Sarah Sherman

Sarah Sherman knows that you can't show your feet for free. Amy hangs with the 'Saturday Night Live' star and talks about why we need a fourth 'Human Centipede' movie, playing a Russian tsarina in her school's production of 'Into the Woods,' and what her Jungian dream analyst told her about pooping in a dream. Host: Amy PoehlerGuests: Mitra Jouhari and Sarah ShermanExecutive producers: Bill Simmons, Amy Poehler, and Jenna Weiss-BermanFor Paper Kite Productions: Executive producer Jenna Weiss-Berman, coordinator Sam Green, and supervising producer Joel LovellFor The Ringer: Supervising producers Juliet Litman, Sean Fennessey, and Mallory Rubin; video producers Jack Wilson and Aleya Zenieris; audio producer Kaya McMullen; social producer Bridget Geerlings; video editor Drew van Steenbergen; and booker Kat SpillaneOriginal music: Amy Miles Palmolive Ultra removes up to 99.9% of grease leaving your dishes sparkling clean. Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://Allstate.com 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.

• 0:00Speaker 00

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• 1:05Amy Poehler?

  Hello, everyone. Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. We are very excited about our guest today. It is Sarah Sherman. Sarah is a current cast member on Saturday Night Live, and we could consider her a vet. She has just finished her fifth season. And I just want to file this one under not safe for work or for kids because we do get into some fun and down and dirty topics like, well, SNL, duh, and psychoanalysis and Long Island and her insane, wildly original new special, Sarah's Squirm: Live and in the Flesh on HBO. So listen for Sarah. But before we start, right? We always like to talk to somebody who knows our guest, who has spent time with them

• 1:49Amy Poehler?

  and who can speak well and give us a question. And we're going to talk today to Mitra Juhari. Mitra is an amazing actress, writer, producer. You may know her from Episodes of the Bear, from the show she created, Three Busy Debras. She's a writer on Big Mouth. And she's just incredible talent. Came up with Sarah, her good friend. We're going to check in with Mitra, who is on her lunch break, and get a question from her. So, hi, Mitra. It's good to see you.

• 2:26Amy Poehler?

  This episode is brought to you by Zoom. Many of us have been there. The calls where you zone out for one second and miss six key points. The quick check-ins that are anything but quick. Because here's the thing. Every conversation creates work. With Zoom, though, the conversation itself can actually move work forward. Zoom is now a full system of action that can actually complete work from the context of your existing meetings, calls and chats. No more post-call panic. No more inbox avalanche. You talked about it. Zoom got it done. Visit zoomahead.com to learn more.

• 3:12Amy Poehler?

  Mitra.

• 3:14Speaker 02

  She's on the set.

• 3:16Amy Poehler?

  Mitra is on the set. Mitra, where are we talking to you from?

• 3:22Speaker 02

  Netflix.

• 3:25Amy Poehler?

  A lot of people don't know Netflix has beautiful offices. Really, really.

• 3:30Speaker 02

  They give you a free hanger.

• 3:33Speaker 02

  So.

• 3:34Amy Poehler?

  Incredible. You can hang anything on that.

• 3:37Speaker 02

  You can hang anything on that as long as it's not pants because the hanger is broken.

• 3:43Speaker 02

  I hear giggles in the back. I'm, oh, I wish I was in there.

• 3:46Amy Poehler?

  On top of Mitra being incredibly talented, she's also like a real deal activist, boots-on-the-ground person. And I was thinking about during COVID when you, when you zoomed with my sons to talk to them about the LA unhoused situation and what they could do about it. It was Mitra.

• 4:07Speaker 02

  They were so cute and sweet. I like, I, I loved talking to them. They were so thoughtful and had such good questions and were really making me laugh.

• 4:18Amy Poehler?

  Remember that when we were all just like in that COVID bubble of just like, I guess we, I guess this is how we'll learn now.

• 4:26Speaker 02

  I was living with Patty and we were making some of the most fucked up cocktails imaginable. Like actively drinking them, being like, this is disgusting. And finishing them.

• 4:40Amy Poehler?

  Hattie Harrison, another hilarious comedian and actor. Okay, we've got Sarah coming in today.

• 4:47Speaker 02

  That's why I'm sad. Another reason why I'm sad I'm not there. I want to be seeing her.

• 4:50Amy Poehler?

  I have so many questions for Sarah. Did you watch her special?

• 4:53Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 4:56Speaker 02

  I have questions for her, too. Her nasty ass.

• 4:59Amy Poehler?

  Her nasty ass special. You have known Sarah for a very long time. When did you two first meet?

• 5:05Speaker 02

  Uh, 2015, and our mutual friend, Drennan, who knew her from Chicago, uh, she was coming out to New York to do shows, and she guessed it on this show called Holy Fuck that I was a part of, and he was like, "There's this freak coming named Sarah Sherman, and I think you guys would really like each other." And then we like hit it off immediately, and we went on a tour with this great comedian and writer named Jamie Loftus called The Sarah Mead and Jamie Are Ugly Tour.

• 5:36Speaker 02

  Um, and just like, she eventually wrote and appeared butt naked on Debra.

• 5:42Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, so we, we worked on a show together, Three Busy Debras, on Adult Swim, that you wrote and produced and you were the star of, uh, along with other Debras.

• 5:51Speaker 02

  Sandy and Alyssa.

• 5:52Amy Poehler?

  That's right. And Sarah was a writer on there, which is where I first heard her. And I, and I was introduced to her as Sarah Squirm, which is the name she was going by at the time, which I remember thinking at the time, it was unusual that a comic actor had, uh, like what felt like, almost like a rock star name.

• 6:09Speaker 02

  Yes. Which, and it makes so much sense, because like she came up in these great music venues and like was like, I feel like every time I would come to Chicago and do shows with her at the Hideout, it was always like with these really interesting bands that I would like, I've never heard of, would never have heard of. And, and she's like such a true fan of like live music and worked in radio and like just brings all of that. So like makes sense to me that this like person who's working in these DIY spaces, both like in music and standup and art, would have this sort of like rocker character persona.

• 6:43Amy Poehler?

  Totally. My questions today for her are really like, when did that? Persons start, when does that person come out? Because you know Sarah really well, and I've gotten to know her from getting to work with her. And her persona and her personality are like alike, but also very different.

• 7:02Speaker 02

  Yeah, she's like, I feel like it makes so much sense that she landed in Chicago because she does have this like warmth and like, I don't know, familiarity with people that feels very Midwestern to me, even though she's not from there, but like, she's just very cozy. People feel very comfortable with her, um, which you wouldn't expect from someone who's like, material is kind of exclusively about like, her flapping labia.

• 7:28Amy Poehler?

  Exactly, like, for people that are learning about Sarah here, like, her stuff on SNL is, you know, in the structure of SNL, but Sarah's material is like, super scatological. She calls it body horror. It's like a ton of like, dysmorphia on dysmorphia, shocking, shocking, shocking stuff. And, um, I want to ask Sarah, like, the cutaways to her audience during the special, I'm like, who is this audience?

• 7:55Speaker 02

  I have the same exact thought.

• 7:56Amy Poehler?

  So many men, so many men laughing and being like ritually humiliated and at the same time, it's amazing.

• 8:04Speaker 02

  Perverts.

• 8:08Amy Poehler?

  God, my favorite word, my favorite word.

• 8:10Speaker 02

  Would you say Sarah is your first pervert guest?

• 8:12Amy Poehler?

  Oh, absolutely not. No, but I love a pervert. Um, I don't like a creep.

• 8:19Speaker 02

  There's a difference.

• 8:19Amy Poehler?

  Big time. And it's a fine line. I mean, you know, and it's very, it happens, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying, but rarely are women creeps, but they can definitely be perverts. But if you're a perverted man, you have a high creep susceptibility, obviously.

• 8:35Speaker 02

  You gotta be really careful.

• 8:36Amy Poehler?

  You gotta be really.

• 8:40Amy Poehler?

  But a fun pervert, I mean, they kind of feel almost, you know, this is another thing that I want to talk to Sarah about is like, the way she is a fun pervert and then turns on her audience and yells at them for liking it. That's so real.

• 8:57Speaker 02

  Well, because it's like, it's such a relief to have someone, obviously in such a heightened way, but like, talk about all these, all these things that like, I also am like horrified by in my own body, or I'm like, why does it do that? Why is there hair there? What is that substance?

• 9:15Speaker 02

  Having someone put words to it and, and show it in like such a nat, like, it, it is so heightened, but it's also like how I feel looking at like these parts of me. And she, it, it like she, she really brings it to life in a way that is like, actually very inviting, I feel, where it's like, I'm disgusting. Aren't you disgusting? We're all disgusting. No, you're the disgusting one.

• 9:40Amy Poehler?

  Perfect way to sum it up. In watching her stuff, I'm like, on, on the surface level, it's kind of like grotesque, almost performance art stuff, but then underneath it is like this idea of claiming the stuff that gets thrown at us all the time anyway, just kind of claiming it and like doubling down on it.

• 10:02Speaker 02

  Yes, the horrors of being a woman and having a body.

• 10:06Amy Poehler?

  So I always ask people to give my guest a question. What do you think Sarah would want to talk about, answer? Small or big, any story you want to prompt her to tell, or anything you don't know about her yet?

• 10:19Speaker 02

  Okay, I wrote down a few.

• 10:20Amy Poehler?

  Oh, you're such a writer.

• 10:23Speaker 02

  I really overthought it.

• 10:28Amy Poehler?

  Why don't we get the room in here? Let's get the room in here and let's just keep pitching.

• 10:33Speaker 02

  Yeah, I got together about 30,000 of my favorite writers to put together a few questions for Sarah. Okay, um, I wanted to force her to talk about her, child musical theater career, because she was really, um, she has so many stories about like liberties she took with the characters that she was given.

• 10:56Amy Poehler?

  Amazing. Thank you. That's great.

• 11:00Speaker 02

  Okay, I had two like bigger questions. If you had a zillion dollars to make any disgusting practical creation, what would it be?

• 11:09Amy Poehler?

  Whoa, great question. We might have to ask all these questions. These are good.

• 11:14Speaker 02

  And then what is your biggest bomb? And what's your favorite show that you've done? So it's like a, you know, best and worst. Because I feel like Sarah's had some like really high highs and some really low lows. So I think either of those I would be really excited to hear about.

• 11:30Amy Poehler?

  Great question.

• 11:30Speaker 02

  And then if there's time, where does she stand on The Real Housewives of Rhode Island?

• 11:35Speaker 02

  You know, if you're on, you know, if you're like hitting a wall conversationally.

• 11:40Amy Poehler?

  Okay, perfect. I can't wait to ask her these questions. Really good questions, Mitra.

• 11:45Speaker 02

  Thank you.

• 11:45Amy Poehler?

  Thanks for talking to us on your lunch break.

