Sarah Sherman on Good Hang with Amy Poehler

Hello everyone. Welcome to another

episode of Good Hang. We are very

excited about our guest today. It is

Sarah Sherman. Sarah is a current cast

member on Saturday Night Live and we

could consider her a vet. She has just

finished her fifth season. And I just

want to file this one under not safe for

work or for kids because we do get into

some fun and down and dirty topics like

uh well SNL duh and psychoanalysis and

Long Island and her insane

wildly original new special Sarah Squirm

live and in the flesh on HBO. So, um,

listen for Sarah, but but before we

start, right, we always like to talk to

somebody who knows our guest, who, um,

who has spent time with them and who can

speak well and give us a question. And,

uh, we're going to talk today to Mitra

Jihari. Metitra is an amazing actress,

writer, producer. You may know her uh,

from episodes of the Bear, from the show

she created, Three Busy Deborah. Um,

she's a writer on um, Big Mouth. And,

um, she's just incredible talent. came

up with Sarah, her good friend. We're

gonna check in with Mitra, who is on her

lunch break and and get a question from

her. So, hi Mitra. It's good to see you.

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All I ever wanted.

>> She's on the set.

>> Merra is on the set.

Metra, where are we talking to you from?

>> Netflix.

>> A lot of people don't know Netflix has

beautiful offices. Really? Really?

>> They give you a free hanger.

So

>> incredible. You could hang anything on

that.

>> You can hang anything on that as long as

it's not pants because the hanger is

broken.

>> I hear giggles in the back. I'm wish I

was in there.

>> On top of Mitra being incredibly

talented. She's also like a real deal

activist, boots on the ground person.

And I was thinking about during COVID

when you when you zoomed with my sons to

talk to them about the LA unhoused

situation and what they could do about

it. It was me.

>> They were so cute and sweet. I I like I

I loved talking to them. They were so

thoughtful and had such good questions

and were really making me laugh.

Remember that when we were all just like

in that COVID bubble of just like I

guess we I guess we this is how we'll

learn now.

>> I was living with Patty and we were

making some of the most [ __ ] up

cocktails imaginable. Like actively

drinking them being like this is

disgusting

and finishing them.

>> Patty Harrison, another hilarious

comedian and actor. Okay, we've got

Sarah coming in today. That's why I'm

sad. Another reason why I'm sad I'm not

there. I want to be seeing her.

>> I have so many questions for Sarah. Did

you watch her special?

>> Yes.

I have questions for her, too.

>> Her nasty ass.

>> Her nasty ass special. You have known

Sarah for a very long time. When did you

two first meet?

>> Uh 2015. and our mutual friend Drenin

who knew her from Chicago uh she was

coming out to New York to do shows and

she guested on this show called Holy

[ __ ] that I was a part of and he was

like there's this freak coming named

Sarah Sherman and I think you guys would

really like each other and then we like

hit it off immediately and we went on a

tour with this great comedian writer

named Jamie Loftess called the Sarah

Mitron and Jamie are ugly tour

um and just like she eventually wrote

and appeared butt naked on Deborah.

>> Yeah. So we we worked on a show

together, Three Busy Deborah on Adult

Swim that you wrote and produced and you

were the star of uh along with other

Deborah's

>> Sandy and Alyssa.

>> That's right. And Sarah was a writer on

there, which is where I first heard her.

And I and I was introduced to her as

Sarah Squirm, which is the name she was

going by at the time, which I remember

thinking at the time it was unusual that

a comic actor had like what felt like

almost like a rockar name.

>> Yes. which and it makes so much sense

because like she came up in these great

music venues and like it was like I feel

like every time I would come to Chicago

and do shows with her at the hideout it

was always like with these really

interesting bands that I would like I've

never heard of, would never have heard

of and and she's like such a true fan of

like live music and worked in radio and

like just brings all of that. So, it

like makes sense to me that this like

person who's working in these DIY spaces

both like in music and standup and art

would have this sort of like rocker

character persona.

>> Totally. My questions today for her are

really like when did that person start?

When does that person come out? Because

you know Sarah really well and I've

gotten to know her from getting to work

with her and her persona and her

personality are like alike but also very

different.

>> Yeah. She's like I feel like it makes so

much sense that she landed in Chicago

because she does have this like warmth

and like I don't know familiarity with

people that feels very Midwestern to me

even though she's not from there but

like she's just very cozy. People feel

very comfortable with her. Um which you

wouldn't expect from someone whose like

material is kind of exclusively about

like her flapping labia.

>> Exactly. Like for people that are

learning about Sarah here, like her

stuff on SNL is, you know, in the

structure of SNL, but Sarah's material

is like super scatological. She calls it

body horror. It's like a ton of like

dysmorphia on dysmorphia. Shocking,

shocking, shocking stuff. And um I want

to ask Tara like the cutaways to her

audience during the special. I'm like,

who is this audience?

>> I have the same exact thought.

>> So many men. So many men laughing and

being like ritually humiliated in at the

same time. It's amazing.

>> Perverts.

God. My favorite word. My favorite word.

>> Would you say Sarah's your first pervert

guest?

>> Oh, absolutely not.

>> No. But I love a pervert. Um I don't

like a creep.

>> There's a difference.

>> Big time. And it's a fine line. I mean,

you know, and it's very it happens.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying but

but rarely are women creeps, but they

can definitely be perverts. But if

you're a perverted man, you you have a

high creep susceptibility. Obviously,

>> you got to be really careful.

>> You got to be really careful.

>> But a fun pervert. I mean, they kind of

feel almost, you know, this is another

thing that I want to talk to Sarah about

is like the way she

is a fun pervert and then turns on her

audience and yells at them for liking

it. That's so real. Well, cuz it's like

it's such a relief to have someone

obviously in such a heightened way, but

like talk about all the all these things

that like I also am like horrified by in

my own body where I'm like, why does it

do that? Why is there hair there? What

is that substance? like having someone

put words to it and and show it in like

such a na it like it it is so

heightened, but it's also like how I

feel looking at like these parts of me

and she it it like she she really brings

it to life in a way that is like

actually very inviting. I feel where

it's like I'm disgusting. Aren't you

disgusting? We're all disgusting. No,

you're the disgusting one. It's a

perfect way to sum it up in watching her

stuff. I'm like on on the surface level

it's kind of like grotesque almost

performance art stuff but then

underneath it is like this idea of

claiming

the stuff that gets thrown at us all the

time anyway. Just kind of claiming it

and like doubling down on it.

>> Yes. The horrors of being a woman and

having a body.

>> Yes. So I always ask people to give my

guest a question. What do you think

Sarah want to talk about? answer. Small

or big. Any story you want to prompt her

to tell or anything you don't know about

her yet.

>> Okay. I wrote down a few.

>> Oh, you're such a writer.

>> I really overthought it.

>> Why don't we get the room?

>> Let's get the room in here and let's

just keep pitching.

>> Yeah. I got together about 30,000 of my

favorite writers to put together a few

questions for Sarah. Okay. Um, I wanted

to force her to talk about her uh child

musical theater career because she was

really um she has so many stories about

like liberties she took with the

characters that she was given.

>> Amazing. Thank you. That's great.

>> Um, okay. I had two like bigger

questions. Um, if you had a zillion

dollars to make any disgusting practical

creation, what would it be?

>> Whoa, great question. We might have to

ask all these questions. These are good.

>> And then, what is your biggest bomb and

what's your favorite show that you've

done? Uh, so it's like a, you know, best

and worst because I feel like Sarah's

had some like really high highs and some

really low lows. So, I think either of

those I would be really excited to hear

about. Great. And then if there's time,

what where does she stand on the Real

Housewives of Rhode Island?

