1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:09,800 Speaker 1: Don't book a podcast playground. Hi, I'm Bethany van Delft 2 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:11,640 Speaker 1: and we're going to take a walk through the South End. 3 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:15,920 Speaker 1: I'm a comedian, I'm a storyteller. I do stand up. 4 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:19,079 Speaker 1: I work for them Off. I have a digital series 5 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:22,640 Speaker 1: on PBS Nova called Parental Logic, So if you are 6 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 1: a new parent with questions, check it out. I host 7 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 1: a kids news podcast on iHeartRadio called The ten News. 8 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:32,840 Speaker 1: If you have kids between eight and twelve years olds 9 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 1: and you're trying to figure out how to talk about 10 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:38,920 Speaker 1: the Ukraine, check us out. We've got the answers. Taking 11 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:42,840 Speaker 1: a walk with bus n Well, Bethany, it's so nice 12 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:44,879 Speaker 1: to be taking a walk with you here in the 13 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:47,240 Speaker 1: South End. It's so nice to meet you. I'm really 14 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:51,320 Speaker 1: grateful that you're here. Thank you so much for having me. 15 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:54,040 Speaker 1: And I'm yeah, I'm so happy we're walking through the 16 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 1: South End, this neighborhood. We my family moved from New 17 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 1: York City to Boston. Now I was around twelve years old, 18 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:07,679 Speaker 1: and I didn't like it. We moved right into a 19 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:12,480 Speaker 1: bunch of racial racial disharmony going on at the time, 20 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 1: and I always I felt like as soon as I 21 00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 1: graduated high school, I will move back to New York. 22 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:25,360 Speaker 1: And then we at some point we were driving through 23 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 1: the city and I saw this neighborhood with Victorian row 24 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:32,959 Speaker 1: houses and Puerto Rican people and black people and white 25 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 1: people and gay people and artists, and it felt so 26 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 1: much like New York. I said, if I stay, I 27 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:40,679 Speaker 1: will live in this neighborhood. And I indeed did for 28 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 1: twenty years. Oh my god, it's a special neighborhood. But 29 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:46,680 Speaker 1: it seems like it's evolved over time, right, It's changed 30 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:50,320 Speaker 1: so so much. There used to be we're on Washington 31 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: Street now. There used to be the Orange Line used 32 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:57,280 Speaker 1: to be elevated and run straight down Washington Street. And 33 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:03,880 Speaker 1: when I took the train to high school in Copley Square, 34 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 1: and when they were doing a like a revamp project 35 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 1: on the Red Line, I took the Orange Line to 36 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: school every day and we would take the train right 37 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 1: down Washington Street, Northampton Station, Dover Station, Essex Station, and 38 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:23,400 Speaker 1: I remember going past this really old sandstone Victorian building 39 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:27,120 Speaker 1: that was abandoned, and it definitely looked like the kind 40 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:30,160 Speaker 1: of place that bats would be flying around and maybe ghosts. 41 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 1: And I lived in the South End at the time, 42 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 1: A couple bought it and developed it and sold the 43 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:39,679 Speaker 1: condos off for like a million dollars apiece. Like I 44 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:42,960 Speaker 1: could never imagine that happening when we rode by it 45 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 1: on the train. I used to get my haircut at 46 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:51,520 Speaker 1: a barber shop under the l that had been It's 47 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:54,360 Speaker 1: a black owned business. Family had owned it for seventy 48 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 1: five years. There's a chocolate shop there now. There's just 49 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:00,320 Speaker 1: so much that's changed, and you know, I know, I 50 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 1: know it's progress for some people, but I often wonder 51 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:08,359 Speaker 1: if a chocolate shop is more valuable than a family 52 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:12,359 Speaker 1: owned business. So but it still has the magic. It's 53 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:16,480 Speaker 1: the buildings are just incredible. I love I love looking 54 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:18,920 Speaker 1: at the buildings here and the buildings in Brooklyn and 55 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:21,040 Speaker 1: knowing that these were all built at the same time 56 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 1: period and just wondering, you know, how did our city 57 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:31,639 Speaker 1: and New York City, What was the relationship, What was 58 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 1: the back and forth that was happening at that time, 59 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 1: Who were the people that were going back and forth? 60 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 1: Who are the architects that decided, you know, this neighborhood 61 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: should look like Williamsburg or right. I just loved thinking 62 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 1: about that well, and I certainly like you think about 63 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:52,840 Speaker 1: the cities now and how the cities are. I don't know, 64 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 1: they're changing really right, And there's certain cities that have 65 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 1: really changed in a way that you know, to decline 66 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 1: people leaving that type of thing, But I don't sort 67 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 1: of feel Boston has been spared of it. Do you 68 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: agree that people are leaving or I think, I mean, 69 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 1: it depends on when we say people. It depends on 70 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 1: who we're saying. Who are people? You know, I think 71 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 1: there's a huge exodus of people of color from the 72 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 1: South then, you know, being replaced by people with wealth 73 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:31,479 Speaker 1: or you know, people who are upwardly mobile or young, 74 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 1: young people starting families that have the kind of money 75 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:37,919 Speaker 1: it takes to live in this neighborhood now. So I 76 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:40,720 Speaker 1: guess that's like an important thing is when we say people, 77 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:43,160 Speaker 1: or you know, I do it all the time too. 78 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:46,160 Speaker 1: We'll say nobody likes that thing, But the truth is 79 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 1: somebody likes that thing. It's just no one in my 80 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:50,599 Speaker 1: experience likes that thing, or maybe I don't like that thing. 81 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:54,120 Speaker 1: So I think that's important. Yeah, it's a fair point. 