1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:15,600 Speaker 1: Hi, everyone, it's Sophia. Welcome to Work in Progress friends 2 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:20,240 Speaker 1: and digital listener community. Today we are joined by someone 3 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:25,440 Speaker 1: who defines being whip smart herself. Today's guest is none 4 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:29,319 Speaker 1: other than Emmy and Tony nominated writer, comedian, host, and 5 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 1: performer Amber Ruffin. She has become one of the most 6 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 1: prominent and celebrated voices in late night television and happens 7 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 1: to be one of my favorite people ever to be 8 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:44,880 Speaker 1: interviewed by. To interview and to hang out with, Ruffin 9 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: is not only a cool, brilliant lady, she's also a 10 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 1: history maker. She made history as the first black woman 11 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: to write for a late night network talk show in 12 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 1: the United States, joining the writing staff of NBC's iconic 13 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 1: Late Night with Seth Myers in twenty twenty four. Her 14 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:06,160 Speaker 1: quick wit, boundless energy, and incisive social commentary quickly made 15 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 1: her a breakout star, leading to regular on air appearances 16 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,600 Speaker 1: for her and then the creation of her own segment, 17 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 1: Amber Says What. Most recently, Amber penned the revised book 18 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:19,679 Speaker 1: for Broadway's current revival of The Whiz. This is actually 19 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:23,560 Speaker 1: her second recent foray into Broadway, having received a Tony 20 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:26,959 Speaker 1: nomination just last year for co writing the book of 21 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:29,880 Speaker 1: the musical sum Like It Hot, based on the classic film, 22 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:33,399 Speaker 1: and as the host of her own eponymous late night 23 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:37,120 Speaker 1: program on Peacock, The Amber Ruffin Show, she has carved 24 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:40,039 Speaker 1: out a truly unique space for herself as a sharp 25 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:45,120 Speaker 1: witted satirist and dynamic on camera personality. That might be 26 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 1: because Ruffin got her start in the world of improv. 27 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 1: She has performed with acclaimed troops in Chicago and Amsterdam 28 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 1: before transitioning to writing and on camera work. She has 29 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 1: this incredible ability to find humor in the every day 30 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:02,240 Speaker 1: and to challenge societal norms. I love her biting, incisive style, 31 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 1: and so do the rest of you, because it's earned 32 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: her widespread acclaim, including the aforementioned DEMI nomination for Outstanding 33 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:13,800 Speaker 1: Writing for a Variety Series. She is also currently the host, 34 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 1: alongside her sister Lacy Lamar, of The Amber and Lacey. 35 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 1: Lacy and Amber Shall a weekly podcast produced by our 36 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:23,640 Speaker 1: friends right here at iHeartMedia and Will Ferrell's Big Money 37 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:27,800 Speaker 1: Players Network. This show is so entertaining. It pits the 38 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 1: sisters against each other as they discuss life, on pop culture, 39 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:35,080 Speaker 1: and more, while inviting exciting guests and games into their 40 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 1: sibling rivalry. The sisters have also written two books together 41 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 1: and happened to be New York Times best sellers. I 42 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:44,960 Speaker 1: could go on and on with more accolades for Amber, 43 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:47,240 Speaker 1: but I'm sure you'd rather be hearing from her than 44 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:49,800 Speaker 1: me in this intro. So let's dive in and chat 45 00:02:49,800 --> 00:03:03,680 Speaker 1: with Amber Ruffin. So the thing I love to do 46 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:06,080 Speaker 1: the most with people because when I sit down with 47 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 1: someone like you, they know you from TV, they know 48 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:11,120 Speaker 1: you from being nominated for awards, They've seen you on 49 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 1: late night, all of these things. I want to know 50 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:18,119 Speaker 1: if from this vantage point, if you got to hang 51 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 1: out with Amber the eight year old, would you see 52 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 1: the current version of you in her? Like? Is there 53 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:30,960 Speaker 1: a through line? Or do you wind up here completely unexpectedly. 54 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:34,359 Speaker 2: I feel like I was a big baby. I'm still 55 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 2: kind of a big baby. But then, what do you mean, 56 00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:43,200 Speaker 2: like scared of everything? It was a bug, but now 57 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 2: I'm like a little murderer. For me to feel embarrassed, 58 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:52,200 Speaker 2: like I'm kind of loud and I'm up your nose 59 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:56,839 Speaker 2: and stuff. But then when I look back at when 60 00:03:56,880 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 2: I was eight, I feel like I was feeling a 61 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:08,120 Speaker 2: little scared, but I was still m boogs both clid 62 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 2: me and I was very wild, and I don't give 63 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 2: myself enough credit for for how bad I was when 64 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 2: I was young. It was pretty wild. 65 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 1: Okay. Can we give little use some credit right now? 66 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:26,599 Speaker 2: Yeah? Okay, Amber, you're really bidy and I enjoy that 67 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:27,080 Speaker 2: about you. 68 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 1: I love it. 69 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:32,800 Speaker 2: I love it. So were you? 70 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 1: Were you into television talk shows, you know, the local 71 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:43,359 Speaker 1: hot goss, which I consider to be politics when you're young, Like, 72 00:04:43,839 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 1: were you into all that as a kid? What inspired 73 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:52,680 Speaker 1: you to become, you know, an observational comedian writer, Like, 74 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:53,800 Speaker 1: where did it come from? 75 00:04:54,320 --> 00:05:02,320 Speaker 2: Well? I feel like I never was into the goss, 76 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:08,039 Speaker 2: like celebrity gosp politics, who's Who's. What what happened was 77 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 2: is I realized that I was funny and that you 78 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 2: could like make a living from it, which I didn't 79 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:22,919 Speaker 2: think was possible, but I was sure won't try, so 80 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:26,039 Speaker 2: I gave it a show and it worked out. That's 81 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:30,480 Speaker 2: kind of how it came about. But I didn't really 82 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:36,240 Speaker 2: care about politics, even though my mom, you know, was 83 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:40,719 Speaker 2: run around yelling about Ronald Reagan. That's my age, but 84 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:43,880 Speaker 2: she would and she would be cussing this man out 85 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:46,920 Speaker 2: all the time, and I would go she wouldn't be cussing. 86 00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 2: She'd be so madified said she discussing. I've never heard 87 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:51,560 Speaker 2: this woman say a goussword, but you know, she'd be 88 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 2: so mad about him and what he was doing. And 89 00:05:56,560 --> 00:05:58,599 Speaker 2: it never really occurred to me to be like, I 90 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:02,279 Speaker 2: wonder what her deal with is? What's wrong with this guy? 91 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:09,040 Speaker 2: Didn't occur to me until Late Night came along, and 92 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:12,920 Speaker 2: then I kind of had to know what was up. 93 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:17,279 Speaker 2: And you know, the more you find out, the worse 94 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 2: you feel. 95 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 1: Way, Hey, Yeah, It's like people will ask me how 96 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:27,120 Speaker 1: I got to be such a policy nerd and connect 97 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:29,320 Speaker 1: the dots between all these issues, and I'm like, well, 98 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 1: once you start pulling on the thread, yeah, yeah, you 99 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:36,760 Speaker 1: kind of can't stop. Yeah, because the more you learn, 100 00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:39,480 Speaker 1: the more you realize there's so much more to learn, 101 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 1: and it just continues. How did the jump happen then? 102 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:47,919 Speaker 1: From realizing you were funny, realizing there was a world 103 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:52,120 Speaker 1: a career in humor, to getting to Late Night like that, 104 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:54,359 Speaker 1: what's what's in that gap there? 