You know, if you're on if you know, if

you're like hitting a wall

conversationally.

>> Okay, perfect. I can't wait to ask her

these questions. Really good questions,

Vitra. Thanks for talking to us on your

lunch break.

>> I loved every second.

>> Okay, bye. Thanks, Vitra. Thanks so

much.

>> Bye.

>> Bye, honey.

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>> Woohoo! And this is the food wall. I

should have I'm going to kill my I

should have brought a little food for

the wall.

>> It's okay. You don't need to bring it. I

don't want that to be

>> to bring food for the wall.

>> I didn't want it to people to feel like

they needed to bring.

>> No, I would. I could, not to brag, I

could have contributed to this like

crazy. I I can only imagine what you

would have contributed to this.

>> So amazing.

>> I actually before we started, I wore

these in in on behalf of you because I

feel like you would like them. I wore a

cheeseburger sneakers.

>> That should be on the food wall.

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

>> What is Let me

>> It's a cheeseburger sneaker from um

>> It's Dolls Kill.

>> It's Dolls Kill.

>> And I feel like I'm not going to lift my

foot up because I don't want any

perverts

>> seeing our feet for free. Screenshots

would sell for a lot of money. Yep.

>> And I'm wearing ice cream. Oh, I'm

wearing ice cream.

>> Oh, great. Okay, I feel good now. Okay,

I'm not stressed. I was stressed that I

didn't bring food, but I I came as food.

>> You came as food.

>> I came as food.

>> Sarah Sherman is here.

>> Do you feel weird now that you're

wearing one shoe? It

>> was such a good question. Let me think.

Let me take that in.

>> Um, yeah. I'm going to take the other

shoe off. But now perverts are going to

know that I'm barefoot the whole time.

>> You see the feet?

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

feet.

>> Have you se

>> for free? No. Lord,

>> honey. For free.

>> What do I look like? Take me out to

dinner first. Hello. Take me out to a

plastic dinner first.

>> Have you seen your wiki feed?

>> Yeah.

>> And what do we what are we talking?

>> I'm happy about it. Oh, good.

>> I I you know, I feel like with body

parts, no one knows this more than you.

Um like you have to some you make peace

with, some you feel neutral about, some

you have big thoughts about. I like my

feet.

>> I like

>> How about you?

>> I have like a I got a I got anxious

recently. Well, as you know on the show,

we have to wear many different shoes,

many different hats, many different

shoes, many different wigs. I'm always

put in sort of I think everyone's put

doing a practical joke on me by putting

me in these big heels to the point where

one of the writers, Asha Ward, shout out

Asha, she puts like in the stage

directions like Sarah exits like tick

tick tick tick tick tick because that's

my heel shovel. like click click click

click click click click click clack cuz

I can't walk on a heel. I'm always click

clacking around. And so something

happened to my feet where I think one of

my toes I have no medical basis for

this. I did not go to a doctor. I did

not look this up.

>> Interesting.

>> I think that one of my toes is like it's

a toe.

>> I love that we're talking about body

stuff right away. I LOVE IT.

>> YOU ASKED FOR IT.

>> I know I did. I asked for it. I don't

know if I should look this up. In my

head, one of my toes is just the bones

are loose but inside of the toe sack.

>> Well, I have a whole thing about, you

know, like

>> Oh my god, you have

>> But your feet now we're really giving it

for the perves who love feet. But your

feet your feet health are very important

like now cuz I'm getting to the age

where I'm starting to read like

>> barely 21.

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

>> Barely legal always. that what do you

what needs to stay healthy for you to

like survive the next and feet is a big

one like meaning you got to be able take

take care of your feet have good balance

do you have good balance can you balance

on one leg

>> I'm saying this like so cockally I feel

like yeah

>> yeah right on you did it

>> and I don't have I'm going to say

something again this is more feet thing

I have a huge arch

>> that's very so do I it's crazy

>> and it's good to have Okay.

>> Because not only does it make your feet

look nice when you want to eventually

sell your feet pics, which we're all

going to be there like

>> I have tried actually and I have failed.

>> Okay, we're going to get into that.

Sarah Sherman is here. She is our first

SNL C current SNL cast member on the

show.

>> I wonder if I have all the scoop. Do I

have all the

>> Well, you're a vet.

>> Like, how many years have you been on

the show?

>> Five.

>> Five. But you just wrapped SNL. You have

a comedy special out. It's incredible. I

cannot wait to talk about it. It's

insane.

>> It's It's quite insane.

>> It's quite insane. Right now you were in

that like school's out summer time like

you just finished your last show last

week. How are you feeling? How's your

energy level? Where you at?

>> I feel like I had So when you hosted

this season at the very beginning,

right?

>> And not to suck your butt, but everybody

goes, "Who's your favorite host?" I go

everyone goes Amy Polar. like

immediately

and I had a lot of questions for you. I

was like, "What?"

>> I I wish like like every It's so funny

as a cast member, you have such an

experience and then when you're a host,

you have the experience which is like

you just wish you could immediately do

it again.

>> Yes.

>> Immediately. And the I was just saying

to someone, my favorite times are always

the in between times.

>> Interesting.

>> I love the like the joking around

between scenes. I like the like

>> the beginning of the week. Like the show

is like the event, but I tend to

remember and like the like weird middle

times. And I have such a fond memory

>> of me, you and Bowen. I know. Sitting on

a couch and really like getting to know

you in in a way that I don't think I had

in a fast amount of time.

>> Yes. Laughing nonstop.

>> I know. And a lot of giggles.

>> A lot of giggling. Laughing. Thank you

for saying that. Okay, so I was your

favorite host. Great. I appreciate that.

>> And my favorite like I wish people saw

the table read like that is when I am

laughing. I'm like and that was my

favorite part of your week because

what's okay? I'm going to the butt

sucking is going to commence you.

>> I'm usually doing that.

>> Okay, good. Well, this is gonna be a

good hang. try to receive

>> I you like obvious so it's like

obviously you're good at SNL like

obviously but seeing you know how many

sketches are at table read like 40 you

have a different funny thing you were

doing like fun new character voices for

every sketch out of the 40 and it's like

how many of those were cold reads and

you were just like do like the doll with

the eye

>> oh yeah that was a good sketching Seth

wrote that

>> laughing

>> he submitted a sketch for us and we

didn't do I try to watch so that I can

organically laugh if I'm not in a

sketch. I try not to read those sketches

ahead of time.

>> Oh, interesting. Okay.

>> So, I watch the whole table read like

>> Well, that's very generous of you

because you're actually providing an

audience which people don't usually do

like they, you know, everyone's in their

own

>> world at those readroughs and everyone's

tired and everyone's like waiting for

their stuff to get on. And so the fact

that you could even do that means that

you're like trying to actually stay

present like you're a generous person

>> and well I think it's also a sucking

butt right back at you.

>> I'll take it. We're human centipede

ourselves all the way.

I mean come on

>> that's a good trilogy. There's three.

>> I cannot believe that movie was made.

>> The movies. There's three.

>> I know there's three.

>> There are three. And do you need me to

talk about the differences between

>> for some reason because I am so a gas at

that movie. I get it constantly on my

TikTok.

>> Is it having a resurgence?

>> Yeah, there's like a lot of clips about

or or like I just keep watching right

>> because I'm horrified by Okay, sorry. I

digress.

>> You are making it happen. I'm going to

use your podcast platform to do

something. Tom six. No.

>> If you are doing a human centipede,

>> we do not need a human centipede for us.

I'll do it. I will show

>> she will not I will not allow her. I'll

do it. Black and white full color over.

>> Absolutely not. We don't need it. Not

now.

>> Some of the best most important cinnamon

that's been made.

