WEBVTT - From Stand-Up to Seinfeld: Carol Leifer on Comedy, Writing, & Embarrassing Speeches 0:00:01.280 --> 0:00:07.320 Really now, really, really. 0:00:09.000 --> 0:00:11.400 Now, really Hello, and welcome to really know Really with 0:00:11.480 --> 0:00:14.960 Jason Alexander and Peter Tilden, who keep melodically reminding you 0:00:15.000 --> 0:00:18.640 to subscribe, subscribe, subscribe, as if we're singing some kind 0:00:18.640 --> 0:00:22.319 of Christmas Carol, and speaking of Carol. Comedy writer and 0:00:22.360 --> 0:00:25.439 stand up comic legend Carol Leafer has written some of 0:00:25.480 --> 0:00:29.280 the funniest shows on television, including the OSCARS broadcast, The 0:00:29.360 --> 0:00:32.800 Larry Sanders Show, Saturday Night Live, and Seinfeld, for which 0:00:32.800 --> 0:00:35.920 her one time romance and subsequent friendship with Jerry Seinfeld 0:00:36.000 --> 0:00:38.000 became the real life role model for the character of 0:00:38.040 --> 0:00:38.720 Elaine Vennis. 0:00:38.920 --> 0:00:39.840 Really No Really. 0:00:40.159 --> 0:00:42.639 Her whole career has been about writing things that make 0:00:42.680 --> 0:00:45.200 people funnier, and today she's talking about her new book 0:00:45.200 --> 0:00:47.320 that can actually help you and everyone you know be 0:00:47.400 --> 0:00:50.120 funnier and better at speechify. It's called How to Write 0:00:50.120 --> 0:00:52.960 a Funny speech for a wedding, bar mitzvah, graduation, and 0:00:53.040 --> 0:00:54.800 every other event you didn't want to go to in 0:00:54.840 --> 0:00:57.640 the first place. See even the title's funny. Today, she 0:00:57.720 --> 0:01:00.240 talks to the guys about life, love, and her story 0:01:00.320 --> 0:01:02.840 career that has led to multiple Emmy nominations and a 0:01:02.920 --> 0:01:05.840 win for her outstanding contribution to the hit show Hacks. 0:01:06.160 --> 0:01:08.640 And speaking of Hacks, here are two of the best 0:01:08.720 --> 0:01:11.560 ones in the biz, Jezon Alexander and Peter Tilden. 0:01:13.000 --> 0:01:15.200 Now, how we going to get into this one? You 0:01:15.240 --> 0:01:17.720 know how many episodes have we done? One hundred and what? 0:01:18.160 --> 0:01:25.000 But it feels like one hundred episodes underwater one hundred and. 0:01:25.800 --> 0:01:27.479 I always wonder how we're going to start, how we're 0:01:27.480 --> 0:01:29.360 going to start, how we're going to do this one. 0:01:29.400 --> 0:01:32.160 Feels like Larry, I can't do this, can't be done again. 0:01:35.640 --> 0:01:37.560 The reason we have Carol leifer. 0:01:37.280 --> 0:01:42.440 On, I'm here to promote my book, by the way, 0:01:43.560 --> 0:01:45.000 unusually long. 0:01:46.600 --> 0:01:50.160 How to write a funny speech dot dot dot for 0:01:50.240 --> 0:01:53.000 a wedding, by mits, for graduation and every other event 0:01:53.080 --> 0:01:54.760 you didn't want to go to in the first place. 0:01:54.920 --> 0:01:59.600 And it's a template in there, right, Yes, so you 0:01:59.640 --> 0:02:01.360 can write speak like a mad lab. 0:02:01.400 --> 0:02:07.559 I can use one page. I'm gonna loved. 0:02:07.320 --> 0:02:10.959 And Jerry and we may use his name always said 0:02:10.960 --> 0:02:14.560 that giving speeches ranks above. It's the thing people are 0:02:14.600 --> 0:02:17.560 the scaredest about because they're to get up in front 0:02:17.560 --> 0:02:20.360 of people, even my wife get up and go just know, 0:02:21.080 --> 0:02:23.359 write something that you can't wait to tell him. We'd 0:02:23.400 --> 0:02:26.200 be you know, have moments, you know, but people get panic. 