Quinta Brunson

Quinta Brunson does not want to be a mogul. Amy hangs with the 'Abbott Elementary' creator and star, and talks about being the face of a network TV show, knowing the difference between Jon Bon Jovi and Bon Jovi, and the dangers of being short. Host: Amy Poehler Guests: Quinta Brunson, Zack Evans, Andrew Gauthier, Ash Perez, and Kate Peterman Executive Producers: Bill Simmons, Amy Poehler, and Jenna Weiss-Berman For Paper Kite Productions: Executive producer Jenna Weiss-Berman, coordinator Sam Green, supervising producer Joel Lovell For The Ringer: Supervising producers Juliet Litman, Sean Fennessey, and Mallory Rubin; video producers Jack Wilson, Chris Wholers, Nick Kosut, and Aleya Zenieris; audio producer Kaya McMullen; video editor Drew van Steenbergen; and booker Kat Spillane Original Music: Amy Miles Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Amy Poehler?

  Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. I'm so excited about our guest today. It is the incredible Quinta Brunson, who is not only funny and smart and gracious and a seemingly great boss, but is a mogul, is kind of just an incredible driving force in an industry and in many ways, saving it from extinction. Not, not, no, no pressure. But anyway, I'm so excited to have Quinta here to talk about all of those things and to hang. And we always like to do something at the beginning of our shows where we gather people

• 0:41Amy Poehler?

  together that know Quinta, that have worked with her, that know stuff about her that we would never know, and ask them how they feel about her and what they think I should ask her. This episode is presented by the Toyota Grand Highlander. Life's journey brings constant change, filled with exciting surprises, new chapters, and grand challenges. And the Toyota Grand Highlander is more than a vehicle. It's your partner in embracing all life throws at you. Blinked and the kids have grown up? The third row can fit three adults. From daily routines to life-changing adventures, the Toyota Grand Highlander is up for every grand challenge. Learn more at toyota.com/grandhighlander.

• 1:24Amy Poehler?

  Toyota, let's go places. This episode is brought to you by PayPal. Shine at gift giving this year by planning ahead. Shop your favorite online stores with PayPal this holiday, like Sephora for gift sets, Target for toys and electronics, and TikTok Shop for fashion, apparel, and gadgets. Check out with the flexibility to pay now or pay later and split your payments with Pay in Four with no interest, no late fees. Shop now with PayPal. Pay in Four is subject to approval. Learn more at paypal.com/payinfour. PayPal, Inc., NMLS 910457.

• 2:11Amy Poehler?

  Let me just tell you who I have here with me. I have Kate Peterman. Kate's a writer on Abbott Elementary. Hi, Kate. Hi. Zach Evans, also writer, creative director in LA, founder of Create Repeat, an online community for creatives, and also a BuzzFeed alum with Quinta. Hi, Zach. We have Ash Perez. Hi, Ash. Ash, also a BuzzFeed, I guess you could say a BuzzFeed alum, right?

• 2:39Speaker 01

  Buzzfeeder.

• 2:41Amy Poehler?

  Buzzfeeder, okay. Welcome. And then we have the big boss, Andrew Gauthier. French name. Congratulations. Andrew, you were the head of BuzzFeed Video when Quinta and Zach and a lot of you and Kate and Ash, you were all making content together. This is not a deposition. Nothing you say will be used.

• 3:04Amy Poehler?

  But welcome to Good Hang. How's everyone doing?

• 3:07Speaker 01

  Feel a bit like I'm in a performance review with Andrew, but besides that, great.

• 3:12Amy Poehler?

  Andrew, do you like to do performance reviews? Speaking of performance reviews.

• 3:16Speaker 01

  Yeah. Because I think a lot of performance reviews are just criticisms. And I think I always tried, and I think we always tried at BuzzFeed, to focus on positives. You know, we wanted to be an incubator for talent. So it was focusing on what people were best at.

• 3:34Amy Poehler?

  Andrew, I can say that's a lot of corporate speak you just threw at me. You said incubator.

• 3:42Amy Poehler?

  You said it. Let's go around before we start and say some of our most fun corporate slang.

• 3:48Speaker 02

  I'd like to circle back and piggyback off of what Andrew was just saying. I, yeah.

• 3:53Speaker 01

  Follow up on that, Kate. I would just like-

• 3:56Speaker 02

  The plus one, all of your comments on that as well.

• 3:58Amy Poehler?

  I just want to ping that plus one real quick. Do you guys know the comedian Lisa Beasley?

• 4:06Amy Poehler?

  Um, she does a corporate character. That's so funny. She does a, um, on TikTok, she does a character called Corporate Aaron.

• 4:15Speaker 03

  Yes.

• 4:17Amy Poehler?

  She did it during COVID, that incredibly long, nasally beginning of a meeting where she's like, it's nine twenty-nine and I guess we'll get started. And she has like tons of vocal right. And she's definitely trying to get the meeting started. She's really upset and she has a lot of stuff to get through.

• 4:37Amy Poehler?

  It's not easy. It's not easy. Anyway, okay, Kate, why don't we start with you? Um, tell, um, tell me, um, how you and Quinta met?

• 4:44Speaker 02

  We met in college. I met Quinta, um, when we both got on the same improv team at Temple University. Fowl play, because our mascot was the Owls.

• 4:55Amy Poehler?

  I'd love to hear that you did, like I did, very nerdy improv stuff because

• 5:01Speaker 02

  Oh, yeah.

• 5:02Amy Poehler?

  I think sometimes in comedy, there are two types of people. There are the cool people. And then there are people that did improv.

• 5:13Amy Poehler?

  And you write for Abbott. How long have you been writing for the show and what's that like?

• 5:17Speaker 02

  Uh, since the first season. Um, it is sick because I remember being with Quinta on her, uh, like balcony at this old apartment. And she was like, she had just gotten home from, uh, Philly and she was like, I was visiting my mom and I just really want to do this show about teachers. And this was like years before Abbott actually happened. So it's been in like, it's cool to see it go from that idea. And then, um, I was in the pilot with her and getting there to film and seeing her like walk around calling the shots and just, because I got there and I was like, it was my first ever time, like, whatever. And So I was so nervous and trying to be professional and then she just turns the corner was just like KP and just like nice and loud and I was like, oh, this is so fucking cool.

• 6:02Amy Poehler?

  I'm interviewing Quinta today. I'm gonna ask her a bunch of, you know, stuff that maybe we, you know, one would expect me to ask, but is there anything you think I should ask or, or, or any, anything you think she'd like to even talk about or something you think people would want to hear from her?

• 6:18Speaker 02

  Um, ask her if she now knows if Bon Jovi and Jon Bon Jovi are two different, uh, things. She asked me in confidence, like in a little whisper, she was like, are Bon Jovi and Jon Bon Jovi the same guy? Like as if she had to go talk to him and it was for no reason. And it's so funny to me.

• 6:36Amy Poehler?

  Okay, that's a great one. Okay, Zach, moving on. How do you and Quinta meet each other?

• 6:40Speaker 04

  I met Quinta in 2014 at BuzzFeed. I was a, an intern at the time. It was my first job out of college and she had, um, just got brought in to do a couple of comedy videos with, um, our friend Justin Tan. Quinta, to me, has always been so amazing at how, um, how forward-thinking she was. She was really adamant that the internet was a stage for her to play in. And, you know, of course, we all grew up wanting to be on SNL or in wanting to go this traditional route, going the stand-up route. And she did all of those things. And I truly believe she could have done it any path, but she decided to go this internet direction. And truthfully, I don't think she gets enough credit for being that

• 7:24Speaker 04

  first, one of the first people to make the leap from being an internet personality to being in the mainstream and dominating.

• 7:33Amy Poehler?

  Thank you, Zach. That was awesome. Okay, Ash?

• 7:35Speaker 03

  Yes.

• 7:36Amy Poehler?

  Tell me your origin story and your question.

• 7:38Speaker 03

  Okay, my origin story with Quinta is that we sat next to each other at BuzzFeed and notoriously, probably unlike these people where, uh, Quinta's original thought was Kate is tight. Quinta did not like me. My fun fact of my whole life is that the character of Janine is based off me or loosely based off of me on Abbott.

• 8:00Amy Poehler?

  Do you have confirmation of that?

• 8:02Speaker 03

  Yeah. It's, it's, she said it in an interview. She said it in Variety, so I have it.

• 8:07Speaker 02

  She said it in the writer's room.

