The Last Episode of Recovering Gleek

A check in and a few listener emails while we prep to release SLAY!!! A Queer Buffy Podcast

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Boom. Welcome to Recovering Gleek, a podcast for all of
your complicated feelings about the TV show Glee.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
So I'm trying to do this thing. I don't know if,
like literally this is even gonna make the podcast, because
I don't know if it's interesting.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
But well, you're the one who edits it, so I trust.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
You, you know, and that is a power that I
like to be like, oh my gosh, I edit it
because we don't have money to pay someone, and that
hear me out is absolutely true. We don't have the
money to pay someone. But also I'd love to be
able to play god. Specifically, if I sound like a dumbass,
I'm like, I'm gonna take this out and no one
will ever know.

Speaker 1 (00:42):
It's funny too. Every once in a while I will
say something and be like, that is gonna be cut.

Speaker 2 (00:51):
I I mean, I'm not like taking huge chunks out.

Speaker 1 (00:56):
No, no, no, it's just you did once upon a time.

Speaker 2 (00:59):
I well, when we first started, they used to come
back and they would be released to missing twenty minutes.
But since we've gotten more used to what a podcast is,
it's just like occasionally we will start talking about something
and then it doesn't go literally anywhere. Yeah, and that's
when I will remove a chunk, but it'll be at
most like a minute where I'm like, well, this minute

(01:21):
was just a tangent that didn't even have an ending
to it. So we're gonna ax that speaking of this
might be one right now. I just have no future
planned right now, and that I have like no job
performing or otherwise at all, and I'm doing the fun
like what do I do now? What's next for me?

(01:43):
So I'm trying to be brave and I'm trying to
like do stuff like go to open mics.

Speaker 1 (01:48):
Hell yeah, oh.

Speaker 2 (01:50):
My gosh, it's more defying hear you and talking about
what we were just talking about before we go on air.
That's the thing is, if I'm going to I don't
understand how comedians do it, because if I pre plan

(02:10):
what I'm going to say, when I'm coming up with it,
I'm like, this is the funniest thing in the world.
I'm literally the voice of a generation. Yeah, And then
when I go up there, all I'm doing is being like,
what was I trying to say? And what was the punchline?
And what was the funny wording? And then it's like
an alien who's studied humanos is like trying to blend in.

(02:34):
It's so awkward, it's so bad. I'm bombing so horribly.
But then also I'm not going to go up there
and be like, well, I have nothing prepared.

Speaker 1 (02:43):
Let's just see exactly no totally.

Speaker 2 (02:47):
And so I'm always trying to walk this middle ground
where it's like, I know the general topic that I
want to talk about, but then we're just gonna I
don't know. I'm not brave enough. And that's the thing.
I'm going to open mics, not because I think I'm good,
because frankly i'm not, but because I need to embarrass
myself and be bad enough that it no longer scares me. Yeah,

(03:10):
and then I can actually improve. Right now, all that's
happening is I'm sitting in the audience having a panic attack.
I go on stage and I black out, and then
I sit down and go, oh, I think that was
actually really bad. I think I did a bad job
up there. Oh yo, that's good.

Speaker 1 (03:30):
For you, though, I mean, thank you. I know you're
very funny. You make me laugh every day, so I'm
sure it's just like a skill to you know, you
know you are funny, you have a funny thought. The
thing you were going to say is funny, So like
just that skill is probably just just take some time
to probably thank you.

Speaker 2 (03:50):
Oh my gosh, one time this I will This was
a mistake. I went to an open mic. Okay. So
the first I ever did it, it was very last minute.
A friend was just like, I'm going to an open
mic tonight. Do you want to come? And I said okay,
and then she was like, if you perform, I'll perform,
and I was like okay. So I had nothing performed

(04:13):
and nothing prepared, and it also was last minute and
something about that not to toot my own horn. It
went very very well, oh good, and so I was like,
and don't I know what, I'm the funniest person to lie.

Speaker 1 (04:25):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (04:26):
So then the second time I did it, I had
mentioned to Alex at the first time went super well,
and he was like, well, the next time you do it,
let me know. I want to come. So he came
and then I was like, I want you to film it,
mostly because I just wanted to be able to take notes.
And this was a mistake because the second time, since
it was pre planned and I knew I was going
to do it ahead of time. I was so nervous.

(04:47):
I was so bad, and now I have video evidence
of how bad I was. And also, and I don't
know why I got so nervous. Part of my French.
Maybe I'll use a different term. I ended up talking
in the faggiest voice passa. I literally I listened to

(05:08):
the recording. I'm this is I'm not kidding. I talk
like this, hey guys, uh Namanda da Danna and like
I was doing this today and I literally listened to
it back and was like, that's not even what I talked, Like,
what's going on? Who was that? What took over my
body up there? It was crazy? It was wow. A ghost,
a ghost, the gayest ghost ever came inside my body

(05:30):
and gave a lackluster type five.

Speaker 1 (05:33):
Damn damn. I commend you though. I think it's good
for you.

Speaker 2 (05:37):
Well that's also first of all, let's say our names.
Hi everyone. I'm mean all red and I'm trying to
be brave. I'm trying to do things at scare Meme
and it's humiliating, and I'm also another humiliating thing a gleek.

Speaker 1 (05:52):
Hey, what's up everyone, I'm Lena and my job at
the party is to say things that make people laugh,
and I that's all. I don't do anything more than that.
But when a coworker, when someone's boyfriend, when someone's mom,
when like someone at a party who doesn't really know
me gives me a laugh and goes, You're funny, I think,

(06:16):
thank God, this is what I'm on earth to do.
But that's how far it goes. I'm not gonna go
any further, and I'm a cleague.

Speaker 2 (06:22):
But you are very good at that. You are very funny.
Thank you. I also wanted to go further. I think
you could go further, but I also support you if
you don't want to.

Speaker 1 (06:29):
I don't think it's my path. I think my path
is to say out of pocket things on a podcast
and to make people's boyfriends and moms and uh people
laugh at parties and also my boss.

Speaker 2 (06:42):
No, I understand that I am. My big thing is
like I've always wanted because I'm just I need people
to clap and tell me that I have value.