82 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 1: I think your point on how you know it's so 83 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:03,120 Speaker 1: expensive to live here create you know, just a different 84 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:08,400 Speaker 1: series of opportunities or less opportunities really for people to 85 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:11,599 Speaker 1: be able to afford it. So when I think of 86 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:15,680 Speaker 1: what's going on with the cities, once again, it just 87 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:21,680 Speaker 1: feels like there's been so much decay and so much 88 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 1: that's been let go in cities. Chicago's had a tough 89 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 1: time obviously before this, San Francisco has, New York has 90 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:36,080 Speaker 1: had its challenges, certainly all before COVID, I think, yeah, 91 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:39,919 Speaker 1: But Boston seems to, at least for the quality of 92 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:43,120 Speaker 1: the city in general, seems to have held strong I 93 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 1: guess in my opinion, I don't know if you agree 94 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:47,720 Speaker 1: with that or not. I think that we've there are 95 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 1: neighborhoods that has seen the same decay. The South End, 96 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 1: for sure, was one of those neighborhoods you know, in 97 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:58,720 Speaker 1: the sixties and seventies, it was predominantly an African American neighborhood, 98 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 1: and there were if you go down like West Rutland 99 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:09,279 Speaker 1: and West Newton, those those buildings were all owned by 100 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: African American families. A lot of a lot of the 101 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:18,640 Speaker 1: men of the family were porters on the Amtrak, the 102 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 1: trains that went back and forth. That was a position 103 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 1: that one of the few positions that African Americans had 104 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 1: back then that were stable, like stable jobs with you know, 105 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:35,480 Speaker 1: income security, and so a lot of this neighborhood were 106 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:39,800 Speaker 1: African American people who had stable jobs in could owning properties. 107 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:46,360 Speaker 1: So the neighbors took care of their neighborhood pretty much themselves, 108 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 1: like it wasn't the city taken care of the neighborhood. 109 00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:52,760 Speaker 1: There were several instances where the city wanted to tear 110 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:57,640 Speaker 1: down whole blocks of buildings to put an overpass, but 111 00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:01,240 Speaker 1: the neighborhood, the people in the neighborhood fought against it 112 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:05,680 Speaker 1: and they kept the neighborhood. And so the neighborhood was 113 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:11,520 Speaker 1: turned around really by the residents. And once once people 114 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:14,040 Speaker 1: from outside the neighborhood saw it and thought this is 115 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:16,280 Speaker 1: a great place to live, then the city started pouring 116 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 1: money into it, you know, which is kind of that's 117 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:23,040 Speaker 1: the pattern. That's that's you know, Chicago might be going 118 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:25,560 Speaker 1: through it now, but the same thing will happen there. 119 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:28,200 Speaker 1: And neighborhoods in New York went through it also the 120 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 1: same time period sixties and seventies, and what you see 121 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:32,480 Speaker 1: now is the same thing. The city is pouring money 122 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:34,480 Speaker 1: into it. Because a different group of people wants to 123 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 1: live there and finds that neighborhood valuable. So I think 124 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:43,800 Speaker 1: that I think it's as a whole city. We may have, 125 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:48,320 Speaker 1: you know, I'm not sure. I know that we definitely 126 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:50,840 Speaker 1: have neighborhoods who have that have experienced the same thing 127 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:53,640 Speaker 1: as other cities. I just think it might not be 128 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:58,840 Speaker 1: as talked about. Maybe that's right, Maybe that's it. Yeah, 129 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:03,400 Speaker 1: let's talk about you right out here. Yeah, oh my goodness, crazy. 130 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:07,080 Speaker 1: We're taking one of these major car services that begins 131 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:14,880 Speaker 1: with a oub. Yeah, it sounds like schmoober And just 132 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:17,240 Speaker 1: like everything else in the world, nothing is very easy. 133 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 1: So what the heck happened on the way down? I mean, 134 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 1: that is supposed to be one of the easiest things, 135 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:25,280 Speaker 1: is you click a button and a car comes and 136 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 1: picks you up. It's supposed to be easy, right, It 137 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 1: seems simple. Yes, the driver showed up and you know, 138 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:36,880 Speaker 1: you know, first of all, the rating system is insane, right, 139 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:39,720 Speaker 1: the rating system, And I was reading a lot about 140 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:41,120 Speaker 1: it because I'm trying to figure it out. Is it 141 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:44,040 Speaker 1: is it valuable at all? Does it mean anything? And 142 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:49,199 Speaker 1: the driver, the driver or the passenger both rating system 143 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:52,400 Speaker 1: because I don't understand the passenger rating system. I don't either, 144 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:56,000 Speaker 1: and so I was I was just reading a bunch 145 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:59,120 Speaker 1: about it, trying to figure it out. What I learned 146 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:03,559 Speaker 1: is it's not it's not always valuable. It's not always invaluable. 147 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:07,280 Speaker 1: It's it's like kind of a you know, crapshoot. Yeah. 148 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:11,679 Speaker 1: So the driver that's coming has like a four point 149 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:15,240 Speaker 1: seven rating, which I've never seen a rating that low. 150 00:09:15,520 --> 00:09:17,719 Speaker 1: But I remember reading these articles and thinking, oh, he 151 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:20,880 Speaker 1: probably just had one person who disliked him so much 152 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:23,839 Speaker 1: and that threw everything off. So that's too bad. And 153 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:25,680 Speaker 1: I feel bad for this guy. And we're gonna have 154 00:09:25,679 --> 00:09:29,600 Speaker 1: a great ride. And the car pulls up, and I'm 155 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:31,959 Speaker 1: already running late to meet you, and I'm a little 156 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:34,080 Speaker 1: bit stressed out about it. The car pulls up and 157 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:37,240 Speaker 1: I get in and there's an iPad, like a big, 158 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:43,200 Speaker 1: a bigger iPad on the dashboard showing a news program. Ohez, 159 00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:47,360 Speaker 1: it's it's there's TV on the on the dashboard. And 160 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:49,960 Speaker 1: so I got in the car and I waited for 161 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:53,000 Speaker 1: a minute, and I said, oh, because I don't know, 162 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:54,719 Speaker 1: how do you address that? I know, how do you 163 00:09:54,760 --> 00:09:58,480 Speaker 1: address that? I would think anybody just turns it off 164 00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 1: when the passenger gets in the car, right. So I said, oh, 165 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:06,880 Speaker 1: you're watching TV and he said yeah, what's the problem. 