>> [ __ ] disgusting.

>> And Tom, you are a freak.

>> Okay. But you're you're on your summer

break.

>> Yeah.

>> So you like what do you do for your

summer?

>> What are you doing?

>> So I'm experimenting with something this

summer. I don't understand how anyone

can do anything while is happening. I

feel like were you doing this? Were you

I can't Well, I haven't said cuz

>> all consuming

>> when when when I even said to you cuz

you did work birth and it was about you

being the sketch when you hosted about

you being pregnant and giving birth to

work

>> and I was like okay so this actually was

your life?

>> Yeah.

>> The fact that you were pregnant there I

can't even work there like if my contact

is too dry. I don't know what your life

is and if you ever want to carry a

child, but pregnancy is wild and funny

and fun because you are completely

different body and you love body stuff

>> and you're you scare a lot of people by

walking around

>> and it scares me.

>> Yeah, it's scary.

>> And I'm like, what do you mean they're

moving my organs around inside me? They

have to stay where they are.

>> So sci-fi that there's a body inside of

you.

>> That's never alone. I

>> I can't even imagine like my body can't

even take being at the job regular. Not

that pregnant isn't regular.

New normal.

>> New normal. Hey, I watch it. But like if

I have like a bad burrito and I'm like

bloated, I'm like I I can't write.

>> Well Well, this is what I mean is like

the idea of like everyone knowing when

someone has a stomach ache. That's new.

>> That that is new. That's new.

>> You know what I don't like? And I'm I'll

say it. I'll stand on my two feet,

buckle my shoe, and say I don't like it.

It's like hot girls with IBS. It's like

I'm not proud

>> of the diarrhea that I have every single

day chronically.

>> And we're about 7 minutes in. We got to

diarrhea.

>> I was hoping we would

>> the morning.

>> I just think that like more and more

there's a there's an acceptance that

everyone has a different way to work

within the system. Yeah. And I would say

that you being on the show is also I

think another example of like how the

show has smartly remembered that it is a

variety show with a million different

voices and different styles. And so

there just was I think a little bit more

it was just like a more homogeneous same

way to do it same people writing it same

people on it and it's just keeps

changing.

>> I actually think about this a lot

because I'm like this is not even to say

it's self-deprecatingly said that with

an accent.

I don't think I would have gotten on the

show

during your era because

>> Yeah. No,

>> that's not controversial.

>> But I'm would have I would like to be a

more talented sketch performer.

>> Okay.

>> I find myself to be quite limited.

>> Okay.

>> And I would Do you know what I'm saying?

>> Well, okay. Let's

>> So, I'm thinking let's cookie stars. I

was not born, you know, I was born when

I was born.

>> Okay. Sarah Sherman, let's go back.

>> No, we're going back.

>> We're going back to Long Island.

>> We're all We're going back 18 years.

Well, I'm I'm 18 now. Just turned 18.

Okay.

So, you're in Long Island as a little

>> Yeah, as a little

>> as a little. Your mom is a public school

teacher.

>> So was mine.

>> And um your dad runs a a children's

clothing company. Fascinating. I mean,

>> like, of course you love clothes. Of

course you dress.

>> I know, but I'm like addicted. Okay.

>> It is his fault.

>> Yeah. So, he's so he has like a he's

like a garmentto.

>> Yeah. He is like old school Jewish

schmata business. So, it's like everyone

saw Uncut Gems was like the diamond

district in Manhattan. It's all those

Jewish guys running around. Two blocks

over is the garment district and schmata

is Yiddish for rags. So, it's like all

the same kind of Jewish guys running

around with clothes.

>> Right. Long Island seems like it has

produced some really complicated

interesting characters.

>> Well, I saw Uncut Gems and I go, "Huh,

that's about my dad." I just the vibe,

>> right?

>> So, I stalked the writer and I was like,

"You wrote a movie about my dad." And he

goes, "Well, this is actually quite

interesting because I'm from your

neighborhood. I went to a high school

near your high school and my dad is in

Schmata." So, yeah, I did.

>> Wow.

>> I know.

Long Island.

>> Okay. What is fifth grade Sarah look

like?

>> So annoying. I was like because I was

like the clothes thing. Like my dad was

in schmata. I grew up around clothes. So

like I was addicted to the nanny Golden

Girls and like my big thing

>> um

>> in when in middle school when I started

doing middle school plays, Miss Orange

who ran the costume department would let

me kind of raid the costume closet. This

makes sense and you were into that.

Okay. We we um we we we always speak to

people who know our guests really well

and we get a question from them and we

talk to Mitra.

>> Okay.

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

>> What did you do, girl?

>> Girl and she gave us a couple really

good questions. So, throughout this

interview, I'm going to pepper them in

cuz of course, Mitra, good girl giving

us so many good questions.

>> I'm sure I'm I'm sure the list is long.

And this Miss Orange reminds me of one

of those questions which is um you did a

lot of musical theater as a kid.

>> I did.

>> And you took liberty with some parts.

>> And Midra, you know what you have done.

>> Mra knows what she has done.

>> She's helping out her friend.

>> I just I Let me explain myself. I'm

defend myself here. I always wanted to

be a comedian. like grew up watching it.

>> Why? Why do you think funny family?

>> Funny family. Really funny family. Funny

dad,

>> funny like you know love love expression

was like mean bullying funny was

addicted to like Seinfeld SNL

>> Brothers and Sisters

>> younger brother also funny but I was

kind of like a bully but it was funny.

>> So you know

>> that's when bullies were funny.

>> I know right. And I had a big um science

room skeleton in my room. My parents

were always like, "Why'd you end up like

this? You're normal." And I'm like, "You

got me a giant science room skeleton

when I was like,

>> you know, my brother was like three on

April F." I loved April Fool's Day cuz

that also felt like the comedian's day

to shine. It's like clowns Christmas.

He was like three and I put this giant

life-siz science room skeleton in his

bed and he woke up crying, you know?

Right. So, it's like stuff like that. I

loved April My B mitzvah was on April

Fool's Day.

>> Whoa. What was the theme? Did you

>> It was April Fools.

>> It was April Fool's theme.

>> Yeah. And the invitation was snakes in a

can that I hand delivered to everyone's

house.

>> You learn so much about people when they

talk about their bar and you really do.

Like Ike Barold was in here and his was

like I like Ike. Like he was running. He

was like he was like running for, you

know, president or whatever. You learn

so much about what what their hopes and

dreams are. Okay. Snakes in a can on

every seat

>> and like you know you're on in a bad

mitzvah you're like on the this the

beimma the stage at the synagogue and I

had a wrapped audience of like

80year-old old bald Jewish guys. I was

going off. That was my first like I

crushed at my mom.

>> Oh my god. Do you remember any of your

material? Yes. Of course. It's like cuz

it was my first, you know, I was I've

been what is it? Chasing the dragon or

whatever since like the high

>> was I went to a very conservative

synagogue. Okay.

>> And it's like the service is like 8

hours intense Hebrew. I didn't know a

word I was saying.

>> And they go like, "And now the

sisterhood of the temple would like to

present you with your gift." And like

these two um conservative women came up

with uh candlesticks. I go, "Great. Just

what I always wanted.

My mom was in the FRONT GOING

AND THEN NOT to brag, it was kind of the

talk of the town for like a second.

>> I BET

>> IT WAS KIND OF LIKE everyone was like

killed.

>> Great. I always turning to a camera

that's not there.

>> Okay. So, what liberties did you take as

a musical theater kid? What how did you

interpret the parts?

>> You're so evil. Is this is this is this

a nonPC story?

>> So, I just wanted to be a comedian and I

wanted to be a performer.

