The Big Bird Fluffer

Summary

Podcast Summary: Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend – “The Big Bird Fluffer”

Date: May 28, 2026
Host(s): Conan O’Brien, Sona Movsesian
Guest: Micah, Collections Manager at the Center for Puppetry Arts, Atlanta

Main Theme / Episode Overview

In this playful, nostalgia-packed episode, Conan and Sona chat with Micah, the collections manager at Atlanta’s Center for Puppetry Arts. The episode dives into the quirky, behind-the-scenes world of puppet caretaking, including the histories and fates of beloved Muppets, odd puppet donations, and the practical realities (and occasional eeriness) of working alone among aging legends of felt and foam rubber. The conversation seamlessly segues into Harry Potter fan fiction territory, punctuated by Conan’s irreverent asides and personal puppet-related stories.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Center for Puppetry Arts – Museum & Collection

[02:04–04:19]

• Micah’s Role: Collections manager responsible for maintenance and display of puppets.
• Notable Puppets: Holds ~500 original Jim Henson puppets (Kermit, Miss Piggy, Sesame Street characters, puppets from The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth). Also houses Lamb Chop & Friends puppets, Mystery Science Theater 3000, and Chucky (from the TV series).
• Conan’s Connection: Conan shares a personal anecdote about retrieving a Dark Crystal throne from Jim Henson for Harvard Lampoon.

  “I rented a van and drove down to New York and picked up with some friends... this really cool, I think it was fiberglass, Dark Crystal throne... and I believe it's still there.” – Conan [03:23-04:16]

2. The Art and Ethics of Puppet Curation

[05:52–07:32]

• Acquisitions: The museum accepts global and historic puppets; often turns down less “museum-worthy” items.

  “Not everything is museum-worthy, as much as people want their stuff to last forever.” – Micah [06:43]

• Ethical Dilemmas: Conan jokes about disposing unremarkable puppets (“feed it into a shredder...or...dip them in, like, a beef broth and then throw them into a pack of dogs” [06:55–07:50])
• Sona’s Response: “We can't be shredding puppets.” [07:05]

3. The Nightmare Fuel: Horror & Nostalgia

[08:18–10:47]

• Eerie Work Environment: Micah admits to spooking herself working alone (“I did run and get a coworker...pretty sure I heard a noise.” [08:51])
  • Skeksis puppets from The Dark Crystal are particularly creepy in dark storage.
• Chucky’s Presence: Keeps Chucky puppet in view to know its whereabouts.
• Debate: Would Miss Piggy or Chucky be the greater threat if puppets came to life?

  “Miss Piggy would fuck Chucky up.” – Sona [10:33]

4. The Mechanics of Puppet Maintenance

[11:31–11:59]

• Fluffing Big Bird: Micah’s duties include keeping Big Bird “fluffy,” inspiring the episode’s title.

  “I have to fluff Big Bird occasionally.” – Micah [11:31] “Time is money, Big Bird.” – Conan [11:59]

5. Bizarre Puppet Storage Tales

[15:33–17:21]

• Conan’s Sesame Street Memory: Describes seeing Snuffleupagus lashed to the ceiling in storage (“looked like Hannibal Lecter had just...gone psycho...and nailed him to the ceiling” [15:33])
• Puppet Restoration: Many puppets require “mortician-like” work to look presentable.

  “Sometimes you are like the mortician for these puppets.” – Conan [17:56]

6. Fandom Deep Dive: Harry Potter Fanfiction

[18:49–23:56]

• Dramione Fanfic: Micah is a fan of Hermione/Draco (Dramione) literature, especially titles like Manacold (a Handmaid’s Tale–style story).
• Redemption Tropes: The “enemies to lovers” arc in Dramione stories is compelling.

  “You want the redemption arc? You want the enemies to lovers?” – Micah [23:52]

• Mockery of Ron: The group teases Ron Weasley as a “wet noodle” and explores fanfic’s “correcting” of canon pairings.

  “No offense to Ron, but he's a wet noodle, you know?” – Conan [23:32]

7. Conan’s Own Puppet Legacy

[25:33–26:05]

• Self-Comparison: Conan likens himself to a marionette or “giant Snuffleupagus.”
• Conan’s Show Puppets: Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, etc., mentioned as potential museum donations.

