“A Friendsgiving Episode” (w/ Matt & Bowen)

Summary

Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang - Episode: “A Friendsgiving Episode”
Release Date: November 27, 2024
Hosts: Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Produced by: Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio

---

Introduction

In the "Friendsgiving Episode" of Las Culturistas, hosts Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang dive into a lively discussion celebrating friendship, cultural phenomena, and the latest happenings in pop culture. This episode blends humor, insightful commentary, and personal anecdotes, making it a must-listen for fans seeking both entertainment and thoughtful analysis.

---

Starting Your Own Country: A Satirical Dive

The episode kicks off with Matt and Bowen humorously debating the frivolity of starting one's own country amidst societal frustrations.

• Matt Rogers [00:30]: "Start your own country. It's surprisingly easy."
• Bowen Yang [01:07]: "I planted the flag. This is mine. I own this."

Their playful banter touches on the absurdity of secession and the complexities involved, setting a lighthearted tone for the episode.

---

Pop Culture Highlights and Press Tours

Transitioning from geopolitical satire, the hosts delve into recent press tours, particularly focusing on the Wicked musical and its impact on contemporary culture.

• Bowen Yang [05:16]: "Tracy Gilchrist, if you're listening, I've had the privilege of talking to Tracy before. She holds space."

They discuss the emotional depth performers bring to their roles and the significance of authenticity in press engagements.

---

Hot Ones and Spicy Experiences

A major segment features Bowen’s experience on the Hot Ones podcast, where he shares his encounters with extreme hot sauces and the physical aftermath.

• Bowen Yang [11:21]: "I ate about half of each sauce. The bomb was that girl. It was even worse than I thought."
• Tereza [13:35]: "You have a weapon in your home."

This segment combines humor with genuine recounting of the challenges faced during the show, highlighting Bowen’s resilience and adventurous spirit.

---

Award Season and Grammy Nominations

The conversation shifts to the ongoing award season, with Matt and Bowen analyzing Grammy nominations and their implications for artists like Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga.

• Tereza [32:22]: "To me, the morning was a win."
• Bowen Yang [34:08]: "Die with a smile."

They critique the categorization of performances and advocate for recognizing supporting roles to honor character actors, stressing the importance of fairness in nominations.

---

Theater Reviews: Gypsy and Sunset Boulevard

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to theater, where Tereza provides an in-depth review of Gypsy, praising Audra McDonald’s performance.

• Tereza [47:02]: "Audra McDonald is one of the greatest singers alive. Her performance in Gypsy is phenomenal."
• Bowen Yang [48:56]: "This is the Muppet."

They compare and contrast different theatrical performances, offering listeners nuanced perspectives on acting techniques and production quality.

---

Oscars and Actor Discussions

Matt and Bowen engage in a passionate discussion about the Oscars, focusing on Sebastian Stan’s reluctance to participate in certain projects and the broader implications for actors in the industry.

• Tereza [72:21]: "Sebastian Stanley, if I had a movie out there, I would sit down with you."
• Bowen Yang [73:03]: "Michael Fisher would dress you both."

They emphasize the importance of recognizing talented actors and encourage engagement with meaningful cinematic projects, advocating for industry practices that honor genuine performances.

---

Final Thoughts and Cultural Commentary

As the episode nears its end, Matt and Bowen reflect on the state of social media, podcasting, and the evolution of cultural platforms.

• Bowen Yang [76:41]: "Podcasting is kind of keeping it old school."
• Tereza [77:23]: "Happy Friendsgiving everyone."

Closing with a blend of humor and heartfelt wishes, the hosts reinforce the episode’s theme of celebrating connections and shared cultural experiences.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Matt Rogers [00:30]: "Start your own country. It's surprisingly easy."
• Bowen Yang [05:16]: "Tracy Gilchrist, if you're listening, I've had the privilege of talking to Tracy before. She holds space."
• Tereza [32:22]: "To me, the morning was a win."
• Bowen Yang [48:56]: "This is the Muppet."
• Tereza [72:21]: "Sebastian Stanley, if I had a movie out there, I would sit down with you."

---

Conclusion

“A Friendsgiving Episode” of Las Culturistas offers a rich tapestry of discussions ranging from humorous takes on geopolitical whims to serious critiques of award nomination processes. Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang skillfully balance entertainment with insightful commentary, making this episode a comprehensive exploration of contemporary culture and the bonds that hold it together.

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Note: This summary excludes promotional segments, intros, outros, and non-content sections to focus solely on the substantive discussions and interactions between Matt and Bowen.

Transcript

[Bowen Yang]

Yes to lista de regalos colos ahoros de Black Friday and the Home Depot. Lleba tegrati sune ramintas de las mejores marcas como riobio Milwaukee cuando compras unquit de baterias elecionado esco quintresierras munterramientas y mucho mas terminato lista mas rapido y pasa mas tiempos or prendiendo los studios the Home Depot as es mas lo gras mas limited uno portrayed applicant restriction en vista completo de ramitas el gilvesen attende por Internet.

