Transcript: Lena Dunham on Good Hang with Amy Poehler

Hello everyone. Welcome to another

episode of Good Hang. We have Lena

Dunham with us today. Lena, actress,

writer, producer, creator of Girls,

best-selling author of her memoir,

Famesick. We are going to get into it

with Lena. We are going to talk about um

Norah Efron. We're going to talk about

the productivity myth and how we're all

suffering because of it. We're going to

talk about whether or not one should go

on Great British Bake Off. Is it

actually worth it? We are going to get

into so much good stuff today. We had a

great conversation and we always like to

talk to somebody who knows our guest who

has a question for our guest and wants

to speak well behind their back. And we

spoke to Natalie Portman,

classy actress. Natalie, you know her

from the Black Swan, from rapping on

SNL, from a little indie called Star

Wars. and she and Lena are working on a

romcom together. So, uh, let's get

Natalie on the horn, I believe. Um,

we're talking to her from outside of the

country. So, bonjour or bonis. Natalie,

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What do you say?

All I ever wanted was a really good.

>> Hi N.

>> Hi Amy. Nice to see you.

>> You too. Thanks for talking to us today.

First of all, congrats on the summer

bob.

>> Thank you. You, too. I mean, well,

you're kind of you've been you've been

doing it for for a while, right?

>> Well, I have I have, you know, visually

like no option with my hair. My hair is

kind of my hair just cuts itself. Okay.

So, um first of all, congratulations on

all the things that are happening for

you, including this new film that you're

in

>> with Mark Ruffalo

and my wife Rashidita Jones and many

others.

>> She's my wife, too. So, I'm glad we

share that in common.

>> Well, I'd like to I'd like to talk about

that because we can't share her.

>> She's a polygamist. That's okay.

>> Well, I'd like to get her on the horn.

and make her pick.

>> That's fair. That's fair.

>> That would actually probably be her

nightmare if we called Rashidita right

now and like me or Natalie.

>> Exactly. She'll be like, "Ezra,

>> I do want to talk about your film and

and working with Lena." But but by the

way, have you been listening to the um

Lonely Island Seth Myers podcast at all?

>> No, but I've heard amazing things about

it. highly recommend their episode about

your rap. It's so it's so good and it's

so funny and it's like very indepth

about how it all came together.

>> They're the best and that was so fun.

>> That was and it just it's such a time

capsule too because it's just like a

time in the 2000s. So that's it.

>> Birth of YouTube like so wild.

>> You've got short hair. So exciting.

>> Yeah. Post head shaving.

Wow, that was a growin. Sure.

>> Yeah. Yeah,

>> man. You know, you're not really an

actress unless you have one head

shaving.

>> Like, you got to shave your head once.

>> Have you ever shaved your head?

>> No. I I would I have kind of a small

head, so I would be

>> That's surprising. I wouldn't guess

that.

>> Oh, really? Thank you so much.

>> Does my head look larger?

>> Perfectly normal size. You know, well,

you know the whole theory that like the

bigger the head, the more successful you

are. Do you know this theory?

>> Oh, really? No, I don't.

>> Um, when at SNL, I'm sure this happened

to you, too, when you were there. Like,

they'll measure your head, you know, for

prosthetics and stuff like that. And so,

you get a sense of who has really big

heads. And supposedly, historically,

the bigger the head, the bigger the

paycheck.

>> No way. That's really funny.

>> Now that I've brought this up, you're

going to start to notice.

You're going to start to notice like,

wow, he has a huge head. Like he's

that's why he's running a country or

whatever. You're going to notice it.

>> So funny. But I mean, I feel like you're

pretty successful, Amy.

>> Thank you so much. Maybe I Maybe I'm a

smallheaded success.

>> Maybe. Yeah, maybe you're an outlier.

>> But I do wear a I wear a young boy's

hat. I can wear a young man's hat.

>> That's very lucky.

Very lucky.

>> So, I'm interviewing Lena today.

>> Yes.

>> And you know, I'm kind of getting her

after a lot of interviews like she's

been kind of on on tour, online, like

really out there. And um I've known her

for a long time and I'm excited to talk

about the different ways that I've known

her, but I've never known her as a

director. I've never worked with her in

that way. and I'm curious what kind of

director she is and what it was like to

work with her in that way.

>> Um, she's the best director I've one of

one of the best if not the best I've

worked with. She's

so on point. Like the notes she gives

are so

like astute and specific and like she

pays attention to everything. And she

doesn't also like hesitate to give

compliments too about very specific

things along with like maybe try this

different. And she's extremely nurturing

and generous and kind to everyone on set

at all times. Like I would go home every

day being like, "How does she have the

energy?" Because the amount of like

generosity and kindness and

thoughtfulness she puts out all day to

everyone is like pretty miraculous. So

the very like the environment on set is

incredible cuz everyone's just so happy.

>> Not a surprise to hear that and so nice

to hear that. And that's a really

interesting specific that you said,

which is that she will compliment

something you've done. Like that isn't

always the case. Like it's nice when

people notice something that you try and

say, I noticed it.

>> Exactly. And and it's specific cuz a lot

of people will be like, "Oh, good job."

Or like, "That was a really nice take."

or something. But like I like how you

like accented the you know word in that

that was really funny in that line you

know very a very specific thing that she

notices or like that face you made in

response to Rashida or whatever like

that was great or

>> it's it's not just a general like you

can tell she's really just watching so

carefully and sharply. Um, and her ideas

are so good and she comes up with like

brilliant new lines all the time, you

know, the way only great comedy minds

like yourself can do.

>> Okay. So, do you have a question for our

guest today, Lena, that you think might

be a good one to ask her?

>> My question for her is what Well, I had

one kind of

one that I personally want to know,

which is what is the best kind of pig to

get? Okay. So, you're thinking about

getting a pig?

>> Actually can't in where I live, but but

I dream about it in the future one day

and she has a lot of knowledge about

this. Um, so and I like to hear her talk

about pigs.

>> That is a great question because I do

enjoy pigs. They are really cute.

>> Yeah. So, Lena, what is the best pig?

>> And I say get the pig. You know what I

mean? Even if you're not allowed to have

it. So the problem is is that where I

rent there's wild boores.

>> Oh yeah.

>> Apparently the wild boores mate with

pigs and make a very dangerous

>> hybrid

>> and so it's illegal in that area.

>> Okay.

because there's some

>> Did not expect that to be those

>> vicious hybrid baby pig

and I don't want to be respons I think

I'll get kicked out of France so

>> okay it's very smart that is that is

actually that's very responsible

parenting that's responsible pig

parenting

>> and the I have a thousand questions

about the wild boores

>> I mean it's the main topic of

conversation

>> you ne you never hear about like really

nice boores Well, I think like

domesticated boores are pigs, right?

>> I'm not ready to say that.

>> I don't know.

>> I don't know what we should ask Lena.

>> We should ask because the boar, the big

boar is going to come for us in a way

that I'm not ready for.

>> Okay, I'm going to ask her the

difference between boores and pigs.