>> So, it's like I would do any play like I

would do like I couldn't sing or dance

but I do the musicals cuz I just wanted

to do it and I could never get a part

because it wasn't good. But I was like

in with the costume closet. that Miss

Orange would let me like that's I got

addicted to like '8s little like sequin

jackets cuz like

>> Grandma Yeta and then Nanny would wear

them and that's she let and Miss Orange

let me keep the jacket. I know the one

that looked exactly like Grandma yet

sequin jacket

>> and so she let me kind of I didn't have

a part. I was in the chorus and into the

woods.

>> Oh yeah.

>> Which was behind a screen. You were in

the woods.

>> I was in the woods in silhouette.

>> Sure.

>> So I was just basically a little

outline. Yeah.

>> But I was in the costume closet. I found

a red and black

lace gown with a fur hand muff.

>> Oh, yeah.

>> And I went to the director and I said,

"So, this is my costume. I am the my

character is the Russian Zarina."

>> And so, I'm just I didn't really think I

even knew what that was. I didn't have

any words. I didn't have an accent,

nothing. And so in the play bill, it

would be like all the leads listed and

then like the chorus, a whole list of

all the faceless people behind the scrim

and then Sarah Sherman will be playing

the Russian Sarina.

>> That's incredible. You created

>> personality disorder.

But it's such a com I mean that is the

thing about you Sarah is and like we'll

get to it with SNL but like there is an

innate confidence about you

>> that and and I say that because I I I

want you to know to me that's like the

what distinguishes people on SNL right

away.

>> Sure.

>> Whether the content doesn't matter. It's

like are we worried about you when we're

watching you? I'm never worried about

you anytime you're ever performing like

and it's not like cocky like cuz you're

super self-deprecating all the time.

You're very honest. You're very like

your your your feelings are right up

front and center. But there is a

confidence that I feel like you just

were born with this idea of like

grabbing things and wanting them.

>> I think I am so used to bombing even

though it sounds like I crushed my first

time at bat. I'm so It's like everything

that has every bad thing could that

could happen to me on stage has already

happened kind of thing. So it's like I

don't even know if it's like confidence.

It's like I'm going to [ __ ] crush

this [ __ ] right now. It's like what what

more could happen? I'm going to Madison

Square Garden. What more could happen?

>> But ambivalence is confidence too. It is

like this idea of like I'm just going to

float a little bit. a little

dissociation too, but like I'm going to

float above this moment so that you're

going to have to come find me. I'm not

going to like be like like me, like me,

like me. That's the difference. But you

went to Northwestern.

>> And oh, this is what I find so

interesting when you talk about like I

want to have more experience in sketch

and improv. You try out for like the

sketch group, don't get in.

>> Yep.

>> Yep. Which was like I was is

devastating.

>> That's devastating. And I had tried

stand up. Like I dabbled a little bit

when I was like 16. Like I I like going

to doing an open mic at like a barbecue

restaurant cuz you know I couldn't do a

bar yet. Like I dabbled a little but

that was my first big like you know all

I wanted to do was be a comedian and it

when someone was like my peers were like

no. I was like are you kidding me?

>> Yeah.

>> And so I'm full of I could be motivated

by spite.

>> But then you start a comedy show in

Chicago called Hell Trap Nightmare.

>> Yeah. How would you describe that show?

>> Um,

like the first to I like that you rolled

your eyes.

>> Like, how could I even begin to

>> This is the the first show is my

friend's basement. We were of course it

was Chicago has like an amazing DIY

electronic noise crazy performance art

comedy scene

>> and like you know there there was like

comedy like there's all this improv in

Chicago and whatever but I was like the

funniest people to me were these like

freaks.

>> Yeah.

>> So like my friend Mike Sugarman was

performing as under this noise moniker

Suge and the first Hell Trap night night

mint. I had a stroke. The first Hell

Trap nightmare was in my friend's

basement. The poster was like uh a

woman's face was see-through and you

could see her teeth and brains. Sure.

>> Because I was like, you know, that's the

trigger warning.

>> Yeah.

>> And you know, I hosted I did like 10 bad

minutes of standup and then my friend

Suge came out in a trench coat and a wig

um sunglasses, flashed everyone, and he

had taped to his dick. Yeah.

>> And was, you know, smashing light bulbs,

but that was music, of course.

>> Yeah. And I think I did a uh I don't

even know what the these bits were like

it was like a stretch to call it comedy

like

>> well it was like performance art right

but with but with like

>> the intent was to be funny but when I I

chugged a can of room temperature clam

chowder. I think the joke was literally

like oh you like a woman who's a tall

drink of water. I'm I'm a tall can of

clam chowder. and then chug the whole

thing and everyone's like, "Cool."

Okay.

>> You know, it's we don't need to look

back on our bits and explain them. They

were just like moments. They were

moments, babe. You were experimenting,

>> of course.

>> But you were you were like I mean I I

think it's one of the things that you've

brought to the show like just your

aesthetic, not only outside, but like

your influences like you are very very

interested in all types of media and

art.

>> I am. We we talk about in your special

like like Paula Pound's own [ __ ]

Spongebob. You also talk about like

>> barely makes sense by the way and gave

birth to what

>> sometimes they just say stuff and I'm

like it's going in.

>> Um but also Ren and Stimpy and like

Pee-Wee like what were your like what

were what kind of stuff were you like

when you think about all that stuff that

jammed in your head when you were

younger? What jam what got in there? I

think like I always um I loved doing art

and making stuff and I also loved

performing comedy and for some reason I

didn't know that you could do both at

the same time like when I had started.

So it was like 2015 like

>> you know there's not like the internet

and the way it is now. Like I didn't

realize I could blend art like I was

doing all the posters for my show like

cuz it's like it was very you know

runchy blue like horrific comedy. So,

I'd make the posters be like lungs with

nipples on it and be like, you know what

the show's going to be? Whatever,

>> right?

>> Um, the letters are like a tampon with

poop on it. Sorry, whatever. I wasn't

that creative, but I was like, oh, that

was like a trigger warning for the

Awesome. My mom, by the way, to my

special taping, wore my old Hell Trap

nightmare shirt, which was a uterus with

ovary eyeballs and a severed finger

shoved up into the and a smiling like

open gashed vagina with like a butthole.

What' you guys do? Insert picture here.

My mom

>> Sarah, how does what do your parents

think? Like how do they h It is so

intense.

>> It's intense. It's intense.

>> And and I and I don't mean to be

misogynistic because like if it's a man,

it's they get a different pass, but like

your style

>> as a parent because your parents love

you and they love that you're they love

the work. How do they like do they

invite their friends to your show? They

they they're down.

>> It is it's literally like Paul Schrader

hardcore. the the no my daughter no turn

it off when he has to watch his daughter

doing porn it is THAT BUT UM NO TURN IT

OFF but um they love it

>> they love it

>> they are really supportive and I do

think I hate to say it I think that's

like what the confidence is a little

>> okay I I think that that's true I I

didn't want to say it but like I'm

learning about like loving parents

privilege like

>> if you have parents who are like you're

great you that really creates a

scaffolding for the rest of your life.

Obviously, when you try things where

you're like, well, I guess my parents

will still love me.

>> No, I there there there's not a threat

of losing my family.

>> Yeah. And like

>> maybe this is TMI, but I did a bit I've

done a lot of like updates where I'm in

a big animal costume. And that is

Lauren's idea.

>> Yeah.

>> Because I think I'm like he's like,

"What am I going to do with her? She's

crazy. She's like a wild animal. I'll

just make her be a wild animal."

I don't think people know that he

pitches bit like he was like, "You're

going to play a squirrel." I'm like,

"Okay."

Whatever you want. You're my bos. Okay,

boss.

