May 23, 2024 • 52 mins
Phil and David welcome their longtime podcast friend Alison Rosen ("Alison Rosen Is Your New Best Friend") who they both got to know back when they were all on "The Adam Carolla Show." They discuss Alison's book, "Tropical Attire Encouraged (and Other Phrases That Scare Me): Fifth Anniversary Edition," her substack, her career path before, after and during her time doing the news for Adam, and how, thanks to her father, she was somehow the last to find out that she was Jewish. To learn more about Alison and buy her latest book, and check out her substack, go to alisonrosen.com. To learn more about building community through food and "Somebody Feed the People," visit the Philanthropy page at philrosenthalworld.com.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
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their app. David, Yes,Sir, one of our dear friends from
(00:41):
the world of podcasting is here today. Our best friend, her show is
called her podcast now is called AlisonRosen is your new best friend, but
she's been doing it for years.She's not my new best friend. She's
been a best friend for a longtime. When we all met on that
show, on the Adam Corolla Show, Yes I was you were like a
superstar guests who they loved having.I was like a weekly guy who used
(01:03):
to come on to talk about musicand then he would punch you well,
eventually he didn't never never lay aand on me. Figure. Politically,
things got tense, and that's allright. We'll talk all about that and
more with our new and old bestfriend Alison Rose. Let's build the beans
(01:34):
to the fat, food for thought, jokes on tawn, talking with our
mouthsful, having fun, the beastcake and humble pie, serving up slice
lovely, the dressing on the side. It's naked lunch clothing option. We're
(01:56):
eating today from a place in KoreaTown called Open Market. What you get?
I got? Have we started?Yep? I got the Beverly,
and I spent a lot of timewith the menu and I perseverated over it.
Yes, I was very this isthe Beverly, and it is She's
beautiful. Thank you. In thefried chicken, I yes, I guess
(02:19):
it is fried chicken. I didn'tknow it was gonna be fried chicken,
but that's fine. I knew itwas gonna be chicken. And then also
you're okay with the fried I'm okaywith it. Yeah. It's on a
milk bread bun, which was kindof a selling point for me. It's
got lettuce, and then it hasq P mayo, which I had to
look up. Are you familiar withthis it is? It's a Japanese mayo,
I believe yes, and it's spelledk E K E W P I
(02:43):
E right, the cutest. It'sthe cutest mayo exactly. It makes other
mayos look haggard. I saw thatporn film The Cutest Mayo. And this
restaurant, Phil, you you've takenme there? Is it run by I
think we've been there with choy.But is it run by some top chefs
or is it just a super hipplace. It's run by great chefs.
(03:06):
I know that. Look at mytuna sandwich, everybody, Oh the Normandy?
See how much? What did youget? David? Tell me and
I'll tell you what it's called.I am very sad because it just got
the salad salad salad because I amgoing to a Dodger game tonight and I
and my wife was ordering, andI did not want to have to face
having the second sandwich of the daythat she was aware of, so I
(03:29):
went for the salad, and I'malready regretting it. You can just tell
you. I was thinking maybe Iwant to get a salad, and then
I thought, no, you don'tdo that. For a podcast called Naked
Lunch of David where you get togetherand you eat, but looks like you
did so hmm. I was trying. Also, I will say I'm right
right, not only right, Davidout and knew this is going to be
(03:51):
off. Well. Also we'll talkabout being out and in on the chain
where we decided on lunch. Yousaid you don't like icy and is going
to come? And I said youwere not given a lot of choices.
I was given no choice. There'snot a lot of so I was supportive
of you. This was my Iwas trying to get something spicy. See
(04:15):
what's happening here now that has thesoaper soda, and I am did you?
Oh? I was just gonna saywhat I what I was ultimately choosing
between was this one and then theone that was Brisket Provolone, the norm
No, you got the Normandy.The one I'm thinking of more. The
Normandy is the one I was choosingbetween. But I'll tell you why I
(04:36):
didn't get it. And I'm wonderingwhere you guys come down on this.
It's because it's on a baget andI feel like that can go either either.
It's like a delicious soft bagett oryou're fighting it and it's getting in
the way of talking on a mic, and you cut the roof of your
mith exactly. Sometimes I think goingmilk bread was a very good move.
I think that will calm whatever thespiciness factor may be. I think it's
(04:59):
going to calm it down. Youhave a new nickname, Cupie Qpie.
Aren't there cupie dolls. That's athing, right, they're filled with mayo.
Oh but enough about sandwiches. Let'stalk about Alison has just reissued a
past book with a whole new newmaterial. It's called Tropical Attire Encouraged and
Other Phrases that Scare Me by AlisonRosen, with illustrations by her favorite husband,
(05:25):
one of her top husbands, Yes, one of my top husbands,
and five new essays. Five notessays yes. So this book originally came
out in twenty eighteen, and thenfor the fit so I had a syndicated
column put out by creators who's thepublisher of this and then they actually to
go back before that, my husbandfor my birthday, My favorite husband,
(05:46):
the one who did the illustrations inthe book, had been secretly working on
a project which I didn't know about. Where he took all the essays I
had written and illustrated them and putthem into it, like bounded into a
book because he wanted to show melike, look, you have a book
here, and I think I postit was so sweet and it made me
feel really guilty that on the dayof my birthday. I think I was
sourly like, you forgot my birthday. You're not being You're not making me
(06:11):
feel special enough. I feel reallybad. You know. The thing is
if you do like a big giftlike that presented in the morning, don't
do it later in the day becauseby that point the person's already like,
what's happening? Anyway. This iswhen I was younger, when I cared
more about birthdays. But the publishersaw, you know, I posted about
it and the publisher saw it andthey were like, we want to make
(06:31):
this a book, and I said, that's amazing. So that was the
first book in twenty eighteen that cameout. And then five years passed and
they said we want to re releaseit. So we did five new essays
and that is this. Wow.Now can we go back and talk about
how we all met? Yes,pray because now you tell me what is
(06:54):
what's your memory of your origin storywith Phil? How many years ago was?
I know it was that Adam Carollashow. Yes, how many years
ago? About twenty No, I'mnot that old. We would have probably,
so I started there in twenty elevenand I was there twenty eleven,
(07:14):
twelve, thirteen, twenty fourteen,so it would have been twenty eleven or
twenty twelve. Yeah, okay.And my memory is that Phil was like
one of the marquee guests. Hewas like, it was a big deal
to get Phil. No, Ihad big guess, well, and I
would. We had Harry Ham onethe week I auditioned, so see what
I'm saying. I think we alsohad Oh my god, let me from
(07:39):
Motorhead. Now that was cool.That was hard to book now yeah,
impossible? Really, I mean itdepends how lively do you want it to
be if the debate needs to belively. And then it was the best
podcast that you had to schlepp outto a garage and Glendale for well,
I slept out a lot more oftenthan you because I had this weird status.
(08:00):
Wonder what was I annoying to youthat I would pop up all the
like, I was there all thetime. Oh, I wasn't a fan.
You're annoying to them. Oh you'reasking her? Yes? Oh oh
see. Oh, you guys areinsanely inspired. If we're doing a podcast
where people eat on a microphone becausenow I have a mouthful. Some people
very stand it, I know,and some people are fun with it and
(08:20):
don't even like it and probably dothings they shouldn't be doing listening. Okay,
So my memory of the beginning ofDavid Wilde, my David wild origin
story. I knew your name andI knew you were because I had been
a freelancer like a stringer for randomnotes for Rolling Stone many years ago and
done little things for them, SoI kind of knew the names of a
(08:43):
lot of writers. And I've probablyseen you on TV as well. I
was a big Friends fan. Uh, And there was a period of time
where I say Friends in front ofPhil. He gets very uptight. Mister
everybody loves Raymond. Oh right,I hate you know what that show is
so not? Friends is so basic. It's not popular. No, it's
you're my favorite guest. It's goingto be it's going to be forgotten.
(09:07):
Contributed nothing to culture and the chemistryfair. Oh really. Oh. I
would come home every single day andshe'd be watching a rerun and I'm like,
what the hell again? I knowyou saw this episode already because I
remember you watching it last week.She goes Friends is the best sitcom ever
made. I said, whoa god, glad you feel that way. Maybe
(09:28):
you should watch it at Martin Kapman's, which, by the way, because
we all went to the same highschool. She could, Right, that
is hilarious. There was a periodof time where you were coming on David
almost weekly, right, I know, like they were very excited that you
were making frequent appearances and bringing inmusic guests and talking about music, and
it was really like the heyday ofthe David Wild period. I'd say,
(09:50):
well, then what happened, Yeah, Well what actually happened was, uh
politics. What happened is like achange in the weather politically. And what
I do remember is somehow we gotoff of like it was always I was
always bringing in a song to play, or bringing Jeff Lynn, or bringing
(10:11):
in Chris Isaac, Chris Isaac orfriends, you know, friends, people
who like like this podcast. Yeah, although Chris Isaac he refuses to meet
me, not only wants to meetyou very much, but one day it's
some day, one day, it'sa sort of like, and I think
this is I only want to discussthis in the context of we're headed into
(10:31):
this very political year and it's like, how do you talk to people who
you have a different opinion from andhow do you survive in the world,
Because what I remember was there wasjust something said about President Obama that I
didn't want to be silent when itwas said. You know, do you
remember what it was? What itwas was basically Adam was mad at him
(10:54):
for not being negative enough to blackfathers in America about their failure, and
I just tried to raise the issueof it's amazing that that bothers you more
than President Trump saying that President Obamaisn't a citizen, you know, and
and that didn't go well in termsof I, you know, and again
(11:16):
I want to say right out right, we Phil and I were both huge
fans of the podcast before that,of the radio show of Adam and of
Adam. But the political thing isjust interesting how it sort of shows where
we've gone as a culture. Becausewhat I did, what happened was after
that conversation I did on through Twitterwhen it was good old Twitter, before
(11:41):
it was X. I started gettingthreats and I started getting you know,
anti Semitic slurs and stuff like this, and I was and at a certain
point it was like my wife andkids were the ones who said, you
know, you shouldn't go on there. It's because I was. It was
your job, you would work therefor years. I never worked there.
(12:03):
It was just sort of a thingand I enjoyed and I still, you
know, I really liked some ofthose people. And I think, like
I listened to your podcast and likewhen Baal Brian would come back or and
actually, I'll tell you in thecontext of how you can get along with
people, is it Mary Catherine Hamwho's been on your podcast, who's a
political commentator on the right. AndI listened to your episode with her.
