June 3, 2026 • 40 mins
Helping Kyle wade into the wonderfully weird this week is actor, writer & comedian Sarah Sherman! The two former theater students dissect the innards of Sarah’s creative origins & influences, what it’s like being on SNL & that time Kyle hosted in the 90s, growing up with Twin Peaks & Blue Velvet, a Kate Bush history lesson, Sarah’s debut comedy special Sarah Squirm: Live + in the Flesh on HBO, why David Lynch was so important to her (shoutout to meditation & dream analysis), and a game Kyle designed JUST for Sarah called Squirmified!.
Tune in every Wednesday for new episodes of What Are We Even Doing?
Executive Producers: iHeart Media, Elvis Duran Podcast Network & Full Picture Productions
Executive Produced for Full Picture Productions by Desiree Gruber & Anne Walls Gordon
Produced by Ben Fingeret, Nora Faber & Maia Mizrahi
Editing by Mikey Harmon & Nicholas Giuricich
Research by Kimberly Walls
Music by Yatta
Art by Danica Robinson
Additional GFX by Chris Olfers/The Southern Influence
Styling by Dot Bass
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
What are we even do? What are we even doing?
Welcome to What are We even doing? Podcast? Me the host.
I sit down with actors, musicians, creatives, comedians, anyone who's
shaking up the wild world of the Internet. And then
we have someone who's truly shaking. You're shaking up many, many,
(00:22):
many things in a really fun way. What shaking the
overcaffeinated That happens to me too. So yet today we
have comedian, brilliant writer, garbage pail kid of course, and
surrogate child of pee Wee Herman if we might understand, please,
please please welcome Sarah Sharmon to our show. So happy,
so excited.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
You didn't even do that. This is it. You're such
a genuinely nice person. You gave this to me off camera.
You were you weren't showing off.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Like look at this. There'll be other things that I
can I can do. I'm so excited you here. I'm
so excited that you're here. First of all, I will
started with saying, Hey, what was the moment You're like, Oh,
that's what I'm gonna do. Was it a progression or was.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
It you know, I have a hard time relating to
comedians who were like, oh, like I was, you know,
I was like a nurse and then I you know,
realized I was like the funny nurse at work and
I became a comedian. It's like, I don't I wanted
to be a comedian since before I had a fully
(01:19):
formed mind, okay, and so I always wanted to I
was always like a delusional, crazy child, and I just
wanted to be a comedian my whole life. And I
don't even remember not wanting.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
To be a comedian. And your parents were like this
is great or were they Like they were like yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Like I'm like Jewish from Long Island, so like Seinfeld
was always on in the house and like blah blah blah.
So it was like it was like a thing that
they knew. They're like they know that people could be comedians,
but like the long and rocky road to actually making
money from it and having.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
A yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah. Were they in the
business or was it not at all? Wow? Okay, yeah,
my parents weren't really either. Was your hometown yeah, Coma, Washington.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
So were you like at home like doing twin Peaks
you were like, oh, I know the vibe here.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Yeah, it was actually the little town kind of between
my town of Yakama and Seattle, you know, so it's
on the west side of the States, the tree side. Yeah,
And I would drive past North Bend and Snowqualmy back
and forth. When I went to school, I went to
school to dub so it was like kind of my neighborhood.
Not crazy.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
That's so cool.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
It was fun. The best thing was I got to
go home because it was school for five years. You know,
no money. Dinner is French fries and maybe a beer
if you're lucky. And then I went back and I
was doing twin Peaks and I was like, I can
go to restaurants, I can.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Know every like spot.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
This is where I always wanted to go.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
I know, this is my favorite famous tree. Guys.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
That was so so fun. But you you went to Northwestern.
I did great theater school.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
It was a great theater school. Like I knew that
I wanted to be a comedian when I was a teenager,
and I asked the guidance counselor at work, like you know,
because they make you meet with the guidance counselor to
be like, where are you supposed to go to college?
He was like, what do you want to do. I
was like, I want to be a comedian, and he's like,
I guess you could go to the school in Chicago
because that's where all the comedians go.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
And I was like okay.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
And then I just applied to every school in Chicago.
And then when I got to Northwestern, I was like, well,
this isn't Chicago.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
At all, right, it's Kiddy who I.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Did four years. I was a theater major, and I
hated it because like I had, I had like an
acting you know, I had serious acting teachers who were like,
you know, I'd be doing a scene from the Seagull
and they'd be like picture your dad and I'd be like, why.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Do I want to do a similar trajectory I went to.
I went to training acting school like three. I was
a three year training program, and it was always like,
you know, we need to really get into the emotion
of this, and I'd be like, okay, you know, I'd
be like and so then I would write a scene
and I would always at end of the day, I
always turn the tables. I was like, it looked like
I was going into an emotional thing and I was
like nope, full And I never never I just said, no, no,
(03:44):
I'm not going to do that, not going to show
you that. Not Yeah, that was the thing I said,
You're I'm not going to show you that. I don't
want you to see that.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
You don't you don't get to see what it looks like,
what I'm emotionally taking in front of you.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Yes, interesting, Yeah, but you maybe maybe it's the same
thing because you the characters that you do in places
you go, you know, very specific, very intense, very revealing,
very you know what I mean, and you and you
touch them, you want to get you want to make
them feel something.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
You know. What's interesting. I've been thinking about this a
lot lately because I just put out a stand up special.
Please stop clapping. Oh my god, ladies, ladies, they're drawing.
Had come on, we have a professional here, And I
was like, you know what, let me take a stand
up hiatus because I'm like, just take a break for
(04:37):
a second, and like stand ups grind constantly and they're
always toying, and I'm like, let me just take a break,
gather myself. And I've been thinking a lot about like
I think there's like a fetish around stand up comedy
because it's just like a person with a microphone.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Just speak incredible. Yeah, it's a very pure I mean
not pure. It's a very vulnerable.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
But you've been thinking it's not vulnerable, because yes, I
think there's like an aluse. It's like stand ups like
are telling themselves that they're doing something vulnerable because it's
like it's just me and and I'm speaking the truth
that i'm and I'm like, this is the fucking least
vulnerable thing and the like, because there's like an illusion
of vulnerability. It's actually I'm not fucking telling the truth
(05:18):
up there, like, uh, you know, I'm on stage being
like I stink, I'm I have more body hair than
Danny DeVito. I fucking yeah. And it's like that's all
like a deflection from like a uh, a deeper psychological
problem that I have that will be a lifeline journey
to unpack that.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
I'm enjoying the journey so far. It's pretty incredible.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
But it's such a stand ups think they're so fucking brave.
They're not. It's not brave. People are like, oh, it's
so brave as you stand up, it's just like you
up there, it's not brave.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
I'm totally rethinking my whole thing now. So I'm gonna
stop saying that yet because I look at it, like,
stand up by so hard. It's like, you know, it's
the thing, it's so And maybe it's because I did.
I did a very brief show. It is called Carol's
Second Act and it was a half hour and so
on Thursday nights, you know, with an audience, and I
was like, oh, I've done so much theater, right, God, God,
I've got this no problem. But the problem is the
(06:12):
scripts continue to morph, you know what I mean, and
and change and and then you're like and if I
don't have my words nound like and then I can
forget them and do my thing. I completely, like it
was really frightened. Have ever been to be actually in
front of it? And they're sort of like, but the
idea is that you can. You fail many many times,
you know, and they keep trying. But I couldn't because
(06:33):
I never.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Well stand up. You get to change what you're saying,
Like in the moment if I'm bombing, I can like
figure out like ten different ways to pivot in the
moment to like fix fix it. But with something like that,
you're locked on a script. Yeah, like sometimes even with
like in s and OL, like you will bomb in
front of the live studio audience for real, and you're like,
(06:56):
there's not that, there's nothing you can do, right, but
you're like locked on cue cards.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
This is your writing or someone else is writing or
how that work right? Okay, So if you're writing, you're like,
if someone else is like this sucks right there, you
can blame them and then you can.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Like and then you're not and then you're not alone.
I guess that is the difference between that and stand up.
It's like you're with your fellow castmates and you can
be like, it's kind of fun to go down together, okay,
pig sinking ship or whatever. But there have been things
that I've written that we're up all night on writing night, laughing, laughing, crying,
and then it just gets on its feet and Oppenheimer
(07:37):
level bombing. It's just like and you're like, oh, awesome.
I'm like Steven Spielberg is here, yeah, he or sometimes
he will be on the floor right in front of
the set and you can see him in your eyeland
and I'm.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Just like, god, damn, but isn't with.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
With care all second act? Is there? Like a not
a laugh drip, there's like a a lause and laugh.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
They have applause and they have the audience. Yeah, the
audience is primed and everything ready to go. And then
I think they sweetened it. I'm sure probably it was
like stand and deliver, and I was just like, I
don't think I do this, and I'm like, I just
think I can do anything, and I'm like, I can
do that. Yeah, I'm like, oh, I think I think
they so. But at the same time, memorize now, it's
a lot to memorize. But on How I Met your Mother,
which I really enjoyed, no audience, just you know, hanging out.
(08:30):
Loved it. Yeah, So I was like, but I don't understand. Yeah,
it was like because I think I felt I had
to be perfect, and you know, it's that horrible actor
dream where you're on stage and you don't know your lines,
which hurts me nightly.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Yes, every Thursday week for twelve weeks and it was weekly. Yeah, yeah,
that's crazy. I mean, I don't know. We don't have
to memorize anything.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
I know, it's so much fun. I hosted back in
nineteen ninety, way back in the day.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Oh yeah, and you guys did a Twin Peaks.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
And we did a Twin Peaks parody that was really
really cool, pretty great.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Yeah, it wasn't. It was your monologue, Like backstage you
had like a weird.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Mestage and I don't know if they still do this,
but you know, Jim Downey wouldn't give me the monologue
until I think the dress rehearsal. They don't give you.