166 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:09,400 Speaker 1: I said, oh, well, you know, if you're driving, you 167 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:13,280 Speaker 1: know it's probably distracting to watch TV. And he said, no, 168 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:15,880 Speaker 1: I don't do them at the same time I drive, 169 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:18,440 Speaker 1: I look the road and I watch TV and then 170 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:22,160 Speaker 1: I look at the road. I said, oh, okay, well, 171 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 1: I would feel more comfortable if you turn the TV off, 172 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:28,640 Speaker 1: and he said, I'm not turning the TV off, which 173 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 1: again I'm like, what do I do now? I'm late? 174 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:37,160 Speaker 1: I late, so I'm late, but I also have children. 175 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:39,600 Speaker 1: So I said, okay, well I'm going to get out 176 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:41,720 Speaker 1: of the car then, and he said I don't care, 177 00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:44,160 Speaker 1: like that was this tone of a I don't care, 178 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:47,080 Speaker 1: And I went okay. So I got out of the car. 179 00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:51,360 Speaker 1: And I did learn from an Uber driver that they 180 00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:54,200 Speaker 1: do this trick if anything were to happen like that, 181 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 1: or they don't want to take you or something, they 182 00:10:55,920 --> 00:10:57,920 Speaker 1: wait for you to cancel the ride because then you 183 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:00,440 Speaker 1: get charged for it, so they just wait not to 184 00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:02,640 Speaker 1: cancel it. So he waited forever to cancel the ride. 185 00:11:02,679 --> 00:11:05,839 Speaker 1: Oh well, and I just I used lift instead. I 186 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:08,640 Speaker 1: got another car. There are a lot of people who 187 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:11,560 Speaker 1: you know, unfortunately, and I I have a friend that 188 00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:14,679 Speaker 1: I tease constantly about this. I'm like, Alie, you can't 189 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:19,080 Speaker 1: drive and watch TV at the same time. Now, I 190 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:21,280 Speaker 1: don't know if she does a kind agree that she 191 00:11:21,559 --> 00:11:24,240 Speaker 1: says she does because she has a long drive from 192 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:29,080 Speaker 1: work back home. But I'm like, hello, no, no, you can't. 193 00:11:28,760 --> 00:11:32,280 Speaker 1: Just right, you listen to podcasts. Yeah, you listen to 194 00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:35,120 Speaker 1: Taking Him Up? That's what you do, thank you? Yeah 195 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:38,000 Speaker 1: you don't. You don't watch TV. I don't listen to Ali. 196 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:43,000 Speaker 1: You listening to this? Allie? People love you? Do you 197 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:46,719 Speaker 1: not watch TV and drive? I love it? I love 198 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:49,679 Speaker 1: to see what I love about the podcast? Uh? You know, 199 00:11:49,800 --> 00:11:53,720 Speaker 1: platform is you can make direct messages to people that 200 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:57,760 Speaker 1: you know are listening. You could do that worldwide, right, 201 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:02,600 Speaker 1: we at times have a large international audience. I can't 202 00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:07,040 Speaker 1: figure out why I love that, right? Right? So when 203 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:08,880 Speaker 1: did you first know you were going to be a comedian? 204 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:12,080 Speaker 1: What was the moment that you knew you were going 205 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:16,280 Speaker 1: to be a comedian? Oh? Boy, I always wanted to be, 206 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:21,200 Speaker 1: but I didn't. I mean, it just wasn't wasn't at 207 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:24,480 Speaker 1: all in my world of possibility as far as I 208 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:28,280 Speaker 1: so as I knew, someone like me cannot be a comedian. 209 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:36,160 Speaker 1: I was debilitatingly shy in school anywhere I just if 210 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:38,480 Speaker 1: I was called on or you were looking to me 211 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:41,800 Speaker 1: to comment or do something, I would get sick to 212 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:44,360 Speaker 1: my stomach, and sometimes I would throw up, and sometimes 213 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:46,000 Speaker 1: I'd feel like I had to go to the bathroom 214 00:12:46,200 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 1: or I'd faint. And so there was no chance I 215 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:51,240 Speaker 1: was ever going to be a comedian. But my family, 216 00:12:51,559 --> 00:12:55,440 Speaker 1: we loved comedy. My dad was a huge my dad 217 00:12:55,600 --> 00:13:00,800 Speaker 1: is still a huge WC. Field Maywest Mark's Brothers fan, 218 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:02,880 Speaker 1: and so we grew up watching a lot of that. 219 00:13:03,080 --> 00:13:06,640 Speaker 1: My mom was a huge fan of Freddy Prinz and 220 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:12,040 Speaker 1: Richard Pryor and George Carlin's who grew up watching them, 221 00:13:12,240 --> 00:13:15,640 Speaker 1: Monty Python mel Brooks, like we grew up watching all 222 00:13:15,640 --> 00:13:20,240 Speaker 1: of that stuff. So and we very unhealthily handled all 223 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:25,200 Speaker 1: of our big emotions by being funny. We handled nothing 224 00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:28,000 Speaker 1: in a mature way. We were a whole family of 225 00:13:28,040 --> 00:13:34,200 Speaker 1: prince of tides and it's something I just always I loved. 226 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:36,680 Speaker 1: But I just was like, this is for people who 227 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:40,160 Speaker 1: don't have this, you know, this shy, this like stage 228 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:43,920 Speaker 1: fright handicap. And then I remember the first time my 229 00:13:43,960 --> 00:13:48,560 Speaker 1: mom let me watch Saturday Night Live. And I was 230 00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:51,920 Speaker 1: too young to be watching it, but she gave me 231 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:54,400 Speaker 1: a lot of conditions. If you do your homework and 232 00:13:54,559 --> 00:13:57,840 Speaker 1: you do your chores, and you listen, and you treat 233 00:13:57,880 --> 00:14:00,480 Speaker 1: your brother and sister well, then you stay up and 234 00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:03,440 Speaker 1: watch Saturday Night Live. So I turned into the absolute 235 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:06,720 Speaker 1: model child so that I could stay up on Saturdays 236 00:14:06,760 --> 00:14:10,240 Speaker 1: and watch Wow. That did it. Wow. And then when 237 00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:14,920 Speaker 1: I started working, you know, I started eventually working in 238 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:17,720 Speaker 1: the restaurant business, and i'd work on Saturday nights. My 239 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:21,080 Speaker 1: mom would record Saturday Night Live for me and my 240 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:25,600 Speaker 1: brother and I would watch it on Sundays after breakfast, 241 00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:29,160 Speaker 1: and we would memorize, like all the sketches. We'd watch 242 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:31,360 Speaker 1: them again and again and again. We would memorize all 243 00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:36,360 Speaker 1: the sketches. And I've watched Saturday Night Live every single 244 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:40,400 Speaker 1: season ever since my whole entire life. And people will go, ah, well, 245 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:44,040 Speaker 1: it's not good anymore. It's that being good after whatever season, 246 00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:46,360 Speaker 1: and I'm like, well, the Yankees weren't good the whole 247 00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:49,600 Speaker 1: entire time either. The Yankees are good for a while, 248 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:55,840 Speaker 1: then players leave, new players come up, the team absolutely sucks. 