Podcast episode 235ish: Sara Bynoe

In this episode, crap connoisseur Sara Bynoe discusses horrible poetry and prose, and even shares some examples. We also talk about animal hording and how to pick up topless dancers. What more could you want from a podcast, I ask you!

Here you go. Click below for instant gratification. Or if you want to savour it, click on iTunes and save it to your personal listening device.

June 5: Andrew Barber

Surely by now all of you have seen these viral videos:



And this one:



We've got the one and only Boston Bruins' fan Greg on the show tonight... Except that he's just a character. One of many spot-on characters from the mind of Vancouver's Andrew Barber. When I watched the second video last night, it slowly dawned on me who it was. And a little internet sleuthing confirmed my suspicions. So I immediately reached out to him, introduced myself and asked him to come on the show tonight. He responded in the affirmative (obviously) and informed me that he had been on the show before. Oops. Hey, in my defense, I've been doing this a long time and can't be expected to remember all my past guests. Besides, he was on the record-setting show when we had seven (7) guests at once, all from the Urban Improv crew. But he's all alone tonight. Well, him and whoever else his mind creates. Should be a good one. 11 pm. You know the drill.

Check out some of Andrew's other personas:

Samantha Bee interview

Tonight, Samantha Bee hits town. Just her luck it's on a night of ice hockey in the Stanley Cup finals featuring the home team, Vancouver Canucks against the visitors. In fact, the Vancouver Playhouse, where Bee will be doing a talk as part of a fundraiser for Théâtre la Seizième, is just around the corner from the ice hockey arena. I'm not looking forward to making my way down there at such a time, but I am looking forward to being one of the few people in attendance. I mean, I want the theatre company to raise money and all that, but I kinda like my space, too. I'm selfish that way.

Anyway, I had the chance to interview Samantha a couple weeks ago and she was wonderful. Such a pleasure to talk to. I fashioned some of the quotes you'll see below into a story for the Georgia Straight (read it here), but there was lots more that just wouldn't fit so I thought I'd share it with you here. And since the ice hockey game starts at 5 and Bee won't start until just after 8, why not come down and see one of the funniest women on TV? I'm sure seats will be available. Just give me my space.

Samantha Bee – May 23, 2011

Samantha Bee: Hello?

Guy MacPherson: Hello, Samantha?
SB: Yes.

GM: This is Guy MacPherson in Vancouver calling.
SB: Hi, how are you?

GM: Good. How are you?
SB: I’m good. I’m actually just listening to CBC right now. I know all about you people.

GM: Where are you?
SB: I’m in New York. But I stream it online. I can keep up with what’s going on. You know.

GM: That’s important to you?
SB: It is important to me. Of course. Of course!

GM: Well, happy Victoria Day.
SB: Thank you! Happy Victoria Day to you! You’re taking time out of your busy holiday day.

GM: I know! I can’t believe you scheduled this on a holiday.
SB: I am so sorry. I am actually going on vacation tomorrow.

GM: Oh. Where are you going?
SB: I’m going to a dude ranch. A ranch filled with dudes. I’m going to a ranch tomorrow so I didn’t know what the situation would be with phones and so forth.

GM: Are you going with your family?
SB: Yes. Yeah.

GM: So it’s like a real vacation, not something you’re going to make fun of.
SB: No, a real... I mean, I can’t tell you the last time... I don’t know when we went on a vacation. I don’t know if Fletcher – he’s almost three – I don’t know if he’s ever actually been on one (laughs) that was just totally vacation. You know, just pure vacation.

GM: Are you a horse person?
SB: I kind of... Well... I would say that loosely. I love horses and my mother used to have horses and I love riding horses, so I guess in that sense, yes. But I wouldn’t say that. I’ve never had my own horse or anything like that.

GM: And you don’t have figurines of horses all around your place.
SB: I don’t, no. No. No, I don’t... Well, maybe I do.

GM: I went on a cattle drive once and I’d never ridden a horse before.
SB: Oh my God! Really? Oh, wow. Okay. It can be... Well, I’ve been on unsuccessful dude ranches before, so we’ll see. But this should be good because these are friends.

GM: And you have three kids?
SB: We do, yes.

GM: Isn’t one just a baby?
SB: She is a baby. But let’s get her on a pony... No, she will not be (laughs). They have Baby Bjorns for horses, right? You just slide your child into it... No, she will likely decline horseback riding. We’ll be responsible for several longhorn steer.

GM: And how old are your kids?
SB: She’s nine months.

GM: And the other two are?
SB: Five and almost three.

GM: Three kids today is like having six when I was a kid.
SB: I know. It’s a status symbol... (laughs) No, I’m joking. I know, we are people who like to do it. I guess (laughs).

GM: Are you a lot like every other woman I know who has kids just to get out of work?
SB: Sure. For the luxurious nine weeks that you get to take in the States.

GM: Oh, is that how long you get there?
SB: Less, I think. Actually, it’s more like eight weeks, typically, in the States. It’s quite a different experience. I will say where I work, they were much more generous than that. But most places are quite terrible. I really keep my finger on the pulse, but I was reading a Canadian magazine the other day, because I have subscriptions, and there was a whole article on paternity leave, which is like a cosmic joke around here. Nobody’s ever even heard of it.

GM: We get a year and you can split it any way you like between the husband and wife.
SB: That’s amazing.

GM: So my wife took three months and I took the rest.
SB: That is great. How many kids do you have?

GM: One.
SB: Nice. Kids are cute.

GM: They are. Did you always want a big family or did it just work out that way?
SB: No, it just worked out that way. Once I had one, I went, “Oh, I really love kids!” I didn’t really know that before. I had an inkling that I would want to have children but I was never one of those people who got really excited when another person had a baby. I just was very unfamiliar with it. I never held a baby, I don’t think, in my life until my own baby was born. But I didn’t dislike children; I just couldn’t really relate to them. I knew I kind of wanted to have one but I didn’t really know why.

GM: Did Jason have any experience with babies?
SB: No, no. He knew he wanted to have them but again I don’t think he knew why he wanted to. It’s just one of those things that reminds you that you’re really an animal deep down.

GM: Are you disappointed you didn’t get to meet your boyfriend [Jesus Christ] on Saturday?
SB: I know. I was really prepared. You have no idea. I made a lot of snacks. Yeah, I just assumed. And I did a charity event the night before so I was really paving the way for myself to be one of the first to arrive in heaven. But not so much. I have to say I’m a little freaked out because I’m a little bit worried about those people today.

