JESSICA KIRSON Crashed Pandemic Zoom Parties!

Summary

Podcast Summary: Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers Episode: JESSICA KIRSON Crashed Pandemic Zoom Parties! Release Date: June 24, 2025

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Introduction: Hosts Share Travel Misadventures

In the opening segment, Seth and Josh Meyers engage in a relatable discussion about their recent challenging travel experiences. Seth recounts a frustrating day flying from New York City to New Mexico, dealing with tight flight connections and the stress of missed gates.

Seth Meyers [00:02]: "We were going to New Mexico. Not easy to get to New Mexico from New York City... the gates closed."

Josh empathizes with Seth's plight, highlighting the unpredictability of air travel.

Josh Meyers [00:35]: "I've done that."

Their camaraderie sets a humorous and understanding tone for the episode, resonating with listeners who have faced similar travel hiccups.

Guest Introduction: Jessica Kirson's Pandemic Comedy Ventures

The conversation seamlessly transitions to their guest, Jessica Kirson, a comedian who navigated the pandemic by pivoting to virtual performances. Jessica shares her innovative approach to keeping her comedy career afloat during unprecedented times.

Jessica Kirson [06:08]: "I did my own Zoom show with Rachel Feinstein every week... Amy Schumer always came on with her kids."

She discusses the dynamics of conducting virtual shows, where famous friends like Gilbert Gottfried and Amy Schumer participated, bringing an unexpected charm to her online gigs.

Navigating the Return to Live Performances

As the world began reopening, Jessica reflects on her first live performances post-pandemic. She humorously recounts performing behind plastic screens and even on a car, illustrating the unique challenges comedians faced in reacquainting themselves with live audiences.

Jessica Kirson [08:30]: "I did one with David Tell, and it was behind a plastic screen outside at Governor's."

Despite initial struggles, including a particularly tough session in a cavernous room with an unresponsive audience, Jessica emphasizes how these experiences honed her comedic skills and resilience.

Jessica Kirson [16:01]: "It's not good."

Upbringing and Family Dynamics in New Jersey

Delving into her background, Jessica opens up about her upbringing in South Orange, New Jersey. She shares anecdotes about her parents, particularly her mother's role as a therapist who inadvertently turned their home into a makeshift counseling center.

Jessica Kirson [11:01]: "They would just show up to the house, and I was like, her secretary."

These early experiences, though challenging, influenced Jessica's comedic voice and her ability to find humor in complex family dynamics.

Memorable Family Trips and Unexpected Challenges

Jessica recounts a particularly memorable family trip to St. Croix, where an unexpected house robbery added a dramatic twist to their vacation.

Jessica Kirson [27:26]: "During the trip, we get a call that my sister had to go back early... my stepfather's pillow had been defecated on."

She humorously navigates the aftermath, highlighting the absurdity of the situation while maintaining a light-hearted perspective.

Comedy on Gay Cruises: Finding a Supportive Audience

One of the standout segments features Jessica's experiences performing on gay cruises. She explains how these cruises provided a supportive and enthusiastic audience, allowing her to experiment with edgier material.

Jessica Kirson [44:23]: "I've been on for a week. I've been all over the world with them."

Jessica highlights the vibrant atmosphere of these cruises, filled with themed parties, talented performers, and a community that embraces her humor.

Jessica Kirson [47:42]: "I've done them with Wanda Sykes, Kristin Chenoweth... it's incredible."

Her ability to connect with the audience on these cruises significantly boosted her confidence and comedic repertoire.

Family Support and Personal Growth

Throughout the episode, Jessica emphasizes the unwavering support from her family, particularly her parents, who recognized and nurtured her comedic talent from a young age.

Jessica Kirson [52:20]: "I think the comedy came from knowing how funny I was my entire life."

She shares touching moments where her parents attended her shows, providing both encouragement and honest feedback that fueled her growth as a comedian.

Evolving Comedy Style and Personal Challenges

Jessica reflects on how her comedy style has evolved, especially following personal challenges like her divorce. She discusses the balance between authentic expression and audience expectations, illustrating her journey towards a more refined and relatable comedic voice.

Jessica Kirson [50:00]: "I was going through a dark point in my life, I got divorced... it was freeing."

Her candidness about personal struggles adds depth to her performances, allowing her audience to connect with her on a deeper level.

Speed Round: Quick Insights and Fun Facts

In the engaging speed round, Jessica shares quick insights about her preferences and interests, adding a personal touch to the conversation.

• Ideal Vacation: Relaxing.

  Jessica Kirson [59:19]: "Relaxing."

• Favorite Means of Transportation: Crawling (humorous response).

  Jessica Kirson [59:23]: "Crawling."

• Dream Vacation Family: Lady Gaga’s family for their vibrant and unique dynamic.

  Jessica Kirson [60:36]: "Lady Gaga's family. I've been obsessed with her recently."

• Stranded on a Desert Island With: Her sister Jennifer.

  Jessica Kirson [60:31]: "I can't pick one of my kids. So I'm going to say my sister Jennifer."

These lighthearted responses showcase Jessica's quick wit and playful side, further endearing her to the audience.

Closing Remarks: Embracing Comedy and Family

As the episode wraps up, Jessica expresses gratitude for the support from her family and the communities that have embraced her humor. She acknowledges the role her upbringing and family dynamics played in shaping her comedic journey.

Jessica Kirson [58:43]: "She called me over to her and said, you need to be a comedian. I said, I could never do that. And she's like, every time you're sitting with people, they're laughing. You need to try stand-up comedy."

The hosts thank Jessica for her candid and entertaining participation, encouraging listeners to check out her special on Hulu for more of her insightful and humorous performances.

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Notable Quotes:

• Seth Meyers [00:02]: "We were going to New Mexico. Not easy to get to New Mexico from New York City... the gates closed."

• Jessica Kirson [06:08]: "I did my own Zoom show with Rachel Feinstein every week... Amy Schumer always came on with her kids."

• Jessica Kirson [11:01]: "They would just show up to the house, and I was like, her secretary."

• Jessica Kirson [27:26]: "During the trip, we get a call that my sister had to go back early... my stepfather's pillow had been defecated on."

• Jessica Kirson [44:23]: "I've been on for a week. I've been all over the world with them."

• Jessica Kirson [52:20]: "I think the comedy came from knowing how funny I was my entire life."

• Jessica Kirson [59:23]: "Crawling."

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This episode of Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers offers an intimate and humorous glimpse into Jessica Kirson's life, from navigating travel mishaps and pandemic-era performances to embracing her unique comedy style with unwavering family support. Listeners are treated to a blend of heartfelt stories and comedic insights, making it a must-listen for fans of authentic and engaging storytelling.

Transcript

[Sufi]

Hi, Bashi.

[Bashi]

Hi, Sufi.

[Sufi]

You know, we talked a little bit about your bad travel. I had a bad travel day. We were going to New Mexico. Not easy to get to New Mexico from New York City. And we flew through Dallas and one of these things. I'm a little bit surprised the airline even booked the connection because it was the same airline and it was only about, like 45 minutes between flights. And again, you're flying out of New York City a lot of times to no fault of anyone. It's just going to be like a 20 minute delay. And now all of a sudden, like, the. Basically the gates closed.

[Bashi]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

So sure enough, we land. I'm, you know, I don't want to shame people, but there was. They did everything they could on this flight. The flight attendants kept making an announcement, which is a lot of people have connections.

[Bashi]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

If you were not trying to make a connection. Oh, wait for other people to get off. And the minute.

[Bashi]

I'm happy to wait. If I need.

[Sufi]

Happy to wait. Yeah. The minute the bell hit, literally everybody got up. There were maybe four people who were as. We, like, tried to, like, you know, wiggle our way down the aisle, stayed in their seats. Let me just say, those four people, you are heroes.

