Getting the Update with Gaten Matarazzo

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Dear Chelsea – Getting the Update with Gaten Matarazzo"

Podcast: Dear Chelsea
Host: Chelsea Handler (with co-host Katherine Law)
Guest: Gaten Matarazzo (Stranger Things, Animal Farm, Pizza Movie)
Date: April 30, 2026
Featured Segments: Listener advice, personal stories, career and relationship discussions

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Episode Overview

Chelsea Handler welcomes actor Gaten Matarazzo for a rich, humorous, and insightful conversation. The episode covers growing up in the public eye, relationships, pets, career choices, and listener advice on tricky friend situations and generosity. At its heart, the show maintains its signature mix of candor, warmth, and wit.

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Key Topics and Discussions

1. Catching Up and Setting the Tone

Timestamps: 04:39–06:29

• Chelsea and Katherine catch up about upcoming travel and comedic banter.
• Chelsea: "I don't just whip out my pussy at home and just start peeing everywhere." (05:48)
• Katherine shares about her annual girls' trip to Mexico, setting a relaxed, fun tone.

2. Welcoming Gaten Matarazzo & Growing Up Public

Timestamps: 06:29–07:44

• Introduction for Gaten, referencing his work in Stranger Things, Animal Farm, and Pizza Movie.
• Humorous talk about age and adulthood.

  "Legally, yes, I can legally drink alcohol now." – Gaten (07:05) "When do you think you burst fully into manhood?" – Chelsea (07:10) "Some 35 year olds... can have a few more years of saying that whole young man thing." – Gaten (07:20)

• The group jokes about parenthood, readiness, and the 'young man' label.

3. Pets: Cats vs. Dogs

Timestamps: 09:12–14:33

• Gaten declares his cat-lover identity and discusses his and his girlfriend's pets.
• Debate on "cat people vs. dog people" – subverting common assumptions.

  "The only people I know who make it a fight are dog people." – Gaten (09:25)

• Mutual agreement on the value of adopting rescue pets.
• Chelsea reveals she owns a purebred yet rescued Chow Chow.
• Gaten notes the impact of free-roaming cats on bird populations and advocates for responsible pet ownership.

4. Gaten’s Projects: Animal Farm & Pizza Movie

Timestamps: 14:38–20:04

• Gaten explains Animal Farm for a modern audience, why the story is timeless, and working with Andy Serkis.

  "You can’t safely approach making a film of Animal Farm. You have to kind of jump in headfirst." – Gaten (17:17)

• Chelsea commends Gaten’s maturity, noting the healthy evolutions in child actor treatment.

  "It's so nice to see all of you kids from Stranger Things grow up and be normal." – Chelsea (18:06)

• Pizza Movie premise: college kids take a fictional, experimental drug that leads to a wild night unless they eat pizza. Designed for stoned and sober audiences alike.

5. Being a Young Public Figure, Social Media, & Growing Up Onscreen

Timestamps: 23:31–26:52

• Gaten reflects on media scrutiny of child actors and changes brought by social media.

  "You can kind of just say it outwardly how you feel about something... there's not really a desire to see kids go through obliterating their self image." – Gaten (24:54)

• Acknowledges lingering sexism against young women and the disproportionate media treatment they face.

  "Media was so much more aggressively unkind to young women... it's better now for me, it is... but there's still a lot of work to go." – Gaten (25:42)

• Chelsea jokes about generational differences in wokeness among men.

6. Long-Term Relationships: Gaten’s Eight-Year Love Story

Timestamps: 26:52–33:49

• Gaten shares details about his eight-year relationship with his girlfriend, whom he met at 15 in Tuckerton, NJ.
• The conversation meanders through New Jersey loyalty, the “Central Jersey exists” debate, and the infamous “Pork Roll vs. Taylor Ham” rivalry.

  "People from South Jersey usually call it pork roll, and people from North Jersey call it Taylor Ham. And I'm in the pork roll boat." – Gaten (29:33)

• On relationship longevity: Emphasizes the importance of communication and thriving through distance due to work.

  "We became adults together. It's bizarre." – Gaten (33:41)

7. Noteworthy Quotes on Advice and Career Choices

Timestamps: 34:05–39:44

• Chelsea shares her worst advice: A club owner told her to wear a bird on her shoulder for gimmick value.
• Gaten’s worst advice: He was told to only play characters like Dustin from Stranger Things forever.

  "Now I kind of weirdly approach it with the polar opposite mindset... I really only gravitate towards things that seem like they would be a pretty stark challenge to me." – Gaten (39:01)

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Advice Segment: Listener Questions

Question 1: Annoying AI Memes from a Friend

Timestamps: 39:49–44:30

• Listener dilemma: Friend keeps sending “AI slop” memes, which are not funny and environmentally harmful.
• Panel’s advice:
  • Blame environmental impact to tactfully halt the memes, or simply be honest about disliking them.

  "Send them the estimated amount of water it took to make that meme." – Gaten (40:53)

  • Honest communication is encouraged; good friends handle truth.

  "If you tell them you don't find them funny and they get past it... they're a good friend." – Gaten (42:13)

Question 2: Friend’s Problematic Relationship

Timestamps: 48:54–62:23

• Emma asks about maintaining her friendship with Sam, whose relationship with a much younger, toxic, and homophobic partner is driving a wedge in their group.
• Key advice:
  • You can’t change his choices; focus on your own boundaries.

  "Lead a horse to water, you can't make them drink." – Gaten (50:15)

  • Be clear, compassionate, and honest in expressing discomfort about the relationship.

  "I feel like there's a level of toxicity I don't feel comfortable with..." – Chelsea (55:01)

  • If Sam gets engaged, congratulate him, but bring up concerns later in a private, honest conversation.

Question 3: Gifting Money to Friends for a Milestone Trip

Timestamps: 66:22–70:52

• Mimi wants to treat lifelong friends to a girls’ trip for their 40th birthdays but worries about awkwardness in gifting cash.
• Advice:
  • Plan and pay for the trip directly rather than giving money, which can feel like charity or be used differently than intended.

  "When you give people cash, it does set a little bit of a different tone in that relationship, especially when they're not asking for it." – Chelsea (67:48)

  • Emphasize the gift’s spirit (celebrating together), and clarify no reciprocation is expected.

  "It’s not just for them. It’s for you as well." – Gaten (70:27)

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On Pet Preferences:

  "Cat people aren't assholes about dogs. Actually, dog people are assholes about some other dogs." – Chelsea (10:53)

• On Growing Up Onscreen:

  "Now education is prioritized as well of ensuring schooling hours and tutors on set. So it's a very good time if one was to be an actor as a kid." – Gaten (18:36)

• On Handling Friendship Issues:

  "There’s just no reason for it. You have to be around people that love you and that you love, and you have to be nice to strangers and everyone." – Chelsea (54:25)

• On Generational Empathy:

  "Media was so much more aggressively unkind to young women... I acknowledge that there's a lot of privilege that comes along with me saying it's better now for me." – Gaten (25:42)

• On Relationship Longevity:

  "A big key to it was thriving through distance... anytime we travel for work, we know we're coming back to each other here in the city." – Gaten (32:41)

• On Career Path:

  "If I see something I've done before, I probably will not be very interested in it." – Gaten (39:01)

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Closing & Upcoming Projects

Timestamps: 70:53–71:20

• Chelsea praises Gaten as “such a pleasure, what a treat.”
• Encourages listeners to check out Pizza Movie on Hulu and Animal Farm in theaters May 1st.

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Episode Highlights (Quick Timestamps)

• Intro/Catch-up: 04:39–06:29
• Gaten’s Entrance, Adulting Chat: 06:29–07:44
• Pet Banter: 09:12–14:33
• Animal Farm & Pizza Movie Explored: 14:38–20:04
• Media/Social Media Evolution: 23:31–26:52
• Long-term Love & NJ Rivalries: 26:52–33:49
• Bad Career Advice: 34:05–39:44
• AI Slop Meme Advice: 39:49–44:30
• Toxic Relationship Dilemma: 48:54–62:23
• Gift Trip Conundrum: 66:22–70:52

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Takeaway

This episode blends Chelsea’s trademark humor with Gaten’s wisdom and candor, providing listeners with heartening takes on relationships, generosity, and growing up gracefully in the limelight. The advice segments are practical, empathetic, and delivered with the honesty that defines Dear Chelsea. Anyone grappling with similar issues—or just looking for an entertaining and thoughtful listen—will find plenty of value here.

Transcript

[Chelsea Handler]

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[Brandon Dickert]

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[Chelsea Handler]

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[Brandon Dickert]

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[Chelsea Handler]

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[Chelsea Handler]

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[Brandon Dickert]

May 15th, I will be in Saratoga. May 16th, Monterey. May 17th, Modesto, I will be in

[Chelsea Handler]

Port Chester on June 4th. And we added two new dates to the High and Mighty Tour. On June 3rd, I am coming to Saratoga Springs, New York. So a pre sale has begun for that. And then on June 28, I am coming to Nantucket.

[Brandon Dickert]

And pre sale has started on that. June 5, I will be in Boston, Massachusetts.

[Chelsea Handler]

June 12, I will be in Portland, Oregon. And June 13, I will be in Seattle, Washington. June 27, it's going to be Hyannis, Massachusetts.

[Brandon Dickert]

August 6 is Red Bank, New Jersey.

