest. But anyway, uh i think we were doing that then if not it was still called at night with gabe and jenny but anyway we're doing it i went to see this psychic this like tarot card reader and i do this kind of stuff i used to do it now i don't um that she was like you need to get all of your characters out there

and i was like i don't do sketch. I don't do that. And she was like, no, you did, though, didn't you? And I was like, well, yeah, I guess you're right. She was like, you need to do it because otherwise you're just going to you're going to feel nailed to a spot. And you need to do it and get them out and put them onto a stage. And if you do that, she was like, you need to do that by the winter. And if you do that by August, like, you need to do that by the winter. And if you do that by August,

you'll be offered the big stage. And then by September, you're going to be calling me and you're going to need help, but it's going to be okay. And I was like, this is like terrifying, you know? Well, I like that she was forward thinking. She put a calendar on it. Yeah. Here's my card. Yeah. It was like crazy. So I was like, all right. And then I started to, my husband and I were together at that point. And I was like, I want to do a one-woman show, but I hate that they're called that. So I'm going to do like a one-lady show. And the only thing I could think of was like, what would it be like if I died right now? And I died as an eccentric millionaire.

And so I made a show called Jenny Slate, Deadny slate dead millionaire that was it took place at my funeral um and it was that i was an eccentric millionaire and i left all of my money to the dog and i eulogized myself in all different characters including like gloria estefan who claimed that i had bought her a new bus after her old bus ran her over because i i used to think that's happened. Because you know she got in like a big bus accident. Yeah. Right. So I used to think that she got run over by her own bus, but that's not what happened.

Okay. But anyway. And I had a video, Will, that I like made with my husband. And he made these beautiful, really weird, high concept videos. And we did the show at UCB, which I wasn't really a part of but they were nice enough to let me do it so I did that and then like a week later um it was up in like May and I did it for a week and then um I had one and then the second one I guess somebody from SNL like heard about it and they came and then a week after that I had my audition for SNL

and then a week after that I had my audition for SNL. And also at that time just randomly I got hired to be in these sketches on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in their first season and had gotten on Board to Death. I had just like stumbled into an audition for Board to Death which was on HBO as like a cashier and then...

That was recurring. Well yeah, somebody had liked me and then they like wrote me into the show. Right. As far as I understand. And then. That was recurring. Well, yeah, somebody had liked me and then they like wrote me into the show. Right. As far as I understand. And that's all I got an agent also because I worked with Jason Schwartzman on that first day. And he was like, oh, you know, like, this is really fun.

Let's work together again. Who's your agent? And I was like really embarrassed. I was like, I don't have one. I'm just here. And so he sent his agent to come and see me. Oh, wow. And that's how I got an agent too. So that, so kind of like all this weird shit happened.

Did you like working with Jonathan Ames? Uh-huh. Yeah. He's like a weirdo. Yeah. But, you know, he knows that he is. No, he's made a living on it. Yeah.

Yeah, totally. But I never felt. So it all sort of happened in a flurry. Yeah. Within, you know, a six month period. Yeah. And it was just sort of happened in a flurry. Yeah. Within a six-month period. Yeah. And it was just sort of the heat was on. But just that I started working, it didn't at all feel like I got my break.

No, but those are big. At least I was off unemployment. I wasn't a nanny. I think that's a nice way to frame it. But I think in retrospect, you can see it as a break. I know. It's just so weird because it's only now that I feel a little bit more like I've gotten a break. Now, this is part of, it's a thematic element of my show.

So who came to see you from SNL? Marcy? Mm-mm. Ayala Cohen, I believe. And so that process, so it's a big deal. I think what's interesting before I let that go just for people that are listening and learning is that you did a fairly peculiar and very abstract one person show. Yes, I did. And you committed to it.