Speaker 1 (06:53):
I'm like tinkerbellfin.

Speaker 2 (06:54):
Exactly need a plus to live. So I've always wanted
to like be the guy on stage.

Speaker 1 (06:59):
But.

Speaker 2 (07:01):
I have always been too embarrassed to be the guy
on stage. You know, it's like so humiliating. Basically, anything
about performing is incredibly embarrassing unless you're amazing at it.
But the reality is to be amazing at it, you
have to do the incredibly embarrassing thing. And I saw
a graphic on Instagram a few weeks ago that shifted
my brain chemistry that it's a person sitting on one

(07:25):
cliff and then on an opposite cliff. It says success
or like the thing you want or something, and the
gorge between is being cool. And then the next graphic
is the exact same picture with a bridge that says
being cringe. And I was like, this has awakened something
in me. Is it humiliating to go to open mics

(07:46):
and be like, listen to me, I'm funny? Yeah? But
also all of the successful funny people had to do that,
and they had to be bad at it, And are
you any better than they are? No? No, So we're
out here being cringe.

Speaker 1 (08:01):
Embrace the cringe.

Speaker 2 (08:02):
That's what I think exactly, to be cringes to be
free my mom for truly, Wow, Wow, I think you
should keep that. I'm trying to I'm trying to do
scary things.

Speaker 1 (08:17):
Yeah, I think. I think that's some of us are
born scared, but that also doesn't mean that we don't
also deserve to live, you know what I mean?

Speaker 2 (08:29):
And hell yeah and hell yeah.

Speaker 1 (08:32):
Everything scares me, but I still have to go out
and live.

Speaker 2 (08:38):
Yeah, I don't know. Yeah, so you should get a
nose piercing Oh yeah, that's okay, it I will. Well everyone,
Welcome to the last of Recovering callin Ugly.

Speaker 1 (09:02):
You guys. Ian was cooking yesterday. I was out and about,
I was getting my hair done, I was going shopping.
I was out and about, and then I receive like
a an MP four, MP three with our new theme
song and you guys are Gonna you guys are gonna break.
It's so good. I literally was like I was driving

(09:24):
and I was like sobbing. I was like, oh my god,
this is so awesome. It did such a good job.
And then later in the day, Hey sent me the
new graphic You guys are gonna It's so awesome.

Speaker 2 (09:37):
Thank you. I'm very proud of it. So this is
I thank you for bringing this up, because this is
actually the the joke that I had planned in my
head that I was like, well, if it comes up organically,
I'll say it, and it too if it comes off wood.
And it's because I thought of this an hour ago,
which is good. I have been putting off writing the

(09:59):
new theme song and doing the new graphic for weeks.
It just like seemed like such an undertaking. Yeah, And
the way that I was able to do both in
one day is yesterday, I said to myself, the one
thing I have to do today is unpack and clean
my room. And then what I got out of the
day that is a song like graphic I ever heard

(10:20):
of it, and I still packed and dirty room. Baby.
I love that.

Speaker 1 (10:30):
You just like me for for real, and like I
have to do my taxes and I just clean the
whole kitchen.

Speaker 2 (10:35):
Seriously, I like I would unpack like five things and
then work on the theme song for twenty minutes, and
then unpacked five more things and then work on the
theme song for twenty minutes.

Speaker 1 (10:44):
But also like the like the spirit of Sarah Michelle
Geller must have like taken you over because you really
ate with that meal. I wish I could share it
with you guys. Now, what if we did?

Speaker 2 (10:56):
We have a rough cut on our Patreon. It's not
like I have to work on like sound levels and timing,
and we have to put dialogue over it. But yeah,
there's a rough cut on a Patreon. You'll find it there.
And also on May sixth, is that the day it's
either six or seventh. On May seventh, you'll be able

(11:17):
to hear for real, so shout out. And the graphic
will be dropping the graphic soon. Yeah, yeah, honestly, like
maybe we'll be maybe the graphic will have been released
before this episode's released.

Speaker 1 (11:25):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (11:26):
You gotta we gotta start.

Speaker 1 (11:27):
I just have to make sure that like the things
on it aren't gonna like, you.

Speaker 2 (11:31):
Know, get well, that's I'm fully I wonder if you
like trace No, that's I'm not using the Buffy logo. Yeah,
I had it on there as a placeholder so we
could know what it would look like. And then my
job over the next few days is to create a
logo that looks like the Buffy logo but legally is

(11:51):
not the Buffy.

Speaker 1 (11:53):
The Buffy logo has like little dots and stuff. I
wonder if you took the dots away, sparkles, we're gonna
okay you and who am I? And who am I?
Who cooks? In the kitchen. I'm just here to cheerlead.
The thing is too Yes, the the theme song is

(12:14):
so good and it also, like, is still the theme
song that we wrote initially to like it made me,
It made genuinely really emotional. I'm really glad you did
what you did.

Speaker 2 (12:24):
Thank you. It was frankly easier for me because I
was like, I don't have to write a new tune.
We already have and good job. Just switched on there
his baby, Hey, well, thank you so much. I like,
was so excited when I finished it, so to have
you also be really excited was very validating to me.

Speaker 1 (12:45):
I was beyond excited. I like, I'm shaking like a leaf.
I'm so pumped.

Speaker 2 (12:50):
Also, I don't want to oversell it, but we have
recorded three episodes so far of the Bubby Podcast.

Speaker 1 (12:56):
No, I think it's good.

Speaker 2 (12:57):
I think it's a winner, Like I genuinely think it's
really you guys are gonna like. I'm feeling very similar
to how I felt when we started recovering Gleek, where
I'm just like so psyched to talk about every episode
and I'm watching Angel during my free time and yeah,
I just like I know.

Speaker 1 (13:16):
I've been reading books about Buffy. I like, I'm genuinely,
very very very excited.

Speaker 2 (13:22):
We have some good bits that are coming about organically.
I think it's good.

Speaker 1 (13:26):
I think we're freaking and nastier than ever.