I'm like going, hey, guys, and I'm so nice, and
then then I started trying to like, guys, I really really,
I really need to know, you know, what's going on
I'm saying, and what's going to happen. And he's like, yeah, yeah, yeah,
it's always it goes this way, it always happens. They
sort of like they keep I think they just want
(09:23):
to make you nervous, which they did.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
They want to keep you on your feet because there's
like an idea that it's like you're gonna be the
truest expression of yourself if you're not overthinking it.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Basically, well, I didn't.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Fear that there was so much crazy choreography.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
You were like back well, they said yeah, then I
was like, I said, because the gag was of course
I reveal who killed Laura Polk, which is very funny.
And then then I'm going on with the show. And
then there's a call from the from the from the booth,
you know, and I and I'm like, oh, okay, great
and then they're like, you know how it is in
front of the underneath the stage there and there are
a bit big signs with arrows this way, and I'm like, okay,
I guess I go this way. And I'm like, okay,
(09:57):
now I go down this hallway now and it's another
sign this way or someone's pointing over the headset on right, okay,
And I found my way into that little back area.
And then we had that fake phone called Phil Hartman
did David. It was really fun and then yeah it
actually worked.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Oh Phil Hartman he played.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
And he does kind of the like the Charlie Brown,
you know, voice of the adults. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
I mean I told you this before. You I think
that you are the actor that I've watched the most
in my life.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
That's crazy.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
It's crazy to see you in real life.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
I have any similarity or not really.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Yeah, it's just like a big let down like.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Way Shorter, I you know, I have that effect on people.
It's very strange how it works. Well, you saw Blue
Belted earlier.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
I read when you tried to do a Frank booth
on us and all like countless time.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Well just the like baby watch the fat like.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Obviously I'm not doing I can't. It's never worked.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
What but you've had skits, so you've written and stuff
and just they've never Lauren hasn't approved him or what.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
There was like a sketch called I think it's called
like Horrible Bosses or something where me and Quintin.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
It just goes right, man, I'm like I'm laughing at.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Yes, well there were that many people laughing at the time,
but it was like me and Quinta Brunson are playing
these bald pervert bosses who like I'm like checking out
Chloe Feineman's rack and I'm like doing the text Avery
Wolf like whatever, like ouga, and I go, I just
do a lot of noises because I'm so crazy horny.
(11:35):
So I'm just like ah, and I wanted to take
out the oxygen tank and it stuck.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Going like oh yes, yes, and.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Everyone was like no one knows what is the.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
Reference, but that pains me. I know, I know what
you know, well that's the most important thing right now.
You know what that was meant to be was so
in the script originally he was Helium.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
Oh so his voice was going to change.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
Which gives a whole another dimension to that really relationship.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
Oh wow.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
But when they did it, they discovered sometimes I was
writing it was more humorous than than frightening. So they
went and then so Dennis was like, let's just go
with maybe it's this and this. They made it and
they made an adjustment and it worked.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
But yeah, but now I want to see the Lost Files. Yeah,
I think. I mean, I've watched Twin Peaks and the
Return one billion times, like three, you know.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
That's Yeah, I'm proud of that return in particular because
it's so unusual.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
So it's the best thing I've ever seen in my life.
It's because I had such an emotional attachment to Dale Cooper,
you know, because also, like you know, I watched Twin
Peaks a hundred times, like when I'm a teenager, so
like Dale is like seeing Dougie and Evil. Dale was
so emotional for me, like I grew up with Dale Cooper.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
And so interesting. Yeah, yeah, that's interesting because it was
such a that was also challenging, just because you didn't
do anything right and in front of the camera you're like,
you want to do something right. Nothing was like, oh guys,
this is an exercise, another acting exercise. Basically it was intense.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
You were so scary. Did you have crazy black contact?
Speaker 1 (13:14):
Did I did? We should have put put mister C,
called mister C lovingly. Of course. We put them together
for a piece by piece and David and I liked,
you know, these boots, these pants, and I was I
was the one who said, you know what, let me
try this with with eyes because he's a shark. Basically,
there's no emotion at all, I said. And I was like,
I'm not sure, maybe it's going to block things out.
(13:35):
And David said, no, it's good. We'll keep it. So
it worked.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
I really wanted you to. Every week it was appointment television.
We would all like me and all my like seven
roommates at the time in Chicago in the citty apartment
in my roommate was growing like stinky mushrooms in a greenhouse.
And the worst all the chair. We had a chair
that was cinder blocks and plywood and we would all
just like gather around the TV and watch the return
(14:01):
and every week we'd be like, what's he gonna Yeah,
David Torture, Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
That was I know, I know I was like I
was a little bit worried, but it was like, well
then he comes back, and like yeah, because the problem
is once Dale comes back, Doug u khon you you
I'm looking at you and I'm going you know, she
lies in Manelli of course, of course I'll take it.
And Kate Bush, Oh, thank you? Which I think you did?
You go back and watch your first appearance on SNL
history Lesson No, Yes, yeah, she was on with her
(14:32):
first album, Kick Inside. She did the man with the
child in his eyes and rolling the ball, Rolling the Ball. Yeah,
I think those are the two. I think those are
two titles.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
I can't believe I've never seen that because I'm an
ad age.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
She had a green, sparkly cat suit and she was
on the she like sixteen or she was so young,
and so it was actually and so like so I
was like, uh, who is this fascinating person?
Speaker 2 (14:54):
This is gonna sound like I'm throwing everyone at SML
under the bus, but four that, like, you know, there's
so many, there's so many opportunities on SNL to do impressions,
but the impressions that I can do are like I
mean can't do. It's like I've always wanted to do
Kate Bush or like Morrissey, but it like doesn't come
up because it's not like timely really, So I was
(15:18):
so thankful that we got to figure out a way
to do Kate Bush on the show. You know, the
schedule was so crazy there, like and everybody's working their
fucking ass off, and they had like a million people
in that sketch and they were like, you know, they
have to shoot all this stuff in so little time.
And I showed up to get into costume hair makeup,
and they had like a white lace dress for this
(15:39):
and I was like, hey, guys, I'm not doing leathering heights,
not in the head dress. So the poor costume designer
had to like go into the SNL literally in ten minutes,
they went into the SNL archive of like all this
shit from like the eighties.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
To think it was her own personal thing.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
I'll go ahead, go They literally Frank get signed together
like in five minutes that Red dress because I was like,
it has to be the Red Dress Wars. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
I was being I've never been a diva in my
life really, and that was like my diva moment.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
That doesn't sound like when that sounds like the character.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
You know, it's funny, Like a lot of my work
is like disturbing. And my parents are always like what
we were? So you're we're normal? Is normal? Why what happened?
And I'm like, look at where you let me watch?
Speaker 1 (16:35):
What was the Blue Velvet challenging? Were there other things
that were you opening with a free reign? Because we
were like very as kids. We were like we could
watch Herbie the love Bug, you know, which is disturbing
in its own way, and and any Disney movie we
wanted to. And then the first time I saw like,
you know, like movie like, I was like, oh, this
is these are real people in real situations.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Like I think I saw that my my parents showed
me the Shining when I was like ten, that's a
great age for that, yea, And I was so scared.
I didn't know why I was so scared. I there
was something so deeply disturbed in a way that I understood,
like when the there's a crazy dog suit blowjob scene,
(17:14):
but I didn't know what I was looking at but
I knew that something was wrong. And I got so
scared that night that I went to sleep and I
like couldn't sleep and I barfed. H fear. Yeah, because
it was so scary, but I loved it. It was
the thrill of the bar.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
You have so many crazy characters. You have the Tails
from the Crypt. Tails from the Crypt was the influence.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
Yes, oh you're in it.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
You're in one and I directed one too. Yeah, not successfully,
but but I was in one that was pretty. I
was a killer. I was Yeah. I was the escape
convict who kills the cop that's chasing me and then
am handcuffed to him and I have to drag him around,
you know. And we tried that for real, and the
guy was about six to two, weighing about two hundred pounds.
(18:02):
It's impossible, it's impossible to drag. So they had a
body that that would weigh about thirty pounds that I
could drag around. Awesome, But I really enjoy So you
love the show.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
I love the show. Wait, which one did you direct?
Speaker 1 (18:12):
I directed one called reput you sow?
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Is that what it is?
Speaker 1 (18:15):
Something like that? It was with It was dumb, It
was with a really good actress. So Sam Watson came in,
Hector Alizondo was in. John Shay was in Carry On Death.
Was the one. I was in carry On Death because
I got my eye picked out, of course. Yeah, and
you do a whole eye thing.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
I love. I love a good eye.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
What's the thing with the grandmother and the whole deal?
Speaker 2 (18:34):
My So basically this is another thing. My parents are like,
what's what happened?
Speaker 1 (18:38):
Like?