>> Um, Natalie, thank you so much for doing

this. It really means a lot. And before

we go, would you just mind saying in

French to me, um, have a wonderful day,

Amy.

Um, and your head may be small, but your

but your but your heart is large.

>> The France is going to murder me for

that.

>> They're going to send the Bors. They're

going to send the bars. Dingdong. You're

going to hear a ding-dong right now.

There's going to be four French Bors.

Um, language Bors. No, thank you for

doing that. It sounds beautiful.

Anything you say sounds beautiful and

especially in French. Thank you,

Natalie. Thanks. It's really nice to see

you. Thanks for doing this.

>> Glad to see you.

>> Yeah, you too. Okay. You too, honey.

Bye.

>> Enjoy Lena. Give her a kiss for me.

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>> Thank you, Lena. Thank you for being

here. It's really good to see you.

>> It's been a long time.

>> I know. I've missed you.

>> I know. And congrats. You just

celebrated your 40th birthday.

>> Had my 40th birthday.

>> How does it feel to turn the corner?

>> I've been trying to gather wisdom from

the women that I know who have been 40

and seem to have liked it. I think it

kind of rules.

>> Yeah. Like

>> I like it. I like getting older much

more than being young. You don't know

anything better than different than

being young when you're young. So you

don't realize, but there's like a

>> some kind of pressure that's

dissipating.

>> Yeah.

>> And some kind of attention that is no

that you no longer either feel you are

supposed to be seeking or are getting.

And it's a huge relief. I said like

sometimes it's like you're g I'm in the

good way gaining a cloak of

invisibility.

>> Yeah. And also I was so even though

people seem to think of me as someone

who's really like marching to the beat

of my own drum or whatever, I was so

dominated by shoulds and musts and ought

to. And now I feel really okay going

that's not really my thing. That's not

for me. So glad if it's for you,

>> not for me. I mean even just realizing

like I don't really like to go to

parties,

>> dude. I don't like to go to parties.

It's not even that I want to be asleep

early. I just want to be in bed early to

stay up late doing what I want to do in

bed.

>> Well, I want to talk to you about your

sleep. Okay.

>> Okay.

>> Cuz I have some thoughts.

>> Okay. I would love to get them

>> because we talk we we we you talk a lot

about it in the book and I can't wait to

talk about it. But

>> but when you don't like going to a

party, what would be your ideal

gathering?

>> Great. What would be my good hang to

bring it to bring it back?

>> Thank you. I like to hang out on the

couch or on bed with a one friend, two

friends,

>> one or two.

>> Maybe we order some food. We hang out

with some animals. We gab. Then they

leave early enough that you have time to

maybe like potter around, move one pile

of things from one corner of the room to

another,

>> then read a book and maybe like watch a

little bit of a murder documentary and

then fall to sleep

>> and text them and be like, "That was

fun."

>> Yes. And be like, "I love being your

friend. I wish we were still together.

But you're very happy that you're like

both on your mats.

>> Yes, totally. That's exactly what I

like. Or I like like when I'm hang out

with my nuclear family and I like when

we all four of us read on different

tufted surfaces near each other

>> and then everyone sort of like puts

themselves to bed. We parallel play and

then everyone puts themselves to bed.

>> I mean, I bet you get this a lot and you

talk about it a little bit in your book

like you present as such an extrovert,

right? And I relate. I present very

extroverted too, but I from what you've

written about that you are secretly

quite introverted. Yes.

>> And it's kind of hard to you're in an

extroverted business

>> and you like to talk and you like to

have other people talk. You want to draw

that out of other people, too.

>> I love I like to talk and I like to

listen.

>> Yeah. You you love to have a

conversation. I know that about you. And

that is expensive.

>> Yes.

>> But it takes a very long time to realize

that, especially if you're good at it.

Well, it's interesting. That's very

beautifully put, but and I've always

found you to be exceedingly wise. Even I

have always found you to be, despite

your um adorable little blonde Bob, you

are a wise

>> Oh my god, thank you. I was talking

about a Bob earlier.

>> You are a very wise lady.

>> It's a Bob Summer.

>> After a party, I mean, I have to stare

at the wall and dissociate for 18 hours

minimum.

>> It actually leads me into my first

question to you, which is you've been on

a press tour. You've been you've been

talking non-stop with many people about

your book, which is a very personal

>> Yeah.

>> book.

>> So, now that you've done a bunch of

these, what have you learned about what

how you like to talk about it?

>> How can like how do you take care of

yourself when you talk about it? These

are such good questions. Um I you've

done this before. I I was like, it's a

strange thing to write a book about what

it cost you to go on press tours and

talk and talk about yourself and then go

on a press tour and talk about it. Like

maybe the most truthful thing would have

been to like just, you know, drop it

like a surprise album and then go, I'll

be in my bedroom for 6 months. You guys

figure it out. But at the same time, I

really love this is going to sound I

really love books and um but I really

love books and I really love I feel

really lucky that I got to write it and

really like and there's and there's

issues in it like you know the trying to

talk about what it how we kind of um

perceive and consume female celebrity

how chronic illness mental health stuff

that's like feels like

>> things that I am excited to get to talk

about in the right way.

>> Yeah.

>> But I had to really remind myself before

going out. I when I was

>> really tap dancing as hard as I could in

my 20s,

>> I went into every interview basically

the way that I would have gone into like

every playd date when I was in second

grade, which was I hope you want to be

my friend and I hope you want to invite

me back. I My mom always called it she

always she still does she'll be like 50%

rule because she always says that I

could give 50% less energy in situations

and everything would be fine.

because I have tried to give 25%. I

mean, I really do feel like you're

you're speaking to something really

true. Not just women obviously, but a

lot of women overd deliver.

>> They overd deliver in every way and then

they're exhausted

>> and they match and bitter. Well, of

course, I resent I resent the things I

do to myself. This is going to sound

like a detour, but it's not. Which is

that

>> I have pet pigs and

>> Oh, we're going to talk about

>> to quote Lisa Ren Rena's memoir title,

you better you better believe I'm going

to talk about it or whatever. It's

called you know I'm going to talk about

it.

>> And to quote Wanda Sykes's book, yeah, I

said it.

>> Continue. But there is a thing when

you're train when I got a pig, I

realized, okay, this is not like a dog.

This is not like a cat. I need to get

some I need to get a specialist in here

to teach me how to do this. And there's

a woman named Susan Madson who is the

preeminent

>> pig trainer and rescue artist of our

time.

>> Excellent.

>> And Susan has a zoom that she does every

Monday night called for pig's sake where

all pig owners can get on and ask her

questions.

Susan and at her farm, Ross Mill Farms,

where she takes in all the pigs that

people adopted because they thought they

were so cute and little and then they

are 200 pounds of attitude of pure

attitude. But one of the things that

happens to house pigs is that they

develop something called spoiled SPS,

spoiled pig syndrome, which it is it is

a well-known condition wherein a pig

starts to if you ask your pig, say if

say you give your pig treats, but you

don't ever ask them to do a trick for

those treats, right?