  “Can you imagine Triumph in your museum? That would be a disaster. All night long. ‘You suck. You suck, Chucky. You suck.’” – Conan [25:55]

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Donating Puppets:

  “Not everything is museum-worthy, as much as people want their stuff to last forever.”
  – Micah [06:43]

• On Eerie Puppet Encounters:

  “There must be times when you think...I think I saw that Chucky puppet move.”
  – Conan [08:18]

• On “Fluffing” Puppet Duties:

  “I have to fluff Big Bird occasionally.”
  – Micah [11:31]

• Ultimate Storage Horror:

  “It looked like Hannibal Lecter had just had gone psycho on Snuffleupagus and then nailed him to the ceiling.”
  – Conan [15:33]

• On Puppet Restoration:

  “Sometimes you are like the mortician for these puppets.”
  – Conan [17:56]

• Fanfic Dynamics:

  “You want the redemption arc? You want the enemies to lovers?”
  – Micah [23:52]

• On Redhead Representation in Harry Potter:

  “Redheads, completely ineffectual lovers, you know, Talk about needing a fluffer.”
  – Conan [24:17]

• Conan, as Puppet:

  “Most people look at my work and they think you're just a giant. I'm kind of like a Snuffleuphagus. A big goofy puppet, wouldn't you say?”
  – Conan [25:33]

---

Important Timestamps

• 02:04 – Introduction to Micah and Center for Puppetry Arts
• 03:23 – Conan’s Dark Crystal throne story
• 05:52 – Entry into puppet acquisitions and gifts
• 08:18 – Creepy moments among the puppets
• 10:33 – Miss Piggy vs. Chucky debate
• 11:31 – “Fluffing Big Bird” duties
• 15:33 – Nightmarish Snuffleupagus storage anecdote
• 17:56 – Puppet mortician/restoration discussion
• 18:49–23:56 – Harry Potter fanfiction exploration
• 25:33 – Conan’s puppet analogies and Triumph as a museum piece

---

Tone

The episode is marked by classic Conan sarcasm, spontaneous riffing, and playful banter. There’s a warm, nostalgic respect for puppetry history mixed with gleeful irreverence, especially when horrifying or sexual innuendo is possible (e.g., “Big Bird Fluffer,” “feeding puppets to dogs”). The guest, Micah, is good-humored and open, contributing industry insights while rolling with the show’s absurd humor.

---

Takeaways

• The practical and emotional world of puppet caretaking is stranger (and funnier) than most imagine, filled with famous relics, awkward donations, delicate restoration—and more than a little ghostly late-night anxiety.
• Fandom, especially in the form of fanfiction, allows people like Micah to engage creatively and cathartically with beloved characters, “fixing” pairings and generating “redemption arcs” that the canon never delivers.
• Conan’s ability to spin a scenario—whether it’s Miss Piggy fighting Chucky or Snuffleupagus lashed to a ceiling—keeps even the nerdiest discussions hysterical and relatable.

---

For longtime listeners, “The Big Bird Fluffer” is a quintessential Conan episode: equal parts nostalgia, backstage storytelling, and hilarious, slightly unhinged speculation.

Transcript

[Conan O'Brien]

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[Sona Movsesian]

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[Micah]

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[Sona Movsesian]

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[Conan O'Brien]

Hey, Micah. Welcome to Conan o' Brien needs a fan.

[Micah]

Hello. Thank you.

[Conan O'Brien]

Hi, Micah. How are you?

[Micah]

Good. How are you doing?

[Conan O'Brien]

Where are you right now in the world, Micah?

[Micah]

I am in Atlanta, Georgia, at the center for Puppetry Arts.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, you work with puppets.

[Micah]

I've heard of it, yes.

[Conan O'Brien]

I'm going to say I don't think I've heard of it, but tell me, this is a puppet museum. What is it? What are we doing here? Are we storing puppets? Are we displaying them? What's happening in your puppet world?

[Micah]

Yeah, we're a museum, a puppet museum. We're also a performing arts center. So we have performances that involve puppets on stage. But then I work in the museum side of things. So I'm the collections manager, which essentially just means I take care of the puppets in the museum.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay, are we talking famous puppets? Here. Would these be puppets that I know?

[Micah]

Yes, we have about 500 of the Jim Henson original Jim Henson puppets.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, we call those Muppets, don't we?

[Micah]

Yes, we did call them.

[Conan O'Brien]

Well, I'm sorry, we in the business puppetry call that Muppetry. So you have muppets? You have 500 muppets?