0:02:26.480 --> 0:02:28.639 Do you think Jerry's act, he says at a funeral, 0:02:28.680 --> 0:02:32.880 the guy speaking is worse off than the coffee. As 0:02:32.919 --> 0:02:35.639 far as that goes, death doesn't still stuck on. Scaredest, 0:02:36.760 --> 0:02:40.359 more scared, more frightened, Yes, more scared, more frightened. 0:02:41.040 --> 0:02:44.560 That those are two words that exist in the Scaredest 0:02:45.800 --> 0:02:51.080 is someone who you know, like racist scaredest, They like, yeah, scared. 0:02:51.280 --> 0:02:54.040 I make my point of memorable. One of the things 0:02:54.040 --> 0:02:55.000 you do is memorable. 0:02:55.040 --> 0:02:59.040 Be memorable relief because I got to spend lovely time 0:02:59.080 --> 0:03:02.280 with her on our show together when I was learning 0:03:02.320 --> 0:03:04.680 all about comedy and television and you were just. 0:03:07.040 --> 0:03:08.680 God, come on, come on. 0:03:09.520 --> 0:03:13.440 That was I have to say, I don't know anybody 0:03:13.440 --> 0:03:16.440 else's experience. I had a great time while we were 0:03:16.480 --> 0:03:18.799 doing the show I did. I was always grateful, and 0:03:19.360 --> 0:03:26.200 did anybody. I don't know if you checked everybody, but 0:03:26.320 --> 0:03:30.440 I have grown more fond of it in distance, you know, 0:03:32.560 --> 0:03:35.000 I guess because when you're doing once it's hit you 0:03:35.080 --> 0:03:37.880 kind of went, oh, yeah, I'm on a big TV show, 0:03:38.760 --> 0:03:39.240 what's next? 0:03:39.280 --> 0:03:42.920 What's next? And in retrospect, you look back and go, 0:03:43.560 --> 0:03:44.280 what's next. 0:03:44.320 --> 0:03:47.360 Most people don't get that, you know, for God's sake 0:03:47.560 --> 0:03:51.360 exactly to just sit and go with I always say, 0:03:51.400 --> 0:03:54.480 you know, any any project is an arranged marriage. You 0:03:54.480 --> 0:03:57.040 don't know what you're who you're getting. I don't know anything. 0:03:57.120 --> 0:04:02.440 And I loved the people, love the material, love the characters. Yeah, 0:04:02.680 --> 0:04:05.240 it was just it was the whole thing was really 0:04:05.760 --> 0:04:08.280 a blessing. And though I was aware of it, I 0:04:08.280 --> 0:04:11.640 think I'm you know, exponentially more aware of You. 0:04:11.760 --> 0:04:14.240 Know, the thing I always say about the show is 0:04:15.160 --> 0:04:20.920 you guys individually I mean amazing, but put together it 0:04:20.960 --> 0:04:22.160 was like lightning in a. 0:04:22.120 --> 0:04:26.080 Bottle and it just all worked. 0:04:26.800 --> 0:04:29.479 And in talking about what a great place to work 0:04:29.520 --> 0:04:33.280 it was, I mean, also, don't you think the tone 0:04:33.640 --> 0:04:37.960 that Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld said it kind of 0:04:38.080 --> 0:04:41.080 you know, the think you know, the fish stinks from 0:04:41.120 --> 0:04:44.799 the top down, like when it's good guys at the top. 0:04:45.120 --> 0:04:50.400 You know, the love that they spread, the crew, everybody 0:04:50.760 --> 0:04:52.120 loved everybody. 0:04:51.680 --> 0:04:55.680 And also the you know, well Jerry talks about this 0:04:55.760 --> 0:04:59.320 about writing stand up and I'm sure you can speak. 0:04:59.120 --> 0:04:59.800 To this as well. 0:05:01.640 --> 0:05:04.599 It's how much do you care how much are you 0:05:04.640 --> 0:05:07.520 going to put into it? And I remember, I mean, 0:05:08.120 --> 0:05:10.880 Jerry told a great story recently about when they came 0:05:10.960 --> 0:05:13.360 up with the ending for the Marine Biologist, and he 0:05:13.680 --> 0:05:15.920 talks about it in praise of me learning the monologue, 0:05:16.279 --> 0:05:18.359 which was, you know, that's just a card trick. But 0:05:19.240 --> 0:05:21.800 what I tell the story about is they had an 0:05:21.920 --> 0:05:24.640 ending that we were all very excited about during the week, 0:05:25.080 --> 0:05:26.800 and then we got it in front of the audience 0:05:26.880 --> 0:05:28.200 and it didn't quite. 