>> Suddenly, you ask them to do anything,

they're like, "No, that's not the deal

that we were in." And then they start to

become aggressive. They start to destroy

things. They get an attitude because

they've got spoiled pig syndrome. And I

told my brother about it and he was

like, "You mean like what you've done to

everybody that you've ever dated? Like

you have the worst."

>> Yes. Treats without the trick.

>> Treats.

>> Where's the trick, babe?

>> Where's the trick, babe? There is no

trick. And he said also,

>> it's the thing about spoiled pig

syndrome is at the end of the day, you

have a spoiled pig and it's nobody's

fault but your own.

>> That's the worst part.

>> I know. is it always comes back to I

mean that I would say that is the one

thing about being over 40 is there's

just less and less ability

to kind of put the blame externally like

you're like oh no I know better thank

god I know better but [ __ ] now I know

better

>> okay it took you eight years to write

this book

>> how did you know when it was done

>> really good question um a really good

question there was so my editor Andy

Ward is one of my most favorite people.

We love Andy Ward.

>> We live for Andy Ward and And he's just

a good

>> He's a good man. He's I don't try to go

around using the term girl dad a lot. I

don't love it, but

>> but he is he is a girl dad. He's a girl

dad to us all. And he's a writer dad,

and he's just the greatest. And he what

I love is that a lot of people in this

economy would just go, "Okay, there

seems to be like enough gossip that

maybe People magazine would mention

>> quotes that we can get that out there."

>> Yeah, we can get that out there. Okay,

it's ready. And he really cares and he

really pushed me to, you know, I started

the book when I was, you know, three

months out of rehab and I just thought

like

>> I'll jot off some of these experiences

and then they will have left my body and

I'll never have to think about it again.

>> And it ended up sort of the thing you

said about having to look at yourself. I

was like, "This isn't going to be

>> yeah,

>> something that is worth the paper that

it's printed on if I don't

>> if I have to tell the story and I also

have to try to understand how I got

there." And

>> it turns out that takes time. And you

know, you've talked about there's

there's so many things in the book.

There's about there's there's

relationship breakups. There's

>> tons of stuff about figuring out um like

you spoke of like how to participate in

the system and how the system works for

you and against you. And there's a lot

of stuff about personal stuff about

people that you worked with, but I'm I'm

also interested in a couple things, but

but I'm also interested in the way you

you speak about like looking for wisdom

a little bit, especially in women that

were a little older. I was really I want

I could have read a million pages about

you and Nora Efron.

>> It was

>> and I we talk about her on this podcast

a lot. I never had the pleasure to meet

her, but you two would have really had a

ball.

>> Thank you for saying that. I would have

loved to have met her. And I guess it's

not really a deep question, but it kind

of feels like it is like she gave you

tips, decorating tips.

>> She did,

>> but that feels very just like very

maternal. One of the ways that she

showed care was she had this like

incredible mental rolodex of here's

where you get your bagels and here's

where you blow your hair out and here's

who should paint your walls, but the guy

who paints your walls is different than

the guy who paints your floors. Like

giving you all the tools to live well.

She said to me, "You cannot shoot a

movie without this very specific

Patagonia lightweight." She was like,

"And don't get the medium weight. Get

the lightweight zip puffer cardigan."

>> You know, these things. She was just

like, I have I've been here for a while

and I've figured out

>> she's curated her life.

>> She's curated her life. It was exactly

that. And she and I felt like how lucky

am I to be the person that she has

chosen to give this all of this

incredible wisdom and information to.

And when she died, I mean, there are

hundreds of us. Somehow she found the

time

>> to do this.

>> She would just see someone and think,

>> I don't know if she thought, you know,

they amused me enough that I can stand

to have them around or if she just

thought they seem like they need it. But

she showed up for

>> Yeah. other women, younger women, in

this way that was so mind-blowing. And I

think part of why she did it was because

it it also made her feel good. Well, now

that you're like now millennials are

getting older and welcome to the club,

millennials. I'm here to say it's not so

bad. But now millennials are turning 40

like and they're like you're becoming

men a mentor. You you have mentees, I'm

sure. And I love what you said in your

book about how you really try to not

give that much advice where you just try

to say like I'm here and I'm available.

>> Yeah.

>> Figuring out how to be a good mentor is

really interesting. And so I'm curious

because I feel like sometimes I never

want to get caught in the trap of

thinking that I know better than they

do. Like if I see somebody doing

something where I think that's going to

really hurt you and and and damage if

I'm like have the opportunity to sort of

put my arm out like a seat belt, but at

the same time I don't think I could hear

it when I was that age.

>> So like to use a great metaphor, not my

pig, not my farm.

Like you can't save anybody from

themselves. I mean, you know, this is

some Cody Cody stuff we're talking

about. Like when you see somebody it's

like what are you going to be like don't

do it? Like what are you going to say?

Don't do that job. Don't take don't date

that guy. Like we all have to make these

mistakes and nobody listens when you do

anyway. If someone has a question and I

can answer it, I am delighted. And I'm

also always saying and then you do

exactly whatever you want and I will be

here

>> cheering you on. Speaking of that,

>> the way you talk about

>> the productivity myth in your book

>> is it really spoke to me as a Gen Xer.

So my Jen grew up with like working girl

and you wear your sneakers in the subway

and like hustle and like

>> you know and Madonna's documentary was

like I'm going to play through the pain

and Lady Gaga's documentary was like I'm

I have fibromyalgia and I'm really

suffering totally different

>> and both showed this like version of

like how to get through what you're

getting through but we got sold this

idea that if you're not producing you're

not worthwhile. And I know you struggled

with that too. What can you say about

that or what have you learned about that

through the writing of this book or just

through like living life?

>> Well, when I saw 5 foot2, the Gaga

documentary, that was one of the most

emotional. I remember I just kept

rewinding cuz I'd never seen these

things on camera before

>> and I always thought that if people

found out what was going on with me

physically behind the scenes that they'd

be like, "Well, this one's defective. We

want a new one." I mean,

>> yeah.

>> And Hollywood has not done anything to

make us think that isn't

>> That's right. the approach. I mean, we

maybe can can speak about things a

little bit. Maybe a producer would not

feel comfortable saying out loud, "That

one's defective. We want a new one." But

the but the behavior remains the same.

And so there was a lot of time of

reminding myself that all of these

people's ideas of what a valuable life

is, of what what of the right way to

spend your time, of how to prioritize

>> your health versus the work, your health

versus a press junket.

>> Yeah.

>> Didn't have to be mine. I remember once

before a job them going, "So how do you

how long before you get sick do you

usually know that it's going to happen?

And I was like, it never even occurred

to me that that I was like sometime I

don't know like when it starts I don't I

don't know what to say. There was this

idea that you could almost like schedule

your body's

>> collapse. It's funny you say that

because my brain like what this book did

is it like which I think good writing

does is it makes you think about like

wait how am I thinking about the world?