Speaker 2 (13:29):
Oh that is Actually we're earning the e writing on
this podcast. Not for everyone, we're explicit. Yeah, I don't
know what changed in our.

Speaker 1 (13:37):
Suitable for work.

Speaker 2 (13:38):
I don't know you guys, but don't be listening to
it with your kids in the car.

Speaker 1 (13:42):
Oh my gosh, I don't even know how it happened.
It just happened. Sorry, and hey.

Speaker 2 (13:52):
And well, but but today, welcome to Recovering glee Ye,
welcome to Recovering Gleek. Maybe'll come back for a bonus
or two, I would say, she likesly will, but for
now she is going to the farm up state. Love
you girl, have so much fun with everyone. Ah, we'll
miss you even a lot of times.

Speaker 1 (14:13):
Definitely, I'm excited. I'm definitely excited to keep going because
it also still feels like obviously it's still us chatting,
it's still us talking about you know, it's just us. Sorry,
want something different, I don't know, it's just really exciting.

Speaker 2 (14:30):
Hell yeah, should we do an email, I was gonna
say an email up front.

Speaker 1 (14:36):
Let's do it. Heck yeah, let's hear from Jick, shall we?

Speaker 2 (14:39):
Yes? Do you lean and Ian? This email has been
a long time coming, but I found it difficult to
write for many reasons, one of which being that there
is no possible way I could adequately describe my gratitude
for your show. My dear friend and roommate introduced me
to Glee in the summer of twenty twenty, and I
found your podcast shortly after. There were a lot of
times that I felt completely isolated, as many did during

(15:00):
that first year, and to hear you laugh and cry
and talk with such a comfort to me. When I
began listening to your podcast, I had just begun studying
for the LSAT and preparing my law school applications. It
was an incredibly stressful time, and your podcast kept me
smiling on some of my absolute worst days. I have
listened to your podcast while taking the bus, slash train, cooking,

(15:21):
and more. I am now graduating from law school in
the upcoming weeks. You have contributed to that journey by
having a positive impact on my days and attitude in
a way that truly kept me afloat one funny moment
from law school. During a mock interview to prepare for
law firm recruitment, someone asked, what podcast do you listen to?
My answer was I listened to podcasts about the TV

(15:43):
show Glee and the Hallmark Cinematic Universe. Thank you also
for introducing me to Mistletoe's Secret Shout Out Mistletoe's Secret
Shout Out, Trey and Daniel. The mock interviewer was expecting
more podcasts on politics slash government, but I stand by
my answer, and so Peop will not spend my free
time I'm listening to anything other than fun, loving critiques

(16:03):
of the most unique media known to humankind. Anyway, I
realize I do not know either of you personally, but
to me, you both embody strength and courage while remaining
incredibly kind and genuine. I hope I can be as
earnest and empathetic in my interactions with others as you
have been with your online community. I'm generally shy about
slash unused to reaching out to online personalities. I don't

(16:24):
think that's your title, but I hope you know what
I mean. So I never emailed before, but my roommate
and my Spotify wrapped can fact check that your conversations
have echoed through my apartment ever since December twenty twenty.
I am also terrible at ending slush goodbyes. I usually
never watched the final season of a show, and I
was sort of stretching out your final few episodes on
season six just to avoid a goodbye, even if I

(16:45):
left your podcast technically unfinished by a few minutes. I
had planned on sending a thank you email, but I
wanted to make sure I got it right. But now
with the announcement of your next chapter, I simply had
to reach out and say thank you for all the
work you put into the first chapter of your podcast.
It has been nothing shrong of wonderful. Looking forward to
starting Buffy and listening to many more laughs after graduating.
Best wishes Jick Yo to watch Buffy. I love that show.

Speaker 1 (17:12):
I love this email. This is really also we've got
We've got a couple of lawyers on our mix.

Speaker 2 (17:18):
I know.

Speaker 1 (17:19):
Oh my god, you guys are smarties. I love you.
Curiously send some of your intelligence over to us, please.
I love that. That really makes me so happy. We've
got such an amazing group of people and an amazing
you all like are making so many awesome moves, and Jick,

(17:40):
I'm so proud of you for doing all of this.
This is so awesome, and I'm I'm really so glad
that you're here, and I'm really so glad that we
could offer you that comfort while you've been killing it
with your l sat in law school and everything like,
this is so awesome. This is so nice to read,
and I hope you enjoy the next chapter. And we've

(18:00):
left having you here.

Speaker 2 (18:02):
I'm pumped. I'm pumped to you know, we keep talking
about the podcast ending, but it's literally not ending. We're
just gonna be here, yes, And I'm pumped to have
another chapter for you to come along with us on. Yeah,
I don't know. I'm feeling very jazzed. I'm feeling very fresh.
I'm feeling very creatively motivated, going in a different direction.

Speaker 1 (18:26):
And like, I love Glee, but we have said everything
we want to say about Lee. There's not much that
I could say that's going to be something that people
haven't heard before and something that I haven't felt before,
and so like getting to share some new feelings is
so awesome. You ever feel like sometimes sometimes when I'm
really sad. I'm like, I have felt every feeling I'm
ever going to feel. Do you have ever felt that way?

Speaker 2 (18:49):
No? But I support you.

Speaker 1 (18:51):
Okay, say it's a thing I'm scared of sometimes where
I'm like, I have felt everything I've ever I'm ever
going to feel, Like everything what's happening now is just
a repeat of what's going on and starting something new,
going somewhere new, eating something new, reading something new, and
especially how I'm feeling right now with starting this new podcast,

(19:12):
I'm like, oh my god, no, there's no way, Like
the world is endless and my feelings are endless, and
so like moments like this of like, you know, turning
things around while it's scary is also oh my god,
so awesome and so comforting to me. And I'm like, fuck, yeah,
life is so amazing and I'm so excited to talk
about Buffy the vampirest later.

Speaker 2 (19:34):
Yeah. Yeah, no, absolutely, no, I agree. I agree sometimes,
quoth Rachel Barry and Brody weston a change could do
you get?

Speaker 1 (19:47):
Oh my god?

