Episode 1653 - Megan Stalter
Marc:All right, let's do this.
Marc:How are you?
Marc:What the fuckers?
Marc:What the fuck buddies?
Marc:What the fuck next?
Marc:What's happening?
Marc:I'm Mark Maron.
Marc:This is my podcast.
Marc:Welcome to it.
Marc:If you're new here, welcome.
Marc:You got a lot of catching up to do.
Marc:If you're regulars, how are you?
Marc:Everything all right?
Marc:Did you get that thing fixed?
Marc:When are you going to see the guy?
Marc:When are you going to see the doctor?
Marc:When are you going to see that guy about your car?
Marc:When's the guy coming over to fix the thing?
Marc:What's happening?
Marc:Where are we at?
Marc:Slow down.
Marc:Take it easy.
Marc:Take a breather.
Marc:Don't get your heart rate too fast.
Marc:Hey, look, what is happening?
Marc:What is happening?
Marc:We're standing here on the brink of destruction.
Marc:Oh, my God, what a relief it is to have a president that unites the people and is able to give them comfort in difficult times.
Marc:What a relief that we have a president who feels like a leader and that we can all rally behind and kind of know that he'll he'll do his best to do the right thing.
Marc:What a relief.
Marc:We have a responsible and thoughtful and intelligent president surrounded by thoughtful, intelligent and professional people.
Marc:You know, it's it's rare that it happens.
Marc:But, man, we've really got it now, don't we?
Marc:God damn it.
Marc:Yes, we're all going to go down together.
Marc:Even those of us that didn't want to.
Marc:Anyway, what's happening?
Marc:I have what I what have I been doing?
Marc:First off, first off.
Marc:Megan Stalter is on the show, and she's so fucking funny.
Marc:I mean, she is so fucking funny.
Marc:She plays Kyla, the assistant to manager Jimmy, and later his co-manager on Hacks.
Marc:She has a background in sketch comedy and improv comedy, and now she has this new Netflix series called Too Much.
Marc:But she's just a raw talent, man.
Marc:And I mean that in the best way.
Marc:Everything seems...
Marc:Like it's happening in the moment.
Marc:And she's just naturally funny.
Marc:I was very excited to talk to her.
Marc:I didn't know how much we talk in terms of like, you know, she's pretty young in terms of people I know.
Marc:But it was great.
Marc:Great conversation.
Marc:And I just like her.
Marc:But aside from that, I've been taking it easy.
Marc:Yeah, taking it easy here on the brink of World War III.
Marc:Just trying to find a little space to enjoy my fucking summer.
Marc:Turns out I like summer.
Marc:I don't know if I've really said it out loud, but summer is, I used to think I was a fall guy because I like those colors.
Marc:I like layering.
Marc:But I think after years of being in Los Angeles where layering isn't that necessary, you know, I like wearing shorts.
Marc:I like wearing surfer shorts.
Marc:I like wearing sandals.
Marc:I like wearing linen-y kind of shirts, short-sleeved shirts.
Marc:And if it gets chilly, I got a buddy now, my friend Sarah, over at Deco Denim.
Marc:She made me two of these kind of lightweight chore coats that are just sweet.
Marc:It's not that I'm moving out of the Ship John thing.
Marc:It's just a summer.
Marc:Summer, we're doing a different thing.
Marc:We need a little lighter, a little airy.
Marc:I like the chore jacket.
Marc:And I just want to sit on my fucking porch and think.
Marc:have a coffee, read a little bit.
Marc:I started reading Moby Dick.
Marc:That's what I want to do.
Marc:Is that okay?
Marc:But there's a lot of shit going on.
Marc:A lot of bad shit, but I'm finding a zone.
Marc:Then take it fucking easy, man.
Marc:Can you hear it in my voice?
Marc:I'm going to take it fucking easy.
Marc:Did a lot of cleaning, cleaned up the whole porch.
Marc:It was getting a little, my porch was getting a little redneck-y.
Marc:A lot of stuff on the porch.
Marc:There was some furniture that was no longer in the house.
Marc:It was on the porch.
Marc:A lot of boxes.
Marc:There was a tarp on the porch.
Marc:There was a broken table on the porch.
Marc:It was... Shit was building up, man.
Marc:And I just cleaned it all up because your home...
Marc:your apartment, whatever it is, whatever your living situation is, it does mean something to get it in order, to get it streamlined, to make it organized, just so when you walk into it, there's a moment where you're like, yes, yes, yes.
Marc:And now, like, I have that out there.
Marc:So I had a weird thing happen.
Marc:And I think I handled it well.
Marc:But let's do some business.
Marc:You can watch me on the Apple Show Stick streaming now.
Marc:I think there's four or five episodes up there.
Marc:So here's what happened.
Marc:So I get a package.
Marc:On my porch, my clean porch.
Marc:And it's a UPS box.
Marc:And I take it in the house, I open it.
Marc:And in the box are a big, there's another, there's a Manoa envelope and then a stack of papers with canceled checks, not canceled checks, process checks and forms all about, you know, it's insurance stuff.
Marc:It's, you know, Quest Diagnostics, but it's a stack of stuff.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:It looks pretty, you know, like someone is like turning in the whole file to get a claim met.
Marc:And I'm like, what is this?
Marc:At first I thought like, oh, no, and crazy person has sent me something that I don't know what to do with.
Marc:And then I realized it does have there.
Marc:It's a thing.
Marc:This is supposed to be somewhere was an urgent box.
Marc:And then I look at the mailing label and it's my address, okay?
Marc:My address.
Marc:But it's addressed to the attention of some person, another person.
Marc:And it's Blue Cross Blue Shield, 39th floor, my address in Glendale.
Marc:And I'm like, what the fuck is happening?
Marc:And then I started to, you know, kind of freak out.
Marc:Like, this needs to be somewhere, you know?
Marc:So I look up my address.
Marc:with Blue Cross Blue Shield, and it's in a total other state.
Marc:And then, you know, I taped the box back up because I don't know what to do with it, but I know it needs to get somewhere because someone might need to get their claim honored if that even happens.
Marc:So I call this Blue Cross Blue Shield in this other state.
Marc:And, of course, you can't get through to anybody calling an insurance company.
Marc:There's no way.
Marc:And you're not going to get a person.
Marc:There's no way to look it up.
Marc:I looked up the person whose name was on it and I'm like, fuck.
Marc:I started to feel like the urgency, like this needs to get somewhere.
Marc:Someone sent this overnight and now it's on my porch.
Marc:So I go to UPS and I'm like, I don't, I have a pretty good feeling.
Marc:I did some research.
Marc:This needs to be in Blue Cross Blue Shield, but this is my address.
Marc:And the guy's like, yeah, well, we can't, you know, we can't return it to sender.
Marc:You've opened it already.
Marc:I'm like, well, what the fuck am I going to do?
Marc:He goes, we can put it back in the system, but it'll just end up at your house.
Marc:And I'm like, all right.
Marc:And he said, what's the return address?
Marc:And I'm like, it looks like I don't know.
Marc:And I looked at the return address and I looked that up.
Marc:And that was in Texas at a Blue Cross Blue Shield in Texas.
Marc:So I call that number and it's not even connected.
Marc:Like I'm going to get through to insurance.
Marc:So I don't know what to do.
Marc:But this is the kind of thing where it's sort of like not my problem.
Marc:But isn't it?
Marc:You know, somebody is, you know, looking to get made well by the insurance company.
Marc:And it was a massive amount of paperwork, like singular paperwork, like checks.
Marc:So I really had to figure out, you know, what am I going to do?
Marc:I made all the calls.
Marc:I know it came from a Blue Cross.
Marc:It's going to a Blue Cross, both other states.
Marc:But it is my address.
Marc:So what I chose to do was go ahead and assume that I was correct and where it was supposed to go.
Marc:And I just paid for it to be shipped there.
Marc:Not overnight.
Marc:It would cost a fortune.
Marc:But it will get there, I think.
Marc:And I just hope it gets there.
Marc:But now I have the tracking.
Marc:And now I'm kind of invested in this story.
Marc:And now I'm in the middle of something.
Marc:I don't think I did anything wrong.
Marc:I accidentally opened a package, but I'm trying to make it right.
Marc:And I hope it gets to where it needs to go.
Marc:And I hope the person gets paid for their pain.
Marc:I mean, that's why you have insurance.
Marc:But someone fucked up.
Marc:I guess it was just one of those, you know, same addresses and they give you all those options and someone hit the wrong one.
Marc:But I hope it gets to where it's supposed to go.
Marc:And I felt that was the right thing to do.
Marc:And it did feel a bit like a good deed.
Marc:And then I lost my, I was hoping for some karma, you know.
Marc:I lost my AirPod case for my AirPods because I went into the gym with him.
Marc:And then, I don't know, I left him somewhere.
Marc:And it was a couple days ago.
Marc:And I couldn't find him in my car.
Marc:I couldn't find him around my car when I came out because I knew they were somewhere.
Marc:And I don't know.
Marc:I didn't even think.
Marc:I've got to adapt even deeper into technology.
Marc:I didn't think to do the find the thing, you know, app on the iPhone.
Marc:I did it yesterday.
Marc:And it said that they were still in the parking lot.
Marc:So I went back to the parking lot all excited.
Marc:I thought like, well, you know what?
Marc:This is a nice full circle day.
Marc:Looked all over the place.
Marc:No, couldn't find them.
Marc:But they were there somewhere.
Marc:And I went into the gym and I asked them if anyone brought them back because it's the parking lot for the gym.
Marc:No, no.
Marc:They suggest I go to the office or the parking lot.
Marc:No.
Marc:So now I'm just like they're in a car.
Marc:It's not specific enough, but probably for good reason.
Marc:People are going to be showing up to people's houses.
Marc:You got my my AirPod case.
Marc:No, I know you do.
Marc:I followed the trail.
Marc:It's all right on my phone.
Marc:You liar.
Marc:You liar.
Marc:But, you know, I'm impulsive and nuts and I just I couldn't find it.
Marc:And then I assumed, well, someone must have put them in their car and they're just sitting in a car.
Marc:They found them and they're not going to do anything with them.
Marc:But I'm like, you're going to have to eat it, buddy.
Marc:Got to get another AirPod case.
Marc:So I ordered that.
Marc:But now, like, I think it'll be fun to.
Marc:check in and follow my other AirPod case around.
Marc:Maybe someday it'll come back to me.
Marc:Maybe someday I'll show up at someone's house and go, hey, I know this is weird, but do you have my AirPod case, the charging case?
Marc:No.
Marc:I know it's in here, you fuck.
Marc:That's not the right tone.
Marc:All right, so look, you guys, Megan Stalter is here.
Marc:She's in all four seasons of Hacks, and they're all streaming on Macs.
Marc:Her new Netflix series, Too Much, premieres July 10th, and this is me meeting her and talking to her.
Marc:How you doing?
Guest:I feel so amazing.
Marc:Really?
Marc:In general?
Guest:Yeah, I had a really sweet smoothie on the way here, so I felt, I feel jacked up.
Marc:Oh, really?
Marc:What was it?
Guest:It was a date carrot smoothie.
Marc:Oh, date smoothies.
Guest:And so I'm like, I don't like to eat... It's lost sugar, you're good.
Guest:Well, I was going to say, but it's natural sugar, right?
Marc:Right, but we got to get this in before you fall asleep.