• 11:47Speaker 02

  I loved every second.

• 11:50Amy Poehler?

  Okay, bye. Thanks, Mitra. Thanks so much.

• 11:53Speaker 02

  Bye.

• 11:53Amy Poehler?

  Bye, honey.

• 11:56Amy Poehler?

  This episode is brought to you by Allstate. Checking Allstate first could save you hundreds on car insurance. Not checking your pockets before putting clothes in the washer? Oof. Enjoy your freshly cleaned and completely destroyed earbuds. Yeah, checking first is a good plan. So check Allstate first for an auto quote. It could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. Potential savings vary, subject to terms, conditions, and availability. Allstate North American Insurance Company and Affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois.

• 12:27Speaker 03

  And this is the food wall. I should have, oh, I'm gonna count my, I should have brought a little food for the wall.

• 12:32Amy Poehler?

  It's okay, you don't need to bring it. I don't want that to be...

• 12:34Speaker 03

  I don't want to bring food for the wall.

• 12:37Amy Poehler?

  I didn't want it to people to feel like they needed to bring.

• 12:41Speaker 03

  I could, not to brag, I could have contributed to this like crazy.

• 12:44Amy Poehler?

  I can only imagine what you would have contributed to this.

• 12:47Speaker 03

  It's so amazing.

• 12:48Amy Poehler?

  I actually, before we start, I wore these in, on behalf of you. Because I feel like you would like them. I wore a cheeseburger sneaker.

• 12:56Speaker 03

  That should be on the food wall.

• 12:57Amy Poehler?

  All right, we'll put one on the wall.

• 12:58Speaker 03

  What is, let me...

• 12:59Amy Poehler?

  It's a cheeseburger sneaker from, um...

• 13:02Speaker 03

  It's Doll's Kill.

• 13:03Amy Poehler?

  It's Doll's Kill. And I feel like I'm not gonna lift my foot up because I don't want any perverts seeing our feet for free.

• 13:11Speaker 03

  Screenshots would sell for a lot of money, yup. And I'm wearing ice cream. Oh, I'm wearing ice cream. Oh, great, okay. I feel good now, okay. I'm not stressed. I was stressed that I didn't bring food, but I came as food.

• 13:23Amy Poehler?

  You came as food.

• 13:24Speaker 03

  I came as food.

• 13:26Amy Poehler?

  Sarah Sherman is here.

• 13:27Speaker 03

  Do you feel weird now that you're wearing one shoe?

• 13:30Amy Poehler?

  Such a good question. Let me think, let me take that in. Yeah, I'm gonna take the other shoe off.

• 13:35Speaker 03

  Yeah, right.

• 13:36Amy Poehler?

  But now perverts are gonna know that I'm barefoot the whole time.

• 13:39Speaker 03

  Can you see the feet?

• 13:40Amy Poehler?

  No, God, I would never let anyone see my feet.

• 13:43Speaker 03

  Have you seen?

• 13:44Amy Poehler?

  For free? No. Honey, for free?

• 13:47Speaker 03

  What do I look like? Take me out to dinner first, hello? Take me out to a plastic dinner first. Have you seen your Wiki feet?

• 13:55Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 13:55Speaker 03

  And what are we, what are we talking?

• 13:57Amy Poehler?

  I'm happy about it.

• 13:58Speaker 03

  Okay.

• 13:59Amy Poehler?

  I, you know, I feel like with body parts, no one knows this more than you. Like, you have to, some you make peace with, some you feel neutral about, some you have big thoughts about. I like my feet.

• 14:10Speaker 03

  I like.

• 14:11Amy Poehler?

  How about you?

• 14:13Speaker 03

  I have like, I got anxious recently. Well, as you know, on the show, we have to wear many different shoes, many different hats, many different shoes, many different ways. I'm always put in sort of, I think everyone's doing a practical joke on me by putting me in these big heels, to the point where one of the writers, Asha Ward, shout out.

• 14:30Amy Poehler?

  Asha?

• 14:31Speaker 03

  She puts like, in the stage direction, like Sarah exits, like tic, tic, tic, tic, tic, tic, tic, because that's my heel shuffle, like tic, tic, tic, tic, tic, tic, tic, tic, tic, tic, click, clack, clack, click, clack, clack, clack, because I can't walk in a heel.

• 14:41Amy Poehler?

  I can't either.

• 14:42Speaker 03

  I'm always clacking around. And so something happened to my feet where I think one of my toes, I have no medical basis for this. I did not go to a doctor, I did not look this up.

• 14:53Amy Poehler?

  Interesting.

• 14:53Speaker 03

  I think that one of my toes is like, it's a toe.

• 14:59Amy Poehler?

  I love that we're talking about body stuff right away. I love it. I know I did. I asked for it.

• 15:06Speaker 03

  I don't know. I should look this up. In my head, one of my toes is just, the bones are loose, but inside of the toe sack.

• 15:12Amy Poehler?

  Well, I have a whole thing about, you know, like,

• 15:14Speaker 03

  Oh, my God, you have a whole thing about it.

• 15:16Amy Poehler?

  But your feet, now we're really giving it for the pervs who love feet.

• 15:18Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 15:19Amy Poehler?

  But your feet, your feet health are very important. Like now, because I'm getting to the age where I'm starting to read like-

• 15:24Speaker 03

  Barely 21. You're getting to the age of barely 21.

• 15:28Amy Poehler?

  Barely legal, always. That, what do you, what needs to stay healthy for you to like, survive the next-

• 15:35Speaker 03

  Is it feet?

• 15:36Amy Poehler?

  And feet is a big one. Like, meaning, you gotta be able, take, take care of your feet, have good balance. Do you have good balance? Can you balance on one leg?

• 15:46Speaker 03

  I'm saying this like so cockily, I feel like, yeah.

• 15:49Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, right on. You did it.

• 15:51Speaker 03

  And I don't have, I'm gonna say something, again, this is more feet thing. I have a huge arch.

• 15:56Amy Poehler?

  That's very, so do I.

• 15:58Speaker 03

  It's crazy.

• 15:59Amy Poehler?

  And it's good to have it.

• 16:00Speaker 03

  Okay.

• 16:00Amy Poehler?

  Because not only does it make your feet look nice, when you want to eventually sell your feet pics, which we're all gonna be there, like-

• 16:07Speaker 03

  I have tried, actually, and I have failed.

• 16:11Amy Poehler?

  Okay, we're gonna get into that. Sarah Sherman is here. She is our first SNL, current SNL cast member on the show.

• 16:19Speaker 03

  I wonder if I have all the scoop. Do I have all the scoops?

• 16:22Amy Poehler?

  Well, you're a vet.

• 16:25Amy Poehler?

  Like, how many years have you been on the show?

• 16:26Speaker 03

  About five.

• 16:27Amy Poehler?

  Five. But you just wrapped SNL, you have a comedy special out. It's incredible. I cannot wait to talk about it. It's insane.

• 16:35Speaker 03

  It's quite insane.

• 16:36Amy Poehler?

  It's quite insane. Right now, you're in that, like, school's out, summertime, like, you just finished your last show last week. How are you feeling? How's your energy level? Where are you at?

• 16:47Speaker 03

  I feel like I had so, when you hosted this season-

• 16:50Amy Poehler?

  That was at the very beginning, right?

• 16:52Speaker 03

  And not to suck your butt, but everybody goes, who's your favorite host? I go, everyone goes, Amy Poehler, like, immediately.

• 16:58Amy Poehler?

  That's such a bad thought.

• 16:58Speaker 03

  And I had a lot of questions for you. I was like, what?

• 17:02Amy Poehler?

  I felt, I wish, like, like every, it's so funny, as a cast member, you have such an experience. And then when you're a host, you have the experience, which is like, you just wish you could immediately do it again.

• 17:12Speaker 03

  Yes.

• 17:13Amy Poehler?

  Immediately. And the, I was just saying, this is one of my favorite times are always the in-between times.

• 17:20Speaker 03

  Interesting.

• 17:20Amy Poehler?

  I love the, like, the joking around between scenes. I like the, like- The beginning of the week.

• 17:27Speaker 03

  Yes.

• 17:27Amy Poehler?

  The show is like the event, but I tend to remember and like the like weird middle times. And I have such a fond memory of me, you and Bowen. I know. Sitting on a couch and really like getting to know you in a way that I don't think I had in a fast amount of time.

• 17:46Speaker 03

  Yes. Laughing nonstop.

• 17:49Amy Poehler?

  I know. And a lot of giggles.

• 17:50Speaker 03

  A lot of giggling laughing.

• 17:52Amy Poehler?

  Thank you for saying that. Okay. So I was your favorite host, Grace. Appreciate that.

• 17:56Speaker 03

  My favorite, like, I wish people saw the table read. Like, that is when I am laughing. I'm like, and that was my favorite part of your week because, okay, I'm gonna, the butt sucking is gonna commence.

• 18:10Amy Poehler?

  I'm usually doing that.

• 18:11Speaker 03

  Okay, good. Well, this is gonna be a good hang with Sarah.

• 18:14Amy Poehler?

  I'm gonna try to receive.

• 18:15Speaker 03

  I, you, like, obvi, so, it's like, obviously, you're good at SNL. Like, obviously, but seeing, you know, how many sketches are at table read? Like 40? You have a different funny thing. You were doing like fun, new character voices for every sketch out of the 40. And it's like, how many of those were cold reads? And you were just like, like the doll with the eye.

• 18:37Amy Poehler?

  Oh, yeah, that was a good sketch. Seth wrote that.

• 18:40Speaker 03

  Laughing.

• 18:41Amy Poehler?

  He submitted a sketch for us and we didn't do it.

• 18:43Speaker 03

  I try to watch so that I can organically laugh if I'm not in a sketch. I try not to read those sketches ahead of time.

• 18:48Amy Poehler?

  Oh, interesting. Okay, yeah.

• 18:49Speaker 03

  So I watched the whole table read like.

• 18:50Amy Poehler?

  But that's very generous of you because you're actually providing an audience, which people don't usually do. Like, you know, everyone's in their own world at those read throughs and everyone's tired and everyone's like waiting for their stuff to get on. And so the fact that you could even do that means that you're like trying to actually stay present. Like, you're a generous person.

• 19:09Speaker 03

  And, well, I think it's also a pathetic.

• 19:11Amy Poehler?

  Sucking butt right back at you.

• 19:13Speaker 03

  Take it. We're human centipede ourselves all the way in the rubbers. I mean, come on. That's a good trilogy. There's three.

• 19:22Amy Poehler?

  I cannot believe that movie was made.

• 19:25Speaker 03

  The movies. There's three.

• 19:26Amy Poehler?

  I know. There's three.

• 19:27Speaker 03

  There are three. And you need me to talk about the differences between them?

• 19:31Amy Poehler?

  For some reason, because I am so aghast at that movie, I get it constantly on my TikTok.