105 00:06:55,320 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 2: I moved to Chicago to do improv the gap is, yeah, 106 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:04,799 Speaker 2: and then I was there for a long time. 107 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:08,320 Speaker 1: Where were you were you at Second City? Were you 108 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:09,000 Speaker 1: at Io. 109 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:10,400 Speaker 2: I was at Io. 110 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:11,400 Speaker 1: Yeah. 111 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:14,440 Speaker 2: Then I went to Boom Chicago, which is a comedy 112 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 2: theater in Amsterdam, which is basically the Second City, but 113 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 2: it's in Amsterdam. Yeah. And I did the Second City 114 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:22,000 Speaker 2: in Denver. Then I did the Second City in Chicago. 115 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:25,240 Speaker 2: Then I went to Amsterdam for Boom Chicago, and then 116 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:28,400 Speaker 2: I moved to la to make it, and then I 117 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:32,480 Speaker 2: got Late Night Seth and then it was off to the. 118 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:34,480 Speaker 1: Races, and then you had to move to New York. 119 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 2: Right then I had to move to New York. 120 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:42,640 Speaker 1: And here we are. And is it like crazy or 121 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 1: an uncomfortable accolade, or like totally exciting, or maybe it's 122 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:52,440 Speaker 1: a blend of all of them. To know that you 123 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 1: you made history, Like we're not that old, and you 124 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 1: made history as the first black woman to write for 125 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:02,160 Speaker 1: a late night now work talk show when you joined SETH, 126 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 1: and like that was only ten years ago. So I 127 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:08,880 Speaker 1: don't know what is that like in your brain? It 128 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:12,040 Speaker 1: kind of breaks my brain to think about. For you, 129 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:13,040 Speaker 1: as I look at. 130 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:16,080 Speaker 2: You, I didn't think about it. I didn't know that 131 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 2: that was happening. Oh wow. People were like, did you 132 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:21,800 Speaker 2: know that You're the first guy got guga ga. I 133 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:25,880 Speaker 2: was like, oh, okay, that's you know, a little sad, 134 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:30,520 Speaker 2: but it also makes a lot of sense. Think about 135 00:08:30,880 --> 00:08:34,160 Speaker 2: the shows you watched and their jokes and what they 136 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:37,680 Speaker 2: were doing. Yeah, I bet there wasn't a black lady 137 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:44,240 Speaker 2: in that room. I'm pretty sure. But it just is 138 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 2: nice because when I got hired, then I think Robin 139 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:54,840 Speaker 2: Thedie got her late night show, The Rundown, and then 140 00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:59,120 Speaker 2: you know sam Bee I think had hired black women, 141 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:05,560 Speaker 2: and then just a little bit into my working at 142 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:09,840 Speaker 2: late night, Yes, Robin Thetie's birthday and we were like, 143 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:13,839 Speaker 2: you know what she likes is black women in late night. 144 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:16,440 Speaker 2: And so we were like, bet you we can get 145 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:20,240 Speaker 2: everyone to go to a dinner and we called everyone. 146 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:22,520 Speaker 2: There was only ten of us in late night. There 147 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:25,440 Speaker 2: was one of us that lived in la but I 148 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:28,280 Speaker 2: feel like there was just ten people at a table 149 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:32,080 Speaker 2: and we were like, this is the entirety of black 150 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:36,520 Speaker 2: women in late night. They were like, this is sad, 151 00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:41,120 Speaker 2: but also quite cool. Wow, cool, I can text every 152 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:43,880 Speaker 2: black woman in late night. That was very neat right. 153 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:49,959 Speaker 1: It's like a little both and like hmmm and also awesome. Yeah, 154 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:53,640 Speaker 1: you've said you've talked a bunch about how you'll never 155 00:09:53,800 --> 00:09:57,920 Speaker 1: leave this show. But you've also you're doing all your 156 00:09:57,920 --> 00:09:59,959 Speaker 1: own shows and you and your sister are writing books. 157 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:02,680 Speaker 1: I'm like, you know, a lot going on. So what 158 00:10:02,720 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 1: does that look like? How do you remain part of 159 00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:08,000 Speaker 1: the Seth Meyers family and do all the other things 160 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:11,559 Speaker 1: you do? And why why have you wanted to stay 161 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:13,559 Speaker 1: there for a whole decade? 162 00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:17,679 Speaker 2: Ay? I want to stay here for a whole decade 163 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:21,079 Speaker 2: for exactly that reason, because they let us do whatever. 164 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:28,840 Speaker 2: I mean, I love that we turn in sketches. We 165 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:32,440 Speaker 2: you know, I don't really turn in jokes a lot. 166 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:38,200 Speaker 2: I sometimes turn in jokes. It is a really cool, 167 00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:43,760 Speaker 2: happy job where they want you to succeed. Like I've 168 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:51,600 Speaker 2: with set with Seth's production company, I've had five five 169 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:56,000 Speaker 2: pilots and we shot two. We shot three. Yeah, so 170 00:10:56,040 --> 00:11:02,400 Speaker 2: it's like they reach to succeed. Yeah. Yeah, so it's 171 00:11:02,520 --> 00:11:02,960 Speaker 2: very cool. 172 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:05,720 Speaker 1: I mean, I you know, not to say I'm like 173 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:08,520 Speaker 1: the most experienced at late night person by any means, 174 00:11:08,520 --> 00:11:11,839 Speaker 1: but yeah, I've been doing like TV shows for twenty years, 175 00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:13,960 Speaker 1: so I've done a lot of late night press and 176 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:16,079 Speaker 1: I will never forget I got to go on as 177 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:20,000 Speaker 1: a guest the first week of SETH and I had 178 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:23,400 Speaker 1: the best time, and everyone was so cool and he 179 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:26,400 Speaker 1: is so lovely and I don't even know how. In 180 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:28,560 Speaker 1: like a commercial break, we were talking and he found 181 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:30,680 Speaker 1: out I'm a furniture nerd and he was like, oh 182 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:34,079 Speaker 1: my god, you got to know my wife's families. They're 183 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:37,200 Speaker 1: interior people. And we like started following all these people 184 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:41,120 Speaker 1: on Instagram and and then he they would like invite 185 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:42,440 Speaker 1: me to things, and I was like, this is just 186 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:45,840 Speaker 1: such a nice person. And then I was reading Amy 187 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:48,280 Speaker 1: Poehler's book, and I will admit that I was day 188 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 1: drinking with a friend of mine. It was a Sunday. 189 00:11:49,960 --> 00:11:53,080 Speaker 1: We were by a pool, we'd had some rose, and 190 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:55,120 Speaker 1: I read sess chapter and I was like, this is 191 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:58,640 Speaker 1: just so sweet, Like men in our industry are toxic, 192 00:11:58,720 --> 00:12:01,000 Speaker 1: and he's such a nice one. And I sent him 193 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:04,880 Speaker 1: like a not short, like drunk text about what a 194 00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:07,000 Speaker 1: good guy and an ally he is. And I think 195 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:13,040 Speaker 1: he was like okay, chicky and his wife was like, oh, 196 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:15,360 Speaker 1: he doesn't he doesn't know how to handle feelings, but 197 00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:17,440 Speaker 1: he loves to laugh. But I thought it was sweet 198 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:19,719 Speaker 1: and we were cackling. I was like, you too, are 199 00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:23,520 Speaker 1: just for like people who run a whole amazing industry, 200 00:12:23,559 --> 00:12:28,080 Speaker 1: which clearly they're also changing. Hence this conversation. I was like, 201 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 1: y'all are so normal and funny. 202 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:31,120 Speaker 2: I don't know. 203 00:12:31,559 --> 00:12:33,520 Speaker 1: Just as a guest, I never want to leave there, 204 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:35,800 Speaker 1: so I would imagine that as a writer, You're like, 205 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:38,079 Speaker 1: I'm going to stay. I'm just gonna stay forever. 