0:05:27.920 --> 0:05:29.720 Get the reaction. You remember what it was. 0:05:30.040 --> 0:05:32.200 I don't. I wasn't because I wasn't in it. My 0:05:32.920 --> 0:05:35.080 storyline stopped when I walked out into the ocean. 0:05:35.120 --> 0:05:35.880 That's so funny. 0:05:35.880 --> 0:05:38.120 But I think it was a coffee shop scene and 0:05:38.640 --> 0:05:41.040 I don't remember what storyline we were tying up, and 0:05:41.120 --> 0:05:44.520 it wasn't mine. Yeah, and they did the scene in 0:05:44.560 --> 0:05:46.400 front of the audience and it got a fine reaction, 0:05:46.480 --> 0:05:50.120 but they just went and I remember the you guys 0:05:50.200 --> 0:05:53.080 all circle the wagons, the circle of wagons of writers, 0:05:53.440 --> 0:05:55.560 And fifteen minutes later Larry comes over and goes, how 0:05:55.560 --> 0:05:57.480 FSK can you learn them all? But I always go 0:05:58.880 --> 0:06:02.800 to have that idea in their back pocket. Yes, work 0:06:02.839 --> 0:06:05.479 it out while the audience is sitting there and not 0:06:06.320 --> 0:06:07.719 we were a hit show at this point. 0:06:07.720 --> 0:06:09.040 They could have let it go. 0:06:10.200 --> 0:06:13.800 Let it go on that note, because I'm thinking back, 0:06:14.279 --> 0:06:16.839 there was a scene with the ugly people in the restaurant, yes, 0:06:17.200 --> 0:06:20.640 and they needed a line, Kerb and Larry needed a line, 0:06:20.640 --> 0:06:23.280 and your line was right. 0:06:23.360 --> 0:06:25.760 He needed a line when he saw the ugly people 0:06:25.880 --> 0:06:31.400 as he was walking through. So I gave him what 0:06:31.640 --> 0:06:32.320 happened here. 0:06:34.760 --> 0:06:37.400 But that's that kind of thing where you're stay there 0:06:38.839 --> 0:06:44.760 embedded in my brain. But that's the writing. That's when 0:06:44.760 --> 0:06:45.480 people say, what. 0:06:46.160 --> 0:06:46.840 Is it the writing? 0:06:46.960 --> 0:06:50.400 But and again another compliment for care, it's writing for 0:06:50.480 --> 0:06:53.480 the guy you're writing for. I mean, in and of itself, 0:06:53.839 --> 0:06:57.160 it's a smart line, but it's not as my home run. 0:07:00.080 --> 0:07:02.600 I mean that jumped out because I remember writing for shows. 0:07:02.720 --> 0:07:04.880 I wrote for a lot of sitcoms of Earth, and 0:07:04.920 --> 0:07:07.960 I hated it more than anything. I hate sitting in 0:07:08.000 --> 0:07:12.080 writer's rooms trying to guess what's in the executive prinster's head. 0:07:12.320 --> 0:07:14.280 And I'd watch it on t VINGO. It's not that funny, 0:07:14.400 --> 0:07:17.040 right right. I hated the writer's rooms. But your experience 0:07:17.120 --> 0:07:20.280 on Curb and also with Seinfold was pitching big idea. 0:07:20.360 --> 0:07:23.400 It was a big idea show rather than a whole 0:07:23.400 --> 0:07:25.480 story with a bit whatever. Did you have to pitch 0:07:25.520 --> 0:07:28.240 ABC and D story like stories for each each of them, 0:07:28.320 --> 0:07:30.400 how they intersected or did you just go in and say, 0:07:30.720 --> 0:07:33.600 nail saloon. She can't understand what they're saying, so she 0:07:33.680 --> 0:07:35.400 hires somebody to interpret. Well. 0:07:35.440 --> 0:07:39.600 It was an interesting process at Seinfeld on NBC, by 0:07:39.600 --> 0:07:44.320 the way, like unlike a lot of other shows where 0:07:44.360 --> 0:07:48.880 there's a group writing room, it was one on one. 0:07:49.120 --> 0:07:51.800 You'd