(12:28):
I think you've had two episodes withher. Oh, I've had like seven.
Yeah, And I'm a fan ofhers. And I realized, how
do we get back to the timewhere we can be fans of people who
have a different political point of view. It's really challenging. I've been thinking
about this a lot lately because Ido feel like if I were to run
into him in public, I thinkit'd be fine, and I think it
would be cordial. Like it's manyyears now, and there are times where
(12:54):
I'll remember something funny he said,or something funny from the show, and
I missed the good times. Youknow, in my four years there,
there were certainly there were some toughtimes, and then there was a lot
of fun and it was a lotof it was good experience, and then
there were things that frustrated me greatlyand things that bothered me too. But
but yeah, I certainly, youknow, he could be really really funny
(13:18):
and I missed that. Yeah,Adam, You're welcome anytime. Yes,
but he'd have to buy the lunchokay fan fave. Some are mocktail smoothies
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app. Alison went on to herown really successful podcast, Allison Rosen is
(14:50):
your new best friend, which I'vehad the player of doing a couple of
times, and I think the lasttime I did it, you just had
your baby. Yeah, so Ihave two children. Wow. I have
Elliott who is seven now and Owenwho's five, which is crazy because I'm
your house at your dining room table. Yes, that's my live yes,
(15:11):
yes, yeah, I live ina different place now. We moved to
the valley and we have a housenow. But yes, you came in
the Hollywood House. Yes, andthat was lovely. Thank you for coming
on. I think I had youguys on when we started on Zoom yeah
and everything. Yes, and Ithink Phil I had you separately on Zoom
as well since that, but thelast in person time was at that house.
(15:35):
Yes. If you've been doing thislong and how many years now?
Uh so? So I I livedin New York, ived in Brooklyn,
and I did a show called AlisonRosen's You New Best Friend on you Stream,
which was a streaming internet platform.I did it. It was a
three hour show weekly and I've beensaying that I did it on Wednesdays,
(15:56):
but I think it was actually Iwas just recently like wait a minute,
I had my own story wrong.It was on Sunday evenings at seven o'clock.
I've done that and you know it. So it was like people would
tune in and then they would interactin the chat room and I did different
segments, which I still do now, and I had the little songs and
jingles and things like that. Andthen I moved out to calip back to
(16:17):
California, where I'm from originally intwenty ten. You're from Oakland, right,
Born in Oakland, raised in OrangeCounty. I like to say Oakland,
though, because I feel like itgives more exactly exactly, Orange County
is county. Person, I marriedOrange County, so I'll have ask you
to take that back. Wait,where is which Orange County city? Tustin,
Hustin, Okay. I lived inCosta Mesa after college. Wow.
(16:40):
So but anyway, Yeah, sothen I moved out in twenty ten audition
for the Adam Corolla Show. Itwas doing Adam Corolla Show daily, occasionally
did my show from my parents' housewhere I was living again, which was
weird as an adult. And canI ask you a question, Yes,
what is an audition like for apodcast? We're specifically that podcast? What
(17:06):
what was the audition process? Just? They it was like this big newsgirl
search and they would bring in differentpeople and have them just sit in for
the show. So I sat infor I did one episode and they were
having various people come in but theyactually recorded. Yeah, it wasn't.
Yeah, it was. They calledit an audition, but it was really
(17:26):
like you're just you just do anepisode. I brought in news and I
did the episode, and then Ithink that was in October or November of
twenty ten, and then they narrowedit down to four people and they brought
each of us in for a week. Although I think really it was I
think it was three episodes, butthey called it like a week. I
(17:48):
could be wrong about that, butI know it was multiple episodes and then
they chose so that's what that was. Yeah. And so then in twenty
ten I started doing my own AlisonRosens Your Best as a podcast, so
I know twenty twelve, so I'vebeen doing it since twenty twelve, twelve
years. Wow. And do youfeel like your listeners are some of those
original people from I do have?Yeah? Yes, And I had been
(18:14):
on that show Red Eye on Foxright, which at the beginning was really
more comedy show. It was onat like two in the morning, and
it was weird, oddball comedy,and then it became more like we're talking
about it became more political. Istill have people that listen who knew me
from that show, so I havepeople that like pre date Corolla. But
yes, I still do have.But you did TV in New York too,
(18:37):
I did, Yeah, I aforethat. Yes, So I came
up in magazines. I worked atTime Out New York for a number of
years when I was in New York, and then I started going on morning
news shows like reports talking about eventsgoing on in the city and things like
that. And then I started doinglike a number of like talking head clip
shows and things like that, andI realized I really like broadcasting and and
(19:00):
that kind of stuff as well.It's funny. I was listening to the
j Cogan episode and you guys weretalking about I think Phil you were saying
that you manifest what you love,and then I was thinking about, huh,
what does that mean about what Ilove and what? Because for me,
the dream originally was magazines. Itwas like, I want to write,
(19:21):
I want to be David. Iwant to write, well, David
take a number, you know.I want to one day write like Rolling
Stone magazine, cover stories in VanityFair and maybe New Yorker and all that
stuff. And then but I've reallygone this other direction of talking into a
mic for a living. Yeah.Also, didn't you am I imagining it?
(19:41):
Or did you have a band too, I did what you're one of
the rock journalists who was also arock star, Yes, a certain How
far did your rock dreams? Andcan we hear a little of this?
Yeah? Oh yeah, we actuallyshould find something I could send it over.
I have this vague memory because oflooking you up years ago when you
(20:03):
when I was working with you.Did you have a song from your band
whatever band you were in in amovie? What was it? Pray Pray
for rock and roll? Pray forrock and roll? It was what it
was called, but I feel likeit was I could be wrong. I
think it was abolled pr e yor horror movie. No, it was
like I think it was about agirl. I cannot remember. You can
(20:25):
look it up. It's out there. I've never seen it. We had
a song in that movie, andthen we had a song in something else.
I believe it's on my IMDb.I'm forgetting what it was. So
we did have songs in a coupleof things. The funny thing is,
and you probably know this, David, A lot of musicians think that people
that write about music are frustrated musicians. I never I always played music,
(20:48):
but I never want that was nevermy dream. What do you play.
Initially I played drums, and thenin the band I played guitar, but
guitar is what I played before,and then I also played piano a little
bit, not really anymore studied itwhen I was young, or took you
were somewhere between Karen Carpenter and MegWhite. Yes, that's what they say
about me. So then when Istarted doing the band, I remember feeling
(21:12):
sheepish, like, oh God,maybe what they were saying was right.
I don't want them to them,the people who had judgments about who hate
music critics to know. But anyway, so we played. We toured a
little bit on the West Coast,and we played a lot of shows and
it was very fun. What wasit called the Angoras? Oh good name.
And then we reunited for Sketch Festin twenty twenty Never Never, and
(21:56):
that was like a first Yeah youwent up there. Yes, yes,
I've done it a couple of times. I was doing my podcast live and
we got the band together and weplayed a few songs, and that was
one of those things where I'm sureyou have things in life where it's like,
oh, if only I could relivethat, but I can't because of
time. So I got a chanceto. So that was fun Girls five
exactly, which I love. I'vejust discovered it's a good show, such
(22:19):
a good show. There must havebeen a pivotal moment where you're reporting,
let's say, for NBC on entertainmentnews and stuff, where you suddenly either
did it yourself on that show ornow you had a new gig where you
could editorialize a little bit. Whendid I because that has taken you to
(22:44):
this point. Yes, once youstart expressing opinions. Yes, I was
appear on Saturday mornings on Today inNew York or weekend Today in New York.
I was on Channel four. Iwas going on and I was talking
about events in the city every weekand making jokes and things like that.
But it was still pretty like polishedNewsy kind of And then I would take
(23:11):
those clips. A fan reached outto me and was like, I can
make clips and you can put onYouTube. I'm like, wow, that's
cool thing. Ye yeah, Andso he did that, and I was
putting them on YouTube. And thenI had a webcam. It was very
terrible quality. And I had mylittle MacBook and I decided I'm going to
review some books just in my apartment, and so I did that, and
(23:34):
then I started just recording myself doingvarious things in it. It was very
informal, and I put those onmy little blog at the time, and
I remember thinking, I don't knowthat people are going to like this in
the same way that they like seeing. Totally illegal for me to put NBC
clips on YouTube, by the way, not that anyone you know, not
that anything got I was got crackeddown or anything, but I think they're
(23:57):
going to prefer the Polish TV stuff. But really the engagement was so much
higher on just me talking to themabout books and various things, and that's
when I realized that was kind ofa breakthrough moment for me. This is
great to hear for everyone listening becausethe number one question is how do I
get started? This is exactly howwe all have this equipment. We're born
(24:19):
with the studio in our pocket.Right. Yes, if you want to
get into this field, nothing isstopping you. No, you're not going
to start your entry. Yes,you're not going to start at the top.
You're going to start by doing ityourself enough times till you get good
at it, putting it out thereand if you're any good at all,
(24:41):
slowly, but surely people will findyou and then you can take that number
of people and take it to areal place right and say, look how
many followers I am. But thatdoesn't happen overnight, No, it takes
forever. It takes forever. Andyour husband has become part of your podcast
(25:02):
in a big way. Maybe alwaysalways was, I'm not sure. I
think maybe even in the beginning.So when I started dating him, he
said to me very early on,He's like, just so you know,
I don't think I would ever wantto be interviewed. I was like,
I didn't ask you to come onmy show. But he's like, that's
I'm just not that. That's notmy thing. Like, I'm a private
(25:22):
person. I'm not into that.So it's funny that now he's on weekly
and I've been So my show comesout twice a week, and Monday is
a interview with like a notable person, and then Thursday is a group show,
a round table group show, thankyou and but but lately I've just
been doing episodes with Daniel, myhusband, on Mondays, and we've been
(25:45):
taking calls and we've been charting.So I'm curious where you guys are with
this. Daniel has turned into aswiftye. He has become a Taylor Swift
fan. Larry, my fifty yearold husband, is Taylor Swift all the
time? Now, are you so? I It's like if your partner is
(26:07):
into going to furry conventions or wantsto go to swinger parties, and at
first you're like no, and theneventually you're like, fine, I love
you. I will see what it'sall about. And so I guess I'm
getting sucked up into it too.Did you go to the concert? No,
we haven't been to a concert here. It's cheaper in Paris. I
know. By the way, you'reboth music people. Let me ask you
(26:30):
this question. Isn't it odd thatthe three biggest stars, not just female
stars, stars in the world cameout with albums within a few weeks of
each other. Is that was thatcalculated? That way? Was it?