GM: Worried about the people that predicted it?
SB: Yes! Has anybody heard from the fellow? Camping? No? It’s concerning. I don’t know if you read it but there was a big article in the Times the day before, I guess, and they were sort of asking all of the believers what they thought they would do the next day and all of them were like, “I wouldn’t worry about it.” And they were also talking to their teenage children and the teenage children were like, “Well, we don’t believe that that world is going to end. It’s sad because my parents don’t really care what I do; they just care about the world ending tomorrow and they’ve told me flat out that I’m not going to heaven.”

GM: Nice.
SB: And they were in New York with their parents. You know, 14-year-old kids being dragged around New York and holding placards about the end of the world. It was awful. Very sad.

GM: It sounds like it’s right up The Daily Show alley. Has there been a segment on them? Would you try?
SB: I actually didn’t watch the last show.

GM: What?!
SB: I know. I didn’t watch the last show before the end of the world was supposed to happen so I don’t know that we did a ton of material about it. Because it really was sad. I mean, they were hiring people to walk around. They were hiring unemployed people to walk around with a placard. (laughs) You can’t imagine how just totally ambivalent those people were about their placard. I’m certain that many of them couldn’t speak English and didn’t even really know what the placard said. But it was not pleasant. I think there are some things that are too awful. It’s possible that that was one of them. Although who knows? I can’t really say. It could have been two full acts devoted to rapture talk.

GM: So you’re saying it was perhaps too awful for you guys to make fun of it?
SB: Maybe. And there was some other stuff going on.

GM: Other stuff going on with them or with the show?
SB: In the world. I shouldn’t say... I can’t tell you what the content of the show was. It could have been all rapture-related. I’m not the authority. I should be.

GM: It’s interesting. You sort of felt sorry for them. Does that come up often when you do segments on the show, where you feel for the people that you’re ridiculing?
SB: It comes up all the time. Sure. It comes up all the time. It even comes up really when a person is saying hateful things sometimes. Because that person probably sometimes got to a hateful place from a sad life, from a life full of disappointment and bitterness and terrible teaching and bad role modeling and things like that. So there’s a sadness there. I always like to think that I learn something from any field piece that I do. And I think I’ve learned the most from the people who I’ve dealt with or interviewed who seemed the most lost. I’ve learned to be thankful... Wow, I’m being really hilarious right now! (laughs) Wacka-wacka-wacka!

GM: This is deep stuff. This is good.
SB: You know, there’s a lot of sadness behind a lot of those crazy opinions about things, that’s for sure.

GM: Do you ever walk away from one or finish editing it having regret of even doing it?
SB: Uh... no. No, because first of all the people we interview want to be on television, so it’s not like we are forcing them to speak their opinions on television. And there’s a long process prior to them coming on our show, in which they have ample opportunity to back out if that’s what they really want to do. We’re not putting words in people’s mouths, or anything like that. And also we try to tread carefully. We do tread carefully.

GM: And responsibly?
SB: And responsibly. If you can believe that, it’s true – we make a very, very concerted effort to be responsible of people’s feelings. Well, what I’m saying is that people tell us much worse things and we don’t use any of it. What I’m saying is sometimes when you see someone saying something, they’ve said things that were ten times worse and it was just too awful to put on the air.

GM: Wow. But it’s edited in such a way that they might not be happy with the final edit.
SB: Oh, that is true. Definitely. Definitely. But for the most part – I would say 99 percent of the time – people are quite pleased.

GM: Oh, really?
SB: Yeah.

GM: Because they got their message out?
SB: Yup. Yup. Yes. My husband did – did you know that Jason Jones is my husband?

GM: Yes.
SB: Yeah, okay. He did a whole field piece about Terry Jones, who is that pastor down in Florida who helped Burn the Koran Day. He did a whole field piece about Terry Jones and then in the end we didn’t use any of it. And he knew the whole time, because he knew where we were from and he was saying, “Oh, you’re going to make fun of me for this” then he would say it anyway. Then he would say something else and go, “Oh, you’re going to use that, I know you’re going to make fun of me over that.” And that was absolutely 100 percent the case except that in the end it just didn’t seem worth it to put him on the air. You know what I mean? The piece got killed.

GM: Because it might stir up some passions?
SB: Well, that’s it. It was very, very funny but it wasn’t worth the funniness of it to incite bad feelings in people or give him another platform to speak. He just wasn’t worthy of the opportunity to speak in public again. I’m sure he’s doing it, but Jon didn’t really want it on our show. Totally understandable.

GM: And does Terry Jones call up and go, “Hey, what happened to my segment?”
SB: “Hey, my piece!” I don’t think so. I don’t think anyone takes those calls.

GM: And you say he knew where you were from.
SB: Sure, he knew it was going to be a comedy piece. It was worth it for him because he felt like the most important kernel of his message would still survive.

GM: And it would kind of humanize him, too, in a way.
SB: Mm-hmm. He thought it was worth it. It was worth it for him to have some jokes made at his expense if he thought he could get his message out just a little bit.

GM: Are they sometimes not aware where you’re from?
SB: We always tell them. They’re always aware.

GM: You say The Daily Show, but do you mention Comedy Central?
SB: Mm-hmm. Yup. And the waiver that they sign, the release that they sign, has Comedy Central on it. I mean, to claim that you have been bamboozled by us, which I think that Rod Blagojevich did, is insanity. Like, it’s not possible. Well, you really are going into it with blinders on if that’s what you choose to believe. And that is your choice. (laughs) But we’ve been very up front.

GM: To me, it’s the best show on TV. It must be a great gig for you as well.
SB: I love it. I mean, I loved it, it was my favourite show. It was my favourite, favourite show that I always carved time out of my day to watch before I worked at it. So I really feel like the luckiest person in television. It’s not that often that you get to live out your dream in that way. I love it.

GM: Especially when you’re just a kid from Canada watching the show.
SB: Yeah, I know! With my overalls and my antlers.

GM: (laughs) And your antlers?
SB: I file them down.

GM: So how did you get the job? You were a sketch performer?
SB: Yes, and I actually auditioned for the job. They came to Toronto.

GM: Yeah, I know they go around North America.
SB: I don’t know if they’ve been to Vancouver.

GM: They have, actually. Nobody got on.
SB: Oh, okay. That’s too bad. Did you audition? Do you know people who did?