[Chelsea Handler]

August 7, I'm coming home to Montclair, New Jersey. August 15 is Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

[Brandon Dickert]

September 18, Santa Barbara. September 19, San Diego.

[Chelsea Handler]

September 25, I will be at the

[Brandon Dickert]

Beacon in New York City. September 26, I will be in Philadelphia. September 27, New Haven, Connecticut. October 2, Atlanta, Georgia. October 3, Baltimore, Maryland. October 4, Saginaw, Michigan.

[Chelsea Handler]

October 9, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

[Brandon Dickert]

October 10, Toronto, Canada.

[Chelsea Handler]

October 16, I'm coming to Boise, Idaho. October 17, Spokane, Washington.

[Brandon Dickert]

November 7, I will be in San Francisco. And November 13, Salt Lake City. November 20, Austin. November 21, Houston, Texas.

[Chelsea Handler]

November 22, Irving, Texas. December 5, I am adding a second show in Denver for those of you

[Brandon Dickert]

who couldn't get tickets to the first one. And on December 6th, I will be

[Chelsea Handler]

coming to Vancouver, Canada. Okay, those are all my dates for the high and mighty door. Go to chelseahandler.com for tickets. Hi. How are you? Katherine?

[Katherine Law]

Chelsea. I'm great. I'm going to Mexico tomorrow with two of my best girlfriends. We go every year and I cannot wait.

[Brandon Dickert]

T encanta Mexico.

[Chelsea Handler]

I know you love it there. Good for you.

[Brandon Dickert]

This is your annual vagina trip, isn't it?

[Katherine Law]

Exactly. Exactly. I'm gonna drink a lot of margaritas, spicy ones especially, and just lay on a beach for, like, four days. I'm very excited.

[Brandon Dickert]

That's very nice. That sounds very relaxado.

[Katherine Law]

Yeah, it's, like, nice to have time where you know you're gonna be with your girlfriends, especially you know?

[Brandon Dickert]

Absolutely.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Yeah.

[Brandon Dickert]

To get away from Brad.

[Emma (Caller)]

Absolutely. I get it.

[Brandon Dickert]

Every man you need to get. Everyone needs a break from their sleeping

[Chelsea Handler]

partner at one point or another.

[Brandon Dickert]

Except me and Doug, but we don't sleep together. That's why I love him so much.

[Katherine Law]

Oh, right. He, like, sleeps on the porch protecting you. Right? Or like at the bed he sleeps

[Chelsea Handler]

on, wherever is the closest out to the room.

[Brandon Dickert]

He just likes to make sure he knows where I'm going and when I'm coming.

[Katherine Law]

Okay, tell me this, does he, like, follow you into the bathroom? Is he like a protect you in the bathroom boy?

[Chelsea Handler]

No, he follows me a lot, but

[Brandon Dickert]

he doesn't come into, like, the toilet room.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Okay.

[Katherine Law]

I mean, also, you're probably closing the door, I would imagine.

[Brandon Dickert]

Yeah, I am.

[Chelsea Handler]

I don't just whip out my pussy at home and just start peeing everywhere.

[Brandon Dickert]

Although I know some people who do do.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

That.

[Katherine Law]

Takes all kinds.

[Brandon Dickert]

I have shows this weekend. I am going to Nashville, which is sold out, but I'm also going to Durham, North Carolina, that still has some tickets left. And then there's Charleston, South Carolina, which has some tickets. I'm gonna be there this weekend. And also I'll be at the Netflix is a joke festival next Wednesday night at the Sabaam Theater. Are you coming, Catherine? Are you gonna be in Mexico?

[Katherine Law]

No, I'll be in Mexico. I'll be gone. But I'll see you on Friday with Yamanika. We're gonna record with Yamanika on Friday.

[Chelsea Handler]

Oh, fun. Oh, excellent. Love that.

[Katherine Law]

Have a very good time.

[Chelsea Handler]

Okay, great. We have a great, exciting guest. People are gonna love this today.

[Brandon Dickert]

You know him from Stranger Things and he's so ridiculously adorable. I fell in love with him during this interview. He's here promoting his new movies. Two movies. Animal Farm, which is in theaters now, and pizza movie on Hulu.

[Chelsea Handler]

Please welcome Gaten Matarazzo. Hi.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Hi.

[Chelsea Handler]

Long time no see.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

It's been a very long time. How are you?

[Chelsea Handler]

I feel like the last time you and I hung out, we were riding bikes on the Netflix lot. Was that right?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

That sounds about right. That sounds like it was a long time ago too. This is probably right after the first season.

[Chelsea Handler]

So you're a young man.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

A young man. Legally, Yes, I can legally drink alcohol now.

[Chelsea Handler]

23 is legal, so 23, I think, is a young man. When do you think you. When do you think you burst fully into manhood from a male perspective?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

That's subjective. I. I know some 25 year olds who have got their shit together. And I also know some 35 year olds who are like, you can have a few more years of saying that whole young man thing. So I think that's. Yeah, that's. There's. It's hit or miss.

[Katherine Law]

That's such a diplomatic way to say that.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, that was a good way to say that. Actually. I think you're absolutely correct. It really isn't. It's very. It's very individual. Each person, it applies.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

I think a good gauge is to. If somebody tells me they're about be a father and my reaction is, congratulations, you are a grown man. But if it's. Oh, no, then yeah, right. I think there's like a vibe in general.

[Chelsea Handler]

I like that. Do you think you're ready to become a father?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Not. Not even close.

[Brandon Dickert]

I.

[Chelsea Handler]

But is anyone ever ready to have plenty of time?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

I guess that's the whole point, is that no one's really ever ready. You can plan and plan.

[Chelsea Handler]

I mean, nine months isn't long enough to prepare for something like that. Nine months, isn't it? It seems like you would need like two and a half years to actually get your head around. But for women, they don't wanna be pregnant for two and a half years.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

I could imagine nine is already enough. More than enough.

[Chelsea Handler]

My trainer just had a baby and he. How's he doing? It's a pretty dicey situation. I mean, he's pretty excited because obviously, you know, once you have this kid, it's amazing, but he's like. There's basically like one hour of the day that's glorious and that he feels incredible. And the other 23 hours of the day is just them trying to make him sleep or not cry or feed him or get. And I'm like, yeah, asshole. Didn't you fucking hear about that? Did you read the baby books? It's always so surprising to me when men are so surprised by what happens,

[Gaten Matarazzo]

by how difficult it must be to raise a human.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah. Yeah. Well, congrats to you for a. Not being pregnant for. Not yet anyway. You and your significant other, you're not pregnant.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

You're not having a baby yet. Not at this moment.

[Katherine Law]

Just cats.

[Chelsea Handler]

Just cats?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Just cats. All right.

[Chelsea Handler]

You're a cat lover.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

I'm a cat lover. Indeed.

[Chelsea Handler]

Explain yourself.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

I'm an animal lover. I love dogs too. I've grown up with both.

[Chelsea Handler]

Okay, well, I love.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

I have no. I have no preference.

[Chelsea Handler]

I do have a dog.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

This is great. I don't get. I don't think there needs to be a fight. And may I say if these might be Fighting words. The only people I know who make it a fight are dog people. I don't know many cat people who are out to, like, battle dogs, but that must just mean that dogs are better.

[Chelsea Handler]

I mean, you're the underdog or the under cat.

[Katherine Law]

Under cat.

[Chelsea Handler]

And I have.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

I don't know.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Katherine Law]

I do feel like dog people are the only ones that would be like, I actually hate cats when someone says they have cats. Like, cat people would never say that.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

I don't think any cat people are out here being anti dog.

[Katherine Law]

Right, right.

[Chelsea Handler]

How many cats do you guys have?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

I have two cats.

[Chelsea Handler]

Okay.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

So we don't live together. She has a cat and a puppy with her. With her roommate. Does that cat and a dog that coexist very well together? They're very close. They weirdly get along very well. And I have two that are siblings. Two cats.

[Chelsea Handler]

So your girlfriend has one cat and you have two cats?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

I have two cats.

[Chelsea Handler]

And all the three cats intermingle.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

They have. They do. They do very well together. Yes.

[Emma (Caller)]

Oh, good.

[Chelsea Handler]

That's cute.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Which is very nice.

[Katherine Law]

I've heard it can be dicey to adopt sibling cats because then they, like, bond to each other instead of to anyone else.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

They do. They're linked to each other, which is adorable because you get to watch cats, like, cuddle each other and that's always a treat.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah. I mean, watching any animals. You know what? You're right. You're right about. I take. I'm going to take that as a note because you're right. It is dog people who are the assholes about the cats. I think so, too. Cat people aren't assholes about dogs, actually.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Oh, I love dogs.

[Chelsea Handler]

Dog people are assholes about some other dogs.

[Katherine Law]

Yes, for sure.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

That's my thing. I hate the dog breed specification. A part of me is also. I don't know, some people, like, have very specific ideas of what dog breeds they liked or like a golden retriever family or a Pomeranian family. And I'm kind of in the boat. This is funny because my dad has a golden retriever, but I'm kind of in the boat of, like, let's no longer breed dogs and let's just, like, have them all, like, just make more. Make more mutts so that they can be healthier and also unique and fun.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, I mean, that would be nice.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

That would be fun.

[Chelsea Handler]

It feels like we've got lots of

[Gaten Matarazzo]

big problems for the win.