[Bashi]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

And I appreciate your sacrifice. Although it wasn't really sacrifice because you were just going to go wait at the gate. So. And then. But then the other thing is we, like run full speed to our gate and we get there and there's just a woman at the desk and she's already moved on. You know what I mean? Like, she's not even thinking about that flight anymore.

[Bashi]

Yeah. She's got another flight to deal with.

[Sufi]

She's got another flight to do. And, you know, at some point there are just rules in place. And the rule is the clock. And once the clock goes. And she's like, the gate is closed. Yeah. And. And then. I don't even know why I asked this. I'm part of the problem, too. I go, how much do we miss it? By. And she's like, right, six minutes. And then I had run ahead to get there first. Okay. You know, to try to. Because again, if the door was open, to be like, they're right there. Look, they're coming.

[Bashi]

Yeah, yeah, I've done that.

[Sufi]

I've done that before, so. And then everybody else shows up and Alexi and Arielle are like, what happened? And I'm like, it's closed. And they're like, how long ago? And this is why I'm glad I'd ask, because Now I got it ready. You know, I'm like, seven minutes, you know?

[Bashi]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

And then they, of course, have to go try to go against the wood. You know what I mean?

[Bashi]

And I'm like, mackenzie's always trying to convince.

[Sufi]

I might get agents to break the.

[Bashi]

Rules that are like. I feel like, you know, federal mandatory rules.

[Sufi]

And I. You know, also, by the way, I'll accept a no right away. So I think Alexi is. Alexei's argument is like, you're too. You accept bad news too easily. And so I don't blame her for giving it an extra effort. But I was like, I'm go by. She's like, where are you going? I'm like, I'm gonna go rebook. Goodbye. Because we're not getting on that flight. And I'm like, if you get on it, I'll see you there. But anyway, we. Alexi and Addy, which was good news, because I think Addy was going to have the hardest time in the airport. They got on the next flight, but we had to wait. We had to wait in the Dallas airport, like, four hours. But for whatever reason, the boys just got in a groove where they're like, we want to read our books. And I was like, oh, great. And then I was like, perfect, I'm going to read a book. And, like, to be honest, the three of us sitting in chairs at an airport where, like, everybody was reading, I'm like, this is. I want to bottle this and sell it. Yeah.

[Bashi]

You could duplicate that in your living room.

[Sufi]

Yeah. I think they don't. But that's the thing, though. They need to be somewhere where there's, like, no. Like, none of their other shit's there.

[Bashi]

Right.

[Sufi]

You know, So I think we could. I think what we're gonna do is we're gonna. I'm gonna tell them we're going somewhere. I'm never. I'm not even gonna buy plane tickets.

[Bashi]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

But I'll take them to the airport and then tell them, because they don't know how to read the. You know.

[Bashi]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

ETA board. So I'll just be like, our flight's delayed. And then we'll just read. Read for four hours. Then I'll be like, now it's canceled. Yeah, we have to go home.

[Bashi]

So how much later were you there than Alexi and Addie?

[Sufi]

Like, five hours, but no complaints. We rolled in, you know, Alexi and her parents had dinner ready, and it was totally fine.

[Bashi]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

So, you know, it was not. It was not the worst disaster. And, yeah, sometimes, you know, sometimes it doesn't break your way travel wise.

[Bashi]

I mean, you have to let go. You have to not. It's like being mad at traffic. Like, to what end?

[Sufi]

Yeah. I will also say in my. You know that thing about don't be the first one up if other people are trying to get out. I was very good in the sort of era of my life where no one was depending on me. No one needed me to be anywhere. Like, I never, like, rushed to get on, like, the first shuttle bus back to baggage claim. I was always like, yeah, you guys. You know, anytime there are people with kids, I'm like, you go, yeah, I'm good. I got. I literally know where to be.

[Bashi]

Yeah. I think that a lot of times I'm, like, not ready even to get out of my aisle on a plane. And people are, you know, ripping their bags down from the overheads, and I'll let a couple, you know, aisles behind me just go. And then there's gonna be a gap where somebody gets held up, and I'll be like, I'm gonna take that window, but I'm not gonna.

[Sufi]

I will sit and I'll let everybody get off, but I'll make a big show about how cool I'm being. I'm like, not pretty nice. Look at this dude.

[Bashi]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

He's letting you go. Yeah. All right, We've got a great conversation with Jessica Kirsten. We're excited for you to hear it. Check it out.

[Bashi]

Enjoy.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Family chips with the My Brothers family chip. Hi.

[Sufi]

Hello.

[Jessica Kirsten]

How are you?

[Sufi]

Good. We're wonderful. How are you framed? You're just framed in blue light. It is just an incredible.

[Jessica Kirsten]

I know. I think that's what you're supposed to do. I don't know. Who cares? Yeah, it is.

[Bashi]

I mean, I bought this. This dumb backdrop, and everyone says it just looks like I'm in a void. You look like you're living an actual life.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Bashi]

Like you're a real person. Yeah.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah. You look like you're in a cave.

[Bashi]

Yeah. I'm in my dining room. I don't know why I don't just show my dining room.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah, exactly. I'm sure it's beautiful. I did zoom shows in my walk in closet the entire time with backdrop. Like a blanket behind me.

[Bashi]

It was hilarious comedy shows.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

So how were you? I mean, I think I did one or two, but they were like, almost like charity gigs. Were you actually doing gig gigs, like, during the pandemic?

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah. Cause, like, I had to make money, and I was gonna go out of my mind if I didn't do it.

[Sufi]

So how. How was it working? Did you sort of have the initiative to figure out how to do it, or did someone come to you and say, hey, we're doing these zoom shows?

[Jessica Kirsten]

I did my own zoom show with Rachel Feinstein every week. Who's my best friend?

[Sufi]

Yes, of course.

[Jessica Kirsten]

And we invited people on, and they would just. And, like, all these random friends showed up. Like, Gilbert Gottfried always came on with his kids and, like, Amy Schumer. It was hilarious. And people would donate money, and we were just. Cause I ended up on, like, support from the government, you know, as the breadwinner and all this. It was crazy after, like, doing so well in my career. It was like, do you think you.

[Sufi]

Came out of it better at comedy? You think it was, like, a helpful thing? Okay, that's.

[Jessica Kirsten]

I think it helped me, like, keep the muscle going and stuff. But I'm so interactive with the crowd, so I was, like, doing crowd work on people in these boxes. It was actually really funny. I ended up dressing up as an old Jewish woman, and I zoom bomb people.

[Sufi]

Oh, great.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah. I did it for Passover and all these other things where people would hire me and I'd be on and be like, where's Joshua? Like, just look at the screen. This isn't my family. And I have video of it. It's hysterical. People like, let me stay in Passover zoom because I look like an old woman. That was lost. Yeah, it was amazing.

[Sufi]

Did you. Do you remember your first gig out of the Pandemic where you were in front of live audiences again?

[Jessica Kirsten]

Well, I did one with David Tell, and it was behind a plastic screen outside at Governor's.

[Sufi]

Yeah, it was.

[Jessica Kirsten]

I did one on a car where people would honk if they were laughing. I mean, it seems like a video of people doing.

[Sufi]

But didn't. I mean, I remember I was in a parking lot the first time I stand up out of the pandemic, and I. They was so. I didn't realize at the time the audience was so hot because they would have been hot for anything.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Right.

[Sufi]

That I. I walked off and I was like, I might have figured this out forever.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah. I mean, I was killing. Got out of the Pandemic. You know, it was like ripping the room apart with new material. Yeah. People were just dying to get out.

[Sufi]

They were dying to get out. And then it was not about me. It was about just out.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Right, Exactly. They could have been seeing someone who's never done it before or just sitting.

[Sufi]

In a parking lot with other people and no show. It's like chairs in a parking lot. Sounded pretty rad. Yeah. So you grew up in New Jersey?

[Jessica Kirsten]

I did. I grew up in South Orange, New Jersey.