Yeah. You had this conceit that, you know, I would have been like, that's crazy. And you locked in. Yeah. And you built around it. You built something out of nothing based on ridiculousness. and it and it was great i think so i i thought it was really beautiful and it was really high concept and like it was like there's so many fucking shitty one people shows where they're just like these are all my voices that i could do like these are my wigs

yeah you know and you're just like cool who doesn't know this guy fun yeah man like you're just like, cool. Who doesn't know this guy? I hope you had fucking fun, man. You're just like, I don't want to watch this. Right. This audition. So I had a through line. Yeah, I just did it because this psychic was like, do it. Did you involve her in the show? No. Have you gone back to her?

Yes. Okay, so we're going to end with that. All right, so what happens with the SNL audition process? All right, so what happens with the SNL audition process? So they were like, you, I can't remember if I had to put in a tape. I don't think I did. Sometimes they make you send in a tape, and then you can get an audition. But I believe I just went right in, but I only had a week.

And I was like, not from the Groundlings or UCB. Like, I didn't have polished characters. Right, that you've done over and over again. Right. And also, like, I was 26, I believe, or 27. I think I was 27. And I didn't think that they were going to hire anyone anyway because they had just hired Abby Elliott and Michaela Watkins. And I just thought I missed my chance and that I was like, honestly, just not. I mean, in the end, I was right, but like just not right for the show.

And I had a week to put together these characters. I had to do five and two of them had to be impressions. And so I just was like, well, fuck it. I mean, like I'm not going to try to figure out what they want because then I'll end up on the show and I'm going to be tasked with like keeping up the appearance of like being an, you know, being an imposter basically and trying to do normal characters when I'm not interested in that. I don't know what normal is, but whatever. You didn't want to hack it out.

You didn't want to just sort of like, well, everybody likes this thing and I'm going to do a thing like that because that's relatable. Like what's the game of this character? And it's like, I don't care. I don't know. I don't know. I don't fucking know. I don't know. That's not why I perform.

What kind of language is that? What? What's the game of this character? I think it's like improv language. Okay. You know. But so I put together the audition. And I was just like super scared.

And I took the B train from Brooklyn to Rockefeller Center. And that was what was kind of cool. And maybe this is cheesy, but I've, I had always wanted to be on SNL since I was very, very young. I wanted to be both like movie actress, like, uh, Madeline Kahn and Ruth Gordon, and also wanted to be like Gilda Radner and Lorraine Newman. That's like, I just wanted it always. And then all those make sense for you. Yeah, they're cool And they're right and they're all women that have like a cool Style and can't be replaced and I just was like I want that they're all funny and they're very funny And find funny and full of joy and full of life right and anyway

So I used to my therapist was one stop after Rockefeller Center and used to like ride through and be like one day I'll get off here one day day I'll get off here. One day I'll get off here. Sounds like the beginning of a movie. Yeah, kind of, except a really short or really long one-year-long movie. So you got off. One movie that is one year long and nobody wants to watch it. So I did the five characters and I performed on the stage.

And I remember they put you in a dressing room and I was like so scared. I don't know if I've ever been that scared. Terrified. Got up. We did the audition on the stage and they were just like, nobody's going to laugh. So just do it and leave. And like, don't try to kiss up. Don't try to like talk to Lauren.

Just like do your shit and leave. And I remember being like, fine, I will do my shit and leave because I have a life. And at the end of the day, like I'm going to shit into a toilet and so is everyone else here. And so like. Lauren's going to shit on a much nicer toilet. Well, sure. And then he's going to get like water sprayed up onto it. Whereas like, you know, I'm going to like do normal stuff.

He'd probably have to switch over to that bowl. Do you think like, so you do, he shits in one bowl and then he goes to the bidet. Or maybe he's got like a special one. I get to make those. Who could know? Yeah. Who could ever know? You know, he's a mystery.

I'll ask him if I ever get the chance. Yeah, that's the one thing. Let's talk about your toilet. So. The gold one. I did it. Yeah. And then, but, and then everyone laughed and I was like, uh, okay. And then, and then I was like, they're nicer than everyone says. Yeah. And then everyone laughed. And I was like, uh, okay.