[Chelsea Handler]

We've got a lot of bigger problems to deal with.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

We've got so much to worry about. You're right.

[Chelsea Handler]

But I'm all about rescuing mutts too. All I have are mutts. Although what I have now is. Seems to be a purebred Chow Chow. But he was still a rescue because I went to this chow Chow place and they always hook me up. But he's so luscious and beautiful and handsome.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

He's a gorgeous dog and good.

[Chelsea Handler]

But he's so good looking that I just almost.

[Katherine Law]

He's like a Calvin Klein model.

[Chelsea Handler]

He needs. Yeah, he is. He has to be more public facing, I think.

[Katherine Law]

I think so too.

[Emma (Caller)]

Does he have.

[Chelsea Handler]

Is it.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

The Chow Chows have like the purple tongue.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Is that true?

[Katherine Law]

Yeah.

[Chelsea Handler]

So cute.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Very cool. It's so cute. They're beautiful dogs.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, they are. They're kind of aloof, but this one isn't. This one's a real lover. Yeah, he backs into people. I have one friend in Whistler. His name is Kyle. He's scared of my dog. And so Kyle's not gonna be a friend for very much longer.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Sure. This is understandable. That's. Yeah, days are numbered.

[Chelsea Handler]

That's just annoying. You know what I mean?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Like, that's annoying.

[Chelsea Handler]

He claims that my dog bit him. My dog never bit him. He nipped at him because he came up from behind him. My dog has bitten somebody. But this was when he was young and I sent him back to school for that.

[Katherine Law]

He's chilled out.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, he's chilled out for sure.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Well, sometimes that's just how it goes. It's hard work taking care of an animal and making sure that they're in a good state to be around other people. Sometimes it's a. It's a trudge. I respect those who take their time doing it because, like, sometimes people are like, oh, cute. I'll just get like a fluffy living teddy bear. And they're like, oh, this is a creature with. With habits and. And likes and dislikes and boundaries that you have to figure out.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yes, exactly. Yes. You do have to figure them out. Or you have to lay down the law and be like, these are the rules. Let's do it.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Especially with dogs.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah. You have to give them.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

You can't really train cats. I mean, you can. You can get them accustomed to affection, but you can't command cats. You can't make them sit. They don't register weird, like positive. They don't register positive reinforcement. They're like, give me a place to poop and eat and then I'll decide if I like you.

[Chelsea Handler]

If you really like cats, you should go to Istanbul. There are cats all over the city. Dogs too, but more cats. And in the restaurants, they come up and they sit on the thing. I mean, I'm not one of those people who goes crazy when there's animals around. Like, I'm not upset if there's animals in a restaurant.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Oh, I get excited about it.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah. Like, I don't care either way. I'm just like, whatever. I'm not gonna be like, get away from me. And a lot of the women there, like, at different restaurants were, like, freaking out because I guess, you know, maybe they can carry worms or something.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

But also, what's crazy is, like, I'm very much a believer of indoor cats because they are. When released out into the world, they're. They're invasive species. They kill. They're murderers of birds. Yeah, they kill a bunch of birds. They overpopulate like crazy. And so I'm very much in favor of, like, any of, like. Well, there's like, the catch and release, like, stray situation where they'll, like, neuter, like, strays and then release them back out. So there's not, like, a bunch of new kittens because they repopulate like crazy. And they kill, like, so many birds, like, in the billions.

[Chelsea Handler]

Oh, God, they're fast.

[Katherine Law]

They're full murderers.

[Brandon Dickert]

Yeah, yeah.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

They're out here. They're doing it. They're nuts.

[Chelsea Handler]

I saw it. I saw it in Istanbul. He was climbing a tree. This little cat was climbing a tree. And there was a bird at the end, and the birds were. And the cat just kept inching forward and forward. I'm like, is this bird gonna get a clue or what?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

No, that's. Yeah, that's. That's on them. They gotta be cautious.

[Chelsea Handler]

Okay, let's talk about your projects. Gaten, you have a lot coming up. I know, I know. It's like a veterinarian school. So you have two big projects coming up. Everyone knows you, obviously, from Stranger Things. You were on that show for how many years? 10 years.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

I was on that show now. It's been over 10 years. Yeah.

[Chelsea Handler]

Okay, so you. And then. But you've also done a lot of Broadway, which I want to hit because you've done musicals. And that was surprising to me about you. But let's talk about Animal the movie. You have that coming out. You have pizza movie, but you have Animal Farm. So I haven't read Animal Farm in a long time because that was kind of a book you read during school. Yeah, right.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Yes, it was junior year. I read it.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah. So why don't you give me a. Can you break down like the kind of encapsulate what the book is about? I know it's about communism and Pop Quiz, but I'd like a fresh update.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Right, yeah. So it's about. It's one of Orwell's classics of telling the story of. Well, it was mainly based on the Russian Revolution and its growth and its development into communism, but it's told through the lens of a farm that has the goal of being self sufficient apart from humans. And it's brilliant and terrifying and incredibly insightful. And I, I was kind of became obsessed with it when I was in junior year. I think a lot of times when you receive a book for school specifically, your immediate reaction is to be like. And it was one of those. That's just impossible not to be intrigued by. And I've always loved it. I've read it a number of times. I read it several times when I was in school and when I was approached with the project I jumped back into it a number of times. It's also a very fast read. It's probably, I think some copies are even under a hundred pages. And it's, yeah, very easy to just devour and also a tough one to tackle in making a movie because they tried it several times and it's never really quite landed. And I saw the team involved, I saw that Andy was spearheading. Andy Serkis, of course, was spearheading the project.

[Chelsea Handler]

Give us some background about Andy Serkis.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Andy's an incredible creative, a wonderful director, an incredible actor. I think a lot of people will know his work. He's very famous for the motion capture style of acting where he was famous for leading the Planet of the Apes prequel trilogy and like Gollum in Lord

[Katherine Law]

of the Rings and playing Gollum in

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Lord of the Rings, of course. And what's really been. He's one of the most captivating actors I've ever had. I mean, a lot of actors will probably reference him when talking about seeing somebody who doesn't really seem to have a ceiling anytime you see him, it's kind of the epitome of just letting go of everything. He has the ability to kind of become inhuman in the best way. It's insane and incredible to watch and intimidating. And if you're going to have a certain person's brain to kind of capture such a human story through the lens of not humans, it really does feel like Andy's the best person to tackle it. And it was kind of a no brainer when it was Approached just to be able to work with him and work with this team and this incredible cast around it. And it's always one of those where anytime you jump into something that's so loved, respected, and a book that's quite feared, it's always going to be a swing. And I really think that that's the only way you can approach this. You can't safely approach making a film of Animal Farm. You have to kind of jump in headfirst and have your take. And it was a pleasure to do. It was cool.

[Chelsea Handler]

First of all, great explanation, Kate. Thank you.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Well, I'm glad.

[Chelsea Handler]

That was very comprehensive.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Okay, cool.

[Chelsea Handler]

You're very impressive, by the way. Yeah, you have your shit really together, which is, you know, it's just so nice to see children actors. And I think we're living in a different time because we saw so many people have such a hard time with fame early on. And I don't know if it's more musicians or more actors, but I think it kind of bleeds into both. But it's so nice to see all of you kids from Stranger Things grow up and be normal, successful, like functioning adults. It's really nice.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

I mean, child labor laws is a dream come true. I think there's a lot more of an emphasis on ensuring that kids jumping into the industry do so safely and under quality supervision with sensible working hours. And now education is prioritized as well of ensuring schooling hours and tutors on set. So it's a very good time if one was to be an actor as a working actor, as a kid. It's a safer time to do it now than it ever has been. So we're very lucky.

[Chelsea Handler]

Does it make you feel like as you grow, as we're talking about this pizza movie, which is the premises that you guys have, I'm not really giving anything away right. If I put the trailer. So you guys are.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

It's a hard two. It's a wild movie.

[Chelsea Handler]

You're taking a drug. Is it the 5D meot? Is that the drug you're taking or

[Gaten Matarazzo]

is it this is experimental fictional drug that is found and left there by the previous tenant of the dorm that they both find and after a really crappy day, they both have and my character Jack, looking to get obliterated. As a lot of college age kids do, they agree after minimal research to take this drug, only to come to terms with the fact that it's actually going to cause a hellish nightmare of an evening unless they fill their stomachs with food.

[Chelsea Handler]

Pizza to be More specific pizza.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

To be more specific, the plot convenience is referenced and very much understandable. You gotta watch it. We're aware.

[Katherine Law]

It's a simple enough structure that you can watch it while probably very stoned, right?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Oh, of course. Are you kidding? It's the ideal way to do so.

[Katherine Law]

Yes.