• 8:09Speaker 03

  Okay, I have two questions. One is a serious one, and then one is gonna make her groan, and she's gonna know why I asked it, which I'm so excited for.

• 8:18Speaker 03

  So, the first one is just, as an avid student of comedy, what are the top three sitcoms that influence your sense of comedy? Like, so much of my memories of Quinta, we used to like, she used to come over to my house and we used to watch old I Love Lucy episodes, and just like, talk about like, what structured the comedy, or we would watch pilots to stuff, and like, just like, an actual student of comedy in a way that I think is so valuable, and that people don't necessarily know, especially because she got her start on the internet. She has a deep, deep lexicon, so I would love to hear her answer to that. And then, do you think you would have been as famous if you had ordered a medium instead of a large?

• 9:00Amy Poehler?

  I can't guarantee it's gonna make the cut, but I, I am curious to know the answer.

• 9:04Speaker 03

  Well, her first, one of her first viral videos ever for He Got Money was her, she orders a pop-

• 9:11Amy Poehler?

  Oh, the popcorn and the Skittles.

• 9:12Speaker 03

  A large, and so it become very much like, and that was, I would say, one of her very first memes, along with He Got Money, so.

• 9:21Amy Poehler?

  Great, okay, thanks, Ash. And Andrew?

• 9:23Speaker 01

  Maybe this is corny, but I would actually be interested in what, you know, 2014 Quinta would think about Quinta now. You know, if you went back in time a dozen years ago while she was at BuzzFeed, like, how would she react?

• 9:39Amy Poehler?

  All right, well, thank you so much for your time. It was really nice to see all of you again, and to meet some of you for the first time.

• 9:45Speaker 01

  Thank you, Amy.

• 9:45Speaker 03

  Bye.

• 9:46Amy Poehler?

  Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for your time.

• 9:53Speaker 05

  Welcome to the 50th Hunger Games. Witness the beginning of the revolution. Hey Mitch, you've been trying to take down these games from the start. Filmed for IMAX.

• 10:02Speaker 06

  Make them remember you.

• 10:05Speaker 05

  The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, November 20th, rated PG-13. Bonjour, compadre. It's the-

• 10:13Speaker 04

  How do I negotiate so many great travel deals? My greatest gadget, the Priceline app. It's got hotel deals, flight deals, rental car deals, all of those deals in a bundle. Deals, game day deals, concert trip deals. No one deals more deals than Priceline. Hold your horses, there's more. The app lets you filter hotels by neighborhood, vibe, star level, and amenities like pools and spas and beachfronts. Wait, I'm not done. Stop cutting me off.

• 10:39Speaker 05

  Now streaming on Paramount Plus. I'm Dexter Morgan. I've been killing killers for half my life. It gets to you. You're having a midlife crisis. I'm not ready for this. He's back. I'm older. I'm wiser. And sharper than ever. Things are gonna get messy. But if I can't believe in myself, I can't believe in anything. Dexter Resurrection. New season now streaming on the Paramount Plus Premium Plan.

• 11:10Speaker 06

  Glamour, the new eau de parfum by Estee Lauder. An amber floral fragrance with a gourmand twist with notes of Macaron Rose Accord, Amber Embrace Accord, and shimmering patchouli. A glimmer is a small, unexpected moment of joy that shifts your energy and how you feel. A scent to be felt, remembered, and shared. Discover more at estee lauder.com. What makes you glimmer?

• 11:38Speaker 07

  Cheers to fall savings at Whole Foods Market, home of higher ingredient standards. This Halloween, share chocolates and candies made without that spooky high fructose corn syrup. Throwing a party? Make it easy with a Berry Chantilly Cake. Ready to cook pizza? No antibiotics ever chicken wings. And sushi made fresh daily. Fall gatherings never tasted better. Save through November 3rd at Whole Foods Market.

• 12:09Amy Poehler?

  Okay, Quinta Brunson is here. Quinta, I'm so grateful you're here. Thank you for doing this. I'm grateful you are here and that you were born and that you exist. I'm grateful that you were born. What day were you born? I was born December 21st, 1989. Capricorn. Sagittarius. Oh, shoot. I'm directly on the cusp, directly on it. So you're not wrong, because some books do say Capricorn.

• 12:34Speaker 07

  And then so much on the cut, I'm right at like 11:38 or something. I asked my mom, she was like, I don't know what time you were born. Okay, sorry for asking. But she said it was between like 11:30 and 12, so directly on the cusp. Which is good, because I think if I was full-blown Sagittarius, I would have been a stripper. I think if I was full-blown, nothing wrong with it, but I'm just saying that I would have been a stripper. And then if I were a Capricorn, I would have been Elon Musk, would have been really like.

• 13:00Amy Poehler?

  I feel like there is a total mogul vibe that I get from you.

• 13:06Speaker 07

  I know. I'm not gonna capitalize on it.

• 13:09Amy Poehler?

  Why not?

• 13:09Speaker 07

  I don't wanna be a mogul.

• 13:11Amy Poehler?

  Okay, okay, let's talk about this, because you kind of are already, so it's.

• 13:17Amy Poehler?

  You're not.

• 13:18Speaker 07

  What do you think classifies a mogul?

• 13:20Amy Poehler?

  Well, this is a really good question. I feel like you are the captain of a huge ship.

• 13:25Speaker 07

  One ship, though.

• 13:26Amy Poehler?

  That's true, but you know, that's just because you're acting. Once you stop, once you get off set and have to do those hours, you're gonna be the captain of like four ships.

• 13:36Speaker 07

  We've talked about this, Amy.

• 13:37Amy Poehler?

  I know.

• 13:37Speaker 07

  I don't want to, I just wanna do my thing.

• 13:40Amy Poehler?

  I just so relate to this grind that you're on, and also, Quinta, here to say, it is phenomenal what you are doing. That show is, number one, saving and has saved sitcoms. It has its, it is, it is proof, it is what everybody points to.

• 14:02Speaker 07

  Yeah, I do, yep.

• 14:03Amy Poehler?

  As, as, as, you know, as a spec, as a, as a comp for how comedy can still work on broadcast TV. And there's not many left.

• 14:15Speaker 07

  No, I hope that changes. I do.

• 14:17Amy Poehler?

  Agree.

• 14:17Speaker 07

  And I do admire the other sitcoms that are, that are out there maintaining. They don't grasp the same kind of attention that Abbott does, but I do think there are other, you know, producers and showrunners out there attempting to do good work, specifically on network television. And there's a show Ghost on CBS that has a bigger audience than we do, it just doesn't garner the same attention. So I just always try to acknowledge that there are other shows trying, but I do also understand that Abbott occupies a very unique and specific space, so. You know, it's funny, because we're four seasons in now, and I really.

• 14:58Speaker 07

  Want like counterparts. You know, I want, I want, um. I, I live for a renaissance. I don't enjoy the, the feeling of, um, uh, St. Dennis is a show on NBC. And I feel like that, but so much of this and maybe, I don't know if it was like that back then, but so much of it is about timing and when and presentation. And, and so much goes into making something an overall success now that I would, I don't call myself lucky because I think about all the things that go into it. But I do think it, you have to think about so many different factors to make your show a success at all now.

• 15:35Amy Poehler?

  Totally. And I know you're a big student of the sitcom.

• 15:38Speaker 07

  Yeah.

• 15:38Amy Poehler?

  You're a big comedy student in general.

• 15:40Speaker 07

  Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

• 15:41Amy Poehler?

  What were the, what were the shows that you cared about growing up? What were the sitcoms that you think about? And what were the ones you thought about when you were making Abbott?

• 15:48Speaker 07

  Coach was a show that was very formative for me. I forgot. My mom and I, we loved Coach. And it just reminded me how much Coach was on in my household. That was like, if that was on, we were stopping and we were watching. I'm not sure if it was on Nick at Night yet, but that was a big show for me. Mary Tyler Moore.

• 16:06Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 16:07Speaker 07

  Um, King of Queens, very big for me. I just, I don't know why, but one of the biggest influences in my life. I, I still love that show to this day. Um, 30 Rock, huge.

• 16:20Amy Poehler?

  I know. You're a big 30 Rock fan. I know that about you.

• 16:22Speaker 07

  It's so ridiculous.

• 16:23Amy Poehler?

  It's great.

• 16:25Speaker 07

  Little show called Parks and Rec.

• 16:26Amy Poehler?

  Um, thank you.

• 16:27Speaker 07

  The Office, of course. Martin, Living Single, Curb Your Enthusiasm. I don't know if that counts because it's not network, but, um, Always Sunny, same kind of bucket as Curb. Um, I'm forgetting things.