David? You would know part ofit is Beyonce and Billy. Increasingly this
is like the prime season for musicbecause Grammy season, you know, touring
(26:55):
to promote your new tour. Dothey help each other when they're all out
in the same like you used toput out, used to tour? Yeah
to promote your album, because that'swhere you made the money. Now,
if you're other than Taylor Swift,who makes money on everything, or Beyonce,
the album helps the tour. Thealbum helps sell the tour, which
is where people make their money.And I have an interesting relationship with Taylor
(27:17):
Swift and that I just came backtwo days ago from Texas doing the ACM
or where it's a country show.I saw the geese that you put online
so cute. Oh. There wasan industrial park with like ponds, like
man made ponds with and I wasthe only one every morning taking a walk
with the geese and the turtles.It was fanned. That's what I heard.
There means they liked me. Ihave bonded with real doctor Doolittle,
(27:41):
Yes exactly, Doctor jew Little.But in any case, I was in
Nashville. It had to be howmany years ago, but I was there
and there was any were to playa new song on the radio. It's
called Tim McGraw, and I remembergoing to the head of that country show
and going I think this Taylor Swiftcould be something I should have invested.
(28:03):
I should have bought stock in herat that point, but I weirdly have
gotten into the I like folklore andthe recent records. I kind of am
more into than I have been inmany years. So I'm like, maybe
love it as much as your husband? No, I do you love your
husband? Yes? The enemy,No, I don't appreciate his. Thank
(28:29):
God we're on the same side,because there have been times in our marriage
where we're not on the same sidepolitically, and that's never enjoyable. See
can I say about that that it'sso interesting you say that because my family
This is what I mean when wehave to get back to like just being
able to talk to everybody within myown family. It was completely split and
it never mattered you and your momand dad. I mean every version of
(28:51):
it, my laws, my wife, every single thing. I think until
a certain point in America, beinglike other than James Carr and his wife,
you didn't actually argue politics with yourfamily as much. Holidays weren't as
fraud. I do think we haveto get out of this cycle. I
mean, I hope we have.Is Taylor Swift going to use her influence
(29:15):
for the election she did last timeand this time she has is it self
evident what she is? I see? I think so yeah, I think
so because of last time, right, But do you think she will double
down on that this year or stayout of it because there's so many followers
(29:37):
that it could actually influence. Ithink there's a lot to be studied about
how much that matters. Like ifyou remember when Trump was elected, you
had Beyonce, you know, andyou know doing events right on, you
know, in Chicago, And Iwould like to think artists have that impact.
(29:59):
But I'm not so sure. AndI think ultimately, for people who
actually vote, who care, maybethings like the abortion issue are ultimately the
only things that maybe determine other thanpure like ones picking a side. I
think that maybe only issues like thatmatter, maybe the Supreme Court. But
I don't I don't know. Mymy Taylor Swift husband, Taylor Swift fan
(30:23):
husband, he keeps saying ultimately hethinks is just it just comes. People
just vote because of the economy.I don't know. That's the Clinton idea.
Yeah, the economy. How doesit impact me? Yes, that's
the price of eggs. Yeah,yeah, I guess. I mean for
me it is it's completely the bottleof the autonomy thing. So, I
(30:48):
mean that's so and the courts,that is so big you're being a mother
now, because that's you know,even since we met each other, that's
a giant thing. How much doesthat impact your thinking about the world and
the future. In politics, Ifind myself thinking I'm lucky I don't have
(31:10):
daughters in it. You know,if birth control is repealed, well,
I mean, of course it's goingto affect them as well, but I
think it if I had. Ithink if I had daughters, I would
feel even more scared. I almostcan't believe we're having that with that issue.
(31:32):
I cannot believe that there's a evena sustained effort to return the clock
back, because I know I thinkabout my mother, who taught me she
goes I wanted to have you.I remember saying this, I wanted to
have all three of you kids.But no one should ever be forced if
they don't want to, because thatwould it's the hardest job in the world.
And if it's forced upon anybody,or if I just can't believe here
(31:56):
we are, I know your daughterwould be okay, because your daughter would
be in California, and yes,and be in California and be influenced by
you and your values. I havea daughter, she's twenty six. Now
I wish she ran things. Thesepeople are smart. Not only am I
not afraid for people to have daughters. The daughters are gonna save us.
(32:19):
Yes, yes, And I shouldsay I always imagined that I would have
a daughter. And both times Ifound out I was having a boy,
I was like, what that isnot at all? How I Who I
am? I waste? I've gota boy? Mom? I was,
But I was supposed to help herwith her first period, and I was
going to be the best mom inthe world when she gets married and all
these I mean even your husband.He likes Taylor Swift. He'd a great
(32:40):
girl. I know. Yeah,no, that is uh so when Taylor
Swift was was it so fi?Where did she do her you know,
string of sold out shows? Iwas shocked at the time that, like
everyone I follow, was at theshow and my therapist had to reschedule an
appointment with me because she was goingto the show. How that you have
(33:05):
to go a day early to buythe shirt? You do? I wait
online on my merch day before theconcert. You heard about this? This
is a real thing, David.You didn't hear this? Oh no,
I know all about this. Yes, people merch day. Yes, is
before the show, the day beforethe show, So not only waiting online
the day to get in for threehours, you're waiting coming the day before
(33:25):
with the traffic and everything else,just the traffic alone at these things.
Yes, I'll wait for it tobe on Netflix or Disney and I'll want,
right, did you watch it?So we were like dismayed over some
stupid thing that had happened online,and Daniel was like, I have a
(33:45):
palette cleanser for us, and thenhe turned on that. We logged onto
it's on Disney right, and thenturned on the concert. This is the
first time I had ever seen footageof it. I didn't realize how much
it's like being at like a Broadwayshow, how much dancers and yes,
wow, it's very different. Isthe biggest show I've ever not even this
(34:08):
is you've been I have seen.I didn't go this to her. I've
seen her many times in the past. It's as big a show as I've
ever seen. It's just monumental,which she does. Very strange for me
to find myself enjoying it and drivingaround my car just it's not at all
the kind of music I listened toI feel like I'm rocking out listening to
(34:29):
the theme song to the Hills orsomething. It's very like female gentle pop
is not my thing at all,So it's so strange to find myself sucked
into this soap opera of a talent. But yeah, and she and her
you know, the emotion and thehonesty that comes through her songs. I
(34:50):
get it now, which I didn'tbefore. But the Beyonce album we've talked
about this. Have you heard that? Yes, yeah, not the whole
thing, but I was God,it's so good, like her best album
in a long time, I think. And then the Billy Eilish. She's
just one of the great talents ofour time. She's phenomenal. I'm thrilled
with these people that we're here atthis time when they're doing that, and
(35:13):
they're so young, I know,especially Billie Eilish twenty. Are they the
daughters that are gonna save us?Yes? Yes? And the people who
follow them. There was a time, maybe five years ago, ten years
ago, where I thought singer songwriters, which is like, that's sort of
my thing. I love going backto Springsteen and Dylan and Carol King and
Jenny Mitchell and Stevie Wonder. Ithought there wouldn't be singer songwriters. And
(35:36):
I will say, like Billy Eilishin particular, being so much younger than
any of these people. Like whenshe was on the Grammys this year,
I just just, like with JoniMitchell or Tracy Chapman, I'm sitting there
going, really, she's the realdeal. She sang that song, the
Barbie song, she sang it onthe Grammys, Yes, breathtaking. Then
she does it almost identically on theOscars, but just the staging was slightly
(36:00):
different. Breathtaking, And now everytime I see her. Did you see
the documentary that they made about her, No, it's one of the best
documentaries about a human being I've everseen. It's from a few years ago.
Better than Exporting Raymond, Yes,nothing better than exporting that's a monkey
who goes to Russia. That's notThat's not this this If you like her
(36:24):
at all or have any interest inwhat what a vunderkinda is this? Watch
that I think it's. I thinkthat's on Disney, right, Apple,
I think it was, Oh Apple, You're right, I think it was
an Apple check it out? Okay, question, but a great documentary maker
a wizard drops into your life andsays, you can go to a grand
(36:45):
wizard, order a good wizard.Yes, you can go to Billie Eilish,
you can go to Taylor Swift,or you can go to Beyonce Tomorrow.
Which one do you go to?Billy Beyonce? Ah, because I've
seen Beyonce. I would like tosee Beyonce. Beyonce she's Teryror Swift right
now. I think Beyonce is fascinatingto me because in the Destiny's Child era
(37:10):
she was someone I got to talkto fairly regularly and she was the easiest,
loveliest person to ever deal with.Then she was completely accessible, managed
by her parents, you know,and now she's the Queen stil You were
(37:37):
out touring right I'm still are inthe middle twenty eight city tour. How's
it going? And Beyonce are goinglike back to back sometimes they switch who
opens for who. It's so muchfun. But it's not the shows that
take it out of you. It'sthe travel. I don't think we're meant
as just as a species to beup in the air and down almost every
(37:58):
day. That's I don't think that'sgood for people. And I developed a
cough that they're talking about now thisHave you heard about this one hundred day
cough? No? Well that's abouthow long I've had this thing. I
got you coughed before you had alittle bit. I think my mom has
been coughing. Do you think it'slong term COVID that we don't know about,
or a new strain that's untestable.I mean every every time anyone in
(38:23):
my family is under the weather.Yeah, there's this temptation to think this
is just COVID and the tests aren'tpicking it up, so I don't know,
maybe it could be. It seemslike it. It seems weird.
We have a right to be paranoidabout this because it happened. Yes,
but you're fine. Yeah, Ihaven't had I have not had that problem.
(38:43):
Let me move close to to you. I did have. I got
COVID once I was with Phil andWilliam. I think were you there for
Kevin Bacon? I love him.Kevin Bacon was our guest and I started
the episode fine, and by theend I coughed a little. And then
I got home and I'm like,oh boy, so either I gave it
to Kevin Bacon or Kevin gave itto me, uh to kiss him so
(39:07):
much? Did you? Did youfollow up with him to see I did
we? Did we let him knowthat I had just tested good news Kevin.