[Brandon Dickert]

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[Chelsea Handler]

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[Chelsea Handler]

now. Do you feel pressure for being a public figure as a child, growing up into an adult? Now that you're 23 years old, do you or have you felt pressure about your image and maintaining this kind of like, childlike image? Like, are you freely allowed to talk about drugs? Do you freely talk about drugs? Like, now that all that stuff is legal? Like, how does one in your position approach that?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

That's a good question, I think was also this is a testament to the standards that people hold towards child actors, which is, I think, back a long time ago. I would really suggest a lot of times the image of child actors growing up and kind of ruining whatever it is that they had built was kind of encouraged from a media standpoint. They wanted to look for those stories and they were almost excited by that tabloid. And so anything that they could to kind of switch it around towards that department was kind of prioritized. I think a lot of times kids did struggle, but a lot of it, if you'll talk to people who grew up in the industry, was very much overblown or even fabricated. And now I think because interaction between public figures and the people that enjoy what they do for a living is kind of more personal rather than there's no like, middleman to middlemen of media, like telling you what to think about people. You can kind of just say it outwardly how you feel about something your perspective on things. There's not really a desire to see kids go through obliterating their self image, which is refreshing. But nowadays if somebody who's 19 in college has a picture of them smoking a joint, it's like, oh yeah, I did too in college. There isn't really anything super. It's not really a tablet anymore. So I guess talking about stuff like that openly has been less of a. Of a faux pas or less stressful of late when there's a lot more understanding around the subject.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, I'm wondering if there's a relationship between that and social media because during the Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan era, like there was not. That was right before all of social media began. So I wonder if now because that there's so much less mystique behind everyone like you kind of are. And also cannabis is legal now and.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

But also media was so much more, I have to acknowledge, because it was so much more aggressively unkind to young women in the industry than it was to the men constantly. So it's not like I could just be like, yeah, it's great now when there are female colleagues of mine who consistently have to deal with not just a lot more pressure, but predatory behavior from media still. So that's a whole different ball game. I'm very. I acknowledge that there's a lot of privilege that comes along with. With me saying it's better now for me, it is. I'm very lucky in that position. But it's. There's still a lot of work to go in that department.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah. Well, good for you for saying that. You're absolutely right. This is the difference between men under 40 and men over 40. Or. No, I think the iPhone update hasn't hit men over 50. Right. Like they need an iPhone update about wokeness, about terminology, about respecting other people's differences. And then men, I think, like below the age of 40 seem to be much more with it. Maybe 30, maybe below 30. Because that's a different generation. I'm just trying to include the guy I'm dating right now. But, you know, I mean, he's 37, so it doesn't really work that way.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Yeah, I gotta cut us some slack, Gaten.

[Chelsea Handler]

You've been with your girlfriend for. Can we talk about your girlfriend or you cool to talk?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

I would love to. I love that girl.

[Chelsea Handler]

You've been a. That's so sweet.

[Emma (Caller)]

Love it.

[Chelsea Handler]

You've been together for eight years.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Yeah, we have.

[Chelsea Handler]

What the. So you started dating when you were nine?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

It seems like it, yeah. We were 15 when we started dating. Isn't that nuts?

[Chelsea Handler]

How did you meet Wild?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

We went to school together.

[Chelsea Handler]

Just regular school?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

No, we went to school. We went to. We grew up in the same hometown.

[Chelsea Handler]

In New Jersey?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Yeah, in Jersey.

[Chelsea Handler]

I'm from Jersey. I'm from Livingston. Where are you from?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Oh, cool. I'm from. Do you ever hear of Tuckerton, New Jersey?

[Chelsea Handler]

It's so fucking weird that there are so.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

It's down south. It's about 10 minutes inland of LBi.

[Chelsea Handler]

There are so many cities in New Jersey that I've never heard of. Meanwhile, it's one of the smallest cities.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

It's a very tiny town.

[Chelsea Handler]

All you do is you just. I'm constantly meeting people from cities I've never heard of. And I grew up there.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Right.

[Chelsea Handler]

So strange.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

It's a bigger state than people realize.

[Chelsea Handler]

I guess so.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

For sure.

[Chelsea Handler]

I guess so.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

A lot of people.

[Chelsea Handler]

So you grew up by LBi?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Yeah, not too far. About like 20 minute drive.

[Chelsea Handler]

What do you think is the most New Jersey thing about you?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Oh, man, that's a good question. I fully believe that central Jersey exists and there's a debate there, like, do you ever hear this debate? As if Central Jersey doesn't really exist as a place.

[Chelsea Handler]

I think I missed that.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

North or south? You don't know this debate?

[Chelsea Handler]

No. Tell me.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Well, there's a debate that Central Jersey doesn't exist and I just am in the boat that you can't really call Princeton or Trenton or Red Bank. You can't call them north or South Jersey.

[Chelsea Handler]

Okay.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

It just wouldn't make sense. So I think that they lie in. In central Jersey and people from central Jersey, usually across the board, I can't speak for everyone, firmly believe it exists. There's a pretty firm dividing line. But also, do you know the pork Roll Taylor ham debate?

[Chelsea Handler]

Excuse me?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Come on, Chelsea. The Pork Roll Taylor ham debate.

[Chelsea Handler]

No.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

You know the substance Pork roll? I can only call it a substance.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yes. Yes, you can.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Yes.

[Katherine Law]

I don't know what this is as

[Gaten Matarazzo]

a Midwestern is a processed meat product usually made in a classic breakfast sandwich, which is like a classic, like meat, egg and cheese combo.

[Katherine Law]

Okay.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

It's pork, egg and cheese. You fry it up. It's. It looks to the eye like bologna but has more of. I'm trying to think of the text. It's got more of a Spam to it.

[Chelsea Handler]

It's like Spam.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

It's kind of similar. It's like Spam but kind of bitey or not as mushy. And it's very salty. I Feel like if you grow up with it, you love it. If you'd never had it before, you're like, what is the sensory overload? I'm obsessed with it. I do a little catch of salt and pepper as well, but people from South Jersey usually call it pork roll, and people from North Jersey call it Taylor Ham. And I'm in the pork roll boat.

[Chelsea Handler]

I see.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

All right.

[Chelsea Handler]

Okay. Pork roll versus Taylor Ham. Okay. Thank you for breaking that down.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

This is true. Absolutely. This is a great little Jersey seminar.

[Chelsea Handler]

I know.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

This is fun. What else is a big debate on, like, what Reasonably, what sports teams you should like.

[Chelsea Handler]

Okay.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Because I grew up in Philly territory.

[Chelsea Handler]

Oh, yeah.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

But my dad's from Paterson, and so I'm New York sports across the board because he grew up, up north, where New York sports were the thing. But now. But there's also. The Devils are, like, one of Jersey's only teams, so it's like, people dog on me for not being a Devils fan because I grew up in Jersey and there's not many Jersey teams, but it's inherited. So bunch of new fun, fun topics.

[Chelsea Handler]

What about baseball? Who are you into baseball? Mets or Yankees?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Mets. I'm a Mets guy.

[Chelsea Handler]

Okay. I'm a Mets person, too. I think that's a Jersey thing. Most Jersey people are very Jersey.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Long Island.

[Chelsea Handler]

And then what about. But what about the Knicks?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

I love the Knicks for sure. I don't watch a lot of basketball, but when I do, I root for the Knicks for sure. I don't want to, like, claim I know a ton. I'm a big hockey guy more than anything.

[Chelsea Handler]

Oh, that's funny. We just bet on a hockey game.

[Katherine Law]

My.

[Chelsea Handler]

The guy I'm dating is a big gambler, so I like to gamble. He likes to gamble in whatever cities I'm in. And I just. We just bet on our first hockey game. What city was I in? Not Cleveland. Columbus. Columbus.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Columbus. Blue Jackets.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, Blue Jackets. And we won.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Yeah. You won?

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

They've been on a heater. They've been very good of late, which is fun to watch because that. That team deserves it. They've been very bad for a very long time, so it's good to see.

[Chelsea Handler]

Well, with a name like Blue Jackets, I mean, how far can you really get?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Fun, though. They're cool. Every time they score a goal, a cannon fires in the stad.

[Chelsea Handler]

Oh, really? In an ice rink?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

It's awesome.

[Chelsea Handler]

That's interesting.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Well, not like there's no projectile within the cannon, but like a cannon fire, and it's cool. And all their theming is like, they're based off of, like, the blue jackets that the American army wore during the revolution.

[Chelsea Handler]

That's like the whole military reference. I remember looking this up because I was like, is this racist? They're a fun team.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

They're a fun team.

[Chelsea Handler]

Gaten. Okay, back to your. Back to your girlfriend. Eight years. I want to know, so how does one. I can't believe you've survived this long with your relationship from that young age. Survive is a funny word from that young age. Well, the two of you, I mean, not one of you. I mean, you managed to stick together. She's an actor too. You've managed to stay together for eight years. I mean, that's very unusual. So let's discuss how that works for you.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

That's great. Well, we communicate really, really well. And I think a big key to it was thriving through distance. And that's kind of what we were thrust into early on was I was working on the show and she was also simultaneously pursuing and starting her own career in a similar industry. In the same industry. So so much of our work has to do with us leaving the city and being able to communicate through that and do it very well was kind of a telltale sign that this was working pretty well. Because it's very rare that I think it can feel good because that's usually what, Like a lot of times long distance relationships usually just get like, they fizzle out because it's so hard not being in the same city as your person. And what's great is that our home base is the same. So anytime we go and travel for work, we know we're coming back to each other here in the city.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, but you don't live together.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

We don't live together. We live very close to each other.

[Chelsea Handler]

Okay, well, that might be another reason why it's working out so well. Because I do think I'm with you on the distance. I only like lunchtime. I like that. I think it's good to miss people. It makes you appreciate.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

I think it's tough.