206 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:44,160 Speaker 2: Out of my cold dead hands. He can enit. I 207 00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:44,680 Speaker 2: love it. 208 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:48,920 Speaker 1: I love it. Do you do you think about cause 209 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:52,440 Speaker 1: it's ten years right and late night happens fast. You're 210 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:58,480 Speaker 1: processing politics, pop culture, history, insurrections, you know, all sorts 211 00:12:58,520 --> 00:13:01,960 Speaker 1: of things are there? Are there like standout moments in 212 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:04,880 Speaker 1: that writer's room that you can share with us? 213 00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:12,840 Speaker 3: I mean a little like moments are stupid? I love stupid, 214 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:15,480 Speaker 3: Like are my. 215 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:19,160 Speaker 2: When I think of the room, I think of like 216 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:25,959 Speaker 2: a few moments where like, oh my gosh, who's who's 217 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:30,760 Speaker 2: this guy? Who's this guy? Beer? I love beer? O god, 218 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:33,880 Speaker 2: I'm on trial for this and that. Who is that guy? 219 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:35,400 Speaker 2: What's that guy's name? 220 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:36,920 Speaker 1: Who is it? 221 00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:42,439 Speaker 2: It's oh, Brett, Brett Cavanaugh? To you know what? We 222 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:44,079 Speaker 2: were better for not knowing his name? 223 00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:47,320 Speaker 1: You're right, I try to think of him as as 224 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:50,200 Speaker 1: rarely as possible, though it is hard with a whole 225 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:52,280 Speaker 1: lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court. 226 00:13:52,040 --> 00:13:57,640 Speaker 2: Thing, girl yikes. When he was on trial in the room, 227 00:13:57,760 --> 00:14:01,520 Speaker 2: we were just like, oh my god. And then when 228 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:04,480 Speaker 2: she had to testify against him, I just thought we 229 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:08,680 Speaker 2: were all going to explode. It was horrifying and it 230 00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:12,040 Speaker 2: made me want to jump through the TV screen and 231 00:14:12,120 --> 00:14:15,000 Speaker 2: choke that gay so that and then we were all 232 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:17,319 Speaker 2: just like feeling it as a team. But everybody on 233 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:19,520 Speaker 2: Late night is such a sweet little baby. We were 234 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:24,640 Speaker 2: all feeling the same anger. And a time that stands 235 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:29,160 Speaker 2: out as a the day after Trump won and we 236 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:34,320 Speaker 2: come into work and everybody everybody's like and knew it 237 00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:37,040 Speaker 2: was racist. I didn't know it was this racist. And 238 00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:40,000 Speaker 2: I was just like, aha, I've. 239 00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 1: Been telling you you're like welcome. 240 00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:50,040 Speaker 2: Welcome, buddies. And I remember, like I put the bit 241 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:53,560 Speaker 2: I was doing in the room on Late Night that night, 242 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:58,760 Speaker 2: which I was, yeah, it sucks. These people are crazy. 243 00:14:58,800 --> 00:15:01,080 Speaker 2: They could be your dad or your brother. Join the 244 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:06,200 Speaker 2: fun was just of course I've joined the fun. But 245 00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:11,960 Speaker 2: the my favorite memory from the Late Night Writer's Room 246 00:15:12,160 --> 00:15:15,960 Speaker 2: is when John Lutz went on to shoot because he 247 00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:19,840 Speaker 2: had a show that he had to shoot. So he 248 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:22,200 Speaker 2: was gone for a week, and every day of the 249 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:26,200 Speaker 2: week we made He said, do whatever you want, just 250 00:15:26,280 --> 00:15:29,960 Speaker 2: don't eat at my desk. So we every day we 251 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:35,200 Speaker 2: brought in a crock pot. One day served kso on 252 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:39,840 Speaker 2: his desk Italian beef O my God. And it was 253 00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:42,440 Speaker 2: just like a long line out of the writer's room. 254 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:45,600 Speaker 2: It was the whole office and everyone was just like scooping, 255 00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:52,360 Speaker 2: said a mean video. Yeah, there's a lot of that. 256 00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:56,480 Speaker 2: I love it. It's family energy. 257 00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:59,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, we'll be back in just a minute after a 258 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:06,760 Speaker 1: few words from our favorite sponsors. Humor can save you 259 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:12,080 Speaker 1: right when things are hard, Like having community and finding 260 00:16:12,120 --> 00:16:14,360 Speaker 1: the joy in the middle of it is so important. 261 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:18,200 Speaker 1: And I would imagine that there's a there's like a 262 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:22,920 Speaker 1: respite and a safety in that because listen, I think America. Look, 263 00:16:23,920 --> 00:16:26,280 Speaker 1: I'm going to back up to circle back to where 264 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:29,240 Speaker 1: we are. It's not lost on me that I have 265 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:35,360 Speaker 1: had the immense privilege of a really beautifully diverse community. 266 00:16:35,480 --> 00:16:38,160 Speaker 1: Not everybody gets the privilege of exposure, like plenty of 267 00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:40,720 Speaker 1: people have white privilege. But if you have it in 268 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:45,360 Speaker 1: like the in a homogeneous sort of space, you're not 269 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:47,680 Speaker 1: going to know about the rest of the world. Like 270 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:51,680 Speaker 1: I am only as smart as I am because of 271 00:16:51,720 --> 00:16:55,200 Speaker 1: the community and the company that I keep, and so 272 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:58,200 Speaker 1: much of what I understand about the world comes from 273 00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:01,000 Speaker 1: women like you, women who I was fortunate enough to 274 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:04,200 Speaker 1: grow up with, who are like I told you exactly 275 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:06,679 Speaker 1: what you said about Like it's your dad, it's your cousin, 276 00:17:06,760 --> 00:17:10,359 Speaker 1: I told you. And so it's not lost on me 277 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:15,000 Speaker 1: that like a safety is required, especially as a black 278 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:19,879 Speaker 1: woman in America, to be open. And after the murder 279 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:24,080 Speaker 1: of George Floyd and the sort of social justice cry 280 00:17:24,359 --> 00:17:30,359 Speaker 1: explosions summer in twenty twenty, you recounted your own traumatic 281 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:34,600 Speaker 1: run ins with the police on Late Night and I 282 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:37,680 Speaker 1: was blown away by it as a viewer and a fan, 283 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:43,000 Speaker 1: And I guess I'm curious as like a you know, 284 00:17:44,040 --> 00:17:47,880 Speaker 1: friend and now interviewer in this moment, like how did 285 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:51,439 Speaker 1: how did that happen? Did you say, like, look, this 286 00:17:51,560 --> 00:17:54,280 Speaker 1: is really important for me to do or was it 287 00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:58,240 Speaker 1: four years of these horrible Donald Trump conversations that had 288 00:17:58,560 --> 00:18:00,160 Speaker 1: put so much of it out on the table well 289 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:03,120 Speaker 1: that it was ready to go already, Like how did 290 00:18:03,119 --> 00:18:07,120 Speaker 1: you decide to lead that charge in your writer's room. 291 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:15,160 Speaker 2: So the week George Floyd was murdered, I wrote something 292 00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:21,919 Speaker 2: up and then I brought it in and as the 293 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:24,720 Speaker 2: it was a sketch, it was a regular sketch. And 294 00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:28,000 Speaker 2: then as the day went on, I was like, oh no, 295 00:18:28,359 --> 00:18:34,359 Speaker 2: you can't do a sketch about it, because it, for 296 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:40,639 Speaker 2: whatever reason, this murder just activated America. So I was like, oh, okay, 297 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:42,479 Speaker 2: it has to be a rant. It has to just 298 00:18:42,520 --> 00:18:48,400 Speaker 2: be me saying my feelings to camera. Then by showtime 299 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:51,280 Speaker 2: it was clear that that would have become in poor 300 00:18:51,359 --> 00:18:54,680 Speaker 2: taste to do. So I was like, oh my gosh, 301 00:18:54,760 --> 00:18:59,000 Speaker 2: this has never happened where I wrote something and it 302 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:02,439 Speaker 2: timed out in me hours. It was too far, So 303 00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:09,040 Speaker 2: I said, you know what we should do. I can peep. 304 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:13,159 Speaker 2: Because my main chorus during the murder of George Floyd 305 00:19:13,320 --> 00:19:18,360 Speaker 2: was people were saying, well, this is not typical, and 306 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:22,720 Speaker 2: I my whole thing was this is extremely typical. This 307 00:19:22,840 --> 00:19:27,640 Speaker 2: could be any one of us. And so then I 308 00:19:27,840 --> 00:19:30,719 Speaker 2: was like, this is what I want to do. I 309 00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:34,359 Speaker 2: want to tell this exact story and just be like, 310 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:37,639 Speaker 2: at this point, Late Night has been going on for 311 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:40,080 Speaker 2: years and years, and you know me and this happened 312 00:19:40,119 --> 00:19:43,600 Speaker 2: to me when I was only smaller and cuter. It 313 00:19:43,680 --> 00:19:49,000 Speaker 2: happened to me. So they were like great, and I 314 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:51,120 Speaker 2: said it you know, this was in COVID, So then 315 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:55,720 Speaker 2: I recorded it in my little apartment and then sent 316 00:19:55,840 --> 00:20:02,119 Speaker 2: it in and then the next day that was it. 317 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:08,400 Speaker 2: We were still so the country was so like stinging. 