• 16:42Amy Poehler?

  Well, I'm sure you're asked this question, but what do you think? I always thought that for me, what drew me to a sitcom was the fact that I could, I could picture in my mind what the characters were doing when I wasn't watching them.

• 16:56Speaker 07

  Yep.

• 16:57Amy Poehler?

  And that's exactly what happens on Abbott.

• 16:59Speaker 07

  Definitely. That's a big part of it. And I think it's important if I can see the end of their journeys in the sitcom. And I don't know, that doesn't mean I know when it's going to come, but I see, maybe that's just important for writing. You know, you see a destination for your characters. But, um, very important to me when it comes to making a sitcom. When I visit sitcoms. Like Parks or The Office. And I think about where those characters began and where they end. That is what kind of inspired me to tell that story about a different set of characters. I also think like worlds you can, that really have a day by day engine.

• 17:41Speaker 07

  You know, like there's something, there's some silly thing. I would say Friends was huge for me too, because it was when I started to really grasp onto plotlines that were so, you know, Monica lost her earring. I think that was like big for me for some reason. When, when it's like, you can make a whole plot, but that's like a day to day of a friend group. And that's what happens in Abbott, is day to day issues that we turn into hilarious conundrums and situations.

• 18:09Amy Poehler?

  I read something that really struck me, felt so familiar when you were talking about Janine, your character on the show, that you wanted her and her look to feel appropriate with her job and her town, which, and I, I felt that because I remember when we were first starting to build Leslie Knope's character. Like, I really wanted her hair to be very blonde. And because, because she's getting her hair done in Indiana. No offense to the great stylist in Indiana, I bet there are many now. But, you know, like, she's not going to get lowlights at the best salon. She's trying what she can do. She's like, she's not quite getting it right.

• 18:53Speaker 07

  Yeah. And that's beautiful, though. That's so human.

• 18:57Amy Poehler?

  And you're doing, you've talked about that with Janine. How, how are you doing it with Janine?

• 19:01Speaker 07

  Janine started in a place where, I think a lot more about Janine than I think shows up on screen, which honestly is what you want. I don't need the audience to think about her as much as I do. But I knew from the beginning, this is a girl who had a weird relationship with her mother. Maybe her mother didn't teach her how to like, take care of her hair. Or even her dress comes from, I want to be the opposite of my mother, because I don't think my mother's a good person, so I should dress like a good person, which is the opposite of how she dresses, which is kind of, but Janine doesn't believe it slovenly or bad. Janine looks in the mirror and goes, this is a good outfit. You did it, girl.

• 19:41Amy Poehler?

  You did it, girl.

• 19:41Speaker 07

  You did it. You did.

• 19:43Amy Poehler?

  She does that trick where she turns to the

• 19:44Speaker 07

  You know.

• 19:45Amy Poehler?

  And she takes one accessory off.

• 19:47Speaker 07

  You know.

• 19:47Amy Poehler?

  Too much.

• 19:48Speaker 07

  I feel like she goes, "You look exactly like Halle Berry." And it's like, "No, you don't." But she believes she does, and I think that's sweet. I think when a character believes so deeply that the show doesn't care what the audience thinks. That was a challenge with Janine because, I'll be real with you, you know, she's a black character.

• 20:12Speaker 07

  Black audiences have so few, still, representative characters on the screen. And black womanhood alone is so touchy. So when a lot of women were seeing Janine not present as they wanted her to, that became tough. And I understand it, but I think it's important for us to have characters who are more realistic than they are the absolute best representation of us. I think it creates layers for us, not only on TV, but in the public eye. When I was thinking about her, I wasn't really thinking about representation, but she became representation. I don't know if you dealt with that with, like, Leslie Knope.

• 20:54Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, I think it's always the interesting struggle about playing comedic characters is you want them to be flawed and have stuff to learn. And the minute people, either yourself or other people, start to get in your head about what they should be representing, what it often does is limit the way, honestly, that men get to play characters, which is they get to play these, like, really flawed people with a lot. And I think it's often the burden that women are made to carry, which is we're supposed to be a lot of things at once, which few people are. So it's kind of, it's hard to do both. It's hard to play somebody funny who's also, like, really got it together.

• 21:34Speaker 07

  Yeah.

• 21:35Amy Poehler?

  And is very, you know, like, at the, on chapter 10, when you meet them.

• 21:40Speaker 07

  Yes.

• 21:40Amy Poehler?

  And I think Janine, it was like, one of the most exciting things about that show was you could see, "Oh, we're really gonna go on this ride with her." Like, "We're on this ride with her."

• 21:52Speaker 07

  Yeah, and it's sometimes... I think it's hard to get people on the ride because they don't know they're on the ride. And I think Abbott really started where I was like, this is going to be a ride. And I feel like that goes into thinking about things. This is going to go for seasons. I want to tell stories here. We got to start. We got to start somewhere. We cannot end, you know, where we want to get to in season 10. And I think when the audience members don't know they're on a ride, it can be very frustrating for them. And maybe this wasn't always the case before the internet. But now, I don't know if you dealt with this on Parks. I have had people come up to me on the street and go, "I don't like what you're doing"

• 22:35Speaker 07

  with Gregory's character.

• 22:39Speaker 07

  And...

• 22:42Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, and you're like, "Oh, thank you so much for caring. You're caring all over me. Thank you so much."

• 22:50Speaker 07

  What? It's insane. It's become a real direct, like, and that person went, "I messaged you on Instagram about it."

• 23:01Amy Poehler?

  Well, I tried to get in touch with you and I wanted you to know that I don't like what you're doing with Gregory's character.

• 23:05Speaker 07

  She's really come to me in a club, mind you, like, very much like, "Oh, I'm so glad I'm seeing you." I sent you an Instagram message. I like how you pretended you didn't see it, but now I got you in person. I don't like what you're doing. I was just like...

• 23:17Amy Poehler?

  Aren't those times where you wish you were like the enigmatic film actress who people feel nervous to approach?

• 23:25Speaker 07

  I do. I do. I very much do.

• 23:27Amy Poehler?

  Because television, people feel like really, really, you're part of their family.

• 23:31Speaker 07

  You're part of their family, and we love that.

• 23:33Amy Poehler?

  Well, you have this incredible claim. Like, I don't think it's spoken of enough that you took advantage of the window. Kind of, you know, you're 10 years after I was coming up, which was basically that there was this BuzzFeed video window where people were producing stuff online, early online.

• 24:00Speaker 07

  BuzzFeed was interesting because it was so international that you were aware that like, oh, man, like, people in Japan are watching our stuff. We're being dubbed in different languages. So you were aware of that. But for me, I was never very proud of my online presence. I felt like, as someone who came from improv and sketch, I was still performing at I.O. every night. And then I realized that my improv group, we realized people were coming to see our group because of my online presence. And we were more used to, all right, guys, we got 10 people in the crowd tonight. Let's go crazy. That's three more than last week. We're killing it.

• 24:39Amy Poehler?

  No parents tonight.

• 24:41Speaker 07

  It's so good. And then all of a sudden, we have a packed I.O. For like, what is going on? But they're coming because they're actually paying attention when I post, I have a show at I.O. tonight. And like, people were coming. So what are these people doing here? And they're like, you said you had a show. I was like, oh, you get so used to know. I don't know, but you were part of like, the heyday of UCB. But I'm just saying, like, in my world, it was like, if you got eight people in the audience, it was like.

• 25:07Amy Poehler?

  Oh, 100, that was our always trying to get people. But you were kind of ahead of your time because there was this feeling, to your point, like, where that content didn't count. Like, it almost felt, yeah, like, a side gig while you were trying to get the gig. But now, however many years later, you look at it now, and it's like, the way that everybody is discovered.

• 25:29Speaker 07

  I came to just appreciate it as another stage. If you can get on a stage and do stand-up, get on an improv stage and do improv, why can't you make a video to garner an audience? Isn't that what we want to do as performers anyway?

• 25:45Amy Poehler?

  And also, it's a way to just practice writing.

• 25:49Speaker 07

  Absolutely, absolutely. That's what it really did for me. I had taken writing courses. I had studied comedic writing. But I do think writing for BuzzFeed was the best way to learn how to do it for massive audiences, which is a skill that I still see writers.

• 26:12Speaker 07

  Peers.

• 26:17Speaker 07

  They don't technically teach you that in school.