And then I was like, they're nicer than everyone says. Yeah. And they laughed at everyone. Like, I heard them laughing at everyone. Yeah. It wasn't just me. Right. And so I was like, are people just trying to make this be a scary place?

Yeah. And then I was just like, hey, at least I got to stand on that stage. Right. So whatever. And then I just took the subway home. But I remember when I left, I shook Lauren's hand and I shook Seth Meyers' hand. And I just remember, like, they both smiled. And I was like, a thing that I've said over and over again to my mom, because she's like,

why do the animals always come and walk on our lawn, like the foxes and the deer? And I'll be like, because humans aren't natural predators, and I think they know that, and she'll always be like, they don't know that. But I think, I was like, oh, yeah, they're not mean. They're not trying to hurt my feelings.

And then that was in June, I think, and like the first week of June. And then I had all summer, and I moved to LA for the summer because I had an agent for the first time. And I worked on like a terrible TV show where I was- Congratulations.

It was real bad. Yeah, bad three camera. And I was like, this is cool. I liked it. What show was that? It was called Brothers starring Michael Strahan and CCH Pounder and Carl Weathers and I was the one white person on it.

And I was like that crazy white bitch who was like, I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. And I was like, what is this? This is the worst. But I liked it because it was, I like working. And then August, they were like, Lauren wants you to come back and audition again. And I was like, are you fucking kidding me?

They had to do all new characters. And so I did that. But you didn't say no. No. I was like, you can't. Yeah. You know, who would say no? Right. I mean, now, now I't say no. No. I was like, you can't. Yeah. You know, who would say no? Right.

I mean, now I'd say no. But, you know, so I went back and I did it again, new characters. And I walked in and I had like a big bag of wigs. And Seth was like, I am very excited to see what comes out of that bag. And I just remember going, me too. And I was like, why did I say that? But I was excited. I think somebody else that I knew was there maybe Colin maybe I don't know if it was I didn't really know Colin Jost it might have been John Mulaney but anyway

I did it again and then I waited a week and then they were like Lauren wants you to come back to meet with him but it doesn't mean that you're hired and don't expect anything and you'll probably wait for like three hours to see him and just't expect anything and you'll probably wait for like three hours to see him and just like sit there and i was like oh okay this is so psycho yeah i went through this yeah okay so yeah so then i went there but then i didn't wait i just got there and nassim was also there nassim padrad and um i waited for like 10 minutes and then I went in there and he asked me. Who was in the room? Lauren.

Just Lauren. Yeah, in his office. And he was like, where are you from? And I said, Massachusetts. And he was like, have you worked with wigs a lot before? And I thought he meant Kristen Wig. And I was like, I've never even met her, but I really admire her. And he was like, no wigs.

And I was like, oh, this sucks. Like he was like, no wigs. And I was like, oh, this sucks. Like I was like, yeah. But I just kept telling myself like, he's just a man. He's just a man. Like you have so much life in front of you. That's all that matters. Don't worry about it. And so I was like, oh, duh.

And I remember saying like, oh, no, sorry. I don't know. No. Yeah. I've worked with like wigs in my one person show, but I don't like do that. I don't have any with me. Yeah, I was like, I'm, you know, here and there, but I would be very comfortable with them. And then he was like, well, I think you'd be a great addition to the show and we're going to get you an office.

And I was like, so I wanted him to say it. So I was like, so I'm going to be on Saturday Night Live. And he was like, yeah. And I was like, that's so great. And I was like, I know you've probably you've seen this like happened a million times before where people were like, I can't believe it. But this is my childhood dream. And I'm so excited. And he was like, OK, well, don't tell anybody because, you know, we haven't announced it yet. And I was like, can I tell my nannas? And then he laughed and he was like, how old are your nannas? And I was like, they're this age. And then and he laughed and I was like, can I give you a hug? And he was like, sure. And then we hugged and I went outside and Seth was waiting there. And he was like, well, what did he say? And I said, he said, I'm going to be on the show. And Seth was like, whoa, that doesn't really happen.