have an idea, you'd go in with a few 0:07:51.840 --> 0:07:55.320 ideas because time with Larry and Jerry in their office 0:07:55.360 --> 0:08:00.160 that they shared was rare. So you'd go in and 0:08:00.200 --> 0:08:02.040 you'd sit on the couch and they would sit at 0:08:02.080 --> 0:08:06.400 their desk and you would pitch the idea. But knowing, 0:08:06.840 --> 0:08:10.120 you know, and a bunch of the ideas, you know, 0:08:10.480 --> 0:08:13.400 you always knew when Larry didn't like it, because it'd 0:08:13.440 --> 0:08:16.160 be like the look on his face and he'd move 0:08:16.240 --> 0:08:19.760 his shoulder and he'd be like, I don't know. You know, 0:08:19.840 --> 0:08:22.400 you could see that on another show that was like 0:08:22.440 --> 0:08:26.320 the worst. But but like I remember it like it 0:08:26.360 --> 0:08:31.360 was yesterday when I pitched George brings a deaf woman 0:08:31.440 --> 0:08:34.840 to a party with him to find out why his 0:08:34.960 --> 0:08:36.920 girlfriend broke up with him. 0:08:37.600 --> 0:08:39.640 You know, Larry would shoot up from his chair. Yeah 0:08:39.720 --> 0:08:41.360 we're doing that. Yeah, we're doing that. 0:08:41.640 --> 0:08:41.840 You know. 0:08:42.520 --> 0:08:47.840 So you started to get an idea of what kind 0:08:47.880 --> 0:08:50.800 of things they were going to respond to and what things. 0:08:51.240 --> 0:08:53.640 So once he said you were doing that, then you 0:08:53.720 --> 0:08:56.200 got sent off and do a drift. 0:08:56.400 --> 0:09:00.160 Well that was your story, and then it was Jerry. 0:09:01.000 --> 0:09:05.079 Remember it was all about the lines woman, Marley Matten Marley, 0:09:05.440 --> 0:09:10.520 So then that became Jerry's story with her with Marley Mattlin, 0:09:12.360 --> 0:09:17.560 with the lip reading and mistaking, sweep I need to 0:09:17.640 --> 0:09:23.640 sweep up with sleep with somebody, So that became that story. 0:09:24.720 --> 0:09:28.200 A Laine's story, Oh that was with another. You know, 0:09:28.200 --> 0:09:32.400 they always loved personal ideas, so at that before I 0:09:32.480 --> 0:09:35.160 joined the show, I was a comic full time, and 0:09:35.240 --> 0:09:37.160 you know, I'd have these flights at like five in 0:09:37.200 --> 0:09:40.360 the morning and a car service guy would pick me 0:09:40.440 --> 0:09:43.840 up and he'd be like chatty Kathy at five am, 0:09:43.960 --> 0:09:48.440 you know, like on and on, and sometimes I wished, 0:09:48.559 --> 0:09:51.400 like I could tell them I was deaf so they 0:09:51.400 --> 0:09:56.360 would shut the So I pitched that story for Elane 0:09:56.559 --> 0:10:01.040 that she pretends that she's deaf cause she doesn't want 0:10:01.080 --> 0:10:03.120 to talk to the car service guy. And then the 0:10:03.200 --> 0:10:07.320 story for Kramer Jason. As you know, the stories we 0:10:07.320 --> 0:10:09.760 could come up with for Michael Richards were always well, 0:10:09.800 --> 0:10:13.920 if we have a tennis setting, well Kramer should be a. 0:10:13.760 --> 0:10:16.360 Ball man at the US Open. 0:10:16.520 --> 0:10:19.440 You know, he was easy to come up with ideas 0:10:19.520 --> 0:10:21.600 far because he was so. 0:10:21.640 --> 0:10:23.719 Physical and it was like you knew that would be 0:10:23.760 --> 0:10:24.360 a home run. 0:10:24.800 --> 0:10:27.400 So you had to go back to your office, figure 0:10:27.400 --> 0:10:30.720 out the other three stories, go back to them and 0:10:30.760 --> 0:10:33.679 say what do you think of these other stories, and 0:10:33.720 --> 0:10:36.880 then go and write your draft. And then the beauty 0:10:36.920 --> 0:10:39.600 of Seinfeld was you know, normally writers we hate being 0:10:39.640 --> 