318 00:20:08,680 --> 00:20:14,280 Speaker 2: It stung ye his murder it really took a long 319 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:18,720 Speaker 2: time to heal. And so then at the end of 320 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:21,439 Speaker 2: the first time, I told a story about my actual 321 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:23,160 Speaker 2: recount with the police when I thought they were going 322 00:20:23,240 --> 00:20:25,520 Speaker 2: to murder me. I was like, and I have a 323 00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:28,960 Speaker 2: million more stories like this. Yeah. So then the next 324 00:20:29,040 --> 00:20:33,280 Speaker 2: day they were like, will you tell another one? So 325 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:36,359 Speaker 2: they opened the show with it, instead of the theme song, 326 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:38,919 Speaker 2: instead of the band, instead of anything. It was just 327 00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:44,879 Speaker 2: seth going, here's amber to tell a story because we 328 00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:49,400 Speaker 2: are saddened by the death of George Flood. So yeah, 329 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:53,520 Speaker 2: it was really into it, and I did four shows 330 00:20:53,560 --> 00:20:57,159 Speaker 2: worth of stories, and at the end of the fourth story, 331 00:20:57,200 --> 00:20:59,680 Speaker 2: I was like, these are not all of the times 332 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:01,840 Speaker 2: when I thought a cop was going to kill me. 333 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:06,120 Speaker 2: They're so I was like, and I don't know any 334 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:08,960 Speaker 2: black person without this many stories. 335 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:10,240 Speaker 1: Exactly. 336 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:14,680 Speaker 2: I just really wanted to make that clear because I've 337 00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:19,840 Speaker 2: heard everyone I know go, well, the police said that 338 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:23,240 Speaker 2: blah blah blah blah blah. So I'm like, wow, but 339 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:28,880 Speaker 2: what whoah? Yeah, So that I feel like, of all 340 00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:30,879 Speaker 2: of the horrible things that happened in the world, of 341 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:35,760 Speaker 2: all the things we have to learn about, my big 342 00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:38,320 Speaker 2: horrible thing that I had to learn about was that 343 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:45,760 Speaker 2: people thought we were lying this whole time. Like I 344 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:53,720 Speaker 2: was just like, what, so everybody lies this madness? But 345 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:57,560 Speaker 2: then you see how ingrained it is. It's just in 346 00:21:57,640 --> 00:22:02,479 Speaker 2: there owns this white supremacy is hard to get out 347 00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:03,440 Speaker 2: from it. 348 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:08,640 Speaker 1: It is. And I think it also when I've thought 349 00:22:08,640 --> 00:22:13,439 Speaker 1: about this a lot in terms of like the structures 350 00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:16,280 Speaker 1: that we rely on to make us feel safe, even 351 00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:19,520 Speaker 1: if that safety is an illusion, the idea of a 352 00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:24,200 Speaker 1: hero is really powerful, right, And if the heroes can 353 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:28,040 Speaker 1: also be the bad guys, how do we calm down? 354 00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:34,240 Speaker 1: And so when that whole summer happened, And I guess 355 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:36,840 Speaker 1: I'm just curious what you think of this, because as 356 00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:40,280 Speaker 1: I thought about it, and to your point, it's stung 357 00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 1: so deeply and it was different like everybody's been screaming 358 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:47,800 Speaker 1: from the rooftops that this is happening. We've said the 359 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:50,840 Speaker 1: names of Sandra Bland, of Orlando Castile and all, I mean, 360 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:54,359 Speaker 1: all of these people, you know, what hit differently, and 361 00:22:55,760 --> 00:23:01,760 Speaker 1: I think the length of that tape and the very clear, 362 00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:06,760 Speaker 1: you know, cries of a person, everybody went, wait. We've 363 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:09,159 Speaker 1: always been told, oh, well, you don't understand what happened 364 00:23:09,160 --> 00:23:11,439 Speaker 1: in the moment and it was a split second and 365 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:13,439 Speaker 1: they thought he had a gun and it turned out 366 00:23:13,480 --> 00:23:15,000 Speaker 1: to be a phone. And there was always kind of 367 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:17,359 Speaker 1: like this excuse where you could say, oh, well, you know, 368 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:20,199 Speaker 1: they were just doing people would say not you or I, 369 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:22,520 Speaker 1: but people would say, well, they were doing their jobs, 370 00:23:22,520 --> 00:23:24,680 Speaker 1: and their jobs are so hard. And then you watch 371 00:23:24,720 --> 00:23:26,320 Speaker 1: this and you go, it's not hard to get up 372 00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:29,520 Speaker 1: off somebody's body. It's actually not hard. It's not hard 373 00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:31,679 Speaker 1: to listen to the people on the streets begging you 374 00:23:31,720 --> 00:23:35,800 Speaker 1: to stop hurting someone like it isn't hard. And it 375 00:23:35,960 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 1: pierced the veil of this idea of goodness I believe, 376 00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:45,880 Speaker 1: and when I try to talk to people about it, 377 00:23:46,240 --> 00:23:48,720 Speaker 1: because I really don't think it's the job of you, 378 00:23:49,119 --> 00:23:53,200 Speaker 1: as a black woman, certainly to have this conversation. I think, 379 00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:55,399 Speaker 1: like women who look like me need to have this 380 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:58,960 Speaker 1: conversation with their communities first and foremost. I talk a 381 00:23:58,960 --> 00:24:01,480 Speaker 1: lot about what we experien and says gender violence with 382 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:05,560 Speaker 1: people because I'm like, well, listen, if if one in 383 00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:08,280 Speaker 1: four women get sexually assaulted by the time she's twenty two, 384 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:10,080 Speaker 1: and they actually think the numbers are more like one 385 00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:11,919 Speaker 1: in two, but a lot of women are scared to report, 386 00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:15,640 Speaker 1: like we have a problem with men, right, Like it's 387 00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:18,280 Speaker 1: not our problem, it's actually their problem. If one in 388 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:21,520 Speaker 1: three people who die who's murdered in America is murdered 389 00:24:21,560 --> 00:24:24,879 Speaker 1: by a police officer, which is the statistic, Like we 390 00:24:24,920 --> 00:24:28,480 Speaker 1: have a problem. We have a problem. 391 00:24:29,040 --> 00:24:31,280 Speaker 2: The statistic is one in three. 392 00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:33,440 Speaker 1: I believe, So I believe one in three people who 393 00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:35,400 Speaker 1: is murdered in America. It might be a gun death, 394 00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:38,840 Speaker 1: but I do believe that that will I will double 395 00:24:38,920 --> 00:24:40,040 Speaker 1: check it, Like we. 396 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:41,720 Speaker 2: Have a problem. 397 00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:46,159 Speaker 1: And that's not even getting into the incidences and statistics 398 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:51,760 Speaker 1: of domestic violence in that population. And like if seventy 399 00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:54,040 Speaker 1: three percent of the women murdered in America are murdered 400 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:57,359 Speaker 1: by a current or former intimate partner, like we have 401 00:24:57,440 --> 00:25:02,760 Speaker 1: a problem. And these problems are connected. Did And one 402 00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:08,560 Speaker 1: of the things that, as you know, a fan turned friend, 403 00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:11,680 Speaker 1: that I have admired is I know I can get 404 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:13,720 Speaker 1: a little stuck on the data and people are like, god, 405 00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:17,800 Speaker 1: it's so serious. It's a really heavy conversation, Sophia. And 406 00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:23,000 Speaker 1: you managed to take your life experiences this really intense 407 00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:28,840 Speaker 1: pain that is personal and societal, and you showed up 408 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:31,200 Speaker 1: and you told these stories on Late Night, and then 409 00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:33,600 Speaker 1: by the fall of twenty twenty, you started the Amber 410 00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:36,800 Speaker 1: Ruffin Show, which, to our friends listening, I was lucky 411 00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:38,679 Speaker 1: enough to go on in COVID and we had a 412 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:41,000 Speaker 1: time and I wore a little bow tie shirt because 413 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:46,600 Speaker 1: you love a tie. And you managed to give us 414 00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:49,800 Speaker 1: a show that was so fucking funny and also so 415 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:56,960 Speaker 1: incredibly politically timely and topical, and you wove these huge 416 00:25:57,160 --> 00:26:03,479 Speaker 1: ideas of like American justice and racial justice and gender 417 00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:05,880 Speaker 1: justice and all these things, and you made it funny 418 00:26:06,920 --> 00:26:13,240 Speaker 1: and like, yo, a, I bow down, b How Like 419 00:26:13,440 --> 00:26:16,199 Speaker 1: how do you do that? Because I get accused of 420 00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:19,800 Speaker 1: being too serious all the time, So like, how did 421 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:25,800 Speaker 1: you take this really like heavy historical weight that's past 422 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:28,880 Speaker 1: and present, and like, how do you put your your 423 00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:32,840 Speaker 1: really genius comedic spin on it, because comedy, I think 424 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:36,160 Speaker 1: is the medicine that gets the truth in. So maybe 425 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:37,639 Speaker 1: what I'm asking is for you to give us a 426 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:38,640 Speaker 1: little class. 