• 19:36Speaker 03

  Having a resurgence?

• 19:37Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, there's like a lot of clips about, or like I just keep watching.

• 19:42Speaker 03

  Right.

• 19:42Amy Poehler?

  Because I'm horrified by it. Okay, sorry, I digress.

• 19:44Speaker 03

  You are making it happen. I'm gonna use your podcast platform to do something. Tom Six.

• 19:50Amy Poehler?

  No.

• 19:50Speaker 03

  If you are doing a human centipede.

• 19:53Amy Poehler?

  No, do not.

• 19:54Speaker 03

  Hello?

• 19:55Amy Poehler?

  We do not need a human centipede.

• 19:57Speaker 03

  I got ideas.

• 19:57Amy Poehler?

  No.

• 19:58Speaker 03

  I'll do it. I will show.

• 19:59Amy Poehler?

  She won't. She will not. And I will not allow her. Absolutely not.

• 20:03Speaker 03

  Black and white, full color, bed over.

• 20:05Amy Poehler?

  No, no, absolutely not. We don't need it. Not now.

• 20:07Speaker 03

  Some of the best, most important cinema that's been made.

• 20:10Amy Poehler?

  It's fucking disgusting. And Tom, you are a freak. Okay. But you're, you're on your summer break.

• 20:17Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 20:17Amy Poehler?

  So you like, what do you do for your summer? What are you doing?

• 20:21Speaker 03

  So I'm experimenting with something this summer. I don't understand how anyone can do anything while SNL is happening.

• 20:28Amy Poehler?

  Right.

• 20:28Speaker 03

  I feel like, were you doing this?

• 20:30Amy Poehler?

  No.

• 20:31Speaker 03

  I can't, well, I even said, cause.

• 20:32Amy Poehler?

  I was all consuming.

• 20:33Speaker 03

  When, when, when, I even said to you, cause you did work birth. And it was about you being, the sketch when you hosted about you being pregnant and giving birth at work.

• 20:40Amy Poehler?

  Right.

• 20:40Speaker 03

  And I was like, okay, so this actually was your life.

• 20:43Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 20:44Speaker 03

  The fact that you were pregnant there, I can't even work there, like if my contact is too dry.

• 20:50Amy Poehler?

  I don't know what your life is and if you ever want to carry a child. But pregnancy is wild and funny and fun because you are completely different body and you love body stuff. And you're, you scare a lot of people by walking around.

• 21:03Speaker 03

  And it scares me.

• 21:04Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, it's scary.

• 21:05Speaker 03

  And I'm like, what do you mean? They're moving my organs around inside of me. They have to stay where they are.

• 21:10Amy Poehler?

  So sci-fi, that there's a body inside of you.

• 21:13Speaker 03

  That's where.

• 21:14Amy Poehler?

  You're never alone.

• 21:15Speaker 03

  I, I can't even imagine, like my body can't even take being at the job regular. Not that pregnant isn't regular. New normal.

• 21:23Amy Poehler?

  New normal. Hey, watch it.

• 21:25Speaker 03

  Watch it. But like, if I have like a bad burrito and I'm like bloated, I'm like, I can't, I can't right.

• 21:32Amy Poehler?

  Well, this is what I mean is like, the idea of like, everyone knowing when someone has a stomach ache, that's new.

• 21:38Speaker 03

  That, that is new.

• 21:39Amy Poehler?

  That's new.

• 21:40Speaker 03

  You know what I don't like? And I'm, I'll say it. I'll stand on my two feet, buckle my shoe and say, I don't like it. It's like hot girls with IBS. It's like, I'm not proud.

• 21:49Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 21:49Speaker 03

  Of the diarrhea that I have every single day chronically.

• 21:52Amy Poehler?

  And we're about seven minutes in, we got to diarrhea.

• 21:54Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 21:55Amy Poehler?

  I was hoping we would.

• 21:56Speaker 03

  Well, to the morning.

• 21:58Amy Poehler?

  I just think that like more and more, there's a, oh, there's an acceptance that everyone has a different way to work.

• 22:05Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 22:05Amy Poehler?

  Within the system.

• 22:07Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 22:07Amy Poehler?

  And I would say that you being on the show is also, I think, another example of like how the show has smartly remembered that it is a variety show.

• 22:18Speaker 03

  Right.

• 22:18Amy Poehler?

  With a million different voices and different styles. And so there just was, I think, a little bit more, it was just like a more homogeneous, same way to do it, same people writing it, same people on it, and it just keeps changing.

• 22:29Speaker 03

  I actually think about this a lot because I'm like, this is not even to say it self deprecatingly, said that with an accent. I don't think I would have gotten on the show during your era.

• 22:43Amy Poehler?

  No.

• 22:44Speaker 03

  Because, yeah, no.

• 22:45Amy Poehler?

  That's not controversial.

• 22:47Speaker 03

  But I'm, would have, I would like to be a more talented sketch performer.

• 22:54Amy Poehler?

  Okay, let's discuss this.

• 22:55Speaker 03

  I find myself to be quite limited.

• 22:58Amy Poehler?

  Oh, okay.

• 22:59Speaker 03

  And I would, do you know what I'm saying?

• 23:00Amy Poehler?

  Well, okay, let's.

• 23:01Speaker 03

  So I'm thinking my lucky stars, I was not born, you know, I was born when I was born.

• 23:05Amy Poehler?

  Okay, Sarah Sherman, let's go back.

• 23:07Speaker 03

  No, we're going back.

• 23:08Amy Poehler?

  We're going back to Long Island.

• 23:09Speaker 03

  Oh, we're going back 18 years. Well, I'm 18 now, so.

• 23:15Amy Poehler?

  Just turn.

• 23:16Speaker 03

  18 now, carry the load.

• 23:18Amy Poehler?

  Carry the load.

• 23:19Speaker 03

  You're 21.

• 23:20Amy Poehler?

  So you're in Long Island as a little.

• 23:21Speaker 03

  Yeah, as a little, yeah.

• 23:22Amy Poehler?

  As a little, your mom is a public school teacher?

• 23:25Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 23:26Amy Poehler?

  So was mine.

• 23:27Speaker 03

  Oh.

• 23:28Amy Poehler?

  And your dad runs a children's clothing company?

• 23:31Speaker 03

  Uh huh.

• 23:32Amy Poehler?

  Fascinating.

• 23:33Speaker 03

  Fab.

• 23:34Amy Poehler?

  Like, of course that you love clothes, of course you dress.

• 23:37Speaker 03

  I know, but I'm like addicted.

• 23:38Amy Poehler?

  Okay.

• 23:39Speaker 03

  It is his fault.

• 23:40Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, so he's, so he is like, he's like a garmento.

• 23:43Speaker 03

  Yeah, he is like old school Jewish schmata business. So it's like everyone saw Uncut Gems was like the diamond district in Manhattan, it's all those Jewish guys running around. Two blocks over is the garment district, and schmata is Yiddish for rags. So it's like all the same kind of Jewish guys running around with clothes.

• 23:59Amy Poehler?

  Right. Long Island seems like it has produced some really. Complicated, interesting characters.

• 24:06Speaker 03

  Well, I saw on Cut Gems.

• 24:09Amy Poehler?

  Yep.

• 24:09Speaker 03

  And I go, huh, that's about my dad. Just the vibe.

• 24:14Amy Poehler?

  Right.

• 24:14Speaker 03

  So I stalked the writer and I was like, you wrote a movie about my dad. And he goes, well, this is actually quite interesting because I'm from your neighborhood. I went to a high school near your high school and my dad is in schmatta. So, yeah, I did.

• 24:28Amy Poehler?

  Whoa.

• 24:28Speaker 03

  I know. Long Island.

• 24:30Amy Poehler?

  Okay, what is fifth grade Sarah look like?

• 24:34Speaker 03

  So annoying. I was like. Because I was like, the clothes thing, like, my dad was in schmatta. I grew up around clothes. So like, I was addicted to The Nanny.

• 24:45Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 24:45Speaker 03

  Golden Girls. And like, my big thing, um, when, in middle school, when I started doing middle school plays, Ms. Orange, who ran the costume department, would let me kind of raid the costume closet.

• 24:59Amy Poehler?

  Okay, this makes sense. And you were into that.

• 25:01Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 25:01Amy Poehler?

  Okay, we, we, um, we, we, we always speak to people who know our guests really well. We get a question from them and we talk to Mitra.

• 25:08Speaker 03

  Oh, okay.

• 25:09Amy Poehler?

  So Mitra gave us a, she's the best.

• 25:12Speaker 03

  What did you do, girl?

• 25:14Amy Poehler?

  And she gave us a couple really good questions.

• 25:15Speaker 03

  Oh, okay.

• 25:16Amy Poehler?

  So throughout this interview, I'm gonna pepper them in.

• 25:18Speaker 03

  Okay.

• 25:19Amy Poehler?

  Of course, Mitra, good girl, giving us so many good questions.

• 25:21Speaker 03

  Oh, I'm sure. I'm sure the list is long.

• 25:24Amy Poehler?

  And this Ms. Orange reminds me of one of those questions, which is, um, you did a lot of musical theater as a kid.

• 25:32Speaker 03

  I did.

• 25:33Amy Poehler?

  And you took liberty with some parts.

• 25:35Speaker 03

  I did. And Mitra, you know what you have done.

• 25:40Speaker 03

  Mitra knows what she has done.

• 25:42Amy Poehler?

  Okay, she's helping out her friend.

• 25:43Speaker 03

  I just, I, let me explain myself. I'm gonna defend myself here. I always wanted to be a comedian. Like, grew up watching it.

• 25:54Amy Poehler?

  Why, why do you think? Funny family?

• 25:56Speaker 03

  Funny family.

• 25:57Amy Poehler?

  Okay, yeah.

• 25:57Speaker 03

  Really funny family, funny dad, funny, like, you know, love, love expression was like, mean, bullying, funny.

• 26:07Amy Poehler?

  Yes, got it.

• 26:07Speaker 03

  Was addicted to, like, Seinfeld, SNL.

• 26:10Amy Poehler?

  Brothers and Sisters?

• 26:12Speaker 03

  Younger brother, also funny, but I was kind of like a bully, but it was funny.

• 26:15Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 26:16Speaker 03

  So, you know.

• 26:17Amy Poehler?

  That's when bullies were funny.

• 26:18Speaker 03

  I know, right. And I had a big, um, science room skeleton in my room. My parents were always like, why'd you end up like this? You're normal. And I'm like, you got me a giant science room skeleton when I was like. You know, my brother was like three on April Fool's. I loved April Fool's Day because that also felt like the comedian's day to shine. It's like clown's Christmas.

• 26:42Speaker 03

  He was like three and I put this giant life-size science room skeleton in his bed and he woke up crying. You know, so it's like stuff like that. I loved April. My bar mitzvah was on April Fool's Day.