Yes, it's horrible. And thenwe had to cancel. Uh Rick
Springfield, who we've never been ableto reschedule, who we had like two
days later. And my wife hasnever forgiven me. She's like, better,
(39:31):
you should have died and recorded withRick Springfield, but you would have
you kind of taken him down withyou. That's the thing, Yes,
that Maybe that's my argument to her. Uh. Yes, So Allison,
in all your travels and your yourpodcasts and and your career, is there
(39:52):
was there a high point for youin terms of a guest or an appearance
that you made that was like,oh, either now I've made it.
I'll never forget this. This iswhy I got into this business for a
moment like this, other than this, Yes, today right here, Okay,
I'm trying to think that is sucha good question. It's of course
(40:14):
going to be when Taylor Swift goeson Alison Rose and yes, one who
gets her? Oh my god,he'll he'll leave me for her, And
like, I kind of get it. But then you get the football player.
Yeah, trade you get a Kelsey. You know this is not exactly
answering your question, but I rememberhaving a moment like this when I interviewed.
(40:38):
It wasn't on my podcast. Thisis back when I was writing for
magazines, but I interviewed Kevin Baconand I had been it all goes back
Bacon fan. I was such aKevin Bacon fan that I made my friend
drive with me to Las Vegas becausethe Bacon Brothers were playing, like the
first day of this short lived musicfest. Did you know you were Jewish
(41:00):
when you decided to seek Bacon?I didn't know, right, So I
him what attraction it's forbidden? Yeah, I mean have you heard and seen
the Bacon Brothers. Oh? Yes, and they have a new record it's
really good. I haven't listened toit. I kind of love Kevin Bacon.
(41:21):
And if you listen to our podcast, it's one of the it was
actually one of the you talking abouta high point. Yeah, it's a
high point. Was in the beginningbecause we had had on Paul Riiser for
the first time. We recently hadhim with Michael McDonald, but he actually
had listened to our podcast with PaulRiser, because the first thing he said
was I'm not as fucking funny asPaul fucking Ry and nobody is. Nobody
(41:43):
is exactly. Yeah, well that'sthat's great that you got to then meet
him. Yeah, And I justremember that was a moment where I was
like, oh my gosh, looklook at me. I'm like in a
fancy hotel room talking to Kevin Bacon. Wow, well he's super nice,
right, he's really nice, thegreat guy. Yeah, he's arguably the
nicer of the Bacon brothers. No, they're both nice. It's interesting,
(42:06):
Like doing the Corolla Show with you. That was the thing I loved about
it was I was new to podcasts. That was really my podcast one on
one, and I just told them. I remember telling my wife, She
goes, why are you doing it? Like, yes, I was going.
I would be driving into, youknow, away from TV shows leavings
where I was getting paid well tocome every week. But I said,
(42:27):
a I'm a publicity whore. Sothat's the obvious part. Well know that
I need to name drop that.We all know that. But the other
thing was I think as you getolder, especially being just having unscripted conversations
and playing and having to keep up. I think that's how you keep your
mind going, like I think itwas really really great for that and I
always love that about it. Thankyou, Alice for helping us stave bof
(42:51):
Alzheimer's for today. You're so welcome. I forget who's that guy out time?
Was there anything else us that youwanted us to know? Wanted to
plug? We want to say yeahthe name again, Tropical attire, encouraged
and other phrases that scare me?With five new essays by Alison Rosen,
(43:13):
with illustrations by Daniel quantz Ut Quants, I got it wrong? Name?
What is? What is quants?What is? Where's that name from?
It's German and there are other ques. There are other quants is out there.
But he's had a life and mychildren will have this life too.
(43:34):
Of people saying quartz of course inyour quarts, yes, because we don't.
You don't see that word a lot. I say continent because there was
a famous music manager, Jeff,Yes, that's why, from the firm,
right, yes, from the firmwas a big one. So for
some reason I've always sort of heardit. No, it's just it's just
quants, Yes, so this bookTropical Attire Encouraged. That title comes from
(43:59):
an actual invitation I received to aparty Tropical Attire Encouraged. Uh, and
then I didn't go. That's whatessays about that is about like it because
it sounds it's just not it scaresme. It's it's just not it's not
me. I'm sure a costume partyand who wants that? Yeah, And
also I didn't, you know,I didn't feel comfortable with my upper arms
(44:22):
and I don't like fun. Andthere's like a lot of stuff about that.
So there's a lot of stuff aboutvery specific reason not to go to
the party. I know I'm gonnasee some great upper arms. I know
he works out right, he's stavingup Alzheimer's and middle age that he's got
the show. That's what he does. He has his own jet where he
just does push ups. I'm awreck. And then I mentioned my sub
(44:43):
stack, so Alison Rosen doot substackdot com, where I've been writing about
the I went back and I wroteabout when I found out I was Jewish
and then confronting my dad and thenthinking about it and what it means.
I was writing about that a lot, and then I sort of. I've
also been writing about some parenting stuff, so I kind of go back and
(45:06):
forth between that topic and then otherstuff. So when you say confront your
dad, was it a confrontation?Yeah? It was because I was out
with my mom and I said toher, Mom, I know you've told
me before, but can you explainagain how our last name is Rosen,
(45:27):
We look Jewish, your relatives diedin the Holocaust. How is it that
we aren't Jewish? And usually thiswould start this like, not from her,
but from my dad. This likelitany of lies that got more and
more hard to believe, but Ijust believe. I thought that he would
never lie to me. So hewas saying this stuff to me that like
(45:49):
other people would hear and they wouldsay, you're Jewish. I was like,
no, I'm not. No oneever. I joke that no one.
The only person that actually believed Iwasn't Jewish was me because everyone and
would hear what I said and they'dbe like, she's Jewish. But I
really thought I wasn't. So anyway, for the first time, my mom
got quiet and she said, you'llhave to ask your father. Well,
(46:10):
and it was like I had Itwas like there was a combination lock in
my room that I've been trying everynight for years and it wouldn't budge,
and all of a sudden I heardsomething shift. It's like, oh my
god. So yes, then Iwent home. When we got home,
I did talk to him. Andyou have to read to find out what
happened. Okay, it's in thebook. No it's not. It's a
(46:35):
subject all right, good. Iwant people to read that. I can't
wait to read it. But wow, I think most people know this.
But if your mother's Jewish, you'reJewish. Yeah, so in one regard,
it didn't matter what your father,right, but ye will Well I
have to read to find out.Well, I can tell you a little
bit. And I mean he wasborn in nineteen thirty three, and he
(46:59):
was a person who was very anxious, and he had experienced a lot of
anti Semitism, and he also wasvery anti religion, like very anti religion.
So he felt like the religion meansnothing to me, and I should
(47:20):
I want to die on that hill? Yeah, I don't want to be
defined. And you know, theymoved from more metropolitan areas to Orange County,
and I think he felt that peoplewanted to put him in this box
that he felt like he didn't fitin. So I think he I'm in
some way enjoyed like flumixing them,like saying you can't just you know,
I'm not your token. You don'tpat yourself on the back for being cordial
(47:45):
to me. Did you have aChristmas tree? We did? Yeah,
and Daniel and I still have aChristmas tree. But he went, he
went all out to so and Ihave confirmed this with his sister, my
aunt. Growing up, they alwayshad a Christmas tree as well. So
he what she said is they knewthey were Jewish, but they had nothing
(48:07):
to do with Judaism, like theyjust were in a very assimilated secular community
or life when they were in Manhattan. I guess. So it might have
started in fear and resentment, yes, but then just I think it's snowball.
I think I think when I wasyoung, I really believed I wasn't
(48:31):
because we celebrated Christmas. I didn't. And I think he just it was
at first it was lies of omission, and then it turned into these fanciful,
ridiculous lies that I believed. ThatI feel foolish now that I believe
did he ever regret it or expressan He said he sort of justified it.
(48:52):
He said stuff like in his lateryears, like, I mean,
of course, you never want tolie to your children. But and I'd
be like, let's go back tothe part where you was a good dad.
He was a good dad. Hewas a good dad. I have,
you know, gripes, but butyeah, he was a good dad
(49:12):
to good dads any dead and ifyou're a good dad. And by the
way, about to bring it backaround to where we started about the great
divide in the country. In mytravels, h most people around the world,
not just in America, but Iwould say around the world are nice
and great and we all want thesame thing. We want to be happy
(49:34):
and healthy. We want our kidsto be happy and healthy. And we
shouldn't let whatever our beliefs, nomatter what they are. First of all,
never force anyone to believe what youbelieve. That's one thing. And
number two, if we just goby the golden rule, treat others as
you'd want to be treated, we'dall be okay. I think so,
(49:57):
and most people live that way anyway. Yeah, I think that so much
of it, for me at least, is because I spend too much time
looking at my phone, where theextremes are amplified exactly by the way you
may be fighting with on the phonean eleven year old boy who thinks this
is funny. Oftentimes I think this, I'm talking to a child, of
(50:19):
course, Yeah, well listen,there's a lot of adults who still are
that way here. But you literallycould be right fighting someone. And if
I was eleven, instead of doingthe phony phone calls that we did,
You're right, I might do thatand say, look how I got this
lady so upset by pretending beautiful lady, Yes, twisted it not yes,
(50:42):
by pretending to be a Nazi.I know you're right. I should keep
that in mind next time I getupset. But everyone listening who's eleven years
old, don't pretend to be aNazi. It's not nice. You're nicer
than that. No, I thinkmore I think about it. I think,
like in Phil's I've watched his tour, is there, It's ridiculous,
what's going on. He's bigger thana lot of the music acts who come
(51:04):
on our podcast to where play.He playing big theaters, overwhelming interest,
and I think maybe Phil is theanswer maybe we have to flood the world
with decency by food and decency.Yes, that would I think good food
and decency and just overwhelm all thestupidity. You can unite us, uh,
you know, in my own tinyway with the little podcast with David.
(51:28):
That's what we're trying to do.Allison, you're fighting the good fight.
God bless you. You're doing great. Everybody, get this book and
go on the sub stack. AlisonRose podcast can be your new best friend.
Exactly and childish with Greg Fitzimmons excellent, our friend, We love,
(51:51):
Bye bye, thank you. NakedLunch is a podcast by Phil Rosenthal and
David Wilde. Theme song and musicby Brad Paisley, produced by Will Sterle.
Executive produced by Phil Rosenthal, DavidWilde, and our consulting journalist is
Pamela Challon. If you enjoyed theshow, share it with a friend.
But if you can't take my wordfor it, take Phil's and don't forget
to leave a good rating and reviewwe like five stars. Thanks for listening
(52:15):
to Naked Lunch. A Lucky Bastard'sproduction.