249 00:14:56,480 --> 00:14:58,680 Speaker 1: While they gel and they get to know each other 250 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:00,680 Speaker 1: and they learn how to work together, and then they 251 00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:04,000 Speaker 1: become a fantastic team again. So you have to you 252 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:08,120 Speaker 1: have to choose Saturday nightlight like the Yankees. I like that. 253 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:11,320 Speaker 1: So what was the first stand up gig? My first 254 00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:16,120 Speaker 1: stand up gig was so I had one of those, 255 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:19,960 Speaker 1: you know, one of those wake up moments where actually 256 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:21,960 Speaker 1: it was in therapy. My therapist said, what would you 257 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:24,240 Speaker 1: do if you could do anything? And I had been 258 00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:26,440 Speaker 1: seeing her for like a year at this point, and 259 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:28,760 Speaker 1: I'd been working in the restaurants for a long long time, 260 00:15:29,640 --> 00:15:32,280 Speaker 1: and and so well, I'd open a restaurant, you know, 261 00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:35,560 Speaker 1: I'd open like a cash cow for something like t 262 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:38,520 Speaker 1: Anthony's by Bu or something like that that would just 263 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:40,800 Speaker 1: you know, make a ton of money. Then my next 264 00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:44,520 Speaker 1: restaurant would be like more more ego involved, and then 265 00:15:44,880 --> 00:15:47,760 Speaker 1: you know, my my huge restaurant. She'd goes, just stop 266 00:15:47,840 --> 00:15:49,840 Speaker 1: right there. You're only saying that because you work in 267 00:15:49,840 --> 00:15:54,120 Speaker 1: a restaurant. If you could do anything, what would you do? 268 00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:57,360 Speaker 1: And I said, oh, like be anybody else, like get 269 00:15:57,400 --> 00:15:59,560 Speaker 1: out of my body and be somebody else and do anything. 270 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:03,280 Speaker 1: I'd be on Saturday Night Live for sure. And she said, well, 271 00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:05,560 Speaker 1: you know, why don't you do that? I said, oh, 272 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:08,680 Speaker 1: because you generally have to start and stand up or sketch, 273 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:10,880 Speaker 1: and you know you got to you got to take that, 274 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:12,720 Speaker 1: and then you work your way up. And you know, 275 00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:14,760 Speaker 1: I've got like this really great apartment now and a 276 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:17,200 Speaker 1: really nice boyfriend, and if I had to leave for LA, 277 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:19,000 Speaker 1: he'd probably leave and I'd have to give up my 278 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:21,240 Speaker 1: apartment in the South End and blah blah. She's like, Wow, 279 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:26,280 Speaker 1: you've already become successful, broken up with people, lost apartments, 280 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:30,440 Speaker 1: and you've literally never even told a joke. Why don't 281 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:34,040 Speaker 1: you start there? And I was like, wow, light bulb, 282 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:36,880 Speaker 1: why don't I start there? So I took a class 283 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 1: at the Boston Center for Adult Education and I lasted 284 00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:46,280 Speaker 1: two classes before I absolutely panicked and left and never 285 00:16:46,360 --> 00:16:50,800 Speaker 1: came back. And the we knew that the final class 286 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:52,520 Speaker 1: would be at a comedy club. It would be at 287 00:16:52,560 --> 00:16:56,760 Speaker 1: the Comedy Studio in Harvard Square, and the final was 288 00:16:56,840 --> 00:16:58,840 Speaker 1: to do five minutes. Do a five minute set that 289 00:16:58,880 --> 00:17:01,040 Speaker 1: we've been working on over the two weeks of the class. 290 00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:04,600 Speaker 1: So I showed up for two classes, didn't show up 291 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:06,560 Speaker 1: for eight classes, and then showed up for the final 292 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:10,080 Speaker 1: and the teacher. The teacher is pretty much like, what 293 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:12,639 Speaker 1: are you doing here? You couldn't even stand up in 294 00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:15,760 Speaker 1: front of a class room you know, of ten people. 295 00:17:15,840 --> 00:17:17,439 Speaker 1: How are you going to do this? I'm like, I 296 00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:19,520 Speaker 1: don't know, but I am going to do it. And 297 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:23,000 Speaker 1: I sure enough did it. I got up on stage. 298 00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:25,439 Speaker 1: I don't know if I bombed or not. I just 299 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:29,879 Speaker 1: pretty much blacked out. And then the Rick Jenkins, the 300 00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:32,040 Speaker 1: owner of the comedy studio, said hey, do you want 301 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:34,720 Speaker 1: a few dates? And I said, yeah, I definitely do. 302 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:40,119 Speaker 1: And so I rode that complete and utter amazement that 303 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:41,919 Speaker 1: I did this thing that I always wanted to do 304 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:46,919 Speaker 1: for about four years and didn't. I just I didn't 305 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:48,800 Speaker 1: do it. I should have what you're supposed to do 306 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:52,160 Speaker 1: to get good at comedy. I did a set maybe 307 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:54,440 Speaker 1: once a month, and I tried to write a whole 308 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:59,080 Speaker 1: new set every time, like thinking that was respectful to Rick, like, hey, 309 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:01,240 Speaker 1: thanks for the time. I won't make you listen to 310 00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:02,920 Speaker 1: the same old garbage. I'm going to write a whole 311 00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:06,080 Speaker 1: new set, which is absolutely insane. That's not how comedy works. 312 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:08,240 Speaker 1: And I did that for a while until it was 313 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:10,960 Speaker 1: like awful and the most stressful thing, and I quit 314 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:15,199 Speaker 1: for another four years maybe and totally quit. I was like, 315 00:18:15,240 --> 00:18:18,080 Speaker 1: this is horrible. I hate this, I feel awful, I 316 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:20,199 Speaker 1: suck at it. I just this is not for me 317 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:27,560 Speaker 1: at all. And I ended up seeing Comedian the Seinfeld movie, Yes, 318 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:31,920 Speaker 1: and Orney Adams was miserable and Colin Quinn was miserable, 319 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:35,080 Speaker 1: and Seinfeld They're just all talking about like this like 320 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:40,600 Speaker 1: super painful process that comedians go through, and I was like, 321 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:46,480 Speaker 1: oh my god, I am a comedian. Ended up running 322 00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:51,640 Speaker 1: into Rick, like serendipitously ran into Rick, and he said, 323 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:53,119 Speaker 1: do you want to try again? And I was like, 324 00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:55,600 