I was...
Guest:But natural sugar, am I going to crash as much?
Marc:Sure.
Marc:I think so.
Guest:Oh, God.
Guest:I don't know.
Marc:But there's all kinds of good stuff.
Marc:I mean, I don't really know.
Marc:But I like date shakes.
Marc:You ever go to, like I'm vegan, you ever go to Fred 62?
Marc:I don't think so.
Marc:On Vermont.
Marc:It's open real late.
Marc:It's like a dinery kind of place.
Guest:Oh, it's like a vegan diner?
Marc:No, it's like a regular place, but they have vegan stuff.
Marc:But they make a vegan date shake with coconut bliss ice cream.
Guest:Do you fall asleep with it?
Marc:No, because usually I drink it like one in the morning.
Marc:After a show, I'll go over there.
Marc:I've only done it twice.
Guest:But it keeps you up or it doesn't?
Marc:No, it just makes me feel like fucked up in the morning.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:I didn't drink the full shake, so I won't be too... Oh, good.
Marc:So I watched like several episodes of the new show too much.
Guest:You did?
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:Oh, my God.
Marc:So fucking funny.
Guest:Thank you.
Marc:You're so funny.
Guest:That means a lot to me.
Guest:I really like because I've never done a show like that.
Marc:Really?
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:Well, I guess.
Guest:Very rom-com.
Marc:Right.
Marc:But it's like it's just but it's all you.
Guest:It's like subverted rom-com.
Marc:Subverted rom-com with the kind of like British twist.
Guest:Yes.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:Like it's kind of modeled on, what is it?
Marc:Bridget Jones Diary or what is that what it's called?
Guest:Well, we did it with Working Title who did a lot of rom-com, British rom-com movies that are amazing.
Guest:And yeah, I love British Jones Diary.
Marc:It's very like British.
Marc:You do?
Guest:Well, that's sort of like... Sorry.
Marc:Yeah.
Guest:We have a joke in the show where I call it...
Guest:The British Jones Diaries?
Guest:Yeah, yeah.
Guest:And so now I accidentally say that?
Guest:Yeah, yeah.
Guest:Bridget Jones Diaries.
Marc:But still, it's like you in this world, and you're so kind of, I don't know if the word is neurotic and slightly aggravated, but it's just that the contrast is very funny with all the people around you.
Marc:Thank you.
Marc:You know, British or not British.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:I think that's what you're a genius at, is the contrast of you and the world.
Thank you.
Guest:Thank you.
Guest:She definitely is like a nervous girl having a breakdown who's also confident at the same time.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:And like, I feel like there's some anger in there.
Guest:Definitely.
Guest:And she's going through a horrible, crazy breakup.
Marc:That's right.
Marc:That she keeps obsessing about Emily Ratajkowski.
Guest:Which is so funny to me because that's what people do when they're going through a breakup.
Guest:They're obsessed over the new person.
Marc:Sure.
Marc:But back in the day, back in my day, you didn't get to watch them together every day on Instagram posts.
Guest:That's what's psycho about where we live now.
Marc:It's totally psycho.
Marc:I can't even imagine.
Marc:Like, I'll check in on a couple X's online.
Guest:Yeah, it's fun.
Marc:Yeah, but I don't know.
Marc:No, it's not.
Guest:It's fun if you're like, oh, like, what do they look like now?
Marc:Oh, sure, sure.
Marc:Oh, look what happened to that person.
Guest:Or like, oh, I guess if you're like completely, there's no hard feelings, it's fun to look, right?
Guest:Sure.
Guest:But then if there is, I guess, then I can imagine it being like, oh, but I... But your character's obsessed.
Guest:But she's obsessed almost to a, like, sexual level.
Marc:Yeah.
Guest:Like, it's almost gay, but it's not because she's so straight.
Marc:Right.
Marc:It's funny because you chose whoever did it, cast Emily Ratajkowski.
Guest:Yeah, it's perfect.
Marc:And it's just the idea.
Marc:She's perfect.
Marc:Of her being married to, what's his name?
Marc:What's that actor's name?
Guest:Oh, Michael.
Marc:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Guest:Yeah, from Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:I'm like, okay, maybe.
Guest:You don't think that they would go for each other?
Marc:I'm like, I'm still waiting to see what he's got that would make that a possibility.
Guest:It's so, he just does such a good job in the show.
Guest:No, he's great.
Guest:He truly does, though, like, come off as, like, so evil in certain scenes.
Guest:But there are flashbacks where you're like, wait, like, I could see this person being charming.
Guest:Sure.
Guest:Which is, I feel like you don't always see in a show.
Guest:Like, you usually see, like, the X is like, oh, X, it's in the past.
Guest:But to see, like, someone getting over it and, like...
Guest:There was girls in our makeup trailer that truly were talking about whether she should be with the ex or not.
Guest:And I'm like, are you guys crazy?
Guest:Like, he's horrible.
Marc:Yeah.
Guest:But they've seen all of the story.
Marc:With you?
Marc:With your character?
Guest:Yeah, like the, you know, the two guys in it.
Guest:Like, she's falling for this new guy.
Guest:There's a little guy.
Guest:And they talked about whether or not, like, who they'd choose.
Guest:I'm like, what are you talking about?
Marc:Right.
Guest:You choose the ex?
Guest:He was horrible to her.
Marc:Right.
Marc:They're involved with the story, at least.
Guest:But they're into the story.
Guest:They see the flashbacks.
Guest:Like, I can see the charm of this guy.
Marc:But it's just so funny when you deal... Because I did an episode of Easy, Joe Swanberg's show.
Guest:I love that show.
Marc:Yeah, with Emily.
Guest:I loved your episode.
Guest:Oh, thank you.
Marc:And it's just like... Look, I...
Marc:People of that type of beauty, you know, that's just this natural.
Marc:It's almost like they're aliens.
Guest:Like they're like.
Guest:Like AI.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:Where did you come from?
Marc:How do you even interface with the real world?
Marc:So there's that sort of thing that.
Marc:But she's kind of underplayed.
Marc:She's pretty good at being a regular person.
Guest:She's so like sweet.
Guest:And she's such a like girl's girl.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:When I met her, I was like, oh, my God, she, like, lives for her friends.
Guest:It's nice.
Guest:And it's so, like, it made it really easy to be, like, obsessing over her in the show.
Guest:But not easy to be mad at her, of course.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:Yeah, I don't know.
Marc:Because I guess I think that, sadly, maybe I'm projecting that, that there's, when somebody's that naturally beautiful, there's some part of you that wants to not like them.
Yeah.
Guest:Why do you think that?
Guest:Like is it society being like, oh, like you can't like have it all or something?
Marc:No, I just I think it's sort of intimidating.
Marc:No, I think it's just basic insecure jealousy.
Guest:Yeah, I see.
Marc:Right.
Marc:I don't like, you know, like it's like even.
Guest:Oh, you're like, I don't.
Guest:Oh, like it's.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:I see what you're saying.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:Like, you know, what does she have to worry about?
Guest:It's insecurity.
Guest:Of course.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:Even like when you're in high school or when I was in high school, you know, these dudes, you know, that were like seem to have it all together.
Marc:And you're like, no, I'm not that guy.
Marc:Fuck that guy.
Guest:It makes you feel better to be like, well, there has to be like, yeah, I don't like that person.
Guest:They couldn't be nice.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:You can only hope that they're struggling with some horrible thing.
Guest:She's a perfect angel.
Marc:Oh, God damn it.
Marc:You would love her.
Marc:No, I met her.
Guest:You would still love her.
Guest:Oh, yeah, you guys work together.
Marc:Of course you know her.
Marc:But you find out as time goes on that everybody has their own struggles.
Guest:There's ugly people that are mean and there's beautiful people that are nice.
Marc:And Hax, too, you're great in that, too.
Marc:Thank you.
Marc:You're very funny.
Marc:Different character.
Guest:Wacky assistant.
Yeah.
Marc:Yeah, but I like the fact that she turns out to really kind of nail it here and there.
Guest:It's kind of, I really think these scenes are so sweet.
Guest:Like her and Jimmy loving each other.
Guest:Those are my favorite things to do.
Marc:Well, I just like his inability to really sort of have a boundary.
Marc:That's the funniest part, is that you just keep coming and eventually it's like, okay.
Guest:Do you think they'd be a good couple?
Guest:You want to see them be a couple in the show or no?
No.
Guest:No.
Marc:I don't know because, like, I don't know how that would play out.
Marc:What if it doesn't play out well?
Marc:And you know whether or not you did it or not.
Guest:I think that it's like they are not going to ever hook up or be married.
Guest:But I think if he had a girlfriend, she would, like, slash her tires.
Marc:Sure, sure.
Guest:And I could see Kayla getting pregnant and Jimmy stepping up as the father.
Marc:Oh, you can't.
Guest:Yeah, but not in a romantic way.
Guest:More like, I'm going to take care of my family.
Marc:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Guest:He's her guy.
Marc:Yeah, yeah, I know.
Marc:I know.
Marc:That's a fun show.
Marc:And you have Robbie on there now.
Guest:So funny.
Marc:Yeah, yeah.
Marc:So funny.
Marc:She's so good.
Guest:She's so good.
Marc:So, like, I don't know, you know, where you came from.
Guest:Mm-hmm.
Marc:Or where, like, all of a sudden, because I'm old and somehow I miss a chunk of time.
Marc:And there's all these people coming up.
Guest:How old do you think I am?
Marc:35.
Marc:35.
Guest:oh you must have looked up no how old are you i'm about to be 35 oh it was so the reason why i say you looked up is it's so it's so true to my age that i'm like you really nailed it because i'm just about to be 35 yeah yeah but i have a hard time telling how old people are how are you able to tell like right on the dot you're good at that
Marc:Well, I don't know.
Marc:I don't think I saw how old you are, but I do know, like, I have a hard time identifying, like, once people get in their 30s, like, I wouldn't, I don't know how old anyone is.
Guest:But that's what's crazy about you guessing it right is because usually people are like, oh, 36, 34, you know, like one or two off.
Guest:You're really great.
Marc:It was a medium.
Marc:It was like, I just took a shot.
Marc:But you're not going to, you know, get mad at people who say 34 or 36.
Marc:Yeah.
Guest:No, of course not.
Marc:But if people say 40, then you're, you know.
Guest:I wouldn't even be mad.
Guest:40 is so young.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:A little bit about 28.
Guest:28 is like a teenager, though.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:Yeah, I guess so.
Guest:Like 20s or teens.
Guest:40s is young.
Marc:I'm 61.
Guest:60s is young.
Marc:Yeah, I don't know.
Marc:It is.
Marc:I like the idea of that.
Marc:You know, I do.
Marc:I understand that.
Guest:It is young.
Marc:Well, yeah, it's not 80.
Marc:When does old happen?
Guest:I think old is like 90.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:Wow.
Guest:I'm serious.
Marc:Everything below 90 is young?
Guest:I think 60 is very young.
Guest:I think 70 is like, okay, what are we doing?
Marc:We better get that stuff done.
Guest:Whatever we want.
Guest:Our job's just starting.
Guest:Our career's just starting at 70.
Marc:No, at 70 it's sort of like, I'm done with fucking work.
Guest:Let's go to a vacation.
Marc:I've got a little time left.
Guest:70?
Guest:I feel like you still have a lot of time left.