[Micah]

Yes, we do. We have 500 muppets, Miss Piggy, Kermit, the Sesame street characters. Puppets from the Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.

[Conan O'Brien]

Wow.

[Micah]

Among others. So stuff you would recognize.

[Conan O'Brien]

I had the honor and privilege of getting to meet Jim Henson a couple of times. This is long before I did my late night show or anything. When I was in college, his daughter Lisa was on the college humor magazine with me and he would come by and he once said to me, conan, would you. For the college humor magazine, would you guys like to have one of the thrones from Dark Crystal to keep in your building just for fun? Cause we have it in our storage facility. And I said, oh God, yes, Mr. Hanson. And I rented a van and drove down to New York and picked up with some friends of mine this really cool, I think it was fiberglass, dark crystal throne and brought it back to the Lampoon building in Cambridge. And I believe it's still there.

[Micah]

Really? So that was still there?

[Conan O'Brien]

I think it's still there.

[Micah]

Might have to make a road trip to go get it.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, yeah, you guys should come take it because I don't trust those idiots who are looking after it. You know, probably. It's probably just holding a beer keg.

[Micah]

But a lot of the Dark Crystal stuff and the Labyrinth stuff, stuff is really difficult to take care of just due to the materials. So some of it's not around anymore.

[Conan O'Brien]

It's incredible. So you have a lot of Jim Henson stuff. That's amazing. Any other famous puppets that I would know?

[Micah]

Yeah, we have Lamb Chop. We just got a Lamb Chop and Friends puppets, which Sona. Maybe you remember from our childhood days.

[Sona Movsesian]

I sure do.

[Conan O'Brien]

Were you a Lamb Chop?

[Sona Movsesian]

I was.

[Conan O'Brien]

What was her name? Her name was.

[Sona Movsesian]

It's.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh God.

[Sona Movsesian]

What was the lamb?

[Micah]

Sherry Lewis.

[Sona Movsesian]

Sherry Lewis.

[Conan O'Brien]

Sherry Lewis. Very famous. Yeah. And Lamb Chop was her puppet.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah, I remember Lamb Chop.

[Micah]

Uh huh. And we have the mystery science theater, 3,000 puppets.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, wow.

[Micah]

Which you can see behind me.

[Conan O'Brien]

That's. Oh, look at that. You just moved your head a little bit and Chucky is there.

[Sona Movsesian]

Oh my God.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh my God, look at Chucky. You just buried the lead. You have Chucky. Is that the Chucky?

[Micah]

It is the Chucky. A The Chucky. There are multiples. This one is from the newer TV show that was, I think, on Sci fi, so it's a newer one, but, yes, it is the Chucky. All of our puppets are originals, usually performed before they're. They're gifted to us. So, yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

So what about an average Joe puppeteer? Can they donate their puppet to your museum?

[Micah]

Yeah, we have a process, but we do take acquisitions. We do acquire things. Um, and so, yeah, we have, you know, in that 5,000 puppets, we have puppets from all over the world. You know, different puppetry traditions from all over the world. Puppets that date back, you know, 1800s.

[Conan O'Brien]

And

[Micah]

so, yeah, people can. Can call me, write me, and offer me their puppets.

[Conan O'Brien]

This must happen. Sometimes someone comes to you and says, I'd like to donate my puppet. And the puppet is, oh, come on. It's like a paper plate, and they cut a mouth in it, and they, you know, it's just not good. Are you in the position of saying, I think we're okay? We're. But thank you so much. Do you have to turn down puppets sometimes?

[Micah]

Yeah, I do. I feel kind of bad doing it, but you're right. I mean, not everything is museum worthy, as much as people want their stuff to last forever.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay, Micah, let me ask you this.

[Micah]

Be selective.

[Conan O'Brien]

Micah. Micah, Would you ever, just to spare their feelings, say, thank you. This is such a wonderful piece. And then when they leave, feed it into a shredder.

[Sona Movsesian]

Oh, boy. Oh, come on. What.

[Conan O'Brien]

What do you mean?

[Sona Movsesian]

We can't be shredding puppets.

[Conan O'Brien]

Well, yes, you can.

[Sona Movsesian]

No. You can put them in a box, but you can't. Why are you. Why are you shredding them?

[Conan O'Brien]

Because you gotta. It's gonna run out of space if you. I just. I'm thinking you spare the old puppeteers field.