And to your point now what I'm realizing

is what I want to do to extend the

conversation is be like ask people how

did they do their system? How do they

work it? So that conversation you have

with producers is really helpful. I used

to spend a lot of time thinking I was

the only I mean it's that you know part

of being young and and looking around

and thinking that everybody's facade is

what's actually going on. Like it took

me a while to go, oh, just because

somebody shows up in sha just showered

in Lululemon um sweat clothes with a big

cup of coffee. For me, the idea of the

kind of woman I'd never be was always

someone who like brewed her own coffee

and put it in

>> in a in a thing

>> in a thing in a Yeti cup and got to work

and was like, "Oh, cuz I like to do this

in the morning and I always blow out."

Like I was like, "When did you get a

blowout?"

>> Like who did it? Who did it?

>> Where did you go?

>> Did you go to dry?

Yeah. Do you have someone who comes to

your house?

>> This is day three of your blowout. These

are

>> Yeah.

>> There's these things where we look and

we go, I will never be

>> Everybody has that. Everybody has it. We

all have it. And

>> and then I started to realize that's

just their way of dealing. Like I

>> I keep a really psychotic to-do list. I

have this very specific to-do list

system that is I won't

>> belabor, but it's taken years for me to

find a system that works. I love my

system. When I finish something, I put

the trophy emoji next to it.

>> Oh, for a little treat.

>> Yeah, a little my little treat.

>> You did a trick.

>> Yeah, I did a trick.

>> And I get a treat. And my treat is that

trophy emoji. And then at the end of the

day, I'll carry over the things that

didn't happen. And sometimes you have to

put a different emoji that says,

"Actually, I'm not going to do that

anymore. That's off the list." Or

whatever. I do want to talk about your

bed. You create so much in your bed. You

love your bed.

>> I love my bed. I love my bed, too. I'm

worried about your sleep.

>> Talk to me about your sleep. Are you a

night owl? So, this is going to involve

a little bit of history, which is that

we have a congenital

terror. We have a congenital

it's something where we're where sleep

and death get equated early in

childhood. My father had it. My mother

had it. Maybe that's why they fell in

love and they passed it down to my

brother and me. And as children, we

started to get scared to go to sleep

around 400 p.m. So still today,

>> a lot of people have that that they are

very stressed about the fact that they

ever go to sleep. Yeah,

>> it would be I would start around 300

p.m. to start to say, "Okay, what time

do you think we're going to put pajamas

on? What what do you think we're going

to do right before bed?" Then my father

would have to tell me, right? He'd have

to take me and I'd say, "Is it a sock

night or is it not a sock night?" cuz I

was concerned maybe I'll wake up in the

night with cold feet, but wouldn't it be

horrible if I woke up and they were too

warm? Then my I miss Jenna Sperman's

giggle. It's the greatest.

>> The best.

>> Then I would say, "Can you tell me a

list of things we're going to do

tomorrow to look forward to?" Because I

thought if I didn't

>> have things to look forward to, I might

just pass away in my sleep.

>> Yeah. I would love to sleep train you.

>> I would love to have a week in your

house. I'm going to wear a nurse's

uniform.

Do you know what?

>> And I'm going to go. It's time. I'm

going to go and and I'm going to And

you're going to start your business.

You're going to say, "What kind of

socks?" I'm going to go, "No, no, no.

Chop, chop."

>> If I told you what was actually

happening in my bed, the level of

the the various lights that are shining

at me, the animals that are scooching

around, the no I mean,

>> twice a night, my rabbits will hurl

themselves up into the air and just land

directly on my face.

>> Let's stop at rabbits.

Let let's start at rabbits. Let's ask

the rabbits if they can sleep next to

the bed.

>> Well, the rabbit. So, you know, the

thing about rabbits is they're um

>> I don't know the thing. You don't know

the thing is that they are kpuscular,

which means that they are most awake at

dawn and at dusk. I might have an

old-fashioned version of sleep. But I do

think that one of the best things I did

for myself is

>> make sleep hygiene as important as other

things.

>> Wow.

>> And it's was very hard because like you,

I grew up with a total like

>> I wanted to stay up late. I like I would

have a TV in my room. Like staying up

late felt like something I was good at.

>> I felt the same way. And I had SNL and I

was I was a vampire and it was like

>> and you know my thing when I was a

teenager was that

>> SNL reruns were on Comedy Central at

midnight.

>> And so I would my parents my bedroom was

downstairs. We lived in this weird uh

place in Brooklyn that was above a

garage, but there was one little

windowless room next to the garage which

was my room and the landlord JP had left

his like single guy. It was like the

most modern TV of 1993,

>> right?

>> And I would plug in the headphones from

like American Airlines and sit this

close to the television and take notes

on SNL.

>> Oh, Lena.

>> So sad.

>> I mean, comedy is so important. You're

not sad. I mean, that's I mean, that's

like a an athlete like just, you know,

shooting hoops in their driveway.

>> I graduated from high school in 2004.

So, one thing that I did was at St.

hands. We had student IDs and the rule

was that you could not come and get

tickets to SNL unless you were was it 16

or 18? I don't it was I think it might

be 16.

>> It was 16. So I was 15 and wanted to go.

Yeah.

>> So I came up with um scheme which was I

was going to go

>> to get act like I lost my school ID

>> and have them reprint it and go you guys

got my birthday wrong and then have them

move the year.

>> And they did. And then I felt too guilty

and I confessed.

>> That's

>> before I could ever go. I was like

started to think about

>> You're like, "This worked too well."

>> Yeah. This was too I could get addicted

to this and pretty soon I'm going to be

scamming men out of their money in

Florida and putting them to sleep with a

little injection. I can't be on this

path.

>> I mean, you're speaking about like the

fact that 2001 is 25 years ago is

insane.

>> It's insane. There is such an incredible

resurgence of your work, specifically

girls, but all of your work and how

people interact with your work. Do you

think it is like this? I mean, it's like

people write I don't people attach it to

this bigger idea of nostalgia, but what

do you have a sense now of like what it

is like why people are going back to

that show to you to the feeling that

that time? Do you have a sense of why?

Well, you know, it's interesting cuz I

know that a lot I don't equate my early

20s and I think when people read the

book, they'll understand why. With the

exception of some very specific moments,

I don't like equate my early 20s with

like a sense of jubilance and freedom

just because it was really the moment

when sort of adult life and adult

pressure descended.

>> So, it's interesting and

>> it's cozy. Like when I want to be cozy,

I watch Parks and Recreation or as my

husband calls it, parks and recreations.

>> Oh, with an S.

>> Yeah. And he and once I said, you know,

there's no s on the end. And he went,

you're wrong. But um

>> and I knew that I um I think maybe I

told you this, but I knew that I loved

him because I left my dog with him for

the day while I was on set. And it was a

big thing for me to be like, "Okay, I'm

going to leave her with you, not with

this dog sitter. Let's see what

happens."

>> And I checked texted to check in. and he

said, "We're just watching some Parks

and Recreations. She loves John Ralph."