GM: I’m not a performer; I just write about it. But, yeah, I know people who did. And, you know, you see them all the time here and I think they would be perfect for the show.
SB: Right. Yes.

GM: But who knows how the audition went or what the producers saw or were looking for or anything like that.
SB: Sure. I mean, it’s crazy but so much of it is about nerve management.

GM: Nerve management?
SB: Yeah.

GM: Just in the audition process?
SB: Yes. Absolutely.

GM: So you’re good with that?
SB: I am now, good with that.

GM: What was your audition like? What did you do?
SB: It was fairly straightforward, actually. I think I just read some copy that they gave me. It really was not an accurate reflection of what the job entailed whatsoever. They should never have hired me (laughs) based on what I did for them. But they did.

GM: You had a certain je ne sais quoi.
SB: There was something that they thought they could do with me.

GM: What was the sketch troupe you were in?
SB: The Atomic Fireballs.

GM: In Toronto.
SB: In Toronto, yes.

GM: Is that where you’re from?
SB: Yes, yeah.

GM: I should know that. I’m sorry.
SB: No, no, no, no.

GM: And did Jason also audition at the same time? Did he get on at the same time?
SB: No, he auditioned two years later. It was pretty random. They saw some of his work. They didn’t know that he was my husband.

GM: He was your husband at the time?
SB: Uh-huh, yeah.

GM: And you never mentioned it?
SB: We married in Canada. We were married in Canada before I ever moved down to the States. Ten years ago we got married. And he was a sketch performer and we moved down in 2003 and then two years later they saw some of his stuff online and they were like, “We should audition this guy.” And somebody had recognized him from a party and they’d met him and they were like, “I feel like that’s Samantha’s husband.” It’s crazy that they actually wanted to audition him independently of me. So they asked me if it was okay with me if they auditioned him. And I said, “No! Don’t you dare!” But they did it anyway.

GM: I remember his first segment and it didn’t go so well.
SB: Oh, didn’t it? I don’t remember.

GM: But then he just took off. He came into his own pretty quickly. Nerve management, I guess.
SB: It’s nerve-wracking. It’s a wonderful job but I think probably 80 percent of it has to do with a really, really weird kind of courage. A really bizarre skillset.

GM: You’ve just got to put on your correspondent’s face kind of attitude?
SB: Yeah. And you just have to be able to ask people questions that they don’t want to be asked, which is very difficult to do.

GM: Tell me about your work week. You might be on air, I don’t know, once or twice a week, but the other times are your writing for Jon or is it all for your segments?
SB: We are usually working on field pieces. If we’re not doing something for the studio then we’re typically working on a field piece. That means trying to put one together. And often all the elements get booked and then they fall apart. So you can work on something for two weeks and in the end it just doesn’t happen. For whatever reason someone pulls out or they just can’t make it work. It’s just like booking a real news story, in my imagination, except that you’re doing it for comedy purposes and so they fall apart in the same sort of weird random way. And then sometimes you’ll shoot the little piece and it’ll fall apart after, which is very typical. So it’s that kind of a schedule. It’s pretty flexible. It’s great for me because we live right up the street from work so I can scuttle home. If I’m not working on anything I will scuttle home and take the kids. It’s great.

GM: Do you choose the topics yourself?
SB: Sometimes yes and sometimes no. It depends on the thing. Sometimes something will be suggested to me and sometimes I think, “Oh, this would be good.” It’s kind of a mixed bag.

GM: Is it a pain in the ass for you with your performer friends back home? Are they all trying to get on the show?
SB: I try to get them on the show. Definitely. I would love to work with my friends. And yeah, they auditioned for the show but they didn’t get on. It’s unfortunate. But no, I don’t think it’s a pain for them. Somehow, in the end, I would like to be able to use any small niche-level notoriety I have to make their lives better in the future. Who knows if that’s possible or not? You know, it’s a tough business.

GM: You’re a decent sort. I can tell that.
SB: I believe in helping the people that you love. It’s a rising tide that lifts all... boats? What is that? I don’t know. Does that apply? (laughs)

GM: I don’t know, either. But in any audition, there’s an element of right time, right place.
SB: Right time and right place and total preparation. Another phrase that I can’t quote accurately, but it’s one of those things where if you’re totally prepared and an opportunity happens, that’s maybe what constitutes luck. So I do feel really lucky and I feel really totally blessed to have gotten this job. But, you know, I prepared for it. I feel like I was preparing for it all my life. You know, I have a tape of myself when I was six years old doing fake news.

GM: Really?
SB: Yeah. It’s called News for Goofs.

GM: Wow.
SB: Isn’t that crazy?

GM: You gotta put that up somewhere.
SB: I know. It’s a little cassette tape that I did myself with my little tape recorder when I was a little kid. So I really have to transfer it to something before it, you know, becomes dust. That’s how old I am.

GM: How long have you been on the show?
SB: Um... eight years.

GM: I know Colbert, Corddry, Helms all moved on. And, I guess, others. But to me it seems like, Why would you do that? Although they’ve had successful careers. Do you have an exit strategy or do you just want to stay on as long as you can?
SB: No, you can’t really have an exit strategy. It’s just not the way that things work. You can have some ideas. I definitely would like to have something in place if they let me go or if I decide that I’m done. I’d like to move on to something else. But there’s only so much you can do for yourself in the acting business and in the business of comedy. Somebody also has to like what you do. So definitely it’s incredibly important to work on your own stuff and be working all the time. But I do also have to hope to make a connection with someone else. So I’m trying actually to be writing a lot more. I’m writing constantly. I wrote a book, for one thing. And I’ve been doing articles and I’m probably going to be starting a parenting blog. I’m just trying to be as active as possible because if you want something done, ask a busy person to do it. The more you do, the more you get to do.

GM: You could be the new Amy Sedaris.
SB: Right, but she’s craftier than I am. I’m a baker.

GM: I haven’t read your book but yesterday I was in Chapters and I saw it and thought, “Well, I’m interviewing her tomorrow” so I flipped it open...
SB: Was it in the bargain bin?

GM: No, it was on the featured table.
SB: Okay! I like that.

GM: So I sat down, I flipped it open to the chapter on your crush on Jesus so I read that chapter. Were the stories based on truth or just flights of fancy?
SB: No, that’s a true story. My mom is Wiccan and all of that was true. She’s coming to the event in Vancouver. You wouldn’t look at her and instantly go, “Oh, there’s a Wiccan woman” but you wouldn’t not think that. (laughs) You might actually go there. I can pick a Wiccan like a mile away.