He said like after I did I think a

squirrel or some [ __ ] animal. He

said, "When you did that, I could tell

you were loved as a child." And I was

like, "Oh,

clocked

>> clocked.

>> Clocked." He has very Oh, yeah.

>> I I remember being like Oh yeah.

>> Yeah. He he he as the kids would say he

can read you really fast

>> for Phil.

>> Okay. So you have this this way of

performing and then you audition for SNL

first when you're really young.

>> Mhm.

>> Don't get in.

>> Mhm.

>> What was that like? Well,

>> like was it a real audition? Did like

did you go into the studio? Okay,

>> it was um Sha Halpern from IO. Shout out

girl.

>> Shout out. Let's talk about Sha for one

second. Sha Halpern ran Improv Olympic a

theater in Chicago now called IO cuz the

Olympics sued and made them change their

name.

>> The Olympics.

>> The Olympics. That's right. And um Sha

was the was the the director who in in

my case just like put me on an improv

team. Said, "Hey, there's a woman named

Tina. you're going to really like her.

You guys, Sha Sha arranged that marriage

and Sha was in charge of so many of us

and like launched so many careers.

>> Oh my god, I didn't know that.

>> So, Hal Burn Sha got you in front of the

Sha Sha's she's always had an eye.

>> She knows. That's great because I would

I just wanted to do comedy. I couldn't

get into the [ __ ] college thing and

so I was like, "Oh, I'll go do it in

Chicago stuff in Chicago." And I was

like kind of a bad fit. And I'm like not

again how I feel self-conscious about my

limited range. It's like you kind of

need a little bit of range for improv

and I was kind of not a good fit there.

And I would also wear like they would be

like I'd have to get talking. It's like

hey you're wearing a big shirt with the

brain on it. A little distracting. I'm

like

um I was like I'm kind of a bad fit

there. But she was like you're going to

do the SNL audition. And at that time I

was like I was 22 and I was like uh

that's a bad idea cuz I was doing these

shows with the penis whatever

>> and I was like I just didn't and and she

she was like you're going to do that.

She's like you're going to be great like

if you need help with it. And I was like

well everyone tells you

>> I didn't know anything and there you

know everyone's like oh your your five

minutes it has to be like characters and

impressions or whatever.

>> So I did that and it was obviously

terrible. Like it was just like I was

trying to do what I thought the

assignment was. Sure. And I bombed

really badly.

>> Um I wore like my I remember what I

wore. I wore I know this is we're

actually finding out I'm a clothes

addict. I all my memories are marked by

like my outfit.

>> Well, I would say that you're you like

work from the outside in.

>> Yeah, I do. Actually, this is a problem

at SNL.

>> All right. Well, now it's time now for

season six. Inside out. work from the

inside. It's really hard.

>> Would love to see you just in a I would

love to see you in a neutral dress, a

slip dress. Hair natural, no makeup.

>> Yes.

>> Leaves flowing.

>> Hello, children. Your homework's late.

Big recurring character. Your homework's

late. Okay, I think can somebody write

that down? It's amazing. But this is

Lauren's big thing with me. He's like,

"Just let's just

>> yeah,

>> get it to and I'm like for Sai."

>> Okay, it's okay. It's okay. Don't don't

beat yourself up. I mean, it's a lot to

ask.

>> It's a lot. It's hard.

>> It's hard. It's hard to show any

especially when you're

It's like playing with it's like

practicing with your backhand. Like

you're really your forehand's really

strong and you're like I can score. And

someone's like now hit it with your

backhand. You're like now? Like season

3?

>> You think I'm trying? I I try like you

know Ashley Padilla started 2 years ago

and I'm like oh my god the character and

like everyone every character she has is

like a internal world and like the jokes

come kind of easy to her because she has

like inside she like knows what the

character wants and there's like

>> there's a motivation there and I feel

like I've been doing it all wrong for

like six [ __ ] years cuz I'm like what

if the wig is weird and then you have to

come like writing the joke cuz it's so

much harder cuz You're like forcing it

from the other way around. It's It's

outside in. So, it's a little harder.

>> I'm going to say something right now. I

think you're not afraid of the failure.

I think you're afraid of the success cuz

I actually think you can do it. I

actually think you are a good actor and

you do it. You're afraid of being

successful at it. So, like

>> cast me. I'm not afraid of being an

actor. I am free. People say that thing

where they're like, "Oh my god, you're

standup. That's so brave." I'm like,

it's it's cowardice. It is true. Yes, it

is true cowardice. Like I, you know, so

many things even in my special are like

people are like, "Oh my god, you're like

loose and riffing." Uh, that's all

written down.

You think I would riff during my HBO

comedy?

No. I have a pre-planned bit. I'm like,

I'm going to find someone in the crowd

wearing glasses. And I go, why' you wear

glasses to the show? So you can wear

your pre pubescent.

Sorry, wrong.

>> It's okay. We We'll edit it. Here we go.

And show my failure.

>> I'm actually a vulnerable Santa.

My god. You should make your own

blooper. Vulnerable blooper reel.

Showing my armpits. Hey guys, why did

you wear your glasses to the show? So

you could see my preubescent body

better. You pervert. Everyone goes, "Oh,

you think I thought of that on THE SPOT?

NO, I WROTE it down eight years ago and

I've been saying it every day since.

Sucks.

>> I feel like once you get the confidence

of um

knowing that you're not getting fired

from the show, basically like which is

true. Like you're at that point.

>> Congrats, babe. You're at that point.

>> I was crazy this season a little bit.

>> Well, you might get fired from something

you say for sure, but not for lack of

like we don't need you.

>> But yes, you might get fired. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. HR did want me to talk to

you. Yeah.

>> And I'm sorry for what I did and who I

touched.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. Yeah. I have to say like what I

find so impressive about you is you have

managed to maintain yourself, your POV

and your sense of what you think is

funny and you've worked within the

system. I.e. like

>> you coming at Colin and update is a

perfect example where you're like okay

I'm going to use this structure. I'm

going to hit Colin who's like the

ultimate like alpha straight white

punching bag successful punching bag and

he can handle it and why it's so

satisfying to watch because to me it

also and you do this a lot in your

comedy especially in your in your in

your special

>> where you like play around with what I

like to call like the millennial threat

like this this idea that like someone's

going to get something wrong.

>> Yes.

>> But people are very scared to screw up.

>> Yes. And and I I have

>> of course we all have

>> but you are like pressuring the powers

that be that they might [ __ ] up. It's

very exhilarating to watch cuz obviously

it's also talking about like cancer

girls are like misogyny and like

patriarchy and all that stuff but it's

not it's just funny

>> right

>> and it's like as mean as I'd be to Colin

calling him a pedophile whatever

whatever I'm really mean to myself.

>> Yeah. So it's, you know, but even that

it's like I got lucky on the show

because he he I had joined the show as a

complete act. I was shocked that I was

there. All my friends like the inside

joke was like okay Sarah's going to show

up as a waiter and see go want some

water ma'am and they got fired. You know

that was the big joke with all my

friends who are apparently like love me

and are nice to me or whatever.

>> But so it was like so I was just happy

to be there and I wasn't expecting

anything to happen. like I was writing

sketches but I didn't really know I

didn't even have final draft until

midnight on writing night like I didn't

know about any of this

>> and then um so I wasn't getting any

sketches on the show but I didn't really

care but then Colin was like why don't

you come on update and do like your

yourself and I didn't even know that you

could do that

>> there is some version of getting known

on the show and it doesn't stamp you

forever but like where people see you as

a person with a face

>> but I wouldn't have done that if he

didn't say so cuz it felt like

presumptuous or something like I really

was there to be like a good sport and

just do whatever the job was.