And I went, "Okay,

>> okay, that's a good guy.

>> You can stay." I would watch Parks and

Recreations to relax. But the idea that

And to me, I'm like, "Girls is like a

stress bomb." Like, it's like watching

>> Let's talk about this. I agree. Girls

can be a Girls is a stress bomb. It's

stressful show. I feel like when I'm

watching girls, I'm like watching one of

those movies where somebody has like 10

minutes to disseminate a bomb. Like it's

>> but it really really relaxes people. It

and and I think it reminds them of a

time. It reminds them of time in their

lives and a time in the characters's

lives.

>> And a lot of people will say to me,

people who are on the old on the more

40y end will go like I lived in I lived

off the Laurmer stop when I was 23 with

my two best friends from college and you

know now one of them's dead and one of

them's a Republican. you know, like they

are looking back at a moment that felt

really good and alive to them. And I

love that they think that the girls are

cozy and feel like they're their friends

like that.

>> Yeah. And also all I ever wanted to make

I always was sad like I'm never going to

be the person who makes cozy TV that

makes anyone want to curl up and but so

if it is that for people I also think

there's something even though

>> the show does have social media even

though the show you know there's there's

like a conversation in the first episode

and I've never watched girls since we

finished. So I

>> really you've never done a rewatch?

>> I've never done a rewatch. I've never

done a rewatch. I just I guess I'm

always thinking and I don't know. Do you

ever watch things old? I rewatched Parks

and Rec with Parks and Recreations

um with my kids. They love it. I re I

would suggest someday you do because

>> rewatch parks and recreations. I have

>> re-watch girls because um it is just a

really like concrete way to be more

gentle to yourself. Like

>> you just all the stuff that you would

maybe be critical of kind of goes away.

I at least it did for me. And you just

remembered the feeling. Like I didn't

even remember what happened. I was like,

"What happens here? Does Leslie win?"

Like I couldn't even remember the plot,

but I could remember the feeling of

making the scenes like the

>> the It was like a body feeling. And it

made me feel um grateful. It made me

feel really grateful. And I I wonder I

hope I would wish that for you. I don't

know if you will feel that, but maybe

maybe. I think I mean I love those

people and I love that and there were so

many wonderful times you know after

Andrew Reynolds read the book he was

like

>> he was like it was made me sad at some

points cuz I felt like we were having so

much fun

>> and then I read it and it didn't feel

like you were having fun and I was like

no

>> when we were on screen

>> that was the best thing ever. That was

my like that was my escape from

everything else that was happening in my

mind. I always felt like I could open a

door

>> into being those people. And I remember

feeling like this and it's the only time

I've ever really felt this way because

I'm not like a mystical actor in this

way, but I just

>> I felt like my whatever Lena's problems

are go away and like the the problems of

these particular people which feel sort

of light and inconsequential at the end

of the day

>> took over and so I was like no I always

felt joy when I was with you. I always

felt joy when I was do linked hands

linked with these people doing this

thing. It was everything that came with

it.

>> Yeah.

>> That was hard. What do you think people

who

write about girls or wrote about girls

got wrong about it at the time? It was

like there was two ends of the spectrum,

which is there people who thought we

weren't in on the joke at all,

>> like that we were thought that we were

making like, you know, a pressing film

about like the concerns of America's

neediest population and that we just

were really missing the mark, right? And

then there were the people who thought

that I was like so in on the joke that I

remember there being conservative

commentators who were like actually this

is a you know this is she's she's curing

>> woke millennials and she's taking them

down and I was like actually something

can live totally between those places

which is we take them totally seriously

and

>> we totally get what's funny about it.

People underestimate young women all the

time

>> and it was funny. It was like if if they

people didn't like the show it was my

fault. if they did like the show, it was

the fault of someone else. It was just

it was and really looking back

>> now if somebody people come to me a lot

and we'll go like someone's saying

something mean about me on the internet.

What do I do? And I always go just don't

look at it.

>> Yeah.

>> Just don't look at it. But

>> I couldn't take that advice then.

>> Of course,

>> that's why it's when you were asking

like how do you like talking about the

book? How do you not like talking about

the book? And then I

>> circled away from that. I'm going to

circle

>> Yeah. back is sometimes people will ask

me, you know, why do you think people

felt this way about you or why do you

think people why do you think people had

a strong reaction you? And I go, it's

ultimately like not really my problem.

Not only is it not your problem, it's

not your business. How about that?

That's the way people think about you is

none of your business.

>> It's not your business. The

>> It's not your business. It's truly not.

It's just like And that is

>> I'm checking into the hotel under the

name None Your Business. None your

business.

>> Also a book written by one of

um when you were when you were writing

the characters for girls um did you

think it was a show about female

friendship? I thought yes I thought it

was a show about female friendship but I

was like it's a show about like the fact

that female friendship is actually

until you figure out what's is and isn't

your business. It's a thorny torture

escape. And because the thing about

women is I'm obsessed with them. And

part of why I'm obsessed with them is

also cuz I'm scared of them. Cuz they're

too smart.

>> I see. Do you know what I mean?

>> You might not feel that way.

>> I don't. I don't. But I understand what

you mean because it is

I think it's very honest to bring up the

fact that

>> complicated people interesting

complicated people

>> uh often provide complicated interesting

like relationships and there were times

when I would watch girls and I'd be like

>> are they friends?

The answer was often no. Yeah. I mean,

they were holding on to an idea. Part of

the reason they were friends is because

sometimes when people are young, they

hold on to certain friends, not just

because of the good feelings they give

them, but because they get to feel

superior or they get to feel

>> um they get to feel like in contrast

they're winning or they get to feel like

they're shinier because they're next to

the pretty person, whatever it is. And

you're still like you're not when you're

in your 20s, you're not even that far

out of high school. You don't even

haven't even yet let go of all that

stuff. And now

>> this isn't I have amazing my female

friends are incredible. I'm not afraid

of them. But I also

>> in my there's something about the ways

that women can see each other and know

each other that can feel very exposing.

And the thing that's really nice is now

I feel that the majority of my female

relationships have re there was just a

day where I woke up and went I haven't

had to exchange a really heavy email in

a while. Like I haven't had to I

remember once having a fight with a um

girlfriend in in our 20s and we were

like going back and forth in these long

pointto-oint. Now I will not if someone

raises points with me I will not be

addressing the points. like I'm not

going I'm not

>> you're not bolding the points and then

here are my responses to the point.

>> I'm not a lawyer. I'm not going to make

notes on your doc you sign and send it

back to you. That's not what's

happening. But

>> we were doing that and I remember

showing it to like a boyfriend outraged

and he was like I don't even know what

I'm read. It's like you guys are in like

a scholastic writing competition and

you're each trying to write the best

essay about why the other one

>> is bad at being a friend if you feel

this way. And then and then moments

later, everyone's apologizing going, "I

didn't mean any of that." And it's like,

"Well, that was a lot of energy to

expend on this creative writing

exercise."

>> The kids say like the kids say, "Say

less.