• 26:53Amy Poehler?

  Whoa, what was the theme?

• 26:55Speaker 03

  It was April Fool's.

• 26:56Amy Poehler?

  It was April Fool's was the theme.

• 26:58Speaker 03

  Yeah, and the invitation was snakes in a can that I hand delivered to everyone's house.

• 27:02Amy Poehler?

  You learn so much about people when they talk about their bar mitzvah.

• 27:05Speaker 03

  You really do.

• 27:07Amy Poehler?

  Like Ike Barimot was in here and his was like, I like Ike, like he was running. He was like, he was like running for, you know, president or whatever. You learn so much about what their hopes and dreams are. Okay, snakes in a can, incredible.

• 27:21Speaker 03

  On every seat. And like, you know, you're on, in a bar mitzvah, you're like on the Bima, the stage at the synagogue. I had a rapt audience of like 80-year-old, old bald Jewish guys. I was going off. That was my first, like, I crushed at my bar mitzvah.

• 27:39Amy Poehler?

  Oh my God, do you remember any of your material?

• 27:42Speaker 03

  It's like, because it was my first, you know, I was, I've been, what is it, Chasing the Dragon or whatever? Ever since, like the high.

• 27:49Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 27:49Speaker 03

  Was, I went to a very conservative synagogue.

• 27:52Amy Poehler?

  Okay.

• 27:52Speaker 03

  And it's like, the service is like eight hours, intense Hebrew. I didn't know a word I was saying. And they go like, and now the sisterhood of the temple would like to present you with your gift. And like these two conservative women came up with candlesticks. I go, great, just what I always wanted.

• 28:13Speaker 03

  And my mom was in the front going. And then, not to brag, it was kind of the talk of the town for like a second.

• 28:20Amy Poehler?

  I bet.

• 28:21Speaker 03

  It was kind of like, everyone was like, oh, he's killed.

• 28:25Amy Poehler?

  Great, what I always wanted. Turning to a camera that's not there.

• 28:34Amy Poehler?

  Okay, so what liberties did you take as a musical theater kid? What, how did you interpret the parts?

• 28:39Speaker 03

  You're so evil.

• 28:40Amy Poehler?

  Is this, is this a non-PC story?

• 28:43Speaker 03

  So, I just wanted to be a comedian, I wanted to be a performer. So, it's like, I would do any play. Like, I would do, like, I couldn't sing or dance, but I'd do the musicals because I just wanted to do it. And I could never get a part because it wasn't good. But I was like, in with the costume closet, Ms. Orange would let me. Like, that's, I got addicted to like 80's old, like, sequin jackets because like, Grandma Yetta and the nanny would wear them and that's, she let, and Ms. Orange let me keep the jackets.

• 29:10Amy Poehler?

  Sweet.

• 29:10Speaker 03

  I know, the one that looked exactly like Grandma Yetta's sequin jacket. And so she let me kind of, I didn't have a part, I was in the chorus and into the woods.

• 29:19Amy Poehler?

  Oh, yeah.

• 29:19Speaker 03

  Which was behind a scrim.

• 29:22Amy Poehler?

  You were in the woods?

• 29:23Speaker 03

  I was in the woods in silhouette.

• 29:25Amy Poehler?

  Sure.

• 29:25Speaker 03

  So, I was just basically a little outline.

• 29:28Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 29:29Speaker 03

  But I was in the costume closet, I found a red and black lace gown with a fur hand muff.

• 29:37Amy Poehler?

  Oh, yeah.

• 29:37Speaker 03

  And I went to the director and I said, so this is my costume, I am, my character is the Russian czarina. And so, I'm just, I didn't really think I even knew what that was, I didn't have any words, I didn't have an accent, nothing. And so, in the playbill, it would be like all the leads listed.

• 29:56Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 29:56Speaker 03

  And then like the chorus.

• 29:57Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 29:58Speaker 03

  A whole list of all the faceless people behind the scrim. And then Sarah Sherman will be playing the Russian czarina.

• 30:04Amy Poehler?

  That's incredible, you created your own.

• 30:06Speaker 03

  What's a personality disorder?

• 30:08Amy Poehler?

  But it's such a, I mean, that is the thing about you, Sarah, is, and like, we'll get to it with SNL, but like, there is an innate confidence about you that, and I say that because I want you to know, to me, that's like the, what distinguishes people on SNL right away.

• 30:27Speaker 03

  Sure.

• 30:27Amy Poehler?

  Whether, the content doesn't matter, it's like, are we worried about you when we're watching you? I'm never worried about you, anytime you're ever performing, like, and it's not like cocky, like, because you're super self-deprecating all the time, you're very honest, you're Very like your, your, your feelings are right up front and center. But there is a confidence that I feel like you just were born with. This idea of like grabbing things and wanting them.

• 30:52Speaker 03

  I think I am so used to bombing. Even though it sounds like I crushed my first time at bat. I'm so, it's like, and everything that has all, every bad thing could, that could happen to me on stage has already happened, kind of thing. So it's like, I don't even know if it's like confidence, it's like, I'm a fucking crush this shit right now. It's like, what, what more could happen? I bombed at Madison Square Garden, what more could happen?

• 31:18Amy Poehler?

  But ambivalence is confidence, too.

• 31:20Speaker 03

  Yeah, sure.

• 31:20Amy Poehler?

  It is, like this idea of like, I'm just gonna float a little bit, a little dissociation too. But like, I'm gonna float above this moment so that you're gonna have to come find me. I'm not gonna like, be like, like me, like me, like me.

• 31:31Speaker 03

  Right.

• 31:32Amy Poehler?

  That's the difference. But you went Northwestern.

• 31:35Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 31:35Amy Poehler?

  And oh, this is what I find so interesting when you talk about like, I wanna have more experience in sketch and improv. You try out for like the sketch group, don't get in.

• 31:43Speaker 03

  Yeah. Yeah. Which was like devastating. Is devastating.

• 31:49Amy Poehler?

  That's devastating.

• 31:50Speaker 03

  And I had tried stand up, like I dabbled a little bit when I was like 16, like I, I like going to, doing an open mic at like a barbecue restaurant, cause you know, couldn't do a bar yet. Like, I dabbled a little, but that was my first big like, you know, all I wanted to do is be a comedian. And it, when someone was like, my peers were like, no. I was like, you're kidding me?

• 32:11Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 32:12Speaker 03

  And so I'm full of, I could be motivated by spite.

• 32:14Amy Poehler?

  But then you started a comedy show in Chicago called Hell Trap Nightmare.

• 32:18Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 32:18Amy Poehler?

  How would you describe that show?

• 32:20Speaker 03

  Um, like the first two.

• 32:25Amy Poehler?

  I like that you rolled your eyes at your own stuff.

• 32:26Speaker 03

  How could I even begin to? This is the first show, it was in my friend's basement. We were, of course, it was, Chicago has like an amazing DIY, electronic noise, crazy performance art comedy scene.

• 32:42Speaker 03

  And like, you know, there was like comedy, like there's all this improv in Chicago and whatever, but it's like the funniest people to me were these like freaks.

• 32:51Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 32:51Speaker 03

  So like my friend Mike Sugarman was performing as, under this noise moniker, Shug. And the first Helltrap Nightment, Nightment, I had a stroke. The first Helltrap Nightmare was in my friend's basement. The poster was like, a woman's face was see-through and you could see her teeth and brains.

• 33:07Amy Poehler?

  Sure.

• 33:08Speaker 03

  Cause I was like, you know, that's the trigger warning.

• 33:10Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 33:10Speaker 03

  And, you know, I hosted, I did like 10 bad minutes of stand-up. And then my friend Shug came out in a trench coat, in a wig, sunglasses, flashed everyone. And he had chorizo taped to his dick. And was, you know, smashing light bulbs, but that was music, of course.

• 33:30Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 33:31Speaker 03

  And I think I did a, I don't even know what the, these bits were like, it was like a stretch to call it comedy. Like.

• 33:39Amy Poehler?

  Well, it was like performance art, right?

• 33:41Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 33:42Amy Poehler?

  But with, but with like.

• 33:43Speaker 03

  The intent was to be funny, but when I chugged a can of room temperature clam chowder. I think the joke was literally like, oh, you like a woman who's a tall drink of water? I'm, I'm a tall can of clam chowder and then chug the whole thing. And everyone's like, cool.

• 34:01Speaker 03

  Okay.

• 34:02Amy Poehler?

  You know, it's, we don't need to look back on our bits and explain them. They were just like moments.

• 34:07Speaker 03

  They were what they were.

• 34:08Amy Poehler?

  They were moments, babe. You were experimenting.

• 34:10Speaker 03

  Of course.

• 34:10Amy Poehler?

  But you were, you were like, I mean, I, I think it's one of the things that you've brought to the show. Like just your aesthetic, not only outside, but like your influences. Like you are very, very interested in all types of media and art.

• 34:25Speaker 03

  I am.

• 34:26Amy Poehler?

  We, we talk about in your special, like, like Paula Poundstone fucked SpongeBob. You also talk about like.

• 34:32Speaker 03

  Yeah. Like barely makes sense, by the way, and gave birth to what? Sometimes I just say stuff and I'm like, eh, it's going in.

• 34:42Amy Poehler?

  But also Ren and Stimpy and like Pee Wee.

• 34:45Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 34:45Amy Poehler?

  What were your like, what kind of stuff were you like, when you think about all that stuff that jammed in your head when you were younger? What jam, what got in there?

• 34:55Speaker 03

  I think like I always, I loved doing art and making stuff. And I also loved performing comedy and for some reason I didn't know that you could do both at the same time. Like when I had started, so it was like 2015, like, you know, there's not like the internet in the way it is now. Like, I didn't realize I could blend art, like I was doing all the posters for my show. Like, cause it's like, it was very, you know, raunchy, blue, like horrific comedy. So I'd make the posters be like lungs with nipples on it and be like, you know what the show's gonna be, whatever.

• 35:25Amy Poehler?

  Right.

• 35:27Speaker 03

  The letters are like a tampon with poop on it, so I remember. I wasn't that creative, but I was like, oh, that was like a trigger for the show. Awesome. My mom, by the way, too, my special taping wore my old Hell Chap Nightmare shirt, which was a uterus with ovary eyeballs and a severed finger shoved up into the, and a smiling, like open gashed vagina with like a butthole. What'd you guys do? Insert picture here.

• 35:57Amy Poehler?

  Sarah, how does you, what do your parents think of your, like, how do they, it is so intense.

• 36:05Speaker 03

  It's intense. It's intense.

• 36:07Amy Poehler?

  And, and I, I don't mean to be misogynistic because like if it's a man, it's, they get a different pass, but like your stuff. As a parent, because your parents love you and they love that you're, they love the work. How did they like, do they invite their friends to your show?

• 36:23Speaker 03

  Yes.

• 36:24Amy Poehler?