Marc:It just depends who you are.
Marc:I like that you're optimistic about it.
Marc:I got Buddy who I was with last night.
Marc:He was 71.
Marc:He's not thinking the same way you are.
Guest:What did he say?
Marc:No, no, he's okay.
Guest:He feels older.
Marc:You become very aware of the clock.
Guest:Is it kind of exciting, though?
Guest:It's like you know so much that happens.
Marc:Wow.
Marc:What does that mean?
Guest:I'm saying you have so many stories and then you still have so much life to live.
Marc:Maybe.
Marc:But you also know this is going to close up soon.
Guest:But that's how you could close up soon at 28.
Marc:I know, but that'd be tragic.
Guest:Well, yeah, but it'd be tragic at your age as well.
Guest:60s is very young.
Marc:Sure.
Guest:You have stories and a lot of life left.
Marc:As long as you remember them, because that can go too, depending on... But you podcast.
Guest:Of course you have so many stories you remember.
Marc:I do.
Marc:Sometimes they come up and I... Like, I did one on stage at Largo the other night that I hadn't done in a while.
Marc:Like, it was just something that happened with my mother when I was younger and Mulaney went on after me.
Marc:It's like, are you doing that in the special?
Marc:I'm like, no.
Marc:He's like, how are you not doing that?
Guest:Oh!
Guest:Oh, it just, like, came out.
Guest:Like, it wasn't planned.
Marc:Well, yeah, it's a very specific story about my mother's sense of humor that was inappropriate, and I was very young, and it made an impression on me.
Guest:What was the joke?
Guest:What was the story?
Guest:I need to know the joke.
Marc:It was not a joke.
Marc:It was just, like, you know, when you try to figure out where you get your sense of humor.
Guest:Yes, yeah.
Marc:Because my dad wanted to be funny, but I don't know how funny he was.
Marc:He was, you know, he was manic and kind of exciting sometimes.
Guest:Was he funny to you?
Marc:No, not really.
Guest:Okay, okay.
Marc:No, he was just a little scary and unpredictable or depressed.
Marc:But there was one time we were on a ski trip with another family, me and my brother, my little brother, and they had two kids who were a little younger than me and my brother, the Leffenfelds.
Marc:And we went up, our families went up to like a ski resort in Colorado.
Guest:That is so like glamorous.
Marc:Kind of.
Marc:You know, I guess so.
Marc:You know, it's just like we lived in New Mexico.
Marc:You ski.
Marc:Yeah, that's cool.
Yeah.
Marc:But we took this trip with this other family and we were at dinner and I don't know who said it.
Marc:Someone brought up one of the adults said, like, if you were like stranded in the snow on a mountain and it came down to, you know, having to eat the people that you were with, what part would you eat first?
Marc:And my mom, just without missing a beat, goes, I guess the penis, because at least I'm used to that.
Guest:Oh, my God.
Guest:How old were you?
Marc:Like 11.
Guest:Wait, that is a really dirty, funny joke.
Marc:Yes, that's why I remembered it.
Guest:Were you appalled or were you laughing?
Marc:I didn't know what to make of it.
Marc:You don't really know what to make of that.
Guest:I thought they were going to say, which family member would you eat?
Marc:No, no.
Marc:It was very specific.
Marc:And I was like, yeah, well, that kind of discomfort is what drives me to be funny, I guess.
Guest:Do you think you would eat one of your cats if something happened?
No.
Marc:No.
Guest:Or which one would you have if you had to eat one?
Guest:No, I can't.
Guest:I wouldn't do it.
Marc:If you had to.
Marc:If I had to eat a cat?
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:Which one would it be?
Marc:I guess Sam.
Guest:Is he the one you've had the least amount?
Marc:No.
Marc:He's just a little dumb.
Guest:Oh, my God.
Guest:You're going by the knowledge of what would be happening.
Marc:By the charm factor.
Guest:I would go on the meat of how big.
Marc:Oh, that's smarter.
Marc:He is the plumpest one.
Guest:Okay, good.
Guest:Okay.
Marc:Yeah, I don't want to think.
Marc:I don't eat any meat anymore.
Guest:Yeah, by the way, I wouldn't want to eat an animal.
Guest:I don't eat meat.
Guest:You don't either?
Guest:Unless it's a chicken that's been, like, organic.
Guest:Oh, a well-treated chicken.
Guest:A well-treated.
Guest:Last night I was like, oh, I only eat chicken if it's locally killed.
Guest:But I meant, like, not, like, killed in the area.
Guest:Like, locally sourced.
Marc:Oh, free-range.
Guest:Free-range, had a good life.
Marc:Happy chicken.
Guest:Happy chicken.
Guest:And it's only because I feel like I need it.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:But that's the only meat you eat.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:I don't eat meat.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:It's been a couple of years.
Marc:I don't eat any.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:It's all right.
Guest:People are crazy about meat and I just feel like it's a new thing.
Marc:It can't be good for you.
Marc:And people argue with me, but time will tell.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:I mean, it's all relative to your own body chemistry.
Marc:If you're going to sit there, these people are eating raw organ meat in the morning.
Marc:It's like, dude.
Guest:Some people only eat meat.
Guest:Bowls, bowls of meat.
Marc:I know.
Guest:I listened to like a health podcast and the person, I'm not going to say the name of the podcast, but I will say the person eats so much meat.
Guest:It's all she eats.
Guest:She's like a bowl of meat in the morning.
Guest:I'm like.
Marc:A bowl of meat.
Marc:And then they're, then they're on Instagram, like saying like yummy.
Marc:And you're like, in what world?
Guest:I know.
Guest:And you're taking in the, well, this is what my friend told me last night.
Guest:When you're eating meat, you're taking in the energy of that animal.
Marc:The fear.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:Yeah.
Guest:Totally.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:Just a fear burger.
Marc:Enjoy.
Marc:And,
Guest:And by the way, burgers always made me sick.
Marc:Really?
Guest:Well, don't they?
Guest:Didn't they make you?
Marc:No, I mean, like, I can't say that I didn't enjoy meat.
Guest:It tasted good, but I'm saying, didn't it not sit well with you?
Marc:No.
Guest:The idea of it?
Marc:No, not quite.
Guest:Okay.
Marc:Not quite.
Marc:You know where it really landed?
Marc:I mean, I understood that, but I didn't become a vegan necessarily for totally ethical reasons.
Marc:Oh, okay.
Marc:I just wanted to see how it would feel and what it would do.
Guest:Oh, interesting.
Marc:Okay.
Marc:But it's gotten more ethical as time goes on.
Marc:What happened was I was eating those...
Marc:those bone-in ribeyes like a ribeye steak that still had the oh you loved it the tomahawk steak you loved meat then well yeah but there was that one day where it was sort of like that's just this chunk of oh my god an animal yeah and this whole piece of it it's right there
Guest:It's really, it's really, well, in America, they treat their meat so horribly and they put so many hormones.
Guest:It's really not good for us.
Guest:So yeah, if you're in.
Marc:And some, they don't treat a lot of their people that well, to be honest.
Guest:That's true.
Marc:But like you came on the comedy scene and, you know, and you're performing and stuff and I knew you were on hacks and stuff, but because I'm sort of out of certain loops, I'm like, where did she come from?
Marc:This funny person.
Guest:Well, thank you for the compliment.
Guest:Do you think of me as an actor or a comedian, like a stand-up?
Marc:I think of you as a funny person.
Guest:Okay.
Guest:I like that.
Marc:Like when you were doing stand-up, I was like, does she do stand-up?
Marc:Right.
Marc:Okay.
Marc:But I don't even know if I knew you as an actor yet.
Guest:Well, I like that, keeping you on your toes.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:You're just this phenomenon.
Guest:Thank you.
Guest:That means a lot.
Guest:I would love for people to think that's what I am, because I did improv and stand-up in Chicago for years.
Marc:Really?
Guest:Where do you come from?
Guest:So I'm from Ohio.
Marc:Where?
Guest:Well, I was born in Cleveland, and I grew up in Dayton, Ohio.
Marc:I know Cleveland.
Guest:Cleveland's, I feel like, the most fun part of Ohio, probably.
Marc:Do you spend a lot of time in Cleveland?
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:What's the name of that corned beef place?
Guest:I don't know.
Guest:I'm not that good at the restaurant names.
Guest:I was born there and now I go back to see my family.
Guest:I always forget.
Marc:What is the name of that?
Guest:I don't know.
Guest:You're missing meat.
Marc:You're missing meat.
Marc:Are you sure?
Marc:It's this place where I would do radio shows to plug my gigs.
Guest:What is that place?
Marc:And then they'd be like, let's go get some corned beef.
Marc:I'm like, it's nine in the morning.
Guest:Like lunch meat corned beef?
Marc:Well, it's all they do at this place.
Guest:Really?
Guest:I don't think I've been there.
Marc:Slimans.
Guest:Okay, I've never heard of that.
Marc:Slimans corned beef.
Guest:That is interesting.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:You can order, I think you get corned beef and eggs.
Marc:Which is kind of a Jewish thing.
Guest:I'll have to ask my dad if he knows that place because... Of course he knows Slimans.
Guest:Of course they do.
Guest:I mean, I feel like he would eat something like maybe... My family all eats meat, so maybe they've eaten it.
Marc:Here we go.
Marc:Slimans breakfast menu.
Marc:Here.
Marc:Two fresh eggs with home fries and corned beef.
Marc:Two fresh eggs with corned beef.
Marc:Two fresh eggs with corned beef hash.
Marc:What would you get?
Marc:What?
Marc:I like corned beef hash.
Guest:Okay.
Marc:You know?
Guest:What would you get if you went now?
Guest:You wouldn't eat it.
Marc:I wouldn't go there.
Guest:Yeah, exactly.
Marc:But I used to do corned beef.
Marc:Jews do a corned beef and eggs thing.
Guest:I mean, if I ate meat, I definitely would try it.
Guest:Sure.
Guest:I don't think I've been there, though.
Marc:Then there was another place that just made the sausages.
Marc:In Cleveland, it was like sort of, there was this weird, there was a grilled cheese restaurant.
Guest:Is it called Melt?
Marc:Yeah.
Guest:I have been there.
Guest:And that I was crazy for.
Guest:You could get like a pierogi grilled cheese sandwich or like a pizza roll grilled cheese.
Guest:And of course you feel kind of sick after, but it's really good.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:There was a couple of like adventurous food.
Marc:I remember in Cleveland, there was a guy that was doing the sort of like artisanal sausage business.
Marc:And then you got Michael, Michael Simon, the master chef, you know, who had restaurants down there by, by, you know, that club on that street down by the stadium, you know, that one, six, six street.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:Yeah.
Guest:I don't know.
Guest:I'll have to check it out.
Marc:Well, what's dating like?
Guest:Well, Dayton is, Dayton, there just wasn't that much going on.
Guest:I think Cleveland was a lot more fun.
Guest:My family's all back in Cleveland now.
Guest:My dad has a tattoo shop in Cleveland called the Voodoo Monkey Tattoo.
Marc:Wait, your dad's a tattoo artist?
Guest:Yeah, and I have, and my brother does tattoos there, and I have tattoos from both of them, and that's the only people I want to tattoo me.
Marc:Does it say, like, if found, return to?
Guest:Voodoo Monkey Tattoo.
Yeah.