And I said, he said I could have an office and stuff. And then Seth was like, let's try and go find John Mulaney. So we went into the offices and because I John, and we couldn't find him. And then I was like, well, I'm going to go. And then I went outside, and I went into the courtyard of Rockefeller Center. Whoops, I'm getting emotional. I called my parents, and I said I'm going to be on saturday night live and it was really exciting yeah that's great yeah where are my kleenexes i don't need any okay

i never cry when i just you know what it is a beautiful story and sometimes i forget that yeah we now i'm crying. I had cleaning. Oh! Because it is cool to achieve something that you've always wanted and to do it kind of on your terms. To call my parents they were just

so stunned. We were all so stunned. I came from this fucking haunted house with these two artists with the woods on fire and just like had this one dream and went to college and didn't become an asshole and you know did that and it didn't i was there for just the right amount of time but you know to just call them and make that phone call. Right. Honestly, I forget about that. Right. And it was really, really meaningful.

Yeah. Yeah. It's amazing. It's a great story. Yeah, it is. That it was so, you know, beat for beat. Like it wasn't convoluted. It was just so.

And Seth was like, what? Yeah, it was so cool. And it was like, and also it's like, there's Seth Meyers. He's like this like handsome man that I just had seen on TV for so long, you know? And he's like nicer than you ever think he would be. Very nice guy. Yeah. Yeah. And I was just like, so, but then I was so scared.

When you went to work? Yeah. Yeah. Then I was so scared because there was this whole thing of like everybody's saying no one's gonna tell you anything so everybody told you all this stuff and none of it to this point turned out to be true right yeah because you have a lot of reps like you know agents and managers being like they're not gonna do this they're not gonna do that like or like i never read any of those books but you get the sense that people are like,

it's really hard for women. And I didn't feel that way. And then in a bummer way, I've been misquoted a bunch of times saying that they didn't like me as a woman. But that is not true. Nobody was ever like, sit down, little girl. Everyone was nice to me. And how many shows did you do?

I did the season. Yeah know so 26 i think yeah that's exciting right yeah it was i mean it's all of it it's exciting terrifying exhilarating it felt a lot like like if i hadn't been on it i would still be trying to be on it now at 32 like i would always try to be on it because it was my dream but it's like getting to i wish i didn't have to do a sexual metaphor for it but sometimes i make everything into like a satisfaction um situation it's like getting to sleep with that like really hot person that you're like they're so wrong for me I'll be my worst self around them yeah I'll always try to be so hot and so perfect around them

and like I will always even if they like consistently want to be with me I'll always wonder if they still want to be with me the second after we're done that's what it was like I think that's reasonable yeah it's just like sucking a dick and then being like nami and they're like no sorry

this is what it like is sort of like i'm tired yeah you're like oh i don't do that oh that's even worse yeah um but it didn't end well or it did um well looking back on it it ended exactly well or it did? Well, looking back on it, it ended exactly as it should have ended. That's the best way to look back on anything. Yeah. I mean, it was like really hurt my feelings when I got fired, but-

What was the story? I don't know. I don't know why I got fired. But what was the, what'd you do? I think, I mean, well, first of all, obviously my first episode was like a disaster because I said fuck and I'm like over talking about that. I think, I mean, well, first of all, obviously my first episode was like a disaster because I said fuck and I'm like over talking about that.