0:10:43.920 rewritten and you know, get surly about it. You'd wait 0:10:43.960 --> 0:10:47.160 outside the door to see what their draft was because 0:10:47.360 --> 0:10:50.000 as a writer, I love to see what they kept 0:10:50.000 --> 0:10:53.400 of my draft and then what they changed or added, 0:10:53.440 --> 0:10:56.000 because and I learned so much from that because the 0:10:56.120 --> 0:11:00.520 draft would always be that much better, you know, elevated 0:11:00.559 --> 0:11:05.240 to another degree. So it was really a great education 0:11:05.360 --> 0:11:08.920 for me. And you know, learning I think from the masters. 0:11:08.960 --> 0:11:11.120 So you were one of the funniest people I know, 0:11:11.160 --> 0:11:13.280 and it's hard to do what you do. The Oscars 0:11:13.280 --> 0:11:15.280 are a hard thing because it's a you got to 0:11:15.280 --> 0:11:18.320 figure out, especially Lissia with Conan and the politics are 0:11:18.360 --> 0:11:20.960 going on, and you're you're walking a tightrope and you 0:11:21.000 --> 0:11:23.520 have to know his personality. You have to know culturally 0:11:23.559 --> 0:11:25.640 what's going on. You have to know what's going to 0:11:25.679 --> 0:11:28.240 resonate with a big audience. Yeah, and then you're watching 0:11:28.280 --> 0:11:31.160 the whole show to see what moments are happening that 0:11:31.200 --> 0:11:32.000 you can then mention. 0:11:32.240 --> 0:11:33.400 Right, Well, here's the thing. 0:11:33.920 --> 0:11:37.200 When I write on the Oscars, sometimes I'm on the 0:11:37.200 --> 0:11:40.360 host team and sometimes on the on the show team, 0:11:40.360 --> 0:11:41.280 where you write. 0:11:41.000 --> 0:11:41.840 For the presenters. 0:11:42.080 --> 0:11:46.560 So Conan brought in I think it's mostly, if not all, 0:11:46.720 --> 0:11:49.760 the writers from his show that he has a comfort 0:11:49.800 --> 0:11:53.800 with and ease with. And I was on the show team, 0:11:53.880 --> 0:11:57.760 so we write, you know, the team rights for the presenters. 0:11:58.320 --> 0:12:03.440 But what I think was masterful about Conan was not 0:12:03.480 --> 0:12:09.480 only were the jokes brilliant, but in the moment he 0:12:09.600 --> 0:12:13.000 was amazing and having uh, you know, this stable of 0:12:13.080 --> 0:12:18.960 incredible comedy writers there was perfect. And the story that 0:12:19.000 --> 0:12:24.160 I'm telling about the Oscars a lot is I know Conan, 0:12:24.320 --> 0:12:27.160 and so before the show I went up to wish 0:12:27.240 --> 0:12:31.960 him good luck and he said he looked great, relaxed, 0:12:32.000 --> 0:12:33.319 and he said, you know what, I'm just going to 0:12:33.360 --> 0:12:37.079 go out and have fun. And you know, God damn it, 0:12:37.160 --> 0:12:40.280 that's what he did, which is amazing. Yeah, because I've 0:12:40.320 --> 0:12:43.319 seen the look of fear of other hosts before they 0:12:43.400 --> 0:12:46.960 go out, you know, and that's what it's all about. 0:12:47.080 --> 0:12:48.160 Go out and have fun. 0:12:48.280 --> 0:12:51.720 And Jerry, Jerry Seinfeld did a benefit for us Jason 0:12:51.720 --> 0:12:53.520 and asked him and he did a wonderful benefit. It 0:12:53.559 --> 0:12:56.080 was him as Ray Ramono. Jason did some stand up 0:12:56.640 --> 0:12:59.520 and Jerry and you would know this. Jerry's about to 0:12:59.559 --> 0:13:03.240 go out stage and I go nervous and he looked 0:13:03.240 --> 0:13:05.920 at me like I had a third off. He went like, 0:13:06.480 --> 0:13:08.840 you're an idiot, Like why would I be Why would 0:13:08.840 --> 0:13:10.800 I be nervous? He couldn't wait to go do it 0:13:10.880 --> 0:13:13.360 is like zero nerves. You just can't. It's like this 0:13:13.440 --> 0:13:14.760 is what I do. There's no nerve. 