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Because they they see all those.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
Stuff that I need.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Much of you.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
They were young, so normal, normal my home too.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
And like they're just like, what happened? And I'm like,
my grandma had her eyeball removed because there was like
a tumor in it or something. Okay, and when you
get your your eyeball surgically removed that the placeholder eyeball
was like a just like a white orbs.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Yeah that's good, just like her name. This is a
placeholder front.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
Yeah, posted on wet paint that I guess that keeps
the orb shape. And then the thing that looks like
the eyeball is like a prosthetic ham painted lens that
you like hop on over.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
So it's not an actual ball.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
There is a ball that's just keeping the shape.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Oh so it's that the ball stays in there and
you magnetically put or whatever have you been. It's like
it's like contact.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Yeah, it's like a big contact that's like shaped like
a shoehorns. You can like leverage it in there. And
so my grandma would do these like pranks where like
I would stay at her house in Boca and like
come downstairs for breakfast and she would take her dentures
out and take her lens off, and so she just
had like no teeth in the white eye and be
like jump scare. And then everybody's like, and then all
my family's like, what's wrong with you? She torture? I
(19:53):
was torture.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
It was Halloween fun at your house, though, but maybe
Halloween was Halloween was fun.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
I mean, come on, we had like you know, because
like I'm Jewish, we didn't have like you know, we
never had Christmas decorations, and there's no like you know,
Hanka decorations really right, so we kind of went nuts
on Halloween.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
Yeah that makes sense us too, and we're not even Jewish,
but we we we just you.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Know, we'll go crazy.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
We love a decoration, and I think That's how I.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Got into like costume and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
Halloween's the best, the best I think as an actor,
as you get older, you sort of get you get
like I.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Don't really do it anymore, but like we I'm in
Wiggs all the time.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
Halloween every day, Yes, Halloween.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
Yeah, I have spiderwebs on my pants. Halloween every day.
Speaker 1 (20:35):
This is the way it should be.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
This is the way it should be.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
I just want your grandmother and just say, Grandma, grandma,
go out, give the kids a candy, come on, take
catch your eye and your benches go go.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
I mean, that's just the celebrity of the town.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
The town, the town. I'm saying, Okay, let's talk about
so your show, talk show? Who get that? I want
to make sure we talk about that, and then want
talk about Phillis Steeler just because it is good. A
huge fan of Philip Steeler. I'm a huge fan of
your So I'm like, oh no, you just talks about
that so live and in the flesh. Yes, what's the
prep on that? What do you do? What do you
what you make? This? The stage is.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
Crazy, The stage is crazy.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
Yeah, who do you do? You do you have? Is
that you do you work with someone.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
Basically, I had the set designers from Oh Mary, Okay.
We like literally it was the most fun I've ever
had in my entire life, because it was like I
would draw a set where I'm like, you know, I
don't know what how to do a so I'm like,
it's like a big paper Chaine nose with like boogers
going out whatever, whatever, And then they took all these
like crepy like I was sending them manifestos like made
(21:34):
no sense, these drawings, and then they would send back
like an actual set design that had like all of
my like crazy ideas, but in a way that made sense.
And the way they built on it was so they're
so genius. They would be like, you know, I had
to open up a curtain to show a video screen,
and they were like, well, what if the thing that
(21:56):
opens the curtain is like a roll of paper, of
toilet paper? And I'm like, well, of course yeah. Or
they were like what if the door you enter stage
on is just a giant butt hole you crawl out of?
And literally the only reason we couldn't we didn't have time,
I know, but that would have been amazing. But I
was like, there the fact that like the set designers
on my stand up special had better jokes. And then
(22:18):
I had written like.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
Well they did the research and you obviously and you
were very specific in your direction.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
And they were like, we ended up having a door.
And then it's like, okay, so it can't be a buttthole.
So let's like, you know, I would draw crazy door, Yeah,
an eyeball door. And then they were like, you know,
can the handle of the door be like a silicone hand?
That was like actually like a sex story for fisting,
and I was like, of course it can't be.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
And then I got to the so there's what do
you call those? You call those Easter eggs?
Speaker 2 (22:46):
Yeah, Easter the biggest Easter egg. I get to set.
The day of the filming, they had painted the nails
on the hand to match my nails.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
Let's see, this is raise right there. I think great
set design because you know this is a collaboration. Yea,
we do, right, So you bring your ideas in a
way that you can't man do them. But you said
this is what I see, Yes, you know what I mean,
and they take that vision. The same with sound music,
everyone collaborates and brings their a game. Costumes word or
(23:17):
whatever it is, and and then it all slots together,
hopefully slots together in a better way. Yes, they make
it better.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
And like theater people because they're from theater the luckiest.
They're so intentional. They're amazing, Like you know, film whatever.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
When you're a theater kid right now, you know.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
But like with theater, there's so much thought behind everything,
Like everything's so thoughtful because there's like you know, in
a movie you can have like ten sets, so like,
but like with theater there's like.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
Only a one yeah yeah, or yeah, a couple.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
So everything is so well thought out. It was so amazing.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
Yeah, so cool.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
I have a twin peaks a joke in my special.
I go Laura Palmer wrapped in plastic and I go
like this, and.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
People go like, yeah, yes, that's perfect, perfect Blue. You
are a screamer.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
I'm a screamer.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
Yeah you went to scream school.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
I did.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
What do you think of Cheryl Lee's scream my because
that is the best scream Pretty great? Right?
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Would she lose her voice doing that? Because I've seen
even the BTS footage like her doing it and then everyone's.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
Like yeah, yeah, yeah, it seemed like she lost no
I don't think she I don't think I think David knew.
You know, you can only going to do a few, right,
and so she saved it up. But like in the
return when she has that last scream, right, the hair
I have a little bit of hair back here just went.
It was so like and you know, it gets those chills.
(24:49):
Like when I was standing there, I was like, oh
my god.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
And her mouth opened, so.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
Yeah, well you have a grace's too, grace of risky. Yes,
she had that scream at the end of the pilot. Yes,
And they cut to the mount of dirt and the
hand comes in. I like, it was like a jump
for me. I was right, yeah, goosebumps. I know. It
was pretty amazing. David's amazing.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
I've watched I mean all of those like all this
BTS footage of like you know, him directing you guys,
and he's being so kind, like you guys are doing
the most disturbed like murder, incest, between worlds, torture, lost, grief, whatever,
(25:36):
and he's being so cute, like he's like.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
Right on, guys, that was great. All right, we're going again.
Did we get that? And imagine that on the set
of Blue velvet in some of those moments with Isabella
and Dennis, you know, he's okay, now yes, or with me,
he would direct me that way, he said, I'll get Kaoe.
You know, this is what's happening. I'm in the closet
(26:00):
looking out right, and and no one's there. Nothing's happening.
He's David's just talking me through it. He's he's putting
his hand, you know, and I'm like, David, David, David,
you don't have to tell me the specifics. I can imagine.
It's the voice. It's kind of getting in the way
of the Yeah, so what do you You're doing? Performance art? Right?
Speaker 2 (26:18):
No?
Speaker 1 (26:18):
Would you label it?
Speaker 3 (26:19):
Do you?
Speaker 1 (26:19):
What do you think? What do you want to What
would you call it?
Speaker 2 (26:21):
I'll take yes, performance are I would. The only reason
I don't say it's performance art because it's like, hope
people laugh. Like the thing with performance art is people
get yeah. So it's like the special is like, you know,
mixed media. Yeah, and so it's like the first think
forty minutes are just like pretty much I think of
it as straight straight up stand up. I think most
(26:42):
people would disagree, but and then it goes into like
mixed media stuff and actually to go back to the screen.
I love, you know, with touring with stand up. You know,
you do comedy clubs, so it's like you do five
show weekends, you do two shows at night. And it
was I was losing my voice screaming too much. So
I got my friend Dan shout out Dan one on
Tricks point Never, who does all the like soundtracks for
(27:04):
like all the Safty movies. Yes, he and his engineer
Nathan got built me these petals so that I can
like do crazy voice distortion so it sounds like I'm
screaming really.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
Crazy, like like guitar any guitarist. Yeah, whole rack pedals. Yes,
that's a great idea, I know.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
And so like they made me like custom reverb and
delay and this like wet effect that sounds like that
I hit when I want to make like a really
wet sloshing sound, and then they gave me like a
really scritchy scratchy thing, so it sounds like I'm really like,
you know whatever. And it saved my whole voice, you know,
because I tore like crazy and you know it's so
dry on planes whatever, so that'd save my voice.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
That's fantastic.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
And I went to a scream coach, Melissa Cross.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
Who what did she say?
Speaker 2 (27:51):
How do you?
Speaker 1 (27:51):
What's the was there a secret?
Speaker 2 (27:53):
It's kind of crazy. When I'm about to sure.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
Coming from you, I'm I'm gonna be okay, she like coming.
Speaker 3 (28:00):
You know.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
I was in like theater school and I wasn't really
like into the way that I felt like I was
being coached or taught, and I didn't understand. And they
do a lot of voice training in theater school where
it's like talk from the bottom of your and I
had no mind body connection with that. And she has
coached me in a way that makes me actually understand
my body. And she has given me like a better
(28:21):
relationship to my body in a way that's like served
me and more. I mean, Melissa Cross, I love you.
Like the way she talks to people. It's like, you know,
it's all weirdos because it's scream o metal people. So
she'll be like, imagine there's like a belt of noses
around your waist.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
And you're like breathing in from there, yes.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
And I'm like right, And she's like, imagine you're a
psyclops and you're like speaking out of the eyeball in
and I'm like, thank you for talking in a way.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
That I understand, totally understand in a language, and it's
sort of a visual that you that. Yes, that's so true.
I got all that when I was singing, So I
studied classical voice for many years in college, and it
was the same thing, breathing in through here or something
they'd breathed into your butt. Ye, it's filled phillip from
down below. And then when you're saying, yeah, you want
to kind of go out here because the resonance it
(29:04):
helps get your residence. Just that image. So the same
thing for screaming. Yes, that makes complete sense.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
And she's like, you know, people think screaming comes from
the like, you know whatever, but it's not. It's from
like your you're like screaming like a cat, like like.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
Whatever vibrations up there. I was just listening to Guars,
the Pink Pony Club version, which which we our research,
and I was like, I think I've seen that. I
went back, Yes, I have seen that. Yes, they're amazing.
