More Time With: Kate Micucci

Summary

Teen Beat: More Time With Kate Micucci
iHeartPodcasts | February 27, 2026

Episode Overview

In this lively and nostalgic episode of Teen Beat, host Danielle Fishel (iconic as Topanga from Boy Meets World) sits down with actress, comedian, musician, and children’s author Kate Micucci. The conversation orbits around the quirks of growing up, embarrassing moments from their youth, the pains and joys of parental involvement, and their own parenting styles. Danielle and Kate share stories about parties, parades, and creative outlets, using childhood memories as a lens for self-understanding. Kate also discusses her unique street art and her new children's book, while both women reflect on fame, creative risk-taking, and finding comfort in their own awkwardness.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Listener Story: Embarrassing Sweet 16 (03:46–06:52)

• Listener “Lisa” tells a mortifying story: At her Sweet 16, Lisa’s dad announced—over a microphone—that she had never been kissed, then lined up her male friends for cheek-kisses and photos.
  • Danielle and Kate’s reactions are a mix of horror and empathy.
  • Danielle highlights the need for boundaries and respect from parents, reflecting on how modern kids are firmer about what makes them uncomfortable.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • Danielle: “I’m trying to imagine a scenario where my father announces that I have never been kissed. One, how dare you?” (05:50)
  • Kate: “Like, no, Dad, I... yeah, that is mortifying. But also, I mean, kind of a great story.” (06:42)

Childhood Parties—Comparing Notes (06:52–09:45)

• Danielle wasn’t allowed to host or attend co-ed sleepovers, with parents who were more cautious than her peers' “cooler” parents.
  • She sometimes felt like a “fish out of water” at these parties, despite being included.
• Kate recalls a “wild” all-girls marching band sleepover: her first foray into group teenage fun, feeling cool among older kids.
• Nostalgia for Girl Scout sleepovers: Danielle attended these, which doubled as overnights for helping decorate Rose Parade floats—bonding over movies and bagels.
  • Kate, a self-confessed parade lover, is enchanted by the story.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • Danielle: “I do remember getting to go to those parties and being like... I feel a little like junior high Danielle.” (07:24)
  • Kate: “I played trombone again. Coolest instrument, but... I just jogged a memory that I did have a sleepover.” (08:06)

Parade Memories—Love or Loathe (09:45–13:14)

• Kate’s affection for parades contrasts Danielle’s discomfort.
  • Kate tells the story of reviving her hometown’s annual Kazoo Parade—after mentioning it on Jimmy Kimmel, she became its new grand marshal, dressing as Uncle Sam. (10:03–11:41)
  • Danielle, who had to ride in themed parades as a young TV star, now dreads them—especially the Hollywood Christmas Parade.
  • Kate got to be in a Disneyland parade with the DuckTales cast, overjoyed and moved to tears.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • Danielle: “I’m not a parade person. I don’t mind saying there’s something about parades that just really give me the EBGBies...” (09:45)
  • Kate: “I cry. I see parades, and I cry. I love a parade.” (09:58)
  • Kate: “They said, if you will be the grand marshal, we’ll bring the parade back. And I said, I’m in.” (10:22)

Fame, Parenting, and Legacy (18:15–22:44)

• Were you ever embarrassed by your parents? Neither Danielle nor Kate recalls much embarrassment, instead expressing gratitude for close family bonds.
  • Both discuss enjoying spending time with their parents as kids—and still do.
• Their experiences as “celebrity parents”:
  • Kate shares a story of her son being asked to mention something cool about his mom—he proudy said she’s Velma from Scooby-Doo.
  • Danielle’s sons are now aware of her fame and enjoy seeing her recognized, especially at public events like WWE or Dancing with the Stars performances.
• Fame feels normal to their children at times: Danielle muses that for her kids, seeing her recognized is just another part of their lives.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • Kate: “I think I thought my parents were cool... always happy to be with my mom and dad.” (19:58)
  • Kate (about her son): “They said, ‘Tell us something cool about your mom.’... And he said, ‘She’s Velma in Scooby Doo.’” (21:08)
  • Danielle: “They know that I was once on TV, but I don’t think they’ve ever understood that that means people think I’m cool.” (21:39)