0:13:14.880 --> 0:13:19.800 That's I think he's the exception to that because and 0:13:19.840 --> 0:13:21.800 we talk about it in my speech book, which I 0:13:21.800 --> 0:13:24.360 know we'll get to. But I get I get anxious, 0:13:24.400 --> 0:13:29.520 I get nervous before I perform always and that you know, people, 0:13:29.760 --> 0:13:32.520 I'm not afraid of my nervousness because, as you know 0:13:32.640 --> 0:13:35.160 Jason also as a performer, it gives you a certain 0:13:35.200 --> 0:13:38.439 amount of energy that's good to bring out on stage 0:13:38.440 --> 0:13:43.880 with you. So you know, Jerry is his own performer 0:13:44.280 --> 0:13:48.160 and person in many ways. And yeah, he sure does 0:13:48.200 --> 0:13:52.000 look forward to it. But I think what people don't 0:13:52.040 --> 0:13:56.319 necessarily realize about him is he might not be nervous 0:13:56.360 --> 0:14:00.640 because he works so hard on his act all day 0:14:00.840 --> 0:14:04.320 writing that he goes out there prepared. He's not just 0:14:04.720 --> 0:14:07.920 winging it, and I think that gives him probably a sense. 0:14:07.720 --> 0:14:09.800 Of comment and he's got you know, forty years of 0:14:09.840 --> 0:14:10.600 backup acky. 0:14:10.800 --> 0:14:15.040 But then I think he was confident, you know, doing 0:14:15.040 --> 0:14:15.760 what he was doing. 0:14:15.840 --> 0:14:18.640 Yeah, because I first started at the Comic Strip, he 0:14:18.800 --> 0:14:24.000 was the MC. I was the open mic nighter that 0:14:24.120 --> 0:14:26.720 I went to with Paul Reiser. But he was already 0:14:26.760 --> 0:14:28.880 a star at the comic Strip. He'd only been doing 0:14:28.920 --> 0:14:31.040 it a year, but he was like the big man 0:14:31.040 --> 0:14:37.200 on campus. So even when I met him as someone 0:14:37.280 --> 0:14:39.440 just starting out in the business, he was already a 0:14:39.440 --> 0:14:40.480 big mocker. 0:14:41.000 --> 0:14:41.560 As our people. 0:14:41.680 --> 0:14:44.080 Yes, as we say, yes, all right, I watched this segment. 0:14:44.640 --> 0:14:48.600 So, uh, you've written this book which I'm going to 0:14:48.680 --> 0:14:50.360 hold up how to write a funny speech for a 0:14:50.400 --> 0:14:55.520 wedding but mits for graduation and every other event he 0:14:55.640 --> 0:14:57.480 didn't want to go to in. 0:14:57.400 --> 0:14:58.160 The first place. 0:14:58.520 --> 0:15:01.520 And I want to ask you about writing this book, okay, 0:15:01.600 --> 0:15:02.240 and why you. 0:15:02.400 --> 0:15:03.840 Thought to write this book. 0:15:04.360 --> 0:15:08.000 But before I do that, yes, writing, So I do 0:15:08.120 --> 0:15:11.040 remember you because I'm old enough. I remember when you 0:15:11.080 --> 0:15:14.000 started making the scene, especially on television as as a 0:15:14.120 --> 0:15:17.440 stand up comedy. Yes, yes, and I now, of course 0:15:17.440 --> 0:15:20.360 stand up comedy is writing. But but to me, stand 0:15:20.440 --> 0:15:22.960 up come comedians want to be performers. 0:15:22.960 --> 0:15:23.240 There. 0:15:23.280 --> 0:15:25.080 I think most stand up comments that I know think 0:15:25.080 --> 0:15:27.400 of themselves primarily as performers that. 0:15:27.480 --> 0:15:29.160 We need a lot of attention. 0:15:29.720 --> 0:15:32.720 Yes, but arguably. 0:15:33.800 --> 0:15:36.520 I think at this point the bigger part of your 0:15:36.600 --> 0:15:38.440 professional life has been as a writer. 0:15:38.680 --> 0:15:41.240 Yes, did you know that was where you were heading? 