>> Okay. But I just want to gently say to

you that you should just take credit for

that success because even though it

wasn't your original idea perhaps we all

know that we're collaborating.

>> We're all collaborating working together

but you have to deliver. One other thing

I want to ask you about and then we'll

jump off SNL but

>> question.

Let's talk about Louis Zakarion.

>> What is there to say?

>> Louie runs the makeup department and he

is incredible.

>> It's crazy.

>> Like, let's talk about him for a second

and what he's made for you.

>> Uh, what hasn't he? He does it.

Prosthetics and makeup takes time. Yeah.

And like I think I've seen people

describe the SNL makeup experience as a

pit crew. There's like eight people

putting on a bald cap at once. I've

moderated um uh ComicCon panels for him

where it's like it'll be a guy in a grou

grou suit or whatever being like sir

what's your fastest bald cap application

and he goes 2 minutes and everyone you

hear the crowd go

>> you see like every X-Men character in

like a blue man

>> they should make them they should make a

TV show like the pit

>> and they should make it in the makeup

room of Louis room because the way that

they like in like in the pit the way

they like save people by like stabing

putting them in the heart and like you

like that's how Louis has to do makeup.

>> Yeah. He's ripping a bird beak off and

putting googly eyes on my eyes. He's get

out there. But by the way, he he's

having so much fun. Like he never says

no. He's having so much fun. He films

the whole thing. And it's like we could

have like 45 seconds to get me looking

from Jessica Rabbit into like Miss

Grinch or whatever. And he still has

like one selfie and it's like hilarious.

He like gets off on the thrill of it. He

he like my favorite we did a thing where

it was like it was supposed to look like

me and Michael B. Jordan got stuck on a

roller coaster and it like our it blew

our like hair and mouth open and I was

like I was like can you make it look

like I have a speculum in my mouth like

blowing my mouth out but you don't see

any pla like it just has to look like

it's naturally like that

>> and he doesn't say no

>> right

>> well that's what an emergency room

doctor is like we'll see what we can do.

Yeah. Oh my god. Let the baby die. I

don't think so. And it's the same stakes

for a comedy show.

>> It's the same stakes.

>> It's the same stakes.

>> And that's if there's any takeaway, it's

that what you do is as important as

people that work in the

>> No one banged their pots and pans for

me.

>> Exactly.

>> Um, this is another Metra question. If

you had unlimited funds

>> and you could make any disgusting

creation, what would it be? I don't know

if I want to ask you this question.

>> Yeah. Maybe let's say on SNL. So we have

to say that it passes like you have like

>> cuz cuz there have been

>> that is a this is another reason why I

working outside in

>> I love that taking that and I'm going to

write my book about that. Um so you have

fun with your book. I'm taking outside

in. It's like it it's such it can be

such a hindrance because like me and Dan

Bulla had like this idea for like maybe

a sketch that's like at um like a facial

spa or something and when they take our

sheet masks off it just pulls the whole

front of our face off.

>> And for years I me and Louis have been

like how are we going to do that? Cuz

like when I first started the show I was

in like one sketch every six and a half

months. So like was it? But now it's

like maybe I'll be maybe I'll be playing

Trump right beforehands. Who knows?

James, I'm coming for your breakfast

nachos. You put

>> So it's like if I had unlimited funds,

it would be like I would be able to do

something like that really fast with L.

Like I just want to take my whole face

off.

>> Why do you want to

>> I don't know. It's really weird and it's

not normal.

>> I It is. It like when you say that my

brain pictures it and I'm like

>> Sarah Sarah you just made your life so

much harder.

>> But I know I'm but that is just it also

is like there is a there is such a

incredible performance art artist like

like you have a Cindy Sherman vibe. You

have a like you have a you have a like a

a dance with the grotesque that's super

interesting and it's always like what

level is like gross like what does what

grosses you does anything gross you out

>> the other day

literally I like you know how people

like chew on their like sleeves or like

>> oh yeah like wet

>> wet fabric on my teeth like I got grazed

on on the train on the tooth with my own

sleeve and it like

>> gave you You're chill.

>> I That's like my nails on a chalkboard

is like stuff like that.

>> Okay. But any kind of like your face

peeling off, you're down.

>> All good. All good.

All good.

>> And and then my last question in the SNL

space is cuz we all have them. What does

your SNL stress dreams look like?

>> Oh, I actually wrote a sketch about

this.

>> Okay. Incredible.

>> Um it is Oh my god, I wish I could

remember the sketch cuz it was like, you

know, when you stay up all night, you're

like, I'm getting a Nobel Peace Prize

for what I just wrote. Classic sketch.

>> Classic sketch.

>> They always win the Nobel Peace Prize.

>> I'm like, if I read I read it wrote it

two years ago. I'm sure if I read it

today, I'd be like, "What?"

>> You know what I mean? When you're like,

>> "Yes."

>> My stress dream is always writing night.

>> Okay.

>> And it's always I get to I'm at writing

night and I'm the clock says it's like

midnight or 1:00 in the morning and I

don't have anything yet and I'm going

from room to room with like my tin can

being like, "Will you wait with me?" And

everyone's like, "No, I'm already busy.

I already have my thing for the week."

And I'm going door to door down the

hallway. And the hallway gets longer.

Very, okay, Christopher Nolan, don't

steal this. We're running a little

project.

>> Odyssey 2. Um, the human centipede.

>> Don't temp me with a good time. Maybe

polar. And the hallway just gets longer

and longer, and I'm like, does anyone

want to write with me? And that's like

that's the what I'm the most anxious

about all the time. It's like bombing on

live TV is one thing. Bombing trying to

get someone to write a sketch with you

is a fate worse than death. I have one

more stress dream that was my first

year.

>> Okay,

>> which was there's a prop toilet on the

floor of 8H. This I have this dream two

times. There's a prop toilet on the

floor of 8H.

>> I know it's not hooked up to any pipes.

I know it's a prop and I [ __ ] in it

anyway. And everybody's looking at me

like the last shot and Murder on the

Orient Express. There's like a shot

where they're like all looking down at

this dead body and you see the POV of

the dead body looking back at everyone.

And I see everyone looking at me going,

"The toilet's not hooked on anything.

Why'd you do that?" And I'm going, "I

know. I have no idea what happened." And

my young and dream analyst at the time

said that when you poop in a dream

gross,

it's it's like you're putting work out

there and you're embarrassed.

I worked hard. Yeah. Oh, and also do you

have a Yungian um dream analysis? Do you

do a lot of therapy?

>> I do many times a week.

>> Fun.

>> Doesn't seem to be working.

>> Online or in person?

>> I'm on the

>> You're on the couch.

>> Yep.

I'm lying down on the couch and

>> the whole time.

>> Yep.

>> Whoa.

>> I'm doing like analysis. I'm call I'm

doing analysis.

>> That's old school. Yeah. And um just I

just noticed recently because I don't

look at my therapist and sometimes I'll

be like this.

>> Male or female therapist? Of

>> course it's a man.

IT'S NOT FIXED. IT'S A MAN. It's not

working. A woman would fix it

like this. And I said something and I

heard his laugh behind me and I went

like he was he forgot he was there.

Yeah. And I was like, "Stop."

I don't know why that was. So I

immediately I was like I never looked at

him and I was like oh my

>> get it together.

You're making me think about like my

stress dreams for SNL were less about

like

will you guys, you know, uh like where

where can I uh get in here and write

with people or like oh no my my my the

[ __ ] in my toilet you guys don't like

which is

>> your work your work.

>> Um but mine was disappointing.

