Choice Words with Samantha Bee

When actor David Duchovny was teaching his daughter to ride a bike, he made the questionable choice of taking her to the top of a grassy hill at Pepperdine University in Malibu and pointing her straight downhill toward Highway 1. Luckily she learned (quickly) how to brake, but he realized not all of his ideas are good ones. In fact, some are failures. Sam asks David how to view failure through a positive lens, why it’s so hard for ...

When actor Kerry Washington’s parents told her a massive family secret five years ago, it shook her entire world. And despite being an extremely private person, Kerry decided to reveal this shocking information in her memoir, “Thicker Than Water.” In one of our favorite episodes from the vault, Sam and Kerry discuss how learning this truth helped Kerry know herself for the first time in her life and what made her want to share her ...

When actor Rob Delaney’s two-and-a-half-year-old son Henry died, Rob decided to share his family’s experience with Henry’s illness and death with the world. What emerged was the deeply personal memoir, “A Heart That Works.” In this best-of episode from 2023, Sam asks Rob about how his approach to his career shifted after Henry passed away, a seemingly small choice he made at a recovery meeting that ultimately changed the trajectory...

When Rosie O’Donnell chose to step away from her talk show after six successful seasons, her actor friends thought she was out of her mind. In one of our favorite episodes from the vault, Sam asks Rosie what went into that professional choice as well as a personal one: celebrating her 50th by adopting a baby. Rosie relives moments like drunk-dialing Oprah, fighting with Eileen Fisher, and uttering a sentence that’s never been said ...

Sam wants to introduce you to another great show from Lemonada Media. Last Day is about the moments that change us fundamentally and forever. Each week, host and Lemonada co-founder Stephanie Wittels Wachs sits down with a new guest to explore happy/sad stories of survival, resilience, and transformation.

In this episode, Stephanie speaks with Christine Blasey Ford, whose life changed forever when she raised her hand in the U.S. S...

When actor Nick Offerman first got together with actress Megan Mullally, she had just won her first Emmy for Will and Grace and he was living in a dirt basement in Silver Lake. They bought a fancy house, he jumped into his new swimming pool and got through about a song and a half before realizing he couldn’t lay around smoking weed and listening to Neil Young all day. Sam asks Nick how he brings purpose into his life no matter what...

We’re dropping in your feed to let you know that Julia Louis-Dreyfus has returned for Season 2 of her award-winning podcast, Wiser Than Me™! Each week, she has funny, touching, personal conversations with iconic older women who are brimming with the kind of unapologetic attitude and wisdom that only comes with age. Julia sits at the feet of some extraordinary teachers this season, and of course her 90-year-old mom, Judy. Tune in to...

At the beginning of the pandemic, when wildfire ash was falling on actor Busy Philipps’ face, she and her family made the unlikely decision to move to New York City. The choice paid off in the form of a phone call from Tina Fey asking her to audition for a new TV show, Girls5eva. Now in its third season, Sam asks Busy about the choices she’s made since then, including a divorce sale, a large donation to support abortion access, and...

In celebration of Women’s History Month, Sam joins Ilana Glazer, Pamela Adlon, and Michelle Buteau live from SXSW to talk about their new film, ‘Babes.’ The movie, which debuted in Austin and hits theaters on May 17, is all about female friendship and the truly insane surprises of pregnancy and childbirth. The writer/director/actor trio get real with Sam about motherhood, orgasms, and why certain people want to keep women in the da...

When Roy Wood Jr. was arrested for stealing a credit card at 19 years old, he thought his life was over. While awaiting his sentencing and with nothing to lose, he decided to finally try standup comedy. He was a natural, and when the judge decided to give him probation over prison, he decided to pursue comedy for real. Roy talks about learning how to perform in the South, why he’d rather jump out of a window than be pushed, and his...

We’re bringing you an episode of Dear Prudence from our friends at Slate. In this episode, Roxane Gay (best-selling author of Bad Feminist and Opinions) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about how to decline a colleague’s invitation to dinner, when it’s okay to ghost a friend for good reasons, and what to do when you’re burned out on dating apps. Follow Dear Prudence to never miss an episode: https:...

Tech journalist Kara Swisher was five years old when her father died, teaching her from a young age that time is precious and she didn’t want to waste a single minute of it. Sam asks her how that lesson translates into her choices today, from abruptly leaving jobs to asking prominent people blunt and uncomfortable questions. Kara shares her opinion on Biden’s age, offers tips on cutting through bullshit, and commiserates with Sam o...

At the height of comedian Chris Gethard’s career, he was hosting his own show and making more money than ever. Yet, his teeth were falling out from the stress and unhappiness of it all. Now, he plays dinosaurs with his son, volunteers with his local ambulance, and says his life is one hundred times less cool but a thousand times happier. Sam asks Chris about the choices he made to create a more well rounded life and how to define e...

When Karamo was 15 years old, he came out as gay to his best friend. That didn’t stop her from convincing him to lose their virginity together and ten years later, he found out he had a son. In one of our favorite episodes from the vault, Sam asks Karamo about the choices he made to forgive his friend, take custody of his son, and stop living in fear. They talk about his experience as the first openly gay Black man on reality TV, h...

When Tinder first came out in 2012, former Cosmopolitan sex and relationships’ editor Lane Moore knew she needed to turn it into a comedy show. Now, she tours the world riffing on ridiculous profiles, swiping right alongside a live audience, and sharing in the humor and misery of online dating. Sam asks Lane what to watch out for in dating profiles, when it’s time to end things with a friend, and how writing books like her latest, ...

When comedian Eric André was boarding a flight in Atlanta, Georgia, he was “randomly” picked out of line by cops and searched for drugs. Instead of chalking the experience up to yet another racist day in America, he decided to sue the Clayton County Police Department for racial profiling. In one of our favorite episodes from 2023, Sam asks Eric what went into making that choice, why he no longer works in coffee shops, and how one p...

Author Tara Schuster grew up in a neglectful, abusive household where “things came to die,” as she puts it. After a suicidal episode at age 25, she began a journey to reparent herself which led to two practical self-help books, “Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies,” and “Glow in the F*cking Dark.” Tara teaches Sam how to use a “values filter” to make choices, why unfollowing a friend on social media may be the best thing you can do for...

As the author and podcast host of “Freakonomics,” Stephen Dubner spends a lot of time thinking about and studying what goes into good decision-making. He gives Sam tips on balancing logic with emotion, offers ways to use your imagination to help you make a choice, and defends the coin-flip method.

Follow Stephen Dubner @Freakonomics on X (formerly Twitter).

Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X (formerly Twitte...

When chef and cookbook author (“Salt Fat Acid Heat”) Samin Nosrat bought a house in Oakland, she aspired to host big Sunday dinners with friends. Then COVID hit, those dinners got postponed, and Samin spiraled down into deep loneliness and depression. She tells Sam how she turned her sadness around by reigniting that passion to gather, cook, and eat together. Sam also asks Samin why so many new year resolutions center around eating...