Marc:She's one of ours.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:That is a good idea for a tattoo.
Guest:It took me a long time.
Guest:Do you have tattoos?
Guest:No.
Marc:No, no, no, no, no.
Marc:I mean, everyone I know.
Marc:It's gotten to the point with tattoos.
Marc:I think that every woman I've dated over the last 20 years has had them.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:But I'd be hard pressed to tell you exactly what they are.
Marc:Like, I don't even.
Guest:Really?
Guest:Really?
Marc:Yeah, they don't register.
Marc:Because back in the day, you'd be like, what the fuck?
Marc:What is that tattoo?
Marc:And now it's sort of like... Everyone has one.
Marc:One of my girlfriends had an unfinished one for the entire time I knew her.
Guest:I don't think she ever finished it.
Guest:What was the tattoo?
Marc:It was kind of disturbing.
Marc:It was these two skulls with wings, but there was more to it that she never got done, so they were just these two skulls with wings.
Guest:I was once on a date with somebody.
Guest:I don't know if I'd call it a full date, but I will say that he had a noose tattoo around his neck.
Guest:Oh, God.
Guest:And I am interested in what that could mean because it did feel alarming.
Guest:He seemed like he was like kind of embarrassed about it.
Guest:Does that mean something?
Marc:Yeah, it means that, you know, that's a good question.
Marc:It's even what neck tattoos in general or people who tattoo their face.
Marc:It's like, do you not like you?
Guest:Well, I'm not going to say anything bad about the tattoo, but I will say I am alarmed.
Guest:And I am curious about what it can mean.
Guest:How long did you go out with that guy?
Guest:It was only a couple days.
Guest:It was not working out.
Marc:Well, why didn't it work out?
Guest:Well, you know, he, at the time, this was a long, long time ago.
Guest:And I think, um, I think I was like, well, I definitely was like not really interested in boyfriend and it was more interested in women, but I still dated guys at the time.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:And I think I just was like, he was, he was this like firefighter and he seemed kind of nice, but, and he probably is nice.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:But he seemed like something was happening that I didn't understand.
Marc:Like, I feel like a neck tattoo that was a noose.
Guest:I feel like maybe he had a wife.
Oh.
Guest:I feel like something was going on.
Guest:Like he seemed betrothed to someone else.
Guest:Like I don't think he felt available.
Guest:Like he felt like maybe something like he had a girlfriend or wife.
Guest:And if you're listening to this and I just told you that your husband's cheating on you, I'm really sorry.
Guest:But I don't know what to say.
Guest:A long time ago.
Guest:It was a long time ago.
Guest:Maybe he stopped.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:Maybe you're wrong.
Guest:Yeah, maybe I'm wrong.
Guest:He could have a girlfriend.
Guest:He could just be not emotionally available.
Guest:Sure.
Guest:It was more so like he'd be like, let's go out, let's go out.
Guest:And then I'd be like, okay.
Guest:And then he'd be like, I can't.
Guest:There's a fire downtown.
Guest:And I'm like, what?
Guest:He has to go out to the fires.
Marc:Yeah, you're fighting with fire.
Guest:What is the noose tattoo mean?
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:Well, I mean, it means that.
Guest:He was shy about it.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:Well, I mean, it means maybe he lives his life on the edge.
Marc:He's a firefighter.
Guest:Well, the person that you dated with the unfinished skulls.
Marc:Yeah.
Guest:Could you at least tell they were skulls?
Marc:Yeah.
Guest:Why didn't she get unfinished?
Marc:I don't know.
Marc:She was a little loopy.
Marc:Okay.
Marc:And that's being diplomatic.
Guest:Maybe they're together.
Marc:No, I doubt it.
Marc:The woman I'm with now has got several.
Marc:She's got a doggy and she's got some other stuff.
Guest:Like a dog she's had?
Marc:A dog she loves, yeah.
Marc:And a type of dog.
Marc:She's a doggy person.
Marc:But there's a bunch of other ones.
Marc:I'd have to really think about what they are.
Marc:It's so weird that you just get used to them.
Guest:yeah i know i don't get them on my arms i only have three i have three but they're on my legs because i'm like oh i'm an actor i want to do less tattoo coverage yeah then kayla is always in a skirt on hacks yeah so we're always doing it but um i have a bee with a wolf head like a wolf head yeah um like a rabbit and then
Guest:I have a tattoo that says, baby, I'm a, and then there's a star.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:And I think people think it's like a Prince song.
Guest:Well, it is, but it's not why I got it.
Marc:Oh, are you happy with them?
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:I've only seen a few that I really like.
Marc:I mean, some of them are cool.
Guest:If you had your own, what would you get?
Marc:I knew a girl had a tattoo.
Marc:It was just a little pineapple, and I thought it was nice.
Guest:Well, doesn't that mean like threesomes or swingers or something?
Marc:I don't know.
Marc:It does.
Guest:It means swingers.
Guest:Pineapple?
Guest:People used to put pineapples out to show their swingers.
Marc:Put them out where?
Marc:Yeah.
Guest:I don't know, around the house.
Guest:It would be like a signal.
Guest:You'd have a party.
Guest:There'd be a pineapple light-up lamp.
Marc:I don't know if that was what it was.
Marc:It is.
Marc:It's a long time ago.
Marc:It was the 90s.
Guest:Yeah, that's where it was prime, probably.
Marc:Oh, I missed the sign.
Guest:She was trying to swing.
Marc:Well, we weren't that kind of, we were just friends.
Guest:Oh.
Marc:And then I knew a girl who had Winnie the Pooh with his head stuck in the honeypot.
Marc:I really liked that one.
Guest:That's cute.
Marc:That's a good one.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:I don't think that means anything weird.
Marc:It just means like, you know, take it easy.
Guest:Yeah, it means take it easy, have a snack.
Marc:Or just go easy on what you like.
Marc:Oh, okay.
Guest:Oh, I thought you meant like, take it easy, have a snack.
Guest:No, no.
Guest:You're saying take it easy, gluttonous.
Marc:You got your head stuck in there, you honey addict.
Guest:Also, I asked ChatGPT for any tips on the podcast.
Marc:For this one?
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:You said Marc Maron's podcast?
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:What did it say?
Guest:They said my name too.
Marc:Yeah.
Guest:Well, first of all, I want to say I'm not promoting ChatGPT.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:Because I know the environment.
Guest:I wouldn't engage with it.
Guest:It seems really cool, but I'm not going to do it.
Guest:It's really cool, but I will say use it sparingly because it's really bad for the environment.
Guest:But that being said, I did put our names in and it told me...
Guest:It told me that it's going to be so electric because of our different personalities.
Guest:But it said to show my vulnerable side.
Guest:It said that you're going to ask questions about anxiety and personal questions.
Guest:And it said to hold back some of my wacky character, but then surprise you with it.
Guest:Isn't that creepy that it knows to do that?
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:Are you going to surprise me with the wacky character?
Guest:Yeah, I can't wait to do my big impression later.
Guest:But it said to show your vulnerable side.
Guest:Oh, and it said you don't like PR talk.
Marc:Oh, interesting.
Guest:Do you not?
Marc:I don't mind.
Marc:I mean, you know, we said you don't.
Marc:Well, I think the idea is that these are long form conversations that aren't hinged to what some people are promoting.
Marc:Where does it pull together that information?
Guest:from everything that it's ever, I'm not trying to entice you.
Guest:I know we shouldn't use it.
Guest:We should not use it.
Guest:Don't use it.
Marc:No, my friend, uh, Laura, like she like has very specific dietary needs and she'll say like, I have these ingredients.
Marc:How do I make a thing?
Marc:And it'll just tell you.
Guest:Well, I don't want to make it seem like I use it too much, but if you take a picture of your animal, it will tell you about its aura.
Guest:Really?
Guest:Yeah, and it's really right.
Marc:Really?
Guest:And you could put a picture of yourself in your face, and you could say, pretend to be a Chinese medicine doctor and tell me what's wrong, and it's fully accurate.
Marc:Come on!
Guest:I know.
Guest:It's pulling from everything online.
Guest:And also, these are prompts I saw on TikTok.
Guest:So, like, I'm just saying what's out there.
Guest:I'm not saying to use it.
Guest:Don't use ChatGBT.
Guest:It's very, very bad for the environment.
Guest:It's using a lot of water.
Marc:Have you ever asked it, why should I use ChatGBT?
Guest:No, that'd be interesting.
Marc:To have it like have a little meltdown.
Guest:I think you can, if you ask it like, why is it bad?
Guest:It will tell you why it's bad about the water, how it uses it.
Guest:Like it's fully just, it's just like a person.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:These are the reason why you shouldn't date me.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:Yeah, exactly.
Marc:But like, I'm pretty cool.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:But I could tell you about your animal's aura and I could read your palm.
Guest:You could, it could read your palm.
Marc:Yeah.
Guest:But we shouldn't let it.
Marc:I'm not going to do it.
Guest:Don't do it.
Guest:If you're listening, I'm against it.
Marc:So how long, so you're a kid in Dayton?
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:How many brothers and sisters?
Guest:So I have two sisters and a brother.
Marc:Really?
Marc:That's a lot.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:And I basically was kind of like.
Marc:Are you the youngest, the oldest?
Guest:I'm the oldest.
Marc:Oh, really?
Guest:Do I seem like older energy or younger?
Marc:Could go either way.
Guest:If I'm with my siblings, you could tell I'm the oldest.
Guest:I'm very bossy to only them.
Guest:Mothery, bossy.
Guest:But in my real life, I can be sort of wild.
Marc:Younger energy.
Marc:Younger sibling energy.
Guest:But definitely very motherly.
Marc:Was your mom around?
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:Oh, so you just kind of stepped in on occasion?
Guest:I think I don't know what that is.
Guest:It's an older daughter thing.
Marc:How old is the youngest one?
Guest:um so my youngest sister's 22 oh yeah so we're yeah are they still in ohio yeah yeah yeah you're the only one who got out i'm the only one yeah they're all in ohio yeah and they yeah my mom was is an amazing mother my dad's amazing i they're not together but i like just was very bossy to them sure well yeah i guess you got to fill in a little bit if they're separate i
Guest:I guess.
Guest:I don't know.
Guest:Back and forth.
Guest:Well, I guess I did babysit.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:Maybe it's just your personality when you're the oldest.
Guest:You just feel like you're a mom's helper.
Guest:Sure.
Guest:You're the one that is babysitting the rest.
Guest:Yeah, yeah.
Guest:When you're older, when you're a teenager.
Marc:Make sure that one doesn't eat something rad.
Guest:And I also, it's my personality because I was always really like, like cannot do anything bad.
Guest:Like my cousins would smoke and I would be in the closet so I wouldn't see them smoke.
Guest:So that if my mom asked me if they were smoking, I could say no.
Guest:Like psychotic.
Guest:And then I still couldn't lie.
Guest:So I'd be like, stop asking me, please.
Marc:Yeah.
Guest:Psycho.
Marc:Bad position.
Marc:really anxious i like the uh um the the way of kind of getting around it like you know i'm just gonna go into the closet that's a little crazy it's very crazy because i still would be lying if she's like are they smoking she knew i wasn't yeah and you should you should say i don't know i was in the closet yeah i was like please stop asking me this is so unfair i cannot believe you're doing this to me and they're like okay so they were like otherwise you just say no oh yeah how long but like how long has your dad been a tattoo guy
Guest:Since I was probably like six or seven, maybe seven or eight.