Creative Beginnings: Gallery 1988 and Artistic Encouragement (23:22–25:18)

• Kate credits Jensen Karp (Danielle’s husband) with her first real art show in LA:
  • As a young, naive artist, she approached Jensen’s Gallery 1988 and was encouraged to participate in a group show, which turned out to be a significant early career milestone.
• Danielle praises Jensen’s “talent for spotting talent” and his keen sense for pop culture.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • Kate: “Jensen gave me my first, like, chance to be an artist and, like, you know, show my work. And I just want to say thank you to Jensen.” (24:09)
  • Danielle: “Jensen is always, has been good about, in general, just kind of having his finger on the pulse of pretty much everything in the pop culture sphere.” (24:30)

Kate’s Street Art: Tagging and Drawing on Trash (25:18–28:08)

• Kate describes her “art attack” episodes: tag-style drawings on discarded objects and furniture, turning urban “trash” into whimsical, public art.
  • Originated from a desire to try “tagging” but wanting it to be positive and less risky.
  • A tagging attempt on what became a popular NYC restaurant resulted in the owners asking her to finish the work rather than paint over it.
  • In LA and New York, she began painting on mattresses, plywood, and alleyway finds, making cheerful Instagram videos—her own “artistic Easter egg hunt.”
• Memorable Quotes:
  • Kate: “My tagging, I should say, is like little people playing the ukulele and dog.” (26:35)
  • Kate: “It feels like it’s a way to draw and put something out there into a public space. But it’s still, you know, not illegal... I don’t think it is illegal to draw on trash.” (27:30)
  • Danielle: “It’s your calling card.” (28:06)

Kate’s New Children’s Book & Farewell (28:09–29:13)

• Danielle plugs Kate’s new children’s book: The Monster and Puppet Show—described as adorable and meaningful for all ages.
  • Danielle encourages listeners to purchase from local bookstores.
  • Kate expresses excitement for future hangouts between their kids in New York.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Listener Lisa’s party story: “My dad decided it would be a great idea to announce they had never been kissed before and proceeded to line up all of my guy friends to kiss me one by one on the cheek while each one was photographed.” (03:46–04:24)
• Danielle: “Her dad. Oh, gosh. No, no, no. I feel so embarrassed also that there was like, what do you do in that situation?” (05:50)
• Kate: “On purpose to just try to make him embarrassed. But...mom, like, you know...” (20:36)
• Kate: “They said, if you will be the grand marshal, we’ll bring the parade back. And I said, I’m in.” (10:22)

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Key Timestamps

• 03:46 Listener Lisa’s “Sweet 16” mortification, Danielle & Kate react
• 04:49 Kate’s awkward audition kissing story
• 06:52 Danielle: Parties she couldn’t have/attend as a teen
• 09:45–10:03 Parade talk—Danielle’s aversion vs. Kate’s love
• 10:03–11:41 Kate brings back the Kazoo Parade as grand marshal
• 13:14–18:15 Back-and-forth about OCD, segued with personal anecdotes (skipped here as mostly informational)
• 18:15 Embarrassing parents and childhood dynamics
• 21:07 Kate’s son shares what’s cool about her
• 23:22–25:18 Kate’s art origins and Jensen Karp’s encouragement
• 25:18–28:08 Kate’s spontaneous “tagging” and trash art
• 28:09 Kate’s children’s book shout-out; warm farewells

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Overall Tone

Warm, open, and earnest, with lots of playful self-deprecation and joyful nostalgia. Both Danielle and Kate bring humor and vulnerability to childhood memories and the sometimes awkward realities of being parents, former “awkward” kids, and adults still learning to embrace and share their quirks.