Speaker 2 (19:48):
And it revives you know, it revives your spirit and
your view in the world. Definitely, And Jick congrats on
graduating law school. So that's I can't believe people are
going to law school.

Speaker 1 (20:00):
So you guys are smartship.

Speaker 2 (20:02):
Good for you, that's insane. Good for you, Good for you,
for you awesome.

Speaker 1 (20:07):
And honestly, and thanks for thanks for sticking to your
love of Glee podcasts in your mock trial. I think
that's really sligh of you.

Speaker 2 (20:16):
Yeah, and you being like, I'm going to listen to
media that's silly and dumb and this fun. Amen girl, Amen,
life is too sad already. I want to laugh. Whatever
happened to fun?

Speaker 1 (20:30):
Nobody asked fun anymore?

Speaker 2 (20:31):
Nobody's fun anymore. Used to be the most exciting sitting
in the world. And I was just smoking your an
open window, all right.

Speaker 1 (20:38):
I love that you have the whole thing that I
don't even know what you're talking about.

Speaker 2 (20:42):
I don't even know what I'm talking about. And it's
the first time LEXI ever left a party early. I
need to tell you about my experiences with friends of
the pod. Okay, over the weekend over, I guess it's
like two weekends ago now, because this is the delay on.

Speaker 1 (21:01):
The weekend now.

Speaker 2 (21:02):
Yeah, hello, Hello, So longtime listeners who've been listening to
the podcast for at least two weeks. Will remember that
I was doing a few concerts two weekends ago and
the concerts were really fun and really awesome and also
shout out. I saw Nadia and AJ and I saw

(21:22):
a friend of the podcast, Kayleen. They came. All three
of them were at We're at the one that I
did on Monday, which was all three of them were
at the one that I did on Monday, which was
a friend of mine, like a group of friends of mine.
They are people that I know because I worked on
an original musical that they did, and they just like
write a bunch of original musicals. Yeah, and it was
like the fifth birthday of their production company, and we

(21:44):
were doing songs from all their shows. It was genuinely
very fun. It was in Green forty two, which is
where a bunch of Broadway people have had solo concerts,
So I was feeling fay mouse and it was awesome
to see all of them and they were all so
kind and I had a really good time at that show.
Oh and thank you all for coming. And then Naddy
and AJ also came to On Saturday and Sunday, I

(22:06):
was in a stage reading of a new musical, Naughty
Up Naughty and aj have told me because they're the
ones that I saw s and now with months and
months ago, and Naughty was like anytime.

Speaker 1 (22:19):
Holding up a picture of Naughty A's cat.

Speaker 2 (22:21):
Hell yeah, she was like, anytime you're performing in New York,
let us know we're there. And I intentionally do not
let them know if I am going to an open mic,
because I'm like, oh, I literally, if you're there, I'll
walk into the ocean. I can't. The only way I
can survive that experience is being like, none of those

(22:43):
people will ever see me again, Like I cannot have. Literally,
Alex came to one and I was like, and I
have to murder you now never. I can't believe you've
seen what you've seen. I can't believe that you've seen
me like that. That's humiliating. But this concert was very good.
That's so nice that you know that they would support you.
That's the thing. Well, because you're keeping in a secret.

(23:06):
The reason I know this is one time on my
Instagram story, I posted a picture of me performing in
an improv show and Nadia responded and was like, oh
my gosh, I wish I had known we would have come.

Speaker 1 (23:19):
Oh she's my angel.

Speaker 2 (23:20):
I don't know if I said this to her or
if it was just mental. Then I was like, there's
a reason you didn't know, and it was because I
didn't know if it was going to be good. How
did it go that one? That one was crazy? Okay,
So that was are you asking about the improv show
or the concert? I'm going to talk about the improv show.

Speaker 1 (23:39):
Hey talking about I'm talking I'm asking about the improv show,
but I would like talk about the concert.

Speaker 2 (23:42):
It was a showcase of an improv class that I did.
So it was like at the end of the class,
we did a showcase and we did I think three
of them, and it was so frustrating because of course
we did three separate shows, and the first show went
super well. Yeah, and then the second show went super well.

(24:03):
So then I was feeling brave enough that I invited
a few people to the third show. And the third
show was ass terrible for me. Other students did really well,
but like, just for whatever reason, the scenes that I
was in were really bad, and I kept like, you guys,
I pro promise it was so much better in the
other weeks. And that's why can't people coming to those

(24:23):
things yeah. But the concert was cool. It's like it
was like a boog deal.

Speaker 1 (24:31):
Yeah, it was.

Speaker 2 (24:32):
Very a lot of very talented people in that cast.
I was sitting in the audience scanning the audience, trying
to find where my friends were sitting, and as I
was scanning, I was like, oh, that's Tony Ward winner,
Lindsay Mendez and the audience.

Speaker 1 (24:52):
It was my mind.

Speaker 2 (24:53):
It was nuts, but it was very cool. The musical
is great, the songs are gorgeous. It was such a
joy to be able to listen and sing them all
of those times. I'm like, very proud to have been
a part of it. And I had a great time.
And I also had an amazing time during that show
on Monday. It was a blast. I got to sing

(25:15):
some beautiful songs, got to have a lot of fun.
And now will I ever perform again? We'll see. I
have nothing lined up, so hopefully something fans out. Who knows,
I bet it will. Yeah, but it went really well
and it was I appreciate people coming out and it
was nice to see people and thank you for that.

Speaker 1 (25:35):
Yeah, I'm so glad I was to.

Speaker 2 (25:38):
Be yes, yes you were. I did text you and
be like Lindsay Montez was that the show.

Speaker 1 (25:43):
And I freaked. I said, I don't know, I wouldn't
know how to act around her. When I took Ourso's class,
I was like, every single.

Speaker 2 (25:52):
Was she there?

Speaker 3 (25:53):
No?

Speaker 1 (25:54):
No, no, not at all. Okay, I mean I think
she does show up sometimes. I was like, I was
like every single time, I was really scared that she
was gonna be there.