Guest:So he's in it early.
Marc:So he got full sleeves and everything.
Guest:He has, yeah, he has tattoos everywhere, but it's one of those things where I don't, I, if you said like, what tattoos does he have?
Guest:He has so many.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:Like does he ever do his own?
Marc:No.
Guest:So do people do their own though?
Guest:Don't they?
Guest:I don't know.
Guest:I think stick and poke.
Guest:I've seen, I've had, I have a friend that's done a stick and poke on himself.
Marc:Like a jail tattoo.
Yeah.
Guest:Is that what they're called?
Marc:I don't know with the needle.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:I think that's like old school, old school.
Guest:You could do that, I guess.
Marc:So you grew up in tattoo culture.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:I mean, I remember him doing like, and like working at a tattoo shop, just starting out, like learning how to do it.
Guest:Like, and now he has his own shop and my brothers learned how to do it.
Guest:Are they all good?
Marc:Do they have their own way of doing it?
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:Did they study different forms?
Yeah.
Guest:I think it's like, I feel like it's like you, well, my brother did go to different art programs in school.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:But I think it's like you learn by doing it on pig skin.
Marc:Oh, really?
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:And I think then you just start doing it.
Marc:I just don't know what you can live with.
Marc:My brother got a bunch of tattoos and none of them are good.
Guest:Really?
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:He's just like, it was impulsive.
Marc:And like, he's got one on his back.
Marc:It's like that he just saw on the wall.
Marc:And I'm like, dude, like, what is that?
Guest:No, I have to really think about it.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:So what are...
Marc:When did your parents get a divorce?
Marc:You were young?
Guest:Probably when, yeah, like when I was eight.
Marc:Oh, yeah.
Marc:And then you had to go back and forth?
Guest:Yeah, I mean, it's so crazy when you're little because you're just like, oh, that's like, you just don't even remember.
Guest:That's the way it is.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:And I also think so many people's parents got a divorce.
Marc:Yeah, of course.
Guest:So it's so, like, normal.
Guest:Right.
Guest:And then it's like, oh, I don't even really remember, like, us all living together.
Marc:Right.
Guest:I have some memory of it.
Guest:Yes.
Marc:But do you remember you and all the little ones going off for the weekend to different houses?
Guest:Yeah, I definitely remember being at my dad's a lot, but we lived with my mom.
Marc:What'd she do?
Guest:So she's a nurse, but she's very funny.
Marc:Nurse.
Guest:They're both very funny.
Guest:Like my dad's sense of humor is like he'd show us a lot of like Pee Wee Herman and Divine.
Guest:Yeah, yeah.
Guest:And like weird stuff.
Marc:Nurses have to have a good sense of humor.
Guest:She's so funny.
Guest:She's like me funny.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:And what kind of nurse?
Guest:Um, labor and delivery.
Marc:Really?
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:And so it's like, I mean, that's really intense.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:And I went, so before I did comedy, I always wanted to perform.
Guest:Like I always wanted to be an actor.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:But when, before I was like, okay, like I didn't have any money.
Guest:I couldn't just like move to LA and audition.
Guest:So I was in school and I was taking like nursing classes.
Marc:You think about doing it?
Guest:I think I was like, I want to help people if I can't do what I really want to do.
Marc:Yeah.
Guest:So I was like in teaching classes and nursing classes.
Guest:I was really bad at school.
Guest:And like, I was finally like, I have to just do what I want to do.
Marc:What happened?
Guest:I started taking like an improv class.
Marc:Like, why'd you turn on nursing?
Guest:I just was, I couldn't, I, well, so when my sister gave birth, I passed out.
Guest:So I was like, I don't know if I could do it.
Guest:I don't think they could have the nurses passing out, but I think I'd be a good nurse personality wise.
Guest:I think I'd be fun, sweet, but the blood and the like, I, I, I'm like, I don't think I could do it.
Guest:I mean,
Marc:I don't know.
Marc:I'm such a kind of limited adult.
Marc:Because I don't have kids.
Marc:I don't know.
Marc:There would be no situation where I'd be watching someone give birth.
Guest:Okay, okay.
Marc:But people just do it.
Guest:They do it every day.
Guest:I don't know how people... It's pretty scary.
Marc:Yeah.
Guest:Like, I think if I was pregnant, I definitely want kids one day to adopt.
Guest:But if I was pregnant, I think I would be nervous.
Yeah.
Guest:Every day about the burn.
Marc:I think people are.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:But it's incredible.
Guest:And I heard you can't, you don't even really remember the pain.
Guest:I think I would, though.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:What job would you have if you weren't doing what you're doing?
Marc:I don't know.
Marc:Maybe I'd be a professor.
Guest:Yeah, I could see that.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:I don't know of what.
Guest:Yeah, what would it be?
Marc:You know, Mark-related stuff.
Marc:Mm-hmm.
Marc:Maybe I could become a professor after I get done in my mid-60s and teach a class on me.
Marc:I could see that.
Marc:see that because I've done enough stuff but couldn't you do like a comedy like class yeah sure I don't really have you ever done that oh teach comedy yeah no because who the hell wants to do it like me there's I'm no I'm no blueprint for success people would love your class
Marc:Yeah, but I mean, but I can only teach what I do and I can't, you know, I'm like, I'm not a household name or anything.
Guest:You can't teach people how, you are.
Marc:Yeah, certain households.
Guest:You can't teach people to be funny, but you can teach them how to write, probably.
Marc:Yeah, but I'm not a great joke writer.
Marc:Like I just, like I do, like I do what I do and jokes evolve.
Marc:You're writing it though as you're saying it.
Marc:That's right.
Marc:If that's something that you're born with.
Marc:That's the first class.
Marc:Yeah, just think of some funny stuff and then go try it.
Marc:And if it doesn't work and you still believe in it, try it a different way.
Guest:I try to do stand-up classic joke-telling stand-up.
Marc:You're too unbounded.
Guest:Too restricting.
Guest:It was like...
Guest:I, I'm, my stuff's very like persona, crazy person on stage.
Guest:Like I have a show that's all about like me being like running for president.
Guest:So it's like a fake political rally.
Marc:That's a live show.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:Okay.
Guest:And so it's kind of more like I'm being this, like the whole story is like, I'm a really rich actor who now wants to run to be president.
Guest:It's very like making fun of Trump.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:And, um,
Guest:That's the kind of stuff I could write, but if I tried to, when I first started doing stand-up, to be like, guys, they're selling beer at Chuck E. Cheese.
Guest:Wouldn't it be crazy if you're a mom at Chuck E. Cheese drunk?
Guest:Here's my impression.
Guest:So it was all impression-driven?
Guest:Not all, but I'd try to do stories.
Guest:I'd try to add in, but it wasn't my stuff.
Marc:It wasn't your thing?
Guest:It was hard.
Guest:It was making me feel cringe when I was trying to do it.
Marc:Yeah.
Guest:But watching it's not cringe.
Marc:I don't like the cringe feeling.
Guest:But I like watching that kind of comedy.
Marc:I know, but that's because they're doing it with confidence.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:But that feeling of failing, bad.
Guest:Of being like, oh, the teeth.
Guest:Yeah, I don't know.
Marc:But when do you decide to pursue it?
Marc:Like shortly after you passed out when your sister had a baby?
Guest:So I was in college in and out of different classes.
Guest:I did a lot of missionary work.
Marc:Were you a religious person?
Guest:So I say that I'm a God girl.
Guest:Like I love God.
Guest:Still?
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:But I was really like, I think I was really involved in my church.
Guest:And I don't go to church now, but I- Did you grow up with it heavy?
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:Oh yeah?
Marc:Like what kind?
Marc:Which church?
Guest:Like I was, I like kind of grew up in a Pentecostal church.
Marc:Really?
Guest:And then in high school, I got really involved in like a non-denominational, like cool, like pizza, pizza party.
Guest:Like youth church?
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:Like youth group.
Marc:But Pentecostal was that like, you know, fire and brimstone.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:Passionate pastor.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:Preacher guy.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:It's like speaking in tongues.
Marc:You did that?
Guest:Yeah.
Yeah.
Marc:You know, I saw a comment today on... You should do a whole character just speaking in tongues.
Guest:Well, it's really interesting because I feel like if I... Since I grew up around it, it's not scary to me, but I know that it's scary to watch if you hadn't or experienced it.
Guest:Like, it's very, like, supernatural.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:And I know some people fake it and it's like people make fun of it.
Guest:But it's interesting because I remember seeing it when I was a baby.
Guest:Like when I was little.
Guest:So it's really interesting to grow up with that.
Guest:And then in high school, the church I went to definitely believed in all of that.
Guest:And I did something called YWAM, which is like a Bible school kind of.
Guest:But it's interesting because when I realized I was a queer person and was kind of not going to church, I feel even closer to God because I feel like I am who I really am.
Marc:Who you're supposed to be.
Marc:Yeah.
Guest:And I feel like it's confusing to people to have...
Guest:I guess, like, a Christian gay but Democrat, like, independent person?
Guest:I think it's confusing.
Guest:I was on a podcast and I saw a clip today and someone commented, like, she's a fake ally.
Guest:She's a Christian fake ally and a horrible actress.
Guest:And I'm like, well, I have, like, a girlfriend who I'm very committed to.
Guest:Like, I'm fully, like, I'm bi but mostly lesbian.
Guest:Like, I...
Guest:Like, I'm not just an ally.
Guest:I'm literally part of the community.
Guest:But I think it's confusing to people, which I get, because the church has hurt a lot of people, I think.
Marc:Well, it's confusing because there are different strands of political and religious ideology.
Marc:But I think if you break it down to the spirit of Christ or the belief in...
Marc:one's individuality and connection to God, why not do that without judgment?
Marc:I think people get hung up on the Bible and what they kind of think the rules are.
Guest:Well, and it is really painful when a church doesn't accept...
Marc:Sure.
Marc:Gay people.
Marc:But also the people that are doing that post are theoretically on your side.
Guest:Yeah, yeah.
Marc:And they're like, just fuck you for being Christian, period.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:Without appreciating the spectrum of possibility within Christian belief.
Guest:Right.
Guest:Where I'm like, I just think we're supposed to love God and love each other, take care of each other.
Guest:And so I'm like, how is that bad?
Guest:Yeah, end of story.
Guest:Yeah, end of story.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:Yeah, well, people are horrible.
Sorry.
Guest:And I think they're like, she's lying.
Guest:She's actually a Christian.
Guest:I'm like, I'm not lying.
Guest:I literally will tell you, I say I'm a God girl all the time.
Guest:And I love like women and having sex with them.
Marc:Like you're some sort of, yeah.
Marc:Like you're some covert operative, you know, on the inside.
Guest:Like he thought he caught me or something.
Marc:What would be the point of that?
Guest:I don't, I know.
Guest:I think if, I think like, I think people do it with like Trump stuff.
Guest:Like, by the way, this person you're following is a Trump supporter, I guess.
Guest:But that's not, I'm not.
Guest:And that's not what they were saying.
Guest:So I'm like, is that what they were trying to do?
Guest:To be like.
Marc:But how, how was it to, to sort of like, was there a period where kind of, you know, coming to terms with your sexuality and in relation to the religion challenging?
Guest:Well, it's interesting because I just didn't know that about myself when I was in church.