427 00:26:39,600 --> 00:26:43,399 Speaker 2: Your lecture so nice, that is, those are such kind words. 428 00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:47,680 Speaker 2: It's true we had such a blast on that show. 429 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:51,280 Speaker 2: But I don't know that there is a special way 430 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:54,840 Speaker 2: to do it. It's just how we are in my family, okay, 431 00:26:54,920 --> 00:26:57,800 Speaker 2: And I bet it's how most black people are, because 432 00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:02,399 Speaker 2: it's not you'd go crazy, but we would be. You know. 433 00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:07,200 Speaker 2: I would come in and I would be like, I 434 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:11,240 Speaker 2: can't believe I'm going to say this, But my you know, 435 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:16,000 Speaker 2: boss told me, why don't I just straighten my hair 436 00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:19,320 Speaker 2: like the rest of you people? And I really have it? 437 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:24,879 Speaker 2: And my family and I laughed ourselves sick because because 438 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:27,800 Speaker 2: it's the most bananas thing I've ever heard of my life. 439 00:27:28,320 --> 00:27:34,160 Speaker 2: I like to see this, lady, you want to tell 440 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:38,040 Speaker 2: me how I'm supposed to look a girl? Also like 441 00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:41,359 Speaker 2: the notion of being like you have to change the 442 00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:44,760 Speaker 2: texture of your hair. Why doesn't it change all the time. 443 00:27:45,359 --> 00:27:48,960 Speaker 2: The texture of your hair a never changed, but I'm 444 00:27:49,080 --> 00:27:53,600 Speaker 2: not looking so like. We just laughed and laughed and 445 00:27:53,680 --> 00:27:59,120 Speaker 2: laughed and the next air was fired. Oh yeah, and 446 00:27:59,160 --> 00:28:04,679 Speaker 2: that's just life. I feel like it's hopefully the younger 447 00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:07,320 Speaker 2: you are the fewer of those stories you have, But 448 00:28:07,800 --> 00:28:12,040 Speaker 2: I'm from Omaha, Nebraska, so I got plenty. I got 449 00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:15,880 Speaker 2: my stories and a couple of stories for sure. Yeah. 450 00:28:16,359 --> 00:28:20,520 Speaker 1: Well, and it's the way. I so admire the way 451 00:28:20,560 --> 00:28:22,480 Speaker 1: you tell stories and the way you and your sister 452 00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:27,119 Speaker 1: tell stories together, because, like, you know, reading y'all's first 453 00:28:27,160 --> 00:28:32,080 Speaker 1: book felt like a real peak in to you know, 454 00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:36,200 Speaker 1: your life, where your sense of humor comes from. And yeah, 455 00:28:36,280 --> 00:28:40,720 Speaker 1: how how you can process everything from like you know, 456 00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:44,640 Speaker 1: the benign daily whatever we all have to do, to 457 00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:47,720 Speaker 1: the not okay, to like the most beautiful moments in 458 00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:54,560 Speaker 1: a family YouTube, process particularly together in ways that really 459 00:28:54,640 --> 00:28:57,920 Speaker 1: just I mean clearly make me giggle, but make everybody giggle. 460 00:28:57,920 --> 00:29:01,520 Speaker 1: Because your book's a bestseller. How did the two of 461 00:29:01,560 --> 00:29:06,680 Speaker 1: you decide to start telling stories together, Lacey? 462 00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:13,360 Speaker 2: I've always noticed that Lacy has so many work racism stories. 463 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:17,280 Speaker 2: Lacy has eight billion, and they happened to her constantly, 464 00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:21,120 Speaker 2: and each story is funnier than the last. They really are. 465 00:29:21,240 --> 00:29:24,120 Speaker 2: They just make me laugh her just telling it flat 466 00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:28,720 Speaker 2: with no stank on it. Just her saying the facts 467 00:29:28,720 --> 00:29:32,240 Speaker 2: of what happened has me doubled over laughing. So then 468 00:29:32,360 --> 00:29:34,480 Speaker 2: let us get our mouths around it and really be 469 00:29:34,600 --> 00:29:38,720 Speaker 2: talking about it. And it is so funny. So I 470 00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:43,880 Speaker 2: just thought the amount of these stories the volume could 471 00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:47,960 Speaker 2: fill a book. And it did, well, yes it did. 472 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:53,440 Speaker 2: But the the uh my agents were like, meet with 473 00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:56,240 Speaker 2: the book agent. And I was like, I don't want 474 00:29:56,240 --> 00:29:57,600 Speaker 2: to meet with the book agent. I don't want to 475 00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:00,560 Speaker 2: write a book. No, thank you, and they were like, 476 00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:02,920 Speaker 2: just do it. So I did it. And then we 477 00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:06,040 Speaker 2: were talking and I go, you know what could fill 478 00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:09,040 Speaker 2: a book is my sister's racist stories. Oh my god, 479 00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:12,600 Speaker 2: and he was I told him how she tried to 480 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:16,959 Speaker 2: She paid for something with a check and she had 481 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:20,440 Speaker 2: Black History Month checks and the Black History Month check 482 00:30:20,480 --> 00:30:24,440 Speaker 2: had a picture of a historical figure on it, and 483 00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:26,880 Speaker 2: she paid another check out that cashier said, I didn't 484 00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:28,920 Speaker 2: know you could get your own picture on your checks, 485 00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:36,360 Speaker 2: no picture of Harriet Tubman. So like I told that story. 486 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:40,160 Speaker 2: I was like, that's one of seven hundred stories that 487 00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:43,360 Speaker 2: I can think of, and he was like, we'll call it. 488 00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:46,680 Speaker 2: You'll never believe what happened to Lacey I was like absolutely, 489 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:50,000 Speaker 2: and then we told a second Yeah. Yeah, it was 490 00:30:50,040 --> 00:30:54,240 Speaker 2: a very fun book and it's just real life stories 491 00:30:54,320 --> 00:30:57,920 Speaker 2: that just all of her racist stories that are funny, 492 00:30:59,520 --> 00:31:00,800 Speaker 2: Like that's still. 493 00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:03,520 Speaker 1: So many because you got a laugh for real cry. 494 00:31:03,720 --> 00:31:06,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, she has some pretty good ones. 495 00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:10,280 Speaker 1: What is it like? Because I imagine you obviously you're 496 00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:11,880 Speaker 1: going to get a whole lot of feedback when you 497 00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:14,840 Speaker 1: write a book. Do you have there been people who've 498 00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:18,720 Speaker 1: been willing to be like, oh that really? That was 499 00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:20,720 Speaker 1: what made me get it, Like reading your book was 500 00:31:20,720 --> 00:31:24,959 Speaker 1: what made me go, I see, I'm going to look 501 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:30,600 Speaker 1: at the world around me a little bit differently. Or 502 00:31:30,640 --> 00:31:32,360 Speaker 1: do you think people are too scared to say that. 503 00:31:33,120 --> 00:31:37,920 Speaker 2: No, when I did all of Late Night, I never 504 00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:40,960 Speaker 2: got any fan mail all of Rough and Show, I 505 00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:45,080 Speaker 2: never got any fan mail. I got fan mail after 506 00:31:45,280 --> 00:31:49,400 Speaker 2: the book Wow, And people were like, I just didn't 507 00:31:50,040 --> 00:31:54,440 Speaker 2: get it. I didn't know. I didn't know. Yeah, I 508 00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:59,360 Speaker 2: didn't understand what was happening. I didn't think people were 509 00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:02,760 Speaker 2: I thought maybe everyone was exaggerating, blah blah blah. They 510 00:32:02,840 --> 00:32:06,840 Speaker 2: just didn't get it. Right now, I hope a lot 511 00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:14,920 Speaker 2: of people do see like that. It seems like it's 512 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:17,840 Speaker 2: being exaggerated, but it's not. But it's what is happening 513 00:32:17,880 --> 00:32:19,000 Speaker 2: every stinking day. 514 00:32:19,600 --> 00:32:21,720 Speaker 1: We'll be back in just a minute, but here's a 515 00:32:21,720 --> 00:32:28,680 Speaker 1: word from our sponsors to come back to the to 516 00:32:28,760 --> 00:32:31,560 Speaker 1: the writing. You know, we talked about your book with 517 00:32:31,600 --> 00:32:35,480 Speaker 1: your sister, We've talked about Late Night. I think about 518 00:32:35,520 --> 00:32:37,720 Speaker 1: all these things you've accomplished, you know, writing for that 519 00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:40,200 Speaker 1: show and being a bestseller and hosting your own show 520 00:32:40,200 --> 00:32:43,560 Speaker 1: and getting a Tony nomination and co founding your own 521 00:32:43,640 --> 00:32:46,800 Speaker 1: production company, you know, making these pilots like you've talked about. Like, 522 00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:51,320 Speaker 1: with all this stuff under your belt, what has been 523 00:32:51,360 --> 00:32:53,680 Speaker 1: the most fun and what are you the most excited 524 00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:56,320 Speaker 1: for that's coming down the line. 525 00:32:56,600 --> 00:33:01,960 Speaker 2: The most fun has been It was probably the imberifferind show. 526 00:33:02,240 --> 00:33:06,440 Speaker 2: That was very fun. But it's also very fun too. 527 00:33:07,080 --> 00:33:08,760 Speaker 2: One of the things I'm doing now, I was writing 528 00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:12,680 Speaker 2: a like I wrote. I co wrote some like It Hot, 529 00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:18,880 Speaker 2: which was a Broadway and then I wrote The Whiz 530 00:33:19,560 --> 00:33:24,960 Speaker 2: Or Broadway. And now I'm writing my own musical about 531 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:30,000 Speaker 2: Bigfoot called Bigfoot. But it's so fun to like write 532 00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:33,560 Speaker 2: a song but I'm me, regular me, and then you 533 00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:38,240 Speaker 2: give it to like super Broadway lady and oh she 534 00:33:38,520 --> 00:33:44,360 Speaker 2: sings it like crazy and go coolest, that's the coolest 535 00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:48,240 Speaker 2: thing to watch this lady be like hmmm hmmm, I 536 00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:53,080 Speaker 2: can do it, k And then she just sings bananas. Yeah. 537 00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:57,560 Speaker 2: I feel like that's my that's my new freakin' jam. 538 00:33:57,760 --> 00:33:59,200 Speaker 1: How do you know how to write music? 