Speaker 2 (26:02):
And I was like, that's the other thing. Maybe I'll
cut this because I'm like, I feel weird. I basically
have said this to him, but I'm like, I've known
who Riso was for years, like for over a decade,

(26:24):
like we sang his song exactly. I've like and so
I did say this day I'm true. Around here after
the show, I was kind of saying like, hey, thank
you so much. I had such a great time. And
then I was like, not for nothing, Like I've been
a fan of yours for years and years and years

(26:45):
and years. So like the fact that you like have
my phone number and like know who I am is
like in like, I don't want to be weird, but
like is insane to me. Still, Yeah, it's really insane. Yeah,
yeah he's so nice, but yeah he wrote ran Scott
Oliver wrote the musical that I was in. It's a banger.

(27:09):
It's very very good Cobby Foxes. Some of the songs
are on Spotify you can check them out. It's been
on the works for like over ten years. But yeah,
it's great.

Speaker 1 (27:21):
I love that shit's happening for you. I know it.

Speaker 2 (27:24):
That's hear me out. The open mic I went to
last night was run by a friend of mine, Liz,
which is one of the reasons that I went. She's
also the friend that the first time I ever did
in open mic, was like, if you go, I'll ago anyways,
and I was talking to her beforehand. I hadn't seen
her in a few months, and she was like, how
are you doing? And I said, I'm feeling really good,

(27:45):
even though I have nothing lined up. I was like,
I have nothing job wise, I have like no big
auditions happening, like nothing is happening, and yet I'm feeling
very good. And she said that means good things are
coming your way. That's exactly how I felt before all
the good things started happening to me. And I'm taking
her word for it.

Speaker 1 (28:02):
I hope that happens to me too.

Speaker 2 (28:05):
How are you I talked to you. Literally, I've talked
to you like at length every day this week. But
how are you going.

Speaker 1 (28:12):
I'm okay, I'm okay. I'm still The thing is, I'm
still unemployed, which sucks so damn bad, and I'm like
applying for jobs every day and I'm trying to like
do stuff and I'm trying to like keep my fill
my days, and it's so frustrating. And I'm just like
a person who really does well with a routine. I
have a really tough time with free time. Like I

(28:34):
prefer knowing what's up and plans changing our heart for me.
So this has kind of been my my my personal healthcape.
So I'm not doing super well on that front. But
especially with working on Buffy and working on other stuff
and having projects that we're working on, I have felt better,
but I'm just like everybody, polease send me fine job vibes.

(28:58):
I'm I'm bored.

Speaker 2 (29:00):
She Yeah. Maybe that's the secret, Sauce is because we're
both in our unemployed don't really have a clear direction
era yea, And maybe that's why the Buffy podcast is
firing in all cylinders because that's what was happening.

Speaker 1 (29:13):
Funny exactly. You're so right, so right, And I mean
we have, like you know, gone through waves of we
have so much going on, we have nothing going on,
and maybe I mean it is kind of cosmic that
this is all happening while you and I both have
the time to work on it.

Speaker 2 (29:33):
Jesus, No, I'm manifesting. We have these few weeks we're
both unemployed in a little direction lists Yeah, and it
is a blessing in disguise because it's letting us really
put time and care into setting the podcast up, and
then in a few weeks we're busy again. It's booming,
our lives are in order, it's booming. Yeah, and then

(29:55):
we're so we're so ahead of the curve. We got
all these episodes already recorded on ice. Oh my gosh,
totally that the podcast is still a joy and not like,
oh my gosh, when are we going to have time
to record?

Speaker 1 (30:05):
Yeah, honestly, I could record today. I love talking about Buffy.

Speaker 2 (30:14):
No, Seriously, I.

Speaker 1 (30:15):
Was nervous because we recorded like three days in a row,
which is not something we do very frequently. And I
feel like I'm you know, even after three days, I
was like, let's do three more.

Speaker 2 (30:26):
Yeah, yeah, I feel the same, so yeah.

Speaker 1 (30:29):
You're right, it is probably you know, it is a
blessing in disguise in this way for sure, but hopefully
it turns into.

Speaker 2 (30:36):
It turns around for us. Yes you wanted another email?

Speaker 1 (30:40):
Oh yeah, let's hear from Jasmine.

Speaker 2 (30:46):
Dear Lena and Ian. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes,
yes yeah yeah yeah. Sorry for the lack of introduction.
This is Jasmine. They them, and I'm writing to you
to tell you a Buffy the Vampire say. Your podcast
is the best thing you could ever do post Glee.
When I heard you we transitioning to a new topic

(31:07):
and trying out different shows. I kept drafting emails asking
you to cover Buffy, but I was so overwhelmed with
the motion that I couldn't put into words how much
I wanted you to do it. Over three years ago,
I started listening to your podcast as I was finishing
my senior year of college. I rewatched Glee once a year,
and I was so happy to find a podcast that
rang true to my complicated feelings. You mentioned Buffy often
enough that I thought why not I started watching It

(31:29):
had been on my radar for years, but I couldn't
have imagined how impactful this show would be on my life.
Buffy has been an inspiration through the last few years,
and now I write to you a month out from
graduating with an MFA in creative writing. Time passes too quickly.
I always wanted to thank you for being the impetus
of my Buffy fandom. I've rewatched all of Buffy and

(31:51):
Angel at least three times each.

Speaker 1 (31:53):
Night, oh hell yeah.

Speaker 2 (31:54):
And have introduced Buffy the Vampire Slayer to numerous friends.
And before I could even thank you've decided to start
a podcast about it. It feels like you were reading
my intense brain waves for the last few months. So
thank you. I so look forward to this new chapter
and I'm so excited to hear your thoughts on it all.
Much love, consentual forehead, Nope, much love, consential hugs, et cetera, Jasmine, Jazmine, Jasmine,

(32:19):
hell yeah, get out of our heads.

Speaker 1 (32:23):
We're cosmic besties, We're besties the best. This is the
best best thing I could hear right now. I am
so glad that you and A that you watched it
because we mentioned it. That's so crazy, and that you
enjoyed it, and that you're you're excited for us to
talk about it. Here's here's also another Smarty in the mix. Hello,

(32:46):
MFA Creative Writings.