[Bashi]

How far outside the city is that?

[Jessica Kirsten]

It's close. It's like.

[Bashi]

Okay.

[Jessica Kirsten]

I don't know, a half hour.

[Bashi]

Oh, great.

[Jessica Kirsten]

But, yeah.

[Sufi]

Did you come into the city a lot as a kid?

[Jessica Kirsten]

Oh, my God. Yeah. I was always in the city, and then when I was a teenager, I always came in to go to, like, Canal street and all those places and get a fake ID and pot.

[Bashi]

That's great. Were those the fake IDs where you would sit in front of a large sort of license and they would take your picture? So it would all be.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah, it's amazing those worked. I mean, I would get in places with these horrible ideas.

[Bashi]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

Do you think that they. Maybe the people working in the door didn't care that much? Do you think that part. That was part of the.

[Jessica Kirsten]

I don't think they cared at all.

[Sufi]

Yeah, Yeah. I mean, you were coming in.

[Bashi]

It helps.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah, yeah. It's like, I'm six years old. Like, I want to come in and dance.

[Sufi]

Did you. Did your parents bring you into the city for cultural stuff? Was that a part of your upbringing?

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah, yeah. I always went in the city for, like, shows. My grandmother would take my sister and I to Broadway shows all the time and just fall asleep. It was amazing, just. But she always did that with us. But, yeah, I did a lot of stuff in the city, which is great.

[Sufi]

When you started going on your own, were your parents wary of the fact that you were a teenager going to hang out in New York City, or because they grew up so close to it, they were like, ah, she knows her way around.

[Jessica Kirsten]

I think they weren't really concerned. My mom was, like, flighty and all over the place.

[Sufi]

She.

[Jessica Kirsten]

There's a lot to that story, but she's like a therapist who was always working, and so she was like, whatever, go. And. Yeah, it wasn't. They didn't really care if I died. You know.

[Sufi]

Therapist who worked out of the house, Correct.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yes. In the basement.

[Sufi]

What a trip.

[Bashi]

Was there. You know, therapists sort of famously have, like, there's a door that you come in and then there's another one that you exit through. Was. Was there sort of that. That, like, garage, stepladder down, or did you see everyone coming in that needed therapy?

[Jessica Kirsten]

It's such an incredible story of what I grew up with because my mom. There were no cell phones or, you know, I feel like I'm 90. Like, there were no cell phones, but there wasn't. And she would book all these clients. I know this is gonna sound crazy, but she wouldn't keep a record of it. So they would just show up to the house, and I was like, her secretary. And I would, like, bring them into the den and be like, she'll be here soon. Like, I had no idea what was going on. And she would forget. So sometimes they would sit there for hours and just wait for her. And I'd be like, do you want something to drink? Can I. So sometimes it was like a group session. Like, there'd be like four people waiting in the den for. Yeah. And. And there was a lot of things that happened because of that. It was like, my house was like a sitcom. It was unbelievable.

[Sufi]

At what age did you appreciate that it was funny instead of strange?

[Jessica Kirsten]

I still don't think it's funny. I'm very damaged from it, to be honest.

[Bashi]

Would people ever come in that you knew? Like, parents of your friends or, you know, coaches or teachers or.

[Sufi]

No.

[Jessica Kirsten]

That's a great question. I. She was so private about it that I don't even know if someone's parents, you know, like, maybe for my school or something. But it was. It was so insane because she would bring them down to the basement, and I had no way of reaching her. So I could have been like. Like dying in the attic where I lived. And she would just. I couldn't interrupt her. But, I mean, I use this in my act, but she always told me to be quiet, you know, like, I can hear you walking around. You need to stop flut. Flushing the toilet. Susan's having a really hard time. I'm like, well, I just ate six pizzas and beheaded my Barbies. But good luck to Susan. Like, we were a mess, but it was. It was a lot to have these clients in the house the whole time. It was like a mental institution.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Bashi]

So your grand. If your grandmother took you into the city, she was local then?

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah, she lived in New York City, and my other grandmother lived in Jersey in the. You know, all year. And then in Florida, of course. In the winter.

[Sufi]

Of course.

[Bashi]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

Did you go a lot to Florida? Was that a part of your upbringing? Trips. Okay. And was that a trip you were excited for?

[Jessica Kirsten]

Well, I always. I went all the time, and it was a little tense because I knew I'd be woken up at, like, 5:30 in the morning and asked what I want for dinner. And it was all centered around food. And it was, you're not eating Enough. You're eating too much. I mean, it was just. I was never, like, excited for those Florida trips, but I learned the culture, and believe it or not, I perform. I for years, have been performing at all those developments, like, in South Florida.

[Sufi]

Oh, I bet you crush.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Oh, I've learned how to do them the first time. You'll love this, Seth. But I opened for the Platters the first time I ever did them. There's, like, one original Platter.

[Sufi]

Yeah. No, whenever they're like the Platters, it's a big old asterisk.

[Bashi]

Yeah.

[Jessica Kirsten]

And I did all the century villages in Florida. It was a nightmare. Like, I was not good enough or funny enough. I bombed so bad, I started out doing a half an hour and ended up doing, like, six minutes.

[Bashi]

How old were you?

[Jessica Kirsten]

I was. I was in my 30s.

[Sufi]

Okay, can you just paint a picture for us of what a room in one of those developments looks like? Is it 100 people? Is it 200 people? Is it folding chairs?

[Jessica Kirsten]

Well, first of all, you have to sign your life away when you do these shows, because they want a meet and greet. Go and Q and a for, like, $11. And so I always have to do this meet and greet where they're just staring at me just like.

[Sufi]

Yeah, the meet and greet is better. A meet and greet after a show, though, They're. I'm sure they're mostly complimentary, though.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Well, this is the funny thing. And I've done this, too, as a bit. But their comments, they always come up to you, and they always start out nice and end up nasty. It's like, I thought you were very talented, but no one around me. Not one person.

[Bashi]

You should kill yourself.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Or they always say, you're so pretty up close.

[Sufi]

Yeah, it's so funny.

[Jessica Kirsten]

It's not good.

[Sufi]

Someone sometimes, like, Even in the YouTube comments for my show, people say, I don't care what anybody says. I think you're great. I'm like, what is. Well, what are they? What's the word on the street there?

[Jessica Kirsten]

I know. I mean, I thought you were funny.

[Bashi]

What was. What was the community in Florida? Was it a retirement community? Or what was.

[Jessica Kirsten]

I mean, I've done. So I've done retirement communities, you know, country clubs, you know, private events, like fundraisers. But they all. You know, it used to be very hard for me because they would all just stare with that face, and I used to react to it, and then I stopped reacting. And a comic said to me, you need to understand, they're seeing you as, like, their granddaughter or their daughter. You know, so they don't want you to like, make fun of yourself too much. But they heckle.

[Sufi]

It's so funny. It's funny that it came from a place of sweetness.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah, it's true. It really, I mean, no, some of them are very hostile. They just yell out. They're like, this isn't funny. It's not funny. One time a woman was. Had her head down the whole time in the front. And I swear in the middle of my act, she just lifted her head and she goes, you're all over the place.

[Sufi]

I like that. It's like a very funny Jewish grandmother audience. Whereas, like, it's not that they dislike you. They're just disappointed. They. They expected more. They wanted more for you in life.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah. Well, they'll also say, who? One woman who hired her? I don't understand. We paid for this.

[Sufi]

Great.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

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[Bashi]

Hey, Sufi.

[Sufi]

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Oh, yeah, it's coming.

[Sufi]

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[Bashi]

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[Sufi]

What's that?

[Bashi]

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[Sufi]

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[Bashi]

Yeah. You live in New York, I'm out in la. And we've already had some pretty hot days. And I've already had an occasion to be dipping in a buddy's pool.