Speaker 1: I do, and I will do it right this time. 325 00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:58,080 Speaker 1: And so he gave me a few more dates and 326 00:18:58,119 --> 00:19:00,520 Speaker 1: I went to all the open mics and I bombed 327 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:03,119 Speaker 1: terribly and I cried all the time, and I just 328 00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:08,920 Speaker 1: really really really really stuck with it. And I would say, honestly, 329 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:13,879 Speaker 1: the two years before the pandemic is the very first 330 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:17,560 Speaker 1: time that I felt real comfortable, like I truly am 331 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:22,320 Speaker 1: a comedian. I'm a funny comedian, and this is yeah, 332 00:19:22,320 --> 00:19:24,520 Speaker 1: this is what I do. This is me. But it 333 00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:30,040 Speaker 1: took that long. And I do remember that's like eighteen 334 00:19:30,119 --> 00:19:33,080 Speaker 1: or so close to twenty years, maybe, you know. I 335 00:19:33,119 --> 00:19:36,159 Speaker 1: do remember one time halfway through that, standing outside of 336 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:40,159 Speaker 1: hard Rock Cafe for the Boston Comedy Festival, and I was, 337 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:44,720 Speaker 1: you know, we were young comedians and we're complaining about 338 00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:46,320 Speaker 1: something or other and I was saying, oh my god, 339 00:19:46,359 --> 00:19:48,000 Speaker 1: and I did this in my set and I should 340 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:49,639 Speaker 1: have said this, but I said it like that and 341 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:51,639 Speaker 1: I forgot this word and blah blah blah, and going on, 342 00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:55,439 Speaker 1: We're just like, you know, commiserating, and Tony V walked 343 00:19:55,440 --> 00:20:00,320 Speaker 1: by and he said, you just got to keep doing 344 00:20:00,359 --> 00:20:04,199 Speaker 1: it and I was like, yeah, I mean, but I 345 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:08,000 Speaker 1: you know, I was trying to get this joke and 346 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:09,440 Speaker 1: blah blah blah. And he goes, how long you have 347 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:12,119 Speaker 1: been doing it? And I said like four years, and 348 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:15,480 Speaker 1: he goes, you don't even matter until you've been doing 349 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:18,480 Speaker 1: it like ten years. He's like, you don't even know 350 00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:21,399 Speaker 1: who you are until you've been doing it ten years. 351 00:20:21,920 --> 00:20:26,600 Speaker 1: So just keep doing what you're doing, stop complaining, do 352 00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:30,159 Speaker 1: the work, and see what happens when you've been in 353 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:33,480 Speaker 1: ten years and I, of course have known Tony V 354 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:35,320 Speaker 1: the whole time I've been doing comedy. So when I 355 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:37,760 Speaker 1: was in it for ten years, I got to say, Tony, 356 00:20:38,680 --> 00:20:41,120 Speaker 1: you were wrong. Like, it's ten years and I still 357 00:20:41,160 --> 00:20:45,200 Speaker 1: don't know who the hell I am, But it's coming. 358 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:48,000 Speaker 1: I can feel it. I can feel it. I was 359 00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:51,320 Speaker 1: gonna say, and how dare your shrink suggests that you 360 00:20:51,320 --> 00:20:54,679 Speaker 1: were maladjusted in the world of comedians. I mean, I 361 00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:57,800 Speaker 1: find that to be the most insulting thing that your 362 00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:00,320 Speaker 1: shrink could possibly say and be paid for it, So 363 00:21:00,680 --> 00:21:05,720 Speaker 1: I mean literally, but yeah, it is the pain and suffering. Yeah, well, 364 00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:10,439 Speaker 1: it's the hard work. You know, everything takes really hard work, 365 00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:13,080 Speaker 1: and that you know, stand up is such a it's 366 00:21:13,080 --> 00:21:16,360 Speaker 1: such a personal, lonely thing in a way, because you're 367 00:21:16,440 --> 00:21:19,879 Speaker 1: creating this thing and then in order to put it 368 00:21:19,880 --> 00:21:22,320 Speaker 1: out into the world, you have to stand there and 369 00:21:22,359 --> 00:21:25,080 Speaker 1: put it out into the world, and then you have 370 00:21:25,119 --> 00:21:31,080 Speaker 1: to receive whatever reaction to it. So it's I guess 371 00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:33,760 Speaker 1: it is not for the faint of heart, that's for sure, 372 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:41,600 Speaker 1: but it's so I don't know, I really just love it. 373 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:45,520 Speaker 1: I didn't love it for quite a period, but a 374 00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:48,000 Speaker 1: couple of years, right, before the pandemic. I have to say, 375 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:50,240 Speaker 1: I just I just loved it so much. And I remember, 376 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:52,520 Speaker 1: you know, someone like Tony V saying all right, go 377 00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:54,840 Speaker 1: up have fun, and I'd be like, who is fun 378 00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:56,720 Speaker 1: when they do comedy? What a weird thing to say 379 00:21:56,720 --> 00:22:00,239 Speaker 1: to somebody? Right, And now I get it, Like it 380 00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:03,080 Speaker 1: is supposed to be fun. You're supposed to be being 381 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:06,119 Speaker 1: up there having fun. And that's what people That's what 382 00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:09,879 Speaker 1: people get from you. They get from you that you 383 00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:13,240 Speaker 1: are having fun, and that is contagious. Even if you 384 00:22:13,240 --> 00:22:17,760 Speaker 1: know I tend to talk about things as our walk 385 00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 1: started out. I tend to talk about things that are 386 00:22:20,359 --> 00:22:23,840 Speaker 1: that are real, that are maybe sometimes difficult to talk about. 387 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:26,760 Speaker 1: But I even in comedy I do that. But I 388 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:30,600 Speaker 1: do think that's the place where you can have those conversations. 389 00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:34,280 Speaker 1: You know, if you could bring levity to something that's 390 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:37,159 Speaker 1: difficult to talk about, you at least get the conversation 391 00:22:37,359 --> 00:22:42,080 Speaker 1: started where you know, it's it's it's hard for me 392 00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:45,879 Speaker 1: to start a difficult conversation. I'd rather avoid it and 393 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:50,359 Speaker 1: I'd rather watch cartoons or you know, a show or something. 394 00:22:51,560 --> 00:22:54,280 Speaker 1: But if if the topic comes up with levity, if 395 00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:57,119 Speaker 1: you can bring the topic up in a way that 396 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:01,040 Speaker 1: suggests that this is not the end of the world. 397 00:23:01,119 --> 00:23:04,320 Speaker 1: If we have this conversation and good things might come 398 00:23:04,359 --> 00:23:07,480 Speaker 1: of it, then I think it's it's really helpful. It's 399 00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:10,280 Speaker 1: helpful to just move things along and to progress. So 400 00:23:11,119 --> 00:23:13,520 Speaker 1: it's one of the most frustrating things as a comedian 401 00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:16,680 Speaker 1: where someone says, hey, plephany, I know you're a comedian, 402 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:20,200 Speaker 1: say something funny. Yes, I love that. It's not frustrating, 403 00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:22,480 Speaker 1: it's just hilarious, you know, because if this might be 404 00:23:22,520 --> 00:23:25,439 Speaker 1: a doctor saying that, yeah, right, and I'll be like, well, 405 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:27,520 Speaker 1: you know, check my liver and I'll trade you for 406 00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:30,120 Speaker 1: a joke or you know whatever, it is an architect 407 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:31,879 Speaker 1: saying it built me a house and I'll tell you 408 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:34,840 Speaker 1: a joke, right. But it isn't people. You're right. People 409 00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:38,480 Speaker 1: don't see it as this is my job and I'm 410 00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:42,280 Speaker 1: not here doing my job with you, so it's maybe, 411 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:45,040 Speaker 1: you know, a little inappropriate to ask for it. Steve 412 00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:47,840 Speaker 1: Sweeney told me that on a walk. He basically was like, 413 00:23:48,040 --> 00:23:50,240 Speaker 1: you know, and I absolutely that's one of the things 414 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:53,760 Speaker 1: I hate the most where someone is like, hey, you're funny, 415 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:57,399 Speaker 1: You're funny, and it just drives them crazy, right, But 416 00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:03,240 Speaker 1: so is Michael Jay right in any way, when he 417 00:24:03,320 --> 00:24:08,600 Speaker 1: talks about Boston in terms of racism, it is his experience. 