Speaker 2 (32:52):
Here's the deal. I feel like the people don't know
mm hmm what Buffy it?

Speaker 1 (33:01):
No, I'm serious, you know.

Speaker 2 (33:02):
I was watching a YouTube video the other day that,
I'll be honest, was about why Xander Harris is the
worst character in fiction the videos. I love that, and
I love that, but the person who is making the
video was talking because Buffy is like, they're one of
their top three shows of all time, and they were
saying how surprised they are when they tell people that,

(33:27):
and people are like, you like that show? And they
find out that people view Buffy as kind of like
a Vampire Diaries type show. They view it as like
a Riverdale like CW teen drama takes himself way too
seriously and it's like, oh no, no, no, no, no, no,

(33:49):
those are silly clowns. Yeah, like Buffy, yes, is dramatic
and has high emotion, but also is at all times
very aware of what it is and is very silly
and very funny and very like movie crazy wacky.

Speaker 1 (34:02):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (34:04):
And I do remember when I started watching Buffy and
I really loved it. My sister had a similar attitude
that she was like, Ugh, you like that show, but
it's all coming from people who've never actually seen it. Yeah, Like, no,
you guys, it's silly, funny, weird. It's a great time
and piece of love.

Speaker 1 (34:21):
I loved Vampire Diaries. I was like, you know, every
piece of vampire media I've ever watched, I've you know,
enjoyed in part, it's just so the opposite. It's not
like that at all. It's not like that at all,
especially like it's just it's just not like that. It's
just really silly. It's kind of like Glee in that

(34:42):
way where people are like assuming that it's taking itself
really seriously and they're just not seeing the joke of it,
Like it's really silly. And of course you're right, there
are moments that are really heartfelt and like get really real,
and it uses like you know, this land of vampires
and slaying demons and monsters to tell real life stories

(35:04):
that are really important and serious. But the whole time
it never forgets its comedy.

Speaker 2 (35:09):
Yeah, and yeah, what was I gonna say? I think
you just spoke so beautifully that you chase the thought
out of my head.

Speaker 1 (35:18):
I do that sometimes.

Speaker 2 (35:19):
Okay, it's just especially like rewatching it and watching Angel,
I love this show so much and it is full camp.
But also the world is so silly, but the world
is so real to the people in it, so their

(35:43):
emotions are absolutely honest and true. And also, while the
world is silly, they also really care about the rules of.

Speaker 1 (35:51):
The world, so Glee could never.

Speaker 2 (35:55):
Exactly the one thing that Buffy is doing that Glee
could never do is having a rules and regulations, having
consistent world building, having a world that makes consistent sense.
And especially as I'm watching Angel, you know, I have
my thoughts on Angel as a TV show, but the
world building and the backstory in Angel is so interesting

(36:17):
and so compelling. You can tell their show Bible was
ten thousand volumes. Post it notes Glee show Bible, ten sentences.
It's like they're in a Glee club. They are named this.

Speaker 1 (36:32):
End of list, end of list, end of show Bible
and oh my god, seriously, oh oh Jasmine, this email
makes me so happy, so happy. Thank you so much
for sending it.

Speaker 2 (36:50):
Heck god, heck yeah. This is also I don't want
to make it sound like we're bad mouthing Glee. I
love Glee forever. Glee also like Glee does a million
things for me that Buffy does do it. They're both
people girls for their own reasons.

Speaker 1 (37:04):
We're not pitting them against each other either.

Speaker 2 (37:06):
We're not putting them against each other. They're both nothing
to pit against. They're so different. Yeah, yeah, Hey, we
just think Ryan Murphy can't keep a show byball.

Speaker 1 (37:17):
That's it.

Speaker 2 (37:18):
Hey, and I stand by that, and I stand by that.
But I also think although Buffy is so funny, Glee
is maybe, oh it's funnier, funnier than Buffy, so shout
out it's funnier. I just suddenly was like, I really
don't want it to seem like we're sitting on the show.
I really got to I love you Glee. Okay?

Speaker 1 (37:42):
Is it from Corey?

Speaker 2 (37:43):
Corey says, Buffy my little favorite show all time. You
if you thought I was annoying before, I'm about to
be up y'all's ass in this inbox. I literally can
talk about Buffy until I'm blue in the face. I
love it so, so so much. This podcast will be
the fourth Buffy rewatch podcast I listened to. Ah, I
love that I have two Buffy tattoos. My very first

(38:04):
tattoo I got in twenty twenty one at thirty one,
and I've become addicted. I now have five. I now
have five, and one of them is my tailor Swifts autograph.
I love that woman so much. At the end of
twenty twenty, I contracted HIV. It was caught super early.
My doctor said on his ten years, he'd never seen
numbers as low as mine from someone that just found
out they had HIV. I told them I like to

(38:25):
be an overachiever, and I was undetectable within three months
and have been since. One of the thoughts I had
after I had grieved and processed everything was I never
got a tattoo, But fun fact, you can get tattoos
when you're HIV positive and undetectable. Because I had been
rewatching Buffy, It's my comfort show and I needed a

(38:45):
sense of home after everything. I knew immediately my first
tattoo was going to be be Brave from the gift.
That line end quote means so much to me after
my diagnosis. The hardest thing in this world is to
live in It hit me so hard because it's so true.
Having HIV is not what's hard, but living with it

(39:06):
well detectable was the hard part. Waking up every day
wondering how toxic I was to other people, But I
just kept telling myself, be brave, live, Sorry, did trauma dumb?
Like that? Everything is Gucci here now and I handle
trauma with dark humor. My second tattoo is a much
more light hearted story. I got the slayer sythe from
season seven, eh Twins right under be brave to me,

(39:31):
that's just a symbol of female empowerment. And if there's
one thing you need to know about me, Corey James,
it's I fucking love a powerful woman. Hell, I was
raised by one. Can you tell? I'm supposed to be
working right now. I should probably get back to that,
but I just love Buffy so much and I'm so
excited for this next journey with you, guys. Corey Hee him, oh, Corey,

(39:59):
you mere twins. We have the same side sisters. Hey, Hey,
this is really awesome.