  They, they're down.

• 36:25Speaker 03

  It is, it's literally like Paul Schrader hardcore, the, the, no, my daughter, no, turn it off. When he has to watch his daughter doing porn, it is that, but, um, no, turn it off. But, um, they love it.

• 36:38Amy Poehler?

  They love it.

• 36:39Speaker 03

  They are really supportive and I do think I had to say it. I think that's like what the confidence is a little.

• 36:46Amy Poehler?

  Okay, I, I. I think that that's true. I didn't want to say it, but like, I'm learning about like, loving parents' privilege. Like, if you have parents who are like, you're great, that really creates a scaffolding for the rest of your life, obviously, when you try things where you're like, well, I guess my parents will still love me.

• 37:02Speaker 03

  No, I, there's not a threat of losing my family.

• 37:06Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 37:07Speaker 03

  And like, maybe this is TMI, but I did a bit, I've done a lot of like, updates where I'm in a big animal costume, and that is Lauren's idea.

• 37:15Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 37:16Speaker 03

  Because I think I'm like, he's like, what am I gonna do with her? She's crazy. She's like a wild animal. Oh, I'll just make her be a wild animal. I don't think people know that he pitches, like, he was like, you're gonna play a squirrel. I'm like, okay.

• 37:30Speaker 03

  Whatever you want. You're my boss. Okay, boss. He said, like, after I did, I think, a squirrel or some fucking animal, he said, when you did that, I could tell you were loved as a child. And I was like,

• 37:44Amy Poehler?

  clocked.

• 37:45Speaker 03

  Clock, clock. He has very-

• 37:48Amy Poehler?

  Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

• 37:50Speaker 03

  I remember being like-

• 37:52Amy Poehler?

  Oh, yeah. Yeah. He, as the kids would say, he can read you really fast.

• 37:58Speaker 03

  For filth.

• 37:59Amy Poehler?

  For filth.

• 38:00Speaker 03

  Filth.

• 38:05Amy Poehler?

  This episode is brought to you by Allstate. Checking Allstate first could save you hundreds on car insurance. Not checking which group chat you're typing in before hitting send? Next thing you know, you sent a scalding hot take about the restaurant to the group with the person who picked it. Yikes. Yeah, checking first is a good idea, so check Allstate first for an auto quote. It could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. Potential savings vary, subject to terms, conditions, and availability. Allstate North American Insurance Company and Affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. 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

• 38:47Amy Poehler?

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• 39:10Amy Poehler?

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• 39:53Amy Poehler?

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• 40:37Amy Poehler?

  Okay, so you have this, this way of performing, and then you auditioned for SNL first when you're really young.

• 40:45Speaker 03

  Mm-hmm.

• 40:45Amy Poehler?

  Don't get in.

• 40:46Speaker 03

  Mm-hmm.

• 40:47Amy Poehler?

  What was that like?

• 40:48Speaker 03

  Well...

• 40:49Amy Poehler?

  Like, was it a real audition? Did you go into the studio?

• 40:52Speaker 03

  No.

• 40:52Amy Poehler?

  Okay.

• 40:52Speaker 03

  It was, um, Sharna Halpern from I.O., shout-out, girl.

• 40:56Amy Poehler?

  Shout-out, Sharna. Let's talk about Sharna for one second. Sharna Halpern ran Improv Olympic, a theater in Chicago now called I.O. because the Olympics sued and made them change their name.

• 41:05Speaker 03

  The Olympics.

• 41:06Amy Poehler?

  The Olympics. That's right. And, um, Sharna was the, was the director who, in my case, just like, put me on an improv team, said, "Hey, there's a woman named Tina, you're gonna really like her."

• 41:19Speaker 03

  That's...

• 41:20Amy Poehler?

  Sharna arranged that marriage. And Sharna was in charge of so many of us and like launched so many careers.

• 41:27Speaker 03

  Oh my God, I didn't know that.

• 41:28Amy Poehler?

  So Halpern, Sharna got you in front of the... Sharna, she's always had an eye.

• 41:33Speaker 03

  She knows. That's great because I just wanted to do comedy. I couldn't get into the fucking college thing. And so I was like, oh, I'll go do it in Chicago, stuff in Chicago. And I was like kind of a bad fit. And I'm like not, again, I feel self-conscious about my limited range. It's like you kind of need a little bit of range for improv. And I was kind of not a good fit there. And I would also wear like, they would be like, I have to get talkings too. It's like, hey, you're wearing a big shirt with the brain on it. It's a little distracting. I'm like, fair, fair. I was like, I'm kind of a bad fit there. But she was like, you're gonna do the SNL audition. And at that time, I was like, I was 22 and I was like, that's a bad idea. Because I was doing these shows with the tereso penis, whatever.

• 42:18Speaker 03

  And I was like, I just didn't... And she was like, you're gonna do that. She's like, you're gonna be great, like if you need help with it. And I was like, well, everyone tells you... I didn't know anything and you know, everyone's like, oh, your five minutes has to be like characters and impressions or whatever. So I did that and it was obviously terrible. Like it was just like, I was trying to do what I thought the assignment was.

• 42:40Amy Poehler?

  Sure.

• 42:41Speaker 03

  And I bombed really badly.

• 42:45Speaker 03

  I wore like my, I remember what I wore. I wore, I know, we're actually finding out I'm a clothes addict. All my memories are marked by like my outfit.

• 42:54Amy Poehler?

  Well, I would say that you like work from the outside in.

• 42:57Speaker 03

  Yeah, I do. And actually, this is a problem at SNL a little bit.

• 43:01Amy Poehler?

  All right, well, now it's time, now for season six, Inside Out. Work from the inside out.

• 43:07Speaker 03

  I've been trying, it's really hard.

• 43:08Amy Poehler?

  I would love to see you just in a, I would love to see you in a neutral dress, a slip dress, hair natural, no makeup.

• 43:15Speaker 03

  Yes.

• 43:16Amy Poehler?

  Leaves blowing.

• 43:18Speaker 03

  Hello, children. Your homework's late.

• 43:23Speaker 03

  Big recurring character. Your homework's late. Can I think, can somebody write that down? It's amazing. But this is Lauren's big thing with me. He's like, just, let's just.

• 43:32Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 43:33Speaker 03

  Get it to, and I'm like, for si-.

• 43:36Amy Poehler?

  Okay, it's okay, it's okay. Don't, don't beat yourself up. I mean, it's, it's a lot to ask.

• 43:40Speaker 03

  It's a lot, it's hard.

• 43:41Amy Poehler?

  It is, it's hard. It's hard to show any, especially when you're, it's like playing with, it's like practicing with your backhand. Like you're really, your forehand's really strong. And you're like, I can score. And someone's like, now hit it with your backhand. And you're like, now?

• 43:56Speaker 03

  I know. I'm 33. You don't think I was trying?

• 43:59Amy Poehler?

  Yes, okay.

• 44:00Speaker 03

  And I, I try, like, you know, Ashley Padilla started two years ago. And I'm like, oh my God, like, character. And like, everyone, every character she has is like an internal world. And like, the jokes come kind of easy to her because she has like insight. She like knows what the character wants. And there's like, there's a motivation there. And I feel like I've been doing it all wrong for like six fucking years. Cause I'm like, what if the wig is weird? And then you have to come, like, writing the joke, cause it's so much harder. Cause you're like forcing it from the other way around. It's, it's outside in, so it's a little harder.

• 44:34Amy Poehler?

  I'm gonna say something right now. I think you're not afraid of the failure. I think you're afraid of the success. Cause I actually think you can do it. I actually think you are a good actor and you can do it. You're afraid of being successful at it. So, like.

• 44:49Speaker 03

  If anyone wants to cast me, I'm not afraid of being an actor. I am free. People say that thing where they're like, oh my God, your standup, that's so brave. I'm like, it's, it's cowardice. It is true. Yes, it is true cowardice. Like I, you know, so many things even in my special are like, people are like, oh my God, you're like loose and riffing. Uh, that's all written down.

• 45:12Speaker 03

  You think I would riff during my HBO comedy festival? No, I have a pre-planned bit. I'm like, I'm gonna find someone in the crowd wearing glasses. And I go, why'd you wear glasses to the show? So you could wear your pre- pre- best. Start it wrong.

• 45:27Amy Poehler?

  It's okay, we'll, we'll edit it. Here we go.

• 45:29Speaker 03

  Don't edit it. Show my failure. I'm actually a vulnerable standup.

• 45:39Amy Poehler?

  Oh my god, you should make your own blooper reel.

• 45:44Speaker 03

  Showing my pits, but hey guys. Why did you wear your glasses to the show? So you could see my prepubescent body better, you pervert? Everyone goes, oh, you think I thought of that on the spot? No, I wrote it down eight years ago and I've been saying it every day since. Sucks.

• 46:03Amy Poehler?

  I feel like, once you get the confidence of, um, knowing that you're not getting fired from the show, basically, like, which is true. Like, you're at that point. Congrats, baby, you're at that point.

• 46:14Speaker 03

  I was crazy this season, a little bit.

• 46:16Amy Poehler?

  Well, you might get fired for something you say, for sure. But not for lack of, like, we don't need you.

• 46:21Speaker 03

  Right.

• 46:22Amy Poehler?

  But yes, you might get fired.

• 46:23Speaker 03

  Right, of course.

• 46:24Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, yeah, yeah. HR did want me to talk to you.

• 46:27Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 46:27Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 46:28Speaker 03

  And I'm sorry for what I did and who I touched.

• 46:30Amy Poehler?

  Yeah. Yeah.

• 46:31Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 46:32Amy Poehler?

  I have to say, like, what I find so impressive about you is you have managed to maintain yourself, your POV, and your sense of what you think is funny.

• 46:41Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 46:42Amy Poehler?

  And you've worked within the system. I.e., like, you coming at Colin in update is a perfect example where you're like, okay, I'm gonna use this structure. I'm gonna hit Colin, who's like the ultimate, like, alpha, straight, white punching bag, successful punching bag, and he can handle it.

• 47:02Speaker 03

  Yes.

• 47:02Amy Poehler?

  And why it's so satisfying to watch, because to me, it also, and you do this a lot in your comedy, especially in your special, where you like, play around with what I like to call like, the millennial threat. Like, this idea that, like, someone's gonna get something wrong.

• 47:17Speaker 03

  Yes.

• 47:18Amy Poehler?

  But people are very scared to screw up.

• 47:20Speaker 03

  Yes. And I have.

• 47:22Amy Poehler?

  Of course, we all have.

• 47:23Speaker 03

  Yes.

• 47:24Amy Poehler?

  But you are like, pressuring the powers that be that they might fuck up. It's very exhilarating to watch, because obviously, it's also talking about, like, cancer, older, like, misogyny, and like, patriarchy and all that stuff. But it's not, it's just funny.