That's what happened. I said fuck by mistake in a sketch that I wrote. And then the like, what really sucked about that was that I became the girl that made a mistake when until then, like I've just kind of lived my life my own way and I was a stand up and. You can say fuck. And you know what? You can say fuck. And also who who gives a shit I don't feel bad about it and I'm not sorry um I'm only sorry for how I treated myself that you beat yourself up so much so bad

after the first episode yeah oh it must have been just fucking awful it sucked I mean everybody was so supportive like I remember even at the good night. Was it unprecedented? I don't know. Like, I didn't know anything about what was going on. It had never been on live TV. It slipped out. I was too comfortable and too excited. And like, whatever.

The reason why I don't like talking about it is just because it's usually in a more traditional interview when people forget like everything else I've done and it bothers me and I don't like the idea of like and I said this like to Terry Gross which was like really scary but I did and I was like I just don't like the idea of like Seth Meyers or Bill Hader or Amy Poehler listening to this and thinking this is what I'm talking about when I've like done a lot since then and I've been I've done those things I'm proud of on purpose. Yeah. But anyway, yeah, I mean, I just think people, other people just seem to fit in better. Just they were more, but nobody's at ease.

I mean, even Kristen would be like, I don't know, I'm nervous every week. But you did stay there the entire season after that. I did, and I did some things I'm really proud of. Like, I love this, like, doorbell character that I did. And I wrote a sketch for Betty White where she was going, she's a lesbian. And Amy Poehler was playing, like, an obvious young lesbian. And everyone was, like, you know, trying to make her be something she wasn't. And it was, like, a total honor to write that for Amy and to be in that. total honor to write that for Amy and to be in that. And it was both positive and really,

really hard. Cause I was super abusive to myself. I just, my husband said that it was like watching a bunch of football players, stomp on a painting, but I don't know who I am. The painting, you know,

and also in the football players, half the football players. Yeah. Like he was like, whatever. Like, why do you even care? Why do you care? Just quit. I know.

But that's easy to answer. Yeah. It's the most important thing in your life. Right. It's like, you know, it's something you want to do your entire life. And, you know, the thing about having a personality like that I share with you is that, you know, whether or not you admit it, you want desperately to be liked and you want desperately to connect and you want to do a good job. And if you're not getting that feedback, your natural tendency would be to be like, I'm not doing a good enough job.

They don't like me. So it's a creative problem. It's an Achilles heel. Yeah. It's a creative problem. It's Achilles heel. Yeah. There's sort of like the sense there at least that what I erroneously assumed because also I had like watched, you know, all the Gilda Radner shit.

Yeah. Because I was like, I'm perfect for this because I'm wild at heart and I work off of joy. And when I'm not happy and when I'm scared, like I don't do well. So I was like, I'll be. And my parents were always like, yeah, you're perfect for it because of that. Like you can definitely do it. And then I got there and I was like, oh, it's not. I don't want to call it a culture of fear, but it's a high stress environment.

And you almost have to earn the right to be operating off of joy only. I don't know if anybody does that. You're making, as Lauren said to me, and I don't think I'll ever forget it. Like he was like, it's okay. But like, he was like, I'm going to pull you back now because I don't want this to be the first thing that everyone writes about you. You know, that you said, fuck, which by the way it was. And I think it's kind of over now, but he was like, it takes a long time at least three years to become comfortable in the top of a skyscraper in in a skyscraper in the middle of new york city in the middle of the night on live tv yeah and i just remember being like yeah i guess that is what it is that is what we're

doing here it's like fucking psycho yeah psycho job yeah and And I'm really glad that I only had to work there for a year. And I think it's sort of a benevolent act that I got fired. And I didn't really expect it until like at the end of the year. I was like, all right, I had a rough go. But and I remember Seth saying to me, like at the final party, he was like, you're going to be a force of nature next year. party he was like you're gonna be a force of nature next year and then i remember like a week later suddenly having this feeling i was like no i'm not i'm gonna get fired and then i just waited all summer to get fired and i like went to france and got super fucking constipated and just like couldn't take a shit in france and it sucked i was like eating tons of cheese and baguettes. You connect the two? I, yeah.