[Chelsea Handler]

It is hard, but it's worth it, I think, because, you know, when I'm working, I don't really want anybody up my ass. I want to be like, alone when I'm working.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

I think because we work in the same industry, that that is something that comes. Because it's such a weird industry to make your living doing. It's such a weird one that not a lot of people know the ins and outs of. And so we both work in similar environments. And we can talk about each other's day to each other. It's very rare you'll come across a person who kind of gets what that looks like. And so that also helps quite a bit.

[Chelsea Handler]

But it's also very rare. I mean, it's not. It's not completely unheard of, but it's very rare to grow up with someone, because that's essentially what you guys have done. If you met when you were 15 years old in high school and now you're 23, like, that is crazy. Cause you've seen each other kind of, you know, become a man. A young man and a young woman.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

We became adults together. It's bizarre.

[Chelsea Handler]

Mm. Yeah. So that's nice. I'm glad to hear that. Good for you. Congrats on your relationship and the success of it.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Thank you very much. I appreciate it very much. She's a wonderful woman. I hope you get to meet her. She's really cool.

[Chelsea Handler]

I'm sure one day I will. I am sure I will. We're gonna about to go into the advice section of this, but on the subject of advice, can you think of the worst piece of advice you've ever gotten?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

That's a really good question.

[Chelsea Handler]

I have one. I'll start.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Oh, please. Shoot.

[Chelsea Handler]

While I was. I don't know if I've said this on this podcast, but maybe I don't think so. I'm sure I said it on someone else's. I was. Did stand up for the very first time of my life. I got a DUI when I was 21 years old. Congrats on not getting one of heck.

[Obagi Medical Representative]

Yeah.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Thank you very much.

[Chelsea Handler]

You're welcome. And I had to go to DUI school, where they would make everyone get up and tell your DUI story. So at this class, I was very, very scared of public speaking. Very scared to get up. I had never thought about doing anything like that. Like, I came to Hollywood, and I just thought someone would just decide that I should be successful or famous. And I instead would hide every week during the class. Cause I was so nervous about speaking publicly and telling my DUI story, which was absolutely absurd and ridiculous. I was literally in front of. Of my house and didn't know it.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

That's awesome.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah. So I go to DUI school, which is every Thursday, where they shame you, basically, you know about your dui, which is appropriate, but they also weirdly teach you how to get out of your next one. If and when you do, they're like, oh, good.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

That seems like an interesting route to take where it's like, all right, that's

[Chelsea Handler]

what I was thinking.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Get better at doing this.

[Chelsea Handler]

That's exactly what I was thinking, Kate. They were like, you. But if you do get caught, they go, if you do get caught, just no matter what, as soon as you admit to one drink, then they have the right to pull you out and give you a. And I was like, okay, this guy seems like he's on our team.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

This is a program for and by people with DUIs.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yes, yes, exactly. So then, anyway, I got up on stage at the very last class. I was trying to avoid it. He caught me. I get on stage, I tell my DUI story, which was crazy and silly, and I spent, like, two days in women's prison because the systems had shut down. So.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Jesus Christ.

[Chelsea Handler]

I couldn't get bailed out. I called the cop racist. We were both white. Like, it was just a hot mess. So I get on this stage, I'm telling this story. Thank you. And everyone is laughing. And I get off stage and, like, a few people came up to me and they're like, hey, you're really funny. You should do standup comedy. You should do it. And I was like, oh, I had never thought about it. I was like, okay, I'll take advice. I was like, that might be a good outlet for me. So I go. The next week, I go to the Laugh Factory. You have to wait in line. And I get on stage, and then Jamie Masada, who runs the Laugh Factory, comes and reviews your performance. And after I did my three minute set, he told me that I should wear a bird on my shoulder or I should have a bird on my shoulder to set me apart from other pretty girls. And I thought, that's. I knew in that moment this is some of the worst advice I've ever gotten.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Wait, what is. Was that a figurative bird?

[Chelsea Handler]

No, it was a bird. He said I should get something to put on my shoulder, perhaps a bird.

[Katherine Law]

Cause this was like, back in the day when, like, people would wear a silly hat or they'd like a gimmick like that.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Like a visual gimmick?

[Chelsea Handler]

Yes, exactly, a gimmick. And so that was bad. You got anything like that?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

It does sound bad. One thing that I got, and the thing is, is that I think this piece of advice is coming from a very good place. And I think that for some people, it would work if their goals aligned with this, but it just didn't for me. One thing that somebody told me, like, right as Stranger Things was getting very popular, and a lot of people Started to recognize me as Dustin from Stranger Things, which continues to happen and will continue to happen. As far as people notice me from the things I do, that will be the primary thing they mention, which I love. Completely fine with. The advice I got was, ride it, like, to the end of the earth. Play characters like that always and forever, and don't try to do anything else because it'll come across as lame. I was like, what? He's like, just be that. Just do that. And you'll work as long as you could possibly want to if you just do that guy.

[Chelsea Handler]

So basically become pigeonholed, kind of.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Yes. He was like, I know people are going to tell you not to, but do it. It's a guarantee of consistent work. And I understand that mindset. I understand because, like. And you know what? To give him credit, a lot of the things that would come through throughout my filming process of that were just things I'd seen before of like, we saw you do this, and we know you have this in your toolbox, so can you come and do it here? And I understand that segue because a lot of people spend so much of their time trying to find a way to make consistent work doing this. But the way I started to look at it was I found myself in a very fortunate, very lucky position, having worked on a show as successful as Stranger Things, that now I actually have the option and the ability to decide what it is I would like to work on and how I would like to represent myself as an actor outside of it. And so kind of a part of me was. I took that. I was like, I don't really think that that would make me very happy. And I have the ability to. To work with the priority of making myself happy, which I'm very fortunate to be in that situation. So now I kind of weirdly approach it with the polar opposite mindset that if I see something I've done before, I probably will not be very interested in it. And I really only gravitate towards things that seem like they would be a pretty stark challenge to me. So maybe it did inherently kind of give me a bit of, like, reverse psychology of, like, I'll show you.

[Chelsea Handler]

Was it an actor that gave you that advice?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

This was a producer.

[Katherine Law]

They said they were like, that feels like producer advice.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

This was just somebody at a cocktail party that. Whose name I don't really remember, Right? And they were like, come here, let me tell you something. I'm like, okay.

[Katherine Law]

But also, like, what foresight to hear that and be like, oh, no, no, that's actually not good advice for me.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

I think after hearing it, I immediately knew for me, I was like, ah, I'm good in that department. Which, yeah, so that was for me, some of the worst advice I think I got.

[Chelsea Handler]

That's good bad advice. Thank you for reminding me.

[Brandon Dickert]

It's good bad advice.

[Chelsea Handler]

I think it's good bad advice. Okay, what do we got, Katherine?

[Katherine Law]

All right, well, we have some advice questions. Our first one is our one drink question. My bestie won't stop sending me AI slop memes that she, quote, made. She'll make them of us showing us doing something silly. She'll make them of some offhand comment one of us made. The thing is, they're never funny and I feel guilty about the harm it's doing to the planet to make personalized memes that are deeply stupid. How do I ask her to stop sending these without hurting her feelings?

[Chelsea Handler]

Yana blame it on the planet. Yana just blame it on the planet. Say this is real.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

That's a good start.

[Chelsea Handler]

You should just go first of all, you can go and find out exactly what happens. Anytime you ask any of these AI platforms for ask them a question, tell them what happens on one of these lithium farms. Hopefully you don't have to go on one of these AI things to get the answer because you get like the

[Gaten Matarazzo]

AI chat answer for it.

[Chelsea Handler]

But they will tell you I did do it.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

It will tell you.

[Katherine Law]

I will tell you how bad it is.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, just.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Just send to them immediately without any other response. Just send them the estimated amount of water it took to make that meme.

[Chelsea Handler]

Exactly.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

And just send that back. That's a really fun. That's a great new way that like the conversation around it has been dominated when really the internal vibe is really. I just don't want to deal with. This is insufferable. Please don't do this. I think sometimes you just gotta hurt people's feelings.

[Chelsea Handler]

I also. But I also think that this is a great way to end all of it. Like you sending her that back is pretty clear about we. I don't want to see these anymore.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Also just say that I don't enjoy this.

[Chelsea Handler]

Forget about the content. But I think there's a bigger like there's an opportunity to say two things. I don't like this. And I also am again using AI for stupid shit like this. I mean I try not to use AI ever. Once I found out what that. What's entailed.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

That's a pretty new conversation.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, like people are being affected in rural Communities where they're building these lithium farms, they can't get clean water.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Pretty hardcore.

[Chelsea Handler]

It's pretty bad. So that should be.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

It seems pretty hardcore. Yeah. So that's, I think, enough. But I do understand that the personal dilemma comes from, good Lord, do I find these unfunny? And that's a different conversation. Because that might be bound to come up. Like, you can say it's about the water waste, which is very much a valid concern, but then you know that it's going to shift. You know, it's going to be like. But you like the memes. Right?

[Katherine Law]

Right.

[Chelsea Handler]

And then not so much. The answer's not that much.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

No. Maybe just white lie.

[Chelsea Handler]

No. I think you go full throttle.

[Katherine Law]

I like your first answer.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Hurt someone's feelings if you tell them that you don't find them funny and they get past it and are okay with it in the long run. They're a good friend. Right. They'll be fine.