Do you know them? Do you know the person I.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
Just got beheaded by them at their live show and
Time Score a couple of months ago on not to.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
Bread Nice, I hope it was a swift.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
It was swift. They it was a swift beheading. And
then they carry carry me off stage and I'm like, listen,
I'm not going to name names, but couldn't really lift
me off the ground. Wait to feel like we feel
it a little late.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
Well, they look like they can, you know, yeah, destroy cities.
Overall experience at SNL great.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
Yeah, yeah, I I never thought that I would be there,
So it's crazy.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
What was your what was your audition? Like I've seen
like tape, various tapes of people's Like I've saw the
Hartman's tape. I saw a few, you know, Dana Carter,
I saw my tape.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
I I know because they were like for the fiftieth
they were releasing some of my coworkers, Like I think
Heidis came.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
Out, okay, yeah, and the weird thing is just started
to interrupt. But it's sort of like in some cases
you can see, yeah, it's not quite there yet, it's
not fully formed. It's it's but it's a good idea
and it's executed pretty well, but nothing is like oh
my god. You know, it's like, oh, I see there's
a one of the characters you know about them. That
was a derivation right there, the drive, but it was
(30:39):
a driven front trying to say here and I'm like,
you see the beginning, you see the kernel of what's happening.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
I think Lauren really likes rough edges. When I auditioned,
I was like a I was, I was a rough
I was like, I was a piece of work. He
likes like working part, you know, because he likes I
feel like I have grown a lot on the show.
And I think that like he likes that learning process
and like I was like a stray, shaggy dog like.
(31:07):
I think he likes, you know, getting these like weirdos
who aren't totally refined or perfectly packaged.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
I think you responsibly because you have a strong point
of view. I think anyone who comes in with a
real strong this is what I'm doing, regardless of whether
you like it or not, it's like and then he's like, oh,
we can work with that, yes kind of.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
I had a very strong point of view. And like
my audition was just like five minutes to stand up.
That was like my but was like, you know whatever,
that's that's how I entered the room today, just like hey, guys, you.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
Know what's happening with me. We're gonna have we have
a game that we get to play.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
Oh wait, Sarah, do you have many more questions for
you must ask?
Speaker 2 (31:46):
I don't want to put you on the spot, but
I don't I do, like, I mean, I just have some.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
I love you in dream analysis because of David. Yes, yes,
dream analysis so interesting? Rightly?
Speaker 2 (31:55):
Do you like? I mean, I'm sure, I mean I'm
telling I'm telling you this, but it's like, obviously, David,
let's changed my life.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
Like change mine two yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
And like the meditation stuff, do you do all that too?
Speaker 1 (32:06):
I do meditate. Yeah, I'm not. I'm not as good
as David as every day, but there is, and the
doctors are you know, every time. Maybe it's because of
Instagram to say, honestly, the best thing you can sleep obviously. Yeah,
but meditation is like just taking five minutes. It doesn't
have to be a whole big make them a role totally.
Just let the brain settle down for five minutes.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
Totally, and like, I don't even know if my brain's
even settled during that time, I'm like fucking it out
of space.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
You imagine what if you didn't? Yeah, my god, no,
it's a really good because because from that and David
is a testament to that creativity, you start to like
open up the ideas of like you know, like little
like little mollusks open up the barnacles and they throw
out these little things that float around.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
And like the all the dream work stuff. It's like,
I didn't even know your whole life is about like
beating out your dreams. Like you know, it's like we're
like on the phone, we're like not paying attention, We're unconscious,
Like we go to school and like, you know, you're
just there's no like proper train especially like now I'll
(33:12):
see like kids now I'm trying, you know, I'm aging myself.
I'll see kids, kids on the train on like an iPad,
and I'm like, they don't have like flights of fancy
and fantasy and dreams anymore. And so like being like
a kid watching David Lynch movies being like, oh my god,
my dreams are important. Once you give your self permission
to like turn yourself over to your dream life, life
(33:37):
becomes so much better and more far out and psychedelic.
Speaker 1 (33:42):
And you have this relationship. It's there, it's always paralleling
you and everyone has it. Do you access it? It's
like a river. Yeah, And David talks about all those metaphors.
It's it's amazing, and he lived and he lived the
art life. It was such an inspiration. I'm glad you
feel the same way about him than I do.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
I just and it's the best thing about dream work
is like everyone's a freak. Everyone's a weirdo, everyone's a
little artist. It's just whether or not you're willing to
like keep that path to your unconscious like well gardened
and keep like the door hinges like well oiled. You
can like go in and out. Everyone has it, and
(34:20):
like everyone has that and like why David Lynch was
so important to me growing up. It's like everyone has
access to those movies. Twin Peaks was on TV.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
Yeah, yeah, Twin Peaks was on TV. Anyone can watch it.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
Like you didn't need to know some guy who had
some weird like porno store in the back of a
sushi restaurant, who had a you know, a trunk full
of like.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
I know that guy. You're right, It's just everyone could.
Speaker 2 (34:44):
Yeah, you can go to a movie and see it.
It's like accessible.
Speaker 1 (34:47):
Okay, we're going to take a break, and when we
get back, we're gonna do a game that we created
cool just for Sarah, just for you. It's called you.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
Not having a heir, ill feel special.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
Squirmified. We're going to get squarmified. This is going to
be perfect cool. Our hats are our brains, Ladies and gentlemen.
We're back now with our cool game and this is
the one. Just as a reminder, squirmified with Oh with Sarah.
I like that you have a brilliant form of comedy
(35:23):
that makes audiences squirm, scream, and squeal. I am going
to give you a few obscure scenarios that I hope
to never find myself in, and I want you to
add a few words to that scenario if you make
it even weirder. So for those of you that are
driving and listening right now and not should not be
on your phone watching this. I'm wearing a kind of
a bush hat, I guess, sort of with a with
(35:44):
a chin strap, but my brain is on the fabric
of the hat. And then I'm wearing a shirt which
I don't even know what it says.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
It says Mayor of Funky Town, which is why I
was like, oh my god, poorly idea we.
Speaker 1 (35:54):
Didn't even talk about this reminded you of mayor of
Funky Town.
Speaker 2 (35:57):
Yeah, and I are the mayor of Funky I used
to lie.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
Of course, wearing You're wearing a hat, a green knit
hat with like probiscus elements that end in like an eye.
But it's like it's pretty good. But it definitely feels
like something that would be the thing that comes to
mind is beetlejuice at the very end with the creatures
(36:23):
that are playing with the marbles. Something kind of like
that is on your head.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
Yes, I do look like I'm in the waiting room
for death and beetlejuice.
Speaker 1 (36:33):
The more succinct way of saying perfect, thank you. Okay,
I'm got wanna give you oney. Ready. Okay, you sneeze
and confetti comes.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
Out and half my brain and.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
Half your brain. Okay, So I know I'm gonna act
it out. Okay, I'm gonna make a choice here because
I think when you sneezink, enfetti has to go up.
So it's like okay, ray.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
Wait, yes, yes it's bad, very good.
Speaker 1 (37:15):
That was wacky.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
That's an amazing sneeze. Very hard?
Speaker 1 (37:19):
Was it sneezing as hard.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
You have to, really, just because it's the complete loss
of control.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
Okay, all right, you're gonna give me one.
Speaker 2 (37:25):
Okay, every time you have an intrusive thought, a bell.
Speaker 1 (37:28):
Rings and I sprout a pair of wings.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
So would we see you a lot of? Would you
be in the sky a lot?
Speaker 1 (37:37):
I think the wings are more decoration.
Speaker 2 (37:40):
So they we wouldn't be able to actually actually, yeah,
how often would the wings be out?
Speaker 1 (37:46):
They would stay for well until the wind blew and
they would and then yeah, see, if you're in the air,
you be careful. That would keep you grounded. You arrive
at your new dentist's office the days as a horse.
Speaker 2 (38:01):
And I say, well, I should have known because he
was listed on the white pages as a tuck to
her horse.
Speaker 1 (38:13):
And there were jars and jars of peanut butter in
the office.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
You open a fortune cookie, your childhood address is on
the fortune.
Speaker 1 (38:24):
It's crazy, along with my wrap sheets. When I was
in prison for three years. Yes, and it goes on
and it rolls. That's the thing. What happens to you
to pull it out and it goes arrested, breaking and entering, loitering.
I got a lot of loitering.
Speaker 2 (38:44):
Yeah, no loitering. Would you pull it out and then
it unrolls or would you have to pull it out
like a tape.
Speaker 1 (38:51):
I think it would keep coming out of the tape measure.
That would be ideal. That's a good one. You open
the cap to your deodorant and a mouse crawls out.
Speaker 2 (38:58):
And he says, arn't pits taste like shit?
Speaker 1 (39:03):
It's a talking mouse.
Speaker 2 (39:04):
Yeah, of course.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
Does he have any friends? Is it just one mouse
or is it there's a few.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
The guy who lives in my diotorant has got no friends.
That got a loser looser?
Speaker 1 (39:14):
Does he have cheese? Is he a typical mouse or
does he have other interests?
Speaker 2 (39:18):
He's a lactose intolerant, which is why he's in the
deodorant stick. I see he can't eat the cheese, so
he's settled for a deodoran stick.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
Okay, last one.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
You open a bag of potato chips inside are ventures.
Speaker 1 (39:30):
Oh and flies fly out. There's a whole bunch of them.
Speaker 2 (39:33):
That's a one potato chip can really take you down.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
You can't just eat one laced potato chips. Can't just
eat one? Ladies, woman, that was so much fun. We oh,
high five very good. We didn't figure out what we
were well, we sort of did. What have we been doing?
We got clothes, I think? But it was so lovely
to have you on. So what's happening? What can I
what are you about to do? What's where you're lunching into?
(39:57):
What's what can we talk about that you want to plug? Everyone?