[Micah]

Why are we shredding them? That was the go to.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay, well, all right. Well, Micah, I mean, I think you're just repeating what Sona said, so I think you secretly agree with me, but, you know, you wanna keep the pupp on your side. Listen, Yeah, I.

[Micah]

We dispose of them in an appropriate manner, I suppose.

[Conan O'Brien]

Sure. Yes, yes. We call that burning.

[Sona Movsesian]

Come on.

[Conan O'Brien]

Or just dare them in. You know what would be a good thing to do if you want to get rid of puppets, is dip them in, like, a beef broth and then throw them into a pack of dogs.

[Sona Movsesian]

Oh, my God. I never work at a puppet museum

[Conan O'Brien]

to see a puppet torn limb from limb seconds after it was donated by a kindly old puppeteer. Yeah, and then he Comes back because he left his wallet, and he's like, oh, no, my little Gob.

[Sona Movsesian]

Gob.

[Conan O'Brien]

Micah.

[Sona Movsesian]

Awful. You're awful.

[Conan O'Brien]

Think about it, Micah. It's something you're going to want to do, and now that you've pictured it, you're going to do it.

[Micah]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

Micah, let's say it's. You're working there late, which I'm sure has happened sometimes, and it's getting dark, and you're walking around. There must be times when you think, where's this going? There's a ch. I think I saw that Chucky puppet move. Or. I knew that. But I mean, it's. I mean, it's every third Twilight Zone. These puppets come to life and they menace you. Have you ever been a little paranoid being around these puppets at night? And. Be honest. Be honest. Yeah.

[Micah]

Okay. Well, there was one time where I did run and get a coworker. I pretty sure I heard a noise.

[Conan O'Brien]

Of course you did.

[Micah]

I'm usually in here by myself, and the lights turn off automatically after a while if you don't move around.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Micah]

So, yeah, I did.

[Conan O'Brien]

Which puppet. Which puppet do you think was moving? Which. Be honest. Which puppet do you think was moving? None of your. None of your lies. None of your lies. None of your chicanery or tomfoolery. Which puppet are you quite certain was moving?

[Micah]

I. I think it was one of the Skek sees from the Dark Crystal.

[Sona Movsesian]

Oh, God.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. The Skeksis.

[Micah]

They're in a back room by themselves.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Micah]

And the light is always off back there. And I was walking back there, but the light doesn't turn on until I'm in the room. It catches my movement. And as I was walking back there. But before I was in the room, I definitely heard it.

[Conan O'Brien]

Was it like, here she comes. Here she comes. Oh, God, she's got beef broth. Oh, look out.

[Micah]

I did feel a little silly when my co worker came in. Obviously, there's nothing going on.

[Conan O'Brien]

Well, the thing is, these puppets aren't dumb. They know that when you bring someone else, they gotta clam up. So that's what they do. They freeze and they clam up. And then your friend leaves, and they're like, yeah, we're gonna get you. We're gonna get you.

[Micah]

Yeah. That's why I have Chucky right here behind me. So that, you know, I figure if he's out in the open, I don't have to worry. I always know where he is.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. Why do you have your back to him? The whole. That's the thing. You're doing, Micah. That I would never do. You have him locate. Chucky's right behind you. And I think he's holding a weapon. Is he holding a weapon?

[Micah]

Yes. He is holding a knife. Yes.

[Conan O'Brien]

What the. Micah.

[Sona Movsesian]

But Miss Piggy is right next to him. Miss Piggy would fuck Chucky up. She would.

[Conan O'Brien]

How do you know Miss Piggy isn't. Doesn't also want to be freed from her human overlord? I mean, Miss Piggy might help. He might.

[Sona Movsesian]

There's no chance.

[Conan O'Brien]

What are you talking about? Miss Piggy doesn't want to.

[Sona Movsesian]

Miss Piggy would never do that. Miss Piggy would defend herself and everybody there because she's a.

[Conan O'Brien]

She is a puppet, too.

[Sona Movsesian]

No, but that doesn't matter. She knows who's right.

[Micah]

I don't think she would want to share the spotlight with Chucky.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes. Okay, Micah. That's the first sensible thing I've heard today. She's a diva. And she wouldn't want, you know, Chucky to get all the press for being the murderer. So, if anything, it's going to be Miss Piggy who gets you, and Chucky, who's just, you know, watching in horror.

[Sona Movsesian]

I don't like this blasphemy at all. Not when it comes to Miss Piggy. I wanted. Do you ever brush Miss Piggy's hair?