• 26:20Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 26:21Speaker 07

  I think it's something you learn by doing.

• 26:23Amy Poehler?

  I think you're right, and I think what improv and sketch teaches you is just like picking your battles. Like, you find people that write stuff and they don't want to change it, and they want to kind of lock it in. And there's the one thing with sketch and improv is, your ideas, they just are thrown away over and over and over again. And you get this muscle that you haven't had your last good idea.

• 26:47Speaker 07

  Yes. Absolutely, which is so freeing.

• 26:51Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 26:51Speaker 07

  It makes you a more collaborative person and makes for better work. And I think, so BuzzFeed definitely did that. We made, which was insane, we would make like three videos a week that were going to be shared and seen by like millions and millions of people. And if one bombed, it was like, yeah, I'm already on my next video. I'm gonna, you know, I'm already, I've moved on.

• 27:14Amy Poehler?

  You're like, I don't know what you're talking about.

• 27:16Speaker 07

  Yeah, literally. I can't remember half the things I made there, which is both good and bad. But I feel like you probably can't remember half the sketches you did for.

• 27:24Amy Poehler?

  Oh, God, no. Well, speaking of BuzzFeed.

• 27:27Speaker 07

  Oh, no.

• 27:30Speaker 07

  Oh, are you just getting glasses? Oh, I got scared.

• 27:32Amy Poehler?

  Speaking of BuzzFeed, check out my new glasses from BuzzFeed. Oh, actually, I'm gonna take a lip balm break if you want to take one, too. Quint and I brought our lip balm.

• 27:41Speaker 07

  Lip balm and water.

• 27:42Amy Poehler?

  And kept it closed. And I'd love just to take.

• 27:46Speaker 07

  Oh, this is my camera?

• 27:47Amy Poehler?

  Mm-hmm. Get in there, hold on. Yours looks better because it has a little one. Mine is my grubby little finger, but.

• 27:52Speaker 07

  No, it's cute. That's how the girl puts it on in the Sephora commercial.

• 27:55Amy Poehler?

  She does it with her finger?

• 27:56Speaker 07

  Yeah. What else are you gonna do with it?

• 27:58Amy Poehler?

  I just love, once again, to ask Lenege if they ever want to sponsor.

• 28:03Speaker 07

  Y'all sponsor Amy. Y'all know what to do. Stop playing.

• 28:05Amy Poehler?

  This is a lip sleeping mask. For now, I'll turn it to the side so I won't sully your brand, but

• 28:12Amy Poehler?

  I want you to know that I've stuck my disgusting finger in that pot many times, and it's always.

• 28:17Speaker 07

  And not just at night.

• 28:18Amy Poehler?

  Right. That's not just at night, baby. It's lip sleeping mask. It's not just for night.

• 28:23Speaker 07

  It's not just for nighttime.

• 28:24Amy Poehler?

  Okay, so we do this fun surprise thing where, before I talk to you, I get on a Zoom with some people that know you.

• 28:33Speaker 07

  Whoa.

• 28:33Amy Poehler?

  I know. And just to talk about you and really to like get some perspective on what I think I should ask. So earlier today, I was on a Zoom with Kate.

• 28:46Speaker 07

  No way. Did Kate freak out?

• 28:49Amy Poehler?

  She's the best.

• 28:50Speaker 07

  She loves you so much. Did she pretend she was so cool?

• 28:53Amy Poehler?

  Everyone was very cool.

• 28:54Speaker 07

  That is so funny. Oh my god.

• 28:55Amy Poehler?

  I was on a Zoom with, so it was like a BuzzFeed reunion. It was Kate, it was Ash.

• 29:01Speaker 07

  No.

• 29:02Amy Poehler?

  Zack.

• 29:03Speaker 07

  Which one?

• 29:04Amy Poehler?

  Evan.

• 29:05Speaker 07

  Stop. These are people who probably were freaking out, Amy.

• 29:07Amy Poehler?

  They seemed very cool.

• 29:08Speaker 07

  They seemed cool because they probably got it together first, but you need to know that it's probably.

• 29:12Amy Poehler?

  And then your old boss, Andrew.

• 29:14Speaker 07

  Andrew Gaultier? Oh.

• 29:16Amy Poehler?

  French last name.

• 29:17Speaker 07

  He's so hot, guys. Not a pro. I don't work for him anymore. I can say that.

• 29:20Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, you're right.

• 29:21Speaker 07

  But he's a sweet man.

• 29:22Amy Poehler?

  And so we were talking about, it was really cute. And it's kind of like talking well behind someone's back is the goal. And they were so happy to do it. And we were just kind of talking about that time there.

• 29:35Speaker 07

  Yeah.

• 29:36Amy Poehler?

  And your time there. And it was really cute because everyone was, you know, kind of going back to when, exactly what you were saying, when you were producing a lot of stuff and everyone was trying to figure out where to live. And it's a very tender.

• 29:51Speaker 07

  Yeah.

• 29:51Amy Poehler?

  Time and the people that were there. And a lot of, you know, Kate especially, are people that you still work with. And who kind of, Kate told this amazing story about like one of the first days on set. And how she can remember you saying, I think I want to do this show, you know, about teachers. And then, you know, smash cut to.

• 30:13Speaker 07

  Crazy.

• 30:14Amy Poehler?

  It happening.

• 30:15Speaker 07

  Yeah, I have such a random weird. So someone, this is so funny, someone tried to sue me to say they, me, WB, ABC, and say that they came up with Abbott. And my memory is shit. There's something to know about me.

• 30:27Amy Poehler?

  Same, really bad. I think it's because we have to learn lines.

• 30:30Speaker 07

  I think so too. Kate's memory is. Lock the fuck in. And Kate was like, no, no, no, no, no. I will go into that courtroom for you. Because she was there the moment I had the. I knew that it wasn't true, but I had nothing to back it up. And it's OK. That's why we have lawyer. I was never gonna have to back it up anyway. But I'm just like, damn, I cannot remember. Kate remembers time, date, where, when.

• 30:53Amy Poehler?

  Incredible.

• 30:53Speaker 07

  Incredible. So she's my best friend, but she's also just incredible for stuff like that. She has the memory that I don't have, which I need a lot.

• 31:01Amy Poehler?

  You, I think we share this in common, too. Your female friendships are super important to you.

• 31:06Speaker 07

  Super important.

• 31:06Amy Poehler?

  Like, why? What do they do for you?

• 31:09Speaker 07

  Oh, that's a good question.

• 31:13Speaker 07

  Oh, man, that's such a good question. I don't know what they do for me.

• 31:18Amy Poehler?

  Well, you just said something that I feel like, if I may. I feel like a lot of women in my life would testify for me.

• 31:24Speaker 07

  Yes.

• 31:25Amy Poehler?

  They really do.

• 31:26Speaker 07

  Yes.

• 31:27Amy Poehler?

  They experience life with me and they, we all kind of remember for each other.

• 31:32Speaker 07

  For each other, yeah. And maybe Kate and I particularly have been through so much together. As friends, as women, as comedy writers.

• 31:44Amy Poehler?

  Kate wanted me to ask you this.

• 31:46Speaker 07

  KP, sure.

• 31:47Amy Poehler?

  KP. Are you aware now that Bon Jovi and Jon Bon Jovi are?

• 31:53Speaker 07

  Shut up, Kate. Don't go through Amy to do that. That's not nice, Kate. That's not OK, Kate.

• 32:00Amy Poehler?

  But can we?

• 32:01Speaker 07

  That's not OK, Kate.

• 32:02Amy Poehler?

  Are you aware that Bon Jovi is?

• 32:04Speaker 07

  I don't know white people. I know you. I know Tina Fey.

• 32:10Speaker 07

  I know white people in comedy, OK?

• 32:14Amy Poehler?

  You don't need to know.

• 32:15Speaker 07

  You feel me?

• 32:16Amy Poehler?

  You don't need to know.

• 32:17Speaker 07

  I pointed to the one black girl. I just don't know some people. I don't, I understand the name Phil Collins. I don't know what Phil Collins looked like. I don't know that he's different from.

• 32:27Amy Poehler?

  Sorry to that man.

• 32:29Speaker 07

  That Kiki moment?

• 32:30Amy Poehler?

  Unbelievable.

• 32:30Speaker 07

  Was so on point. That is how I move through life. If they're not in comedy, truly.

• 32:37Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 32:38Speaker 07

  I don't know.

• 32:39Amy Poehler?

  I actually think that's also a wonderful way, like almost a gentle form of rebellion. Which is, I have to say, my generation was told that we had to know a lot of these people.