>> Say less.

>> Say less." That's less.

>> Someone told me recently that if

somebody writes you I mean, have you

ever seen that meme where someone's like

um uh congrats or sorry that happened to

you? I don't know. I'm not trying to

read all that. Somebody write someone

really long.

>> Yes. I don't know. I'm not trying to

read all that.

>> Yeah. I'm not trying to read all that.

>> Aubrey Plaza on the set of parks used to

take my phone when I was texting someone

and she would erase it and then just

write no

>> and I'd be like, "Oh, I guess I could

say that too. I could just say no."

There's a big thing which is my brother

taught me. He's like, "Do not ever reply

with more lines than the person wrote

you.

It's funny your parents, you know, you

talk about it in your book, you have

really successful art um artist parents

who are in that art world, which is talk

about it like

>> in the rooms that are small.

>> I mean,

>> there's like high fashion, there's like

hyper inellectualism,

there's and there's the art world that

they both live in. It can only get

smaller if you're like, well, the

contact improv dance community that came

out of Oberlin College where Jenna and I

went is pretty neat.

>> Improv contact dance, babe. THAT IS WIDE

OPEN. ANYBODY CAN GET IN THERE.

>> IMPROV. You just got to keep one point

of contact between your bodies for the

whole time.

>> Oh my god. It's such a perve fest. Like

anything that's like we have to touch

each other. You're like, why?

>> I remember I went to one of the classes

when I was at Oberlin cuz I used to do

like a column for the Oberlin grape.

Shout out to all you to all you grapew

writers out there. And um it was like

I'd go and try things on campus, see

what I thought of them. Oo, I'm going to

do capaware today. And I went and did

contact improv. And basically my thesis

was like perverts. Like that was I left

cuz I remember they were like okay now

everybody remove one article of clothing

of your choice and everyone was like

pants, you know, it was right away. I

mean that is the thing about the 2000s

is you look back and you're pretty much

like you could just take a stamp to

pretty much everything and be like

perverts. Yeah. Um, but before we get

off girls, when now we're getting into

the weeds, but now when Jessa betrayed

Hannah.

>> Yeah, that was hard. That was hard for a

lot of people. That was hard for Jamaima

didn't want to do it.

>> I bet

>> Jamaima was like, "Don't make me do

this."

>> I bet it's a real villain move. But what

it allowed us, I think, in in in the

writing was it allowed us to really see

Hannah

>> in a way that we hadn't yet.

>> Yeah. And also it was just like the end

of a cycle of story. I also think that

part of the reason that the way she

justified that to herself in the moment

>> is that she was like, "Well, Hannah

hasn't maybe always been the most

considerate friend to me." And she might

have had Hannah might have this idea.

Here's what friends don't do. They don't

sleep with your boyfriend, your

ex-boyfriend, and they don't

>> I don't know, you know, they don't sleep

with your ex-boyfriend. they'll push you

in front of a car and everything else is

fair game. And she's like, "No, you've

cut away at our friendship with all of

these other little moves." And the other

thing is because Hannah doesn't

>> see herself as a person with any power,

she doesn't realize that she's capable

of hurting anybody else's feelings.

She's the world is happening to her. And

I hope that as she grows, she realizes

that actually she is often happening to

the world. And I I just want to say

kudos to you for that moment. Not only

because it was audacious writing and

just good moving the story forward, but

we were paying attention to Jessa and

Hannah. Like that's who we were caring

about.

>> It's really nice. And it's, you know,

Jamaim and I have been friends since we

were 11. So it was

>> it was always really interesting when we

got to really dig into the story

together cuz often we were just, you

know,

>> Yeah. in the in the same room at the

same party raising our eyebrows at the

same thing. And when we got to do those

big chunky emotional scenes together, it

was amazing. But I do remember her

>> when I was directing the scene where she

and Adam kissed for the first time,

>> she was really I could see her panic cuz

it went against every instinct she had

about behavior. And I had to say, "I'm

not he's not really my boyfriend and I'm

not really going to get mad at you."

>> Right?

>> He's actually just

>> acting

>> acting. And so are we. And At the end of

the day, yeah,

>> neither of us kissed each other's

ex-boyfriend, so we're going to be fine.

>> Yeah.

>> And probably even if one of us did kiss

each other's ex-boyfriend, we'd be fine.

>> And you were like, "Put on this

Patagonia lightweight."

>> Patagonia.

>> Put on this Patagonia light.

>> Call this man to paint your walls and

we're going to be fine. Fine.

>> Um, okay. Uh, I want to get your hot

takes on a few things. These are

completely random things, but I feel

like you have strong hot takes that I

would love to hear about. Great.

>> And there's no right or wrong. Okay, Tik

Tok.

>> I spent You're amazing on Tik Tok and

thank you. Welcome to Tik Tok. I've seen

your Tik Toks. My algorithm knows who I

am obviously and a lot of them are from

your bed. But what I like about Tik Tok,

I mean, I'm sure like everything, the

culture is changing, but what I like

about it is it seems like it's allowed a

lot of people to find likeminded folks

and to find people who are I always see

like a woman alone in a farmhouse

feeding grizzly bears from a pan who's

found her friends and that I like.

>> Found your friends and also I think

there's just good comedy there.

>> There's I think there's good comedy.

>> There's good comedy. there's good

educational content and you know I don't

want to be watching someone like sell me

a freckle stick but I do I mean my

TikTok algorithm when I still had it was

>> women with pigs

and I like um when there's a where in

Australia where um sex work is legal. I

love to watch women count their money

and talk about their experiences

>> and and the their money counters. I love

that. I love the ASMR nails. Also, I

like the women who work at um like

exotic dancing clubs and are at the

front and they're and you don't see the

patrons, but you see them deciding who's

going to come in.

>> Yes. I love that too. I love

>> women at work when I love women at work

in all way. I love And sometimes what's

hard is you'll watch someone over time

and they start really authentic and then

>> you see like a little taste of I mean

this is what I was saying in the book, a

little taste of fame makes us all sick.

It's not

>> It's very true. Shorter question. Diet

Coke. Yes or no?

>> Do you know that the kids have been

calling it fridge sigs?

>> Yeah, love it.

>> I love diet coke. I don't think it's an

everyday thing.

>> Agree.

>> My mother, it's a treat.

>> If you do a trick,

>> you do a trick, you get a diet coke.

>> When I My mother, every time she gets a

mammogram, and since she was 40, she

>> every time she gets a mamogram, she gets

a New York City hot dog and a diet coke.

A dirty water hot dog and a diet coke.

So, it's her.

>> She has the full carcinogens package

after a successful mamogram.

>> Meg Stalter. Oh, Mary.

>> Oh, I'm so excited. We love Meg. I'm so

excit I mean it will be that I mean that

show that woman. She's such a funny

special person.

>> She's a She is hilarious. I've had the

pleasure of working with her a few

times. Also, I'm loving how she's

interacting, talking about like fame and

the found something really interesting.

Um, least favorite current fashion

trend.