[Micah]

No. I do occasionally have to fix the wigs that the puppets have. But I do like weird things, like I have to fluff Big Bird occasionally.

[Conan O'Brien]

When you say fluff Big Bird, what are we talking about here?

[Micah]

He gets flat. You know? I mean.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. Oh, I know. Oh, I know.

[Sona Movsesian]

It gets a little limp, you know?

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Micah]

So, yeah, I have to fluff him, you know.

[Conan O'Brien]

Come on, we got a big shoot going on here. Big Bird. I'm gonna fluff you up. Time is money, Big Bird. Time is money.

[Micah]

Foreign.

[Conan O'Brien]

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[Sona Movsesian]

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[Sona Movsesian]

So bad.

[Conan O'Brien]

Micah. Which is one time I was asked to do something on Sesame Street. This is, you know, could have been like 25 years ago. And I went over to. I think they were in Brooklyn, or I went over to Sesame Street. And they have to store the puppets wherever they can. Cause, you know, space is limited. And they had lashed snuffalophagus to the ceiling because it's a giant puppet and you've gotta store it somewhere. And it was lifeless, inanimate, limp snuffaluphagus. And it was lashed to the ceiling like parts kind of hanging, but other parts secured with ropes. And it looked like Hannibal Lecter had just had gone psycho on snuffalupagus. And then nailed him to the ceiling in this ghastly performative. Behold my proud masterpiece. My murder. That's what it looked like. And it was the most horrifying thing I've ever seen. And kids were walking around so kids could see it too. And I had to tell the kids. Oh, my God. I mean, I had to make sense of it to them. So I told them he wasn't careful and he was murdered. No, I had to think of something.

[Sona Movsesian]

That's not cool.

[Micah]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

Well, at least I got off of fluffing Big Bird.

[Micah]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

And took us to the mass murder.

[Micah]

It's not great to see the puppets. Not like they're supposed to look. We definitely got the puppets in somewhat poor condition. They had been used, obviously, for years and then in a warehouse. So we did have to do a lot of work. So part of my job is to make sure that they still look like the characters they're supposed to look like. So we don't, you know, destroy children's.

[Conan O'Brien]

So some of these puppets you get have been, you know, rode hard and put away wet. They're like. These are fucked up puppets. No, I'm saying they're like all wool worn out. They're all screwed up. You know what I mean? They've got holes in them.

[Sona Movsesian]

Holes in them?

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, moth holes, stuff like that.

[Micah]

Dismembered sometimes.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. You know, and so, I mean, it must be ghastly sometimes the puppets you get, you know.

[Micah]

Yeah, well, it's, you know, they're just puppets, but. Yeah, I don't want Elmo to look like Elmo. You don't want him to be like

[Conan O'Brien]

no Apollo or something. I mean, God forbid. But sometimes, you know, you have to go to awake and the person, you know, was in a bomb accident. And you just hope that they look like themselves. You know what I mean? So sometimes you are like the mortician for these puppets. You have to make them look presentable so their loved ones see them in the correct state and not like Snuffleupagus all bashed. Really, really did some damage there.

[Micah]

Plastic surgeon. Yeah, we do take needles to some of the foam latex puppets. Foam latex is a lot of the Dark Crystal Labyrinth puppets. And it sort of dries out over time, so.

[Conan O'Brien]

Trust me, I know. Yeah, so the foam kind of dries up and they wither. These puppets wither. And then you guys have to pump them up. Yeah. Oh, my God.

[Micah]

Sort of like puppet Botox.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, puppet Botox. Well, and I just want to touch on this briefly. Cause I know we don't have tons of time, but you're also very much into fan fiction. You love Harry Potter fan fiction. Is that right? So sometimes when you're with the puppets late at night and you're trying to calm down. Cause you're nervous. Cause you're pretty sure you just saw. You just saw Chucky sharpening his knife. When you're in that situation, sometimes you read Harry Potter fan fiction and you're a fan of. What is it? Dryone. What did I say wrong? Dryemony. Dramione. Oh, sorry for mispronouncing that. Oh, yeah, you're right. Dramione. That word we all just spit out. Yeah. I'm sorry. If I'm ever pulled over for DUI and they asked me to say Dranomine, I'm just gonna say, hey, just take me, put me away for 30 years. Let's not even do the test. How do you pronounce it?

[Micah]

I listened to a lot of audio podcasts, audiobooks, and I got into, yeah, Hermione. Fan fiction.