0:15:41.280 --> 0:15:44.520 Were you happy that's where it went to? Was it? 0:15:44.560 --> 0:15:46.680 Did it shock you or did you go no? This? 0:15:46.800 --> 0:15:48.320 I know this was part of the plan. 0:15:48.680 --> 0:15:51.680 Well, I'll take you back to a story about my dad, 0:15:52.240 --> 0:15:54.640 who was a big influence on me and wanted to 0:15:54.680 --> 0:15:58.840 go into stand up. I was doing stand up and 0:15:58.880 --> 0:16:03.520 then there was audition for Saturday Night Live for new 0:16:03.520 --> 0:16:07.880 performers at the Comic Strip and I went on. I 0:16:07.920 --> 0:16:11.880 had a good set, and Al Franken was there as 0:16:11.920 --> 0:16:14.560 a producer and the head writer Jim Downey, And when 0:16:14.600 --> 0:16:17.840 I came off stage, they said, we really enjoyed you. 0:16:18.400 --> 0:16:20.520 Would you like to be a writer on the show. 0:16:21.200 --> 0:16:25.640 So of course, you know, I was so excited at 0:16:25.640 --> 0:16:29.400 the possibility. And I went back to my dad and 0:16:29.440 --> 0:16:31.360 I said, they've offered me a writing jump, but you know, 0:16:31.440 --> 0:16:33.120 I love to perform. 0:16:32.920 --> 0:16:35.240 And I want to be a stand up. My dad 0:16:35.360 --> 0:16:36.000 was like, you. 0:16:35.960 --> 0:16:40.080 Know what, Carol, in any career, you got to diversify. 0:16:40.800 --> 0:16:43.960 So if I were you, I would take no questions 0:16:44.000 --> 0:16:45.880 asked jump at this writing job. 0:16:46.600 --> 0:16:47.280 And I did. 0:16:48.000 --> 0:16:52.040 I followed his advice and I did see that. Hm, 0:16:52.080 --> 0:16:55.280 I do like this writing too. And what's been great 0:16:55.320 --> 0:16:58.880 about it over the years is stand up is amazing. 0:16:59.200 --> 0:17:00.120 I still do it. 0:17:00.640 --> 0:17:03.720 I was just performing this weekend at wolf Trap. I mean, 0:17:04.080 --> 0:17:06.960 I love it. But the great thing about writing is 0:17:07.800 --> 0:17:13.720 anna is a lonely profession. You're traveling by yourself, without 0:17:13.760 --> 0:17:16.280 an agent and a manager. You're in the podunk this 0:17:16.480 --> 0:17:18.960 you're in this town and once I was in a 0:17:19.000 --> 0:17:23.240 writer's room with other writers. I loved it. I felt 0:17:23.280 --> 0:17:26.800 like I'm home. I'm with every funniest person that I've 0:17:26.840 --> 0:17:31.160 ever known, and how great is this? And also it's 0:17:31.200 --> 0:17:35.480 a profession where you don't have to travel, and especially 0:17:35.640 --> 0:17:40.199 now being married having a kid, that was the saving 0:17:40.240 --> 0:17:40.720 grace to. 0:17:40.720 --> 0:17:43.560 Menstly, that was tough for you because from what I understand, 0:17:43.600 --> 0:17:46.719 Frank brought you in, but Lauren Michaels never gave his blessing. 0:17:46.800 --> 0:17:49.160 It was not he never accepted you what he did. 0:17:51.359 --> 0:18:03.399 I love this story because, from what I. 0:18:03.400 --> 0:18:06.120 Understand, prank of Bart you in, but Lauren Michaels never 0:18:06.160 --> 0:18:08.480 gave his bless It was not he never accepted you 0:18:08.880 --> 0:18:09.359 or he did. 0:18:11.520 --> 0:18:13.800 I love this story because you know people like, oh, 0:18:13.840 --> 0:18:14.680 you wrote for refn L. 0:18:14.920 --> 0:18:17.280 Do you have your meeting with Lauren to make it official? 0:18:17.640 --> 0:18:20.320 So I got dressed up and I thought, you know, 0:18:20.480 --> 0:18:22.080 I'll be in there for an hour and I have 0:18:22.119 --> 0:18:25.800 every answer ready. It was literally the meeting was they 0:18:25.840 --> 0:18:30.960 were still auditioning performers for the season. He walks outside 0:18:31.000 --> 0:18:35.199 the door. He says, al and Jim, tell me that 0:18:35.520 --> 0:18:40.040 you're really good. You do know that the show you're 0:18:40.040 --> 0:18:42.840 going to have to stay late many nights, Tuesday nights, 0:18:42.840 --> 0:18:45.560 most writers stay over. I say, yeah, no, that's mine. 0:18:45.800 --> 0:18:47.640 I went okay, and I was hired. 