418 00:24:08,760 --> 00:24:13,960 Speaker 1: So that's what I'll say. You know, he is right 419 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:18,000 Speaker 1: if he feels that's his experience. I mean, and we 420 00:24:18,480 --> 00:24:21,879 Speaker 1: both know standing here, Yeah, Buston has a lot of 421 00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:24,800 Speaker 1: problems with racism. I don't know what he experienced at 422 00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:28,520 Speaker 1: that time. I do know he keeps coming back, and 423 00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:31,440 Speaker 1: I do know that. You know, there's lots of racism 424 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:36,560 Speaker 1: in really everywhere, all across our beautiful country. It's it's 425 00:24:36,560 --> 00:24:41,359 Speaker 1: a problem that we're reckoning with right now. So yeah, 426 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:45,320 Speaker 1: I guess did I did I skirt around that? Well? 427 00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:48,240 Speaker 1: But yeah, we don't know what he experienced or what 428 00:24:48,280 --> 00:24:51,720 Speaker 1: he still experiences. Yeah, we have no idea. He does 429 00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:55,760 Speaker 1: come back because he's a comedian, he's in business. Yeah, 430 00:24:55,840 --> 00:24:58,400 Speaker 1: the crowd loves him. He has a lot of fans here. 431 00:24:58,440 --> 00:25:03,399 Speaker 1: It's huge. I've opened for him to sold out, you know. 432 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:06,080 Speaker 1: I've opened for him at Laugh All shows are sold out. 433 00:25:06,119 --> 00:25:08,359 Speaker 1: I've opened for him at the wilbur It's always sold out. 434 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:12,920 Speaker 1: So he loves the fans. But again, it's a tough conversation. 435 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:16,400 Speaker 1: People don't want to believe negative things about the place. 436 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:19,199 Speaker 1: They're firm. But yeah, Boston has a long history with 437 00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:26,800 Speaker 1: racism and it's still here. I believe we're working on it. 438 00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:30,360 Speaker 1: I believe electing a mayor who is a woman, who 439 00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:36,200 Speaker 1: is Asian is a huge step. It's it shows that 440 00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:39,040 Speaker 1: the city does want to change and be different and 441 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:41,720 Speaker 1: move forward. So I think that's a that's a great thing. 442 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:45,560 Speaker 1: Whether whether everyone agrees with all of her politics or 443 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:50,399 Speaker 1: all of her programs, I think everyone can agree that 444 00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:53,160 Speaker 1: it is a sign of progress. It's an incredible sign 445 00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:57,640 Speaker 1: of progress. So everyone is going to be talking forever 446 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:04,560 Speaker 1: about you know what I'm gonna say. It's supposed to 447 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:07,879 Speaker 1: be timely remembering, Okay, but they're gonna be talking forever 448 00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:14,440 Speaker 1: about Chris Rodd and Will Smith. So any reflections from 449 00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:18,159 Speaker 1: you on this, I am. I'm like, I am to 450 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:21,360 Speaker 1: do what I was gonna say right to. I want 451 00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:25,920 Speaker 1: to say, I'm a child of old activists. Okay, my 452 00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:28,800 Speaker 1: my parents have been They were activists when we were born. 453 00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:34,600 Speaker 1: And when I saw that, my first reaction was, this 454 00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:39,479 Speaker 1: is all anyone who's gonna talk about while Ukraine is 455 00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:43,880 Speaker 1: getting obliterated, Like no one's gonna everyone's gonna forget that 456 00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:48,000 Speaker 1: there is a horrible war happening and our earth is 457 00:26:48,119 --> 00:26:54,520 Speaker 1: melting because these two couldn't get their lives together. That's 458 00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:58,919 Speaker 1: really truly what I thought, and I don't have I 459 00:26:59,040 --> 00:27:02,840 Speaker 1: don't have an important opinion about it either way. I'm 460 00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:05,960 Speaker 1: more concerned with that will take over the news cycle 461 00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:08,840 Speaker 1: for a week and a half while other stuff is happening, 462 00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:15,240 Speaker 1: and that this is literally the problem with where humans 463 00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:18,240 Speaker 1: are on Earth at this time. Is that something like 464 00:27:18,280 --> 00:27:21,680 Speaker 1: that could truly bump out the humanitarian crisis happening in 465 00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:25,760 Speaker 1: Europe right now and the fact that our planet's about 466 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:29,399 Speaker 1: to burst into flames, right I mean, I saw the 467 00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:34,800 Speaker 1: day before the slap, I saw I saw an article 468 00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:40,240 Speaker 1: that Antarctica was ninety degrees hotter than it's ever been 469 00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:45,960 Speaker 1: in the history of taking temperatures. Like, what's more important 470 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:51,720 Speaker 1: that Will Smith got up in a silly, made up 471 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:56,440 Speaker 1: ceremony and slapped a guy who he felt disrespected his wife, 472 00:27:56,680 --> 00:28:01,040 Speaker 1: or that Antarctica's ninety degree harder than it's ever been 473 00:28:01,080 --> 00:28:03,359 Speaker 1: in the whole world, right, Like, that's that's kind of 474 00:28:03,400 --> 00:28:07,040 Speaker 1: more important. But news cycles, I mean, you you obviously 475 00:28:07,040 --> 00:28:10,159 Speaker 1: are fascinated by the news. You pay attention to the news, 476 00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:16,840 Speaker 1: and the way the news cycles work is, uh, we 477 00:28:16,960 --> 00:28:20,240 Speaker 1: know they're only trying to get ratings, so obviousally, I mean, 478 00:28:20,440 --> 00:28:24,040 Speaker 1: you know, when we all of a sudden name a 479 00:28:24,119 --> 00:28:28,640 Speaker 1: storm something called a bombo cyclone, when nobody ever heard 480 00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:31,359 Speaker 1: of that ever, that tells you everything. Right. It's like 481 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:34,480 Speaker 1: naming a new neighborhood when the realtors want you to 482 00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:36,560 Speaker 1: move to this neighborhood. That people are like, I don't know, 483 00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:38,800 Speaker 1: is that a little bit dangerous. No, it's so wide, 484 00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:45,280 Speaker 1: it's not dangerous. Move on in. Bomb cyclone is really exciting. Yeah, 485 00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:50,040 Speaker 1: it does not sound like the earth is dying. It 486 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:53,000 Speaker 1: sounds like, oh, bomb cyclone. That's pretty cool. I know, 487 00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:55,880 Speaker 1: it's so weird. Let's all get our bomb cyclone gear 488 00:28:56,680 --> 00:28:59,280 Speaker 1: and get