[Sufi]

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[Bashi]

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[Sufi]

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[Bashi]

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[Sufi]

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[Bashi]

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[Sufi]

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[Jessica Kirsten]

Here we go.

[Sufi]

When you were young and you would go to these communities, because we've talked, we've had other guests who would do this thing and they'd go down and there'd be other kids, you know, other grandkids. Did you have a community of people that you would see every year that you got closer with over. Over time?

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah. I mean, you would see the same kids, and it was fun. I mean, go to the pool and play sports and do all kinds of things. But again, everything centered around the food, so there was always pressure about the next meal.

[Sufi]

Yeah. And now were they. Was the food good, or was it just a sort of boilerplate? Okay, that's good.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah.

[Bashi]

Was it being sort of prepared in your grandmother's house, or was there sort of a community center that you would go to, or was it.

[Jessica Kirsten]

No, there's actual restaurants. There's, like, a main restaurant, and they have, honestly, the best salad bar you could ever have it as a kid.

[Sufi]

A salad.

[Bashi]

Salad bar is pretty great.

[Jessica Kirsten]

This is the best thing. They had a. They have a pickle bar. It's the best part of the whole thing, with all kinds of pickles and, like, green tomatoes.

[Bashi]

I like a pickle.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Bark up on that. I know I love pickles. Yeah.

[Sufi]

So I think a salad bar is. I'm just gonna have the pickle bar. Just that part. Yeah, but this is like a long. A long pickle bar.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah, but this is the thing. The salad bar had, like, corned beef, pastrami, roast beef. Like, it was really good. All kinds of soups and.

[Sufi]

Well, again, if they're going to heckle midact and say, who booked her? I'm assuming if the salad bar wasn't up to par, they were going to hear about it at the.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah, at the front desk. Jackie Mason. It would have been like an amazing steak, lobster, you know, that whole thing.

[Sufi]

Did you, as. When you were little, did you ever. Was. Did you ever go to, like, a performance of somebody who was down doing those kind of shows?

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah, I mean, they had, like. I didn't know what was going on, but I actually performed with a lot of those guys when I started out, like Freddie Roman and Dick Capri and all. I mean, all of them. And I would just bomb and they would kill. Like, I've never seen people kill the way that those comics would kill.

[Sufi]

Now, I imagine Freddie Roman at that point is probably not trying out much new material when he's growing up.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Like, they all did their own. Each other's material.

[Sufi]

Right.

[Jessica Kirsten]

They'd be like, what did the waiter say to the group of Jewish women sitting in a restaurant? And everyone go, why? And you go, is. Is anything okay? Just crush.

[Sufi]

So I mean that, though. I mean, I can imagine as like, a young comment, one, they know who Freddie is. Two, he's doing material that has, like, been tested for 100 years.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Right.

[Sufi]

Like, it must have been so hard to come up as a new face. He was trying new jokes.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Horrible. I'm telling you, people would walk out. I mean, it was really the hardest gigs I've ever done are now.

[Sufi]

That must make you better as a comedian. Like. Sure, yeah. Right.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Did it.

[Sufi]

Did Josh and I used to do. We worked for an improv comedy theater in Amsterdam, and I used to always say, like, no matter how bad a show's going, at least I'm not trying to make Dutch people laugh.

[Jessica Kirsten]

I know. They're the worst.

[Sufi]

Yeah. So, like, at some point, like, I think doing those early gigs where you're against, like, an impossible audience is incredibly helpful.

[Jessica Kirsten]

I think it was more helpful than doing, like, you know, a club in New York at 2 in the morning with drunk people or prom kids throwing things at me, you know?

[Sufi]

Yeah. Because they're actually paying attention. Like, that's the. It's it's. The worst is when you bomb to an audience that's listening. You know, like, with drunk people, you're like, I bomb. But like. And everybody's like, they weren't listening. But, like, no, they were definitely dialed.

[Jessica Kirsten]

In and just really listening because they have to make sure it's worth their money. They are, like, hooked in. Yeah.

[Sufi]

Also, listening is now, you know, requires a little extra effort at that age.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Right, Exactly. I mean, some of them, they were, you know, 80s and 90s. Some had already passed, and they're just.

[Sufi]

They don't just wait to be rude to the performer to clear them out. Mitchell, did you. And what was your sibling situation growing up?

[Jessica Kirsten]

So I grew up with one sister between my parents, my older sister Jennifer. Then my dad got remarried, and I have two halves.

[Sufi]

Right.

[Jessica Kirsten]

And then my mom got remarried to Zach Braff's father.

[Sufi]

Gotcha.

[Jessica Kirsten]

And there were four kids there. Yeah.

[Sufi]

Wow. So you and your sister, two halves and then four steps.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

And what is the age gap from top to bottom of all those kids?

[Jessica Kirsten]

My oldest sibling is Adam, who is. He's the oldest, and then goes down like my sister. My other stepbrother Josh. Me. My stepsister Shoshana, and then Zach, and then I have two halves that are younger. Wow.

[Sufi]

And so Zach, by the way, a year between us and college, a year between Josh.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah, I know. Yeah. That's.

[Bashi]

Small world.

[Sufi]

How old were you when you got your step siblings?

[Jessica Kirsten]

Well, that's funny, because my mom started dating Zach's brother Josh, you know, their father. And Josh was one of my best friends in high school, so we were like, oh, dating.

[Sufi]

Oh, oh, that's weird. And then it. Not only dating, but it's like, it's working out well.

[Jessica Kirsten]

My mom called around the town to find lawyers to do a seminar about how to be more successful. This is what she used to do. She used to, like, literally create all these jobs. And she called him, and they were talking and he. He asked her out, and then they went out on the first date. He said, I. Will you marry me? I'm like, what a schmuck.

[Bashi]

You know, first date, wow.

[Jessica Kirsten]

And I was, I think, like 15, and Zach was 9 or something. Yeah.

[Sufi]

Wow. And is that. And did you cohabitate at that point?

[Jessica Kirsten]

We did part time. We both lived at our mom's half the time and our dad half the time. One of those situations. But there's so many stories about us being in the house together with the therapy stuff. Cause Zach's father, who was a lawyer, became a Quote, unquote, therapist. And my mom and Hal, my stepfather, ran couples courses out of the house. It's like Meet the Fockers. Exactly.

[Sufi]

So, I mean. And I guess that's, as I'm thinking back, is that also what Ian Holm does in Garden State? Right? Is that.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yes. Yes.

[Sufi]

Yeah. So as you're saying this, I'm like, why am I also picturing it with the actor Ian Holm? So, I mean, that's a lot of, like. So what. What is the biggest family trip you went on, let's say, before you were 18 years old, how many people.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Oh, my God. Well, we all. These are amazing, Stu. I loved. I was so glad to do this podcast. We all went to an island. I think it was in Mexico. I don't know. But we all went to an island. It was St. Croix, actually.

[Sufi]

Okay.

[Jessica Kirsten]

They're all the same thing. And we, you know, had a great time there. Like, the kids, we all, like, partied, and we had fun. And then during the trip, we get a call that my sister had to go back early to back home for something, and my father. It's a little confusing, but my mom's ex husband walked her to the door of the house because she was scared. It was at night, and she walked in, and there was stuff everywhere. Like, the house had been robbed. I don't know why I'm. Cause it's such a crazy story. Y' all know why I'm laughing. So there was, like, nothing there. Like, they took, like, the mixer. Like, they took everything. TVs. I mean, I'm not kidding. Like, it was ransacked. And then my dad walked her around the house, and someone had defecated on my stepfather's pillow.

[Sufi]

Wow. That sort of.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Very aggressive, right?

[Sufi]

Very aggressive. That, like, Zorro's signature. Whenever it involves human stool, it's just that last indignity. It's like, it wasn't enough. You took the mixers also, if, like.