Oh, and now a word fromone of our beautiful sponsors, Tropical Smoothie
Cafe. You know, Tropical SmoothieCafe believes you deserve a little vaca every
day, not just once a year. So I think the word is vacation.
They said vaca. I'm just tryingto be hip like the Tropical Smoothie
peak. They are very cool.Get on Tropic time with bright and refreshing
(00:20):
smoothies, tropic bowls, wraps,and flatbreads from Tropical Smoothie Cafe. Visit
one of Tropical Smoothies Cafes fourteen hundredplus locations, or order online or through
their app. David, Yes,Sir, one of our dear friends from
(00:41):
the world of podcasting is here today. Our best friend, her show is
called her podcast now is called AlisonRosen is your new best friend, but
she's been doing it for years.She's not my new best friend. She's
been a best friend for a longtime. When we all met on that
show, on the Adam Corolla Show, Yes I was you were like a
superstar guests who they loved having.I was like a weekly guy who used
(01:03):
to come on to talk about musicand then he would punch you well,
eventually he didn't never never lay aand on me. Figure. Politically,
things got tense, and that's allright. We'll talk all about that and
more with our new and old bestfriend Alison Rose. Let's build the beans
(01:34):
to the fat, food for thought, jokes on tawn, talking with our
mouthsful, having fun, the beastcake and humble pie, serving up slice
lovely, the dressing on the side. It's naked lunch clothing option. We're
(01:56):
eating today from a place in KoreaTown called Open Market. What you get?
I got? Have we started?Yep? I got the Beverly,
and I spent a lot of timewith the menu and I perseverated over it.
Yes, I was very this isthe Beverly, and it is She's
beautiful. Thank you. In thefried chicken, I yes, I guess
(02:19):
it is fried chicken. I didn'tknow it was gonna be fried chicken,
but that's fine. I knew itwas gonna be chicken. And then also
you're okay with the fried I'm okaywith it. Yeah. It's on a
milk bread bun, which was kindof a selling point for me. It's
got lettuce, and then it hasq P mayo, which I had to
look up. Are you familiar withthis it is? It's a Japanese mayo,
I believe yes, and it's spelledk E K E W P I
(02:43):
E right, the cutest. It'sthe cutest mayo exactly. It makes other
mayos look haggard. I saw thatporn film The Cutest Mayo. And this
restaurant, Phil, you you've takenme there? Is it run by I
think we've been there with choy.But is it run by some top chefs
or is it just a super hipplace. It's run by great chefs.
(03:06):
I know that. Look at mytuna sandwich, everybody, Oh the Normandy?
See how much? What did youget? David? Tell me and
I'll tell you what it's called.I am very sad because it just got
the salad salad salad because I amgoing to a Dodger game tonight and I
and my wife was ordering, andI did not want to have to face
having the second sandwich of the daythat she was aware of, so I
(03:29):
went for the salad, and I'malready regretting it. You can just tell
you. I was thinking maybe Iwant to get a salad, and then
I thought, no, you don'tdo that. For a podcast called Naked
Lunch of David where you get togetherand you eat, but looks like you
did so hmm. I was trying. Also, I will say I'm right
right, not only right, Davidout and knew this is going to be
(03:51):
off. Well. Also we'll talkabout being out and in on the chain
where we decided on lunch. Yousaid you don't like icy and is going
to come? And I said youwere not given a lot of choices.
I was given no choice. There'snot a lot of so I was supportive
of you. This was my Iwas trying to get something spicy. See
(04:15):
what's happening here now that has thesoaper soda, and I am did you?
Oh? I was just gonna saywhat I what I was ultimately choosing
between was this one and then theone that was Brisket Provolone, the norm
No, you got the Normandy.The one I'm thinking of more. The
Normandy is the one I was choosingbetween. But I'll tell you why I
(04:36):
didn't get it. And I'm wonderingwhere you guys come down on this.
It's because it's on a baget andI feel like that can go either either.
It's like a delicious soft bagett oryou're fighting it and it's getting in
the way of talking on a mic, and you cut the roof of your
mith exactly. Sometimes I think goingmilk bread was a very good move.
I think that will calm whatever thespiciness factor may be. I think it's
(04:59):
going to calm it down. Youhave a new nickname, Cupie Qpie.
Aren't there cupie dolls. That's athing, right, they're filled with mayo.
Oh but enough about sandwiches. Let'stalk about Alison has just reissued a
past book with a whole new newmaterial. It's called Tropical Attire Encouraged and
Other Phrases that Scare Me by AlisonRosen, with illustrations by her favorite husband,
(05:25):
one of her top husbands, Yes, one of my top husbands,
and five new essays. Five notessays yes. So this book originally came
out in twenty eighteen, and thenfor the fit so I had a syndicated
column put out by creators who's thepublisher of this and then they actually to
go back before that, my husbandfor my birthday, My favorite husband,
(05:46):
the one who did the illustrations inthe book, had been secretly working on
a project which I didn't know about. Where he took all the essays I
had written and illustrated them and putthem into it, like bounded into a
book because he wanted to show melike, look, you have a book
here, and I think I postit was so sweet and it made me
feel really guilty that on the dayof my birthday. I think I was
sourly like, you forgot my birthday. You're not being You're not making me
(06:11):
feel special enough. I feel reallybad. You know. The thing is
if you do like a big giftlike that presented in the morning, don't
do it later in the day becauseby that point the person's already like,
what's happening? Anyway. This iswhen I was younger, when I cared
more about birthdays. But the publishersaw, you know, I posted about
it and the publisher saw it andthey were like, we want to make
(06:31):
this a book, and I said, that's amazing. So that was the
first book in twenty eighteen that cameout. And then five years passed and
they said we want to re releaseit. So we did five new essays
and that is this. Wow.Now can we go back and talk about
how we all met? Yes,pray because now you tell me what is
(06:54):
what's your memory of your origin storywith Phil? How many years ago was?
I know it was that Adam Carollashow. Yes, how many years
ago? About twenty No, I'mnot that old. We would have probably,
so I started there in twenty elevenand I was there twenty eleven,
(07:14):
twelve, thirteen, twenty fourteen,so it would have been twenty eleven or
twenty twelve. Yeah, okay.And my memory is that Phil was like
one of the marquee guests. Hewas like, it was a big deal
to get Phil. No, Ihad big guess, well, and I
would. We had Harry Ham onethe week I auditioned, so see what
I'm saying. I think we alsohad Oh my god, let me from
(07:39):
Motorhead. Now that was cool.That was hard to book now yeah,
impossible? Really, I mean itdepends how lively do you want it to
be if the debate needs to belively. And then it was the best
podcast that you had to schlepp outto a garage and Glendale for well,
I slept out a lot more oftenthan you because I had this weird status.
(08:00):
Wonder what was I annoying to youthat I would pop up all the
like, I was there all thetime. Oh, I wasn't a fan.
You're annoying to them. Oh you'reasking her? Yes? Oh oh
see. Oh, you guys areinsanely inspired. If we're doing a podcast
where people eat on a microphone becausenow I have a mouthful. Some people
very stand it, I know,and some people are fun with it and
(08:20):
don't even like it and probably dothings they shouldn't be doing listening. Okay,
So my memory of the beginning ofDavid Wilde, my David wild origin
story. I knew your name andI knew you were because I had been
a freelancer like a stringer for randomnotes for Rolling Stone many years ago and
done little things for them, SoI kind of knew the names of a
(08:43):
lot of writers. And I've probablyseen you on TV as well. I
was a big Friends fan. Uh, And there was a period of time
where I say Friends in front ofPhil. He gets very uptight. Mister
everybody loves Raymond. Oh right,I hate you know what that show is
so not? Friends is so basic. It's not popular. No, it's
you're my favorite guest. It's goingto be it's going to be forgotten.
(09:07):
Contributed nothing to culture and the chemistryfair. Oh really. Oh. I
would come home every single day andshe'd be watching a rerun and I'm like,
what the hell again? I knowyou saw this episode already because I
remember you watching it last week.She goes Friends is the best sitcom ever
made. I said, whoa god, glad you feel that way. Maybe
(09:28):
you should watch it at Martin Kapman's, which, by the way, because
we all went to the same highschool. She could, Right, that
is hilarious. There was a periodof time where you were coming on David
almost weekly, right, I know, like they were very excited that you
were making frequent appearances and bringing inmusic guests and talking about music, and
it was really like the heyday ofthe David Wild period. I'd say,
(09:50):
well, then what happened, Yeah, Well what actually happened was, uh
politics. What happened is like achange in the weather politically. And what
I do remember is somehow we gotoff of like it was always I was
always bringing in a song to play, or bringing Jeff Lynn, or bringing
(10:11):
in Chris Isaac, Chris Isaac orfriends, you know, friends, people
who like like this podcast. Yeah, although Chris Isaac he refuses to meet
me, not only wants to meetyou very much, but one day it's
some day, one day, it'sa sort of like, and I think
this is I only want to discussthis in the context of we're headed into
(10:31):
this very political year and it's like, how do you talk to people who
you have a different opinion from andhow do you survive in the world,
Because what I remember was there wasjust something said about President Obama that I
didn't want to be silent when itwas said. You know, do you
remember what it was? What itwas was basically Adam was mad at him
(10:54):
for not being negative enough to blackfathers in America about their failure, and
I just tried to raise the issueof it's amazing that that bothers you more
than President Trump saying that President Obamaisn't a citizen, you know, and
and that didn't go well in termsof I, you know, and again
(11:16):
I want to say right out right, we Phil and I were both huge
fans of the podcast before that,of the radio show of Adam and of
Adam. But the political thing isjust interesting how it sort of shows where
we've gone as a culture. Becausewhat I did, what happened was after
that conversation I did on through Twitterwhen it was good old Twitter, before
(11:41):
it was X. I started gettingthreats and I started getting you know,
anti Semitic slurs and stuff like this, and I was and at a certain
point it was like my wife andkids were the ones who said, you
know, you shouldn't go on there. It's because I was. It was
your job, you would work therefor years. I never worked there.
(12:03):
It was just sort of a thingand I enjoyed and I still, you
know, I really liked some ofthose people. And I think, like
I listened to your podcast and likewhen Baal Brian would come back or and
actually, I'll tell you in thecontext of how you can get along with
people, is it Mary Catherine Hamwho's been on your podcast, who's a
political commentator on the right. AndI listened to your episode with her.
(12:28):
I think you've had two episodes withher. Oh, I've had like seven.