[Katherine Law]

You know what? I think you're funny. I don't think the memes are funny. Maybe that's the.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Even if that's a lie, that's also a good.

[Katherine Law]

Isn't it?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Right.

[Chelsea Handler]

I have a friend who forwards me videos that are very unfunny and I never respond. And they stopped. There you go. Yeah. I'm just like, this is not funny. And I can't even respond because I don't have the energy to even tell you that.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

I love when my mom will send me a video and it's clearly AI. That's a classic. Oh, I love it so much. I remember I was over for Christmas and she shows me this video of a cat swatting a bear in their backyard. And it's like, watch this cat save this toddler from this bear in the backyard. I'm like, mom, this is insane that you think this is real. Literally.

[Chelsea Handler]

I.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

She's like, no, it's not. So is. And you know what's funny? She didn't, like, fight me on it. It dawned on her instantly. She accepted her fate fully outright. I said, this is AI. She went, that makes sense. Okay, great. Thank you so much.

[Chelsea Handler]

It's also like when you see a humpback whale jump onto a boat. Like, obviously, you should fucking know that that's not serious.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

You know, that would have hit news, that would have broke news if a humpback whale destroyed a boat in the open ocean.

[Chelsea Handler]

I kept sending my friend these pictures of these trains, like, in Lapland. I just got back from Lapland, Finland, because I wanted to see the northern Lights and they had all these.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Oh, was it.

[Chelsea Handler]

It was gorgeous. It was absolutely stunning. Stunning.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

I've been to Ivalo. I don't know if that's, that's close, but Ivalo's up in the Arctic Circle and I went with my family to hopefully see the northern lights, which we did not. But it was still a wonderful trip.

[Chelsea Handler]

Oh, I'm sorry you didn't get to see those.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

It's okay.

[Chelsea Handler]

It's a long way to go.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

We ate cool food and went like scurrying through the woods with reindeer. It was awesome.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, there's lots of reindeer. I didn't know reindeer were real until I got to Lapland fully.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

They're small too. They're like big dogs.

[Chelsea Handler]

Oh, really? I didn't get to see any.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

They're like very large dogs.

[Chelsea Handler]

Wow.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

They're like waist height.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, they were. We were with a lot of reindeer farmers and they're on the menu, so

[Gaten Matarazzo]

I think actually I ate a bit of reindeer.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, well, I mean, when you're, you know, when you're there, you may as well do it.

[Katherine Law]

I'm in Lapland.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, in Lapland or in the Arctic Circle.

[Brandon Dickert]

Listen, I have access to the top dermatologists, high end treatments, beauty experts, all of it. But what's interesting in those circles is that the conversation has shifted. Now the talk is about extending the longevity of youthful looks way before more invasive options and the latest science from the Mayo Clinic Proceedings plus Stanford University. Not only do we know now that visible aging happens in bursts, one day you look and feel like yourself, and the next, well, no. But we also know that the way our skin looks is a mirror to our overall wellness. That's why people in the industry are talking about Exosomes as the most innovative solution to younger, firmer looking skin. Plated is one of the brands that really stands out. Their Exosome technology has won countless beauty awards as well as innovations awards, including Time Best invention. Plated has over 10 peer reviewed clinical studies, data showing remarkable results on real people in just weeks. Plated is clinically proven to reduce the visible signs of aging and deliver younger, brighter and firmer looking skin. This is more than skin care. It's a cosmetic treatment in a bottle. Visit platedskinscience.com for business owners and entrepreneurs,

[Chelsea Handler]

there is a constant challenge getting things done fast and done well. Why not have both? That's why Wix Harmony stands out. It's an AI website builder that helps create a website quickly without compromising your vision. A fully functional site can be built for any business just by describing the idea. Then you can choose to chat with AI or edit everything manually to get it exactly right. There's also Aria, an AI agent available to answer questions or help complete tasks. And here's what makes it even better. Aria doesn't just live in a chat box. You can click click anywhere on your site and ask her to make changes instantly. It's these details that make creating with Wix Harmony feel seamless. Join millions of businesses already using Wix and try WIX Harmony for [e-mail] harmony that's wix.com harmony when it's time to get a new car, where do you start? Car shopping can be, honestly, a little overwhelming, but it should be fun. Buying your next car should be exciting. And it can be. And if you can remember one thing, it it's cars.com My dad was a used car salesman, so I know way more than I want to about the car buying process. And that means I also know how to get a good deal. And that's also why I'm uniquely qualified to tell you how easy it is to find the Perfect car on Cars.com Cars.com has the tools and expert advice to help you figure out what vehicle is right for you. Their site is super easy to use, and their advanced search filters allow you to filter over 2 million new and used cars to find the exact car that you're looking for. Every review is written by a real person, reflecting a real life experience. That's how you know you can trust the dealerships on cars.com cars.com features transparent deal ratings, including tools and badges to help shoppers understand the price of a vehicle and find the best deal. Finding a good deal is pretty important, and by understanding how a car's price compares to others in the area, Cars.com will help seal the deal. So don't take any chances. Do car shopping the easy way. Start your search with cars.com where to next? Longevity is getting a lot of attention right now, especially when it comes to what we put into our bodies. But one of the most visible signs of aging shows up on the skin, and it's associated with a decline in cellular energy. That's why Obagi Medical approaches longevity skin care differently. As skin loses energy over time, it doesn't regenerate or renew itself as efficiently, and that's when you start to see changes like dullness, fine lines, and loss of firmness. Trusted by dermatologists for over 35 years, Obagi is innovating with skin longevity at the skin cell level. Their breakthrough new gen cellular renewal serum is formulated with their proprietary age control complex and powered by NAD to support skin's natural renewal processes and help address multiple visible signs of aging. Ooh la la. In clinical testing, skin appeared up to six years younger after 12 weeks of use. If you're looking to support skin longevity with a clinically backed approach, learn [e-mail] and new customers can use code Chelsea15 for 15% off qualifying orders. Terms apply.

[Katherine Law]

Well, our first caller today is Emma. She says my best best friend is dating a monster and it's pushing us apart. We've been as as siblings since we were kids. Sam, male, 37, started dating this woman about two years ago. Funnily enough, my friend group actually introduced them. She's quite a bit younger, 24, so it didn't even occur to us that something serious would come from it. But boy were we wrong. They moved pretty fast and within a couple months she was with him all the time. We were a tight knit group so all of a sudden the girls and I couldn't do anything without her being pushed on us by Sam. Sam. We're a welcoming group, but that was the first red flag. Sam's super charismatic, but when he'd be his sweet, silly self, she would roll her eyes and tell him to stop because it was embarrassing to her. Cut to a few more months in and Sam is crying to us drunk about how hateful she is, not just to him but to the people in in his life. The next weekend, it's as if nothing is wrong. The final straw was when she started posting fantankai marriage stuff incessantly on socials. My best friend in our group is a lesbian. So basically this resulted in us confronting Sam and saying how can you actually be with someone who thinks this way and told him she's not welcome in my home. This has led to Sam hanging out with us solo and he's just not himself anymore. I don't want to lose him, but I don't know how to navigate this phase of our friendship. I know love is blind, but my God this is hard to watch.

[Chelsea Handler]

Emma, what do you think? Gaten, what do you have to say about this?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

I do love that so much of the conversation has slipped towards understanding that it is like days were numbered if this continues and like being very well aware to like prioritize yourself in the situation that you can lead a horse to water and you can't make them drink and like whatever makes them happy makes them happy. If that's what they insist on. I mean, it's very clear that this person doesn't seem super stoked about the situation that they're in. But a lot of times jumping out of those can feel very complicated. So I think that, yeah, prioritizing the friends that are being actively affected by the toxicity of it is a gray call. And starting with that of maybe approaching the conversation to Sam with a bit of an immediate accountability, an immediate, like, consequence or an ultimatum of understanding, like, hey, this is negatively affecting people that we all collectively care about. And to not acknowledge is selfish. And it's kind of just bringing up the point of, like, do you want to give up something with so much history, with so many people, with so much love involved for the sake of. Of. Of one thing that obviously is clearly not benefiting your mental health? Maybe, like, putting it into a perspective of that, of choosing one over a whole bunch of other great stuff that's already been in your life is. Is a way to approach the beginning of that conversation. It's gonna suck. It's not gonna be a fun conversation.

[Chelsea Handler]

What conversations have you had thus far, Emma?

[Emma (Caller)]

About, like, six months ago, we kind of did give him the come to Jesus talk of being like, hey, this is exactly what you said. Like, this is the stuff that she's saying behind your back. This is the stuff that she's. Because we all. It's kind of like a bunch of mutual friends and all that. So, like, she's going and saying things hateful about even us to other people that she thinks isn't going to get back to us, but they're like, hey, this girl sucks. And she's, like, tearing y' all down every time that, you know, she can. And so it basically came to us being like, hey, Sam, she's saying this stuff.

[Chelsea Handler]

Stuff.

[Emma (Caller)]

It's pretty bad. Like, I don't want her around anymore. And all that did was make her. Or make him go to his girlfriend and say, hey, they're saying all this stuff. She says they're lying. And then now we just don't overlap at all. And that's my question, is, is this, like, the way it has to be now? Just being inauthentic is really hard for me to do. And it's just like, now I just get to see my, you know, once, like, close to my brother, basically, as a friend, like, once a month, if that. And he's just texting her the whole time because she's asking what he's doing. So it's like, now the friendship is kind of, like, half Watered down. They've been together two years, fam. Like, they're about to get married.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Oh, that's the thing that's gonna happen soon.