>> Mine was about disappointing like

powerful figures. It's a very Gen Xy

stress dream. So mine was

>> always mine was always about

>> uh I would often have it which is I'd

hear Jenna Rosatano as we talked about

the great ad calling me and I would

realize oh my god I'm not on stage like

I I'm missing my my um queue

>> and I had it more than once where I'd be

running down from 9 to 8

>> and I'd pass everybody whose opinion I

cared about it

>> and they look at you

>> and they would go like this

>> like and it was everyone You could

imagine it was people from my past. It

was people working on the show. It was

always of course Lauren and like and

everyone was just like wow like you

really let us down.

>> It's like Amy Polar you ARE LATE FOR HOT

DOG BAR MITZVAH.

WHERE IS YOUR PROSTHETIC BUTT? YOUR

FUNNY WIG.

It's so crazy. What gives us literal

anxiety trauma is like you running to go

do like Mr. Butt in the hot dog hospital

>> and Lauren going you're a disappointment

to your father like wait

I have to go be Captain Crunch the

musical.

>> It's so stupid.

>> So stupid.

>> It's so stupid.

>> Okay. And the last question that that

Mitra wanted me to ask you, she had so

many good ones, was like the and you're

talking, you've talked about it a little

bit, but like the biggest bomb and the

best and the favorite show you've ever

done cuz we talk about you must have

>> bombed big time. And I'm kind of

fascinated about your time opening with

Adam Sandler, who talk about what a like

terrific, lovely person and like nicest

person probably to be around and open

for, but the audience might not have

been that ready for you.

>> He is. So,

>> is that a good way to say it?

>> Thank and thank you. I'll take it away

from here.

>> Okay. Exactly. It is. Okay. Butt sucking

initiation.

a computeren enhanced butt sucking right

now. You and Adam

and there have been other cat like Fred,

>> you guys are so mchy that it's like

I'm thinking of people who have like how

could anyone do SNL without the menches.

Like I have Adam being like, "You're

doing great kid." Like I would have

blown my brains out from here to the

western seabboard if I didn't have him

being like, "You got it, dude."

>> Yeah. He's so every time you see him,

how's your mother? How's your father?

How's Hanukkah? What's going on? I love

you. Mwah. How are you? So menchy and

like opening for him, I have bombed a

lot because people have paid good money

to be there. They have hired

babysitters. They drove all the way from

Hackinack. They are six drinks in. They

are there to see Adam Sandler, not Long

Island Presents, Sarah Sherman, someone

they don't know who's sweating up there.

They have paid good money to see the

wedding singer. Well, honestly, when I

was watching your special, I was

fascinated by the audience because I was

like, this audience. So, your special um

Sarah Squirm live in the flesh.

>> Live and in the flesh. Live plus in the

flesh.

>> Thank you. That was a big That was a big

thing.

>> Live plus in the flesh. Um and I and

first of all, why is it squirm?

>> That was how I like when I was doing

these ba basement shows with the stuff.

It was just like the poster was like,

you know, I wrote written in guts. It

was like a also I was like performing

with bands like piss piss piss moan moan

moan rest in peace Alejandro he has

passed. Um that's a crazy thing to say

>> but like I was like so I was like I

don't want to just be like and Sarah and

then there's Sarah. So like I was kind

of like

>> it was like it was like your punk

persona. It was like it was like x-ray

specs or like Alice Cooper or something

like it's very music. It's very music,

but that's like the show that's like it

was the shows that I was doing cuz I was

like I just, you know, it was it was the

vibe.

>> Yeah.

>> And um

>> did you get pressure to or like did

people say it should be Sarah Sherman?

So then when I got so so like I

auditioned for when I auditioned for SNL

do you know they or no I was doing I was

just performing as Sarah Squirm at the

time and I wasn't really like thinking

about it and then when I got so that

that's on all of my SNL paperwork is

just they found me at a show as Sarah

Squirm. So that's still on my paper.

>> You've never been paid.

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

there.

>> Yeah.

>> My alter ego works there.

Point to another ghost over here. My

alter ego works there. And Lauren, when

I got the job, Lauren called me and was

like, you know, they're like, "Oh,

Sarah, like Lauren's calling you." And I

was like, "Hello." And he's like, "We

think squirm is a little distracting."

And I go, "Say no more. You can have

more."

>> And you know who like that? Your

parents.

>> Yeah. Oh, my mom is still this day. It's

like people will be like, "Hi, I'm Mrs.

Squirm." And she's like, "No, that don't

call me that."

>> Yeah. They want to hear Sherman up

there.

>> They want to hear Sherman. Yeah. And so

it was when I was doing the special like

not you know people don't know me from

standup really cuz I know the ticket

sales show

Pittsburgh

they like you know everyone's like it

should be like Sarah Sherman live in the

flesh but I'm like but that's not the

character.

>> Yeah I get it and it it really helps set

like the table like you said like you

set the table really fast. In fact, the

table is set.

>> It's set

>> because

that the special starts with something

I've never seen in a comedy special,

which is like it's like there's like a

warning of graphic violence.

>> There is.

>> It's like there's a warning of graphic

like there's so many warnings.

>> There is. Yeah.

>> And

>> you also start with John Waters.

>> I know. Which is the ultimate trigger

warning.

>> Yes. You're you're so right. if he's

like put a got to put a stamp on

something, you know that like there's

going to be so much poop

>> talked about for sure. And also just

like he's like this I mean he's

What does he mean to you? John Waters

like

>> how did you get him? How do you wrote

him a letter? I wrote him a letter that

was like I drew like everything what

what's so helpful with visual art

>> or like all this. It's like you can

provide your own trigger warning always.

So I wrote a like for the posters for

Hell Trap. It's like there's a butthole

that's bleeding with an eyeball. Like

you know what you're getting into.

>> Oh my god.

>> Sarah, enough. Enough.

>> Okay. So I wrote him a letter and there

was like intestines all over it and I

was like do you want to like you know

there's this do you want to play the

stage manager in my stand up special and

I was like your scene partner will be

this and then I drew a little picture of

me as like the bones and guts on the

floor and I'm like this is who you're

going to be talking to. And then I put

my number at the bottom of the letter

and I was like if you're interested call

me or whatever. And then I was getting

into therapy on a particularly

devastating read of a day. I had just

bought a loaf of sourdough bread and I

was literally walking down my block

ripping off pieces of bread and eating

it like an animal or a raccoon. Good

job, Lauren. You knew. Um, and I got a

call from an unknown number Baltimore

area code. Hey Sarah, it's John Waters.

I'll see you on set.

>> What?

>> Yeah. And I said to my producers, cuz I

had written the stage manager character.

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

on set.

>> I was like,

>> that's an old school fun way to say it.

I see you on set.

>> See you on set. And I was like, "Do you

want me to Is there anything you want to

say?" Like, and he's like, "I'm not

writing it. You wrote it. I'm saying

what you wrote." And I go, "That's

professional."

>> Yeah. Yeah.

>> He doesn't have punchup. He's like,

"I'll be

>> I bet he had about like a 2hour door to

door, right? Like he was like, "We got a

heart out. We got to be out here in an

hour and a half."

>> He was being hilarious and he was

pitching jokes cuz he could he couldn't.

And guess what? They made it in.

>> Yeah.

>> Okay. Do you want some Visine? Cuz my

eyeballs out. That was a John Waters

original riff. Yeah.

It's like I'm the luckiest girl in the

world. That crazy thing. I keep going

back to SNL, but you're bringing it out

of me, girl.

>> I If I didn't have SNL, I would be a

random crazy person.

>> But I want to say something. I don't

find you crazy. I don't think you're

crazy. That's why you're interesting.

Because if you were truly detached in

like in a way not to name names but like

other sometimes like performers who are

kind of in your millia or vibe are then

it's hard

then it's kind of hard to attach.