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For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This chat is equal parts laughter, comfort, and creative inspiration. If you want to feel seen in your awkwardness, reminisce about the scariness (and magic) of growing up, or just hear two artists reflect honestly on embarrassment, creativity, and evolving parenthood, this episode is worth a listen—especially for fans of Boy Meets World, Garfunkel and Oates, or sweet-natured humor.

Transcript

[Bowen Yang]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Danielle Fishel]

Give me money for cigarettes I'll never

[Kate Micucci]

leave your filthy bed

[Danielle Fishel]

I stay the

[Kate Micucci]

night and one night be came two

[Danielle Fishel]

or three years the kids are not all right but that's okay cause no one here is Take me In an attempt to feel less alone in our own awkwardness, I have asked my listeners to send in some of their most embarrassing childhood to young adult moments in the form of entertaining voice memos.

[Kate Micucci]

Amazing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Luckily you have agreed to stick around and listen to one, so let's hear all about Lisa and a wild sweet 16 party.

[Lisa (Listener Sharing Story)]

I was a sophomore in high school in a new city, and I was just starting to solidify my friend group. I was an awkward, gawky, and reserved teenager with a lot of insecurities, and I had not yet experienced my first kiss. So when it came time for my 16th birthday, my parents let me invite my new friends to the ballroom of a hotel my dad worked at. And during the dancing segment of the party, my dad decided it would be a great idea to announce they had never been kissed before and proceeded to line up all of my guy friends to kiss me one by one on the cheek while each one was photographed.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh my gosh.

[Kate Micucci]

Wow. That's crazy.

[Danielle Fishel]

That is really crazy. I mean, I. I want to know if you did you ever throw a big party?

[Kate Micucci]

No. But how cool that you had access to a ballroom.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know.

[Commercial Announcer]

So cool.

[Kate Micucci]

I. You know, this is it reminded me so much of a. Of a situation I got myself into. I shouldn't say I got it was a commercial audition. You know, I was I was needing the gig and I was the last girl to go and they still had like four or five. I think it was five guys left to audition. And in the commercial there was a kiss and they asked me to stick around. And the audition was like a makeout. And I kissed every guy that came through the door.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wow.

[Kate Micucci]

And that's. So now that would not happen today. And thank God. I really hope not, anyway. But I just remember leaving feeling kind of weird, but also just like, what the heck? I got the part. I needed money.

[Danielle Fishel]

I didn't say, did you get the part?

[Kate Micucci]

Did you get the part? But I think my story is. I don't know if it's as. Maybe it is just as weird as that, but it's a different kind. It's a little bit like, oh, yeah. But the kiss on the cheek is much more. But still. Her dad.

[Danielle Fishel]

Her dad. Oh, gosh. No, no, no. I feel so embarrassed also that there was like, what do you do in that situation? Talking about setting boundaries. I'm trying to imagine a scenario where my father announces that I have never been kissed. One, how dare you? How dare you share that with anyone but on a microphone and in front of me with all my peers? And then two, like, what do you do? Like, my kids have no problem saying to me, if I want to take a picture. No, I'm not taking a picture. And I'm like, there's a part of me that goes. I'm glad my kids feel comfortable telling me that they don't. You know, they don't want me to either give them a hug right now or they don't want me to give them a kiss. Okay, I will respect your boundaries. Not going to take your picture. But how do you do that in that scenario at your party?

[Kate Micucci]

Like, no, Dad, I. Yeah, that is mortifying. But also, I mean, kind of a great story. It is.

[Danielle Fishel]

It is a great story. I know growing up, I had friends whose parents were, dare I say, cooler than my parents. And I only say cooler because they did allow some of my friends to have parties. Like, co ed parties.

[Kate Micucci]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

And my mom would let me go to the co ed party, but she would drop me off and she would pick me up, and she would never let me spend the night. Other kids did get to spend the night. Even co ed sleepovers. Wow.