Speaker 2 (40:00):
Please watch Sarah Scormliman in the Flesh on HBO and
tune in to Saturday Night Live on Saturday at eleven
thirty on NBC.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
Thank you so much, Sarah. What Are We Even Doing
is a production of iHeartMedia and the Elvis Duran podcast Network,
hosted by me Kyle McLachlin and created and produced by
Full Picture productionists Hey, featuring music by Yata and artwork
by Danica Robinson. For more information about the podcast, please
(40:34):
visit our Instagram and TikTok at wawed with Kyle. Please rate, review,
and subscribe to What Are We Even Doing on Apple, Spotify, YouTube,
or anywhere you get your podcasts. Exclamation points
What are we even do? What are we even doing?
Welcome to What are We even doing? Podcast? Me the host.
I sit down with actors, musicians, creatives, comedians, anyone who's
shaking up the wild world of the Internet. And then
we have someone who's truly shaking. You're shaking up many, many,
(00:22):
many things in a really fun way. What shaking the
overcaffeinated That happens to me too. So yet today we
have comedian, brilliant writer, garbage pail kid of course, and
surrogate child of pee Wee Herman if we might understand, please,
please please welcome Sarah Sharmon to our show. So happy,
so excited.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
You didn't even do that. This is it. You're such
a genuinely nice person. You gave this to me off camera.
You were you weren't showing off.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Like look at this. There'll be other things that I
can I can do. I'm so excited you here. I'm
so excited that you're here. First of all, I will
started with saying, Hey, what was the moment You're like, Oh,
that's what I'm gonna do. Was it a progression or was.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
It you know, I have a hard time relating to
comedians who were like, oh, like I was, you know,
I was like a nurse and then I you know,
realized I was like the funny nurse at work and
I became a comedian. It's like, I don't I wanted
to be a comedian since before I had a fully
(01:19):
formed mind, okay, and so I always wanted to I
was always like a delusional, crazy child, and I just
wanted to be a comedian my whole life. And I
don't even remember not wanting.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
To be a comedian. And your parents were like this
is great or were they Like they were like yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Like I'm like Jewish from Long Island, so like Seinfeld
was always on in the house and like blah blah blah.
So it was like it was like a thing that
they knew. They're like they know that people could be comedians,
but like the long and rocky road to actually making
money from it and having.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
A yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah. Were they in the
business or was it not at all? Wow? Okay, yeah,
my parents weren't really either. Was your hometown yeah, Coma, Washington.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
So were you like at home like doing twin Peaks
you were like, oh, I know the vibe here.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Yeah, it was actually the little town kind of between
my town of Yakama and Seattle, you know, so it's
on the west side of the States, the tree side. Yeah,
And I would drive past North Bend and Snowqualmy back
and forth. When I went to school, I went to
school to dub so it was like kind of my neighborhood.
Not crazy.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
That's so cool.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
It was fun. The best thing was I got to
go home because it was school for five years. You know,
no money. Dinner is French fries and maybe a beer
if you're lucky. And then I went back and I
was doing twin Peaks and I was like, I can
go to restaurants, I can.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Know every like spot.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
This is where I always wanted to go.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
I know, this is my favorite famous tree. Guys.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
That was so so fun. But you you went to Northwestern.
I did great theater school.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
It was a great theater school. Like I knew that
I wanted to be a comedian when I was a teenager,
and I asked the guidance counselor at work, like you know,
because they make you meet with the guidance counselor to
be like, where are you supposed to go to college?
He was like, what do you want to do. I
was like, I want to be a comedian, and he's like,
I guess you could go to the school in Chicago
because that's where all the comedians go.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
And I was like okay.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
And then I just applied to every school in Chicago.
And then when I got to Northwestern, I was like, well,
this isn't Chicago.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
At all, right, it's Kiddy who I.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Did four years. I was a theater major, and I
hated it because like I had, I had like an
acting you know, I had serious acting teachers who were like,
you know, I'd be doing a scene from the Seagull
and they'd be like picture your dad and I'd be like, why.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Do I want to do a similar trajectory I went to.
I went to training acting school like three. I was
a three year training program, and it was always like,
you know, we need to really get into the emotion
of this, and I'd be like, okay, you know, I'd
be like and so then I would write a scene
and I would always at end of the day, I
always turn the tables. I was like, it looked like
I was going into an emotional thing and I was
like nope, full And I never never I just said, no, no,
(03:44):
I'm not going to do that, not going to show
you that. Not Yeah, that was the thing I said,
You're I'm not going to show you that. I don't
want you to see that.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
You don't you don't get to see what it looks like,
what I'm emotionally taking in front of you.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Yes, interesting, Yeah, but you maybe maybe it's the same
thing because you the characters that you do in places
you go, you know, very specific, very intense, very revealing,
very you know what I mean, and you and you
touch them, you want to get you want to make
them feel something.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
You know. What's interesting. I've been thinking about this a
lot lately because I just put out a stand up special.
Please stop clapping. Oh my god, ladies, ladies, they're drawing.
Had come on, we have a professional here, And I
was like, you know what, let me take a stand
up hiatus because I'm like, just take a break for
(04:37):
a second, and like stand ups grind constantly and they're
always toying, and I'm like, let me just take a break,
gather myself. And I've been thinking a lot about like
I think there's like a fetish around stand up comedy
because it's just like a person with a microphone.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Just speak incredible. Yeah, it's a very pure I mean
not pure. It's a very vulnerable.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
But you've been thinking it's not vulnerable, because yes, I
think there's like an aluse. It's like stand ups like
are telling themselves that they're doing something vulnerable because it's
like it's just me and and I'm speaking the truth
that i'm and I'm like, this is the fucking least
vulnerable thing and the like, because there's like an illusion
of vulnerability. It's actually I'm not fucking telling the truth
(05:18):
up there, like, uh, you know, I'm on stage being
like I stink, I'm I have more body hair than
Danny DeVito. I fucking yeah. And it's like that's all
like a deflection from like a uh, a deeper psychological
problem that I have that will be a lifeline journey
to unpack that.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
I'm enjoying the journey so far. It's pretty incredible.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
But it's such a stand ups think they're so fucking brave.
They're not. It's not brave. People are like, oh, it's
so brave as you stand up, it's just like you
up there, it's not brave.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
I'm totally rethinking my whole thing now. So I'm gonna
stop saying that yet because I look at it, like,
stand up by so hard. It's like, you know, it's
the thing, it's so And maybe it's because I did.
I did a very brief show. It is called Carol's
Second Act and it was a half hour and so
on Thursday nights, you know, with an audience, and I
was like, oh, I've done so much theater, right, God, God,
I've got this no problem. But the problem is the
(06:12):
scripts continue to morph, you know what I mean, and
and change and and then you're like and if I
don't have my words nound like and then I can
forget them and do my thing. I completely, like it
was really frightened. Have ever been to be actually in
front of it? And they're sort of like, but the
idea is that you can. You fail many many times,
you know, and they keep trying. But I couldn't because
(06:33):
I never.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Well stand up. You get to change what you're saying,
Like in the moment if I'm bombing, I can like
figure out like ten different ways to pivot in the
moment to like fix fix it. But with something like that,
you're locked on a script. Yeah, like sometimes even with
like in s and OL, like you will bomb in
front of the live studio audience for real, and you're like,
(06:56):
there's not that, there's nothing you can do, right, but
you're like locked on cue cards.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
This is your writing or someone else is writing or
how that work right? Okay, So if you're writing, you're like,
if someone else is like this sucks right there, you
can blame them and then you can.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Like and then you're not and then you're not alone.
I guess that is the difference between that and stand up.
It's like you're with your fellow castmates and you can
be like, it's kind of fun to go down together, okay,
pig sinking ship or whatever. But there have been things
that I've written that we're up all night on writing night, laughing, laughing, crying,
and then it just gets on its feet and Oppenheimer
(07:37):
level bombing. It's just like and you're like, oh, awesome.
I'm like Steven Spielberg is here, yeah, he or sometimes
he will be on the floor right in front of
the set and you can see him in your eyeland
and I'm.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Just like, god, damn, but isn't with.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
With care all second act? Is there? Like a not
a laugh drip, there's like a a lause and laugh.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
They have applause and they have the audience. Yeah, the
audience is primed and everything ready to go. And then
I think they sweetened it. I'm sure probably it was
like stand and deliver, and I was just like, I
don't think I do this, and I'm like, I just
think I can do anything, and I'm like, I can
do that. Yeah, I'm like, oh, I think I think
they so. But at the same time, memorize now, it's
a lot to memorize. But on How I Met your Mother,
which I really enjoyed, no audience, just you know, hanging out.
(08:30):
Loved it. Yeah, So I was like, but I don't understand. Yeah,
it was like because I think I felt I had
to be perfect, and you know, it's that horrible actor
dream where you're on stage and you don't know your lines,
which hurts me nightly.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Yes, every Thursday week for twelve weeks and it was weekly. Yeah, yeah,
that's crazy. I mean, I don't know. We don't have
to memorize anything.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
I know, it's so much fun. I hosted back in
nineteen ninety, way back in the day.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Oh yeah, and you guys did a Twin Peaks.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
And we did a Twin Peaks parody that was really
really cool, pretty great.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Yeah, it wasn't. It was your monologue, Like backstage you
had like a weird.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Mestage and I don't know if they still do this,
but you know, Jim Downey wouldn't give me the monologue
until I think the dress rehearsal. They don't give you.
I'm like going, hey, guys, and I'm so nice, and
then then I started trying to like, guys, I really really,
I really need to know, you know, what's going on
I'm saying, and what's going to happen. And he's like, yeah, yeah, yeah,
it's always it goes this way, it always happens. They
sort of like they keep I think they just want
(09:23):
to make you nervous, which they did.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
They want to keep you on your feet because there's
like an idea that it's like you're gonna be the
truest expression of yourself if you're not overthinking it.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Basically, well, I didn't.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Fear that there was so much crazy choreography.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
You were like back well, they said yeah, then I
was like, I said, because the gag was of course
I reveal who killed Laura Polk, which is very funny.