• 47:37Speaker 03

  Right. And it's like, as mean as I'd be to Colin, calling him a pedophile, whatever, whatever, I'm really mean to myself.

• 47:45Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 47:45Speaker 03

  So, it's, you know, but even that, it's like, I got lucky on the show because he, he, I had joined the show as a complete, I was shocked that I was there. All my friends, like the inside joke was like, okay, Sarah's gonna show up as a waiter and say, oh, want some water ma'am? And I got fired. You know, that was a big joke with all my friends who are apparently like, love me and are nice to me or whatever. But so it was like, so I was just happened to be there and I wasn't expecting anything to happen. Like, I was writing sketches, but I didn't really know, I didn't even have final draft until midnight on writing night. Like, I didn't know about any of this. And then, um, so I wasn't getting any sketches on the show, but I didn't really care. But then Colin was like, why don't you come on Update and do, like, yourself? And I didn't even know that you could do that.

• 48:30Amy Poehler?

  Mm-hmm. There is some version of getting known on the show and it doesn't stamp you forever, but like where people see you as a person with a face.

• 48:40Speaker 03

  But I wouldn't have done that if he didn't say so, because it felt like presumptuous or something. Like, I really was there to be like a good sport and just do whatever the job was.

• 48:49Amy Poehler?

  Okay, but I just want to gently say to you that you should just take credit for that success, because even though it wasn't your original idea, perhaps, we all know that we're all collaborating. We're all collaborating, working together, but you have to deliver. One other thing I want to ask you about, and then we'll jump off SNL, but Louis.

• 49:08Speaker 03

  Oh.

• 49:10Amy Poehler?

  Let's talk about Louis Zakarian.

• 49:12Speaker 03

  What is there to say?

• 49:13Amy Poehler?

  Louis runs the makeup department and he is incredible.

• 49:19Speaker 03

  It's crazy.

• 49:20Amy Poehler?

  Like, let's talk about him for a second and what he's made for you.

• 49:22Speaker 03

  Uh, what hasn't he? He does. Prosthetics and makeup takes time.

• 49:29Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 49:30Speaker 03

  And like, I think I've seen people describe the SNL makeup experience as a pit crew. There's like eight people putting on a bald cap at once. I've moderated, um, Comic-Con panels for him, where it's like, it'll be a guy in a Grogu suit or whatever, being like, sir, what's your fastest bald cap application? And he goes, two minutes. And you hear the crowd go, huh!

• 49:50Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 49:51Speaker 03

  You see like every X-Men character in like a Blue Manger.

• 49:53Amy Poehler?

  Like they should make the, they should make a TV show like The Pit.

• 49:56Speaker 03

  Yes.

• 49:57Amy Poehler?

  And they should make it in the makeup room of Louis' room because

• 50:00Speaker 03

  Yes.

• 50:01Amy Poehler?

  The way that they like in, like in The Pit, the way they like save people by like stabbing them in the heart and like, you know, like that's how Louis has to do makeup.

• 50:09Speaker 03

  Yeah, he's ripping a bird beak off and putting googly eyes on my eyes and he's get out there. But by the way, he, he's having so much fun, like

• 50:15Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 50:16Speaker 03

  He never says no. He's having so much fun. He films the whole thing and it's like, we could have like 45 seconds to get me looking from Jessica Rabbit into like Ms. Grinch or whatever. And he still is like, once I'll be, and it's like hilarious. He like gets off on the thrill of it. He, he, like my favorite, we did a thing where it was like, it was supposed to look like me and Michael B. Jordan got stuck on a roller coaster and it like blew our like hair and mouth open. And I was like, I was like, can you make it look like I have a speculum in my mouth, like blowing my mouth out, but you don't see any plat, like it just has to look like it's naturally like that. And he doesn't say no.

• 50:56Amy Poehler?

  Right. Well, that's what, an emergency room doctor is like, we'll see what we can do.

• 51:01Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 51:01Amy Poehler?

  I'll get as close.

• 51:02Speaker 03

  Let the baby die? I don't think so. And it's the same stakes for a comedy show.

• 51:07Amy Poehler?

  It's the same stakes.

• 51:07Speaker 03

  It's the same stakes.

• 51:08Amy Poehler?

  And that's, if there's any takeaway, it's that what you do is as important as people that work in the ER.

• 51:13Speaker 03

  No one banged their pots and pans for me. Noticed.

• 51:18Amy Poehler?

  This is another Meachy question. If you had unlimited funds

• 51:21Speaker 03

  Oh.

• 51:22Amy Poehler?

  And you could make any disgusting creation, what would it be? I don't know if I want to ask you this question. Yeah, maybe let's say on SNL, so we have to say that it passes, like you have, like.

• 51:32Speaker 03

  Cause, cause there have been, that isn't, this is another reason why I, working outside in. I love that. Taking that. And I'm gonna write my book about that.

• 51:43Amy Poehler?

  Okay.

• 51:44Speaker 03

  Um, so you have fun with your book. I'm taking outside in. It's like. It's such, it can be such a hindrance because like Mia and Dan Bula had like this idea for like maybe a sketch that's like at like a facial spa or something. And when they take our sheet masks off, it just pulls the whole front of our face off. And for years, I, me and Louis have been like, how are we gonna do that? Cause like, when I first started the show, I was in like one sketch every six and a half months. So like, but now it's like, maybe, maybe I'll be playing Trump right beforehand. Who knows, James, I'm coming for your breakfast nachos.

• 52:24Speaker 03

  So it's like, if I had unlimited funds, it would be like, I would be able to do something like that really fast with Louis. Like, I just wanna take my whole face off.

• 52:34Amy Poehler?

  Why, why do you want to?

• 52:35Speaker 03

  I don't know. It's really weird. And it's not normal.

• 52:40Amy Poehler?

  It is, it is. Like, when you say that, my brain pictures it and I'm like, oh.

• 52:46Speaker 03

  Sarah, you just made your life so much harder.

• 52:49Amy Poehler?

  But I know, I'm, but that is just, it also is like, there is a, there is such an incredible performance art artist, like, like you have a Cindy Sherman vibe. You have a, like you have a growth, you have a like a, a dance with the grotesque that's super interesting. And it's always like, what level is like gross? Like what does, what grosses you, does anything gross you out?

• 53:14Speaker 03

  The other day, literally, I like, you know how people like chew on their like sleeves?

• 53:21Amy Poehler?

  Oh, yeah, like wet.

• 53:22Speaker 03

  Wet fabric on my teeth. Like, I got grazed on, on the train, on the tooth with my own sleeve. And it like.

• 53:30Amy Poehler?

  Gave you a chill.

• 53:31Speaker 03

  That's like my nails on a chalkboard. It's like stuff like that.

• 53:34Amy Poehler?

  Okay, but any kind of like your face peeling off, you're down.

• 53:38Speaker 03

  All good, all good, all good.

• 53:41Amy Poehler?

  And, and then my last question in the SNL space is, cause we all have them. What does your SNL stress dreams look like?

• 53:47Speaker 03

  Oh, I actually wrote a sketch about this.

• 53:50Amy Poehler?

  Okay, incredible.

• 53:51Speaker 03

  Um, it is, oh my God, I wish I could remember the sketch, cause it was like, you know when you stay up all night, you're like. I'm getting a Nobel Peace Prize for what I just wrote.

• 54:00Amy Poehler?

  Classic sketch.

• 54:02Speaker 03

  Classic sketch.

• 54:02Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 54:03Speaker 03

  They always win the Nobel Peace Prize. I'm like, if I read, I read it, wrote it two years ago. I'm sure if I read it today, I'd be like, "What?" You know what I mean?

• 54:10Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 54:11Speaker 03

  My stress dream is always writing night.

• 54:13Amy Poehler?

  Okay.

• 54:14Speaker 03

  And it's always, I get to, I'm at writing night and the clock says it's like midnight or 1:00 in the morning and I don't have anything yet. And I'm going from room to room with like my tin can being like, "Will you write with me?" And everyone's like, "No, I'm already busy. I already have my thing for the week." And I'm going door to door, down the hallway, and the hallway gets longer, very, "Okay, Christopher Nolan, don't steal this."

• 54:41Amy Poehler?

  Odyssey 2.

• 54:42Speaker 03

  Oh, yeah.

• 54:42Amy Poehler?

  Odyssey 2, the human centipede.

• 54:47Speaker 03

  "Don't tempt me with a good time, Amy Poehler." And the hallway just gets longer and longer and I'm like, "Does anyone want to write with me?" And that's like, that's what I'm the most anxious about all the time. It's like, bombing on live TV is one thing, bombing trying to get someone to write a sketch with you is a fate worse than death. I have one more stress dream. That was my first year.

• 55:06Amy Poehler?

  Okay.

• 55:06Speaker 03

  Which was, there is a prop toilet on the floor of 8H. This, I have this dream two times. There's a prop toilet-

• 55:13Amy Poehler?

  Oh, no, Sarah.

• 55:14Speaker 03

  -on the floor of 8H. I know it's not hooked up to any pipes. I know it's a prop and I shit in it anyway. And everybody's looking at me like the last shot in Murder on the Orient Express. There's like a shot where they're like, all looking down at this dead body and you see the POV of the dead body looking back at everyone. And I see everyone looking at me going, "The toilet's not hooked up to anything. Why'd you do that?" And I'm going, "I know. I have no idea what happened." And my Jungian dream analyst at the time said that when you poop in a dream, gross, it's, it's like you're putting work out there and you're embarrassed. I worked hard, but yeah.

• 55:53Amy Poehler?

  And also, do you have a Jungian dream analyst? Do you do a lot of therapy?

• 55:58Speaker 03

  I do. Many times a week.

• 56:00Amy Poehler?

  Ooh, fun.

• 56:02Speaker 03

  Doesn't seem to be working.

• 56:04Amy Poehler?

  Online or in person?

• 56:05Speaker 03

  I'm on the-

• 56:07Amy Poehler?

  You're on the couch.

• 56:09Speaker 03

  Yep.

• 56:12Speaker 03

  I'm lying down on the couch and.

• 56:14Amy Poehler?

  The whole time?

• 56:15Speaker 03

  Yep.

• 56:16Amy Poehler?

  Whoa.

• 56:17Speaker 03

  I'm doing like analysis. I'm calling, I'm doing.

• 56:20Amy Poehler?

  That's old school.

• 56:22Speaker 03

  Yeah. And um, just, I just noticed recently, because I don't look at my therapist. And sometimes I'll be like.

• 56:29Amy Poehler?

  Male or female therapist?

• 56:31Speaker 03

  Of course it's a man.

• 56:35Speaker 03

  It's not fixed. It's a man. It's not working. A woman would fix it.

• 56:43Speaker 03

  And I said something and I heard his laugh behind me and I went.

• 56:50Amy Poehler?

  He forgot he was there.