>> Sure.

>> It is hard like it's like okay they're

in their own like creative world but

like I don't know we're just going to

kind of watch it from afar but you you

aren't.

>> So it's that's very interesting because

you're command of what you're doing in a

way that's

>> right. There is some but I'm like

without SNL would I have been able to do

this crazy comedy special where there's

like a clay butt that farts out a ghost

would John Waters have agreed like I

don't know probably not thank god

>> and for people that have listened all

the way to the end I mean there is a

clay butt that

>> happens right in the beginning if you

don't like it turn it off

>> turn it off

>> um speaking of comedy as we end what are

you who are you listening to laughing

because you know you do comedy all day

for a job who what Do you watch

>> Yes.

>> to laugh? Like what is your check out?

Like is it a video? Is it a Are you

watching old movies? Are you like what

what's making you laugh?

>> Most recently, always Real Housewives.

>> The The last question um Me had for you

is, are you enjoying Real Housewives

Rhode Island?

Listeners, Sarah's just like

>> she's just she's a ghast at the obvious

yes.

>> Did you grow up watching soaps? Yeah, I

watched General Hospital, which was

>> my favorite show of all time.

>> Weren't you on a soap?

>> I begged to be on General Hospital so I

could bring my mom and we met Sunonny

Krenth those and stopped for days.

>> Yeah.

>> Okay. I just talked to Paula Pel who

also loves soaps and has not been on one

and I feel like Paul should definitely

be

>> Oh yes. I think they were like, "Are you

kidding?" And I was like, "Uh, no.

>> No. Who did you play on the soap?"

>> A woman.

A Russian uh

>> Yeah, the Russians aren't.

>> The Russians areno.

>> Yep.

>> Um I w I love talking about what makes

me laugh. I was watching home movies the

other day.

>> Hysterical laughing like

of your family.

>> No, I wish actually that would be nicer.

The cartoon.

>> Oh, home movies.

>> Oh, home. Okay. I don't know home

movies.

>> It's [ __ ] funny and it's very crude

animation.

>> My kids love it. I have. Yeah,

>> it's so funny. Dying laughing.

>> Oh, we've got our We've got some friends

in there like um Han Benjamin. Okay, got

it. So, it's

>> laughing.

>> And it's animated to come created by

Brendan Small and Laura Bashard who made

Bob's Burgers. Got it. Got it. Got it

home.

>> Laughing.

>> So, are you a big animation girl?

>> No,

>> you're not.

>> No.

>> Cuz I bet people are like you're like

animation. Um, like you look like a

cartoon, you [ __ ] bugeyed [ __ ]

Jesus.

Sarah, apologize.

>> Sarah, you said that to yourself.

>> I know. Apologize to my friend Sarah.

Bad.

>> I patted myself.

>> But you're not a But you're not a

cartoon person.

>> No, I cuz they like they can't emote or

anything. Like I love Red and Stimpy.

I'm not like laughing out loud. Yes. So

I don't know why they're getting in my

ass.

>> Yeah, that's good. get in my ass. And

then

>> that's really funny.

>> I just did. Do you know Hollywood

Handbook the podcast?

>> I love Hollywood Handbook.

>> I was

>> Okay, I shout out to Hollywood Handbook.

Those guys are hysterical. I saw them

recently in a restaurant and asked if I

could be on their pod.

>> And I watched you and they were like,

"No." They were like, "We're booked."

And also I watched you on Hollywood

Handbook and that bit went on forever.

>> So it was 45 minutes.

>> Yeah. It's just one long bit. just one

long fat joke

>> and it

>> sorry

>> it was so I love a bit that goes on that

long.

>> I love it. And they were like acting

like they hated it. I love it. They say

like Sean won't say one word. I can't

like I was laughing like a baby last

like I was going like

sweat laughing so hard sweating through

my pants. Sweating through my hat and my

pants.

>> I know. I I think there's some delight

and it's kind of it's I'm going to I'm

going to I'm going to bring us back.

>> There is some kind of delight that you

have that I share

>> which is if you get to be around like

likeminded and safe people and you guys

are like playing like and going like

just on the corner and edges of things

but it's with people that are like not

just like nice people that you like

basically. There's no greater joy

because it feels like you're actually

like I guess I imagine it would be like

entering dangerous terrain with people

who are really skilled that will take

care of you. That's the closest I mean

we're not athletes.

>> My body is relaxed

>> that the

>> I love that too. I love I love a family

that teases each other.

>> I that to me is a sign of intimacy

>> and it's a sign of safety if you're with

it obviously has to be the right people

the right way. Like when that happens,

it feels like like a special kind of

magic.

>> Yeah. And like Yeah. We making fat

jokes. Is that amazing? No. But it's sa

it's safe. You can like be a little

scary when it's like safe.

>> Yes.

>> You're so right.

>> Well, congratulations on being a vet.

>> Was that an abrupt goodbye? What should

we do? I'm going to put my shoe back on.

>> Oh. Oh, I forgot.

>> Can you believe that? that I've had my

shoes off the entire time.

>> Did How did it feel? Did you feel

grounded?

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

>> It didn't feel I didn't Yeah, I know

what you mean. Like, was I grounding

during that time?

>> Like, did you or were the whole time you

were talking to me, were you like

>> Are you a shoes off person in your

house? Did people have to take their

shoes off?

>> I like my shoes on and I like

Frankenstein boots all day.

>> Yeah.

>> I'm not even wearing them right now. So,

you think I'm a [ __ ] liar. I'm

wearing little cuties, though. But let's

not show them for free. Let's not show

them for free.

>> Oh, man. No, no, you got to pay for

that.

>> Yeah, that's correct. A lot. Cuz we're

on TV. So,

>> and AI is going to take everybody's job.

So, we're going to The only thing robots

don't have human feet.

>> And when they show them, they have an

extra toe. And that's kind of

interesting.

>> And if you were listening at the very

beginning, Sarah has a weird condition

where her big toe is just a sack of

bones. So, if that's your kink,

>> then you got to go to her toe channel,

>> right? And if you are only listening to

the end of this podcast, weird. Why

didn't you listen to the beginning? Did

you just like scrub through?

>> And if that's your kink, then we're not

kink shaming you. But you might want to

think about listening a podcast entire

way through because it also might be

satisfying,

>> right? Or I like to kink shame. I think

it's weird when people like stuff that's

weird.

>> Sarah, thank you for doing this. Thank

you for having me.

>> Thank you for coming.

>> Thank you so much, Sarah Squirm. Sarah

Sherman. Um it was so fun to um talk to

you and you're so fast and funny and um

yeah, what a delight. And um you know,

Sarah and I talked about a lot of people

that we've had the pleasure to work

with, but I just want to give a little

shout out again to a woman in my life

who really shaped my career, and I know

a lot of people in Chicago could say the

same, and that is Shaa Halpern. Chara um

was the uh creator and the uh person who

started a theater uh called IO in

Chicago with Dell Close. Um and um Chara

was just one of those people that if she

saw something in you, she put you in

front of important people and she put

you on stage and uh in my case she

changed my life. So thank you Shaa for

helping me meet most of the people who I

still work with today. And um for those

of you that um are in Chicago, go see

improv and go see it in any city,

support it today and every day and

support the arts. Okay, thanks. Bye.

You've been listening to Good Hang. The

executive producers for this show are

Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss Berman, and

me, Amy Polar. The show is produced by

The Ringer and Paperkite. For The

Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Cat

Spalain, Kaia McMullen, and Aia Xenerys.

for Paperkite. Production by Sam Green,

Joel Levelvel, and Jenna Weiss Berman.

Original music by Amy Miles.

>> Want a really good