Guest:And I would go to church now if I had one.
Guest:When you were younger, you mean.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:Like, I think when you're bi, you're like, well, I like guys and I'm supposed... Like, people think you're supposed to if you're a woman.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:So I guess I'm straight.
Guest:Right.
Guest:And then I think it was just me, like, actually, like, going after what I really wanted to do, which was performing.
Guest:And then, like...
Marc:So that's when you got out from under the family and the church.
Guest:Yeah, I kind of was like, oh, I'm like kind of like I'm living at home.
Guest:So I kind of was like a late like bloomer.
Guest:Like I lived at home like till I was like 23.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:And so I kind of like wasn't really dating.
Marc:And you had a church going family.
Guest:I was actually the one that was like bringing people to church.
Guest:My mom always went, but like I was the one like in high school being like, come on, like we're getting involved.
Guest:Like I was like in just, I think.
Marc:Always the same church.
Guest:In high school, it was different than the one I grew up in.
Guest:I think I just always had God.
Guest:But in high school, I felt like I really fell in love with God and with the whole experience and community.
Guest:And I didn't know I was gay.
Guest:And then when I was like, I'm going to move and do comedy, I think I just was learning more about myself and started dating more seriously.
Guest:I kind of dated, but not.
Guest:It wasn't my focus.
Marc:So you moved to where?
Marc:Chicago?
Guest:To Chicago.
Marc:When you were 23?
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:And what drove you to do that?
Marc:Did you do some comedy in Dayton?
Guest:I did.
Guest:I did an improv class at an improv theater and then started doing stand-up.
Guest:And the guy at the theater was kind of weird and was very much had the theater so he could perform.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:And he was kind of like, you're going to be crawling back to me to take these classes.
Guest:Yeah, I'm like, all right, see ya.
Marc:Failed cult leader.
Guest:That's what it felt like, kind of.
Guest:And then I did comedy for seven, eight years in Chicago.
Marc:Really?
Marc:Who were the people around at that time?
Guest:um anyone is still out here or some people do yeah you know i feel like um i'm trying to think of the people like that just left like the people that were right before me yeah i feel like they were like megan gailey lisa traeger like and then i feel like i feel like the people like a lot of guys that are still there i feel were you doing like the log cabin is that what the name of that place is the lincoln lodge yeah lincoln lodge
Guest:I did.
Guest:It was, like, such a big deal to be, like, everyone wanted to be, like, a cast member.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:And then I finally got to V towards the last couple years.
Marc:At the Lincoln Lodge?
Guest:Yeah, at the Lincoln Lodge.
Marc:Or was it an improv situation?
Guest:No, because I did stand-up, too.
Guest:But I did, like, weird stand-up.
Marc:Right.
Marc:Okay.
Marc:Character driven.
Guest:Character driven.
Guest:So they let me.
Guest:I was like the weird person.
Marc:Oh, good.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:You're the weirdo.
Marc:She does the thing with the different voices.
Guest:I came up with Sarah Sherman, one of my close, close friends.
Marc:She's great.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:She always tells me.
Guest:She's the best.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:She's like, I'll be in LA.
Marc:And I'm like, you want to do the show?
Marc:And then I won't hear from her for months.
Guest:She's literally my favorite.
Marc:No, she's great.
Guest:So funny.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:And so, like, I was kind of coming along with her.
Guest:She was in Chicago?
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:Oh, okay.
Guest:She was, like, the same time as me.
Guest:Oh, wow.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:So they had two weirdos.
Guest:They had two weirdo weird freaks.
Marc:But did you do improv as well?
Guest:I did.
Guest:So I did, like, Second City, but I didn't fully fit in.
Guest:I felt a little too weird and, like, misbehaving.
Guest:They like weird stuff, but I think I was, at the time, like, a little too weird.
Marc:Oh, yeah?
Yeah.
Guest:I fit in really well with the annoyance crowd.
Guest:I did I.O.
Guest:I spent all my money on improv classes.
Marc:But you learned.
Guest:And I learned.
Guest:I loved Second City.
Guest:It's a little more structured, the way they write their shows and stuff.
Guest:So I just didn't feel like it was... I felt a little bit weird.
Guest:But also, there's weird people that love it there, too, and feel accepted.
Marc:Did you put your own group together?
Guest:I did that.
Guest:I mean, I wrote a lot of sketch shows with different groups.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:I did like, I didn't do a conservatory at Second City, but I did like the first full program there.
Marc:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Guest:And then did, yeah, it was like a lot of.
Marc:So during that time, you came into yourself and you negotiated with God.
Yeah.
Guest:I just never felt ever judged by God about it.
Guest:Like, I never felt convicted about it in that way.
Guest:I had only felt like, oh, is my cousin going to say something weird?
Marc:Never God, though.
Guest:Never God.
Guest:And never my parents.
Guest:Like, I feel very lucky.
Marc:And they were good?
Guest:Yeah, my mom was like, oh, I thought you only liked women.
Guest:And I was like, oh, I didn't even know that I was coming off like that.
Yeah.
Marc:What are you saying, mom?
Guest:I liked it.
Guest:I thought it was such a good compliment.
Guest:I'm like, what?
Guest:How did you know?
Guest:Because I definitely didn't.
Marc:It seems funny when parents are just waiting for you to come around to tell them and they're like, yeah, well, yeah, of course.
Guest:I don't think I ever seemed as interested in guys as like my sister or like her or like other people in our family.
Guest:Like I think like I didn't come across as the someone who like thought it was important to have a boyfriend.
Guest:Right, right, right.
Guest:And like I think that's like pretty normal for like straight women to like want a boyfriend.
Guest:I think that probably made her feel that way.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:Well, yeah, it makes sense.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:So when does it start to work out?
Guest:I think I was probably really bad for like three or four years.
Marc:In Chicago.
Guest:I think I always thought I was really good.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:But I think I was probably bad for at least two years.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:And then I think, I actually remember a show that I did something that worked.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:And it was like, I did a PowerPoint presentation.
Marc:As a show?
Guest:As like for my set.
Guest:And I think that was like, wait, I could do like other things, like whatever I want.
Marc:What were you doing for money?
Yeah.
Guest:I was a nanny.
Marc:Really?
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:Do you have to get a license for that?
Guest:You don't get a license.
Guest:You just get... You just form a bond and they trust you.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:And I think I was... Maybe it helped that I, like, babysat a lot and...
Guest:like how many families i had one family i worked with for like um five years i'm so bonded to them and the other family i worked for for like a year or so and i was bonded to them it was like i i still see them like i literally feel like they were my kids in another lifetime like i can't wait to be a mom i loved those kids like and you were part of their life for a long time so they know you they're gonna know you forever
Guest:I was really depressed when I left the job.
Marc:Yeah.
Guest:Like I was really like, really like, what do I do?
Guest:I saw them every day, all day.
Marc:What'd you do?
Marc:Why'd you leave?
Guest:They were getting, they were getting older and I still needed money.
Marc:If you were there, they were in high school.
Marc:Hey, what's up?
Marc:Mom, when's the nanny going to go?
Guest:Yeah, like she's hanging around.
Guest:I think the little ones didn't know I was like paid to be with them.
Guest:They were like, oh, it's like, yeah, like.
Marc:The business operates the situation.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:But that's so nice that they know you.
Marc:So you hear from them now they see you on TV.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:Well, I think they're not, some of them aren't old enough to watch that.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:But I think they show them like weird commercials.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:And the older ones watch.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:So it's probably bizarre.
Marc:So, but when do you kind of make your break?
Marc:How does that happen?
Marc:Did you start?
Marc:Cause like you came up in a world that's not like my world.
Marc:You didn't, it wasn't on TV.
Marc:You weren't doing talk shows.
Marc:You weren't doing comedy clubs.
Yeah.
Guest:Yeah, I feel like before it used to be like you'd have to get a manager from doing a festival, right?
Marc:Well, just somehow to get into show business because it was a specific path.
Marc:But then all of a sudden it all broke open and you're kind of of that generation where it's kind of on you.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:I feel very lucky.
Guest:I think what just happened where I started posting, I did like, I started posting some videos online.
Guest:On Instagram?
Guest:Yeah, I have this fake YouTube talk show, the Megan Stalter show, that helped me, I think, get a manager.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:And then I think it helped me, like, I was meeting, comedians helped me too.
Guest:Like, they put you on their shows when you go to New York.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:I feel like I did, like, Cat Cohen's show, and, like, that helped me just, like, be like, oh, I'm in New York.
Guest:Like, this show's amazing and so fun.
Guest:Maybe I want to live here one day.
Guest:Like, I feel like your friends, like, the three busy Debras, I feel like had my manager and, like, helped me.
Guest:Oh, yeah.
Guest:But what happened was during COVID, I was posting a lot of videos, and I was going Instagram Live every night with a new theme.
Guest:It'd be like, we're going to Paris tonight, and I'd be, like, in a beret.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:And it would, that's why like people saw my stuff because I was going Instagram live every night with like a crazy, it'd be like, it's, it's Disney orientation and I'm going to hire you to work at Disney and it'd be literally like two hours of improv.
Marc:Did you just be riffing?
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:Just improv-ing?
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:I did Instagram lives and I still think I got a lot of audience from that, but you know.
Marc:Oh, yeah.
Marc:But like mostly, like I think a lot of middle-aged women who are kind of angry.
Yeah.
Marc:and creative and they kind of locked into like uh whatever my vibe was at the time do you feel like your fans are mostly women that are mad no i just think there's a there was a sensitivity because i wasn't really doing set pieces or comedy i would just sit on my porch and almost run like a daily you know kind of chat with myself i
Marc:I'd walk around the house, and they got to know my cats, and I'd play records for them.
Marc:And I was going through some tragedy, a loss at the time, and they kind of locked into that.
Marc:But eventually, people get too weird.
Guest:People in the comments get weird.
Marc:Well, they just, they develop a parasocial relationship.
Guest:Oh, yeah.
Marc:And that got a little intense for me, I think.
Guest:You felt, did, would they message you and you'd be like, okay, like, I don't know this person.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:Yeah, that kind of stuff.
Guest:There's a group of people that met through my Instagram live that are best friends.
Marc:Oh, that's nice.
Guest:And I thought that was pretty nice and sweet.
Guest:Like, that made me feel good.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:Some messages, of course, feel weird.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:Yeah, you got to not read them, right?
Marc:But it's hard not to because you want to.
Guest:Yeah, I think I read everything.
Marc:But you did that the whole pandemic and that built an audience for you?
Marc:You became like a phenomenon?
Guest:I think that helped me, like definitely helped me do like weird like brand deals.
Guest:Yeah, yeah.
Guest:They saw my videos, but I also really hit it off with Paul at like a standup show.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:And I think that helped me.
Guest:I did not send a good audition tape for Hacks.
Marc:No.
Guest:It's really badly shot.
Guest:Very blurry.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:Horrible outfit.
Guest:Dogs barking in the background.
Guest:But maybe it's like very Kayla for me to send.
Marc:Very funny character.
Guest:Thank you.
Marc:And you're still doing all the live shows.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:And how is your anxiety level?
Guest:Um, I will say that I have developed a shaky hand.
Guest:I feel very anxious, but I also have learned a lot about relaxation in the last couple of months that has helped.
Guest:I feel like very anxious.
Guest:I'm not on medication, but I've done acupuncture recently.