Yeah, And I'm a fan ofhers. And I realized, how
do we get back to the timewhere we can be fans of people who
have a different political point of view. It's really challenging. I've been thinking
about this a lot lately because Ido feel like if I were to run
into him in public, I thinkit'd be fine, and I think it
would be cordial. Like it's manyyears now, and there are times where
(12:54):
I'll remember something funny he said,or something funny from the show, and
I missed the good times. Youknow, in my four years there,
there were certainly there were some toughtimes, and then there was a lot
of fun and it was a lotof it was good experience, and then
there were things that frustrated me greatlyand things that bothered me too. But
but yeah, I certainly, youknow, he could be really really funny
(13:18):
and I missed that. Yeah,Adam, You're welcome anytime. Yes,
but he'd have to buy the lunchokay fan fave. Some are mocktail smoothies
just hit the pool deck at TropicalSmoothie Cafe. Tropical Smoothie Cafe believes you
(13:39):
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(14:00):
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of Tropical Smoothies Cafes fourteen hundred pluslocations, or order online or through their
app. Alison went on to herown really successful podcast, Allison Rosen is
(14:50):
your new best friend, which I'vehad the player of doing a couple of
times, and I think the lasttime I did it, you just had
your baby. Yeah, so Ihave two children. Wow. I have
Elliott who is seven now and Owenwho's five, which is crazy because I'm
your house at your dining room table. Yes, that's my live yes,
(15:11):
yes, yeah, I live ina different place now. We moved to
the valley and we have a housenow. But yes, you came in
the Hollywood House. Yes, andthat was lovely. Thank you for coming
on. I think I had youguys on when we started on Zoom yeah
and everything. Yes, and Ithink Phil I had you separately on Zoom
as well since that, but thelast in person time was at that house.
(15:35):
Yes. If you've been doing thislong and how many years now?
Uh so? So I I livedin New York, ived in Brooklyn,
and I did a show called AlisonRosen's You New Best Friend on you Stream,
which was a streaming internet platform.I did it. It was a
three hour show weekly and I've beensaying that I did it on Wednesdays,
(15:56):
but I think it was actually Iwas just recently like wait a minute,
I had my own story wrong.It was on Sunday evenings at seven o'clock.
I've done that and you know it. So it was like people would
tune in and then they would interactin the chat room and I did different
segments, which I still do now, and I had the little songs and
jingles and things like that. Andthen I moved out to calip back to
(16:17):
California, where I'm from originally intwenty ten. You're from Oakland, right,
Born in Oakland, raised in OrangeCounty. I like to say Oakland,
though, because I feel like itgives more exactly exactly, Orange County
is county. Person, I marriedOrange County, so I'll have ask you
to take that back. Wait,where is which Orange County city? Tustin,
Hustin, Okay. I lived inCosta Mesa after college. Wow.
(16:40):
So but anyway, Yeah, sothen I moved out in twenty ten audition
for the Adam Corolla Show. Itwas doing Adam Corolla Show daily, occasionally
did my show from my parents' housewhere I was living again, which was
weird as an adult. And canI ask you a question, Yes,
what is an audition like for apodcast? We're specifically that podcast? What
(17:06):
what was the audition process? Just? They it was like this big newsgirl
search and they would bring in differentpeople and have them just sit in for
the show. So I sat infor I did one episode and they were
having various people come in but theyactually recorded. Yeah, it wasn't.
Yeah, it was. They calledit an audition, but it was really
(17:26):
like you're just you just do anepisode. I brought in news and I
did the episode, and then Ithink that was in October or November of
twenty ten, and then they narrowedit down to four people and they brought
each of us in for a week. Although I think really it was I
think it was three episodes, butthey called it like a week. I
(17:48):
could be wrong about that, butI know it was multiple episodes and then
they chose so that's what that was. Yeah. And so then in twenty
ten I started doing my own AlisonRosens Your Best as a podcast, so
I know twenty twelve, so I'vebeen doing it since twenty twelve, twelve
years. Wow. And do youfeel like your listeners are some of those
original people from I do have?Yeah? Yes, And I had been
(18:14):
on that show Red Eye on Foxright, which at the beginning was really
more comedy show. It was onat like two in the morning, and
it was weird, oddball comedy,and then it became more like we're talking
about it became more political. Istill have people that listen who knew me
from that show, so I havepeople that like pre date Corolla. But
yes, I still do have.But you did TV in New York too,
(18:37):
I did, Yeah, I aforethat. Yes, So I came
up in magazines. I worked atTime Out New York for a number of
years when I was in New York, and then I started going on morning
news shows like reports talking about eventsgoing on in the city and things like
that. And then I started doinglike a number of like talking head clip
shows and things like that, andI realized I really like broadcasting and and
(19:00):
that kind of stuff as well.It's funny. I was listening to the
j Cogan episode and you guys weretalking about I think Phil you were saying
that you manifest what you love,and then I was thinking about, huh,
what does that mean about what Ilove and what? Because for me,
the dream originally was magazines. Itwas like, I want to write,
(19:21):
I want to be David. Iwant to write, well, David
take a number, you know.I want to one day write like Rolling
Stone magazine, cover stories in VanityFair and maybe New Yorker and all that
stuff. And then but I've reallygone this other direction of talking into a
mic for a living. Yeah.Also, didn't you am I imagining it?
(19:41):
Or did you have a band too, I did what you're one of
the rock journalists who was also arock star, Yes, a certain How
far did your rock dreams? Andcan we hear a little of this?
Yeah? Oh yeah, we actuallyshould find something I could send it over.
I have this vague memory because oflooking you up years ago when you
(20:03):
when I was working with you.Did you have a song from your band
whatever band you were in in amovie? What was it? Pray Pray
for rock and roll? Pray forrock and roll? It was what it
was called, but I feel likeit was I could be wrong. I
think it was abolled pr e yor horror movie. No, it was
like I think it was about agirl. I cannot remember. You can
(20:25):
look it up. It's out there. I've never seen it. We had
a song in that movie, andthen we had a song in something else.
I believe it's on my IMDb.I'm forgetting what it was. So
we did have songs in a coupleof things. The funny thing is,
and you probably know this, David, A lot of musicians think that people
that write about music are frustrated musicians. I never I always played music,
(20:48):
but I never want that was nevermy dream. What do you play.
Initially I played drums, and thenin the band I played guitar, but
guitar is what I played before,and then I also played piano a little
bit, not really anymore studied itwhen I was young, or took you
were somewhere between Karen Carpenter and MegWhite. Yes, that's what they say
about me. So then when Istarted doing the band, I remember feeling
(21:12):
sheepish, like, oh God,maybe what they were saying was right.
I don't want them to them,the people who had judgments about who hate
music critics to know. But anyway, so we played. We toured a
little bit on the West Coast,and we played a lot of shows and
it was very fun. What wasit called the Angoras? Oh good name.
And then we reunited for Sketch Festin twenty twenty Never Never, and
(21:56):
that was like a first Yeah youwent up there. Yes, yes,
I've done it a couple of times. I was doing my podcast live and
we got the band together and weplayed a few songs, and that was
one of those things where I'm sureyou have things in life where it's like,
oh, if only I could relivethat, but I can't because of
time. So I got a chanceto. So that was fun Girls five
exactly, which I love. I'vejust discovered it's a good show, such
(22:19):
a good show. There must havebeen a pivotal moment where you're reporting,
let's say, for NBC on entertainmentnews and stuff, where you suddenly either
did it yourself on that show ornow you had a new gig where you
could editorialize a little bit. Whendid I because that has taken you to
(22:44):
this point. Yes, once youstart expressing opinions. Yes, I was
appear on Saturday mornings on Today inNew York or weekend Today in New York.
I was on Channel four. Iwas going on and I was talking
about events in the city every weekand making jokes and things like that.
But it was still pretty like polishedNewsy kind of And then I would take
(23:11):
those clips. A fan reached outto me and was like, I can
make clips and you can put onYouTube. I'm like, wow, that's
cool thing. Ye yeah, Andso he did that, and I was
putting them on YouTube. And thenI had a webcam. It was very
terrible quality. And I had mylittle MacBook and I decided I'm going to
review some books just in my apartment, and so I did that, and
(23:34):
then I started just recording myself doingvarious things in it. It was very
informal, and I put those onmy little blog at the time, and
I remember thinking, I don't knowthat people are going to like this in
the same way that they like seeing. Totally illegal for me to put NBC
clips on YouTube, by the way, not that anyone you know, not
that anything got I was got crackeddown or anything, but I think they're
(23:57):
going to prefer the Polish TV stuff. But really the engagement was so much
higher on just me talking to themabout books and various things, and that's
when I realized that was kind ofa breakthrough moment for me. This is
great to hear for everyone listening becausethe number one question is how do I
get started? This is exactly howwe all have this equipment. We're born
(24:19):
with the studio in our pocket.Right. Yes, if you want to
get into this field, nothing isstopping you. No, you're not going
to start your entry. Yes,you're not going to start at the top.
You're going to start by doing ityourself enough times till you get good
at it, putting it out thereand if you're any good at all,
(24:41):
slowly, but surely people will findyou and then you can take that number
of people and take it to areal place right and say, look how
many followers I am. But thatdoesn't happen overnight, No, it takes
forever. It takes forever. Andyour husband has become part of your podcast
(25:02):
in a big way. Maybe alwaysalways was, I'm not sure. I
think maybe even in the beginning.So when I started dating him, he
said to me very early on,He's like, just so you know,
I don't think I would ever wantto be interviewed. I was like,
I didn't ask you to come onmy show. But he's like, that's
I'm just not that. That's notmy thing. Like, I'm a private
(25:22):
person. I'm not into that.So it's funny that now he's on weekly
and I've been So my show comesout twice a week, and Monday is
a interview with like a notable person, and then Thursday is a group show,
a round table group show, thankyou and but but lately I've just
been doing episodes with Daniel, myhusband, on Mondays, and we've been
(25:45):
taking calls and we've been charting.So I'm curious where you guys are with
this. Daniel has turned into aswiftye. He has become a Taylor Swift
fan. Larry, my fifty yearold husband, is Taylor Swift all the
time? Now, are you so? I It's like if your partner is
(26:07):
into going to furry conventions or wantsto go to swinger parties, and at
first you're like no, and theneventually you're like, fine, I love
you. I will see what it'sall about. And so I guess I'm
getting sucked up into it too.Did you go to the concert? No,
we haven't been to a concert here. It's cheaper in Paris. I
know. By the way, you'reboth music people. Let me ask you
(26:30):
this question. Isn't it odd thatthe three biggest stars, not just female
stars, stars in the world cameout with albums within a few weeks of
each other. Is that was thatcalculated? That way? Was it?