• 32:51Speaker 07

  For sure, for sure.

• 32:52Amy Poehler?

  And now we don't really need to know them. It's okay.

• 32:54Speaker 07

  It's okay. And also, you were working in pop culture too. I mean, SNL is still essentially working in pop culture. You have those, I don't have a reason to know who, I'm not crazy. It's crazy to be in a band called Jon, is he Jon Bon Jovi as the band, see?

• 33:11Amy Poehler?

  She doesn't know.

• 33:12Speaker 07

  I couldn't tell, and it's crazy because now.

• 33:15Amy Poehler?

  I'm gonna blow your mind even more. His original name.

• 33:18Speaker 07

  Come on.

• 33:19Amy Poehler?

  Was Jon Bon Jovi. And then he changed, the band name was Bon Jovi, a shortened version of his real name. So then he started going by Jon Bon Jovi, but true fans know that it was Bon Jovi.

• 33:35Speaker 07

  You know, everything you just said sounds crazy, right? And the thing is, I'm supposed to know this, but then I'm supposed to deal with people who can't tell me and Kiki Palmer apart. Or say my name, or can't, I just can't. If you know about Bon Jovi and I'm too difficult, it's two syllables, Quinta, same person. I don't understand. Anyway, so that was, that was, and I don't, you know what else is crazy? John, wait, I lost my point, but I was gonna say something about Jon Bon Jovi.

• 34:03Amy Poehler?

  Band. I'm trying to think of a band, like who could I compare to that had a band that was named after their last name? Oh, well, there's another bunch of white boys. Remember Hanson?

• 34:14Speaker 07

  I understood that. I understand that. You know who I got mixed up for the longest time? Not anymore. But there was no reason for me, as a young girl in Philadelphia, to understand the difference between Sandra Bullock and Julia Roberts. There was no reason for me to know the difference.

• 34:32Amy Poehler?

  You might have a little bit of face blindness.

• 34:34Speaker 07

  I do. I do. I do have that. And they know, I know what Sandra knows now, because that's my girl. Of course, I can tell you guys apart now, but when growing up.

• 34:44Amy Poehler?

  Sure.

• 34:45Speaker 07

  No reason for me to know that?

• 34:46Amy Poehler?

  Sure.

• 34:47Speaker 07

  And when people are like, you don't know, no, I don't.

• 34:51Amy Poehler?

  I like that. I'm glad that you, yeah, you absolutely do not need to know.

• 34:55Speaker 07

  Yeah. I can't believe Kate's.

• 34:57Amy Poehler?

  Okay, okay, Ash, I are, Ash had three sitcoms who have influenced you. We talked about that. And then Andrew asked, um, um, what would 2014 Quinta think of Quinta now?

• 35:11Speaker 07

  Oh, Andrew.

• 35:12Amy Poehler?

  I know, and such a managerial question, too.

• 35:15Speaker 07

  Oh, Andrew. Andrew's so lovely. Um, I think 2014 me would be like, exactly, period. Because I was a very determined, knew where I was going. Girl, I do not like to do that thing where people pretend, like, I had no idea, like, this could happen to me? Like, no, I made every single move in my life so that this could happen to me. Including leaving Philadelphia. I knew specific things had to happen. And even the way I came into BuzzFeed, I had vision. I was like, I, I see where this place is going. I see what I can do here. I see how not only it can help me, but how I can help it. And I think it's a means to something much larger. So 2014 me,

• 35:59Speaker 07

  didn't exactly know this, but I think that's the beauty of vision. You can feel, see something, you're working in accordance with something. And I'm a big believer in that, I think.

• 36:13Amy Poehler?

  You know what I love that you're doing too? And from, from here on out, I guess we would call it like the Chalamet. In terms of like, I want to be the greatest, but, but what, but what I think-

• 36:23Speaker 07

  Yeah, that kid. Go ahead.

• 36:25Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, what did you think of that moment? I loved it. Or no?

• 36:27Speaker 07

  What I thought was so interesting about that moment.

• 36:30Amy Poehler?

  Let's just whisper.

• 36:32Speaker 07

  Because he can hear us. Whether it was coordinated or not, I thought him mentioning Viola Davis in his speech, I was like, that is fucking smart.

• 36:40Amy Poehler?

  Hundred percent.

• 36:42Speaker 07

  Whether it's coordinated or he really, really meant it, very smart to do.

• 36:47Amy Poehler?

  Smart kid.

• 36:47Speaker 07

  That, um, that, that alone had me.

• 36:52Amy Poehler?

  Me too.

• 36:52Speaker 07

  Had me. And, and in a way that I don't care if it was like, I'm going to say this because, or I genuinely really mean it. Because even if you were going to say it because, yeah, just say it because, because mention Viola Davis.

• 37:04Amy Poehler?

  A hundred percent.

• 37:05Speaker 07

  And I, yeah.

• 37:06Amy Poehler?

  At the very least, it was the example of someone paying attention.

• 37:11Speaker 07

  Yeah.

• 37:12Amy Poehler?

  And- I think, I, I think that, you know, not to gender it, it happens to men too, but women are especially required to be very surprised by their success.

• 37:25Speaker 07

  Absolutely.

• 37:26Amy Poehler?

  And really be, they're asked all the time, can you believe it? Can you believe it?

• 37:30Speaker 07

  Yes.

• 37:30Amy Poehler?

  Like, how does it feel?

• 37:32Speaker 07

  Yeah.

• 37:32Amy Poehler?

  And you and I, I think, share the similar thing, which is, it feels good. I've been working really hard.

• 37:37Speaker 07

  Mm-hmm.

• 37:38Amy Poehler?

  I imagined it would happen for me. I've been there along the way. I've watched it slowly grow. It hasn't been overnight.

• 37:46Speaker 07

  Yeah.

• 37:47Amy Poehler?

  And it was, you know, and yes, of course, luck. And yes, of course, privilege. And yes, of course, time.

• 37:52Speaker 07

  Totally.

• 37:53Amy Poehler?

  All of that stuff. And also, I believed it could happen. And so now, there's sometimes an expectation of people want the kind of ingenue vibe of, wow, how did I get here?

• 38:04Speaker 07

  Oh, my God.

• 38:05Amy Poehler?

  The lights, the cameras.

• 38:07Speaker 07

  I just tripped and then I was here. I can't believe it. Oh, my, it's, I'm not doing that.

• 38:13Amy Poehler?

  Mm-hmm.

• 38:13Speaker 07

  One thing I love about, I've always appreciated about you is you, you also do that without sacrificing your sense of, like, whimsy.

• 38:22Amy Poehler?

  Mm-hmm.

• 38:23Speaker 07

  You have, you, I don't know, you just, you still have fun and you don't apologize for that either. And I think that's really cool. When I went to see you and Tina, um, at the, in Vegas, and that was so fun, because actually Ash and Kate came with me. And I told you that was like our Super Bowl. But you tried, you, you did what I would, storytelling, stand-up. And seeing you do new things, I was like, fuck. Like, yes, yes, yes. You are not apologizing for the fact that you have this show or all the things that you've done, but you also are having enough fun with trying new things. And you just have fun. Like, you have a smile on your face. You're not like...

• 39:03Amy Poehler?

  I mean, this is kind of honestly why I'm doing this.

• 39:05Speaker 07

  Yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 39:06Amy Poehler?

  Is because it's kind of like, I want to talk to people. I have a good time. I listen to a ton of podcasts.

• 39:10Speaker 07

  Yeah.

• 39:10Amy Poehler?

  I don't think that because you get to a certain level of something that you're supposed to get really tight and get worried about trying new things. You're supposed to do the opposite because you're feeling, you're like, you're lucky enough to be confident. You're lucky enough to have some currency or some people who believe in you. So that's when you're supposed to keep staying flexible.

• 39:29Speaker 07

  Yeah.

• 39:29Amy Poehler?

  Trying and failing over and over again. And I think you you are similar, like, we learned it early. We learned it with improv and sketch. You're just supposed to keep trying things.

• 39:38Speaker 07

  You keep, you're supposed to keep trying. I think I have seen a lot of other women who are in similar positions become harsh over time. Because, so if you're gonna be that confident, now you almost have to take up a harsh demeanor.

• 39:53Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 39:54Speaker 07

  Or something.

• 39:54Amy Poehler?

  That's right.

• 39:55Speaker 07

  So you have to like.

• 39:56Amy Poehler?

  That's right.