[Emma (Caller)]

Well, I assume they're not engaged, right? But, like, you know, the writing is on the wall and it's like, do I just keep on living like this and just, you know, every once in a while get a little bit too liquored up and tell him that his girlfriend sucks?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

That's what's so frustrating about it, is that this whole situation, as far as outcomes go, is completely up to Sam. You know what I mean? Like, you can. You can lay out your concerns to Sam and go over. Of course, I'm sure you've gone over the details as to what is clearly toxic about the situation. Not only about behaviors on his part, but also of. Of the toxicity involved on her part and the way she thinks about the world around her and how negatively that affects people. Sam already loves, which is a real shame. But when you're placed in a situation that ultimately is going to be his decision, no matter how much you lay it out, and if it's not getting through and it's just consistently sucking all the time, then maybe letting that be known to Sam would be like, this is getting to be too much for me or us to actively contribute to on a regular basis. And so it's not something we can consistently involve ourselves in anymore. And that's gonna suck. That's a terrible conversation to have. But maybe it's the wake up call that Sam needs. And if it doesn't, then that's lame of Sam. And then maybe that's not a person you want to actively have a very consistent friendship with if they're not willing to go up to bat for the people that they love.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah, it's also toxic. You're in a toxic situation because she's, like, talking about you behind your back, you and your group of friends. She's treating him badly. So, like, that's all toxicity. And if it's leading to marriage, then, like, that's a good reason to back away from that relationship. Like, I would say, while that's sad, I just don't think there's room in this current state of affairs that we're all living in for any extra negative energy. Like, there's just no reason for it. You have to be around people that love you and that you love, and you have to be nice to strangers and everyone. And you know what I mean? Like, we're doubling down on kindness, in my opinion, to kind of Counteract all the darkness that's out there so you don't have time for this kind of drama. And I would. I would just let him know that in a really loving way, like, I really love you. I care about our friendship. I. We talked to you about this six months ago. I don't want to give you an ultimatum. I'm your friend, not your girlfriend. But this relationship doesn't sit well, you know, whether you do it with a group of your friends. I mean, that kind of feels like ganging up. So it's probably better individually. And whether you want to write him an email, lay it out, or just talk to him is also a decision that you should make. But you should come from a really loving place and just be really honest. Like, I'm sorry, it's really hard to watch you with her. And now that I see you guys getting more and more serious, I feel like there's a level of toxicity I don't feel comfortable with. So I just want you to know I'm always here for you. But while she's in your life, like, I just don't feel comfortable having the same level of friendship we used to have.

[Katherine Law]

Well, and that just also that you're concerned for him. But I like what you said about, like, maybe each individually or, you know, a couple of you at a time checking in with him, talking to him about, like, is this really what you want for your life? Because I know that sometimes it takes more than just, like, once or twice saying something. When somebody's hearing something from all different avenues and all these different people who love them, it can really make the difference of, like, maybe it is time to take a break or leave the situation.

[Emma (Caller)]

I hear you guys a hundred percent. I think that that is good advice. I think that's what really I was looking for, is, like, am I doing the most compassionate thing? Because it feels bad to, like, not be supportive of my best. A person that he, you know, is very serious about. But it is just, like, watching it. It just feels like he's, like, he's so special and wonderful, and it's like. It feels like he's just staying with somebody because he doesn't think that he can do any better. And he knows that, like, they'll never leave. So it's like, boom, he's got it in the bag at this point. You know, he's got companionship no matter if it's, like, a quality one or not. But, yeah, like, the way that things are, like, currently, I can't. Like, I just can't justify, I don't know, being around, because I thought, like, should I just bite the bullet and, like, still invite her over sometimes and just be like, okay, this is. If this means I get to see my friend more, then, like, maybe I should be the bigger person.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Because sometimes that's warranted. Sometimes, though, right?

[Emma (Caller)]

Because sometimes that's. That's, like, totally the way to go. But it's just. It's just like, I tried that for, you know, before we came out and, you know, did the big intervention, I was like, just get over it. You know? But then she would just be mean to just. She'd see a girl walk by and say something mean about her. You know, Sam would leave the room, say something mean, and I was like, oh, well, I can't. I actually can't do this. So, Yeah, I think taking a step back, right?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

What's. What's the age gap between them?

[Emma (Caller)]

You're like 12 years.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

12 years. That's a pretty big one.

[Chelsea Handler]

She's older.

[Emma (Caller)]

I know.

[Katherine Law]

She's younger.

[Brandon Dickert]

She's 24.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

No, she's younger. So that could also be just a situation of maybe just them being out of. Because sometimes that works, right? Like, sometimes that's. It's like, if people are in very similar places in their lives and level of maturity where it's just like, great, this is as actively working, but maybe it's just a situation where they're just out of sync in the periods of their lives that they are. Like, maybe like, at 24, she's just still in a phase of just kind of being more gossipy. I've been there. Like, I've done that. I've been like, okay, great. This is, like, things you learn over time of. Of was something maybe you grow out of. But that's not an excuse for her crazy beliefs that are in juxtaposition to the safety and happiness of already established friendships, which is a shame. I also would maybe approach the conversation and maybe a compliment sandwich kind of a way of maybe reminding Sam about the person that you loved and the person you grew up loving and traits that you miss and consistencies that you miss and. And kind of a zest for life and friendship that you haven't quite seen in a while that maybe he could use a reminder of. Especially she's texting him when he's, like, out when she's not there. Like, it's constantly about wondering where he is. It doesn't seem like she has the most trusting mindset.

[Emma (Caller)]

She probably is insecure.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

It's a Big age gap too, especially at that period of life. Like, I think age gaps as you get older is probably less of a concern. But when early 20s, early 30s, that's a big chunk. Those are very different people at different points of their lives.

[Brandon Dickert]

Yeah.

[Emma (Caller)]

So what do you guys recommend? Like, if he says, so we got engaged, what is like the good thing to respond there, you think?

[Chelsea Handler]

I think initially, I think it's just, congratulations, leave it alone. And then like, don't rain on his parade and his moment. Let him just have that. And then when it comes around again when he comes, or there's plans, I think then you lay it out and be like, listen, I want you to do whatever you want. Obviously you're the decision maker in your life. But this is where I stand. I've just seen too much and I've heard too many things. Like, you know, you cite examples and I care so much about you, but it's a very toxic situation to me and I'm not interested in being a part of it.

[Katherine Law]

Yeah, I think this would all be a very good conversation to have before any engagement happens because after that, people feel kind of locked in, you know?

[Brandon Dickert]

Yeah, yeah.

[Katherine Law]

They're on a trajectory.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

It's kind of insane to tolerate somebody, a life. Who's a potential life partner of yours, tolerating homophobia when a friend of yours is a member of the community. That's such a crazy thing to look over. That would be. Why isn't that an immediate red flag? That's a deal breaker.

[Emma (Caller)]

That was our immediate red flag. Like, what's going to happen, you know, hypothetically, if people like that have kids? Like, what?

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Yeah.

[Emma (Caller)]

Have y' all guys, have y' all talked about that? Like, what if you're. Because I've asked him, I'm like, what if Yalls kid is gay? And he just went, yeah, I don't know how she'd feel about that. And I'm like, maybe you should ask her.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Maybe, maybe this should be an immediate. Like that. That should be a non starter if you, especially if you have people in your life.

[Emma (Caller)]

I totally agree.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Like, plain and simple, it should be a non starter across the board. But it's kind of lazy and for lack of a better word, and bare minimum of a word, really unfortunate on his part to not stand up for not just his friends, but for the community of people that he has contributed to supporting before this. That's lame.

[Chelsea Handler]

If they're not engaged yet, I would just like take it. I would do try and do something sooner than later. So that they're not engaged. Before you say this, not necessarily that you're gonna stop it, but just so that you have a clear conscience and like just spell it out for him and you know, and again be like, I'm here for you. I just, I really don't want anything to do with this person. We've all had exposure to her for a long time now and, and you know, whatever. And all the reasons and that's it. And then let him decide if it's gonna have an impact on him. It most likely won't, but that's okay. You're at least standing up for something.

[Emma (Caller)]

Yeah, I hear you guys. I think that's a really good way to go about it. Just kind of drawing that boundary.

[Mimi (Caller)]

Right.

[Emma (Caller)]

And just being like, this is what I'm willing to put up with. If you wanna live your life putting up with that, then that's on you. But we don't have to do that.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Cause it is on him. It is his decision ultimately. But bringing up up things. Yeah, just bringing up the, the kind of person that you miss, I think is. Is a great way of.

[Katherine Law]

Yeah.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Of bringing up. I'm sure he misses those parts of himself too.

[Brandon Dickert]

Yeah.

[Emma (Caller)]

Right.

[Katherine Law]

Well, Emma, will you keep us posted after you guys talk?

[Emma (Caller)]

Yeah, I can definitely do that.

[Katherine Law]

Awesome. Well, thank you so much for calling in.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

I want updates. Yeah, that's it.

[Katherine Law]

We'll pass on.

[Emma (Caller)]

Nice to meet y'.

[Katherine Law]

All.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Nice to meet you too, Emma.