David? You would know part ofit is Beyonce and Billy. Increasingly this
is like the prime season for musicbecause Grammy season, you know, touring
(26:55):
to promote your new tour. Dothey help each other when they're all out
in the same like you used toput out, used to tour? Yeah
to promote your album, because that'swhere you made the money. Now,
if you're other than Taylor Swift,who makes money on everything, or Beyonce,
the album helps the tour. Thealbum helps sell the tour, which
is where people make their money.And I have an interesting relationship with Taylor
(27:17):
Swift and that I just came backtwo days ago from Texas doing the ACM
or where it's a country show.I saw the geese that you put online
so cute. Oh. There wasan industrial park with like ponds, like
man made ponds with and I wasthe only one every morning taking a walk
with the geese and the turtles.It was fanned. That's what I heard.
There means they liked me. Ihave bonded with real doctor Doolittle,
(27:41):
Yes exactly, Doctor jew Little.But in any case, I was in
Nashville. It had to be howmany years ago, but I was there
and there was any were to playa new song on the radio. It's
called Tim McGraw, and I remembergoing to the head of that country show
and going I think this Taylor Swiftcould be something I should have invested.
(28:03):
I should have bought stock in herat that point, but I weirdly have
gotten into the I like folklore andthe recent records. I kind of am
more into than I have been inmany years. So I'm like, maybe
love it as much as your husband? No, I do you love your
husband? Yes? The enemy,No, I don't appreciate his. Thank
(28:29):
God we're on the same side,because there have been times in our marriage
where we're not on the same sidepolitically, and that's never enjoyable. See
can I say about that that it'sso interesting you say that because my family
This is what I mean when wehave to get back to like just being
able to talk to everybody within myown family. It was completely split and
it never mattered you and your momand dad. I mean every version of
(28:51):
it, my laws, my wife, every single thing. I think until
a certain point in America, beinglike other than James Carr and his wife,
you didn't actually argue politics with yourfamily as much. Holidays weren't as
fraud. I do think we haveto get out of this cycle. I
mean, I hope we have.Is Taylor Swift going to use her influence
(29:15):
for the election she did last timeand this time she has is it self
evident what she is? I see? I think so yeah, I think
so because of last time, right, But do you think she will double
down on that this year or stayout of it because there's so many followers
(29:37):
that it could actually influence. Ithink there's a lot to be studied about
how much that matters. Like ifyou remember when Trump was elected, you
had Beyonce, you know, andyou know doing events right on, you
know, in Chicago, And Iwould like to think artists have that impact.
(29:59):
But I'm not so sure. AndI think ultimately, for people who
actually vote, who care, maybethings like the abortion issue are ultimately the
only things that maybe determine other thanpure like ones picking a side. I
think that maybe only issues like thatmatter, maybe the Supreme Court. But
I don't I don't know. Mymy Taylor Swift husband, Taylor Swift fan
(30:23):
husband, he keeps saying ultimately hethinks is just it just comes. People
just vote because of the economy.I don't know. That's the Clinton idea.
Yeah, the economy. How doesit impact me? Yes, that's
the price of eggs. Yeah,yeah, I guess. I mean for
me it is it's completely the bottleof the autonomy thing. So, I
(30:48):
mean that's so and the courts,that is so big you're being a mother
now, because that's you know,even since we met each other, that's
a giant thing. How much doesthat impact your thinking about the world and
the future. In politics, Ifind myself thinking I'm lucky I don't have
(31:10):
daughters in it. You know,if birth control is repealed, well,
I mean, of course it's goingto affect them as well, but I
think it if I had. Ithink if I had daughters, I would
feel even more scared. I almostcan't believe we're having that with that issue.
(31:32):
I cannot believe that there's a evena sustained effort to return the clock
back, because I know I thinkabout my mother, who taught me she
goes I wanted to have you.I remember saying this, I wanted to
have all three of you kids.But no one should ever be forced if
they don't want to, because thatwould it's the hardest job in the world.
And if it's forced upon anybody,or if I just can't believe here
(31:56):
we are, I know your daughterwould be okay, because your daughter would
be in California, and yes,and be in California and be influenced by
you and your values. I havea daughter, she's twenty six. Now
I wish she ran things. Thesepeople are smart. Not only am I
not afraid for people to have daughters. The daughters are gonna save us.
(32:19):
Yes, yes, And I shouldsay I always imagined that I would have
a daughter. And both times Ifound out I was having a boy,
I was like, what that isnot at all? How I Who I
am? I waste? I've gota boy? Mom? I was,
But I was supposed to help herwith her first period, and I was
going to be the best mom inthe world when she gets married and all
these I mean even your husband.He likes Taylor Swift. He'd a great
(32:40):
girl. I know. Yeah,no, that is uh so when Taylor
Swift was was it so fi?Where did she do her you know,
string of sold out shows? Iwas shocked at the time that, like
everyone I follow, was at theshow and my therapist had to reschedule an
appointment with me because she was goingto the show. How that you have
(33:05):
to go a day early to buythe shirt? You do? I wait
online on my merch day before theconcert. You heard about this? This
is a real thing, David.You didn't hear this? Oh no,
I know all about this. Yes, people merch day. Yes, is
before the show, the day beforethe show, So not only waiting online
the day to get in for threehours, you're waiting coming the day before
(33:25):
with the traffic and everything else,just the traffic alone at these things.
Yes, I'll wait for it tobe on Netflix or Disney and I'll want,
right, did you watch it?So we were like dismayed over some
stupid thing that had happened online,and Daniel was like, I have a
(33:45):
palette cleanser for us, and thenhe turned on that. We logged onto
it's on Disney right, and thenturned on the concert. This is the
first time I had ever seen footageof it. I didn't realize how much
it's like being at like a Broadwayshow, how much dancers and yes,
wow, it's very different. Isthe biggest show I've ever not even this
(34:08):
is you've been I have seen.I didn't go this to her. I've
seen her many times in the past. It's as big a show as I've
ever seen. It's just monumental,which she does. Very strange for me
to find myself enjoying it and drivingaround my car just it's not at all
the kind of music I listened toI feel like I'm rocking out listening to
(34:29):
the theme song to the Hills orsomething. It's very like female gentle pop
is not my thing at all,So it's so strange to find myself sucked
into this soap opera of a talent. But yeah, and she and her
you know, the emotion and thehonesty that comes through her songs. I
(34:50):
get it now, which I didn'tbefore. But the Beyonce album we've talked
about this. Have you heard that? Yes, yeah, not the whole
thing, but I was God,it's so good, like her best album
in a long time, I think. And then the Billy Eilish. She's
just one of the great talents ofour time. She's phenomenal. I'm thrilled
with these people that we're here atthis time when they're doing that, and
(35:13):
they're so young, I know,especially Billie Eilish twenty. Are they the
daughters that are gonna save us?Yes? Yes? And the people who
follow them. There was a time, maybe five years ago, ten years
ago, where I thought singer songwriters, which is like, that's sort of
my thing. I love going backto Springsteen and Dylan and Carol King and
Jenny Mitchell and Stevie Wonder. Ithought there wouldn't be singer songwriters. And
(35:36):
I will say, like Billy Eilishin particular, being so much younger than
any of these people. Like whenshe was on the Grammys this year,
I just just, like with JoniMitchell or Tracy Chapman, I'm sitting there
going, really, she's the realdeal. She sang that song, the
Barbie song, she sang it onthe Grammys, Yes, breathtaking. Then
she does it almost identically on theOscars, but just the staging was slightly
(36:00):
different. Breathtaking, And now everytime I see her. Did you see
the documentary that they made about her, No, it's one of the best
documentaries about a human being I've everseen. It's from a few years ago.
Better than Exporting Raymond, Yes,nothing better than exporting that's a monkey
who goes to Russia. That's notThat's not this this If you like her
(36:24):
at all or have any interest inwhat what a vunderkinda is this? Watch
that I think it's. I thinkthat's on Disney, right, Apple,
I think it was, Oh Apple, You're right, I think it was
an Apple check it out? Okay, question, but a great documentary maker
a wizard drops into your life andsays, you can go to a grand
(36:45):
wizard, order a good wizard.Yes, you can go to Billie Eilish,
you can go to Taylor Swift,or you can go to Beyonce Tomorrow.
Which one do you go to?Billy Beyonce? Ah, because I've
seen Beyonce. I would like tosee Beyonce. Beyonce she's Teryror Swift right
now. I think Beyonce is fascinatingto me because in the Destiny's Child era
(37:10):
she was someone I got to talkto fairly regularly and she was the easiest,
loveliest person to ever deal with.Then she was completely accessible, managed
by her parents, you know,and now she's the Queen stil You were
(37:37):
out touring right I'm still are inthe middle twenty eight city tour. How's
it going? And Beyonce are goinglike back to back sometimes they switch who
opens for who. It's so muchfun. But it's not the shows that
take it out of you. It'sthe travel. I don't think we're meant
as just as a species to beup in the air and down almost every
(37:58):
day. That's I don't think that'sgood for people. And I developed a
cough that they're talking about now thisHave you heard about this one hundred day
cough? No? Well that's abouthow long I've had this thing. I
got you coughed before you had alittle bit. I think my mom has
been coughing. Do you think it'slong term COVID that we don't know about,
or a new strain that's untestable.I mean every every time anyone in
(38:23):
my family is under the weather.Yeah, there's this temptation to think this
is just COVID and the tests aren'tpicking it up, so I don't know,
maybe it could be. It seemslike it. It seems weird.
We have a right to be paranoidabout this because it happened. Yes,
but you're fine. Yeah, Ihaven't had I have not had that problem.
(38:43):
Let me move close to to you. I did have. I got
COVID once I was with Phil andWilliam. I think were you there for
Kevin Bacon? I love him.Kevin Bacon was our guest and I started
the episode fine, and by theend I coughed a little. And then
I got home and I'm like,oh boy, so either I gave it
to Kevin Bacon or Kevin gave itto me, uh to kiss him so
(39:07):
much? Did you? Did youfollow up with him to see I did
we? Did we let him knowthat I had just tested good news Kevin.