• 39:56Speaker 07

  Be masculine. Like, if you're gonna say, I'm good at it and I know it, then you better be masculine, too. Don't you dare smile ever again, since you know you're so good. But i- it's, um, it's some, it's weird. Like, I, and I'm, I'm really interested in watching women push back out loud. Not just talking about it, but actually doing it. Which is why I say I like to see you, like, smile so much. Because to me, that is the act of doing it and, like, have fun in front of people's faces. It's weird. It's almost like that kind of makes people angrier than anything else. When I am, like, having pure, unadulterated fun, I feel a s- a small sense of, like, how dare you?

• 40:36Amy Poehler?

  Oh, it's a revolutionary act, as a woman, to have fun. And the other thing is, I, that I would say about you that I've said behind your back is, Quinta plays loose. And what I mean by that is, a good athlete, you're, to me, you're like a good athlete.

• 40:51Speaker 07

  Emmy, don't talk sports to me right now. I don't fall in love. I love sports.

• 40:54Amy Poehler?

  I mean, this is a podcast, we should probably only be talking about sports.

• 40:59Speaker 07

  You want this thing to do well.

• 41:00Amy Poehler?

  But you play so loose. Because you are so good at what you do. And you are in charge. But you would, like, you have the, you just have that ease. And you have it when you, when you act. You have it when you're in giving a speech. I mean, your Emmy speeches, when you win, are so good. Because they are exactly what you say. You are in the moment. You're not.

• 41:27Speaker 07

  Yeah.

• 41:27Amy Poehler?

  You're not going, who, me? I didn't even know. It's like, mhm, this is a correct choice. You chose.

• 41:36Amy Poehler?

  You just go, "Thank you for choosing the winner." That I am the winner.

• 41:39Speaker 07

  That's so funny.

• 41:40Amy Poehler?

  But you're also super gracious to everyone who is in your category. You give, you know, you put things in context, which few people do.

• 41:49Speaker 07

  Oh, thanks, Amy.

• 41:50Amy Poehler?

  And, and it's really relaxing to watch you.

• 41:55Speaker 07

  Thank you.

• 41:56Amy Poehler?

  You're welcome.

• 41:57Speaker 07

  I love sports so much.

• 41:58Amy Poehler?

  Oh, my God, I love sports, too.

• 42:00Speaker 07

  My honor to be called the Josh Allen of.

• 42:05Amy Poehler?

  I, I don't know who that is.

• 42:06Speaker 07

  No, he, he, he, he's the, um, he's the quarterback for, um, the, um, not the Giants, sorry, not the Jets, the Bills, sorry, thank you.

• 42:15Amy Poehler?

  Oh, the Bills. Oh, he's so nice. He's dating Hailee Seinfeld.

• 42:19Speaker 07

  He is dating her. I never even knew that information.

• 42:21Amy Poehler?

  Now, I know that. He's dating Hailee.

• 42:22Speaker 07

  Hailee Seinfeld.

• 42:23Amy Poehler?

  And he did a very sweet thing where he knew every, all the young children that he visited at a recent hospital. He knew all their names. I don't know his stats.

• 42:32Speaker 07

  Um, you know, they're, he, he's controversial, but as a player. Yeah, people like think he's, I'm not gonna, whatever, but.

• 42:38Amy Poehler?

  He's got, he has a beard.

• 42:40Speaker 07

  This is what I think about sports players. No one, I don't need, don't tell me, I don't need to talk to them. I don't need to know about their personal lives. I'm trying to do this with the Eagles now. Do not look at them. They, don't perceive them. They do football well. Don't come over here.

• 42:53Amy Poehler?

  Okay, I'm the exact opposite. I don't care so much about the football, but I want to know.

• 42:57Speaker 07

  You want to know everything.

• 42:58Amy Poehler?

  How's it going with mom?

• 43:00Speaker 07

  See.

• 43:00Amy Poehler?

  You know, like, I want to know, I want to know.

• 43:03Speaker 07

  That's the problem.

• 43:03Amy Poehler?

  What do you do in the offseason?

• 43:05Speaker 07

  Going into Josh Allen's life. No, let's talk about what he does with the basketball, with the football on the field. That's what's important to me.

• 43:10Amy Poehler?

  I hear you.

• 43:11Speaker 07

  But anyway, but.

• 43:12Amy Poehler?

  That's like the Olympics, though. When the, when the, when the thing starts, when the, um, when the, whatever they're competing in starts, I'm like, hmm. But I like all the stuff when they're back in their hometown.

• 43:22Speaker 07

  I feel you. I mean, I guess it is important. I just, I guess I'm only talking about the Eagles. I just don't want people to ask about their personal life.

• 43:29Amy Poehler?

  Congratulations on your, on your win, by the way. That must have been exciting to me this season.

• 43:32Speaker 07

  So much has happened to me in the past 10 years, but I would say top five is Eagles winning the Super Bowl.

• 43:37Amy Poehler?

  Wow.

• 43:37Speaker 07

  Yeah, I know.

• 43:38Amy Poehler?

  I'm feeling so good. Quinta, is there anything, I mean, we have to just, I guess, promote Abbott, which.

• 43:43Speaker 07

  Please watch Abbott Elementary. It's on, um, ABC, which is a network on television.

• 43:48Amy Poehler?

  We all know, we all know where it is. It's so.

• 43:50Speaker 07

  It's on Hulu and HBO Max.

• 43:52Amy Poehler?

  I know during COVID. I had so many people come up and say that Parks got them through. And I know the same for Abbott.

• 44:02Speaker 07

  Totally.

• 44:03Amy Poehler?

  I just, I took that at the time as this bigger feeling that comedy is like, is a comfort. And there's some kind of giant, warm feeling I get from being a part of anything that's special. Did you get the same experience?

• 44:18Speaker 07

  Absolutely. And it is a mark that you get to leave with the world, not on the world, but with the world, which is so special. There was a girl that came up to my co-stars on the street. Cheryl and Lisa, I can't stop them from walking around on the streets. I try. I can't do anything about it.

• 44:41Speaker 07

  We just filmed in Philly and, you know, I had, I had one thing. I was just like, guys, maybe don't walk around here. Cause very recognizable, maybe just take it easy. Nope, they go to get their nails done. They're walking to different stores. I can't control them. Anyway, so, but a girl walked up to them and Cheryl took a video of this girl talking about how in our show, because Philadelphia has a huge Muslim population, we try to represent the city as much as we can. And we had an episode that featured a young Muslim girl in her hijab. And this girl was crying, came up to Cheryl, talking about how much that meant to her. It's like the opposite effect of someone being like, I don't like what you're doing with Gregory.

• 45:26Speaker 07

  It's someone being like, you, you don't like get, like she said, she was already a fan of the show. That wasn't going anywhere. But then to see that like shifted her shit. And I think that is like the power of a sitcom. We're making you laugh and then we're making you cry. And we're in your house with you, either in the binge format or once a week. And it's that laugh that's special. Cause I can be in the house with the drama all the live long day. But I'm like scared of people after I watch them on a drama for too long. Like, oh God, you scared the hell out of me, even though they're very nice people. It's like, y'all are scary, but the laugh is like, you cannot, you cannot.

• 46:09Amy Poehler?

  I think it's holy. I think it's holy.

• 46:11Speaker 07

  I think so too. I don't want to be corny, but it is.

• 46:13Amy Poehler?

  I mean, I love being corny. So I think it's straight up holy.

• 46:16Speaker 07

  Maybe I'm about to be in my corny era.

• 46:17Amy Poehler?

  Come on in. Come on over. I'm in it. And it's great. And you can just say things like laughter is holy. And everyone goes, oh, oh, that's... But you know, Anne Lamott, you know Anne Lamott, the great writer, she says that laughter is carbonated holiness, which is like, kind of how it feels for me. Like, when laughter actually happened, it feels like you're getting some, some kind of spiritual thing is happening.

• 46:38Speaker 07

  It's so spiritual.

• 46:39Amy Poehler?

  I agree. Why is that corny?

• 46:41Speaker 07

  It's so the same to every... It's the same everywhere. It's the same... There was a Mean Girls line about math being the same in every country, but laughter is that to me...

• 46:54Amy Poehler?

  Except for French people.

• 46:57Amy Poehler?

  I don't get...

• 46:57Speaker 07

  I'm so proud of Abbott making French people laugh. There is almost nothing I'm more proud of, by the way. I just was saying this to my friends the other day in our group chat. I was like, the fact that like, French people...