our ski poles and I don't know, I know, 489 00:28:59,600 --> 00:29:03,280 Speaker 1: so we're You get your news. I get all of 490 00:29:03,280 --> 00:29:06,719 Speaker 1: my news from the Daily Show, and we can update, 491 00:29:08,120 --> 00:29:13,600 Speaker 1: right I I toggle, I toggle, I you know, I 492 00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:17,120 Speaker 1: check NPR. I checked BBC, I checked New York Times, 493 00:29:17,160 --> 00:29:19,840 Speaker 1: I always I checked Fox. I just checked. I check 494 00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:22,360 Speaker 1: everything to see what everybody is saying. Yeah, I try 495 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:25,320 Speaker 1: to find I try to find the source that has 496 00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:27,760 Speaker 1: the most facts in it and the less the least 497 00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:33,680 Speaker 1: amount of opinion or slant. It's really interesting. I always thought, 498 00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:36,479 Speaker 1: being in a New Yorker and all or former New Yorker, 499 00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:39,800 Speaker 1: I always thought the New York Times is true, that's 500 00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:45,760 Speaker 1: the real news, right. But during the pandemic, that was 501 00:29:45,800 --> 00:29:48,240 Speaker 1: what I followed. I just I didn't read anything else 502 00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:52,200 Speaker 1: except for a BBC and New York Times. During the pandemic, 503 00:29:52,280 --> 00:29:58,920 Speaker 1: I realized that I was far more like anxious and 504 00:29:59,040 --> 00:30:03,840 Speaker 1: depressed a year into it reading the New York Times 505 00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:08,240 Speaker 1: than than any other any other thing. And it was 506 00:30:08,560 --> 00:30:11,880 Speaker 1: there was definitely kind of like a doom slant on everything, 507 00:30:12,120 --> 00:30:15,560 Speaker 1: So even if something positive happened, there was this kind 508 00:30:15,680 --> 00:30:19,240 Speaker 1: of yeah, I mean, numbers are going down, but they're 509 00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:21,440 Speaker 1: probably gonna go right back up. And I was like, 510 00:30:21,480 --> 00:30:25,640 Speaker 1: that's right, they probably are. Everything is for naught. I 511 00:30:25,720 --> 00:30:29,720 Speaker 1: didn't notice it until I had to give myself a 512 00:30:29,760 --> 00:30:32,840 Speaker 1: break and I just turned everything off for like two weeks, 513 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:36,880 Speaker 1: and I felt so much better. Then I started reading 514 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:39,760 Speaker 1: the Times again, and I started feeling bad again, and 515 00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:42,440 Speaker 1: I was like, surely the New York Times can't be 516 00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:44,560 Speaker 1: making me feel bad. It just must be the state 517 00:30:44,600 --> 00:30:47,800 Speaker 1: of news. And no, there really was kind of this, 518 00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:53,280 Speaker 1: this like gloomy slant to it. Yep, just like the 519 00:30:53,760 --> 00:30:58,080 Speaker 1: Fox News has like this very sensationalized, like conspiracy theory 520 00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:00,320 Speaker 1: slant to it. There was I could find no news 521 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:02,840 Speaker 1: that didn't have some kind of slant. You know, maybe 522 00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:07,800 Speaker 1: the Guardian, but there's definitely a leftist slant, which I 523 00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:12,520 Speaker 1: don't dislike. But where is the news that is purely 524 00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:15,560 Speaker 1: giving you facts? I think there was a time in 525 00:31:15,600 --> 00:31:19,160 Speaker 1: my lifetime that the news did that. I think, So 526 00:31:19,680 --> 00:31:22,240 Speaker 1: I don't know. Yeah, I believe the seventies. I feel 527 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:25,120 Speaker 1: like we're or maybe some of the eighties were the 528 00:31:25,160 --> 00:31:28,560 Speaker 1: news was the actual news that was happening, right, But yeah, 529 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:30,920 Speaker 1: I don't I'm not sure we have that anymore, not 530 00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:35,840 Speaker 1: even the times, not even really anything. Well, you mentioned 531 00:31:35,880 --> 00:31:39,720 Speaker 1: your parents and activism, and one of the unique things 532 00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:45,320 Speaker 1: about you is your activism on behalf of your daughter, 533 00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:52,000 Speaker 1: right and the down syndrome you know, aspect of her life. 534 00:31:52,200 --> 00:31:56,479 Speaker 1: So please talk about how important that is, what we 535 00:31:56,520 --> 00:32:01,360 Speaker 1: should know about the challenges that your daughter faces, and 536 00:32:01,720 --> 00:32:05,640 Speaker 1: how the world can be more insightful and be helpful. Well, 537 00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:08,800 Speaker 1: the biggest challenge on my daughter faces is you know, 538 00:32:08,840 --> 00:32:11,640 Speaker 1: people's perception of her. That that's the biggest challenge. She 539 00:32:11,720 --> 00:32:14,760 Speaker 1: is she can do everything, and anything she can't do 540 00:32:14,840 --> 00:32:17,840 Speaker 1: today she will end up doing. It's that it's the 541 00:32:17,920 --> 00:32:21,000 Speaker 1: limitations that people put on her because of this diagnosis, 542 00:32:21,040 --> 00:32:25,800 Speaker 1: you know. And it again, it really is part of 543 00:32:25,840 --> 00:32:29,160 Speaker 1: the same thing that it's part of racism and sexism 544 00:32:29,240 --> 00:32:32,480 Speaker 1: and homophobia and this this is you know, ableism. It's 545 00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:39,800 Speaker 1: just people attaching limits or values to someone because of 546 00:32:40,040 --> 00:32:43,760 Speaker 1: one aspect of their being. You know, a person with 547 00:32:43,840 --> 00:32:48,600 Speaker 1: Down syndrome. Almost almost all people with Down syndrome do 548 00:32:48,640 --> 00:32:51,880 Speaker 1: all the same things that we all do. Sometimes it 549 00:32:51,920 --> 00:32:57,480 Speaker 1: takes them a little bit longer, but it's the opportunity 550 00:32:57,520 --> 00:33:00,000 Speaker 1: is there and it's available to people with Down syndrome 551 00:33:00,200 --> 00:33:05,640 Speaker 1: just just like all people. I think she faces the 552 00:33:05,760 --> 00:33:09,760 Speaker 1: same limitation as say women faced at a time, or 553 00:33:10,840 --> 00:33:15,040 Speaker 1: you know, black people, Asian people. It's really important to 554 00:33:16,400 --> 00:33:19,320 Speaker 1: first of all, just be inclusive if that's your practice. 555 00:33:19,680 --> 00:33:23,520 Speaker 1: If that's your practice, you're inclusive first, you ask questions later. 556 00:33:24,120 --> 00:33:27,160 Speaker 1: That will benefit everybody. If you see somebody who is alive, 557 00:33:27,880 --> 00:33:33,000 Speaker 1: they're worthy, they're valuable, They deserve the same amount of 558 00:33:33,040 --> 00:33:38,360 Speaker 1: space and respect and rights that we have. Everybody does. 559 00:33:38,680 --> 00:33:43,680 Speaker 1: So I believe being, you know, having a fully inclusive 560 00:33:43,800 --> 00:33:47,760 Speaker 1: mindset is the first thing, because that really covers everybody. 561 00:33:47,880 --> 00:33:49,880 Speaker 1: That covers a person with dawn syndrome, It covers a 562 00:33:49,880 --> 00:33:52,840 Speaker 1: gay person, it covers it covers a black person, it 563 00:33:52,840 --> 00:33:55,680 Speaker 1: covers you know, a person in a wheelchair. That covers 564 00:33:55,720 --> 00:34:01,720 Speaker 1: everybody if your mindset is one of full inclusion. And 565 00:34:01,760 --> 00:34:05,880 Speaker 1: then I guess after that, if you have a question 566 00:34:06,160 --> 00:34:09,480 Speaker 1: about someone, for example, some of it down syndrome, ask 567 00:34:09,560 --> 00:34:13,920 Speaker 1: the question. Just ask a question. You know, I had, 568 00:34:15,080 --> 00:34:19,759 Speaker 1: I had a lot of rough experiences of people staring 569 00:34:20,040 --> 00:34:23,000 Speaker 1: at my daughter when we were out and about, or 570 00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:26,680 Speaker 1: people saying things like, oh, there's one of them at 571 00:34:26,719 --> 00:34:30,279 Speaker 1: my church. They're just so happy all the time, and 572 00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:35,160 Speaker 1: just saying these things that were not true first of all, 573 00:34:35,640 --> 00:34:38,879 Speaker 1: but also not helpful, like rather than say that, ask 574 00:34:38,920 --> 00:34:43,759 Speaker 1: a question. You know, right, asking the question has more 575 00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:49,600 Speaker 1: sensitivity than saying stupid things, and it has it has information, right, 576 00:34:49,600 --> 00:34:54,560 Speaker 1: you know, my daughter is very sassy and she has 577 00:34:54,640 --> 00:35:01,880 Speaker 1: lots of emotions. She's a scorpio, so she's ten years old. 578 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:06,000 Speaker 1: She's definitely not happy all the time. But who on 579 00:35:06,080 --> 00:35:08,359 Speaker 1: earth is happy all the time? Right? No one's happy 580 00:35:08,360 --> 00:35:11,440 Speaker 1: all the time. Neither are people with Down syndrome neither. 