[Bashi]

If the cops came and they were like, we're gonna look for some DNA evidence, and they saw that, and they were like, we're gonna keep looking. Maybe there's. Maybe there's some other good DNA we can use.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah. And they had time. They had enough time there to, like, have it commit, you know, start and then to push it out. Like it was. Yeah, it's a lot. I know.

[Sufi]

I will say, if you've ever, like, wondered what it would feel like to poop on your own carpet, I think, like, wait until your house gets broke, and then before you call the cops, like, because that's the one time you can get away with it, you know?

[Bashi]

I suppose.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah, that's true. That's.

[Bashi]

How old was your sister when she got back to this ransacked house?

[Jessica Kirsten]

I mean, she was maybe, like, 19 or 20.

[Bashi]

Okay. So she was where she could be home alone and. But still.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah, she was, like, freaking out.

[Bashi]

Yeah.

[Jessica Kirsten]

She called us and we were like, what? Like, they. And I had pot in my drawer. That was really the worst part. They took my pot.

[Sufi]

Were you asking, like, questions without really asking, like, what about the socks? Did they leave the socks?

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah, I'm like, what about my room? Is the six foot long missing?

[Sufi]

Yeah, I was working on a sort of pipe project, you might say.

[Jessica Kirsten]

I'm saving oregano. Did they take my oregano?

[Sufi]

Yeah. That's incredible. But you did. So you did travel with half. Did you have. Do you travel with siblings and half siblings?

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah, I went to. I went to Aspen with my dad and my stepmother and my two, actually, and my sister. The other ones weren't born yet. And we were going to Vail for the night to, like, just go skiing somewhere else. This is unbelievable, too. My dad called limo, you know, limo driver. And the guy came, and it was literally one of those limos. Like, it was like 100ft long, you know, Like. Like, I couldn't even see my father from the back, you know? And we had, like, 86 bags because it's just we had so much luggage. So my sister, my stepmother and I are in the back, and there's, like, rows of luggage in front of us, and my dad's in the front, and he was, like, a very dramatic person, like, just very intense. And the limo driver was driving, and it's a snowstorm. Like, I'm not even exaggerating. It wasn't just, like, flurrying. It was just. But they're used to driving in that. So he's driving this thing. He's like, oh, I'm tired from shoveling snow all day. And my dad gets, like, tense, and he's like, you want me to drive? You know, I don't. I don't want you to drive. You know, everyone tired. My family's in the car, and he's like, no, no, I'm fine. And I'm not. We're on a highway, like, just driving from Aspen to Vale in this snowstorm. And he's like, I just saw a light. My father's like, looks back and he's like, what the fuck is he talking about? The next thing you know, the guy Goes like this. Like, his arms get locked. And he looks back at us and he's like. And I'm like, is he, like, looking at us like, look, I can drive with no hands. I'm like, what is happening? All of a sudden, this foam starts coming out. He's had a seizure with his foot on the gas.

[Sufi]

Oh, my God.

[Bashi]

I thought he was turning into a vampire, but I did too.

[Jessica Kirsten]

I wish.

[Sufi]

Yeah, right.

[Jessica Kirsten]

He was accelerating. We were accelerating. He was driving on a highway on the mountains in a snowstorm. And we're swerving, okay? My father grabs. He tries to pull him, and he's dead weight. Like, I never knew. When you have a seizure, you're like, you can't even pull him. And my father's yanking him and he yanks him into the door. The guy hits his head and my. I don't know how my father did this. It was a miracle because he can't even change a light bulb. He. He pumped the brake and steered us into. And we. We crashed into a snowbank. But we were all okay. I think the snowboard. Yeah.

[Sufi]

I, as a dad, may it never come to pass. I would be so proud of myself if I managed to do something.

[Jessica Kirsten]

But he had a literal nervous breakdown. He got out of the car and was like, screaming and, you know, like this, and the guy didn't remember a thing. And we were all okay, but the car was, you know, I wasn't okay. And there was just like gloves and mittens and shit everywhere.

[Sufi]

And then. No one really has that much sympathy when a limo's crashed into a snowbank.

[Bashi]

Especially a hundred yard long limo, the longest limo.

[Sufi]

People are just driving by, you're waving your hands, you're like, why don't you call your. Call your butler?

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah. They're like, oh, they got a train here. Yeah. It was so long. That thing was like. Yeah, it was intense.

[Sufi]

Wow. Do you ski now?

[Jessica Kirsten]

I don't ski anymore because I have a bad knee. But I skied my whole life in the Berkshires. I grew up with a home, Like a tiny little home that my parents built many, many, many, many years ago. So it was great.

[Sufi]

You have four kids of your own, is that right?

[Jessica Kirsten]

I do. I have four daughters from two baby mamas.

[Sufi]

Oh, my God, that's amazing. What are their. What's the age range of them?

[Jessica Kirsten]

I forgot. No, that's fine. I know the oldest is 18. She's a university of Delaware. And then the. You're gonna. You're not gonna believe this, but the youngest are nine and A half. And then I have six year old twins.

[Sufi]

All right, What a. That's a gap.

[Jessica Kirsten]

It's a lot. Well, because the first one was first. From my first relationship.

[Sufi]

Yep.

[Jessica Kirsten]

And that wasn't even legally. I was never. We got married, but it wasn't legal at the time.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Jessica Kirsten]

So. Yeah, it was. Yeah. But then I have these, so it.

[Sufi]

Doesn'T really count is what you're saying. You're like, you can't. Nobody can put that on you because it wasn't. It never actually happened legally.

[Jessica Kirsten]

I know. I was like, thank God. I can't stand joke. But yeah. Yeah. I have all.

[Sufi]

Have you. Have you gone on a vacation with all four girls at once?

[Jessica Kirsten]

Not all four, but I've gone to a bunch with, you know, one and then the other three. Yeah.

[Sufi]

Is it. At what age do you think it's the most fun to go on a trip with just one kid? For them. For the kids. Age.

[Jessica Kirsten]

I know, it's so much easier, right?

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Jessica Kirsten]

At what age?

[Sufi]

Yeah. I've been trying this year, like I. To take trips with just one kid and I almost think it doesn't even matter how old they are because it's just so much fun when there's just one of them.

[Jessica Kirsten]

I think it's really important to go with just one. I really do. Like, I went with my daughter Zoe, the oldest, to Florida and we had such a great time and they need that alone time.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Jessica Kirsten]

I think it's great you're doing that. I mean, I would love to do that with the little ones, but it's. It's too much right now. They like freak out that it's going and the other two aren't.

[Bashi]

Are they, as the twins, are they very. Are they very close? Are they sort of attached? They are.

[Jessica Kirsten]

They got closer. They used to argue a lot more, but they're so funny with each other now. I'm so silly with my kids, so they're really, really silly. But it's amazing. My. They're fraternal, but they look nothing alike. I mean, it's insane. One is like has light hair and light eyes and the other one is dark with dark hair and dark eyes.

[Sufi]

It's. Did anybody. Was there any sort of a genetic predisposition to twins? Did either one of you had twins in your life?

[Jessica Kirsten]

No, no, we. I didn't have any of them because I never had a desire to have kids. That's the tr. Meaning physically never had the desire. And we did in vitro, so that of course gives you a higher chance of Having twins, but we were like, oh my God, there's twins. Like, it was a lot.

[Sufi]

Yeah. How did your, how did the nine year old take it when she found out she was about to have two younger sisters at once?

[Jessica Kirsten]

I think she was excited, but it's been like, you know, she was like the superstar. And then there's these two little kids that come along. I think it's hard. It's hard with ones coming, but then it's two. It's tough. Yeah.

[Bashi]

Hey, we're going to take a quick break and hear from some of our sponsors.

[Sufi]

Support comes from Blue Land. Hey, Bashi.

[Bashi]

Yes, Sufi?

[Sufi]

When was the last time be honest? You actually checked the ingredients in your dishwasher pods?