[Kate Micucci]

Crazy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Crazy. I was not allowed to. To do that. So my mom would. My mom would pick me up. But I. I do remember getting to go to those parties and being like, I feel a little like junior high Danielle. Like, I'm not really sure I fit in here with these people, even though they were my friends, but knowing I was a little bit of a fish out of water.

[Kate Micucci]

Yeah. You know, I. You just jogged a memory. I Did have a. I went to a sleepover. It was a. It was not co ed. It was all girls, but it was all the low brass from the marching band.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, tell me about that.

[Kate Micucci]

I don't remember much else other than it was at Kelly Zakowski's house. And I thought I was so, so cool because they were just like, older kids there.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Kate Micucci]

But I played trombone again. Coolest instrument, but. But, yeah. I can't believe it. I. You just jogged a memory that I did have a sleepover. It must have been, like, a crazy party. Yeah. It was wild.

[Danielle Fishel]

I. Sleepovers I did feel comfortable at were. I was friends. A lot of my friends were girl Scouts.

[Kate Micucci]

Oh, yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

And one of the. So fun. And one of the things they did regularly was they would go help decorate the Rose Parade. They would go. So the night before the Rose Parade or the night before, they would go work on the parades. We would have a slumber party because they all had.

[Kate Micucci]

That was amazing. I would love that.

[Danielle Fishel]

It was super fun. And I didn't get to. You know, I was working, so I didn't get to be a part of the decorating, But I would get invited to the sleepover, and we would stay up late. Even though they had to get up super early in the morning, we would stay up late, usually watching a movie I would never normally be allowed to watch. Like, it's the first time I ever saw a horror movie was. Was at one of these sleepovers, and then the next morning, they would all have. We would have bagels and cream cheese, and then they'd go off. I had. My mom would pick me up, and I'd go home or go to work, whatever, you know, I guess it was a weekend, so I wasn't working, but I'd go home, and then all my friends would go decorate the Rose parade floats.

[Kate Micucci]

That's so. That sounds like a bl. I mean, anything with a parade, I'm in. But also, like, that just sounds like a fun. Like, I don't know. It's a good way to, like, be like, okay, we just made this thing. Now we're gonna have fun. We're gonna have bagels, and we're go watch the thing we made. Like, that's so cool. But then, I'm sorry you had to go home, but I'm sure you could watch it on tv.

[Danielle Fishel]

I did. I got to watch it on tv. And honestly, I'm not a parade person. I don't mind saying there's something about parades that just really Give me the EBGBies I don't know why I'm the opposite.

[Kate Micucci]

I cry. I see parades, and I cry. I love a parade.

[Danielle Fishel]

Your town has the kazoo parade, right?

[Kate Micucci]

Yes. I brought it back not to, like, pat myself on the shoulder.

[Danielle Fishel]

What? Tell me, how did you bring it back?

[Kate Micucci]

Well, the town would do this Kazoo parade every Fourth of July, and it would see, like, 20 or 30 people with kazoos just walking through the town. I thought it was so endearing, and I loved it.

[Danielle Fishel]

They just played the kazoos.

[Kate Micucci]

Yeah. Patriotic songs. And so then they got rid of it because they didn't feel like they had enough people attending, I guess. And I. This is going back to 2009. I was on Jimmy Kimmel, and I talked about the kazoo parade in my town. And then the next day, the mayor of my town reached out and said, if you will be the grand marshal, we'll bring the parade back. And I said, I'm in. So I dressed up like Uncle Sam. Oh, wow. Just realizing. Second time. Yes. That's the first time in my life I've put that together. And I dress up like Uncle Sam. I went to the Hollywood Toys and Costume Shop and I bought an Uncle Sam costume, and we marched through the town, and it's been a success ever since. And so it's been going on for almost 20 years now, I guess. Wow. Yeah, I do. I love parades, you know, and I love. This is one of my favorite parade stories. I was in New York with my husband before we lived here, and our friend Rachel and I saw that they were, like, you know, just had, like, sectioning off the street, and something big looked like it was going to happen. I said, wait, I got to go see what it's going to be. And they're like, fine, go ahead. They seemed annoying that I, like, even wanted to take time. And I was like, excuse me. And I went up to a police officer, I said, what's happening? And, like, in a true New York, just, like, he goes, dance parade. And it was a dance parade, literally called Dance Parade. And all the dance, like, places in all of the city, all the kids danced through the town. And I was just. I loved it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Thrilled.