Guest:That's helped.
Guest:I've gotten like back massages where before I'd never would do that.
Guest:And I feel like it helps my anxiety.
Marc:Well, what's it?
Marc:Have you always had it?
Marc:I'm only talking about this because ChatGPT.
Guest:I know.
Guest:I knew that you would say this because of what ChatGPT said.
Guest:But I talk about anxiety a lot lately.
Guest:Oh, well, ChatGPT knows.
Marc:Yeah, because I've been dealing with, I've had it all my life, but it's been very specific lately.
Guest:Why do you think it's been so, like, I feel that too.
Guest:Just like what's going on in the world makes you anxious, you feel?
Marc:No, I think what my brain does is that it realizes the world is, you know, frightening and, you know, real reason to be anxious or scared.
Marc:But I think my brain's sort of like, well, we can create more anxiety just in your life.
Marc:And that'll counter the anxiety.
Guest:I do feel my anxiety comes from personal stuff that is not a big deal.
Guest:I could definitely loop in my head about, I should apologize for this thing because, oh, I missed this text.
Guest:Should I say sorry about missing the text or should I just talk about something else in the text?
Guest:I definitely have ADHD.
Guest:Right.
Marc:Well, that's what some people think I have, but I do sort of like, oh, fuck.
Marc:I get a lot of dread.
Guest:Okay.
Marc:Not even because I'm scared of something, but it's like, oh, fuck, I got to do that thing tomorrow.
Guest:Oh, my God.
Marc:It's not even not wanting to do it.
Marc:It's just sort of like, it's going to happen, man.
Guest:Have you tried acupuncture?
Marc:Yeah, at different points in my life for different reasons.
Marc:You didn't like it.
Marc:It's okay.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:Or else I'll start to get paranoid about stuff and just loop that shit.
Guest:You know what you have to do with acupuncture, though?
Guest:What?
Guest:You have to be ready for, like, being open to it really working.
Guest:Like, your self-talk really changes it.
Guest:If you're ready to have, like, I'm going to ascend and be, like, floating during this, it really does make you feel okay.
Marc:Sure, but how does that help me, like, this morning?
Guest:Because you feel so relaxed after.
Marc:But what, are you going every day?
Marc:you go every day no no you can't go every day you go once a week if you really need it though if you have the luxury I found a pretty affordable place yeah yeah I don't know but or back massages I have a buddy his wife's an acupuncturist I went there once I'm crying for I had some pain she wanted to give it a try it's very scary at first I did years ago in San Francisco for like trying to quit smoking you know I felt it like it definitely knocks you out walking helps
Marc:I do a lot of exercise.
Marc:I'm okay.
Marc:I've lived with it my whole life.
Guest:Do you take medicine?
Marc:I just started taking a little bit of medicine.
Guest:What does it feel like?
Guest:I've always been interested but scared.
Marc:Well, I'm not taking a heavy one.
Marc:I'm not taking like an SSRI.
Marc:I'm taking a very specific thing that it doesn't work for a lot of people.
Marc:It's like a 50-50 chance.
Marc:Oh, interesting.
Marc:It's only for anxiety.
Guest:Has it helped?
Marc:I think so.
Marc:I think it stops some of the looping.
Guest:Do you sleep well?
Marc:Yeah.
Guest:Okay.
Guest:Because I was going to say sleeping makes me, if I don't get enough sleep, I get anxious.
Marc:I don't sleep a lot, but I sleep well.
Guest:You drink a lot of coffee, though.
Marc:Yeah.
Guest:That could be it.
Guest:That could increase your anxiety.
Marc:Yeah, I'm on coffee.
Marc:I'm on the nicotine pouches.
Guest:Yeah, that can help.
Guest:I know.
Guest:It's so funny.
Marc:I just kind of look past that.
Guest:No, it's coffee.
Guest:Coffee makes me so shaky.
Guest:I could barely drink it, even though I love it.
Guest:But I'm shaking like a leaf.
Guest:I could literally, like...
Guest:pass out I don't want to I know but that it that really like yeah but I've been I've been off everything before and then it's just sort of like well why what's the point of life I love coffee I have to still have some in the morning but it's I will say if I don't eat enough food with it I will be shaking and anxious and feeling like I'm gonna pass out
Marc:Yeah, just everything.
Guest:It's a drug.
Marc:If I don't do it, I know.
Marc:And I used to do real drugs, and I haven't done those.
Guest:Doesn't coffee feel like a drug, though, kind of?
Guest:It is a drug.
Guest:Yeah, it is.
Marc:Yeah, I mean, but it's not going to ruin my life.
Marc:Right.
Marc:You know, and I don't have to go to some bad neighborhood to get it.
Guest:Exactly.
Guest:It's like a drug they're selling at, like, cafes.
Guest:Of course.
Marc:Yeah, it's a drug everybody can have.
Marc:Well, now weed's like that, too, but I can't do that.
Guest:I would not be good on weed.
Marc:Yeah.
Guest:I don't do anything.
Guest:I don't drink.
Guest:I don't do drugs.
Guest:I'm sober.
Guest:I don't do anything.
Marc:I used to.
Guest:Well, see, it never agreed with me.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:That's a nice way to look at it.
Marc:Like, you know, it's an acquired taste, not familiar.
Guest:It feels like it would be nice, the idea, oh, it could be fun.
Guest:No, it's not fun.
Guest:And it's also poison, and no one should do it.
Marc:What?
Marc:Drugs?
Guest:Drugs, alcohol.
Marc:Yeah, it's kind of poison.
Guest:None of it.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:But...
Marc:But so you manage it.
Marc:Yeah, I don't know.
Marc:I just got to this point at my age where I think a lot of it is just stuff that doesn't serve me anymore in a way.
Marc:I know why I was panicky earlier in my life, but things worked out okay, and I can't seem to let them be okay.
Marc:That's the other thing.
Marc:You're up against old you.
Guest:Do you feel like your anxiety has gotten worse since you said you've always had it?
Marc:No, it's gotten better, but it's gotten more specific.
Marc:Because I can logically see, well, this thing worked out.
Marc:You don't have to worry about this.
Marc:There's a list of things that are okay that weren't always okay.
Marc:So why are you still freaking out?
Guest:It's so interesting.
Guest:What are the topics that you freak out about?
Marc:Let's see.
Marc:Well, like you said, there's things that, like, I've said or I've done, and I'm like, oh, fuck.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:How did that, like, what is that person thinking?
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:Is it little stuff, though?
Guest:It's like how I said something, they're taking it, yeah, a certain way.
Marc:Yeah, but I can spiral about that.
Marc:Or my cats, when I'm away, like, oh, no, is something going to happen?
Marc:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Marc:But it's all stuff your head's making up.
Marc:I mean, yeah, it's possible, but it's not necessarily, it's not probable.
Guest:It doesn't do us any good to worry about it.
Marc:I know, but my brain doesn't like to not be engaged.
Marc:I should do something better with it.
Guest:Does it help to go on a walk if you feel that way?
Marc:Kind of.
Marc:I find if I don't exercise, more so I just feel uncomfortable in my body more than the mental things.
Marc:Like if I don't exercise, I feel sedentary.
Guest:Oh, yeah.
Marc:I just feel like I want a claw at my fucking skin.
Guest:A little walk always cures a lot for me.
Marc:Oh, good.
Yeah.
Guest:But I will say I have an incredible amount of anxiety, but I don't.
Guest:But first of all, I feel like.
Marc:Would you say you got a handshake now?
Guest:I feel like my hands get a little shaky sometimes if I feel like, first of all, the coffee.
Guest:My hand will shake if I'm drinking coffee and I didn't eat enough.
Guest:I feel, yes, that I'm experiencing some physical reactions that make me go, it's time to get another acupuncture appointment.
Marc:Okay.
Marc:Yeah.
Guest:Or it's time to go on a walk and it helps.
Marc:I'm glad that you can handle it.
Marc:You can deal with it that easily.
Guest:No, it's not.
Guest:It's not always easy though.
Guest:My fear of taking medicine is bigger than I, I, I agree that if I took a medicine, I think it could help me.
Guest:Right.
Marc:Yeah.
Guest:but I'm scared a bit.
Marc:It took me 60 years.
Guest:Yeah, I was going to say, there's reason, like, I feel like people, like, I feel like a big pharma wants us on a lot of medicine at times, right?
Guest:So I get scared, but then again, I know there's certain medicines
Guest:that change people's lives and make things easier.
Marc:A lot of times they're designed to try to help people.
Guest:Yes, exactly.
Marc:Sure.
Guest:It's a business, but you know, on some level, but on some level it's life changing, right?
Marc:It's an advance.
Guest:Yes.
Marc:So it's not easy to manage it without medicine, but everything inside me is slowly talking me out of staying on this medicine.
Guest:But fortunately, why are you scared about it?
Marc:Well, because if you're a creative person.
Guest:Yeah, that's what my.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:You know, you don't want to be tempered, you know, like or, you know, hemmed in by, you know, some sort of desensitization.
Marc:But this medicine doesn't really do that.
Guest:I was going to say, you seem very creative.
Guest:No, no, I'm good.
Guest:I've only been on a few weeks.
Guest:Only a few weeks.
Marc:But but the thing like, I think it's kind of fucking with like my my memory a little bit.
Guest:Interesting.
Marc:Because they don't they don't always they don't really know how these things work.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:They're just sort of like, I don't know, give it a try and we'll see.
Marc:But this one doesn't stay in your body.
Marc:It doesn't.
Guest:I like the sound of that.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:It doesn't fuck with your brain in the long term, supposedly.
Guest:Maybe it's keeping you from remembering something you didn't want to remember.
Marc:But no, no, it's not like that.
Marc:It's just sort of words aren't coming.
Guest:Oh, it's like what day of the week is it?
Guest:Oh, OK, OK.
Guest:Stuff you want to remember.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:Old.
Marc:That could just be old man stuff.
Marc:But, like, I don't know.
Marc:I don't know if it's working.
Marc:But the side effects and the downside of this particular one didn't seem daunting.
Guest:That one sounds good.
Marc:Yeah, but, like, I don't want to say that.
Guest:You don't.
Guest:Because you don't want it to, like, get into a place where you're like, is this affecting me in this creative way?
Marc:Well, it's not even the creative thing.
Marc:I just like, if I don't feel it working, like the fact that I'm sort of spiraling about whether the medicine.
Guest:But that medicine takes like a month or so, right?
Marc:I don't know.
Marc:Not necessarily.
Marc:They just say that.
Marc:And I think they just say that because there's an outside chance that you think it's working.
Marc:And then in a month of doing that, maybe it is working.
Marc:Maybe it isn't.
Guest:Well, I heard you on your podcast talk about your cat.
Guest:And my dog's on Prozac.
Marc:Oh, you got to give it to him every day.
Guest:That has been life changing for my dog.
Marc:See, so how does that not translate to people?
Guest:Well, because she has not lost herself.
Guest:She is not sedated.
Guest:Like she has not lost her spark.
Guest:Like she literally is able to let us be in a different room now without her.
Guest:Like I used to have to pretend to go to bed so I could leave the house.
Guest:Really?
Guest:Yeah, she was so anxious.
Guest:She's a shelter dog.
Marc:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Guest:But the Prozac for her has been amazing.
Guest:She just takes a little bit every day.