• 47:09Amy Poehler?

  They love Abbott.

• 47:09Speaker 07

  They watch it and they like it. It's like weirdly one of our biggest markets.

• 47:13Amy Poehler?

  Whoa.

• 47:14Speaker 07

  I'm so proud.

• 47:14Amy Poehler?

  That's incredible.

• 47:15Speaker 07

  Of me. Those are the things that make me proud of me, that French people are like, we, we, I enjoy the show. That is the French people are...

• 47:22Amy Poehler?

  I wouldn't be that proud of it because French people are so embarrassing. And I don't think people talk about it enough. I find French people are...

• 47:31Speaker 07

  In what ways?

• 47:33Amy Poehler?

  They... French people got two strikes. And they're... In what ways?

• 47:38Speaker 07

  Yeah, like...

• 47:38Amy Poehler?

  The way they... How French they act all the time.

• 47:41Speaker 07

  The way they walk, the way that they talk, the way that they dress. Amy has a Kendrick-like feeling towards the French.

• 47:48Amy Poehler?

  Well, no, I'm probably feeling like I'm not as cool as them, and so I'm acting out. Because Fred Armisen and I used to do a bit where we wanted to do a sketch called French Teenagers. And it was just like, really cool French teenagers, like with leather jackets, like doing backflips and smoking cigarettes.

• 48:04Speaker 07

  Totally. I love that.

• 48:05Amy Poehler?

  Because French people are cool, but they're embarrassing too.

• 48:07Speaker 07

  They're embarrassing. I got to meet him for the first time. What a nice man.

• 48:10Amy Poehler?

  You've never met Fred?

• 48:11Speaker 07

  Never. That was also what was cool about the SNL 50 was like, people I never met before. And he was talking to Tim...

• 48:19Amy Poehler?

  Tim Meadows?

• 48:20Speaker 07

  Tim Meadows, and so I was going to say hi to Tim, but I did not know he was talking to Fred Armisen. And I did the thing that I hate where I just assumed that, which is so bad to say, but I was like, oh, he's probably talking to a writer. I won't interrupt, but I'm just gonna say hi to Tim. And I was like, hello, Tim, da-da-da. And Fred goes, hi. I was like, holy shit, I thought you were a writer. That came out wrong, my bad. What's going on, man? It was so, but he was so sweet and kind. He was a nice man. He was a nice man. Zach Galifianakis, nice man.

• 48:47Amy Poehler?

  Oh, he's the nicest guy and so funny.

• 48:50Speaker 07

  You like Peyton Manning?

• 48:51Amy Poehler?

  Love.

• 48:52Speaker 07

  So, I...

• 48:53Amy Poehler?

  He's a good time, too.

• 48:54Speaker 07

  Love him.

• 48:55Amy Poehler?

  Loves, he's just like, he's so funny, naturally funny.

• 48:59Speaker 07

  He's so funny.

• 49:00Amy Poehler?

  He's so, you know, and I'm sure you've worked with this already, like, at SNL, there's athletes that come, come through and they're like, I'm really funny. And you're like, okay. Um, but Peyton is genuinely funny.

• 49:13Speaker 07

  Genuinely funny.

• 49:14Amy Poehler?

  Really, really funny.

• 49:14Speaker 07

  A really nice man. He became my MVP of the weekend, not gonna lie.

• 49:19Amy Poehler?

  Did he carry you around like a football?

• 49:20Speaker 07

  No, it's just that, as soon as I walked in, and I saw such, so many wonderful people that I do know, but when I walked in, I had a coffee in my hand. He was like, hey, where'd you get that coffee? And I was like, uh, sorry, man, I bought it from the hotel. I knew it might be a little crazy. And he's like, I should've did that. And it was just so human. And, and then I got to talk about football with him at the party. It was just like, super sweet.

• 49:42Amy Poehler?

  Do you do what sometimes happens with guys like that, where they're so giant, and you're little, I'm little too, where sometimes I find myself just kind of like, touching them?

• 49:51Speaker 07

  Yeah.

• 49:52Amy Poehler?

  Without knowing, like, wow, like, you're a tree.

• 49:56Speaker 07

  I also feel like we aren't the same species. I don't feel as though, and I know we're both human. No, you know, I know we're both human, I'm saying, but you know how there's like, oh, I'm a, I am a domestic dog, you are a wolf.

• 50:10Amy Poehler?

  Yes, exactly.

• 50:10Speaker 07

  You know, so maybe it's the same species.

• 50:12Amy Poehler?

  And I feel, I think it's an instinctual thing where sometimes, like, I was talking to Jason Momoa, and I found myself putting my, like, hands on, like, like... Help, like, like, like a tiny, like, like, a little, yeah, an animal, I guess, just trying to hang on.

• 50:26Speaker 07

  And, and

• 50:27Amy Poehler?

  To touch it.

• 50:28Speaker 07

  Jordan, you know Jordan Moliades, he's a football player. He came to my set the other day, he's massive, he's massive. Football players are big, he's a big football player.

• 50:38Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 50:38Speaker 07

  And he's just huge. And I'm just looking up and

• 50:42Amy Poehler?

  You just, did you get your little paws?

• 50:45Speaker 07

  Your hands are just on his shoulders, like, I'm so sorry, I don't mean to Why am I touching you? But, no.

• 50:52Amy Poehler?

  I know, I feel like big men must get that more than you think, which is people just going, "Hey!" and touching it.

• 50:58Speaker 07

  People touch us a lot, too, though.

• 51:00Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, they pat us.

• 51:01Speaker 07

  They go, "Hey, little buddy." They do.

• 51:03Amy Poehler?

  They do, you get a little pat on the head, or you get a little, um

• 51:06Speaker 07

  Have you ever been picked up against your will?

• 51:08Amy Poehler?

  Uh, it is one of my least favorite things.

• 51:10Speaker 07

  Least favorite things in the world.

• 51:11Amy Poehler?

  Um, people are laughing.

• 51:13Speaker 07

  Yeah, why are y'all laughing at me?

• 51:14Amy Poehler?

  I've gotten picked up, it's a very, it's a comedy improv thing, you get picked up in scenes, and it, it's, I, I don't know how to explain it other than pure rage.

• 51:22Speaker 07

  It is insane, and it, to have your feet lifted off the ground against your will. If I'm going on a roller coaster, I signed up for that. If I'm doing something, you know what I'm saying, but to just be lifted off, and me, I'm so sturdy, I, I think I'm super, like, I'm ten toes down all the time, to be lifted off my ten toes is so

• 51:41Amy Poehler?

  Unless

• 51:41Speaker 07

  Disorienting.

• 51:42Amy Poehler?

  Unless it's the right person.

• 51:44Speaker 07

  It's the right person.

• 51:45Amy Poehler?

  And then you're like, "Oh, my God!", you're like, "What? How could you lift me?"

• 51:50Speaker 07

  But it changes my whole, my whole purview, I think I'm so big and I'm so strong, and if someone lifts you up, I'm like, "I'm a pet." You know, you pick your pet up and they don't have any, that's what happens to me, I don't like that.

• 52:01Amy Poehler?

  Or you go, or you say, "Put me down, put me down", like, then you feel very stressed.

• 52:04Speaker 07

  When people are like, "Why I'm in so?", I get it, because as a woman, I'm a little, like, iffy about my height sometimes, so, yeah, I mean Whatever. I get six foot men, but nothing wrong with the.

• 52:15Amy Poehler?

  I think you identify as tall. That's what I'm saying.

• 52:18Speaker 07

  That's why getting picked up throws me off so much.

• 52:20Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 52:21Speaker 07

  Because I do identify as tall and that's a break in reality for me. It is. I really feel like my cat, my cat feels super tough. He thinks he runs shit. And then I pick him up and he's like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, hey, don't be picking me up. I run this house. No, you don't. I can pick you up. So that's what, that's why it throws me off when someone picks me up because I'm just like, oh.

• 52:40Amy Poehler?

  I don't like it either. Well, you heard it here first. Don't go up to Quinta and pick her up and do not.

• 52:45Speaker 07

  Yeah.

• 52:45Amy Poehler?

  Give, point and give any thoughts and try to not say who she reminds you of.

• 52:54Speaker 07

  No, that was a you thing. I'm okay with it.

• 52:56Amy Poehler?

  That's a me thing. That's a me thing. Okay.

• 52:57Speaker 07

  You can say it. I might not like it.

• 52:59Amy Poehler?