And then then I'm going on with the show. And
then there's a call from the from the from the booth,
you know, and I and I'm like, oh, okay, great
and then they're like, you know how it is in
front of the underneath the stage there and there are
a bit big signs with arrows this way, and I'm like, okay,
I guess I go this way. And I'm like, okay,
(09:57):
now I go down this hallway now and it's another
sign this way or someone's pointing over the headset on right, okay,
And I found my way into that little back area.
And then we had that fake phone called Phil Hartman
did David. It was really fun and then yeah it
actually worked.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Oh Phil Hartman he played.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
And he does kind of the like the Charlie Brown,
you know, voice of the adults. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
I mean I told you this before. You I think
that you are the actor that I've watched the most
in my life.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
That's crazy.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
It's crazy to see you in real life.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
I have any similarity or not really.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Yeah, it's just like a big let down like.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Way Shorter, I you know, I have that effect on people.
It's very strange how it works. Well, you saw Blue
Belted earlier.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
I read when you tried to do a Frank booth
on us and all like countless time.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Well just the like baby watch the fat like.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Obviously I'm not doing I can't. It's never worked.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
What but you've had skits, so you've written and stuff
and just they've never Lauren hasn't approved him or what.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
There was like a sketch called I think it's called
like Horrible Bosses or something where me and Quintin.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
It just goes right, man, I'm like I'm laughing at.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Yes, well there were that many people laughing at the time,
but it was like me and Quinta Brunson are playing
these bald pervert bosses who like I'm like checking out
Chloe Feineman's rack and I'm like doing the text Avery
Wolf like whatever, like ouga, and I go, I just
do a lot of noises because I'm so crazy horny.
(11:35):
So I'm just like ah, and I wanted to take
out the oxygen tank and it stuck.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Going like oh yes, yes, and.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Everyone was like no one knows what is the.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
Reference, but that pains me. I know, I know what
you know, well that's the most important thing right now.
You know what that was meant to be was so
in the script originally he was Helium.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
Oh so his voice was going to change.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
Which gives a whole another dimension to that really relationship.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
Oh wow.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
But when they did it, they discovered sometimes I was
writing it was more humorous than than frightening. So they
went and then so Dennis was like, let's just go
with maybe it's this and this. They made it and
they made an adjustment and it worked.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
But yeah, but now I want to see the Lost Files. Yeah,
I think. I mean, I've watched Twin Peaks and the
Return one billion times, like three, you know.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
That's Yeah, I'm proud of that return in particular because
it's so unusual.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
So it's the best thing I've ever seen in my life.
It's because I had such an emotional attachment to Dale Cooper,
you know, because also, like you know, I watched Twin
Peaks a hundred times, like when I'm a teenager, so
like Dale is like seeing Dougie and Evil. Dale was
so emotional for me, like I grew up with Dale Cooper.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
And so interesting. Yeah, yeah, that's interesting because it was
such a that was also challenging, just because you didn't
do anything right and in front of the camera you're like,
you want to do something right. Nothing was like, oh guys,
this is an exercise, another acting exercise. Basically it was intense.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
You were so scary. Did you have crazy black contact?
Speaker 1 (13:14):
Did I did? We should have put put mister C,
called mister C lovingly. Of course. We put them together
for a piece by piece and David and I liked,
you know, these boots, these pants, and I was I
was the one who said, you know what, let me
try this with with eyes because he's a shark. Basically,
there's no emotion at all, I said. And I was like,
I'm not sure, maybe it's going to block things out.
(13:35):
And David said, no, it's good. We'll keep it. So
it worked.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
I really wanted you to. Every week it was appointment television.
We would all like me and all my like seven
roommates at the time in Chicago in the citty apartment
in my roommate was growing like stinky mushrooms in a greenhouse.
And the worst all the chair. We had a chair
that was cinder blocks and plywood and we would all
just like gather around the TV and watch the return
(14:01):
and every week we'd be like, what's he gonna Yeah,
David Torture, Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
That was I know, I know I was like I
was a little bit worried, but it was like, well
then he comes back, and like yeah, because the problem
is once Dale comes back, Doug u khon you you
I'm looking at you and I'm going you know, she
lies in Manelli of course, of course I'll take it.
And Kate Bush, Oh, thank you? Which I think you did?
You go back and watch your first appearance on SNL
history Lesson No, Yes, yeah, she was on with her
(14:32):
first album, Kick Inside. She did the man with the
child in his eyes and rolling the ball, Rolling the Ball. Yeah,
I think those are the two. I think those are
two titles.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
I can't believe I've never seen that because I'm an
ad age.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
She had a green, sparkly cat suit and she was
on the she like sixteen or she was so young,
and so it was actually and so like so I
was like, uh, who is this fascinating person?
Speaker 2 (14:54):
This is gonna sound like I'm throwing everyone at SML
under the bus, but four that, like, you know, there's
so many, there's so many opportunities on SNL to do impressions,
but the impressions that I can do are like I
mean can't do. It's like I've always wanted to do
Kate Bush or like Morrissey, but it like doesn't come
up because it's not like timely really, So I was
(15:18):
so thankful that we got to figure out a way
to do Kate Bush on the show. You know, the
schedule was so crazy there, like and everybody's working their
fucking ass off, and they had like a million people
in that sketch and they were like, you know, they
have to shoot all this stuff in so little time.
And I showed up to get into costume hair makeup,
and they had like a white lace dress for this
(15:39):
and I was like, hey, guys, I'm not doing leathering heights,
not in the head dress. So the poor costume designer
had to like go into the SNL literally in ten minutes,
they went into the SNL archive of like all this
shit from like the eighties.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
To think it was her own personal thing.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
I'll go ahead, go They literally Frank get signed together
like in five minutes that Red dress because I was like,
it has to be the Red Dress Wars. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
I was being I've never been a diva in my
life really, and that was like my diva moment.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
That doesn't sound like when that sounds like the character.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
You know, it's funny, Like a lot of my work
is like disturbing. And my parents are always like what
we were? So you're we're normal? Is normal? Why what happened?
And I'm like, look at where you let me watch?
Speaker 1 (16:35):
What was the Blue Velvet challenging? Were there other things
that were you opening with a free reign? Because we
were like very as kids. We were like we could
watch Herbie the love Bug, you know, which is disturbing
in its own way, and and any Disney movie we
wanted to. And then the first time I saw like,
you know, like movie like, I was like, oh, this
is these are real people in real situations.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Like I think I saw that my my parents showed
me the Shining when I was like ten, that's a
great age for that, yea, And I was so scared.
I didn't know why I was so scared. I there
was something so deeply disturbed in a way that I understood,
like when the there's a crazy dog suit blowjob scene,
(17:14):
but I didn't know what I was looking at but
I knew that something was wrong. And I got so
scared that night that I went to sleep and I
like couldn't sleep and I barfed. H fear. Yeah, because
it was so scary, but I loved it. It was
the thrill of the bar.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
You have so many crazy characters. You have the Tails
from the Crypt. Tails from the Crypt was the influence.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
Yes, oh you're in it.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
You're in one and I directed one too. Yeah, not successfully,
but but I was in one that was pretty. I
was a killer. I was Yeah. I was the escape
convict who kills the cop that's chasing me and then
am handcuffed to him and I have to drag him around,
you know. And we tried that for real, and the
guy was about six to two, weighing about two hundred pounds.
(18:02):
It's impossible, it's impossible to drag. So they had a
body that that would weigh about thirty pounds that I
could drag around. Awesome, But I really enjoy So you
love the show.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
I love the show. Wait, which one did you direct?
Speaker 1 (18:12):
I directed one called reput you sow?
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Is that what it is?
Speaker 1 (18:15):
Something like that? It was with It was dumb, It
was with a really good actress. So Sam Watson came in,
Hector Alizondo was in. John Shay was in Carry On Death.
Was the one. I was in carry On Death because
I got my eye picked out, of course. Yeah, and
you do a whole eye thing.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
I love. I love a good eye.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
What's the thing with the grandmother and the whole deal?
Speaker 2 (18:34):
My So basically this is another thing. My parents are like,
what's what happened?
Speaker 1 (18:38):
Like?
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Because they they see all those.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
Stuff that I need.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Much of you.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
They were young, so normal, normal my home too.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
And like they're just like, what happened? And I'm like,
my grandma had her eyeball removed because there was like
a tumor in it or something. Okay, and when you
get your your eyeball surgically removed that the placeholder eyeball
was like a just like a white orbs.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Yeah that's good, just like her name. This is a
placeholder front.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
Yeah, posted on wet paint that I guess that keeps
the orb shape. And then the thing that looks like
the eyeball is like a prosthetic ham painted lens that
you like hop on over.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
So it's not an actual ball.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
There is a ball that's just keeping the shape.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Oh so it's that the ball stays in there and
you magnetically put or whatever have you been. It's like
it's like contact.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Yeah, it's like a big contact that's like shaped like
a shoehorns. You can like leverage it in there. And
so my grandma would do these like pranks where like
I would stay at her house in Boca and like
come downstairs for breakfast and she would take her dentures
out and take her lens off, and so she just
had like no teeth in the white eye and be
like jump scare. And then everybody's like, and then all
my family's like, what's wrong with you? She torture? I
(19:53):
was torture.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
It was Halloween fun at your house, though, but maybe
Halloween was Halloween was fun.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
I mean, come on, we had like you know, because
like I'm Jewish, we didn't have like you know, we
never had Christmas decorations, and there's no like you know,
Hanka decorations really right, so we kind of went nuts
on Halloween.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
Yeah that makes sense us too, and we're not even Jewish,
but we we we just you.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Know, we'll go crazy.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
We love a decoration, and I think That's how I.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Got into like costume and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
Halloween's the best, the best I think as an actor,
as you get older, you sort of get you get
like I.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Don't really do it anymore, but like we I'm in
Wiggs all the time.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
Halloween every day, Yes, Halloween.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
Yeah, I have spiderwebs on my pants. Halloween every day.