[Brandon Dickert]

Listen, I have access to the top dermatologists, high end treatments, beauty experts, all of. But what's interesting in those circles is that the conversation has shifted. Now the talk is about extending the longevity of youthful looks way before more invasive options. And the latest science from the Mayo Clinic Proceedings plus Stanford University. Not only do we know now that visible aging happens in bursts, one day you look and feel like yourself and the next. Well, no. But we also know that the way our skin looks is a mirror to our overall wellness. That's why people in the industry are talking about Exosomes as the most innovative solution to younger, firmer looking skin. Plated is one of the brands that really stands out. Their Exosome technology has won countless beauty awards as well as innovation awards including Time Best invention. Plated has over 10 peer reviewed clinical studies data showing remarkable results on real people in just weeks. Plated. It is clinically proven to reduce the visible signs of aging and deliver younger, brighter and firmer looking skin. This is more than skincare. It's a cosmetic treatment in a bottle. Visit platedskinscience.com for business owners and entrepreneurs,

[Chelsea Handler]

there is a constant challenge getting things done fast and done well. Why not have both? That's why wix Harmony stands out. It's an AI website builder that helps create a website quickly without compromising your vision. A fully functional site can be built for any business just by describing the ide. Then you can choose to chat with AI or edit everything manually to get it exactly right. There's also Aria, an AI agent available to answer questions or help complete tasks. And here's what makes it even better. Aria doesn't just live in a chat box. You can click anywhere on your site and ask her to make changes instantly. It's these details that make creating with Wix Harmony feel seamless. Join millions of businesses already using Wix and try Wix Harmony for free at wix.com harmony that's wix.com harmony when it's time to get a new car, where do you start? Car shopping can be, honestly, a little overwhelming, but it should be fun. Buying your next car should be exciting. And it can be. And if you can remember one thing, it's cars.com My dad was a used car salesman, so I know way more than I want to about the car buying process. And that means I also know how to get a good deal. And that's also why I'm unique uniquely qualified to tell you how easy it is to find the Perfect car on Cars.com Cars.com has the tools and expert advice to help you figure out what vehicle is right for you. Their site is super easy to use, and their advanced search filters allow you to filter over 2 million new and used cars to find the exact car that you're looking for. Every review is written by a real person, reflecting a real life experience. That's how you know you can trust the dealerships on cars.com cars.com features transparent deal ratings, including tools and badges to help shoppers understand the price of a vehicle and find the best deal. Finding a good deal is pretty important, and by understanding how a car's price compares to others in the area, Cars.com will help seal the deal. So don't take any chances. Do car shopping the easy way. Start your search with cars.com where to next?

[Obagi Medical Representative]

You're probably hearing a lot about longevity right now. And when it comes to scout, aging is associated with a decline in cellular energy. As that energy decreases, skin doesn't regenerate or renew itself as effectively, which is why you start to see dullness, fine lines, and loss of firmness Obagi Medical has been trusted by dermatologists for over 35 years. Their new gen cellular renewal serum is powered by NAD and supports Skin's natural renewal process. In clinical testing, Skin appeared up to six years younger after 12 weeks. Learn more at obagi.com and new customers can use code TPOD15 for 15% off qualifying orders. Terms apply.

[Katherine Law]

All right, well, Mimi says Dear Chelsea, My two high school best friends and I are all on the cusp of turning 40. We live in different states and every couple of years we try to get a away together. They both turned 40 in October. Money is tight for both of them because of kids and life stuff, but it's such a milestone. I'd love to get another gals weekend on the schedule. I'm by no means rich, but I do well enough that I have a savings cushion. I've been toying with the idea of gifting them each a chunk of money with the intent of going on a fun trip to celebrate their big day. Do you think this is a good idea or could giving money to friends cause issues? Do I give them money with the caveat of putting it toward travel or just give it as a gift? One of my favorite things about you is how generous you are with your friends and family. Maybe it's because I'm getting older, but sometimes I think what good is a savings account if I don't use it? I'm married but child free, so this is kind of a use it or lose it situation. Life is short and I want to spend quality time with the people I love to celebrate their big moments.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Mimi. Hey Mimi.

[Chelsea Handler]

Hi Mimi.

[Emma (Caller)]

Hi.

[Chelsea Handler]

I love your generosity. That's so sweet and thoughtful.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Yeah. This is a really good. I think it's a good problem to have.

[Emma (Caller)]

It is.

[Chelsea Handler]

It's one of the good problems. I think you should err on the side of giving the gift. Buy the vacation that they want to go on for their 40th, treat them to that vacation with you, pay for the hotels, pay for the, you know, if you can afford to pay for their flights, great. But when you give people cash, it's, it does set a little bit of a different tone in that your relationship, especially when they're not asking for it.

[Brandon Dickert]

Yeah.

[Chelsea Handler]

And if they don't spend that money on the trip, that can also cause some resentment from you or like what you you're expecting them to pay for. What if they just blow the money one weekend and they go away with their friend? Like that's not what your intention was. So I think what you can do to celebrate both of their birthdays is to set up a weekend and be like, listen, I know everything's tight. I'm paying for this. I'll pay for your flights. I've got the hotels. We're all set. All you have to do is show up. Like, that's a great gift. And there's nothing. Nothing. There's no loose hanging threads or anything weird happening.

[Emma (Caller)]

Yeah.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Yeah. I think putting that as a gift, I think is a great way to start that, because it is for their birthday. It's a milestone birthday. Like you're saying it's something that's become a bit of a tradition there. I think having the difficult parts of the conversation of. Because when people talk about these things, maybe they'll. You don't want them to. I'm sure you don't want them to go into the situation feeling as though like, a favor is owed, that they need to return the favor of anything. Being able to air that out before decisions are made, being very upfront. And I think candor's the way to go here. Being like, there's. This is my gift to you. I'm excited to do it. But let's put any weird nuances of like. Of any weird, iffy. Am I going to need to pay this forward? Is this, like, right. And just getting it on the table and be like, I understand that these concerns. Throw those concerns out the window. Let's have a good time. Because I would like to do this for you is a great way of approaching that, because I'm sure that's the way you may feel about it and. But I also fully understand that approaching that would maybe that might be. Be a bit awkward on their part, but I don't know your dynamic with them or if you have conversations about this frequently.

[Mimi (Caller)]

Yeah, I mean, I think it's like, we've been friends forever. Like, they've seen me at my worst, and, you know, it's been 25 years.

[Emma (Caller)]

Right.

[Mimi (Caller)]

So, like, as I thought about this, I was like, I don't want it to come off as charity. I also know, though, that, like, the spaces they're in right now, they would. They could do some good with the money, but also spin it on that. But again, like, Chelsea, like, you're saying, I don't want to have any kind of, like, resentment if they don't use it in the way I've kind of wanted to. So, like, you're saying if I just say, hey, I'm going to pay for this for the hotels or whatever.

[Chelsea Handler]

It is.

[Mimi (Caller)]

You know, I think last year my mom was diagnosed with. Diagnosed with cancer. I'm not going to have kids. It's kind of like I've worked for where I'm at today, what happens. Because life is short.

[Chelsea Handler]

Right.

[Mimi (Caller)]

Like, I want to do something with what I've worked for.

[Emma (Caller)]

So.

[Mimi (Caller)]

So that's kind of where my head

[Emma (Caller)]

was at, was like, that's your pitch right there.

[Katherine Law]

Yep. And birthday is a perfect excuse to just be like, this is my gift. You know, this is what we're doing. I would love to gift this to you for your birthdays.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

It's not just for them. It's for you as well.

[Brandon Dickert]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

It's for. It's for all of you. It's an experience that you are also going to be having. As much as it is a gift to them, it's a gift to. Just the testament of your friendship together. I think that that's lovely. I'm sure they'll love that.

[Chelsea Handler]

Easy problem. Great problem.

[Katherine Law]

We love this problem.

[Chelsea Handler]

Easy problem to solve. You're a great friend and thank you for your generous and send us pictures

[Katherine Law]

of your vacation when you guys go. Thanks so much, Mimi.

[Chelsea Handler]

Bye.

[Brandon Dickert]

Bye.

[Chelsea Handler]

Bye.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Nice to meet you.

[Chelsea Handler]

Bye.

[Mimi (Caller)]

Nice to meet you.

[Chelsea Handler]

Oh, Gaten, you're such a pleasure. What a treat.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Likewise.

[Chelsea Handler]

You're so sweet. I know.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

It's good to talk to you again, more in depth. I feel like we got to talk a lot more now than we did last year.

[Chelsea Handler]

We did. So make sure you catch his two new movies, Pizza Movie and Animal Farm that will be out May 1st in theaters. And Pizza Movie is out on Hulu now. Okay, Gaten, have the best day today. Thank you so much.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Thanks so much, Chelsea. I appreciate it, guys. It's good to see you again.

[Chelsea Handler]

You too, Kitty.

[Gaten Matarazzo]

Bye. Bye.

[Katherine Law]

If you want advice from Chelsea, write in to dearchelsea podcast gmail.com Dear Chelsea is a production of I Heart Media. Follow Chelsea on all socials at Chelsea Handler and find Katherine on TikTok at Flash Cadabra. Dear Chelsea is edited and engineered by Brandon Dickert executive producer Katherine Law. Find full video episodes and minisodes now on Netflix and get tickets to see Chelsea live@chelsea handler.com.

[Brandon Dickert]

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