[Kate Micucci]

Yes. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. I don't. I don't know what it is. I think maybe. I'm not sure. I think maybe because we had to do. We had to participate in some parades as being on the TV show. And so we'd be, like, in a car listening to our theme song on a loop for probably three to four hours.

[Kate Micucci]

There's something Probably Disney parades, too.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's Disney parades of Hollywood. Hollywood.

[Kate Micucci]

Oh, the Christmas parade.

[Danielle Fishel]

The Christmas parade.

[Kate Micucci]

I'm like, whoa. You guys will be in the Christmas Parade?

[Bowen Yang]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

And I think. I think maybe that Christmas parade triggers something in me now that, like, even Disneyland parades. And I mean, I feel bad saying that, because if there's ever a parade that's well done, it's the Disneyland parades. And yet every time we're at Disneyland and my husband says, should we stick around for the parade? I'm like, if you think about making me stick around for the parade, I will be so mad.

[Kate Micucci]

That has to go back to your childhood for sure. I feel like. And that totally makes sense. On the opposite, I got to be in a Disneyland parade with the cast of ducktales. And I had warned everyone that parades make me cry, like, happy tears. I cried the entire time, like a big smile, looking at everyone, and just tears streaming down my face. I was just so moved by it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, I love that for you. I really do. I love that.

[Kate Micucci]

I totally understand. You're. You know, we can agree to disagree totally.

[Danielle Fishel]

We agree to disagree about parades. They make me cry, too, just for a different reason. So at least we both cry. We both cry. Thinking about parades. I know most people are surprised to learn what OCD really is because pop culture has spread the idea that it's just about being super neat and organized. But that's not accurate at all. My husband has ocd, and I can tell you it is so much more than that. Real OCD is a serious condition where you get unwanted, distressing thoughts called intrusive thoughts. They're stuck on repeat in your mind, often focusing on people or things we care about, like relationships, identity, or character, making them hard to ignore. And then you feel driven to do certain behaviors called compulsions to try to make the anxiety stop. This obsession and undying desire to make it go away can completely derail you. For decades, Jensen ruined his own life and the happiness of those around him purely because he couldn't make the repeated worry go away. But he'd eventually learn it doesn't have to be that way, because OCD is one of the most treatable mental health conditions. Once you get the right kind of specialized therapy. OCD needs ERP therapy. That's exposure and response prevention, which is proven to be the most effective treatment. Regular talk therapy isn't recommended and can actually make OCD worse. NOCD is the world's leading OCD treatment provider and all of their licensed therapists and specialize in ERP. Therapy with no CD is 100% virtual, covered by insurance for over 138 million Americans and includes support between sessions so you never have to face OCD alone. To learn more about starting OCD therapy with no CD, go to nocd.com and book a free call with their team. That's N O C D.com this is

[Bowen Yang]

Bowen Yang from Lost Culture Research with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. We all know the feeling when life gets really busy. Taking care of yourself can feel empower impossible. That's why Premier protein shakes are my go to. They have 30 grams of protein, 160 calories, no added sugar and they taste amazing. So they're a healthy choice you'll actually want to make. It's not just for fitness, it's for getting after life. 30 grams of protein gives you the fuel you need. It's not just for intense gym sessions, it's just for life. With the wide variety of flavors from cafe latte to cake batter, it never feels boring and there's a flavor for everyone. I personally love the peaches and cream, but maybe you're a root beer floater cinnamon roll kind of person. Premier Protein empowers me to say yes to more. Find your favorite [e-mail] that's P R E M I E R protein.com or at Amazon, Walmart and other major retailers.