[Bashi]

Well, it was right before I switched over to Blueland.

[Sufi]

Oh, you took a look. You thought, you know what, you were like, blueland's talking to big game. But I bet I'm gonna open up my dishwasher pod and they're just gonna be full of like angel kisses and unicorn laughter.

[Bashi]

Yeah, not the case. Spoiler alert. They were full of chemicals and microplastics that can stay on your dishes even after they're washed. Studies show that this residue ends up inside of you, causing inflammation and gut damage. But Blueland's dishwasher detergent tablets are 100% plastic free and made with certified clean ingredients that are safe for the whole family.

[Sufi]

You just fill your reusable bottles with water, drop in the tablets and wait for them to dissolve. You'll never have to grab bulky cleaning supplies on your grocery run. Blueland products are effective and affordable with refill tablets starting at just $2.25. You can get even more savings by buying refills in bulk or setting up a subscription.

[Bashi]

Blueland products are independently tested to perform alongside major brands and are free from dyes, bleach and harsh chemicals. And Blueland is trusted in over 1 million homes, including mine.

[Sufi]

I really like posh. I'll just tell you, I prefer hey, drop a tablet in, let it dissolve and clean to hey, go run to the store and buy a new big old bottle of soap.

[Bashi]

Yeah, Big old bottle of soap in a huge, probably not really recyclable plastic container.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Bashi]

Cause those days are over.

[Sufi]

Thanks to Blueland, Blueland has a special offer for our listeners right now. Get 15% off your first order by going to blueland.com trips. You won't want to miss this. Blueland.com trips for 15% off. That's blueland.com trips to get 15% off. Support comes from Delete me. Hey Bashi.

[Bashi]

Yes, Sufi?

[Sufi]

Do you like things that are easy, quick and safe?

[Bashi]

Yeah, those are some of my favorite things.

[Sufi]

Do you like when people steal your personal data?

[Bashi]

I hate that.

[Sufi]

Guess what? I got good news.

[Bashi]

What's that?

[Sufi]

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[Bashi]

Yeah, 100%.

[Sufi]

You also say you love when people steal your data and use it to do whatever they want with it.

[Bashi]

I don't say that.

[Sufi]

Oh, okay. I misread your last email and you know who gave it to me? It wasn't even from you. You sent somebody else and a data broker sold it to me.

[Bashi]

That's the worst.

[Sufi]

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[Bashi]

Oh no, not at all. Deleteme is always working for you. Constantly monitoring and removing the personal information you don't want on the Internet.

[Sufi]

What was your last report, Pashi? What got out of there?

[Bashi]

I mean, just my information was on all these sites that you've never even heard of, but when you hear the names of them, you know, I don't want these people to have. Yeah, my info, my data.

[Sufi]

Shadybros.com yeah, like shadybros.com yeah. The sketchy brothers. The Sketchy Brothers had all your info.

[Bashi]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

No good.

[Bashi]

Yeah, bad guys.

[Sufi]

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[Jessica Kirsten]

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[Bashi]

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[Jessica Kirsten]

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[Bashi]

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[Jessica Kirsten]

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[Sufi]

Here we go. Did you guys ever go overseas with travel when you were a kid?

[Jessica Kirsten]

We went to St. Thomas every year.

[Sufi]

Gotcha.

[Jessica Kirsten]

No idea why.

[Sufi]

Same place where your family kind that would go to the same place every time.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah, it was just. Oh, my God. It was like the same thing as going to Florida. Like, I felt like we saw the same people.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Jessica Kirsten]

And it was just. It was fun. But we didn't do like a overseas trip, all of us together, because my parents probably would have killed each other.

[Bashi]

Yeah.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Thank God.

[Bashi]

What was the island itinerary? What was. What would occupy your time in St. Thomas every year?

[Jessica Kirsten]

We did a lot of, like, activities. It was great, like, water skiing and, you know, all kinds of stuff. And I love.

[Bashi]

Were you at a resort or were you Fisherman's Reef?

[Jessica Kirsten]

I don't even know if it's still there.

[Sufi]

It's a great name for a resort. I feel like that is like, just a name that is like a siren call to people who live in New Jersey. Oh, Fisherman's Reef. Tell me more.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah. Oh, you're going in the Fisherman's Reef. Tell me how it was.

[Sufi]

Yes. Somebody hit the big time, now they're going to the Fisherman's Reef.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah, it was. I, you know, I grew up, like, around some people who had money, but they were so down to earth. Like, I love where I grew up. It was. It wasn't showy. But then if you get into some other towns around it, like Livingston, Short Hills, like, it's very showy.

[Bashi]

Yeah. Was the Berkshire's house. Was that just sort of a vacation house that you'd go to? And was that. Would you go regularly or.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah, we went all the time, you know, in the summer and in the winter. And I love it. I love it there. It's amazing. It's just so beautiful. And that's where we really did a lot of different, like horseback riding and hiking. And the house is right near a lake. So it was great. It was fun.

[Sufi]

Are you an outdoorsy person?

[Jessica Kirsten]

No.

[Sufi]

Like, to this day, no, you don't present as one.

[Jessica Kirsten]

That's hilarious. I used to. Which is shocking. Right. For a lesbian.

[Sufi]

It must have been so hard for you in the lesbian community to be endorsing.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Still is. I'm really more so in the gay male community. That's really my community.

[Sufi]

I will say it's one. I mean, you're a special, by the way, which is on Hulu right now is fantastic. It is fantastic. The immediate joy from the male gay community when you walk on stage is palpable.

[Jessica Kirsten]

It's insane. They're literally like, thank God for that community, because they're making my career where it is.

[Sufi]

Has that always been the case? When did, when do you feel like this love affair started?

[Jessica Kirsten]

Well, this is the thing. When I'm on the road, I would just do my act, right? But then I started putting out crowd work clips because I'm like, I'm not going to put out my material on YouTube. So I started putting out a lot of crowd work stuff. And then, you know, gay men were always supportive, but I, I have this banter with them. Like, I know that community so well. I do gay cruises for thousands of them. It's hilarious. And I have a whole new bit about that. Like a 10 minute rant about gay cruises. But.

[Sufi]

All right, well, now I don't want you to steal your material, but I am fascinated by this. So. Do you remember the first time you were asked to do comedy on a cruise?

[Jessica Kirsten]

Well, I've done a lot of regular cruises too, which are a nightmare. You know, I just want to like, jump off. Like, I can't.

[Sufi]

How and when you do a cruise, do you do multiple shows or do you just do the one?

[Jessica Kirsten]

It depends. Like on the gay cruises you Normally do, like one night, you'll do two 45 minute sets. It's very easy. And you can do the same show just so they can get the thousands of guys in.

[Bashi]

And how long are you, how long do you stay on for? If you're doing two shows, maybe in one night? Are you on for 10 days? Are you on for.

[Jessica Kirsten]

I've on. I've gone on for a week. I've gone on for two weeks. I've been all over the world with them. Like, literally, I was on the Greek islands three times. I mean, it's, it's incredible. I've seen so many places because of these cruises and it's unbelievable how, like, fun they are. I mean, they get the best DJs in the world, they get the best laser lighting. Like, it's, it's insane. And then they have theme parties every day, every night, where. So basically the gay men bring like six bags each of costumes. And I've done the lesbian ones too. And I say they bring a backpack of gear. Like, looks. I'm like, are we going to Normandy? It looks like a mine with like 800 GI Joes. But anyway, so they're just incredible. They have a sex deck. This is what I talk about. It's. They have a deck. They fool around. And I know this sounds crazy, but I had to check it out because I'm like, I have to. I mean, of course, if you're.

[Sufi]

If you're within earshot of the sex.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Deck, I had to.

[Sufi]

You gotta check it out.

[Bashi]

Do they make you put, like, your phone in a pouch? Like, you're going to see live comedy, so you're not.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Could you imagine?