GM: Does she live nearby?
SB: She lives outside of Ottawa. But we’re connecting. We’re having a ladies weekend with my baby. My lady baby. We’re all going to meet in Vancouver.

GM: Nice. Did you fall away from the church?
SB: Yes, I’ve fallen away from all of those things. I have my own freaky spiritual... which is impossible to communicate to anyone else. (laughs) I’m going to write a book about it. It’s going to be bigger than Dianetics.

GM: (laughs) And one day there will be the Church of Samantha Bee. How long did it take you to write your book?
SB: A year. It took a year. I worked really solidly on it for a year in whatever little tiny pockets of spare time that I had. I worked really diligently on it.

GM: You obviously enjoy the process if you want to keep writing.
SB: Totally enjoy it. I loved it. It was so much fun. So much fun.

GM: The physical part of actually writing it or after you wrote it?
SB: No, it was really fun writing it. I really did enjoy the actual process of hunkering down and writing it. I really do enjoy it. I mean, I don’t know if that will last forever but it’s something that I do enjoy tremendously.

GM: Are you a big reader?
SB: Well, I used to be before I had children. Now I can barely get through an article in a magazine. But I will go back to it. I swear to God I will get back to it. I was a huge reader. There’s a reader in me that cannot get out. I just never have the time to do it. I’m so tired at night.

GM: I hear you. Is the show in Vancouver a one-off?
SB: Yes, it’s a fundraiser for a theatre company (She studied with artistic director Craig Holzschuh). I think it’s a great cause. I’m thrilled. I haven’t been to Vancouver in forever so I’m so excited to come.

GM: You’ve spent some time here before?
SB: I’ve just been out there on, you know, vacations, family vacations. I came out... gosh, when was the last time? I think my husband did a long job out there and I came out with him but it was ten years ago. It’s been ten years.

GM: An acting job?
SB: He did some kind of car show. It was an acting job at a car show. He did it on rollerblades. (laughs)

GM: Sweet.
SB: It was great. It was a real show-stopper.

GM: How would you describe what you’re doing here?
SB: We’re doing a talk. We’re just doing a talk.

GM: “We” meaning “you”?
SB: Myself and the artistic director of the theatre. Oh, gee, you know what, I have another interview.

GM: Yup, I know. That was my last question.
SB: If I hang up on you, can you call me right back? I have to just tell them that I’m here. Hold on. (pause) Hello?

GM: Hello. Hey, that worked.
SB: Oh my God, that worked. I have never done that effectively. She’s going to call me back in a couple of minutes. Yeah, so it’s going to be a talk led by the artistic director of the theatre. We’re going to answer questions. It’s going to be kind of like an intimate evening. Maybe nudity. No torpedos. (laughs) I don’t know. Um, yeah, it’s just going to be a fun, intimate gathering of people. Hopefully not that intimate but I think it should be funny. I’m hoping that there’s no hockey game that night.

GM: Oh, who cares?
SB: Oh, I don’t know. That can really affect people. It’s a hockey game. Come back to it later. Come to our fundraiser.

GM: Do you speak French?
SB: No. I don’t. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love French theatre. Who doesn’t love French theatre?

GM: I know. Moliere? Come on.
SB: Come on.

GM: Well, I’ll let you get to your other interview. Thanks so much for talking, Samantha.
SB: Thanks for having me. It was a pleasure. Are you coming to the fundraiser?

GM: I sure hope so. If there’s going to be nudity, I’ll be there.
SB: Okay.

GM: Thanks a lot.
SB: Okay, bye.

EXTRA: Podcast episode 234ish: Joe Avati

I'm not sure how to number this one. It dates from 2005 and for some reason never made it to podcast format. I found it while foraging for another lost episode. I never did find it, but came across this one with Italian-Australian comic Joe Avati. It also marked the first time What's So Funny? employed the telephone to do an interview. Exciting time! We also played clips from fellow Italians Ray Romano and Frank Spadone as well as from Avati himself. Oh, and Emo Philips. I have no idea what ethnicity he is. He could very well be Italian. Let's say he is for this particular episode.

As always, stream the show here (below) or follow this link to the iTunes page and download it to your computer. Or however else you get it. There are more than two ways to skin this cat.

Podcast episode 233ish: Richard Lett

While you're anxiously awaiting tonight's live episode with Sara Bynoe, why not check out last week's twelve step program featuring the kinder and gentler Richard Lett? It's available now in the popular podcast format. Richard talked about what led him to cleaning up his act. No, not his stage act – that's as edgy as ever – but his life. He talks about getting in his car and driving 7000 kilometres before winding up in a shelter far, far away... or not. But he did log those k's.

Stream the episode here, if you like, or download it at iTunes and listen at your leisure.

May 29: Sara Bynoe

Do you love deliciously rotten writing? You must, because you're here. But there's lots more out there, if you've ever browsed through any bookstore in the world searching for the perfect book that will take six months out of your life (you're all slow readers like me, right?).

Our guest this week celebrates truly stinky prose with her live comedy show Say Wha?! The show celebrates its one year anniversary at the Cottage Bistro on Main on June 15th and Sara Bynoe will be in studio tonight to tell us all about herself, the big celebration, and read some samplings of the literary awfulness. She's also the brains behind the Teen Angst Poetry nights, which, I guess, is just lousy unpublished writing, when she's not penning her own plays and acting.

Here's a sampling from a previous outing of Say Wha?!:

Rotten Writing from Tom Weston on Vimeo.

May 22: Richard Lett

I don't know which guest holds the record for most number of visits to What's So Funny? but Richard Lett has got to be right up there. Tonight marks his sixth appearance on the show. But how many of those was the real Richard there? Certainly not the last time. I'm not aware of the details on Richard's lifestyle over the years but that last guest spot was a doozy. I do know he's been clean and sober for about 17 months and is so much more sane to talk to now. A quick glance at the podcast schedule and I notice that his last appearance here was 18 months ago. Hmm. Wonder if that had anything to do with him cleaning himself up? We'll discuss tonight.

After years and years (the bulk of his professional life) living in Vancouver, Lett recently moved to Toronto. But he's flying back today for a short stay and his first stop will be the WSF? studios. We'll have lots to talk about and he'll actually make sense this time.