  So before we wrap up, I'm doing something, you know, I'm asking, uh, cause again, this is, we're attempting to have a good hang here. And I'm asking people like, what are you, what are you going to right now that's making you laugh? You know, what is the thing that you go, you look up or a place you go or a person you talk to? Or a thing that, you know, is kind of the way that you escape?

• 53:19Speaker 07

  Um, I regret to say that there's this, these videos online. I don't really watch TikTok.

• 53:27Amy Poehler?

  Really? Why?

• 53:28Speaker 07

  I just don't. I, I never really.

• 53:30Amy Poehler?

  Incredible.

• 53:31Speaker 07

  So there's these video, I'm learning of this cat and it's in, and I don't like it because it's AI.

• 53:39Amy Poehler?

  Okay. Look, this isn't a shame based, I mean, there's no shame here.

• 53:43Speaker 07

  I'm shaming me.

• 53:44Amy Poehler?

  It's an AI cat?

• 53:46Speaker 07

  Yeah. And he like always is, he starts his day.

• 53:55Amy Poehler?

  Okay, already. Okay.

• 53:57Speaker 07

  He starts his day.

• 53:59Amy Poehler?

  What's his name?

• 54:01Speaker 07

  H S I N. I don't know how to pronounce him. He is from Asia.

• 54:05Amy Poehler?

  Okay. H S I N cat?

• 54:08Speaker 07

  Yeah. Do you see him?

• 54:09Amy Poehler?

  H S, uh.

• 54:10Speaker 07

  H S.

• 54:10Amy Poehler?

  Okay, let's see. Oh, H S I N. Yeah, cat. It's a breed of cat.

• 54:16Speaker 07

  Can I?

• 54:17Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, let's, let's look at it.

• 54:19Speaker 07

  No, you're gonna have to search for him in TikTok.

• 54:21Amy Poehler?

  Okay, very good. Stand by.

• 54:24Speaker 07

  And he, he always begins his day, um, he wakes up and he, he decides, he goes to the market and he buys some vegetables. And then he goes and finds, are you looking at him?

• 54:38Amy Poehler?

  No, hold on. Oh, this cat?

• 54:43Speaker 07

  Yeah.

• 54:44Amy Poehler?

  Okay, so we'll, we'll put him up here.

• 54:47Speaker 07

  So he, he, he will find a friend like a chicken or a rabbit.

• 54:51Amy Poehler?

  He's finding a chicken in this one.

• 54:52Speaker 07

  Is he? And so what he does, and then he cooks the chicken. So, but he always, he drugs them first. He, he invites them over for a drink. And then they drink it and they pass out. He's drugging these friends.

• 55:06Amy Poehler?

  Wait, okay, this is a whole story.

• 55:11Speaker 07

  Yeah. And he, and then he cooks them and he eats them and he, then he even has a little funeral for them after he cooks them. It's like, you killed him. And, uh, he has his friend, he has a friend, the lion, who he calls over to eat. Cause I think the, the lion is the only apex predator in his life. Cause he cooks and eats. Sometimes he drops a bomb in the ocean and then he kills a shark. He has shark meat that day. And the caption is always like, I was in the mood for something different today. Or the captions like, uh, met a friend today. And you think it's gonna end well this time? Nope. He cooks whatever. One time he met a crocodile and I was like, this is seeming like a budding friendship. Cooks the croc, now he's in jail.

• 55:54Amy Poehler?

  He's in jail.

• 55:55Speaker 07

  He gets, there are consequences, but his friend, the lion, always bails him out.

• 55:58Amy Poehler?

  Mm-hmm.

• 55:59Speaker 07

  He, sometimes he whacks someone over the head and then he eats them. But sometimes they get him back. Like this fox whacked him over the head once. And I was like, finally this cat is getting what he fucking deserves. This little fucking maniac. But then he calls the lion. The lion comes and whacks the fox. They have, they have fox for dinner that night.

• 56:20Amy Poehler?

  And you watch it?

• 56:21Speaker 07

  I watch every single one. Because I don't look up anything else on TikTok, my algorithm is just this cat. And every time, I'm like, I hope this little bastard gets what he wants. But then when he is in the hospital, I'm very scared. I'm like, oh, please.

• 56:35Amy Poehler?

  He goes to the hospital?

• 56:36Speaker 07

  Please let him leave. Yeah, because he really gets beat up sometimes. I hate how much they're wearing.

• 56:42Amy Poehler?

  Also, I know what you mean. And I'm watching it. What is weird about it is it's like the cat is like giving another cat a bath. The cat, the cat is a human, like has human quality.

• 56:55Speaker 07

  Human qualities.

• 56:56Amy Poehler?

  But it looks like a cat and now is eating a chicken that it made.

• 56:59Speaker 07

  That he made.

• 57:00Amy Poehler?

  And it's a really fat cat.

• 57:01Speaker 07

  Yeah, and so he changes sizes too throughout scenes. And it's like, why in this scene are you bigger than the lion? I'm interested in how he perceives himself to other animals. And he saves a baby every once in a while because you see him saving a baby.

• 57:15Amy Poehler?

  He doesn't eat the baby, does he?

• 57:16Speaker 07

  He doesn't eat the baby. The first time he saved a baby, though, I thought he was gonna eat that baby. But he's all, and I think that's like him being like, see, I'm cool. But no, you are a psychopath. You are drugging other animals and eating them. And so that's, yeah.

• 57:31Amy Poehler?

  That's how you escape.

• 57:35Amy Poehler?

  That's how you escape from working too hard. But I get why you like this because it's story. It is like storytelling.

• 57:42Speaker 07

  And it's AI, so it gets it wrong a lot. And it also makes me feel good. I have a friend, Ash, actually told me. Ash told me that, Ash has a friend that works in AI. And that person was like, look, the day AI really figures it out, the day everyone should be really scared, Alzheimer's will also be solved. And I was like, oh, because if AI can really get that close to how our brains really function, we will have then also had the keys to figure out Alzheimer's. And so that brings me comfort and it brings me fear because.

• 58:21Amy Poehler?

  I like what you just said. I mean, and also I like that that's the kind of thing that an expert would say on a podcast, but.

• 58:30Amy Poehler?

  And I'd be like, what?

• 58:32Speaker 07

  I heard it from a friend who heard from an expert.

• 58:34Amy Poehler?

  Who said.

• 58:35Speaker 07

  That's hilarious. Okay.

• 58:36Amy Poehler?

  Quinta, I love you. Thank you so much for doing this.

• 58:39Speaker 07

  Love you too, Amy.

• 58:40Amy Poehler?

  See you in the best. Bye. Thank you so much, Quinta Brunson. You are amazing and so talented. And it means a lot that you came. And you're the best, Quinta. And yeah, you know, this is the end of the show where we go a little deeper on something that brings me joy or changes my brain. And so we mentioned Lisa Beasley at the very top of the show when we were talking to some of Quinta's friends who worked at BuzzFeed. And I just want to mention her again. Lisa Beasley Experience is where you can find her. And she's just a hilarious comedian, does a ton of characters. And she did that really funny character, Corporate Aaron.

• 59:25Amy Poehler?

  Check that out if you haven't seen it. It's just corporate speak at its best and the maddening pace in which people deliver non-news in workspaces. It's really funny. And so is she. And yeah, so if you have not seen her comedy, check it out. And always check out The Great Quinta on Abbott. And check us out always here at Good Hang. Thanks for hanging. Okay, bye. You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss-Berman, and me, Amy Poehler. The show is produced by The Ringer and Paperkite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Kat Spillane, Kaya McMullen, and Aleia Zaneras.

• 1:00:07Amy Poehler?

  For Paperkite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell, and Jenna Weiss-Berman. Original music by Amy Miles.

• 1:00:18Speaker 05

  Welcome to the 50th Hunger Games. Witness the beginning of the revolution.

• 1:00:22Speaker 06

  Hey Mitch, you've been trying to take down these games from the start.

• 1:00:25Speaker 05

  Filmed for IMAX.

• 1:00:27Speaker 06

  Make them remember you.

• 1:00:29Speaker 05

  The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, November 20th, made in PG-13. Now streaming on Paramount+. I'm Dexter Morgan. I've been killing killers for half my life. It gets to you. You're having a midlife crisis. I'm not ready for this. He's back. I'm older. I'm wiser.

• 1:00:49Speaker 05

  And sharper than ever. Things are gonna get messy. But if I can't believe in myself, I can't believe in anything. Dexter Resurrection. New season now streaming on the Paramount+ Premium Plan.