539 00:33:59,480 --> 00:33:59,560 Speaker 2: Like? 540 00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:00,840 Speaker 1: Where does that come from? 541 00:34:01,480 --> 00:34:05,120 Speaker 2: At Boom Chicago the Comedy Theater in Amsterdam, we did 542 00:34:05,160 --> 00:34:07,560 Speaker 2: short form comedy like whose line is it Anyway? And 543 00:34:07,600 --> 00:34:14,160 Speaker 2: a large part of that was improvising songs, which is 544 00:34:16,760 --> 00:34:20,960 Speaker 2: hard until it's not, and then it's very easy if 545 00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:24,120 Speaker 2: you're just once you can do it on your feet, 546 00:34:25,040 --> 00:34:28,000 Speaker 2: if you have time and you sit down and you 547 00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:31,960 Speaker 2: can type it out. Whoa, It's as easy as it gets. 548 00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:35,200 Speaker 2: Like to have the luxury of not having three hundred 549 00:34:35,239 --> 00:34:38,200 Speaker 2: people looking at you and being like, the suggestion was lemon, 550 00:34:38,760 --> 00:34:42,960 Speaker 2: you better make it back. You know, it's so nice, 551 00:34:43,040 --> 00:34:44,480 Speaker 2: it's really sweet. 552 00:34:44,800 --> 00:34:48,920 Speaker 1: Oh my goodness, that's so cool. When I when I 553 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:52,239 Speaker 1: was living in Chicago working on a show, I had 554 00:34:52,239 --> 00:34:55,359 Speaker 1: this dream of like doing comedy class at Io. I 555 00:34:55,400 --> 00:34:57,200 Speaker 1: was like, I'm going to do it. I love the 556 00:34:57,200 --> 00:35:00,480 Speaker 1: improv Shakespeare is It's gonna be so funn and you know, 557 00:35:00,560 --> 00:35:03,919 Speaker 1: production schedules or production schedules, and I for like three 558 00:35:03,960 --> 00:35:05,920 Speaker 1: weeks I missed the class I signed up for, and 559 00:35:05,920 --> 00:35:07,840 Speaker 1: I was like, who what did I? How did I 560 00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:09,600 Speaker 1: think this was ever gonna work? 561 00:35:10,120 --> 00:35:10,200 Speaker 2: So? 562 00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:14,279 Speaker 1: Oh man, I like I dream of it someday, But 563 00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:16,680 Speaker 1: it also sounds so scary, Like I would die if 564 00:35:16,719 --> 00:35:18,560 Speaker 1: somebody just made me make up a song in front 565 00:35:18,600 --> 00:35:18,960 Speaker 1: of a room. 566 00:35:19,239 --> 00:35:20,080 Speaker 2: You could do it. 567 00:35:20,080 --> 00:35:22,000 Speaker 1: I'm sweating like thinking about it. 568 00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:25,200 Speaker 2: You'll only die like four times my hands are claiming 569 00:35:25,280 --> 00:35:26,000 Speaker 2: You'll be fine? 570 00:35:29,080 --> 00:35:34,920 Speaker 1: How because comedy that sort of improv To your point, 571 00:35:34,960 --> 00:35:37,200 Speaker 1: I think you have to learn to get over your 572 00:35:37,239 --> 00:35:39,200 Speaker 1: own fear, right, Like you have to learn to be 573 00:35:39,239 --> 00:35:43,640 Speaker 1: a little fearless to fail in real time, you know, 574 00:35:43,760 --> 00:35:45,480 Speaker 1: do all these things kind of out loud and see 575 00:35:45,520 --> 00:35:49,399 Speaker 1: what happens. Do you think your improv training has has 576 00:35:49,480 --> 00:35:53,920 Speaker 1: helped you deal with the kinds of criticism that comes 577 00:35:54,040 --> 00:35:57,359 Speaker 1: along with, you know, being women in the public eye 578 00:35:57,400 --> 00:35:58,840 Speaker 1: who are smart about politics. 579 00:36:01,200 --> 00:36:03,640 Speaker 2: Did improv help me do with it? Yeah? 580 00:36:03,760 --> 00:36:06,680 Speaker 1: Like, do you think that the the the sort of 581 00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:11,080 Speaker 1: backbone you build has has helped you kind of slough 582 00:36:11,120 --> 00:36:14,880 Speaker 1: off some of the critiques that no doubt come with 583 00:36:14,960 --> 00:36:16,879 Speaker 1: being you know, you're a woman in the public eye, 584 00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:18,959 Speaker 1: a black woman in the public eye, a queer black 585 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:21,600 Speaker 1: woman in the public eye, a queer black political woman 586 00:36:21,640 --> 00:36:24,400 Speaker 1: in the public eye, like all the things that piss 587 00:36:24,440 --> 00:36:28,160 Speaker 1: off anybody who doesn't like opinionated women. So like, how 588 00:36:28,160 --> 00:36:31,240 Speaker 1: do you do you think comedy helped you be resilient 589 00:36:31,280 --> 00:36:32,840 Speaker 1: to that? Or have you had to do more of 590 00:36:32,880 --> 00:36:34,400 Speaker 1: like a mental health care practice. 591 00:36:35,320 --> 00:36:41,160 Speaker 2: No, two things have helped me. One being booed by 592 00:36:41,320 --> 00:36:45,239 Speaker 2: hundreds of people at the same time, Like, once that happens, 593 00:36:45,600 --> 00:36:50,840 Speaker 2: once you have just like a comically bad show. Oh 594 00:36:51,600 --> 00:36:55,279 Speaker 2: feel bulletproof, you know what I mean? Like you can 595 00:36:55,320 --> 00:36:58,520 Speaker 2: beat you can write whatever little review you want. You're 596 00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:01,720 Speaker 2: not gonna hurt. My feelings were then two hundred people 597 00:37:01,800 --> 00:37:05,680 Speaker 2: be like no, no, and that's the worst. 598 00:37:06,280 --> 00:37:06,840 Speaker 1: I'm sweating. 599 00:37:07,520 --> 00:37:10,239 Speaker 2: But then when I got late night Seth, Seth was like, 600 00:37:11,360 --> 00:37:17,120 Speaker 2: do not talk to people online. If someone says something 601 00:37:17,200 --> 00:37:21,640 Speaker 2: sideways to you, leave them alone, do not engage under 602 00:37:21,640 --> 00:37:23,640 Speaker 2: any circumstances. Don't ever do it. 603 00:37:23,960 --> 00:37:25,120 Speaker 1: Oh it's so hard. 604 00:37:26,280 --> 00:37:31,760 Speaker 2: So then because of that I feel really really free 605 00:37:31,880 --> 00:37:35,000 Speaker 2: and really really good, and because it's almost like, well, 606 00:37:35,080 --> 00:37:39,000 Speaker 2: my boss told me to be chill. Then when people 607 00:37:39,080 --> 00:37:43,080 Speaker 2: say crazy things online, I can just go whea, none 608 00:37:43,120 --> 00:37:45,640 Speaker 2: I can do. It's this out of my hands. So 609 00:37:45,719 --> 00:37:49,880 Speaker 2: it feels really good to just not even so I 610 00:37:49,880 --> 00:37:53,160 Speaker 2: don't even look at the bad stuff. It doesn't really 611 00:37:53,719 --> 00:37:55,520 Speaker 2: because it ain't nothing I gonna do. No way. 612 00:37:57,200 --> 00:38:02,279 Speaker 1: Oh it's hard though. Yeah, I even even this many 613 00:38:02,360 --> 00:38:05,200 Speaker 1: years into this, I think I'm pretty good at it, 614 00:38:05,239 --> 00:38:09,120 Speaker 1: and then every once in a while something just smacks 615 00:38:09,160 --> 00:38:11,040 Speaker 1: me in the back of the skull, and I like, 616 00:38:11,840 --> 00:38:14,239 Speaker 1: it's rare that I break. But when I break, I'm like, 617 00:38:15,760 --> 00:38:18,920 Speaker 1: I deserved. I deserved to say it because I'm pissed, 618 00:38:18,960 --> 00:38:21,480 Speaker 1: and also I wish I hadn't done it. There's just 619 00:38:21,560 --> 00:38:22,799 Speaker 1: no good way to do it. 620 00:38:23,520 --> 00:38:27,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, there is no way to do it and leave 621 00:38:27,280 --> 00:38:30,719 Speaker 2: feeling great or yeah, you know what I mean. At 622 00:38:30,719 --> 00:38:33,960 Speaker 2: some point, I'm like, if not, if I was out 623 00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:39,000 Speaker 2: here changing hearts and minds, battling people, then that's another thing, 624 00:38:39,040 --> 00:38:42,440 Speaker 2: and I'll do it right, knowing how rare that is, 625 00:38:43,160 --> 00:38:46,960 Speaker 2: and knowing how precious my joy is to me. 626 00:38:47,760 --> 00:38:52,160 Speaker 1: M you gotta protect it. I like that. How when 627 00:38:52,200 --> 00:38:54,920 Speaker 1: you think about how precious your joy is, and then 628 00:38:55,719 --> 00:38:58,719 Speaker 1: what does come with the sort of there's one of 629 00:38:58,760 --> 00:39:00,440 Speaker 1: you and millions of people out there. I want to 630 00:39:00,480 --> 00:39:03,760 Speaker 1: tell you what they think. It's a really uneven seesaw. 631 00:39:05,200 --> 00:39:11,120 Speaker 1: How how did you decide this year to be like? 632 00:39:11,200 --> 00:39:15,319 Speaker 1: Oh and hey, ps, I'm a queer lady? Is it 633 00:39:15,360 --> 00:39:17,400 Speaker 1: because you fell in love with someone and knew like 634 00:39:17,480 --> 00:39:19,439 Speaker 1: you were going to be out and about is it? 635 00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:24,560 Speaker 1: Did it just kind of feel like time? Duh? Because 636 00:39:24,600 --> 00:39:27,680 Speaker 1: you said like in an announcement that will shock absolutely 637 00:39:27,719 --> 00:39:30,280 Speaker 1: no one was essentially the quote which made me giggle. 638 00:39:30,719 --> 00:39:34,640 Speaker 1: I was like, hey girl, like, how do you make 639 00:39:34,680 --> 00:39:35,759 Speaker 1: that determination? 640 00:39:37,320 --> 00:39:43,759 Speaker 2: I came out because well, I had just found out 641 00:39:43,960 --> 00:39:48,560 Speaker 2: I didn't think. I mean, I certainly probably thought I 642 00:39:48,680 --> 00:39:59,920 Speaker 2: was a little something, but I was unaware to the degree. Also, 643 00:40:00,400 --> 00:40:03,759 Speaker 2: thank god your phone number wasn't in my phone? Then, 644 00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:08,879 Speaker 2: why dude, what am I doing? No? Oh my god. 645 00:40:08,880 --> 00:40:10,600 Speaker 1: I would have picked up the phone in a heartbeat. Also, 646 00:40:10,600 --> 00:40:11,680 Speaker 1: if you had text me, I would have been like, 647 00:40:11,719 --> 00:40:14,000 Speaker 1: we're getting on a FaceTime. That's how I like to 648 00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:15,000 Speaker 1: do everything. 