Podcast episode 232ish: Bill Reiter

Yo, my little mugwumps! Our usual (well, for the past month, anyway) drop date for podcasts is Sunday but we wanted to get this one up a day early so you have time to enjoy it before either being ascended into heaven or figuring out what to do with the undead until October. This special Rapture Day podcast features the inimitable Bill Reiter. What a pleasure it was to meet him (again, as you'll find out if you listen).

Reiter's a guy I've watched and listened to since I was a kid. I was a little too old to enjoy his kids show Zig Zag when it aired in the '80s but I certainly knew of it. In this episode of What's So Funny? we learn that his feud with co-star Rick Ducommen hasn't resolved itself. Ducommen, if you're out there, come on the show. I'd love to play the Jimmy Carter to their Sadat and Begin.

I wasn't too old, or young, for Dr. Bundolo's Pandemonium Medicine Show, though, which ran nine years on CBC radio then two years on TV. In a shocking revelation, Bill explains how the cast members felt about their TV experience. (I'm going for tabloid talk in order to help boost ratings)

What else can you expect in this honkin' ep? I get Reiter all verklempt when I reveal some information about myself, we sample some of his famous voice work, he explains his conscience when it comes to doing commercials, lays the hammer down on the Royal Canadian Airfarce, and talks about his passion for black music. Oh, and he supplies lyrics and singing to our closing theme! It's a good one. Download it now or suffer the wrath of God!

Click below to stream it directly onto your computer or head on over to iTunes and download it for the reasonable cost of nothing down and nothing a month. Heck, why don't you just subscribe to it? It's good for your soul.

Tracy Morgan

Is it the dreaded hockey playoffs that killed Tracy Morgan show at the Orpheum this coming Saturday? Or was it that he over-saturated the market? Probably a bit of both. Throw in the fact that Vancouver is a notoriously last-minute town and it spelled doom for the promoters, methinks.

The press release announcing the cancellation of his upcoming show cited "unforeseen circumstances and scheduling conflicts" but what are they going to say? Nobody wanted to see him again so soon after playing the River Rock and before that Yuk Yuk's? Maybe the hockey playoffs played a small role but I was at the Vogue Theatre to see Tommy Tiernan on Sunday night when the Canucks were playing and the place was packed.

I got the chance to interview Morgan a week or so ago for a story that was to run in the Georgia Straight tomorrow ahead of his scheduled appearance. But not now. I'm a little surprised that in all the years I've been doing this, this is the first time it's happened. Curious as to what you would have read? Well, I've got it for you here. I'm sure the editors would have fine-tuned it to perfection but here's the raw copy:

by Guy MacPherson

If there’s one thing Tracy Morgan wants you to know, it’s that he’s not Tracy Jordan, his fictional batshit crazy alter-ego on NBC’s 30 Rock. To wit: Jordan doesn’t swear and… well, that’s about it as far as I can tell.

In an intense 15-minute phone interview with the Straight from his home in New Jersey, the 42-year-old comedian was variously unhinged, opinionated, hilarious, introspective, and even briefly sane. Is it a case of art imitating life or vice versa? Who knows? Who cares? When it comes to Morgan/Jordan, you just sit back and enjoy the ride.

While Morgan, the comedic actor, has made it big on the back of pre-censored network television, Morgan, the standup comic, is anything but ideally packaged family entertainment. His live shows aim low with endless dick and pussy jokes. And he relishes it.

“I don’t care. Be offended! I love it!,” he yells. “I want you to be offended. Maybe you’ll change things. If people don’t get offended, you probably ain’t funny. I’m always confrontational. You don’t like it, leave, man, but don’t judge me. You ain’t walked a mile in my shoes. You don’t know where I’m from. I came out there to make you laugh. I left my family and my home to make you laugh. The least you could do is have a sense of humour. Don’t take it so serious. But we got assholes out there that think that they coming to see Tracy Jordan. You don’t know the difference between stand-up and TV? You don’t know the difference and you a grown-ass person? People actually think that Tina Fey’s gonna be there!”

She won’t be. The two, amazingly enough, don’t hang out in real life, it turns out. It’s Morgan alone on stage, predictable in his unpredictability.

In a 2008 New York Times profile, Morgan was painted as a jester with no off-switch. It’s easy to reach that conclusion based on his work and appearances on talk shows, but the funnyman denies it. Vehemently.

“I ain’t on all the time. I’m on when I wanna be on,” he says petulantly. “This is my life. Don’t nobody control me. Don’t nobody tell me when to be funny or not. Nobody! My father died when I was 19 years old. So I’m funny when I wanna be funny. The New York Times don’t hang out with me every day all day.”

Vancouver comic Sam Easton recalls opening for him at Yuk Yuk’s a few years ago. “He didn’t have a lot of written jokes or material or polished stuff but he was funny,” he told me on last week’s episode of What’s So Funny? on co-op radio. “I remember we had a 2-show night. His first show was an hour-twenty-five and the second show was 25 minutes. So you just never know.”

Indeed, Morgan says he never feels compelled, professionally or otherwise, to be funny.

“I don’t have to be nuthin’. If I don’t wanna go on stage, I don’t. I cancel,” he says before backtracking slightly. “But I don’t do that because I don’t feel the need to. I’m funny. I love what I do. I told you, nobody controls this here. Nobody evah. Not [30 Rock costar] Alec [Baldwin], not Tina, not [Saturday Night Live producer] Lorne [Michaels], nobody! Nobody stood over me in 1968 when I came outta my mother’s vagina and said, ‘You shall be funny! You shall do comedy!’ This was all my idea, man. This was all my idea. All of it!”

Got it. Duly noted. So is this all an act, a put-on for the press? Who knows? Even a fellow comic like Easton doesn’t know.

“Oh, he’s nuts. He’s crazy and hilarious,” he says. “Some of the things, you don’t know if he’s doing it just for show or if that’s really how he feels. I couldn’t tell. I was hosting for him so he was treating me with respect but not other people. You don’t know if he’s doing it for just hijinx and for laughs or he’s actually doing it because that’s how he treats people. He always kept you off-balance.”

Morgan’s devilish sense of humour and questioning of authority got him in trouble at school, he says, but he was always a bit of a star growing up in Brooklyn, even before he started standup or got on TV.

“Other kids loved me,” he says. “I was the funny dude in the neighbourhood so they protect that. We didn’t have no money, we was too poor to go to Radio City [Music Hall] to see Richard [Pryor] so they had me. So they protected that. The funny dude always gets protected as long as he’s got a good spirit. My father taught me that early in life because he was a comedian: ‘Always tell jokes with a good spirit. That way, when you do make fun of somebody, they can laugh and you can laugh.’”