I think I just held in my shit until I got fired. And then you let it go. And then I was just like, and I just broke 90 toilets in a row. And you don't really, you never really investigated why or you have a sense of it? Not that it matters, but just mean, just for your own sense.

Well, what happened was I was in therapy and I got out and I went on my phone and I saw on Deadline Hollywood, which now- That's how you found out? Yes, was that I was fired. And so I called my agent, Sharon, and I was like, hi, Sharon. Sharon Jackson? Jackson. And I was like, I just read that I got fired but nobody called me like

is it I mean I was like I I kind of expected but I don't know like did I get fired and um she was like well I haven't heard anything and you know let me check it out and then and she was like but I did see deadline you know and she was like I don't know let's you know let's not say yes or no yet and then she called me back and she was like yeah honey you're fired or you know and she was like I don't know let's you know let's not say yes or no yet and then she called me back and she was like yeah honey you're fire or you know like you're not renewed but it's okay and I was I started crying and I was like I feel like somebody just put me in a hole like I'm so embarrassed and but then it was like a huge sense of relief. And then I just went to the supermarket and bought a lot of groceries and just started to bake and like baked all these cookies and ordered pizza and invited my friends over and just smoked a ton of weed and was like, phew, man, I never have to do that again. I never have to feel any of those feelings again. And that I will never forget that.

feel any of those feelings again and that i will never forget that and then i just like wrote seth a thank you note and said thank you because i really really liked him and he's a great boss and then he you know he called me and we talked and i don't know and then it was just over for me at least well it sounds like you know in retrospect and in dealing with you know what how it like how you reacted to it and what you put yourself through during it and because of it was in your control. And, and, and you don't have to do that again, no matter what the situation. And also it seems to me that, you know, the, the experience was invaluable and, and that, you know, you lived through it and you did some great work, but, you know, the biggest lesson is not only that you're professional but that you know you don't have to ever treat yourself like that in any situation yes and i don't know that

i would have learned that in such a like succinct right lesson and by the time i was out it was like and also my husband and i had just made marcel the shell And I realized like something in my nature, which is like, there is a deep well of just wanting to be alive. Like I get super pumped to go to bed at night because I'm excited to wake up in the morning and I love being alive. And I was just like, that is not a negligible part. That's not a part of me that's like silly. I'm putting that forward. That's going to be the first thing. And also there's alongside that, there's a well of creativity because, you know, Marcel the Shell, the film and the book, like the thing is, is that you were afforded this luxury in a way of not doing, you know, six or eight seasons of SNL.

Yeah. Tapping out as a female performer, being typecast. Yeah. And then, you know, sort of on the other side of it at 40 or 40. Now, I'm not saying it's a negative thing, but then struggling to define your voice. Right. Like you were sort of afforded this luxury,

though it was painful, to sort of still have this time now as a relative unknown in terms of what you can do and what's ahead of you to really define yourself on your own terms. Yeah, yeah, totally. It's really sort of a prototypical birth by fire. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah, totally. It's like really sort of a, you know, prototypical birth by fire. It's great. But it's cool

and like, that doesn't mean that I didn't, you know, get stage fright or whatever after, but fuck it. And in general,

I, if I looked into the future then, you know, and could see myself now and especially after having made Obvious Child. Making an independent film with these two women that I love so much. And that make me feel better in every way about myself.

And make me feel excited. And to just have full on done this. I would be proud of the specificity of this type of personal um success no it's amazing and i you know to you know you obviously you've done you know some tv and you've done some voices for animation and stuff but obvious child you know i watched it and i get a lot of stuff oh yeah you know people like go see it but i went on? Thanks. Yeah. And I wasn't that familiar with you. Yeah. And only because I'm relatively detached.

Yeah. I am too. Yeah. And, you know, like that movie, I was like so excited when I left. Like, that was great. That girl's great. I want to talk to her. I'm so glad.