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[Public Investing Representative]

for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn Any idea into an investable index with AI it all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year. You can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index, and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures.

[Danielle Fishel]

Were your parents ever embarrassing? I mean it's also relative when you're a kid because like now I think about my parents quirks and I love them and I'm so happy they have them. But was there ever a time where like you would just cringe thinking about something your parents did or were going dropping you off somewhere?

[Kate Micucci]

You know, I, I think because of my like my people pleasing ways, I, I don't think I saw them really like that. We did make I loved making movies, like home movies with the neighborhood kids. So one year for the super bowl cause we always had a neighborhood super bowl party. I was the oldest kid in the neighborhood so I was sort of the one that was like all right guys, we're gonna make a movie. And I had every kid play their parent. And I remember my like it's not a, I guess my like version of my mother that I got to be was that it was really chipper, really happy and I just stomped the snow off my feet for an extra long time and that was like my joke of that was like my mom, she was just like, you know, making sure. I don't know. That was my so I don't know. That's not really like embarrassing. I, I, I don't know. I think I thought my parents were cool so I, I did too.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, I did too. I was not ever embarrassed of my parents. I never went through that phase. I just thought they were always so cool. I thought my mom was the world's most beautiful woman ever and I thought my dad was just cool and great and I Wanted to hang out with them and it never bothered me. My best friend would like, on weekends, my best friend would come over and we'd all watch movies with my parents or we'd watch TV shows with my parents. We'd go see movies together, go to the mall together. I, I also never really went through that phase of thinking they were, they were awful.

[Kate Micucci]

I think that's actually really. It's lucky, you know. And. Yeah, I, I don't know. I feel like I was, I was always happy to be with my mom and dad. Like, still, like, I just like to hang with them is like, it's a. It's very nice.

[Bowen Yang]

And.

[Kate Micucci]

Yeah. Yeah. I don't know.

[Danielle Fishel]

You mentioned your six year old, Mikey. Is he. Does he enjoy being with you and your husband or is. Does he find you at all embarrassing so far?

[Kate Micucci]

Oh, both. Like, he wants to hang with me a lot. And yeah, right now, like, we kind of swap a lot. We don't really have, you know, my husband and I do a good job of just like swapping back and forth and then like we work in the Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

In the meantime. Yeah.

[Kate Micucci]

And then when he's at school, it's great. But yeah, I think, you know, I'll do certain things. Like, I love to just like get him like, this is how, like I'll just start singing in public. Like, yes, it's snowing. So I was like, it's the most wonderful. And he's like, mom, like, you know, so that's on purpose to just try to make him embarrassed. But. But yeah, I don't know. There, there was one, like when he went to kindergarten for his orientation, they, they were asking him questions and he got kind of shy and I was just sitting there and they said, well, tell us something cool about your mom.

[Danielle Fishel]

And.

[Kate Micucci]

And he said, she's Velma in Scooby Doo. And I thought, oh, wow. He's aware that of that. That's cool. And also. Yeah, that's kind of cool. And then the lady looked at me like, what?

[Danielle Fishel]

What?

[Kate Micucci]

And I was like, well, actually, I.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's awesome. That's cool that he knows it. And it's cool that when tasked to think of something cool about you, he knew that. That like, that's cool.

[Kate Micucci]

Yeah. I was surprised, to be honest. But I'm sure, like, when people stop you, like, do your kids kind of. I find that Mikey's always a little bit like. But do they roll their eyes or do they think it's cool that people want to talk to you?