Marc:Oh, is it hard to give it to her?
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:Every day is a new way of me trying to sneak it in her little mouth.
Guest:How long has she been on it?
Guest:She's been on it probably at least eight months.
Marc:Yeah, I just couldn't.
Marc:My cat just got knocked out so hard.
Guest:Why?
Guest:On Prozac?
Marc:Yeah.
Guest:Not gabapentin.
Marc:Well, no, gabapentin, I think, is better in my mind.
Marc:But I don't know.
Marc:We're going to see.
Guest:Gabapentin, to me, was more knockout, sleepy.
Guest:No, I know.
Marc:But for me, it's situational.
Marc:My cat, most of the time, is fine.
Marc:It's when I leave.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:Oh, okay.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:That it happens.
Marc:So like gabapentin is not a bad option.
Guest:Because it's like, it wears off.
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:You can give it to her one day and not again for a year.
Guest:That's right.
Guest:That's right.
Marc:And I've been giving her this supplement, him.
Marc:Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry.
Guest:It's all right.
Marc:But I just, it's all right.
Marc:He's not hung up on pronouns.
Guest:Okay, good.
Guest:Sorry, sorry.
Guest:He comes in here.
Marc:He's like, hey.
Marc:You know who I am.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:I know you can call him it or asshole.
Guest:Why are animals she to me?
Guest:Animals are usually she for some reason in my mind.
Marc:I don't know.
Marc:Well, I mean, that's your own issue.
Guest:He, he, he, him, he, him.
Guest:Don't worry.
Guest:Charlie's okay.
Guest:Okay, Charlie.
Guest:Also, Charlie's gender neutral kind of, no?
Marc:Sammy is.
Guest:Sammy is, yeah.
Marc:The other two are kind of like.
Marc:Okay.
Marc:Sammy's probably a they.
Marc:Okay.
Guest:Okay.
Guest:They, them, they, them, he, they, they.
Marc:He'll go either way.
Guest:Sammy will.
Guest:You have not, so he, Charlie's on now.
Guest:Nothing.
Guest:He's on a supplement.
Guest:Okay, okay, okay.
Guest:That's what I thought.
Marc:Zilkeen.
Guest:Okay.
Guest:I like a supplement for them too.
Marc:We'll see.
Marc:He's just such, he's crazy, man.
Guest:What does he do when you leave the house?
Guest:Start scratching?
Marc:No, he starts like, you know, shitting everywhere.
Guest:Shitting everywhere outside the litter box?
Marc:Yeah, he gets colitis.
Guest:Oh my God.
Marc:He beats up on the other cats.
Guest:Oh my God.
Guest:I didn't know that.
Marc:Yeah, he goes nuts.
Guest:The last time I... That's how attached he is to you?
Marc:I guess so.
Guest:Cats aren't even usually that attached.
Marc:I don't know what it is.
Guest:How long have you had him?
Marc:Since he was two weeks old.
Marc:Oh, my God.
Marc:He's almost three.
Marc:I found him.
Marc:He was a little ball of fur under my steps.
Marc:Oh, my God.
Marc:Sweet.
Marc:Part of a feral litter.
Marc:And she was moving them somewhere.
Marc:And I'm like, I'm going to take this one.
Guest:He's just naturally, naturally attached to you.
Marc:Yeah.
Guest:Was he taken from his mother too soon?
Marc:Yes.
Guest:Okay.
Guest:So maybe he's like, you're his mommy.
Right.
Marc:Well, my girlfriend, like, nursed him.
Marc:Like, she took care of that sort of, like, every four-hour thing until that was done.
Marc:Then he came over here.
Marc:But, like, I've had him.
Marc:But I've had him, yeah, since then.
Guest:Is that not crazy that trauma can be held in even an animal's body?
Guest:Like, that my dog, even though she's lived with us now for almost, like, two years, she still remembers what it's like to be in fear at the shelter.
Guest:Mm.
Marc:Yeah, well, that's different, you know, like depending on how the other owner treated them.
Marc:But like this, like, you know, the sort of no mother thing, I don't know if it reads the same way as trauma.
Marc:Oh, okay.
Marc:Because you kind of fill this void.
Marc:It's not the same.
Guest:Right.
Marc:But it's not like, you know, terrifying.
Guest:But he's scary attached to you because it's not just that you're his owner, you're his mom.
Marc:Sure.
Guest:You know, and your girlfriend's probably his mom.
Marc:Yeah.
Guest:So he holds trauma of like, wait, I don't want my mom to go too soon because you're his mom.
Guest:Right.
Marc:Well, yeah, I never gave him the correct type of detachment for him to become his own guy.
Guest:But how could you?
Guest:No, I know.
Guest:I'm not a cat.
Guest:Yeah, exactly.
Marc:My mom didn't even do that for me.
Marc:That's why I'm fucked up.
Guest:Also, you saved his life.
Marc:I know, totally.
Guest:But he, in his body, is like, my mom left too soon.
Guest:Now you're my mom.
Guest:And now you cannot leave or I'm going to freak out.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:I don't know if that's the tone.
Guest:I'm going to freak out.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:It's like, where are you going?
Guest:Yeah.
Guest:Oh.
Marc:Is he here?
Marc:Did he die?
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:What happened to him?
Guest:My dog thinks I'm dead if I leave the room.
Marc:I think they all do.
Marc:Yeah, they do.
Marc:I used to try to do a joke about that.
Marc:Like, when you leave, and after a couple days, they're like, I guess he's dead.
Guest:After, like, a couple minutes, if I come home, the dog's like, where have you been?
Guest:Where are you now?
Guest:Like, why?
Guest:Don't leave again.
Marc:Well, mine's not that crazy.
Guest:Oh, okay.
Marc:It's just that he's attached to me.
Marc:The other two are attached to each other.
Guest:To each other, boyfriends.
Marc:Yeah, so when I leave, he's sort of like, well, I guess I'm the king.
Marc:I think it's more of that.
Marc:It's like, finally, that guy's out of the way.
Marc:Wow.
Marc:Whose house is this now?
Guest:Oh my God.
Guest:Is he the oldest?
Marc:No, he's the youngest.
Guest:But you know, cats and animals in general, there's going to be someone that rises to the top of like the boss.
Marc:I know, but that's what's happening is when I leave, he fights it out with the other guy.
Guest:You should have a animal psychic on your podcast.
Marc:Everyone tells me I should get that guy Galaxy, Jackson Galaxy.
Guest:I don't know who that is.
Marc:He's like the cat whisperer.
Marc:You have to.
Marc:It's getting to that point.
Marc:We'll see how it goes when I go away this time.
Guest:You should have a podcast where the psychic's in here and the cats are in here.
Guest:That'd be so fun.
Marc:I don't want a psychic.
Marc:I want a behavioralist.
Guest:Well, I think a psychic could talk to the cats, though, and be like, stop doing that, right?
Marc:Maybe.
Marc:I don't know.
Marc:I tend to not do the kind of flighty stuff.
Guest:Okay.
Guest:Do you not think it's real?
Marc:No, it's not that I don't think it's real.
Marc:You don't want to do it.
Marc:But I feel like my cat is like me.
Marc:Charlie reacted to medicine the way I did, that way I would.
Marc:Like when he was on the Prozac, I could tell that it muted him.
Marc:I could tell he was having the same impulses that he used to, but he couldn't follow through with them.
Marc:And I'm like, that's got to be more frustrating than being pissed off.
Wow.
Marc:I don't know if I'm projecting.
Guest:Oh, I see what you're saying.
Guest:Like, yeah, that's so interesting.
Marc:I want to, maybe not.
Guest:Oh, and you wanted him to, if you wanted to, to do it.
Marc:Exactly.
Marc:I know.
Marc:Okay.
Guest:I'm glad he's not on it.
Marc:Yeah.
Marc:All right.
Marc:So, okay.
Marc:Well, I think we did it.
Marc:You feel all right?
Guest:Yeah, I feel like, do you feel like people are going to watch too much?
Marc:Of what?
Guest:The show Too Much?
Guest:Yes!
Guest:It's a good title, I think.
Guest:No, it's funny.
Guest:Yeah, it's about being too much.
Marc:It's just very funny.
Marc:It's a completely perfect showcase for what you do.
Guest:Thank you.
Marc:And I think it was hilarious.
Guest:And Lena is just the most amazing writer.
Guest:The whole script is so incredible.
Marc:Yeah, and it's nice to see her again.
Marc:And there's a lot of those sort of like,
Guest:kind of like uh there's a she's there's a total sort of commitment to shamelessness that she's very good at it's also interesting because everyone re-watched girls like this past year there's like a girls re-watch podcast that everyone was like so crazy about it's so funny yeah like i i just saw clip after clip of people re-watching i think like gen z people like discovered girls yeah yeah
Guest:And I watched when I was in my 20s while it was coming out.
Marc:Yeah, it was quite a social event, girls.
Guest:Yeah.
Marc:Well, I'm glad she's doing okay.
Guest:Yeah, I love her.
Marc:Yeah, I haven't talked to her in a long time.
Marc:Oh, good.
Marc:Well, I wish you good luck with it.
Marc:Thank you.
Marc:But I do think people watch it because it is very funny.
Guest:I'm really proud of it.
Guest:And guess what?
Guest:Unluckiest girl in the world to be a part of Hacks.
Marc:Yeah, totally.
Marc:And you guys are writing another season now.
Guest:I can't wait.
Guest:I'm so excited to see what happens.
Marc:I watch it too.
Marc:And I love Hannah and I love Gina.
Guest:They're incredible.
Marc:Everyone's good.
Marc:All right.
Guest:Take care.
Guest:Thank you.
Guest:This was so fun.
Marc:There you go.
Marc:What a sweetheart.
Marc:Very funny.
Marc:Her new Netflix series, Too Much, premieres next month, and you can watch her in Hacks right now on Max Hangout for a minute, folks.
Marc:Hey, look, for the latest full Marin bonus episode, I answered your frequently asked questions about the upcoming end of WTF and what happens next.
Guest:Are you worried that without the podcast, you won't have the same ability to promote your stand-up dates, tours, specials, etc.
Guest:?
Marc:Well, I do think about that, but I've also noticed that even with the podcast, that people's listening habits are unique.
Marc:Some people are always catching up.
Marc:There have been people that have missed shows of mine that I've promoted for months.
Marc:Then they're like, why?
Marc:I didn't know you were coming and I don't know what else to do.
Marc:And also, you know, I'll keep Instagram alive.
Marc:Um,
Marc:And, you know, I'll just have to see.
Marc:I mean, there's plenty of guys who do comedy that aren't on any of these things.
Marc:And usually Live Nation has a pretty good publicity muscle.
Marc:But I find that I would say maybe half of the people that show up to my shows, it's not because they hear me promoted on the podcast.
Marc:But I guess I'll see.
Marc:But there are other avenues.
Marc:But I don't know that...
Marc:even given the history of the show, that this has been the one that gets asses in the seats necessarily.
Marc:To get that episode, plus every bonus episode we do twice a week, sign up for the full Marin.
Marc:Just go to the link in the episode description or go to WTFPod.com and click on WTF+.
Marc:And a reminder before we go, this podcast is hosted by Acast.
Marc:This is the end, my only friend.
guitar solo
guitar solo
Bye.
Marc:Boomer lives.
Marc:Monkey in the fond of cat angels everywhere.