I'm really glad. That was really, to be honest with you, was you was you know I'd heard some of the stuff you know in doing some research of what people told me but that was my first experience with you as anything I'm lucky

I'm glad that's the thing I'm the most proud of it's great yeah I like the story I thought it was ballsy I thought you were great

and you played that you know pretty fucking real yeah it is pretty real well there's a transition in that thing where you have to own these decisions that, at least publicly, are difficult.

Yeah. And you did it with candor and with sincerity and the logic, the emotional logic of it did not deter from the sweetness of the film and that was the biggest challenge of that movie. Yeah, Gillian Robespierre, the writer, director, she is so fucking smart. She's just a sweetie, too.

You know? Yeah. She has become a very important person in my life. And what, so that was, you know, I recommended it right after I saw it. Yeah. So what's happening now? Wait, how many siblings do you have?

Two. How are they? They're cool. They're great. One of them's at my house right now. Older or siblings do you have two how are they they're cool they're great one of them's at my house right now older younger i have both i'm a middle child of course and what's the older one do uh my older sister's name is abby she's a nurse practitioner oh she has three kids and my younger sister's name is stacy and she worked for alice waters um and the edible schoolyard foundation and now she's going back to school to become a mental health counselor oh god yeah that's so good yeah they're good women decent people yeah yeah

so what are you doing now um well i'm doing a bunch of stuff i just finished crawl show season three and i'm i'm on a show on Showtime called House of Lies. I'm going to go back to that. And then I'm in this, I have some movies I'm going to do, but I don't know which will come first or what will happen. And I started doing a new voiceover movie, but I don't know if I'm allowed to say what it is. Are you doing any um any any stuff of of

your own um my husband and i have a new marcel the shell book and short and we want to make a feature of it and i want to write a movie for myself um like a good sort of throwback lily tomlin style movie studio film that. That's what I want. Great. Yeah, one with heart. Oh, and as promised, when did you go back to the fortune teller? I started to go back. Well, this is the weirdest thing.

So she was like, in August, you'll be given the big stage. I got hired. She's like, in September, you're going to call me. I called her on the Sunday after I had said, fuck, on SNL. And she was like, Jenny, I told her you would call me i called her on the sunday after i had said fuck on snl and she was like jenny i told her you would call me and i was like oh my god and that and i had just remembered that yeah yeah and so i called her then and uh she was basically like it's gonna be a tough one for you girl it's to be a tough one for you, girl. It's going to be a tough one.

But you can make it through. But you don't. She was like, I can't help you. And I was like, what? And she was just like, we're just going to have to go week by week on this one. And I was just like, that sucks. It sucks. Yeah.

Yeah. And? We did. I did. You kept in touch with her? Yeah. I went to her sucks. That sucks. Yeah. Yeah. And? We did. I did. You kept in touch with her? Yeah. I went to her. To the psychic?

Yeah. For like, I went to her week after week for like a month, two months. Yeah. And then I was like, what am I doing? Okay. Okay. Well, that's good that finally happened. Yeah, totally.

All right. Well, thanks for talking. Thanks for having me. That's it, that's our show. See that? How can you not love her? All right, go to WTFpod.com for all your WTF pod needs. Mark is clapping.

What else? Yeah, there's merch there. You can get some Christmas presents. We stocked up to T-shirts and things and mugs. You can get the app and upgrade to get all of them, all the stuff. You can, oh, my Largo show is sold out, by the way. I'll do another one another time.

What else? Are we playing guitar? Are we? All right. If you want to stay, stay. another one another time what else are we playing guitar are we all right if you want to stay stay now I'd like now it's gonna I'm gonna have to start writing stuff for this part yeah so okay Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay.

Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay.

Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay.

Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay.

Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay.

Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay.

Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay.

Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Boomer lives! Kneeballs and mozzarella balls? Yes, we can deliver that. Uber Eats. Get almost almost anything.

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