[Danielle Fishel]

They don't Roll their eyes. But it did take them a long time to even, like, kind of question it. Yeah, they were like, why are those people stopping you? They know that I was once on tv, but I don't think they've ever understood that that means people think I'm cool. So all of a sudden they were like, why are they stopping you? And Jensen would say, well, remember, you know, Mommy was on tv. And they were like, yeah. So why would that make people want to stop her? Like, to them, it's just very. That's a job. And that was her job. But they get it now a little bit more. Like, they'll now when we're out and we get stopped, Adler will every now and then, depending on where we are, like, if we're at a sporting event, like, if I go, we go to a WWE event, I will get stopped every foot, you know, people. And. And Adler will be like, mom, everybody here wants to take your picture. So I think. I think he thinks that that is cool because I think by extension, he thinks it makes him cool.

[Kate Micucci]

Yes. Yes, that makes sense. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. So in that way. And then he did really. He. They have really enjoyed that. I was on Dancing with the Stars. They now love Dancing with the Stars and love the tour. Like, love. They came to visit on the tour, thought that was just the greatest thing ever. I don't know why they don't want Jensen to dance, though. Jensen was actually a dancer as a kid and is a good dancer, and they do not want it from him. They. They're like, dad, please. No, funny.

[Kate Micucci]

That's right. He was. I mean, I. Kid songs.

[Danielle Fishel]

Kid songs, Exactly. He was on kid songs.

[Kate Micucci]

When I found out Jensen was on kids songs, my brain broke because that was one of my shows. I love that show. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

A lot of people still, when they reckon they're like, what you're from kids songs, it's. It's pretty cool. We need to play that for them. That's something that they for sure need to see.

[Kate Micucci]

Yeah, they will love it. Definitely play it for him. I was just gonna shout out to Jensen because as a very naive artist when I was making things, I was 25 years old and I just was like, I don't know what to do with all these drawings that I have. And so I, like, went to galleries in la. I, like, looked up, like, this is like, kind of even before I. Online, but like, not on my phone. Like, typed in addresses, figured out where to go. And one of the galleries was Jensen's gallery. And I walked in and I met Jensen and I said, I have these drawings and I don't know what to do with them. And he so kindly said, well, we have a show coming up and I think you should put your work in that show. And I knew nothing. I didn't know how cool this was. It was such a cool show. I remember a friend of mine going, you are in this show. Like this is a big deal. And so Jensen gave me my first like chance to be an artist and like, you know, show my work. And I just want to say thank you to Jensen.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's so nice. Yes. Jensen for 20 years had a wonderful gallery. Gallery 1988. It is still an up and running gallery. Jensen is no longer a part of it. Katie now has it entirely on her own. She moved it up north. And yeah, Jensen is always, has been good about in general, just kind of having his finger on the pulse of pretty much everything in the pop culture sphere. And one of his incredible talents is spotting talent and recognizing talent. So the fact that you brought your work to him and he recognized it for being as incredible as it is is no surprise to me. One, because it is incredible work and two, because he's always been good at that. So I'm happy that that happened. And now everyone gets to enjoy your work.

[Kate Micucci]

I do.

[Danielle Fishel]

Before I let you go, I do wanna talk to you about. Because I think it's so cool that you randomly. When inspiration strikes on trash. Occasionally when you are out in the world, you will see somebody who has abandoned a mattress or someone who has abandoned a piece of plywood. And you, when the inspiration strikes, will just fully put beautiful art on it.

[Kate Micucci]

What.

[Danielle Fishel]

Where did that come from? Is that truly just like when inspiration strikes or. What made you think of that?

[Kate Micucci]

You know, it was a combo of things Just a few years ago I was like, I want to tag. I want to be like a cool tagging artist. But I was also like, is this. Is this what my middle age is? I guess I start tagging and I tagged a building here in New York. We were here for like a good chunk of the summer and then it turned out to be a restaurant. And at the time when I was tagging it, I didn't know what it was going to be. I thought it was kind of just like. I didn't think it was anything. Cause it wasn't at the time. And the restaurant opened and there was a line around the block. I got back here in November and I see my drawings are still on this restaurant. And I felt horrible. So I went in And I said, I'm so sorry I'm the one that drew on your. But my. My tagging, I should say, is like little people playing the ukulele and dog.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. Like the heart you have behind you.