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Jessica Kirsten]

No, you just. I was like. I said to my friend Drew, what do I do if someone recognizes me? Like, I already performed for thousands of them. And he told me to tell them I'm a bear.

[Sufi]

Oh, good.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah, good advice. So. But I went up there, and I swear it was like feeding time at the zoo. It was so. They were all. I just heard sounds like, yeah, come on. It was so crazy. And then I got sick on one with my stomach, and I had to go down to the ship hospital, which was insane. I got taken off the cruise on a stretcher in Alaska, and I was fine. But I always say there's nothing as dramatic as getting taken off a gay cruise ship on a stretcher. Like, that's. That they love. It was like Princess Diana's funeral. Like, Let Queen Live. Like, they were all on their balconies.

[Sufi]

Like, while the DJs, like, together.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Like, come on, help her.

[Sufi]

Okay.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah. Amazing.

[Sufi]

That's unbelievable. Do you prefer to do your show early in a cruise or late in the cruise? I would imagine early is nice because then you get to be the celeb of the cruise, too, right?

[Jessica Kirsten]

And I've done them with a lot of people, like, you know, Wanda Sykes, a ton of people. I did it with Kristin Chenoweth, with. Oh, my God, I could name so many people. So it's great because you're with all these incredible performers and drag queens.

[Sufi]

And I think nothing would. Would reveal how little a person knew about gay cruises than if they asked the question. And did they like Kristin Chenoweth? And how did Kristin do heavy sledding for Kristen?

[Jessica Kirsten]

Did they know?

[Sufi]

Did they know who she was? Did she have that at least? I mean, that must be. I mean, I would want to be in a room at a gay cruise. And they're like, ladies and gentlemen, Chris Gentlewith.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Oh, my God, they go crazy. They pass out. They go. They all fanning themselves.

[Sufi]

And at this point, when you do, you feel like your reputation precedes you a little bit on the cruises. And, like, there's a. Like, when you walk out. Is it like your special where people are just, like, ready for Jessica?

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah. I'd say in front of the gay men, it's always like, I really have amazing fans. I know people say that, but, like, every club I go to, every theater, they're like, your fans are the nicest.

[Sufi]

That's such a great thing to hear.

[Jessica Kirsten]

I know. I'm like. Because they're all mentally ill. Like, my. My manager says I'm like the Grateful Dead for the mentally ill. Like, I used to do meet and greets, and I literally would just have people sobbing and hugging me. Like, I can't. I. This is great, and you're wonderful, but this is a lot for me to.

[Sufi]

It's a very fun. One of the very fun things about your special is you're immediately doing material that is risque.

[Bashi]

Right.

[Sufi]

I'll. I'll use my mom's French term for it. And yet it is. They're just eating it up in a way that it's very clear. They're not like, who's this comedian going to be? Like, they know exactly what you're going to bring it. You're. You're bringing it to them in a way that they're so delighted by. And it's. It's really, really fun.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Thank you. I mean, this one was definitely edgier than the last one. And I think because I was going through a dark point in my life, you know, when I was developing it, I got divorced. So I think, like, going through that and just being edgy, and also these gay male audiences where you kind of can just go, like, they just don't get offended 99% of the time. So I was able to just be, like, nuts. And it was freeing. Like, I didn't even realize it was dirty until people said, oh, this is dirty. I'm like, oh, my God. I'm so.

[Sufi]

I want people. I want everybody listening to watch the first 10 minutes and then know that Jessica didn't know it was dirty.

[Jessica Kirsten]

I think, because I'm. You know what, Seth? It's so real. Like, I'm saying something to just.

[Sufi]

No. And I should say, like. Right. It's not shock. It's not. It's. It's because it's also about you.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

It's like, there's. Yeah. So it all is, like, playing out of authentic stuff. It's. This is not a comedy to, like, shock just for shocking sake. And I think that's maybe why there's this real warmth to it that, you know, you find yourself Listening to it as a place of, like, empathy with you. With you as a performer, and then also just delighting in how far, you know, past the. You know, there's like, beats after beats after beats when you realize, like, oh, my God, I can't believe this started there and now it's here, and it's all from this very human place.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah. Thank you so much. I mean, it's so funny. Cause the stuff I'm working on now is not like that at all. It's a lot about my mom being a therapist again. Like, I've talked about that in the past, but it's interesting, you know, how your material changes.

[Sufi]

It is nice, too, when it's a snapshot of, like. I mean, again, the last one I did is, like, very much about being a parent. And part of it is, like a complete. I can't imagine. I wasn't even literally thinking about anything else for the past three years.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Right.

[Sufi]

Did your parents ever see. Did they come and watch you perform?

[Jessica Kirsten]

Oh, my God. All the time. They've always been very supportive. My mom loves that everyone recognizes her, because not everyone, but I've done videos with her which have gotten millions of views. So she's like, oh, someone came up to me at the show, and, you.

[Sufi]

Know, we got one of those.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah, you do.

[Bashi]

Our mom just got recognized by her voice in a grocery store from being on the podcast.

[Sufi]

Yeah, she comes.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Really?

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Like, that's amazing.

[Bashi]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

So she. She was really.

[Bashi]

Well, it had an OMG on the text when she told us about it. Yeah, she was excited.

[Jessica Kirsten]

The other day, my mom texted me, and she's like, oh, my God, honey, you're not going to believe it, but I was at the hairdresser, and he was so much nicer to me because he watched your special and he's a huge fan. And I just appreciate. I'm like, oh, God. And I have money.

[Bashi]

Like, you just grease on the wheels of your mother's life. That's excellent.

[Sufi]

Do you think it was just the way they were wired to be parents or the fact that they were therapists, that they, like, sort of supported you as you took this sort of maybe, you know, not the most normal path for someone to take in life?

[Jessica Kirsten]

You know what? I think that I was going to NYU for a master's in social work, and I was not happy. I did not want to do it. And I think just from knowing how funny I was my entire life. Like, I was. You know, a lot of people say it, but I was really the class clown from, like, a very, very young age.

[Sufi]

Appreciated your sense of humor from a young age. That's great.

[Jessica Kirsten]

And my father was one of the funniest people on earth. They're both hilarious. I mean, I grew up in a very funny family. And also. Because with my mom, Zach was a child actor, so he was already in it and doing it. And my other stepbrothers are writers, so it was like they were already writing stuff and working on things, and they came to the first show, and I was horrific, but they saw the potential, I guess, and they really supported it. But my dad. This is a great story about my dad. When I filmed my Comedy Central special. This is so random. You guys are gonna be like, what are you talking about? But Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas came to my show. So crazy.

[Sufi]

Because they're huge fans, by the way, I. Not to interrupt. I just saw Marlo Thomas, really? And I was so excited because I got to tell Marlo Thomas that we've been playing Free to Be, you and me.

[Jessica Kirsten]

I know.

[Sufi]

To our kids. And I was just telling her, like, you're so ahead of the curve. Like, such a novel. Cool thing to do. That holds up really well.

[Jessica Kirsten]

That is the best. I know. That's the best. Free to be me. I love it.

[Sufi]

All right, so you have Donahue and Crazy for an early show to have them there at a special.

[Jessica Kirsten]

In my special, I say, you know, Phil, are you sleeping? Or something like that? I always do that. I just improv. But I look out, and they're sitting there, and I'm like, am I on acid? Like, why are Phil Donahue and Marla. And anyway, they came backstage after, and my father, who was very supportive in certain ways and very tough in certain ways, you know, Marlo's like, can you believe her? She was. How did you think she did? And he goes. He goes, she was great, but she. She lost, you know, lost stride in the middle. She. And it was, like, one of the best sets I've ever had in my life. I mean, I couldn't have asked for, but I think also that's made me work so hard, like, just really always tough on myself, trying to.

[Sufi]

I also think I'll. I'll take every day of the week a parent who is engaged and maybe a little critical as to one who doesn't care at all. Right.