• 56:52Speaker 03

  Yeah, and I was like, stop. I don't know why. That was so, I immediately, I was like, I've never looked at him. And I was like, get it together.

• 57:03Amy Poehler?

  You're making me think about like, my stress dreams for SNL were less about like, will you guys, you know, like where, where can I get in here and write with people or like, oh no, my, my, my, the shit in my toilet you guys don't like, which is your work, your work.

• 57:22Amy Poehler?

  But mine was disappointing. Mine was about disappointing, like powerful figures. It's a very Gen X-y stress dream. So mine was always, mine was always about, I would often have it, which is I'd hear Jenna, Russ Attano, as we talked about the great A.D., calling me. And I would realize, oh my God, I'm not on stage. Like I, I, I'm missing my, my um, cue.

• 57:46Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 57:46Amy Poehler?

  And I had it more than once where I'd be running down from nine to eight. And I'd pass everybody whose opinion I cared about.

• 57:54Speaker 03

  And they look at you.

• 57:55Amy Poehler?

  And they would go like this. At like, and it was everyone you could imagine. It was people from my past. It was people working on the show. It was always, of course, Lauren. And like, and everyone was just like, wow, like you really let us down.

• 58:12Speaker 03

  It's like, Amy Poehler, you are late for hot dog bar mitzvah.

• 58:20Speaker 03

  Where is your prosthetic butt? Your funny wig?

• 58:26Speaker 03

  It's so crazy what gives us literal anxiety, trauma is like you running to go do like, Mr. Butt in the hot dog hospital.

• 58:37Speaker 03

  And Lauren going, you're a disappointment to your father. I'm like, wait, I have to go be Captain Crunch the Musical.

• 58:49Speaker 03

  So stupid.

• 58:51Amy Poehler?

  So stupid.

• 58:52Speaker 03

  So stupid.

• 58:53Amy Poehler?

  Okay, and the last question that Mitra wanted me to ask you, because she had so many good ones, was like, and you're talking, you've talked about it a little bit, but like the biggest bomb and the best and the favorite show you've ever done. Because we talk about you must have bombed big time. And I'm kind of fascinated about your time opening with Adam Sandler, who, talk about what a terrific, lovely person and like nicest person probably to be around and open for. But the audience might not have been that ready for you.

• 59:28Speaker 03

  He is so.

• 59:29Amy Poehler?

  Is that a good way to say it?

• 59:32Speaker 03

  Thank and thank you. I'll take it away from here.

• 59:34Amy Poehler?

  Okay.

• 59:34Speaker 03

  Exactly. It is, okay, butt sucking initiation, computer enhanced butt sucking right now. You and Adam, and there have been other cat, like Fred. You guys are so mensch-y that it's like, I'm thinking of people who have, like, how could anyone do SNL without the mensches? Like I have Adam being like, you're doing great, kid. Like I would have blown my brains out from here to the western seaboard if I didn't have him being like, you got it, dude.

• 1:00:07Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 1:00:08Speaker 03

  He's so, every time you see him, how's your mother? How's your father? How's Hanukkah? What's going on? I love you. Mwah, how are you? So mensch-y and like, opening for him, I have bombed a lot.

• 1:00:19Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 1:00:20Speaker 03

  Because people have paid good money to be there. They have. hired babysitters. They drove all the way from Hackensack. They are six drinks in. They are there to see Adam Sandler. Not Long Island Presents, Sarah Sherman, someone they don't know who's sweating up there. They have paid good money to see the wedding singer.

• 1:00:37Amy Poehler?

  Well, honestly, when I was watching your special, I was fascinated by the audience. Cause I was like, this audience. So your special, Sarah Squirm, live in the flesh. Live and in the flesh, live plus in the flesh.

• 1:00:50Speaker 03

  Thank you. That was a big, that was a big thing.

• 1:00:52Amy Poehler?

  Live plus, live plus in the flesh. And I, and first of all, why is it Sarah Squirm?

• 1:00:58Speaker 03

  That was how I, like when I was doing these basement shows with the tree zone stuff. It was just like, the poster was like, you know, a wrote, written in guts. It was like, also I was like performing with bands like piss, piss, piss, moan, moan, moan. Rest in peace, Alejandro, he has passed. Um, this crazy thing to say. But like, I was like, so I was like, I don't want to just be like Anne Sarah. And then there's Sarah. So like, I was kinda like.

• 1:01:24Amy Poehler?

  It was like your punk persona. It was like, it was like X-ray specs or like Alice Cooper or something. It's very music.

• 1:01:31Speaker 03

  It's very music, but that's like the show, that's like, it was the shows that I was doing. Cause I was like, I just, you know, it was, it was the vibe.

• 1:01:38Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 1:01:39Speaker 03

  And, um.

• 1:01:40Amy Poehler?

  Did you get pressured to, or like, did people say it should be Sarah Sherman?

• 1:01:44Speaker 03

  So then when I got, so, so like I auditioned for, when I auditioned for SNL, you know. Or no, I was doing, I was just performing as Sarah Squirm at the time and I wasn't really like thinking about it. And then when I got, so that, that's on all my SNL paperwork. Is just they found me at a show as Sarah Squirm. So that's still on my paperwork.

• 1:02:04Amy Poehler?

  You've never been paid.

• 1:02:04Speaker 03

  I've never been paid. I don't work there.

• 1:02:06Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 1:02:07Speaker 03

  My alter ego works there. Point to another ghost over here. My alter ego works there. And Lauren, when I got the job, Lauren called me and was like, you know, like, oh Sarah, like Lauren's calling you. And I was like, hello? And he's like, we think Squirm is a little distracting. And I go, say no more. You can have what ever you want.

• 1:02:30Amy Poehler?

  Your parents.

• 1:02:31Speaker 03

  Yeah. My mom is still this day. It's like, people will be like, hi, I'm Mrs. Squirm. And she's like, no. That, don't call me that.

• 1:02:38Amy Poehler?

  Yeah. They want to hear Sherman up there.

• 1:02:40Speaker 03

  They want to hear Sherman. And so when I was doing the special, like not, you know, people don't know me from standup really. Cause I know the ticket sales show. Pittsburgh.

• 1:02:52Speaker 03

  They're like, you know, everyone's like, it should be like Sarah Sherman, live and in the flesh, but I'm like, but that's not the character.

• 1:02:57Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, I get it. And it really helps set like the table, like you said, like you set the table really fast. In fact, the table is set.

• 1:03:05Speaker 03

  It's set.

• 1:03:06Amy Poehler?

  Because.

• 1:03:06Speaker 03

  It's got the force.

• 1:03:08Amy Poehler?

  The special starts with something I've never seen in a comedy special, which is like, it's like, there's like a warning of graphic violence.

• 1:03:14Speaker 03

  There is.

• 1:03:15Amy Poehler?

  And it's like, there's a warning of graphic, like, there's so many warnings.

• 1:03:19Speaker 03

  There is, yeah.

• 1:03:20Amy Poehler?

  And you also start with John Waters.

• 1:03:24Speaker 03

  I know, which is the ultimate trigger warning.

• 1:03:27Amy Poehler?

  Yes, you're so right. If he's like gonna put a stamp on something, you know that like, there's gonna be so much poop talked about, for sure. And also, just like, he's like, this, I mean, he's, what does he mean to you, John Waters?

• 1:03:45Speaker 04

  Everything.

• 1:03:46Amy Poehler?

  How did you get him?

• 1:03:48Speaker 04

  I wrote him a letter.

• 1:03:50Amy Poehler?

  You wrote him a letter?

• 1:03:51Speaker 03

  I wrote him a letter that was like, I drew like, everything, what's so helpful with visual art, or like, all this, it's like, you can provide your own trigger warning, always. So I wrote, like, for the posters for Helltrap, it's like, there's a butthole, that's bleeding with an eyeball. Like, you know what you're getting into.

• 1:04:11Amy Poehler?

  Oh, my god.

• 1:04:12Speaker 03

  Sarah, enough, enough!

• 1:04:15Amy Poehler?

  Okay.

• 1:04:16Speaker 03

  So I wrote him a letter, and there was like intestines all over it, and I was like, do you wanna like, you know, there's this, do you wanna play the stage manager in my stand-up special? And I was like, your scene partner will be this. And then I drew a little picture of me as like the bones and guts on the floor. And I'm like, this is who you're gonna be talking to. And then I put my number at the bottom of the letter, and I was like, if you're interested, call me or whatever. And then I was getting into therapy on a particularly devastating read of a day. I had just bought a loaf of sourdough bread, and I was literally walking down my block, ripping off pieces of bread and eating it like an animal or a raccoon. Good job, Lauren, you do. And I got a call from an unknown number, Baltimore area code, hey Sarah, it's John Waters, I'll see you on set.

• 1:04:59Amy Poehler?

  What?

• 1:05:00Speaker 03

  Yeah. And I said to my producers, because I had written this stage manager character.

• 1:05:05Amy Poehler?

  What a cool way to say it. I'll see you on set.

• 1:05:07Speaker 03

  No, I was like.

• 1:05:08Amy Poehler?

  That's an old school, fun way to say it. I'll see you on set.

• 1:05:12Speaker 03

  And I was like, do you want me to, is there anything you want to say? Like, and he's like, I'm not writing it. You wrote it. I'm saying what you wrote. And I go, that's professional.

• 1:05:19Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, oh yeah.

• 1:05:20Speaker 03

  He doesn't have punch up. He's like, I'll be.

• 1:05:22Amy Poehler?

  And I bet he had about like a two hour door to door, right? Like he was like, we got a hard out and we gotta be out of here in an hour and a half.

• 1:05:28Speaker 03

  He was being hilarious and he was pitching jokes because he couldn't, he couldn't, and guess what? They made it in.

• 1:05:34Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 1:05:35Speaker 03

  Okay. You want some Visine? Because my eyeballs out. That was a John Waters original riff. Yeah. It's like, I'm the luckiest girl in the world. That's the crazy thing. I keep going back to SNL, but you're bringing it out of me, girl. I, if I didn't have SNL, I would be a random crazy person.

• 1:05:55Amy Poehler?

  But I want to say something. I don't find you crazy. I don't think you're crazy. That's why you're interesting. Because if you were truly detached in like, in a way, and not to name names, but like others sometimes like performers who are kind of in your milieu or vibe are, then it's hard, then it's kind of hard to attach.

• 1:06:18Speaker 03

  Sure.

• 1:06:18Amy Poehler?

  It is hard. Like, it's like, okay, they're in their own like creative world, but like, I don't know, we're just gonna kind of watch it from afar, but you, you aren't. So it's, it's very interesting because you have command of what you're doing in a way that's.

• 1:06:31Speaker 03

  Right. There is, but I'm like, without SNL, would I have been able to do this crazy comedy special where there's like a clay butt that parts out a ghost? Would John Waters have agreed? Like, I don't know. Probably not. Thank God.

• 1:06:44Amy Poehler?