581 00:35:11,880 --> 00:35:15,279 Speaker 1: All black people can't dance, all Asian people can't do math. Like, 582 00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:20,960 Speaker 1: it's just it's these, you know, these I can't think 583 00:35:20,960 --> 00:35:26,480 Speaker 1: of a word, but just a preconceived notion. Yeah, basically yeah, 584 00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:30,080 Speaker 1: or this like all inclusive, all people do this, All 585 00:35:30,080 --> 00:35:32,480 Speaker 1: people like this do that. So just it's really it's 586 00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:35,280 Speaker 1: not true. I think if we all took one minute 587 00:35:35,280 --> 00:35:37,160 Speaker 1: to think about it, we all know that none of 588 00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:40,440 Speaker 1: those statements are true. It's really important to get to 589 00:35:40,440 --> 00:35:43,480 Speaker 1: know people, get to know, get to know the person. 590 00:35:43,640 --> 00:35:46,360 Speaker 1: You know, if you've met one person with Down syndrome, 591 00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:50,799 Speaker 1: you've met one person with Down syndrome, just like if 592 00:35:50,840 --> 00:35:53,360 Speaker 1: you've met one white person, you've met one white person. 593 00:35:53,400 --> 00:35:55,560 Speaker 1: And if you've met one black person, you've met one 594 00:35:55,600 --> 00:35:58,719 Speaker 1: black person. We have to really that has to be 595 00:35:59,560 --> 00:36:03,200 Speaker 1: that has to be our mindset for us to make progress. 596 00:36:03,239 --> 00:36:10,399 Speaker 1: I think just as as a species, you know, are 597 00:36:10,400 --> 00:36:14,399 Speaker 1: there nonprofits that are important to you that you want 598 00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:18,399 Speaker 1: to talk about, especially knowing nonprofits have been really put 599 00:36:18,440 --> 00:36:20,160 Speaker 1: through the mill in the last couple of years with 600 00:36:20,200 --> 00:36:25,600 Speaker 1: the pandemic. I support the Mass Down Syndrome Congress. They're 601 00:36:25,640 --> 00:36:29,040 Speaker 1: an organization that supports people at Down syndrome and families 602 00:36:29,080 --> 00:36:32,840 Speaker 1: of people at Down syndrome. They have a wonderful annual 603 00:36:32,880 --> 00:36:37,760 Speaker 1: conference every year. You can go as a family member 604 00:36:38,680 --> 00:36:41,239 Speaker 1: of someone Down syndrome, someone with Down syndrome, or just 605 00:36:41,760 --> 00:36:45,520 Speaker 1: a curious person educator you know, an educator, or a 606 00:36:45,600 --> 00:36:47,920 Speaker 1: neighbor or anything, and you can learn so, so, so 607 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:51,799 Speaker 1: so much, and you can meet people. You meet lots 608 00:36:51,840 --> 00:36:54,760 Speaker 1: of people with Down syndrome and lots of families supporting 609 00:36:54,760 --> 00:36:57,760 Speaker 1: people with Down syndrome. The Federation for Children with Special 610 00:36:57,800 --> 00:37:06,080 Speaker 1: Needs I support. They their parent led group that began 611 00:37:06,400 --> 00:37:09,920 Speaker 1: sitting around in someone's table in a kitchen, just a 612 00:37:09,960 --> 00:37:13,080 Speaker 1: few families talking about how they can support their children 613 00:37:13,280 --> 00:37:17,279 Speaker 1: to have all the opportunity that typically developing children have, 614 00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:23,400 Speaker 1: and they've they've become this incredibly powerful resource for families 615 00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:28,120 Speaker 1: of people with special needs. They have lots and lots 616 00:37:28,120 --> 00:37:32,319 Speaker 1: of workshops. I've taken parent advocacy training workshops with them. 617 00:37:32,719 --> 00:37:36,120 Speaker 1: They have advocacy training for family members of people with 618 00:37:36,840 --> 00:37:42,239 Speaker 1: medical com medically complex needs, really anything anything that any 619 00:37:42,239 --> 00:37:44,840 Speaker 1: way you want to support someone with special needs or 620 00:37:45,040 --> 00:37:47,319 Speaker 1: someone in special education or something like that. They're a 621 00:37:47,320 --> 00:37:52,400 Speaker 1: great place to turn to. I support the Down Syndrome 622 00:37:52,440 --> 00:37:55,960 Speaker 1: Diagnosis Network, which is a group again all of these, 623 00:37:56,200 --> 00:37:59,400 Speaker 1: all of these groups started with families sitting around a 624 00:37:59,400 --> 00:38:01,680 Speaker 1: table for your out ways to support our loved ones. 625 00:38:01,960 --> 00:38:06,200 Speaker 1: This group started with a few moms on Facebook who 626 00:38:06,360 --> 00:38:09,160 Speaker 1: had babies with Down syndrome and the way the diagnosis 627 00:38:09,200 --> 00:38:12,040 Speaker 1: was given to them was just so hopeless, you know, 628 00:38:13,200 --> 00:38:15,760 Speaker 1: and so they came together to figure out how can 629 00:38:16,280 --> 00:38:20,960 Speaker 1: this diagnosis be given in a factual way, in a 630 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:25,560 Speaker 1: way that doesn't try to guide you to make one 631 00:38:25,600 --> 00:38:31,400 Speaker 1: decision or another, but just offers facts and connects you 632 00:38:31,520 --> 00:38:35,640 Speaker 1: right away with families and resources for you to get 633 00:38:35,680 --> 00:38:40,160 Speaker 1: support and more information. Because really, you know, it was 634 00:38:40,239 --> 00:38:43,440 Speaker 1: different by the time Lulu was born, but still not ideal. 635 00:38:43,680 --> 00:38:45,640 Speaker 1: But there used to be a time when people would say, 636 00:38:46,320 --> 00:38:49,560 Speaker 1: we have terrible news, your child is Down syndrome. We 637 00:38:49,680 --> 00:38:52,120 Speaker 1: recommend that you put your child in an asylum because 638 00:38:52,120 --> 00:38:55,960 Speaker 1: they're going to ruin your family's life, Like that's outrageous, 639 00:38:56,320 --> 00:38:59,960 Speaker 1: absolutely outrageous. So we've come a long way since then, 640 00:39:00,600 --> 00:39:03,120 Speaker 1: but there's still it still could be better. There's still 641 00:39:03,160 --> 00:39:05,960 Speaker 1: could be more information given at the time of the diagnosis. 642 00:39:06,840 --> 00:39:11,360 Speaker 1: It could just be. It could really be it's different 643 00:39:11,400 --> 00:39:13,719 Speaker 1: than having blue eyes or brown eyes, but it really 644 00:39:13,760 --> 00:39:16,160 Speaker 1: could be. The news could be delivered that easily. You 645 00:39:16,200 --> 00:39:19,000 Speaker 1: know your child is blue eyes, your child is down syndrome. 646 00:39:19,440 --> 00:39:22,719 Speaker 1: There these are ways that you we don't know. It 647 00:39:22,760 --> 00:39:26,200 Speaker 1: means something different for every single person. But here are 648 00:39:26,200 --> 00:39:28,960 Speaker 1: some resources to jump into right away. And here are 649 00:39:28,960 --> 00:39:30,720 Speaker 1: a lot of people who have been on this journey 650 00:39:30,960 --> 00:39:33,479 Speaker 1: longer than you who are there to support you. That's 651 00:39:33,600 --> 00:39:35,600 Speaker 1: that's like the best way you can you can deliver 652 00:39:35,640 --> 00:39:39,080 Speaker 1: a diagnosis like that. Well put, We're very well put. 653 00:39:39,840 --> 00:39:42,279 Speaker 1: So a year from now, what do you want to 654 00:39:42,360 --> 00:39:47,800 Speaker 1: have happened in your career? Oh? Wow, a year from now, 655 00:39:49,600 --> 00:39:54,919 Speaker 1: I would love to be hosting an amazing NPR game 656 00:39:54,960 --> 00:39:58,400 Speaker 1: show like some of my favorite game shows. Ask me 657 00:39:58,440 --> 00:40:01,640 Speaker 1: another and I wait, wait on time me. I would 658 00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:06,000 Speaker 1: love to be working on my second album. I have 659 00:40:06,120 --> 00:40:08,200 Speaker 1: someone working with me on a children's book and I 660 00:40:08,239 --> 00:40:13,160 Speaker 1: would love to find find it. I don't know where 661 00:40:13,160 --> 00:40:14,920 Speaker 1: it is yet, It's in me, but I would love 662 00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:18,319 Speaker 1: to find it. Not necessarily have it out, but just 663 00:40:18,520 --> 00:40:21,760 Speaker 1: find it. I'd love to be making a nice income, 664 00:40:22,480 --> 00:40:28,080 Speaker 1: bringing joy, being funny, being informative, and just helping people 665 00:40:28,160 --> 00:40:33,480 Speaker 1: feel good even with the difficult things. Well, I feel 666 00:40:33,560 --> 00:40:36,400 Speaker 1: good talking to you. I have such a heart and 667 00:40:36,640 --> 00:40:39,600 Speaker 1: such a great energy, and I appreciate you taking a 668 00:40:39,640 --> 00:40:42,080 Speaker 1: walk with me. And I wish you well because I 669 00:40:42,120 --> 00:40:46,160 Speaker 1: know it's going to be a continued, great journey. Thank 670 00:40:46,239 --> 00:40:48,680 Speaker 1: you so much, thank you. I really appreciate you having me. 671 00:40:49,120 --> 00:40:53,680 Speaker 1: Thank you. Taking a Walk with Buzznight is available on Spotify, 672 00:40:54,280 --> 00:40:58,480 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.