Yes, it's horrible. And thenwe had to cancel. Uh Rick
Springfield, who we've never been ableto reschedule, who we had like two
days later. And my wife hasnever forgiven me. She's like, better,
(39:31):
you should have died and recorded withRick Springfield, but you would have
you kind of taken him down withyou. That's the thing, Yes,
that Maybe that's my argument to her. Uh. Yes, So Allison,
in all your travels and your yourpodcasts and and your career, is there
(39:52):
was there a high point for youin terms of a guest or an appearance
that you made that was like,oh, either now I've made it.
I'll never forget this. This iswhy I got into this business for a
moment like this, other than this, Yes, today right here, Okay,
I'm trying to think that is sucha good question. It's of course
(40:14):
going to be when Taylor Swift goeson Alison Rose and yes, one who
gets her? Oh my god,he'll he'll leave me for her, And
like, I kind of get it. But then you get the football player.
Yeah, trade you get a Kelsey. You know this is not exactly
answering your question, but I rememberhaving a moment like this when I interviewed.
(40:38):
It wasn't on my podcast. Thisis back when I was writing for
magazines, but I interviewed Kevin Baconand I had been it all goes back
Bacon fan. I was such aKevin Bacon fan that I made my friend
drive with me to Las Vegas becausethe Bacon Brothers were playing, like the
first day of this short lived musicfest. Did you know you were Jewish
(41:00):
when you decided to seek Bacon?I didn't know, right, So I
him what attraction it's forbidden? Yeah, I mean have you heard and seen
the Bacon Brothers. Oh? Yes, and they have a new record it's
really good. I haven't listened toit. I kind of love Kevin Bacon.
(41:21):
And if you listen to our podcast, it's one of the it was
actually one of the you talking abouta high point. Yeah, it's a
high point. Was in the beginningbecause we had had on Paul Riiser for
the first time. We recently hadhim with Michael McDonald, but he actually
had listened to our podcast with PaulRiser, because the first thing he said
was I'm not as fucking funny asPaul fucking Ry and nobody is. Nobody
(41:43):
is exactly. Yeah, well that'sthat's great that you got to then meet
him. Yeah, And I justremember that was a moment where I was
like, oh my gosh, looklook at me. I'm like in a
fancy hotel room talking to Kevin Bacon. Wow, well he's super nice,
right, he's really nice, thegreat guy. Yeah, he's arguably the
nicer of the Bacon brothers. No, they're both nice. It's interesting,
(42:06):
Like doing the Corolla Show with you. That was the thing I loved about
it was I was new to podcasts. That was really my podcast one on
one, and I just told them. I remember telling my wife, She
goes, why are you doing it? Like, yes, I was going.
I would be driving into, youknow, away from TV shows leavings
where I was getting paid well tocome every week. But I said,
(42:27):
a I'm a publicity whore. Sothat's the obvious part. Well know that
I need to name drop that.We all know that. But the other
thing was I think as you getolder, especially being just having unscripted conversations
and playing and having to keep up. I think that's how you keep your
mind going, like I think itwas really really great for that and I
always love that about it. Thankyou, Alice for helping us stave bof
(42:51):
Alzheimer's for today. You're so welcome. I forget who's that guy out time?
Was there anything else us that youwanted us to know? Wanted to
plug? We want to say yeahthe name again, Tropical attire, encouraged
and other phrases that scare me?With five new essays by Alison Rosen,
(43:13):
with illustrations by Daniel quantz Ut Quants, I got it wrong? Name?
What is? What is quants?What is? Where's that name from?
It's German and there are other ques. There are other quants is out there.
But he's had a life and mychildren will have this life too.
(43:34):
Of people saying quartz of course inyour quarts, yes, because we don't.
You don't see that word a lot. I say continent because there was
a famous music manager, Jeff,Yes, that's why, from the firm,
right, yes, from the firmwas a big one. So for
some reason I've always sort of heardit. No, it's just it's just
quants, Yes, so this bookTropical Attire Encouraged. That title comes from
(43:59):
an actual invitation I received to aparty Tropical Attire Encouraged. Uh, and
then I didn't go. That's whatessays about that is about like it because
it sounds it's just not it scaresme. It's it's just not it's not
me. I'm sure a costume partyand who wants that? Yeah, And
also I didn't, you know,I didn't feel comfortable with my upper arms
(44:22):
and I don't like fun. Andthere's like a lot of stuff about that.
So there's a lot of stuff aboutvery specific reason not to go to
the party. I know I'm gonnasee some great upper arms. I know
he works out right, he's stavingup Alzheimer's and middle age that he's got
the show. That's what he does. He has his own jet where he
just does push ups. I'm awreck. And then I mentioned my sub
(44:43):
stack, so Alison Rosen doot substackdot com, where I've been writing about
the I went back and I wroteabout when I found out I was Jewish
and then confronting my dad and thenthinking about it and what it means.
I was writing about that a lot, and then I sort of. I've
also been writing about some parenting stuff, so I kind of go back and
(45:06):
forth between that topic and then otherstuff. So when you say confront your
dad, was it a confrontation?Yeah? It was because I was out
with my mom and I said toher, Mom, I know you've told
me before, but can you explainagain how our last name is Rosen,
(45:27):
We look Jewish, your relatives diedin the Holocaust. How is it that
we aren't Jewish? And usually thiswould start this like, not from her,
but from my dad. This likelitany of lies that got more and
more hard to believe, but Ijust believe. I thought that he would
never lie to me. So hewas saying this stuff to me that like
(45:49):
other people would hear and they wouldsay, you're Jewish. I was like,
no, I'm not. No oneever. I joke that no one.
The only person that actually believed Iwasn't Jewish was me because everyone and
would hear what I said and they'dbe like, she's Jewish. But I
really thought I wasn't. So anyway, for the first time, my mom
got quiet and she said, you'llhave to ask your father. Well,
(46:10):
and it was like I had Itwas like there was a combination lock in
my room that I've been trying everynight for years and it wouldn't budge,
and all of a sudden I heardsomething shift. It's like, oh my
god. So yes, then Iwent home. When we got home,
I did talk to him. Andyou have to read to find out what
happened. Okay, it's in thebook. No it's not. It's a
(46:35):
subject all right, good. Iwant people to read that. I can't
wait to read it. But wow, I think most people know this.
But if your mother's Jewish, you'reJewish. Yeah, so in one regard,
it didn't matter what your father,right, but ye will Well I
have to read to find out.Well, I can tell you a little
bit. And I mean he wasborn in nineteen thirty three, and he
(46:59):
was a person who was very anxious, and he had experienced a lot of
anti Semitism, and he also wasvery anti religion, like very anti religion.
So he felt like the religion meansnothing to me, and I should
(47:20):
I want to die on that hill? Yeah, I don't want to be
defined. And you know, theymoved from more metropolitan areas to Orange County,
and I think he felt that peoplewanted to put him in this box
that he felt like he didn't fitin. So I think he I'm in
some way enjoyed like flumixing them,like saying you can't just you know,
I'm not your token. You don'tpat yourself on the back for being cordial
(47:45):
to me. Did you have aChristmas tree? We did? Yeah,
and Daniel and I still have aChristmas tree. But he went, he
went all out to so and Ihave confirmed this with his sister, my
aunt. Growing up, they alwayshad a Christmas tree as well. So
he what she said is they knewthey were Jewish, but they had nothing
(48:07):
to do with Judaism, like theyjust were in a very assimilated secular community
or life when they were in Manhattan. I guess. So it might have
started in fear and resentment, yes, but then just I think it's snowball.
I think I think when I wasyoung, I really believed I wasn't
(48:31):
because we celebrated Christmas. I didn't. And I think he just it was
at first it was lies of omission, and then it turned into these fanciful,
ridiculous lies that I believed. ThatI feel foolish now that I believe
did he ever regret it or expressan He said he sort of justified it.
(48:52):
He said stuff like in his lateryears, like, I mean,
of course, you never want tolie to your children. But and I'd
be like, let's go back tothe part where you was a good dad.
He was a good dad. Hewas a good dad. I have,
you know, gripes, but butyeah, he was a good dad
(49:12):
to good dads any dead and ifyou're a good dad. And by the
way, about to bring it backaround to where we started about the great
divide in the country. In mytravels, h most people around the world,
not just in America, but Iwould say around the world are nice
and great and we all want thesame thing. We want to be happy
(49:34):
and healthy. We want our kidsto be happy and healthy. And we
shouldn't let whatever our beliefs, nomatter what they are. First of all,
never force anyone to believe what youbelieve. That's one thing. And
number two, if we just goby the golden rule, treat others as
you'd want to be treated, we'dall be okay. I think so,
(49:57):
and most people live that way anyway. Yeah, I think that so much
of it, for me at least, is because I spend too much time
looking at my phone, where theextremes are amplified exactly by the way you
may be fighting with on the phonean eleven year old boy who thinks this
is funny. Oftentimes I think this, I'm talking to a child, of
(50:19):
course, Yeah, well listen,there's a lot of adults who still are
that way here. But you literallycould be right fighting someone. And if
I was eleven, instead of doingthe phony phone calls that we did,
You're right, I might do thatand say, look how I got this
lady so upset by pretending beautiful lady, Yes, twisted it not yes,
(50:42):
by pretending to be a Nazi.I know you're right. I should keep
that in mind next time I getupset. But everyone listening who's eleven years
old, don't pretend to be aNazi. It's not nice. You're nicer
than that. No, I thinkmore I think about it. I think,
like in Phil's I've watched his tour, is there, It's ridiculous,
what's going on. He's bigger thana lot of the music acts who come
(51:04):
on our podcast to where play.He playing big theaters, overwhelming interest,
and I think maybe Phil is theanswer maybe we have to flood the world
with decency by food and decency.Yes, that would I think good food
and decency and just overwhelm all thestupidity. You can unite us, uh,
you know, in my own tinyway with the little podcast with David.
(51:28):
That's what we're trying to do.Allison, you're fighting the good fight.
God bless you. You're doing great. Everybody, get this book and
go on the sub stack. AlisonRose podcast can be your new best friend.
Exactly and childish with Greg Fitzimmons excellent, our friend, We love,
(51:51):
Bye bye, thank you. NakedLunch is a podcast by Phil Rosenthal and
David Wilde. Theme song and musicby Brad Paisley, produced by Will Sterle.
Executive produced by Phil Rosenthal, DavidWilde, and our consulting journalist is
Pamela Challon. If you enjoyed theshow, share it with a friend.
But if you can't take my wordfor it, take Phil's and don't forget
to leave a good rating and reviewwe like five stars. Thanks for listening
(52:15):
to Naked Lunch. A Lucky Bastard'sproduction.
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