  And for people that have listened all the way to the end, I mean, there is a clay butt that.

• 1:06:48Speaker 03

  Happens right in the beginning. If you don't like it, turn it off. Turn it off.

• 1:06:53Amy Poehler?

  Speaking of comedy, as we end, what do you, who are you listening to laughing? Because you know, you do comedy all day for a job. Who, what do you watch?

• 1:07:02Speaker 03

  Yes.

• 1:07:03Amy Poehler?

  To laugh? Like, what is your checkout? Like, is it a video? Is it a, are you watching old movies? Are you, like, what, what's making you laugh?

• 1:07:11Speaker 03

  Most recent, always Real Housewives. I'm laughing.

• 1:07:15Amy Poehler?

  The last question, um, Misha had for you is, are you enjoying Real Housewives Rhode Island? Listeners, Sarah's just like,

• 1:07:23Speaker 03

  What is she?

• 1:07:24Amy Poehler?

  She's just, she's aghast at the obvious yes.

• 1:07:28Speaker 03

  Did you grow up watching soaps?

• 1:07:30Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, I watched General Hospital, which was...

• 1:07:33Speaker 03

  My favorite show of all time.

• 1:07:36Amy Poehler?

  Wait, weren't you on a soap?

• 1:07:38Speaker 03

  I begged to be on General Hospital, so I could bring my mom. And we met Sunny Corinthos and sobbed for days.

• 1:07:43Amy Poehler?

  Yeah. Okay, I just talked to Paula Pell, who also loves soaps and has not been on one. And I feel like Paula should definitely be in it.

• 1:07:50Speaker 03

  All right. I think they were like, are you kidding? And I was like, uh, no.

• 1:07:55Amy Poehler?

  Who did you play on the soap?

• 1:07:56Speaker 03

  A woman.

• 1:08:00Amy Poehler?

  A Russian, uh...

• 1:08:01Speaker 03

  Yeah, the Russians arena.

• 1:08:02Amy Poehler?

  The Russians arena.

• 1:08:05Speaker 03

  I, I love talking about what makes me laugh. I was watching Home Movies the other day.

• 1:08:09Amy Poehler?

  Hysterical laughing.

• 1:08:11Speaker 03

  Like, ha, ha, ha, of your family. No, I wish. Actually, that would be nicer. The cartoon.

• 1:08:17Amy Poehler?

  Oh, Home Movies?

• 1:08:19Speaker 03

  Oh, yeah, yeah.

• 1:08:20Amy Poehler?

  Home, okay. I don't know Home Movies.

• 1:08:21Speaker 03

  It's fucking funny. And it's very crude animation.

• 1:08:26Amy Poehler?

  My kids love it.

• 1:08:27Speaker 03

  It's so funny, dying laughing.

• 1:08:31Amy Poehler?

  Oh, we've got our, we've got some friends in there, like, H. John Benjamin. Okay, got it. So it's...

• 1:08:37Speaker 03

  Laughing.

• 1:08:38Amy Poehler?

  And it's animated to come, created by Brendan Small and Laurie Bouchard, who made Bob's Burgers. Got it, got it, got it, Home Movies. So are you a big animation girl?

• 1:08:49Speaker 03

  No.

• 1:08:50Amy Poehler?

  You're not?

• 1:08:50Speaker 03

  No.

• 1:08:51Amy Poehler?

  Because I bet people are like, you're like animation.

• 1:08:54Speaker 03

  Like, you look like a cartoon, you fucking bug-eyed bitch. Jesus. Sarah, apologize.

• 1:09:02Amy Poehler?

  Sarah, you said that to yourself.

• 1:09:04Speaker 03

  Apologize to my friend Sarah. Bad. I patted myself on the back.

• 1:09:09Amy Poehler?

  But you're not a cartoon person.

• 1:09:11Speaker 03

  No, I, cuz they like, they can't emote or anything. Like, I love Red and Stimpy. I'm not like laughing out loud.

• 1:09:17Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 1:09:18Speaker 03

  So, I don't know why this was getting me.

• 1:09:21Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, that's good.

• 1:09:22Speaker 03

  Getting my ass, and then.

• 1:09:24Amy Poehler?

  That's really funny.

• 1:09:25Speaker 03

  I just did, do you know Hollywood Handbook, the podcast?

• 1:09:27Amy Poehler?

  I love Hollywood Handbook.

• 1:09:29Speaker 03

  I was.

• 1:09:30Amy Poehler?

  Okay, I shout out to Hollywood Handbook. Those guys are hysterical. I saw them recently in a restaurant and asked if I could be on their pod. And I watched it and they were like, no. They were like, we're booked. And also, I watched you on Hollywood Handbook and that bit went on forever.

• 1:09:47Speaker 03

  So, it was 45 minutes.

• 1:09:48Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, it's just one long bit.

• 1:09:50Speaker 03

  Just one long fat joke.

• 1:09:52Amy Poehler?

  And it, and it.

• 1:09:53Speaker 03

  Sorry.

• 1:09:54Amy Poehler?

  It was so, I love a bit that goes on that long.

• 1:09:57Speaker 03

  I love it. And they were like acting like they hated it. I love it. They say, like, Sean will say one, I can't, like, I was laughing like a baby last. Like, I was going like.

• 1:10:10Speaker 03

  Sweating, laughing so hard, sweating through my pants. Sweating through my hat and my pants.

• 1:10:15Amy Poehler?

  I know, I, I think there's some delight, and it's kind of, it's, I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna bring us back. There is some kind of delight that you have that I share, which is, if you get to be around, like, like-minded and safe people, and you guys are like, playing, like, and going like just on the corner and edges of things, but it's with people that are like, not, just like, nice people that you like, basically. There's no greater joy, because it feels like you're actually like, I guess, I imagine it would be like, entering dangerous terrain with people who are really skilled that will take care of you. That's the closest, I mean, we're not athletes.

• 1:10:56Speaker 03

  My body is relaxed. That the thought.

• 1:10:59Amy Poehler?

  But I love that too. I love, I love a family that teases each other. I, that to me is a sign of intimacy.

• 1:11:06Speaker 03

  Yes.

• 1:11:07Amy Poehler?

  And it's a sign of safety. If you're with, it obviously has to be the right people, the right way. But like, when that happens, it feels like, like a special kind of magic.

• 1:11:14Speaker 03

  Yeah, and like, yeah, we're making fat jokes. Is that amazing? No, but it's, it's safe. You can like be a little scary when it's like safe.

• 1:11:23Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 1:11:24Speaker 03

  Oh, you're so right.

• 1:11:26Amy Poehler?

  Well, congratulations on being a vet.

• 1:11:31Amy Poehler?

  Was that an abrupt goodbye? What should we do? I'm gonna put my shoe back on.

• 1:11:37Speaker 03

  Oh, I forgot.

• 1:11:38Amy Poehler?

  Can you believe that I've had my shoes off the entire time?

• 1:11:41Speaker 03

  Did, how did it feel? Did you feel grounded?

• 1:11:43Amy Poehler?

  It didn't feel bad. I don't mind it.

• 1:11:45Speaker 03

  It didn't feel bad.

• 1:11:45Amy Poehler?

  It didn't feel, I didn't, yeah, I know what you mean. Like, was I grounding during that time?

• 1:11:49Speaker 03

  Like, did you, or were the whole time you were talking to me, were you like?

• 1:11:52Amy Poehler?

  Are you a shoes-off person in your house? Do people have to take their shoes off?

• 1:11:56Speaker 03

  I like my shoes on and I like Frankenstein boots all day.

• 1:12:00Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 1:12:01Speaker 03

  I'm not even wearing them right now, so you think I'm a fucking liar. I'm wearing little shoes.

• 1:12:05Amy Poehler?

  You got little cuties, though. But let's not show them for free.

• 1:12:07Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 1:12:07Amy Poehler?

  Let's not show them for free.

• 1:12:08Speaker 03

  No, ma'am.

• 1:12:08Amy Poehler?

  No, you gotta pay for that.

• 1:12:09Speaker 03

  Yeah. That's correct. A lot, because we're on TV, so.

• 1:12:13Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, and AI is gonna take everybody's job, so we're gonna, the only thing robots don't have? Human feet.

• 1:12:18Speaker 03

  And when they show them, they have an extra toe, and that's kind of interesting.

• 1:12:23Amy Poehler?

  And if you were listening at the very beginning, Sarah has a weird condition where her big toe is just a sack of bones.

• 1:12:28Speaker 03

  Right.

• 1:12:29Amy Poehler?

  So if that's your kink, then you gotta go to her toe channel.

• 1:12:33Speaker 03

  Right. And if you are only listening to the end of this podcast, weird, why didn't you listen to the beginning? Did you just, like, scrub through?

• 1:12:40Amy Poehler?

  And if that's your kink, then we're not kink-shaming you, but you might want to think about listening a podcast the entire way through, because it also might be satisfying.

• 1:12:47Speaker 03

  Right. Or, I like to kink-shame. I think it's weird when people like stuff that's weird.

• 1:12:55Amy Poehler?

  Sarah, thank you for doing this.

• 1:12:56Speaker 03

  We're happy you're having me.

• 1:12:57Amy Poehler?

  Thank you for coming!

• 1:12:58Speaker 03

  Oh, my God.

• 1:13:01Amy Poehler?

  Thank you so much, Sarah Squirm, Sarah Sherman. It was so fun to talk to you, and you're so fast and funny, and, um, yeah, what a delight. And, um, you know, Sarah and I talked about a lot of people that we've had the pleasure to work with, but I just want to give a little shout-out again to a woman in my life who really shaped my career, and I know a lot of people in Chicago could say the same, and that is Sharna Halpern. Sharna was the, uh...

• 1:13:35Amy Poehler?

  Creator and the person who started a theater called IO in Chicago with Del Close. And Sharna was just one of those people that if she saw something in you, she put you in front of important people and she put you on stage. And in my case, she changed my life. So, thank you, Sharna, for helping me meet most of the people who I still work with today. And for those of you that are in Chicago, go see Improv. And go see it in any city. Support it today and every day. And support the arts. Okay, thanks. Bye. You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill

• 1:14:16Amy Poehler?

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

• 1:14:40Speaker 05

  Pink Pantheress here. Coach and Spotify are teaming up to bring music and style together, and they want you to be part of it. Grab your friends and head to the Tabby Tour, hitting cities around the country with live performances from special artists, exclusive experiences, and personalized products. And discover custom playlists on Spotify, booked just for you based on who you are and how you listen. Live your story with Coach. Learn more at coach.com.

• 1:15:06Speaker 06

  Coca-Cola. For the big, for the small, the short, and the tall. Peacemakers, risk-takers. For the optimists, pessimists. For long-distance love. For introverts and extroverts. The thinkers and the doers. For old friends and new. Coca-Cola. For everyone. Pick up some Coca-Cola at a store near you.