That advice has served him well over the years and kept him from being smacked upside the head. And family is obviously important to him. It’s when talking about his late father or his three grown sons that Morgan’s sensitive side shines through. He says, softly, the hardest thing he ever did was bury his dad, that his boys are “beautiful” (“Me and my ex-wife raised them right”), that five months after his kidney transplant his health is fine (“I’m doing great; I’m in high spirits, as you can tell”) and that he’s five years clean and sober after struggling with alcohol addiction.

When his publicist interrupts the conversation to let us know the time is up, we get a hint that maybe the bravado is a bit of an act afterall: “Guy, you gotta admit, this is a very passionate, interesting interview. And you need more! Like, ‘Tracy is an interesting dude, man! He’s got a point of view and everything!’ Why you think my lady love me?”

Maybe because his lady is like the rest of North America and loves a good whackjob with a heart of gold, apparently.

Our chat really was nuts. I'll post the full transcription sometime soon.

Podcast episode 231ish: Sam Easton

Little Sammy Easton is all growed up. Or is on his way. The man-child went the way of the hairline and now Sam Easton is a man in transition. In this episode, Sam talks about that transition as well as his relationship with the late great Irwin Barker and how far they'd go for the laugh. He also reveals who the most disappointing act he's ever seen live is (hint: he's coming to town soon!)

Here's the deal: This gizmo below will play the episode for you right here, right now. Or, if you'd rather, go download it to your iPod or MP3 device over at iTunes. I'll admit, the levels are a little 'hot', as we say in the business (it sounds a bit distorted) but we're working on it. We believe it's a station streaming issue and believe me, heads will roll. But don't let that stop you from enjoying this week's podcast.

May 15: Bill Reiter

I usually post show details on a Sunday but I'm a little excited about this one so I'm getting it done early. Our guest on What's So Funny? tomorrow night (May 15) is the legendary Bill Reiter.

If you're of a certain vintage, you'll know precisely who that is. The BC Entertainment Hall of Famer is best known for his work on Dr. Bundolo's Pandemonium Medicine Show (which ran on both radio and TV), being Biff to Rick Ducomen's Bart on the kids show Zig Zag, hosting the first black music radio show in Canada, Groovin' Blue, on CKLG-FM (a show that continues on in podcast form to this day, 40 years later), and originating the catch-phrase "Yo my little mugwump" as the Kokanee Sasquatch, and starring in hundreds of classic TV ads. And if none of those credits ring a bell, you'll immediately recognize his voice the moment you hear it. He's done literally thousands of funny radio ads.

Bill has a YouTube channel that archives tons of his work. This ought to whet your appetite. It's a nice little overview of his career:

That was just ten minutes. We'll have a whole hour. So tune in Sunday from 11 to midnight at 102.7 FM in Vancouver or livestream it at coopradio.org from any other spot on the globe. I can't wait!

Podcast episode 230ish: James Danderfer

I spent Friday night at the Cellar Jazz Club watching last week's guest, James Danderfer, noodling on the old licorice stick. Opening for him were comics Graham Clark and Ivan Decker. Comedy and jazz, just like God always intended. It was a fun night.

Today's podcast episode takes us back in time one week, before the big Cellar gig. Jim Dandy talked about his dreaming of getting his jazz chocolate in the comedy peanut butter, told some musicians jokes, and informed us of the surprising comic who blew the musicians away on a cruise ship before getting fired. And along the way we played some very funny comedy clips, many of which lampooned his chosen art form. We heard from Paul F. Tompkins ("Jazz"), the Fast Show ("Jazz club"), Martin Mull ("Straight Talk about the Blues"), Mike Storck ("Cruise Ships"), Bill Burr ("Being a Mother") and The Mighty Boosh ("Jazz Trance").

Oh, and if you're wondering about the theme song on this episode, it's an original track from James' album, Run With It (Cellar Live, 2006), called "Cafe & Beignet".

Listen to the episode right here right now or download it at iTunes.

May 8: Sam Easton

To celebrate Mother's Day, we've got... Sam Easton? Sure, why not?! He loves moms, I'm sure. And look at that mug. What mother wouldn't love that baby face?

It's been a while since young Sammy has been on the show. The last time was way back in 2005. Since then, he's had a couple roles in movies, moved to Toronto for a few years, starred in a play about Irwin Barker, and, most recently, moved back to his beloved Vancouver. So there's lots to talk about. Gather your moms around the old timey radio and listen tonight from 11 to midnight. She will thank you.

Winning!... not

If you heard Charlie Sheen admit for the first time publicly that he bought a hooker for Tom Cruise once, that would pique your interest, right? You'd might wonder when it was. Maybe you'd want to know if Tom actually used said hooker. Maybe, given the rumours about Mr. Cruise's sexuality, you'd be curious as to the sex of the professional sex worker. But you wouldn't just let the comment pass without a follow-up question, would you?

Well, at his Vancouver, um, event (it wasn't really a show and I don't know how else to describe it), Sheen told interviewer Russell Peters precisely that: He bought Tom Cruise a hooker once, then admitted that he had never mentioned it in public before. So...???

So that's it. Nothing more to learn, obviously. Sheen made a crack that now that he's brought it up, "the Church of Martian Idiots" will be all over him. "Those people are fucking dangerous," he added. And that was that. It was on to the more incisive questioning from someone in the crowd wondering if there'd be another Major League movie. (Yup.)

Peters was decent with his initial line of questioning and kept things funny for the most part, and, in fairness, he's not a professional interviewer so maybe he can be forgiven for leaving those juicy nuggets just hanging. But it doesn't take a seasoned journalist to want to hear more on this scoop about Cruise. Does it?

Sheen makes me laugh. I mean that sincerely. I've never seen a single second of Two and a Half Men (has anyone? he claims it was on for 8 years and 177 shows but I don't know a single person who's seen it; then again, I don't know a single person who voted Conservative and they won a majority government on the same night... hmm, coincidence?) and I honestly can't remember if I've seen any of his movies (honestly), but his week on the interview circuit left me in stitches. Tiger blood, winning, duh! Man, I ate that up.

I heard his tour was a bit of a gong show but I had no idea what to expect. And after seeing it, I have no idea what I got. There was no show to speak of – just a sit-down semi-interview interrupted throughout by a dude hitting random strings on his guitar (no idea why he was there or how he got on the stage). At one point, as cat-calls rained down, Sheen chastised the punters with, "How about when we talk, you guys fucking listen? Isn't that what you came here for?" Then he and Peters basically said that since they never advertised what the show would be, nobody could legitimately complain about what it was. Or wasn't. I don't think it works like that, fellas.