[Jessica Kirsten]

I agree.

[Sufi]

So lucky to be doing comedy. And I did a show in Boston. My parents came, and my dad or.

[Bashi]

Mom, I love, who had a.

[Sufi]

No, but my dad brought a bunch of cousins, and we're backstage afterwards with everybody. And again, this is. Again, it's the greatest compliment a parent can give. Like, he knows the set at this point, and he goes, new closer. And I go, yeah, I'm really excited. I think it did great. He goes, yeah, not bad. Yeah. And I was like. And so that's, like. I go, that's ultimately what you get, is you have a dad who knows you have a new closer and also is, like. Doesn't quite think it's there yet. And by the way, it. I kept working on it, and he was right.

[Jessica Kirsten]

So I did it this. I did a gig in Florida at one of the. At University of. I don't know. It was in Fort Lauderdale. It was cavernous room, cavern. And there were, like, 300 people there. I probably sat 2,000, right. And I was on with all these comics, you know, Jewish. Well, they weren't all Jewish, actually. And my grandmother came with, like, 10 people from her development. This is so random. Who was there? I had college friends there from my sorority from University of Maryland, and Sarah Silverman's father. This was all the people. She's like, my father is a huge fan, wants to come to your show. I had one of the worst sets I've had in my entire career. There was, you know, there's nothing I could do. Like, you know, you go into the crowd, you say, you know, what is funeral? I mean, I tried everything. Nothing worked. It was 20 minutes. Felt like two hours. And I go backstage, and I'm miserable and embarrassed. And all the comics, like, you did fine. It wasn't that bad. And I'm like, it was horrific. Like, I don't know what your job. Then my college friends come back, and they're like, you are so funny. You were, like, amazing. We were laughing so hard, and I'm like, what's going on? And then Sarah Silverman's father comes back, and he's like, good job. You know, you did it. Like, I think he was just trying to be nice.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Jessica Kirsten]

My grandmother walks back with these 10 old people, and they're all standing around me, and they. They're not even smiling at me because they know it was not good.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Jessica Kirsten]

And my grandmother looks at me and she goes, what happened? It was horrible. You embarrassed me in front of my friends. And I literally gave her a hug. I'm like, thank you for being so honest.

[Bashi]

Yeah, it was horrible.

[Sufi]

It's really funny to say that in front of the friends. You just embarrassed her in front of.

[Jessica Kirsten]

I know.

[Sufi]

You embarrassed me in front of my Friends. And now I, in turn, shall embarrass you in front of my friends.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Would just. Just embarrass you in public all the time. I mean, you would be like. She would walk into like a Macy's with me and be like, wear the clothes for the fat kids. You know, the ones who can't stop eating. Where's that section?

[Sufi]

Well, it's just wonderful. I'm so glad. I was gonna ask if you ever had a chance to perform in front of her as well. So I'm so glad that you did. And, you know, obviously I only. My only regret is that you had a bad show.

[Jessica Kirsten]

No, she was the one that told me to get into stand up.

[Sufi]

Oh, God love her.

[Jessica Kirsten]

She called me over to her and said, you need to be a comedian. I said, I could never do that. And she's like, every time you're sitting with people, they're laughing. You need to try stand up comedy. I was a big fan of comedy and I took a class and I was like, oh, here's my community. This is where I belong.

[Sufi]

It's great. This has been fantastic. I highly recommend your special for everybody who's listening. It's on Hulu. It's wonderful. And we now are going to speed round you. All right, that's good.

[Bashi]

Yeah, yeah. And I'm the man. Is the name of that special just if you're looking.

[Sufi]

I was worried Josh was shouting out.

[Bashi]

Yeah, just. Just a quick flex before we get into the Q and A's.

[Sufi]

I'm the man. Seth is the boy. Just saying. All right, here we go.

[Bashi]

You can only pick one of these. Is your ideal vacation relaxing, adventurous or educational?

[Jessica Kirsten]

Relaxing.

[Bashi]

What is your favorite means of transportation?

[Jessica Kirsten]

Crawling.

[Sufi]

No one ever says crawling.

[Bashi]

That's a good.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah, because I'm depressed. I think flying.

[Bashi]

Okay. If you could take a vacation with any family, alive or dead, real or fictional, other than your own family, what family would you like to travel with?

[Jessica Kirsten]

Oh, that's so interesting. The Trumps. No, I'm joking. I think. What?

[Sufi]

Qatari plane. Gotta get a ride on a Qatari plane.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah, I know.

[Sufi]

It's.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

Beautiful.

[Jessica Kirsten]

It's.

[Sufi]

It's a beautiful plane.

[Jessica Kirsten]

It's huge. Everybody said, yeah, I think, I believe it or not, I'd want to. Your family sounds interesting.

[Sufi]

Yeah. Yeah. You're not. You're not a bad pick. Not a bad pick.

[Jessica Kirsten]

I think maybe, like, this is going to sound weird, but Lady Gaga's family. I've been obsessed with her recently. I think she's incredible.

[Sufi]

Perfectly good.

[Bashi]

She is.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah.

[Bashi]

If you had to be stranded on a desert island with one member of your family, who would it be?

[Jessica Kirsten]

Oh, my God. And it could be anyone in my family.

[Sufi]

Anyone living or dead.

[Jessica Kirsten]

I can't pick one of my kids. So I'm going to say my sister Jennifer.

[Bashi]

Okay, you're from. Is it South Orange, New Jersey? Do I have that correct?

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yes.

[Bashi]

Would you recommend South Orange, New Jersey, as a vacation destination?

[Jessica Kirsten]

100%. I absolutely love where I grew up. I think. Check it out. It's a great area.

[Bashi]

Great. And Seth has our final questions.

[Sufi]

Jessica, have you been to the Grand Canyon?

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yes.

[Sufi]

Was it worth it?

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yes.

[Sufi]

All right. I didn't know how this was gonna break.

[Bashi]

Yeah, we've been. I love it. Seth is. Nonsense.

[Sufi]

Seth, that was fine. I thought it was right down the middle.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Oh, my God. Wait. Do you have a minute? What did you think was not great about it?

[Sufi]

I didn't think. I didn't say it wasn't. Cause it was exactly what I thought it would be.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

You know what I mean? Like, was it a Grand Canyon? Sure. But, like, what is that? What's that doing for me?

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah, I understand. I mean, it was maybe because that was one of the first places I saw that was like mountains and nature. It was.

[Sufi]

I get it.

[Jessica Kirsten]

The first time. A very long time ago. But then when I was like, in other places in America, it was like, wow, this country is beautiful. I mean, it's falling apart, but it's beautiful.

[Sufi]

It's beautiful.

[Bashi]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

And the good thing about a canyon is, like, even when it falls apart, it kind of looks like the canyon. It'll be the last thing people notice. Like, no one's ever gonna be like, you know what went to that hole in the ground.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah, Right. No one will ever notice that it got worse.

[Sufi]

I mean, like, what? I mean, one. You know, if people have been around for billions of years, they'd be like, the canyon used to be great. It was just.

[Bashi]

It's only getting bigger.

[Sufi]

It's all. Yeah, it's like where erosion's helping out. The canyon's like, we got big stuff planned. Come back in a. Come back in a million years. You think it's grand now.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Yeah. Come back in a million years, it'll just be a hole. Yeah.

[Sufi]

Yeah. It has been a delight talking to you. Thank you so much for joining us. Love to you and your family.

[Jessica Kirsten]

Thank you. Thank you so much for having me on.

[Sufi]

What's up?

[Bashi]

All the robbers left. What to do? Her sister was bereft. A defile stepdad below with took everything except they're but the loo. A number or two is totally not school. How could you drop the K? So at the pool someone stole her pot and popped a squat. Oh, that must be T. But the story's true. What they left was only.

[Sufi]

Poo. Gross and stinky poo.