0:18:47.800 --> 0:18:50.840 So that my meeting was about a minute. 0:18:51.520 --> 0:18:55.080 But when I got there, Lauren had a bit of 0:18:55.119 --> 0:18:55.639 a club. 0:18:56.880 --> 0:18:58.679 I think a lot of people who run a show, 0:18:58.840 --> 0:19:00.879 you know, the people that they avitate too. And I 0:19:00.960 --> 0:19:04.280 wasn't part of the club, so I always felt kind 0:19:04.280 --> 0:19:07.280 of on the outs that way. But as a young 0:19:07.400 --> 0:19:12.080 writer or a young person my inexperience, as I've learned 0:19:12.080 --> 0:19:14.399 over the years, I kind of like accepted it and 0:19:14.520 --> 0:19:18.560 kind of flew under his radar. Now doing this for 0:19:18.560 --> 0:19:21.040 forty years, I would have done it differently. 0:19:21.680 --> 0:19:22.960 You know, if someone doesn't. 0:19:22.640 --> 0:19:26.320 Take to you right away, I would have tried harder 0:19:26.600 --> 0:19:30.040 for him to like me, you know, engaged him more, 0:19:31.520 --> 0:19:35.000 made more of a college try to work it out 0:19:35.040 --> 0:19:38.760 instead of like, well, I'll side step him, because that's 0:19:38.920 --> 0:19:40.440 that's what you need to do at a job. 0:19:40.520 --> 0:19:43.439 Your boss needs to like you a lot. 0:19:43.520 --> 0:19:46.320 You know. Jim Downey and Al Franken were you know, 0:19:46.480 --> 0:19:50.679 second level and they liked me great. But he has 0:19:50.720 --> 0:19:54.359 a thing plaque on his desk. You know, the captain's 0:19:54.359 --> 0:19:58.960 word is law and it sure has served him well 0:19:59.000 --> 0:20:01.639 over the years. But know he's the big number. 0:20:01.640 --> 0:20:06.439 One of the writers said that you go in and 0:20:06.480 --> 0:20:09.040 you just make sure you put two things together because 0:20:09.119 --> 0:20:11.639 you can't create the volume that you have to come 0:20:11.680 --> 0:20:15.760 up with ideas. So he goes, uh, the submarine loaga maker. 0:20:16.040 --> 0:20:18.119 You know, you're just you're throwing and they go do 0:20:18.160 --> 0:20:19.679 it and you go, I have no idea what that is? 0:20:19.720 --> 0:20:20.400 And I got to go back. 0:20:20.480 --> 0:20:21.200 Is that accurate? 0:20:21.400 --> 0:20:25.679 Yes, Because the way the show works is Monday, the 0:20:25.720 --> 0:20:29.199 host come in, comes in. They you all go to 0:20:29.280 --> 0:20:32.320 Lauren's office. The host is sitting in kind of a 0:20:32.400 --> 0:20:36.120 chair of prominence, and then talk about pressure. 0:20:36.800 --> 0:20:36.919 Uh. 0:20:37.440 --> 0:20:40.879 They go around the room in Lauren's office. I remember, 0:20:40.960 --> 0:20:44.880 what are you thinking about? What kind of sketter you 0:20:45.720 --> 0:20:48.359 thinking of doing this week? And Yeah, a lot of 0:20:48.400 --> 0:20:51.479 times you make something up because you know nobody's going 0:20:51.520 --> 0:20:53.800 to remember it never happened, but you got to be 0:20:53.840 --> 0:20:54.680 prepared for something. 0:20:55.119 --> 0:20:55.720 You hosted the. 0:20:55.760 --> 0:20:59.199 Show I hosted one time when I can't remember the year, 0:20:59.240 --> 0:21:01.800 I can tell you who was there. It was Mike Meyer, 0:21:02.680 --> 0:21:05.960 Rob Schneider, Sandler, Chris rock was there. 0:21:06.600 --> 0:21:09.399 I was so on my heels that whole week because 0:21:09.640 --> 0:21:10.200 exactly that. 0:21:10.200 --> 0:21:12.960 I come, Man, these are the writers of Usnel and 0:21:12.960 --> 0:21:14.560