Apparently people paid a pretty penny to see Sheen. Caveat emptor, I guess, but I think he and the producers have an onus to at least try to give the people something. It's not like he doesn't care about us. Witness this statement, uttered with conviction: One questioner asked who the biggest asshole he ever worked with and the answer was, obviously, Chuck Lorre, his former producer on Two and a Half Men, to which he added, "It's not just what he did to me, but what he did to all you good people." That might have been the funniest line of the night if it weren't delivered with utmost sincerity.

Despite that, I think Sheen came off as a sympathetic character. The Warlock looked defeated, embarrassed and nervous, but sane. Or as sane as can be expected under the circumstances. But sane doesn't sell. There's no pizazz in rationally explaining that "tiger blood" is a metaphor or that he realizes he "chose poorly" with goddess/porn star Bree Olson, who recently made a midnight run in the opposite direction. And it certainly doesn't sell in Vancouver on election night. The Arena was cordoned off at about the one-quarter mark, and even that section wasn't full. Maybe he made it up at the sizable merch table or in the $20 programs.

Other tidbits of the evening included:

* He's been waiting for a statement of support from former co-star Jon Cryer, to no avail.

* Jennifer Gray was the first celebrity he banged.

* Ginger Lynn was the best lay among porn stars he's shagged (although he saw her years later and thought, "I fucked that?")

* Melanie Rios was the most disappointing porn star he had sex with.

* When Kelly Preston shot herself in his bathroom in the spring of 1989, he heard the shot and thought "she did it, she finally fucking did it. And they're going to blame it on me."

* The accusations of him beating on women are "all horseshit."

* He never held a knife to Brooke's throat.

* He's OCD when he's high.

* "I'm not bi-polar; I'm bi-winning... Which still doesn't make any sense."

* "Party as fucking hard as you want, but honour your commitments."

* The most genuinely decent human he's ever worked with (a question, by the way, that elicited boos from the lynch mob), is his dad, Martin Sheen.

* We don't know if he's made up with his brother, Emilio, but we know he recently sent him a text message. No further questions were asked.

* Sheen turned down White Men Can't Jump, Indecent Proposal and Born on the 4th of July.

* Sheen mentioned at least twice that he and Peters should do a sitcom.

That's about it. It wasn't a comedy show, despite Peters' presence, and after 20 other appearances around North America, this one was his penultimate, with one more to go in Seattle. So I'm not sure why I went or why I wrote about it. Just thought you'd want to know. As for the details on the Tom Cruise hooker, you'll have to make up your own.

May 1: James Danderfer & Joe Poole

Jazz musicians on a show about comedy? Say what? It's not as strange a notion as you might think. Especially if you've ever seen James Danderfer in action. Not only is he one of the best jazz musicians in the country (and, I daresay, the best clarinetist), he's also a very funny dude in his own understated way. Half the fun of going to one of his shows is listening to him talk between tunes. But James is also a huge comedy fan. And, as such, has decided to marry the two art forms. Again. There's a bit of a tradition going back years and years. I remember Jimmie Walker told me that he used to open for Miles Davis at the Cellar Door in Washington, DC. And that's just one example. But it's a rarity these days.

Now we've got two of Danderfer's favourite local comics, Graham Clark and Ivan Decker, supplying the professional jokes while Danderfer's trio (featuring Joe Poole on drums) will supply the swinging tunes at the Jazz Cellar on Broadway, near Alma, on May 6 & 7. I can't wait. Comedy and jazz? What's not to love about that?! (By the way, if you think you don't like jazz, I bet you really do. You just need to experience it live.)

Both Danderfer and Poole have played cruise ships and have some stories about that experience. One of them involved Bill Burr's brief stint as a cruise ship comic. So we'll share some stories and also play some music-related comedy, from Paul F. Tompkins' hilarious take on jazz to Martin Mull talking about the blues to the 2000-Year-Old Man explaining music. And a whole lot more. So tune in tonight at 11 PST on CFRO, 102.7 FM or livestream it at coopradio.org. If you want to hear/read more of James' thoughts on music and life, read his most excellent blog. And for even more, read an in-depth interview I did with him in 2009 for vancouverjazz.com. We even talk a bit about comedy.

Wanda Sykes interview

After my awkward interview last week with Patton Oswalt, I just had to get right back on that horse and hope for the best. Thankfully it was with the delightful Wanda Sykes. Turns out there's a bit of connection, too. Read the transcript to find out what it is.

I've always liked Wanda Sykes. I love her delivery system (to coin Marc Maron's term) and I like what she says. If you're keeping track at home, the only time I've written about her was to give her a bad review. That's the tricky part about reviews: they're for a particular show not a life's work. One other notorious bad review I gave was for Brad Garrett, who I always liked previous to that and might very well like again in the future. So a review is just a snapshot of a particular moment in time, it doesn't necessarily reflect my greater opinion of the artist in question.

Sykes is coming back to the River Rock Show Theatre in Richmond on May 6. I caught up with her today for a pleasant, if brief, 15-minute chat. We talked about Bill Cosby, Charlie Sheen, coming out of the closet, and nursing school, among other things:

Wanda Sykes – April 28, 2011

Guy MacPherson: You have a career that reaches both the mainstream and, from your stand-up, more fans of raw material. Are there ever any problems with expectations from audiences who might go see you thinking it’s going to be prime time Wanda Sykes?
Wanda Sykes: (laughs) Uh, I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s happened, where some fans of New Adventures of Old Christine, you know, that’s their first encounter with me is through that show, and they come out to see the live show. It’s a bit different. But I’m not that dirty. I’m not that dirty for comics. I think they’ll still enjoy it.

GM: You’re not afraid of the f-bomb and certain sexual talk and it might be a bit of a surprise for them.
WS: Maybe a bit, but Old Christine was a bit, I wanna say raunchy. We got a little loose on Old Christine, too. I think if you’re a fan of that show you’re expecting a few f-bombs.

GM: But you never feel like you have to compromise your act in any way or just temper it a little bit?
WS: Oh, no, no, no, no. I’m still going to do the same performance. I have to make it fun for me. (laughs)

GM: Yeah, exactly. That’s why you do stand-up, right?
WS: Right. Exactly.