Speaker 1 (40:04):
This is such a lovely email to.

Speaker 2 (40:05):
Read, and this is one I just want to shout
out your vulnerability and openness and this is what makes
Buffy so special as a show is and goodness sic,
you're gonna hear us talk about this ad nauseum when

(40:26):
we get to the podcast proper. But she is a
girl who's fighting demons and saving the world, but actually
she is just doing what we are all doing every day. Yeah,
you know, all of these demons that she is fighting,
all the evil she comes up against are things that

(40:47):
every single person is fighting in their own ways, and
the hardest things that she has to go through are
the human experiences exactly. Oh my gosh, it's such a
good show. And The Gift it's like one of the best.
Oh it's the television yeah ever created. I want to
talk about it, but it's way too biggest too.

Speaker 1 (41:10):
That's one of my favorite episodes of television of all time,
and I've i I tell a story about it in
the first episode of our podcast, so I won't tell
it now, but.

Speaker 2 (41:21):
I think you maybe I've told you weeks ago.

Speaker 1 (41:25):
The car tell it every day.

Speaker 2 (41:27):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (41:27):
I was in a car crash and I invited my
friends over and they were like, do you want to
watch something? And I said, yeah, I want to watch
The Gift, which is crazy to show people who have
never seen an episode of Buffy before because it's kind
of like so many spoilers are.

Speaker 2 (41:40):
Yeah, yes, i'd say, like the biggest spoilers in the
entire show or in the I agree, and Joel Gray,
and of course we cannot forget Joel Gray. It's also
in the Gift.

Speaker 1 (41:52):
I'll tell that story all the time just because it
makes me so happy, and that genuinely is one of
my favorite episodes. So be Brave Live is It's such
an important message of that show. And I'm so glad
that those words mean so much to me, to you,
and I'm just so glad that you're here, and thank
you for sharing what you shared. Thank you so like,
Oh my gosh, we're gonna have so much fun. Also

(42:16):
re twins, Oh you gotta get it. I know.

Speaker 2 (42:22):
No, I got to get a sythe too. Besides sisters.
I'm trying to formulate this thought one second, Okay, I
don't know, I don't know what exactly I want to say.
It's colors of I feel like Buffy is a very
life affirming show. Yeah, in that it is people constantly

(42:46):
saddled with hardships and being put in very dire situations. Yeah,
and it does not shy away from how bleak life
can be. But at the end of the day, they
make it through, Like at the end of the day,
they find happiness where they can, and they find support
on each other and they just keep fighting.

Speaker 1 (43:08):
Ye.

Speaker 2 (43:08):
And it's not like some rose colored glasses like everything
is fine. Consistently, the show is hammering home Buffy will
never have a normal life. She will never be a
normal girl. She will never you know, like likely never
have a healthy relationship, likely never do this, this and this,
and yet her life is so worth living and so lovely.
Like I just yes, I think the show is so

(43:31):
hopeful without being unrealistic or overly positive.

Speaker 1 (43:39):
Because that's that's life. Life is all the good things
and all the bad things, and we we have to
be brave and live, you know. Yeah, the hardest thing
in this world is still living it. Oh my god,
you guys are gonna love this show. That's a beautiful thought.

Speaker 2 (43:58):
Thanks babe, and thank you Corey.

Speaker 1 (44:01):
Yeah, Corey, this was really lovely to read. Everyone's being
so nice.

Speaker 2 (44:06):
I hope, I know.

Speaker 1 (44:07):
I'm so excited, genuinely, I'm so excited.

Speaker 2 (44:09):
You guys, get pumped. It's a great show. We'll see
you in three weeks when we talk about it. That's
the end of our Glee era until she comes back
in guest Stars whenever that happens. How are you feeling,
I'm feeling good.

Speaker 1 (44:25):
I love Glee. I've learned so much from Glee and
I'm ready to ill. And we'll keep talking about her. Gosh,
Heaven knows.

Speaker 2 (44:35):
I mean goodness. Six we were on Gleek of the Week,
and when we weren't on maybe I shouldn't announce this.
It's gonna be next week. Andrew can we announce this?
He can't answer. We're gonna be on Gleek of the
Week on Tuesday, so you guys, we're still talking about it,
and then we might be on other podcasts, and then
it's possible that we'll be on other podcasts. We don't
know when the episode is being released, but it's possible

(44:57):
that we will be on the podcasts.

Speaker 1 (44:59):
Keep your eyes on this space, watch the space.

Speaker 2 (45:02):
So you haven't heard the end of us talking about Glee.
But also I love her dearly and I'm also excited, Yeah,
to broaden our horizons. I do want to bid Ado
two sadly, some some lovely things that we can't take

(45:22):
with us into the new era, which is our lovely
Glee jingles. Yeah, I thought maybe I was gonna say,
and I think we've literally already done this bit.

Speaker 1 (45:35):
No, that's why I said it because I know you.
I don't I.

Speaker 2 (45:39):
Feel like we already did it. Should we give them
all a curtain call? I'm gonna I'm gonna announce all
of them like it's an A words ceremony. Okay, ladies
and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage for very watch.

Speaker 1 (45:52):
Oh yeah, she's special to me.

Speaker 2 (46:00):
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage. It's my
dick in a box books.

Speaker 1 (46:09):
Oh yeah, it's some of the dick in a box.

Speaker 2 (46:11):
Ladies and gentlemen's talking to the stage. Best part, worst part,
which we do need to talk about. That are we
doing We need to like, but we're not going to
do the same. We need to like, Yeah, rewrite them.

Speaker 1 (46:25):
I was like in bed last night trying to go
this pomp is but it was nothing.

Speaker 2 (46:34):
That's the thing. It's so easy to record on your
own for Glee because it's just like dude acapella. But
DNA is rock, so we need instrumentation.

Speaker 1 (46:43):
It's like specific nineties rock.

Speaker 2 (46:46):
It's like ground rock.

Speaker 1 (46:47):
Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 2 (46:49):
Ladies and gentlemen, please look to the stage.

Speaker 1 (46:53):
They did you so wrong, Tana Clinch. You haven't seen
the last of her either.