Speaker 1 (20:35):
This is the way it should be.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
This is the way it should be.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
I just want your grandmother and just say, Grandma, grandma,
go out, give the kids a candy, come on, take
catch your eye and your benches go go.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
I mean, that's just the celebrity of the town.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
The town, the town. I'm saying, Okay, let's talk about
so your show, talk show? Who get that? I want
to make sure we talk about that, and then want
talk about Phillis Steeler just because it is good. A
huge fan of Philip Steeler. I'm a huge fan of
your So I'm like, oh no, you just talks about
that so live and in the flesh. Yes, what's the
prep on that? What do you do? What do you
what you make? This? The stage is.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
Crazy, The stage is crazy.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
Yeah, who do you do? You do you have? Is
that you do you work with someone.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
Basically, I had the set designers from Oh Mary, Okay.
We like literally it was the most fun I've ever
had in my entire life, because it was like I
would draw a set where I'm like, you know, I
don't know what how to do a so I'm like,
it's like a big paper Chaine nose with like boogers
going out whatever, whatever, And then they took all these
like crepy like I was sending them manifestos like made
(21:34):
no sense, these drawings, and then they would send back
like an actual set design that had like all of
my like crazy ideas, but in a way that made sense.
And the way they built on it was so they're
so genius. They would be like, you know, I had
to open up a curtain to show a video screen,
and they were like, well, what if the thing that
(21:56):
opens the curtain is like a roll of paper, of
toilet paper? And I'm like, well, of course yeah. Or
they were like what if the door you enter stage
on is just a giant butt hole you crawl out of?
And literally the only reason we couldn't we didn't have time,
I know, but that would have been amazing. But I
was like, there the fact that like the set designers
on my stand up special had better jokes. And then
(22:18):
I had written like.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
Well they did the research and you obviously and you
were very specific in your direction.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
And they were like, we ended up having a door.
And then it's like, okay, so it can't be a buttthole.
So let's like, you know, I would draw crazy door, Yeah,
an eyeball door. And then they were like, you know,
can the handle of the door be like a silicone hand?
That was like actually like a sex story for fisting,
and I was like, of course it can't be.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
And then I got to the so there's what do
you call those? You call those Easter eggs?
Speaker 2 (22:46):
Yeah, Easter the biggest Easter egg. I get to set.
The day of the filming, they had painted the nails
on the hand to match my nails.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
Let's see, this is raise right there. I think great
set design because you know this is a collaboration. Yea,
we do, right, So you bring your ideas in a
way that you can't man do them. But you said
this is what I see, Yes, you know what I mean,
and they take that vision. The same with sound music,
everyone collaborates and brings their a game. Costumes word or
(23:17):
whatever it is, and and then it all slots together,
hopefully slots together in a better way. Yes, they make
it better.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
And like theater people because they're from theater the luckiest.
They're so intentional. They're amazing, Like you know, film whatever.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
When you're a theater kid right now, you know.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
But like with theater, there's so much thought behind everything,
Like everything's so thoughtful because there's like you know, in
a movie you can have like ten sets, so like,
but like with theater there's like.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
Only a one yeah yeah, or yeah, a couple.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
So everything is so well thought out. It was so amazing.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
Yeah, so cool.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
I have a twin peaks a joke in my special.
I go Laura Palmer wrapped in plastic and I go
like this, and.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
People go like, yeah, yes, that's perfect, perfect Blue. You
are a screamer.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
I'm a screamer.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
Yeah you went to scream school.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
I did.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
What do you think of Cheryl Lee's scream my because
that is the best scream Pretty great? Right?
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Would she lose her voice doing that? Because I've seen
even the BTS footage like her doing it and then everyone's.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
Like yeah, yeah, yeah, it seemed like she lost no
I don't think she I don't think I think David knew.
You know, you can only going to do a few, right,
and so she saved it up. But like in the
return when she has that last scream, right, the hair
I have a little bit of hair back here just went.
It was so like and you know, it gets those chills.
(24:49):
Like when I was standing there, I was like, oh
my god.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
And her mouth opened, so.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
Yeah, well you have a grace's too, grace of risky. Yes,
she had that scream at the end of the pilot. Yes,
And they cut to the mount of dirt and the
hand comes in. I like, it was like a jump
for me. I was right, yeah, goosebumps. I know. It
was pretty amazing. David's amazing.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
I've watched I mean all of those like all this
BTS footage of like you know, him directing you guys,
and he's being so kind, like you guys are doing
the most disturbed like murder, incest, between worlds, torture, lost, grief, whatever,
(25:36):
and he's being so cute, like he's like.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
Right on, guys, that was great. All right, we're going again.
Did we get that? And imagine that on the set
of Blue velvet in some of those moments with Isabella
and Dennis, you know, he's okay, now yes, or with me,
he would direct me that way, he said, I'll get Kaoe.
You know, this is what's happening. I'm in the closet
(26:00):
looking out right, and and no one's there. Nothing's happening.
He's David's just talking me through it. He's he's putting
his hand, you know, and I'm like, David, David, David,
you don't have to tell me the specifics. I can imagine.
It's the voice. It's kind of getting in the way
of the Yeah, so what do you You're doing? Performance art? Right?
Speaker 2 (26:18):
No?
Speaker 1 (26:18):
Would you label it?
Speaker 3 (26:19):
Do you?
Speaker 1 (26:19):
What do you think? What do you want to What
would you call it?
Speaker 2 (26:21):
I'll take yes, performance are I would. The only reason
I don't say it's performance art because it's like, hope
people laugh. Like the thing with performance art is people
get yeah. So it's like the special is like, you know,
mixed media. Yeah, and so it's like the first think
forty minutes are just like pretty much I think of
it as straight straight up stand up. I think most
(26:42):
people would disagree, but and then it goes into like
mixed media stuff and actually to go back to the screen.
I love, you know, with touring with stand up. You know,
you do comedy clubs, so it's like you do five
show weekends, you do two shows at night. And it
was I was losing my voice screaming too much. So
I got my friend Dan shout out Dan one on
Tricks point Never, who does all the like soundtracks for
(27:04):
like all the Safty movies. Yes, he and his engineer
Nathan got built me these petals so that I can
like do crazy voice distortion so it sounds like I'm
screaming really.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
Crazy, like like guitar any guitarist. Yeah, whole rack pedals. Yes,
that's a great idea, I know.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
And so like they made me like custom reverb and
delay and this like wet effect that sounds like that
I hit when I want to make like a really
wet sloshing sound, and then they gave me like a
really scritchy scratchy thing, so it sounds like I'm really like,
you know whatever. And it saved my whole voice, you know,
because I tore like crazy and you know it's so
dry on planes whatever, so that'd save my voice.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
That's fantastic.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
And I went to a scream coach, Melissa Cross.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
Who what did she say?
Speaker 2 (27:51):
How do you?
Speaker 1 (27:51):
What's the was there a secret?
Speaker 2 (27:53):
It's kind of crazy. When I'm about to sure.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
Coming from you, I'm I'm gonna be okay, she like coming.
Speaker 3 (28:00):
You know.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
I was in like theater school and I wasn't really
like into the way that I felt like I was
being coached or taught, and I didn't understand. And they
do a lot of voice training in theater school where
it's like talk from the bottom of your and I
had no mind body connection with that. And she has
coached me in a way that makes me actually understand
my body. And she has given me like a better
(28:21):
relationship to my body in a way that's like served
me and more. I mean, Melissa Cross, I love you.
Like the way she talks to people. It's like, you know,
it's all weirdos because it's scream o metal people. So
she'll be like, imagine there's like a belt of noses
around your waist.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
And you're like breathing in from there, yes.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
And I'm like right, And she's like, imagine you're a
psyclops and you're like speaking out of the eyeball in
and I'm like, thank you for talking in a way.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
That I understand, totally understand in a language, and it's
sort of a visual that you that. Yes, that's so true.
I got all that when I was singing, So I
studied classical voice for many years in college, and it
was the same thing, breathing in through here or something
they'd breathed into your butt. Ye, it's filled phillip from
down below. And then when you're saying, yeah, you want
to kind of go out here because the resonance it
(29:04):
helps get your residence. Just that image. So the same
thing for screaming. Yes, that makes complete sense.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
And she's like, you know, people think screaming comes from
the like, you know whatever, but it's not. It's from
like your you're like screaming like a cat, like like.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
Whatever vibrations up there. I was just listening to Guars,
the Pink Pony Club version, which which we our research,
and I was like, I think I've seen that. I
went back, Yes, I have seen that. Yes, they're amazing.
Do you know them? Do you know the person I.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
Just got beheaded by them at their live show and
Time Score a couple of months ago on not to.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
Bread Nice, I hope it was a swift.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
It was swift. They it was a swift beheading. And
then they carry carry me off stage and I'm like, listen,
I'm not going to name names, but couldn't really lift
me off the ground. Wait to feel like we feel
it a little late.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
Well, they look like they can, you know, yeah, destroy cities.