GM: Because there’s nobody else to answer to.
WS: (laughs) Nope. I’m the only editor and only boss. That’s why it’s so much freedom and still my favourite thing to do.

GM: People like you who have success in movies and TV, you don’t need to do it but you do it because it’s just part of your DNA, I guess, right?
WS: Yeah. It’s just that’s where it all started for me, is doing stand-up. I love doing stand-up. It’s nice to go back there because to me it’s the most rewarding and it’s where I feel the funniest.

GM: A lot of comics reach a certain level of success in movies and TV and then they stop doing stand-up. Bob Newhart says that if you have the ability to do it, you have a duty, an obligation to do it because not that many people can.
WS: Huh. I agree. Yeah. And also the freedom of knowing that, hey, if TV and movies and everything goes away, you still have the thing that you love to feed you, basically. To me, that’s like my safety net.

GM: I think a lot of people not in show business forget when they see someone as successful as you that you still can worry about things like that, right? Even though it’s unlikely but in the back of your mind you’re still going, “One day this all might go away.”
WS: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I mean, I think that’s part of being human. (laughs) Yeah, you go, oh, boy, what’s my back-up plan, you know? Should I go to nursing school now? At least I have something to fall on. You know, you think that.

GM: Ha! Nursing school. I’d like to see that.
WS: Yeah! Come on, they get to wear comfortable shoes. That’s very important.

GM: Who did you come up with in stand-up when you were starting out?
WS: I started in DC. It was a really hot place for comedy. Dave Chappelle was hitting the clubs the same time I was hitting the clubs in DC. Who else came out of that group? You know, Martin Lawrence was like just before us. Patton Oswalt, he was in DC and Baltimore. So it was a lot of people coming through there. A lot of good comics.

GM: And your first big break was with Chris Rock or was there something before that?
WS: I would say yes. I would say my first big break, as far as to get into TV and everything, that was definitely Chris Rock, opening for him in New York at Caroline’s. And shortly after that he got his show on HBO, The Chris Rock Show, and I got hired to write on his show. And that’s when everything kind of, you know, took off for me.

GM: And when did you first feel like you belonged, or fit in, in the show biz world?
WS: Um, I think after, like, a season or so on The Chris Rock Show. Because that was like one of the rare opportunities where we did everything. Not only did we get to write our pieces but we produced them and also did the editing, you know, went in with the editor to cut it. So it was just like a great... It was like going to college. It was wonderful. It was such a learning experience. And when I left there I just felt like I was equipped to do whatever I wanted to do in this business.

GM: I remember seeing you years ago on an awards show. It was very uncomfortable. It was with Bill Cosby. Do you have any kind of relationship with him?
WS: Um, no. No, I mean, no, no relationship with him. No.

GM: Was he an influence at all?
WS: Uh, oh yeah, definitely. I’m still a fan of, you know, of his work. And, you know, Cosby show was huge. Yeah, I think he’s very funny. Uh, so, yeah.

GM: I don’t remember the details of that night.
WS: Yeah, I mean, it was awkward and I was, you know, really on my way to talk to Larry David anyway and it just happened so quickly and, uh,... I don’t know.

GM: Charlie Sheen is playing in Vancouver on Monday. What do you think of that whole situation?
WS: It’s amazing to me. I mean, people want to see a train wreck. So, hey, that’s a great train wreck.

GM: Established comics like yourself, who put in the work and perform, now see this guy just selling out places. You’re right, people want to see a train wreck, but do you resent it a little bit?
WS: No. If people have the money to go see him, they’re curious. I think that’s great. I mean, I’m not saying that’s great but it’s good for the economy. If people have that kind of money that’s a sign that things are turning around if Charlie Sheen is selling out places without really an act. I wouldn’t put him as a comedian. I mean, to me, you can ask Lady Gaga the same question, is she upset about it?

GM: Since you came out of the closet, has there been any fallout like there was with Ellen? Or is America past that and she was the one who took the brunt of it?
WS: Has there been any fallout? No. Everything has been positive. I wasn’t really living my life closeted; I just didn’t feel like I needed to make a public announcement or tell people, total strangers, about my sexuality. But it’s all been great. It’s all been positive. I’m very happy I did it because it’s been a positive step for the LGBT community and also for the kids out there who are going through bullying and other situations and facing discrimination. So to have somebody with a face that they can go, “Oh, okay, she’s in the same boat” or “she’s supporting us”, it helps them and that makes it even better.

GM: Have there been a difference in crowds since you came out?
WS: I think the gay community, they just let me know that they’re there. You know, they might be a little more vocal and say, “Hey”, you know, “We love you. We’re here.” But that’s about it. My audiences are pretty diverse. Age, race, sexual orientation, they’re all over the place.

GM: And your material is for anybody, not specifically gay audiences.
WS: Oh, yeah, definitely. I think people in general relate on so many other levels other than, you know, who you sleep with. That’s like the least common area that we have.

GM: Kobe Bryant got in trouble the other day because of using a homophobic slur. Occasionally a comic will get in trouble for what they say. Do you think comics should get a pass because they deal in irony and language and things like this?
WS: I don’t think a comic could get a pass in that particular situation. Saying it in anger and also in a televised game or whatever... But comics can pretty much say what they want to say when they’re on stage and performing and doing their material. You can pretty much say just about anything. Because that’s the nature of what we do. But that’s where comedy can get in trouble. I mean, look at Michael Richards. Even though he was technically working, he’s on stage, he still couldn’t get away with that because it wasn’t part of his act; he just went off with the n-words. I think if a comic goes off and it’s not part of the act, then you’re still held to the same standard.

GM: When you got in trouble at the White House, that was part of a routine...
WS: Exactly.

GM: And you chose those words for comedic effect.
WS: Right.

GM: I know you gotta run, so last question. I know you’re a parent of twins.
WS: Yes, they just celebrated their second birthday yesterday. They just turned two.

GM: It’s lots of fun.
WS: Oh, yeah.

GM: Have they become fodder for the act?
WS: Oh, definitely. It’s not like I’m looking for them to do anything funny, it’s just how being a mom and having kids, especially at, you know, I’m 47... It’s just what my life is right now. So there’s a lot of humour there.

GM: I appreciate that you gave them normal names even though you’re a celebrity.
WS: (laughs) Oh, yeah. We were thinking of something like a Tree but it’s just not... yeah. We just go with normal names.

GM: Thanks so much for your time.
WS: Why, thank you.