>> I've always said that my style is um

like ratty 5-year-old with a credit

card.

>> Oh, that makes a lot of sense.

>> You feel that, right? Like it's like a

girl who's like my dad gave me this and

he said I can get whatever I want and

then you

>> you just can because so many of the

things that also because my parents have

good taste when I was a kid a lot was

like you don't want that. That's not you

don't want that

>> sparkly leopard velour tunic and

matching leg warmers. Yes, I do. And now

I'm an adult who makes my own money and

I can have it.

>> I get that vibe from you. It's you're

very high low in that way. Like I love

that you like you know a ton about

really um like uh esteemed artists and

writers and then also you like you don't

feel like a snob about it. It's hard

because you know New York

>> kids can sometimes like have access to

stuff and then

>> you know people feel like they're not

allowed to get in the room and you do

not give off that vibe.

>> Glad I like I mean I love I love reality

television. Yeah. Do you still love

reality television?

>> I don't, but I I

>> Did you used to?

>> No, I wasn't a housewives fan because it

it [ __ ] with my nervous system a little

bit like the way people are arguing and

misunderstanding each other. I do enjoy

a uh a below deck uh I enjoy a um

jobsbased

>> You like jobs based programming? And I

will say one nice thing about England is

there's a lot of shows that you can

watch that are unscripted but relaxing.

M

>> there's a lot of like would you like to

watch this um this very uh well

decorated female historian take you on a

tour of the oldest castle in Wales Mary

Beard We live for you

>> and or would we like to you know I mean

great British Bakeoff's an example

>> but that's not reality

>> in my opinion

>> well I

>> I mean I guess it's real

>> I got asked to go on the Great British

Bake Off. They do like a charity

celebrity bake off

>> and I went I don't cook. I do I don't I

don't cook. I don't clean. Let me tell

you how I got that ring. I don't have

anything to do with it. But I thought

okay like this is a surely they can't

expect that much of us. They're not

calling in they're not calling in you

know chefs. They're calling in actors

and writers. They and they put me on the

phone with a producer and said like the

first challenge is going to be a crumpet

challenge. you are supposed to make a

crumpet that expresses who you are.

>> Okay.

>> So, I was like, well, I have British

shorthair cats. They're gray. I could do

a crumpet that had like um some gray

coloring and then do ears on it and then

eyes and it could be like my cats as a

crumpet. And they went, "Okay, great.

So, maybe almond butter could be the

eyes and you could do some sort of like

a raspberry jam for the mouth." Um Paul

obviously does not is not comfortable

with any store-bought jams or butters.

So, but we have a really simple

pistachio butter recipe that we could

send you. And I actually have a great

short book on making jam.

>> Wait, what?

>> And I was like,

>> making jam?

>> Making jam. And then I said, you know,

I've never cooked a crumpet. Is there

some like basics? Do I have to go back

to some basics? And they said, well,

there's a great book called The Science

of Baking, which we can send you, which

kind of And then I started to describe

it to Michael, my business partner. He's

like, "Have you lost your ever loving

mind? like, "Are you about to put in?"

And then I was going to go over to my

friend Rose's sister's house because she

bakes. And she was like, "I actually do

have a familiar crumpet recipe that if

you try at 9 10 times." And then they

said to me, "Um, ovens go on at 8:00

a.m. and off at 6:00 p.m." And I made

some joke and I was like, "Well, at

least you guys will help me turn those

on." They was like, "Oh, no. We're not

allowed to touch any of the knobs." And

I just went,

>> "We're we're out of here.

>> We're out of here." I'm sorry, guys.

>> Love that for you.

>> I love that no for you. That's a great

no. And I cuz I love to try to become an

expert at something really quickly, but

this was be beyond this was way beyond

anything that I could handle. Plus the

tension of Paul not being happy.

>> Paul's

not comfortable with any um storebought

jams.

>> Yeah, those husky eyes shooting lasers

at you because of the jam. Okay. The new

Moon album. Do you love it?

>> Oh, of course. I love everything that

Luna touches.

>> Theme parks. Do you love them? I do not

think that I have been to a theme park

in adulthood and I and it may be one of

the only things I'm comfortable saying I

won't do again before I die. You

>> I'm I I agree. I I I I respectfully

decline. Um would you ever have a robot

in your house?

>> I think that my I think that I

wouldffect

onto and anthropomorphize the robot too

much.

>> Sorry, what was the word you used?

>> Whoa. Tell me if I used it correctly.

>> Incredible. New word alert.

>> Cact. Tell me what you're seeing.

>> I'm not even going to def I'm just going

to say

>> it's a verb that means to invest mental

or emotional energy into a person,

object or idea. So like um

anthropomorphize kind of

>> I would anthropomorphize the robot. They

often therapists will sometimes say like

if you are projecting on they'll say

like we've had an we've had an episode

of cexis. Would you have a robot in your

house? I would, but I feel like I'd be

able to control it until it until it

killed me. Okay. And then um you we have

talked about um my producer Jenna who

you have known for 20 years.

>> Yes, I have.

>> I have a question. What was Jenna like

when she was 23?

>> Jenna was cool like Jenna still is.

Jenna was like a cool hot hipster who

knew all who lived in Brooklyn and knew

all the in like the one of one of the I

was still in college and went to go hang

out at Jenna's apartment.

>> It was on the second floor on Atlantic

Avenue kind of correct right? It was on

the second floor in Atlantic Avenue and

she had like

>> like a rustic boat wheel that they had

upcycled and used as like a piece of

wall ornamentation

>> and Jenna wore like one of those little

um you know bike messenger hats.

>> Sure.

>> And I will always remember I'm going to

embarrass Jenna right now.

>> I Jenna had a girlfriend. I don't want

to upset anyone, but Jenna had a

girlfriend and

>> Jenna can always cut this.

>> Jenna always can cut this if she wants.

She's the boss.

>> And I love that. Like I used to get to

sleep in a room like we had like

multiple twin beds. For some reason

there was like a room with three twin

beds and only two girls

>> at Oberlin.

>> At Oberlin we had a room somehow we'd

gotten lucky and so I pushed two of them

together to make a queen and then

somehow ended up like in my queen with

Jenna having to share the single with

somebody else. And

>> interesting

>> and I was sort of like you guys

>> Sarah the single

>> Sarah the single girlfriend and I

remember going saying some using some

insane logic like listen you guys should

feel really lucky you have each other

and what I have is this queen that I

made out of two shitty old mattresses.

>> Hold on. So just to go over it. Yeah.

>> When you and Jenna were in college,

Jenna was sharing a single with her

girlfriend who was my roomate and you

had a queen.

>> Yeah. That I made out of two mattresses.

>> Feeling still victimized by that.

Correct. Yeah. I was like, "Guys, you

know, it's like kind of hard to just be

sitting here as a single person having

to look at all this love. I've been

through a lot." And so, and also, you

might remember that I had to go home

from college last year because I have

chronic mono. So, so just think about

other people.

>> Yeah. I shouldn't have done that, Jenna.