649 00:40:15,200 --> 00:40:19,360 Speaker 2: So do I Great, Sophia. We're old people don't do 650 00:40:19,440 --> 00:40:22,120 Speaker 2: that anymore. But I'm like, if I can talk to you, 651 00:40:22,280 --> 00:40:22,720 Speaker 2: I want. 652 00:40:22,600 --> 00:40:24,480 Speaker 1: To see your phone, I'd rather see your face. 653 00:40:26,000 --> 00:40:32,680 Speaker 2: But it is like rememb movies where black people are black, 654 00:40:32,760 --> 00:40:37,759 Speaker 2: but then they're passing and then they enjoy the privileges 655 00:40:37,800 --> 00:40:42,960 Speaker 2: of it. That's kind of what it felt like to 656 00:40:43,400 --> 00:40:48,239 Speaker 2: nasting is say out loud, you know, because I'm like, 657 00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:53,000 Speaker 2: eventually I'm gonna be holding hands with someone, and I 658 00:40:53,040 --> 00:40:57,319 Speaker 2: don't want people to be pressing me, you know. And 659 00:40:57,560 --> 00:41:03,680 Speaker 2: also I don't want my partner to have to endure 660 00:41:04,280 --> 00:41:07,520 Speaker 2: you what wait you said a goo goo ba, you know. 661 00:41:07,760 --> 00:41:12,520 Speaker 2: And but most of all, I just want to give everybody, 662 00:41:13,440 --> 00:41:19,000 Speaker 2: you know, fair warning about the whooping that can catch 663 00:41:19,040 --> 00:41:28,240 Speaker 2: you like now. But also it's nothing. It I risked nothing, 664 00:41:28,640 --> 00:41:33,040 Speaker 2: It does nothing because like the Amber referen show rode 665 00:41:33,120 --> 00:41:39,080 Speaker 2: so hard for every marginalized community that my circle doesn't 666 00:41:39,160 --> 00:41:41,640 Speaker 2: have any homophobes in it. I would have to go 667 00:41:41,800 --> 00:41:46,760 Speaker 2: like four people out to even encounter anything like that. 668 00:41:47,320 --> 00:41:51,640 Speaker 2: So it really cost me nothing. Like I know, my 669 00:41:53,680 --> 00:41:58,720 Speaker 2: eighty two year old parents, they're fine. Yeah, it's truly nothing, 670 00:41:58,760 --> 00:42:04,080 Speaker 2: there's there. It took no skin off my back. But 671 00:42:04,200 --> 00:42:10,840 Speaker 2: it was also like, let's lay the groundwork and let's 672 00:42:11,000 --> 00:42:13,839 Speaker 2: just look at everything from this point of view, and 673 00:42:13,920 --> 00:42:17,160 Speaker 2: it's so funny. It's like the little things where it's like, yeah, 674 00:42:17,239 --> 00:42:21,600 Speaker 2: well one day, one lucky guy, I'm like, no, no, no, 675 00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:28,560 Speaker 2: I've tried that. I've been that. Yeah. But yeah, so 676 00:42:28,719 --> 00:42:32,040 Speaker 2: then it was just the smart thing to do. 677 00:42:32,920 --> 00:42:36,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, I love it. I love this for us, 678 00:42:37,040 --> 00:42:38,759 Speaker 1: I love it for you, I love it for me, 679 00:42:39,600 --> 00:42:42,719 Speaker 1: I know. And now a word from our sponsors who 680 00:42:42,760 --> 00:42:56,440 Speaker 1: make this show possible. How does it all kind of 681 00:42:56,480 --> 00:43:00,520 Speaker 1: feel now? You know, because there's so much going on 682 00:43:00,600 --> 00:43:04,080 Speaker 1: and so much you're working on, and that's from you know, 683 00:43:04,120 --> 00:43:07,239 Speaker 1: the career stuff to the personal life that you're like 684 00:43:07,360 --> 00:43:11,800 Speaker 1: embracing and growing into, and you've got your latest project 685 00:43:12,080 --> 00:43:16,560 Speaker 1: Have I Got News for You on CNN, which we love, Like, 686 00:43:17,480 --> 00:43:20,560 Speaker 1: how does the landscape of life feel right now? 687 00:43:22,200 --> 00:43:26,240 Speaker 2: It feels weird, like the new Have I Got News 688 00:43:26,239 --> 00:43:33,960 Speaker 2: for You feels bonkers because it's like I work here 689 00:43:34,360 --> 00:43:38,440 Speaker 2: at late night at thirty Rock, and then you just 690 00:43:38,520 --> 00:43:43,400 Speaker 2: walk a couple of blocks east and then there's also 691 00:43:43,520 --> 00:43:46,320 Speaker 2: a little office for you that is at Have I 692 00:43:46,440 --> 00:43:49,680 Speaker 2: Got News for You? I love it, yes, but I 693 00:43:49,719 --> 00:43:52,000 Speaker 2: love Have I Got News for You? Because not a 694 00:43:52,040 --> 00:43:56,200 Speaker 2: word I say is written. I didn't have to talk. 695 00:43:56,920 --> 00:43:59,480 Speaker 2: I sometimes I go to work, I leave my computer 696 00:44:00,320 --> 00:44:03,280 Speaker 2: at home. When I show up for having. 697 00:44:03,040 --> 00:44:05,520 Speaker 1: It, you just waltz right in there and do the thing. 698 00:44:06,160 --> 00:44:08,640 Speaker 2: I just start on in I tute around. No one 699 00:44:08,680 --> 00:44:11,200 Speaker 2: expects anything from me. It's so nice. 700 00:44:11,320 --> 00:44:14,120 Speaker 1: I think people expect because you have a show, they 701 00:44:14,160 --> 00:44:17,160 Speaker 1: certainly expect something. Can you tell the listeners at home 702 00:44:17,320 --> 00:44:19,879 Speaker 1: about it? Like, how is it different from the other 703 00:44:19,920 --> 00:44:21,640 Speaker 1: things they've seen? You do give them a little lay 704 00:44:21,680 --> 00:44:22,399 Speaker 1: of the land here. 705 00:44:22,760 --> 00:44:27,719 Speaker 2: So How I Got Newsview is the first Babe CNN 706 00:44:27,960 --> 00:44:34,640 Speaker 2: show that is funny? So what it is? Roywood Junior, 707 00:44:34,960 --> 00:44:39,680 Speaker 2: Michael ian Black, and myself are all on a show 708 00:44:39,719 --> 00:44:45,080 Speaker 2: that is a topical news quiz show that's the caveat 709 00:44:45,120 --> 00:44:47,439 Speaker 2: when really it's just as shown up in goofing Off. 710 00:44:47,800 --> 00:44:51,640 Speaker 2: Roywood Junior hosts it. Michael ian Black is one team captain. 711 00:44:51,760 --> 00:44:54,799 Speaker 2: Amber Ruffin is another team captain. Every week Michael and 712 00:44:54,840 --> 00:44:57,560 Speaker 2: I have on guests that complete our team and we 713 00:44:57,880 --> 00:45:01,160 Speaker 2: battle head to head on a news quiz show and 714 00:45:01,840 --> 00:45:06,800 Speaker 2: it's just us talking about news stories and doing delicious bits. 715 00:45:07,400 --> 00:45:10,680 Speaker 2: It's very very fun and very much good for you. 716 00:45:10,800 --> 00:45:14,040 Speaker 2: It's just like a happier way to ingest the news 717 00:45:14,080 --> 00:45:19,600 Speaker 2: of the week, and that's on sad days on CNN 718 00:45:20,000 --> 00:45:22,120 Speaker 2: and then maybe the next day on HBO Max. 719 00:45:22,200 --> 00:45:26,160 Speaker 1: I want to say, we love it. It's it's kind 720 00:45:26,160 --> 00:45:29,799 Speaker 1: of my dream way to do news, Like I either 721 00:45:29,800 --> 00:45:31,759 Speaker 1: want to read an article or enjoy the thing I'm 722 00:45:31,760 --> 00:45:35,400 Speaker 1: watching on TV. I can't do the cage match commentator, 723 00:45:35,440 --> 00:45:38,120 Speaker 1: people screaming at each other on the note. It's stressful. 724 00:45:38,480 --> 00:45:42,200 Speaker 1: Y'all have made staying up to date enjoyable. 725 00:45:42,920 --> 00:45:45,800 Speaker 2: Yes, out, but thank you, thank. 726 00:45:45,640 --> 00:45:47,680 Speaker 1: You Amber On behalf of the American people. 727 00:45:48,040 --> 00:45:51,319 Speaker 2: Hey, I just can't stand to have watched a half 728 00:45:51,360 --> 00:45:54,560 Speaker 2: an hour of television, a half an hour of news, 729 00:45:54,800 --> 00:45:57,239 Speaker 2: and I'm still uninformed us of what's going on. Yes, 730 00:45:58,320 --> 00:46:01,319 Speaker 2: if you talk about one thing for happen, you think 731 00:46:01,360 --> 00:46:04,279 Speaker 2: I got time like that? Yes, the last time to 732 00:46:04,320 --> 00:46:07,560 Speaker 2: do that. So yeah, that's why I like, have I 733 00:46:07,560 --> 00:46:11,319 Speaker 2: got this? Because it's even the sadder not sadder, but 734 00:46:11,440 --> 00:46:17,080 Speaker 2: even the more serious stuff, but also the Florida man 735 00:46:17,200 --> 00:46:19,800 Speaker 2: stuff like and everything in between, which makes. 736 00:46:19,680 --> 00:46:22,560 Speaker 1: Have you ever have you ever done that? Have you 737 00:46:22,640 --> 00:46:25,640 Speaker 1: googled your birthday in Florida man and seen what comes up? 738 00:46:26,480 --> 00:46:28,760 Speaker 2: Is that something people are doing one. 739 00:46:28,680 --> 00:46:31,799 Speaker 1: Hundred All you do is put in day and month 740 00:46:32,560 --> 00:46:35,920 Speaker 1: and Florida Man, and you see what comes up? And 741 00:46:35,960 --> 00:46:38,120 Speaker 1: I say this as someone who is in love with 742 00:46:38,160 --> 00:46:41,399 Speaker 1: the woman from Florida. What do you get? 743 00:46:41,800 --> 00:46:46,000 Speaker 2: Florida Man says syringes found in rectum are not and 744 00:46:46,040 --> 00:46:47,879 Speaker 2: I'm not going to click on the record it and. 745 00:46:48,040 --> 00:46:50,880 Speaker 1: Don't do it. The latest one that comes up for 746 00:46:50,960 --> 00:46:54,280 Speaker 1: me is July eighth, Florida Man dressed is the grim 747 00:46:54,320 --> 00:46:56,400 Speaker 1: Reaper scaring beach goers. 748 00:46:57,480 --> 00:47:00,400 Speaker 2: That's great. Yeah, I hope he's like ye at them 749 00:47:00,440 --> 00:47:01,319 Speaker 2: about sunscreen. 750 00:47:01,719 --> 00:47:03,680 Speaker 1: I hope so too. It's a really fun party game 751 00:47:03,719 --> 00:47:04,080 Speaker 1: to play. 752 00:47:05,560 --> 00:47:05,840 Speaker 2: I am. 753 00:47:06,239 --> 00:47:08,400 Speaker 1: I am so excited for you. I'm so excited for 754 00:47:08,480 --> 00:47:13,040 Speaker 1: the show. I want to know, with all the things 755 00:47:13,239 --> 00:47:16,880 Speaker 1: you know that you've done and are currently doing, you 756 00:47:17,040 --> 00:47:23,640 Speaker 1: have in you know, my observation and estimation, you seem 757 00:47:23,680 --> 00:47:25,920 Speaker 1: to have been that person who has remained so yourself 758 00:47:25,960 --> 00:47:29,680 Speaker 1: and so authentic in these spaces that can kind of 759 00:47:30,080 --> 00:47:33,880 Speaker 1: swallow you up and be hard to handle. And my 760 00:47:34,000 --> 00:47:36,680 Speaker 1: question is twofold, I want to know what keeps you 761 00:47:36,800 --> 00:47:42,920 Speaker 1: grounded and from this place of groundedness and success, what 762 00:47:43,040 --> 00:47:45,319 Speaker 1: advice you would give to somebody who would like to 763 00:47:45,360 --> 00:47:47,000 Speaker 1: follow in your footsteps? 764 00:47:50,160 --> 00:47:54,440 Speaker 2: You are so nice. What keeps me grounded is I 765 00:47:54,480 --> 00:47:59,680 Speaker 2: think it is hilarious when I am messing up. I 766 00:48:00,239 --> 00:48:02,560 Speaker 2: just think it's so funny. Like the other day on 767 00:48:02,640 --> 00:48:05,600 Speaker 2: Have I Got News for You, I made such a 768 00:48:06,800 --> 00:48:10,200 Speaker 2: joke that I had so much confidence in and it 769 00:48:10,640 --> 00:48:15,359 Speaker 2: went over horribly, and I know, laughed myself sick. I 770 00:48:15,400 --> 00:48:17,760 Speaker 2: was like, oh man, I really thought I was doing 771 00:48:17,800 --> 00:48:24,080 Speaker 2: something I was not. I was bringing the show down. 772 00:48:24,400 --> 00:48:28,520 Speaker 2: But I think I think it's funny to fail. And 773 00:48:28,640 --> 00:48:35,960 Speaker 2: I think I've had so many like fat, juicy, like 774 00:48:36,080 --> 00:48:39,799 Speaker 2: good failures where it's like, oh man, you never gonna 775 00:48:39,800 --> 00:48:43,680 Speaker 2: believe what happened to me, you know, Yeah, Joe in Germany, 776 00:48:44,200 --> 00:48:47,279 Speaker 2: you know. And that's like, I think it's fun and 777 00:48:47,320 --> 00:48:50,919 Speaker 2: I think it's good for you, and I think it's 778 00:48:51,000 --> 00:48:53,400 Speaker 2: the only way to learn, Like you can't learn if 779 00:48:53,400 --> 00:48:55,040 Speaker 2: you do a bunch of good stuff. You can only 780 00:48:55,080 --> 00:48:59,600 Speaker 2: learn if you have some bad times. Yeah, But I 781 00:48:59,640 --> 00:49:05,480 Speaker 2: think the way I stay grounded is comedy just works 782 00:49:05,560 --> 00:49:10,919 Speaker 2: better if you're grounded. It when you're being honest and 783 00:49:12,680 --> 00:49:17,520 Speaker 2: you are having actual feelings and looking them in the face, 784 00:49:17,719 --> 00:49:21,479 Speaker 2: that's when it's funny. It's less funny if you're doing 785 00:49:21,520 --> 00:49:24,239 Speaker 2: the thing you think you should be doing. If you're 786 00:49:24,320 --> 00:49:28,080 Speaker 2: presenting as something you're not, that's way less funny than 787 00:49:28,120 --> 00:49:34,799 Speaker 2: if you're like, you know, oops, I forgot to put 788 00:49:34,800 --> 00:49:40,839 Speaker 2: on deodorant today, which I really did, Sophia. I have 789 00:49:40,920 --> 00:49:42,600 Speaker 2: to keep deodorant in the office. 