Overall experience at SNL great.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
Yeah, yeah, I I never thought that I would be there,
So it's crazy.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
What was your what was your audition? Like I've seen
like tape, various tapes of people's Like I've saw the
Hartman's tape. I saw a few, you know, Dana Carter,
I saw my tape.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
I I know because they were like for the fiftieth
they were releasing some of my coworkers, Like I think
Heidis came.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
Out, okay, yeah, and the weird thing is just started
to interrupt. But it's sort of like in some cases
you can see, yeah, it's not quite there yet, it's
not fully formed. It's it's but it's a good idea
and it's executed pretty well, but nothing is like oh
my god. You know, it's like, oh, I see there's
a one of the characters you know about them. That
was a derivation right there, the drive, but it was
(30:39):
a driven front trying to say here and I'm like,
you see the beginning, you see the kernel of what's happening.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
I think Lauren really likes rough edges. When I auditioned,
I was like a I was, I was a rough
I was like, I was a piece of work. He
likes like working part, you know, because he likes I
feel like I have grown a lot on the show.
And I think that like he likes that learning process
and like I was like a stray, shaggy dog like.
(31:07):
I think he likes, you know, getting these like weirdos
who aren't totally refined or perfectly packaged.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
I think you responsibly because you have a strong point
of view. I think anyone who comes in with a
real strong this is what I'm doing, regardless of whether
you like it or not, it's like and then he's like, oh,
we can work with that, yes kind of.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
I had a very strong point of view. And like
my audition was just like five minutes to stand up.
That was like my but was like, you know whatever,
that's that's how I entered the room today, just like hey, guys, you.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
Know what's happening with me. We're gonna have we have
a game that we get to play.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
Oh wait, Sarah, do you have many more questions for
you must ask?
Speaker 2 (31:46):
I don't want to put you on the spot, but
I don't I do, like, I mean, I just have some.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
I love you in dream analysis because of David. Yes, yes,
dream analysis so interesting? Rightly?
Speaker 2 (31:55):
Do you like? I mean, I'm sure, I mean I'm
telling I'm telling you this, but it's like, obviously, David,
let's changed my life.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
Like change mine two yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
And like the meditation stuff, do you do all that too?
Speaker 1 (32:06):
I do meditate. Yeah, I'm not. I'm not as good
as David as every day, but there is, and the
doctors are you know, every time. Maybe it's because of
Instagram to say, honestly, the best thing you can sleep obviously. Yeah,
but meditation is like just taking five minutes. It doesn't
have to be a whole big make them a role totally.
Just let the brain settle down for five minutes.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
Totally, and like, I don't even know if my brain's
even settled during that time, I'm like fucking it out
of space.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
You imagine what if you didn't? Yeah, my god, no,
it's a really good because because from that and David
is a testament to that creativity, you start to like
open up the ideas of like you know, like little
like little mollusks open up the barnacles and they throw
out these little things that float around.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
And like the all the dream work stuff. It's like,
I didn't even know your whole life is about like
beating out your dreams. Like you know, it's like we're
like on the phone, we're like not paying attention, We're unconscious,
Like we go to school and like, you know, you're
just there's no like proper train especially like now I'll
(33:12):
see like kids now I'm trying, you know, I'm aging myself.
I'll see kids, kids on the train on like an iPad,
and I'm like, they don't have like flights of fancy
and fantasy and dreams anymore. And so like being like
a kid watching David Lynch movies being like, oh my god,
my dreams are important. Once you give your self permission
to like turn yourself over to your dream life, life
(33:37):
becomes so much better and more far out and psychedelic.
Speaker 1 (33:42):
And you have this relationship. It's there, it's always paralleling
you and everyone has it. Do you access it? It's
like a river. Yeah, And David talks about all those metaphors.
It's it's amazing, and he lived and he lived the
art life. It was such an inspiration. I'm glad you
feel the same way about him than I do.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
I just and it's the best thing about dream work
is like everyone's a freak. Everyone's a weirdo, everyone's a
little artist. It's just whether or not you're willing to
like keep that path to your unconscious like well gardened
and keep like the door hinges like well oiled. You
can like go in and out. Everyone has it, and
(34:20):
like everyone has that and like why David Lynch was
so important to me growing up. It's like everyone has
access to those movies. Twin Peaks was on TV.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
Yeah, yeah, Twin Peaks was on TV. Anyone can watch it.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
Like you didn't need to know some guy who had
some weird like porno store in the back of a
sushi restaurant, who had a you know, a trunk full
of like.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
I know that guy. You're right, It's just everyone could.
Speaker 2 (34:44):
Yeah, you can go to a movie and see it.
It's like accessible.
Speaker 1 (34:47):
Okay, we're going to take a break, and when we
get back, we're gonna do a game that we created
cool just for Sarah, just for you. It's called you.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
Not having a heir, ill feel special.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
Squirmified. We're going to get squarmified. This is going to
be perfect cool. Our hats are our brains, Ladies and gentlemen.
We're back now with our cool game and this is
the one. Just as a reminder, squirmified with Oh with Sarah.
I like that you have a brilliant form of comedy
(35:23):
that makes audiences squirm, scream, and squeal. I am going
to give you a few obscure scenarios that I hope
to never find myself in, and I want you to
add a few words to that scenario if you make
it even weirder. So for those of you that are
driving and listening right now and not should not be
on your phone watching this. I'm wearing a kind of
a bush hat, I guess, sort of with a with
(35:44):
a chin strap, but my brain is on the fabric
of the hat. And then I'm wearing a shirt which
I don't even know what it says.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
It says Mayor of Funky Town, which is why I
was like, oh my god, poorly idea we.
Speaker 1 (35:54):
Didn't even talk about this reminded you of mayor of
Funky Town.
Speaker 2 (35:57):
Yeah, and I are the mayor of Funky I used
to lie.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
Of course, wearing You're wearing a hat, a green knit
hat with like probiscus elements that end in like an eye.
But it's like it's pretty good. But it definitely feels
like something that would be the thing that comes to
mind is beetlejuice at the very end with the creatures
(36:23):
that are playing with the marbles. Something kind of like
that is on your head.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
Yes, I do look like I'm in the waiting room
for death and beetlejuice.
Speaker 1 (36:33):
The more succinct way of saying perfect, thank you. Okay,
I'm got wanna give you oney. Ready. Okay, you sneeze
and confetti comes.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
Out and half my brain and.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
Half your brain. Okay, So I know I'm gonna act
it out. Okay, I'm gonna make a choice here because
I think when you sneezink, enfetti has to go up.
So it's like okay, ray.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
Wait, yes, yes it's bad, very good.
Speaker 1 (37:15):
That was wacky.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
That's an amazing sneeze. Very hard?
Speaker 1 (37:19):
Was it sneezing as hard.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
You have to, really, just because it's the complete loss
of control.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
Okay, all right, you're gonna give me one.
Speaker 2 (37:25):
Okay, every time you have an intrusive thought, a bell.
Speaker 1 (37:28):
Rings and I sprout a pair of wings.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
So would we see you a lot of? Would you
be in the sky a lot?
Speaker 1 (37:37):
I think the wings are more decoration.
Speaker 2 (37:40):
So they we wouldn't be able to actually actually, yeah,
how often would the wings be out?
Speaker 1 (37:46):
They would stay for well until the wind blew and
they would and then yeah, see, if you're in the air,
you be careful. That would keep you grounded. You arrive
at your new dentist's office the days as a horse.
Speaker 2 (38:01):
And I say, well, I should have known because he
was listed on the white pages as a tuck to
her horse.
Speaker 1 (38:13):
And there were jars and jars of peanut butter in
the office.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
You open a fortune cookie, your childhood address is on
the fortune.
Speaker 1 (38:24):
It's crazy, along with my wrap sheets. When I was
in prison for three years. Yes, and it goes on
and it rolls. That's the thing. What happens to you
to pull it out and it goes arrested, breaking and entering, loitering.
I got a lot of loitering.
Speaker 2 (38:44):
Yeah, no loitering. Would you pull it out and then
it unrolls or would you have to pull it out
like a tape.
Speaker 1 (38:51):
I think it would keep coming out of the tape measure.
That would be ideal. That's a good one. You open
the cap to your deodorant and a mouse crawls out.
Speaker 2 (38:58):
And he says, arn't pits taste like shit?
Speaker 1 (39:03):
It's a talking mouse.
Speaker 2 (39:04):
Yeah, of course.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
Does he have any friends? Is it just one mouse
or is it there's a few.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
The guy who lives in my diotorant has got no friends.
That got a loser looser?
Speaker 1 (39:14):
Does he have cheese? Is he a typical mouse or
does he have other interests?
Speaker 2 (39:18):
He's a lactose intolerant, which is why he's in the
deodorant stick. I see he can't eat the cheese, so
he's settled for a deodoran stick.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
Okay, last one.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
You open a bag of potato chips inside are ventures.
Speaker 1 (39:30):
Oh and flies fly out. There's a whole bunch of them.
Speaker 2 (39:33):
That's a one potato chip can really take you down.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
You can't just eat one laced potato chips. Can't just
eat one? Ladies, woman, that was so much fun. We oh,
high five very good. We didn't figure out what we
were well, we sort of did. What have we been doing?
We got clothes, I think? But it was so lovely
to have you on. So what's happening? What can I
what are you about to do? What's where you're lunching into?
(39:57):
What's what can we talk about that you want to plug? Everyone?
Speaker 2 (40:00):
Please watch Sarah Scormliman in the Flesh on HBO and
tune in to Saturday Night Live on Saturday at eleven
thirty on NBC.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
Thank you so much, Sarah. What Are We Even Doing
is a production of iHeartMedia and the Elvis Duran podcast Network,
hosted by me Kyle McLachlin and created and produced by
Full Picture productionists Hey, featuring music by Yata and artwork
by Danica Robinson. For more information about the podcast, please
(40:34):
visit our Instagram and TikTok at wawed with Kyle. Please rate, review,
and subscribe to What Are We Even Doing on Apple, Spotify, YouTube,
or anywhere you get your podcasts. Exclamation points
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