And I'm sorry. Looking back, it's

deranged behavior, but we only have to

make things make sense to us, really.

>> That's right. Okay. And then um let's

talk about Good Sex because so we have

this thing uh Good Sex is a new movie

coming out on Netflix. It's a romcom

that you wrote and directed.

>> Yep.

>> Natalie Portman spoke to us today. We

got a question from Natalie. Natty and

who spoke so beautifully about you as a

person and as a director said something

that I just like I will really think

about um and take with me which is that

she felt very seen by you when she was

um being directed by you. Of course, you

felt like you set a tone for not only

like everyone on the set, but you were

paying very close attention to what

people were doing and also just like

gave specific feedback when you liked

something, which I know sounds like duh,

but it's not always the case

>> because we are so we have such a bias to

talk about what needs to be fixed and we

kind of forget to say like, oh, that was

good. I like that. Good job.

>> Well, it's funny. Firstly, I'm so t

Natalie Portman is I mean she was such a

big deal to me when I was a youth. She

was just

>> the cool girl's cool girl, the the

thinky woman's onenu the everything and

and meeting her was one of the rare

moments where I really kind of got

>> tongue tied and goofy and then she makes

you feel really cozy. But getting to

work with her and getting to know her

and getting to know her magic and her

friendship with Rashida, which has

existed for like almost 30 years, it's

>> she's just she's everything you'd think

she would be. But I feel like it's you

know how we were saying like women are

so so good at things that they're then

punished for it.

>> Like they people go, "Well, you did that

well. I guess you'll just keep doing

that well and we'll lay more on you."

Natalie is such a good actress and she's

such a good actress even in moments

where she doesn't have to be. She exudes

it. Like you have a shot that's like her

on a telephoto lens crossing the street

in traffic and she does something

interesting with her face. So I was like

I think that almost people don't want to

say you're the most amazing actress I've

ever seen because they feel like it

makes them look like go or dorky or they

should just be accepting this is

reality. But every single day I went

that's insane what you're doing right

now. And watching her be goofy is so fun

cuz she is a big goof.

>> She's a goof. Well, she had a great

goofy question for you.

>> I'm so excited. She said, and it's funny

because we talked about this. We started

talking about this. She said, "What is

the best pig to adopt?"

She said, "You have pet pigs." We talked

about pigs. She wants to know what kind

of pig we got into. She's in Paris. I

apparently there's a wild boar situation

in Paris. I don't want to get into I

don't want to get political,

>> but we and she knows that she's not

ready to be a pig parent yet where she

is. She's a rabbit parent, but she's not

ready to be a pig parent. And she's a

really good dog mom, too. But but what's

the best kind of pig?

>> Yes. To adopt.

>> Well, in your opinion.

>> Okay. So, obviously there's So, here's

something for anyone at home to know if

you're thinking about adopting a pig.

>> Very good.

>> There. If someone tells you that you are

getting a teacup pig, you are not. If

someone tells you you're getting a mini

pig, you're not. A mini pig is any pig

that's under 500 lb is what is classed

as a mini pig.

>> Very important to know. Unlike a farm s

which can go up to like 1,400 lb. And

also pigs, unlike dogs, like you don't

have a sense from their piglet size of

how big they're going to be cuz they

keep growing until they're five.

>> Wow.

>> And they also another fact about pigs,

not two sets of teeth, three sets of

teeth. They lose their teeth twice.

>> Um and I've been saving all those pig

teeth for a rainy day for a nightmare,

some kind of nightmare scenario.

>> That's exactly right. Two of the pigs

that are in my life are Mishon pigs.

Maan pigs are they're now actually

classed as critically endangered, but

they are a they are a Chinese species

that dates back at least 5,000 years.

They look like they're famous for a few

things. They're amazing mothers.

>> They have huge litters up to like 17 or

18 at a time and they mother them

expertly. Oh dear.

>> They look like little elephants.

>> Wow. and they don't root a lot and they

don't they don't they forage not root

and they're just chillers. And so if you

have space, you might think, let me go

with the smallest pig that will be

easiest. But actually, a mason is a

great cozy. I think really good beginner

pigg 17 or 18 piglets.

>> The other thing is that I've learned is

a solo pig's not nice. I

>> know solo solo animals in general. So,

animals in general, but a dog seems like

they can get a lot of what they need

from like you're my buddy, you're my

buddy, I'm going to go out in the street

and see my buddies. But pigs can't just

>> because they're very territorial, they

can't just like casually have playdates

with another pig. They either need to be

in a life together. And when I got my

first pig, Victor, who I thought would

be a solo pig,

>> he was talking all day long and I just

thought,

>> I'm trying, buddy, but I don't know what

you're saying. And so that's why we got

Cherry.

>> Cherry and Victor.

>> Yeah. And it was an arranged marriage

Simon play.

>> It was an arranged marriage. We didn't

know how it would go.

>> And what I loved is that the first day

that we let them, he went over and kind

of started to like get a little aggro

with her. And she bit him on the butt as

hard as she could. And from that day on,

he was like, "It's your it's your scene,

lady." Like he's

>> It's like a romcom. Yeah.

>> It was a pig romcom.

>> And now she still spends a lot of time

sitting on his head.

>> And she took off her little pig glasses

and he was like, "You're beautiful.

Lena Dunham,

>> Amy Puller.

>> So lovely to talk to you. I'm so happy

you could come. Thank you.

Congratulations on your movie.

Congratulations on your book.

>> And um um you know, I we've known each

other for a very long time. It's really

really nice to see you again.

>> It's really nice to see you, too. You

are a really I mean it's a well-n named

I said to someone when that I was going

on the podcast, I was like, and it's not

a lie. She's a good hang.

>> Thanks, dude. Right back at you. Happy

40th, babe.

>> Come on over to the other side. It's so

great over here.

>> Thank you so much, Lena Dunham. Just so

smart and interesting. Such a great

discussion with you. And um thank you so

much for being here. And you know, Lena

is a New York City kid and we're gearing

up for a New York City summer. And for

all you people headed to Broadway, I

want to use this polar plunge to remind

you that three champions, three comedic

giants are on Broadway right now as we

speak. And that is Anna Gastire and

Schmegadun. That is Maya Rudolph and Om

Mary. And that is Rachel DR and the

Rocky Horror Picture Show. So get your

tickets babe because this kind of event

only happens every hundred years when

all of these beautiful women are on

stage at the same time. And aren't we

lucky to be alive when that's happening?

So, um, congratulations ladies and, um,

congratulations to you if you get a

chance to see them. And thank you for

listening and see you soon. Bye.

You've been listening to Good Hang. The

executive producers for this show are

Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss Berman, and

me, Amy Per. The show is produced by The

Ringer and Paperkite. For The Ringer,

production by Jack Wilson, Cat Spalain,

Kaia McMullen, and Alia Xanerys. for

Paperkite production by Sam Green, Joel

Levelvel, and Jenna Weiss Berman.

Original music by Amy Miles.

>> Was a really good Hey