790 00:49:42,800 --> 00:49:43,640 Speaker 1: Keep it in your desk. 791 00:49:44,760 --> 00:49:46,000 Speaker 2: I have to keep it on my desk. Look at 792 00:49:46,000 --> 00:49:47,239 Speaker 2: this desk. It's just you just. 793 00:49:47,160 --> 00:49:49,680 Speaker 1: Need like a little go back of the things you 794 00:49:49,760 --> 00:49:50,839 Speaker 1: need that stays. 795 00:49:50,560 --> 00:49:53,799 Speaker 2: At the office. That's right, Like. 796 00:49:55,400 --> 00:49:59,520 Speaker 1: Exactly, Yeah, I get toothpaste, toothbrush, I would say, deodorant 797 00:50:00,560 --> 00:50:04,160 Speaker 1: probably like a change of socks, some band aids, some 798 00:50:04,280 --> 00:50:06,040 Speaker 1: Listerine strips. 799 00:50:06,040 --> 00:50:08,719 Speaker 2: A little bit of makeup, and then huh, and. 800 00:50:08,680 --> 00:50:10,960 Speaker 1: Then you're good to go. You're prepared for anything. 801 00:50:11,520 --> 00:50:14,480 Speaker 2: Yeah. I could show up anywhere in any state. I'm 802 00:50:14,520 --> 00:50:18,080 Speaker 2: a little bit of a raggedy baby, and I think 803 00:50:18,120 --> 00:50:18,960 Speaker 2: that's fine. 804 00:50:19,200 --> 00:50:19,879 Speaker 1: I am too. 805 00:50:20,440 --> 00:50:22,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, it's good for me. 806 00:50:22,800 --> 00:50:25,360 Speaker 1: Diana, I was like, who has like you said earlier, 807 00:50:25,360 --> 00:50:26,200 Speaker 1: who has the time? 808 00:50:27,040 --> 00:50:27,400 Speaker 2: Oh? 809 00:50:28,080 --> 00:50:29,200 Speaker 1: I don't always have the time. 810 00:50:29,840 --> 00:50:33,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, this I mean if you see me one time, 811 00:50:34,719 --> 00:50:37,760 Speaker 2: one time I was out with my sister. My sister 812 00:50:37,880 --> 00:50:43,120 Speaker 2: Lacy will burn me. She roast me alive, and she 813 00:50:43,280 --> 00:50:46,439 Speaker 2: had been really ragged on me because I did look 814 00:50:46,800 --> 00:50:52,839 Speaker 2: quite raggedy, I mean, more than normal. And she saw 815 00:50:52,880 --> 00:50:56,239 Speaker 2: these two people come up and one girl was like, 816 00:50:56,840 --> 00:50:59,520 Speaker 2: that's her, that's her, I know that's her, And the 817 00:50:59,600 --> 00:51:02,799 Speaker 2: other woman took a look at me and made a 818 00:51:03,080 --> 00:51:05,799 Speaker 2: grossed out face and was like, that's not her. And 819 00:51:05,840 --> 00:51:07,719 Speaker 2: the other girl took a second look and was like, 820 00:51:08,000 --> 00:51:17,440 Speaker 2: you're right, Lacey. Sylla whole thing and roasted me for 821 00:51:17,440 --> 00:51:21,080 Speaker 2: a very long time, and I was like, I don't Yeah, 822 00:51:21,120 --> 00:51:22,960 Speaker 2: that'll keep you grounded, get you a lacy. 823 00:51:23,640 --> 00:51:26,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, I was just gonna say that goes back up 824 00:51:26,400 --> 00:51:28,640 Speaker 1: to the last question. I'm like, how do you stay grounded? 825 00:51:28,680 --> 00:51:30,400 Speaker 1: You're like, my sister is a tormentor. 826 00:51:30,840 --> 00:51:31,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's pretty good. 827 00:51:32,200 --> 00:51:33,759 Speaker 1: Your best friend in your tormentor. 828 00:51:35,880 --> 00:51:36,120 Speaker 2: I know. 829 00:51:36,160 --> 00:51:40,239 Speaker 1: It's really important to like figure out how to use 830 00:51:40,600 --> 00:51:42,600 Speaker 1: all the tools in your tool belt, right, like your 831 00:51:42,640 --> 00:51:49,120 Speaker 1: observational skills, your love for your community, humor, all these 832 00:51:49,160 --> 00:51:53,799 Speaker 1: things go into your work, but work aside, like just 833 00:51:53,840 --> 00:51:57,520 Speaker 1: for you in this moment when you look at the 834 00:51:57,600 --> 00:52:02,040 Speaker 1: kind of landscape of your life, what feels like you're 835 00:52:02,080 --> 00:52:03,879 Speaker 1: work in progress right now? 836 00:52:06,000 --> 00:52:10,960 Speaker 2: I would say self care might be my work in 837 00:52:11,040 --> 00:52:18,120 Speaker 2: progress because I'm really slack, and to me, like, what 838 00:52:18,239 --> 00:52:25,320 Speaker 2: makes me feel good is feeling like I have done 839 00:52:25,560 --> 00:52:31,800 Speaker 2: a lot of work. You know, that's not that's probably, 840 00:52:33,200 --> 00:52:37,400 Speaker 2: but I love to just be on this mud type 841 00:52:37,480 --> 00:52:41,520 Speaker 2: tipity tep type in all day and then sit down 842 00:52:41,600 --> 00:52:44,120 Speaker 2: at six pm and be like, Wow, look at all 843 00:52:44,160 --> 00:52:48,120 Speaker 2: this stuff I did. But you know, then, did I 844 00:52:48,160 --> 00:52:51,520 Speaker 2: do my exercises? Was that eating right? Did I cook 845 00:52:51,600 --> 00:52:56,319 Speaker 2: myself actual food? Did I care of myself in any way? 846 00:52:56,840 --> 00:52:58,440 Speaker 2: You know? And a lot of times the answer to 847 00:52:58,520 --> 00:53:03,920 Speaker 2: that is no, I think I'm I My work in 848 00:53:03,960 --> 00:53:11,600 Speaker 2: progress is taking a minute and sitting down. Another thing 849 00:53:11,640 --> 00:53:15,200 Speaker 2: I also don't do is I don't congratulate myself, which 850 00:53:15,280 --> 00:53:17,480 Speaker 2: if you knew me for two minutes, you would be like, yes, 851 00:53:17,520 --> 00:53:21,640 Speaker 2: you do, But I don't. I really don't think that 852 00:53:21,719 --> 00:53:28,040 Speaker 2: I do, like in any real way, like really looking 853 00:53:28,080 --> 00:53:30,400 Speaker 2: myself in the face and being like you did x 854 00:53:30,600 --> 00:53:34,279 Speaker 2: y Z, good job, little baby, you did a good job. 855 00:53:35,920 --> 00:53:41,960 Speaker 2: You deserve manny patty or a massage or something. Yeah, 856 00:53:42,360 --> 00:53:45,320 Speaker 2: me saying it out loud, I'm like, haha, oh goodness, 857 00:53:45,400 --> 00:53:48,360 Speaker 2: I really have no I gotta get on it. I 858 00:53:48,360 --> 00:53:49,160 Speaker 2: gotta get on it. 859 00:53:50,360 --> 00:53:53,839 Speaker 1: I feel that I appreciate that too. It's like there 860 00:53:53,840 --> 00:53:59,120 Speaker 1: really is something I think, especially as women in this industry, 861 00:53:59,239 --> 00:54:04,280 Speaker 1: like it goes around the clock, and then it's always 862 00:54:04,800 --> 00:54:09,480 Speaker 1: there's just less of us. And I mean even more so, 863 00:54:09,520 --> 00:54:13,239 Speaker 1: I would imagine for you and how you feel as 864 00:54:13,280 --> 00:54:15,960 Speaker 1: a black woman in this industry, and it's like, I 865 00:54:16,000 --> 00:54:19,200 Speaker 1: don't know, it can get so easy to always be 866 00:54:19,239 --> 00:54:21,880 Speaker 1: showing up and always be doing the thing, and always 867 00:54:21,880 --> 00:54:23,440 Speaker 1: be working, and always be on the zoom and always 868 00:54:23,440 --> 00:54:25,880 Speaker 1: be on the call and always be available, and like 869 00:54:26,320 --> 00:54:28,680 Speaker 1: weeks go by and you're like, have I gone outside? 870 00:54:28,920 --> 00:54:32,640 Speaker 1: Have I like moved my body? Have I eaten anything 871 00:54:32,640 --> 00:54:35,719 Speaker 1: that didn't come out of a plastic bag like O? 872 00:54:37,040 --> 00:54:39,799 Speaker 1: Which is an especially weird thing if you do some 873 00:54:39,960 --> 00:54:41,879 Speaker 1: version of this for a living, because all we have 874 00:54:42,040 --> 00:54:46,359 Speaker 1: is like our body, Like if we get sick, it's over, 875 00:54:47,000 --> 00:54:48,840 Speaker 1: and so it is. It's kind of it's kind of 876 00:54:48,880 --> 00:54:52,400 Speaker 1: wild the way you can make yourself the lowest priority 877 00:54:52,440 --> 00:54:55,040 Speaker 1: when in fact you should be. You should be up there, 878 00:54:55,560 --> 00:54:57,799 Speaker 1: even not the highest, but like up there near the top. 879 00:54:58,320 --> 00:55:04,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, I feel like I'm eating so poorly that I 880 00:55:04,040 --> 00:55:09,200 Speaker 2: am becoming dumber. I honestly think that that's true. I 881 00:55:09,239 --> 00:55:11,799 Speaker 2: think I think you can eat yourself dumb, and I 882 00:55:11,840 --> 00:55:13,000 Speaker 2: think that's what I'm doing. 883 00:55:14,000 --> 00:55:19,520 Speaker 1: Literally just slammed my head into the picture behind me, laughing. Yeah. 884 00:55:19,640 --> 00:55:23,880 Speaker 2: The other day was like, don't you remember yesterday when 885 00:55:23,920 --> 00:55:25,600 Speaker 2: you were like blah blah blah and we went here 886 00:55:25,600 --> 00:55:28,480 Speaker 2: and we did this, and I was like, what are 887 00:55:28,480 --> 00:55:31,480 Speaker 2: you talking about? And then that made me be like, 888 00:55:32,360 --> 00:55:34,360 Speaker 2: you know, I don't know that I can have chips 889 00:55:34,440 --> 00:55:38,600 Speaker 2: for every meal. Yeah, I should probably get after some 890 00:55:38,719 --> 00:55:41,120 Speaker 2: vegetables a little bit, yeah, a little bit more. It's 891 00:55:41,120 --> 00:55:44,640 Speaker 2: all self care. Yeah, okay, got to get after it. 892 00:55:45,320 --> 00:55:47,319 Speaker 1: Well, if you need an accountability buddy. 893 00:55:49,239 --> 00:55:52,080 Speaker 2: Oh right here, that's a lot of work. 894 00:55:52,640 --> 00:55:57,279 Speaker 1: Did I eat so our creamin onion ruffles for breakfast? Yes? 895 00:55:57,320 --> 00:55:59,880 Speaker 2: I did? Okay, all right, okay, we could use it. 896 00:56:00,280 --> 00:56:03,160 Speaker 1: But I've admitted it, and I've told you the truth, 897 00:56:03,600 --> 00:56:06,799 Speaker 1: and I've told everyone listening the truth. So I'm not 898 00:56:06,840 --> 00:56:07,800 Speaker 1: gonna do it again. 899 00:56:07,600 --> 00:56:12,560 Speaker 2: Tomorrow, Sophia Amber, are you being truthful? 900 00:56:13,400 --> 00:56:17,239 Speaker 1: I think so. I'm gonna try my best. I'm gonna 901 00:56:17,239 --> 00:56:19,600 Speaker 1: text you a picture of whatever I have for breakfast tomorrow. 902 00:56:19,640 --> 00:56:20,759 Speaker 1: We're gonna talk about it. 903 00:56:21,000 --> 00:56:23,160 Speaker 2: If it's chips, you're gonna get it. 904 00:56:26,480 --> 00:56:31,080 Speaker 1: You're gonna be in trouble, you're gonna be friends at home. 905 00:56:31,440 --> 00:56:33,480 Speaker 1: If you have self care tips, this might be the 906 00:56:33,480 --> 00:56:35,839 Speaker 1: moment to DM them to the podcast so we can 907 00:56:35,880 --> 00:56:38,000 Speaker 1: do a follow up in six months and talk about this. 908 00:56:38,719 --> 00:56:40,919 Speaker 2: Bring it, help me shoot, give us. 909 00:56:40,800 --> 00:56:43,520 Speaker 1: Your tips and tricks. I bet you, I bet you. 910 00:56:43,560 --> 00:56:46,479 Speaker 1: There's some smarties listening to this show who are like, oh, girl, 911 00:56:46,520 --> 00:56:48,640 Speaker 1: I have breakfast on lock and I would like to 912 00:56:48,680 --> 00:56:51,400 Speaker 1: have it on lock. So please tell us. 913 00:56:51,640 --> 00:56:55,000 Speaker 2: What you know, send a message, save a life. 914 00:56:55,239 --> 00:56:58,560 Speaker 1: Exactly, and we'll all get smarter watching Amber's quiz show. Yay, 915 00:56:59,360 --> 00:57:02,960 Speaker 1: thank you for to day, my dear, this was really fun.