[Conan O'Brien]

And that goes for all day, obviously. Hermione. And what's the first part? Draco. Oh, Draco Malfoy. And why are you or anyone else, why do you want to comb. What is it about those two characters that is particularly appealing? Like, how come Harry Potter's not in this combo platter?

[Micah]

I think because, you know, who doesn't love a bad boy? And Draco's story didn't really get finished in the original. So I'll. You know, it's fun to see people's imaginations of. Where does that go after, you know, the end of the book? Where do those characters go as they become adults?

[Conan O'Brien]

Do you think that Draco and Hermione could have a love interest? Is that what some of this fan fiction is?

[Micah]

Exploring.

[Conan O'Brien]

Is that a couple that could really exist? I mean, who did Hermione ended up with? What. What was his name? Hubblebee? Double gubble? Ron. What's that? Ron. Oh, Ron. Okay, so Bubblebee? I don't know.

[Sona Movsesian]

Humblebee.

[Conan O'Brien]

It's been a while.

[Sona Movsesian]

I know. I'm just saying I don't know. But I. I get what she said because I love fan fiction, too. And there's so much stuff that comes out of it and it's just fun to like, you know, imagine two characters together and it's sexy.

[Conan O'Brien]

So it's Drake and so. Oh, is there fan fiction where Draco and Hermione get it on? Is that. Would that something that could happen? Guessing.

[Micah]

I mean, if they're not, what's happening? The first one that I read was Manicold, which is sort of a Handmaid's Tale meets Harry Potter fan fiction. So if you've read Margaret Atwood's Handmaid's Tale or watched the TV show.

[Conan O'Brien]

Wait.

[Micah]

Sort of that situation.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay, okay. I'm trying to picture this. You know what's crazy? Behind you. Behind you. Chucky just made the cuckoo in his hands. Get a load of this. Oh, my God. Here she goes again. Hey, does Drumble. Does Drumbledore. Does Dumbledore. Isn't he the wizard or something? Doesn't he. Does he ever.

[Sona Movsesian]

Wizards.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, yeah, right. But he's like the head wizard that really dresses like a wizard. The rest of them dress like, they go to, like, Oxford College. They're like, oh, look at me. Oh, I'm a wizard. Oh, really? Yeah. Cause I'm dressed like. I go to Princeton. So do. He's like the guy that's committing to I'm a wizard. You know, of course I'm right. I've not said one thing today that's wrong.

[Micah]

Yeah, you're not wrong.

[Conan O'Brien]

So does Dumbledore ever walk in on Hermione and Draco and be like, what the hell's going on here? Does that ever happen in these scenarios?

[Micah]

So far I've not read one where Dumbledore is in it at all. Oh, my God.

[Conan O'Brien]

You could write a new one. This could be a new one.

[Sona Movsesian]

He's not the sexiest character.

[Conan O'Brien]

It depends. Some people are into that. I don't know.

[Micah]

Well, clearly you are.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. I like them old and bearded and wearing a moo moo.

[Micah]

So people prefer to see Hermione end up with, like, you know, a potentially attractive character like Draco. Potentially.

[Conan O'Brien]

So is there. Is there. I mean, this is. Is there A consensus that Ron is just sort of a dud. Like people are actively going out of the way to rewrite Harry Potter so that it's not Hermione and Ron. Ron, it's Hermione and Draco. Like, that's much more exciting, don't you think?

[Micah]

Yeah, I think so.

[Conan O'Brien]

I mean, no offense to Ron, but he's a wet noodle, you know?

[Micah]

Yeah, exactly, exactly. He's no fun.

[Sona Movsesian]

Draco's a bad.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, yeah, you can keep saying that, but it doesn't matter.

[Sona Movsesian]

I'm just saying you want there to be like love. It can't. They gotta, they gotta do it and it has to be. Yeah.

[Micah]

Enemies to lovers is the thing. What's that?

[Conan O'Brien]

What'd you say?

[Micah]

You want the redemption arc? You want the enemies to lovers?

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. Yes, that's the redemption arc. And you don't get the redemption arc with Ron. Same Ron, you know what I mean?

[Sona Movsesian]

Are you upset cause he's like the redhead and you kind of see it.

[Conan O'Brien]

I don't like the way redheads are portrayed in those tales. Oh, it's a bunch of brothers with red hair. What do they do? I don't know. One of them gets killed and two of them kind of go nowhere, you know? You know, they're bumbling, stumbling. They come from this goofy house. Yes, that's why I'm mad at these books. Redheads, completely ineffectual lovers, you know, Talk about needing a fluffer.