[Kate Micucci]

Yes, exactly. And. And so I. They said, no. I said, well, I'm happy to paint over this for you, or if you want, I'll finish the job. And they're like, please finish it. So. So I made some videos of me drawing on this restaurant, and it was so much fun, and people really seemed excited about it, and so I wanted to do that again, but I don't want to illegally be drawing on things. So I just. Was a gift. We were living in la, in the Valley, and the alleyway behind us was like a dumping ground for furniture trash. It was just a disgusting alley where people left their things. And it became my treasure trove of just every day there was something to paint on or draw on. And I just started making these Instagram videos of me drawing on trash, and I was having the best time. So now we live in New York, which is a whole other new treasure trove. I always joke that I shouldn't joke about this, but, like, I just hope that's not how I get bedbugs, but.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. Exactly. Oops.

[Kate Micucci]

But I love, you know, it just feels like it's a way to draw and put something out there into a public space. But it's still, you know, not illegal to. I don't think it is illegal to draw in trash, so I don't think so.

[Danielle Fishel]

I think you're. You had your one rebellious streak where you were like, this building, and then you were like, you know, that didn't feel perfectly right. So now I've gone to trash.

[Kate Micucci]

Yeah. So I. It's a fun thing. And I love when people, like, people come up to me now and say, I saw your trash here or there or, you know, it's. It's a. It's a fun little, like, almost like a little like egg hunt of some kind.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's your calling card.

[Kate Micucci]

Yeah, I guess so.

[Danielle Fishel]

I love it. Well, you can get Kate's brand new children's book, the Monster and Puppet Show. Now, wherever you buy books, especially local sellers near you, please support them. They need it. For more information, follow Kate on Instagram atemicucci. That's M I C U C C I. The book is adorable and it has an incredible message for kids and adults. I could not endorse it enough. So thank you so much for being here with me, Kate. This was such a joy to talk to you.

[Kate Micucci]

Thanks so much, Danielle. I have to say, I had a blast. This was such a great conversation. So thank you for having me.

[Danielle Fishel]

Thank you, thank you for being here and I really do. I would love to get our kids together. So we are planning on making a New York trip. We, the kids just visited New York for the first time on the Dancing with the Stars tour. They fell in love with it even though it was so cold to eat a hot dog on the street. They were like, so we're gonna wait till it's a little warm, warmer, but then we're going to take the kids back to New York and I will let you know when we do that so we can get together.

[Kate Micucci]

Please come visit. Yes. Well, I'll have a list of fun things that we could pick from.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, great. Thank you so much. Good to see you.

[Kate Micucci]

You too.

[Danielle Fishel]

Bye.

[Kate Micucci]

Bye.

[Danielle Fishel]

Bye. Teen Beat is an Iheart podcast produced and hosted by Danielle Fishel, executive producers Jensen Karp and Amy Sugarman, executive in charge of production, Danielle Romo, producer and editor Tara Subh. The theme song is by Mark Hoppus. Yes, that Mark Hoppus. Follow us on Instagram eenbeatpod.

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Janice Torres here, and I'm Austin Hankwitz. We host the podcast Mind the Small Business Success Stories produced by Ruby Studio in partnership with Intuit QuickBooks.

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We're back for season four to talk

[Danielle Fishel]

to some incredible small business owners.

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The big thing about working at tech is that it's ever evolving, ever changing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Everyone's a rookie.

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That's how fast the industry is changing. So what I'm really excited about is

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to be part of that change.

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So listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Well, the holidays have come and gone once again. But if you've forgotten to get that special someone in your life a gift, well, Mint Mobile is extending their holiday offer of half off unlimited wire. So here's the idea. You get it now, you call it an early present for next year.

[Kate Micucci]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Kate Micucci]

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[Danielle Fishel]

See Terms.

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