Speaker 2 (47:01):
You haven't heard the last of Tune and Quinchang. She's
going to be backing your guest appearance. Ladies and gentlemen,
watch watch the space. Ladies and gentlemen, please don't going
to stage. International listener. Should we do a rock a
national listener? Or should we keep the same one?

Speaker 1 (47:16):
Should we do an it's.

Speaker 2 (47:17):
Not like it is like a pella, but it's not
like a strictly glee.

Speaker 1 (47:20):
I wonder if that one could change and like we
just add maybe something to it.

Speaker 2 (47:25):
Yeah, okay, so maybe that one's staying. Am I missing any.

Speaker 1 (47:29):
I can't remember you?

Speaker 2 (47:32):
Those are certainly, Ladies and gentlemen. She's been gone for
a long time, but we're gonna bring her back on stage.
Please welcome to the stage. The Gleep, Oh the gleep.

Speaker 1 (47:43):
I okay, listen, I love the gleep. I really made
me laugh.

Speaker 2 (47:46):
The gleep was comedy gold. But also she was remember, yeah,
she was nasty.

Speaker 1 (47:53):
You would get TikTok comments all the time, like what
the heck is the hat?

Speaker 2 (47:57):
Yeah, because they didn't have a sense of humor, Because
where was there sense of whimsy, like.

Speaker 1 (48:01):
Wonder, I know, I'm sorry if I hurt her your ears, though.

Speaker 2 (48:06):
I don't think it did. Did I ever say that.
I don't think it did. My scream laugh hurt people's ears,
but the gleep, I would all you get help this
way exactly.

Speaker 1 (48:14):
I'm so glad your laugh is what it is because
I feel like growing up I made everything in my
life more palatable to others, like my sneeze, my laugh,
Like everything became like what is like the way I
could like take up the least space and then in turn,
like those things don't have personality anymore.

Speaker 2 (48:36):
So weirdly, this isn't how I laughed as a kid.

Speaker 1 (48:41):
Oh it's become this way.

Speaker 2 (48:44):
Yeah, I got because I got mournoying as I grew up. No, genuinely,
my laugh, liar, my laugh used to be and I'm
not like putting on a show like this feels natural now, okay,
But my laugh used to be silent. And when I
was in like high school, I got very frustrated because

(49:09):
I would see friends and shows, and if you know
anything about me, I believe in being a good audience member,
so I would want to laugh to like make them
feel good to like laugh at their jokes, and my
laugh would be silent and I'd be like, well, this
isn't effective. So then I started laughing like this, I'm
not kidding. I laughed like that for a while, and

(49:30):
then I don't know what happened, but that transitioned into
whatever it is now. But it was like an intentional
attempt to make sure it genuinely is so exactly what
you were saying, where you were trying to make yourself smaller.
I was trying to say, look at me, look at
Melucky exactly, but I was trying to make it so

(49:53):
that the people on stage would be like, oh, that
joke landed, and I feel good about myself. And now
genuinely I can't. I can't turn it off. Like it
just is what it is at this time. Hey, I
love that. All right, Well, goodbye Glee, Goodbye Glee, Love you,

(50:14):
goodbye all of you for three weeks. We'll see you
here in three weeks. Maybe I literally forgot already May seventh, right,
you think I know? May seventh for the premiere of
Sligh Love you all, see you later. Also, like I'm
just gonna say this and it's gonna be pandering, not pandling.

(50:39):
It's gonna be begging. I'm just if you wanted, if
you like our podcast, you want to leave a review. Yeah,
it would make it means, especially with a new show
being covered, it'd be cool to get it boosted on
some algorithms, get some new eyes on it. So obviously
don't lie.

Speaker 3 (50:56):
But if you do like the podcast and you have
good things to say, you could put those good things
in a review and then give us, uh maybe five stars,
and then maybe post it online something consider all right.

Speaker 1 (51:08):
Something Spotify or Apple Podcasts. We learned that you can
do it on Spotify as well.

Speaker 2 (51:13):
Uh huh.

Speaker 1 (51:15):
You can follow us on Instagram. We're at RG Presents,
Underscore Podcast new Instagram handle. We're covering Gleek though Recover
Presents Sleigh. You know, you know the vibe on TikTok.
We don't know if we're changing that.

Speaker 2 (51:32):
I know we are, and well I don't know if
we can, but I am.

Speaker 1 (51:37):
We are ore g Presents on our.

Speaker 2 (51:39):
Least for the first few episodes. I'm going to start
releasing tiktoks every week just to get people.

Speaker 1 (51:46):
Yeah, totally. And if you want to support us on Patreon,
we do bonus episodes Word on the Street. I'm not
sure exactly what we're going to do at this point,
but probably Princess Princesses is currently in the lead. Hell yeah,
or the the second lead is Mocking J Part one,
So happy to talk about either. So we're gonna talk
about that. Last month, we did what do we Do?

Speaker 2 (52:09):
Beats me? Ella enchanted? No, that was in January. What
do we do?

Speaker 1 (52:13):
What do we do? Literally? There are so many times though.
I literally when I saw Mocking J Part one, I
was like, oh, yeah, we did do.

Speaker 2 (52:21):
We did Pitch Perfect three.

Speaker 1 (52:23):
It's Perfect three. Oh that was a good one.

Speaker 2 (52:25):
I love love love it. Oh that's right, that's right.

Speaker 1 (52:30):
We did Fish three. So yeah, if you're a week,
but we do tons of stuff. We do tons of
stuff every month, and you can go support us there
and we love you. We're recovering gleek on Patreon. You
can support us there. Love you guys, Thank you so
much for being here, thank you for following our Glee journey,
and thank you for potentially supporting our Buffy journey. I
think you'll love it. Did you hear those emails? People

(52:53):
love the show? Okay, we'll see you guys. Later here
is hang out kiss on your hang up forhead. Bye Bye.

Speaker 2 (53:00):
Thank you for listening to Recovering Gleek. You can find
us on Instagram and TikTok at Recovering Gleek Underscore Podcast.
If you liked our podcast, be sure to leave a
review and tell your friends. Please,