[Micah]

I think we know more about Harry Potter than you're letting on. Have you been reading some Harry Potter fanfiction on this?

[Conan O'Brien]

I read those books and I burned them because of the red haired depiction.

[Sona Movsesian]

Oh, it's the Weasleys.

[Conan O'Brien]

Hey, what name should we give the redheads? Oh, I have it. The Weasley Beasley. Oh my God, it's a shitshow. All right, Micah, I'm really happy that you're, that you've, you've got. Your world involves both puppets and a reality where Hermione makes the correct choice, which is the blonde haired evil guy over the red Do Gooder. Micah, I salute you. And I think of myself as a human puppet and I really am. I mean, most people look at my work and they think you're just a giant. I'm kind of like a Snuffleuphagus. A big goofy puppet, wouldn't you say?

[Micah]

I would say more. I mean, you're famous for the string dance, so I'm thinking marionette, you know?

[Conan O'Brien]

Marionette? Yes, yes. Yeah. Well, coming from you, that's A big compliment.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah. And you had Triumph, who was a puppet puppet.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, there's a lot of puppets on the old show. Tamari the ostrich.

[Micah]

Well, if they need a home, the center for Puppetry Arts is here. We'll take them.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. Well, can you imagine Triumph in your museum? That would be a disaster. All night long. You suck. You suck, Chucky. You suck.

[Sona Movsesian]

I love smiley face.

[Conan O'Brien]

Hey, there's another redhead. Chucky, there's another redhead. Rounding out the stereotypes, our one murder puppet's the redhead. Well, Micah, it's a delight to talk to you. It really is. You seem like a really nice person and I love what you're doing, and I hope to meet you in person person someday. That'd be fun.

[Micah]

Yeah. You should come by the museum. We'd love to have.

[Conan O'Brien]

I want to come by at night. I'll get them.

[Micah]

Yes. Night tour.

[Conan O'Brien]

Bring a little beef broth with me and some rottweilers.

[Micah]

Okay.

[Conan O'Brien]

All right. Micah, I just threatened your puppets. I better get out of here.

[Micah]

Yeah, I think we should end on that note. Thank you.

[Conan O'Brien]

Bye, Micah. Thank you. That was really good.

[Micah]

Bye. Thank y'. All. Nice to meet you.

[Matt Gourley]

Conan o' Brien needs a fan With Conan o' Brien, Sonam of Session and Matt Gourley Produced by me, Matt Gourley executive produced by Adam Sachs, Jeff Ross and Nick Leow Incidental music by Jimmy Vivino Take it away, Jimmy. Supervising producer Aaron Blair Associate talent producer Jennifer Samples Associate producers Sean Doherty and Lisa Berm Engineering by eduardo Perez get three free months of SiriusXM when you sign [e-mail] Conan Please rate, review and subscribe to Conan O' Brien needs a fan. Wherever fine podcasts are downloaded,

[Conan O'Brien]

I'm just going to say it. There's a Hyundai hybrid for everyone.

[Sona Movsesian]

There sure is.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yep. The Santa Fe Hybrid SUV seats up to 6, 7. Tucson Hybrid SUV features standard H track, all wheel drive. The Sonata Hybrid Limited sedan has exceptional performance and handling and get up to an EPA estimated 52 highway mpg with the sporty Elantra Hybrid Limited sedan. All Hyundai hybrids come with first class safety features, advanced tech, stellar design and America's best warranty.

[Sona Movsesian]

It's a good one.

[Conan O'Brien]

It is a good one. Hard to beat all those stats. America's best warranty claims based on total package of warranty programs. Visit HyundaiUSA.com or call. I'm gonna give your phone number. Write it down.

[Micah]

Okay.

[Conan O'Brien]

562-31-4603 for more details. When you're on a GLP1, you often experience a smaller appetite. That means for GLP1 users, every bite of food should be as nutritious and delicious as possible. And that's where Sprouts are Farmer's Market comes in. I knew they'd come in somewhere, and I guess now's where they come in. From nutrient dense foods to proteins to supplements that help sustain muscle mass and energy levels, Sprouts has you covered. And with in store wellness experts available, guidance is always within reach for any GLP1 journey or broader health goals. Visit sprouts.com to find a Sprouts market near you.