[Matt Rogers]

Hello, my undeadly darlings. It's Tereza, your resident ghost host. And do I have a treat for you. Haunting is crawling out from the shadows, and it's going to be devilishly good. We've got chills, thrills, and stories that'll make you wish the lights stayed on. So join me, won't you? Let's dive into the eerie unknown together. Sleep tight if you can. Listen to haunting on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Tereza]

Had enough of this country? Ever dreamt about starting your own?

[Bowen Yang]

I planted the flag. This is mine. I own this.

[Tereza]

It's surprisingly easy.

[Bowen Yang]

We have 55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete.

[Tereza]

Or maybe not.

[Bowen Yang]

No country willingly gives up their territory.

[Tereza]

Oh, my God. What is that?

[Bowen Yang]

Bullets?

[Tereza]

Listen to Escape from Zakistan. We need help. That's Escape from Zaq. Is stan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, everybody, it's me, Matt Rogers, letting you know tickets are on sale now to see me on tour. The Prince of Christmas tour, that is. I'm doing my whole album have youe Heard of Christmas? Plus a lot more with the whole band, all throughout December. Go to www.mattrogersofficial.com to see me in a city near you. And now, las Coach drums. Look, Matt, there. Oh, I see my Bowen. Look over there.

[Bowen Yang]

Wow.

[Tereza]

Is that culture? Yes. Oh, my goodness. Wow.

[Bowen Yang]

Las Culturistas Ding dong.

[Tereza]

Las Culturistas calling. This is breaking bread culture.

[Bowen Yang]

We are breaking absolute ciabatta baguette focaccia. Tonight I'm hosting Cheers.

[Tereza]

Yeah, it's the friendsgiving episode of Lost Cult. How about that?

[Bowen Yang]

How about that? It's giving friends. You are all invited, you know, auditorily, in a sense. Don't come to my house, please. There's not room.

[Tereza]

There's. It would be too much if you Guys all came over, but one at a time.

[Bowen Yang]

One at a time, please.

[Tereza]

You're invited to one at a time.

[Bowen Yang]

Pull up, face down.

[Tereza]

Oh, my God. Not you getting horny. Not you insinuating you like to be stuffed before all this stuffing. Girl, come on.

[Bowen Yang]

I like to be sniffied and sniffed.

[Tereza]

Have you ever gone on Sniffies?

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, of course I browse. I'm. I'm not. I don't have the gumption, the bravery. To the braverism.

[Tereza]

Braverism.

[Bowen Yang]

To post up on it. To literally post on sniffs. Yeah.

[Tereza]

I don't. I've never downloaded sniffies. Never went there. You know my story.

[Bowen Yang]

Download. It's a website.

[Tereza]

Oh, is it a website mobile?

[Bowen Yang]

I didn't even know browsing experience. You were so innocent.

[Tereza]

I'm so unlike the young doe. I'm like the young lamb.

[Bowen Yang]

Young lamb. So in a short female. Dear.

[Tereza]

A female deer. Wait, that would be a good rendition.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes.

[Tereza]

Do a deer. A female deer.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes.

[Tereza]

But isn't that kind of. No, it's not beside the point because do is still the like. Do, re, mi, fa.

[Bowen Yang]

It's. What are you trying to get at?

[Tereza]

What I'm trying to get at is if you sort of did alterations with that melody, it was sort of like.

[Bowen Yang]

No. As long as you hit the do. As long as you hit each first.

[Tereza]

Exactly.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Don't worry. Please take the liberty.

[Tereza]

Yes. I'm so happy this is now a music theory podcast.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, my God. What's your experience of music? That shit is hard. I don't know how y'all memorize the circle of fifths. You know, musical music theory girls.

[Tereza]

It's actually something I never thought I would be able to understand. And now I'm in my. I'm in three times a week, vocal lessons, getting ready for this tour.

[Bowen Yang]

We hear.

[Tereza]

It sounds great. I'm now understanding. Oh, it's just about, like. It's just something to learn.

[Bowen Yang]

It's something to learn. It's math. It's something that. Half the back of your head.

[Tereza]

Right.

[Bowen Yang]

Do you think you could develop perfect pitch? I think you could hear a tone and then call. Call it. I'd be like, that's an A. Sharp.

[Tereza]

You definitely could.

[Bowen Yang]

No, no.

[Tereza]

You definitely could.

[Bowen Yang]

I can call an A just because I grew up with a.

[Tereza]

My.

[Bowen Yang]

One of my only toys as a young cable less child was the metronome. You see?

[Tereza]

So you just play around with the metronome. A. Was that me?

[Bowen Yang]

That's. I think that's an A. Reader's Katie's helpless Finalists. Perfect pictures for anyone to have perfect pitch. You're a finalist. Finalists, Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah.

[Tereza]

You know, speaking of finalists, tons of finalists. Kind of storming the culture. Look at this list of things that have happened in pop culture.

[Bowen Yang]

You got to hit all of them.

[Tereza]

Look at this list.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, my God.

[Tereza]

And you see what. Wait, you see what's number two?

[Bowen Yang]

No, let me see.

[Tereza]

Bowen on Hot Ones.

[Bowen Yang]

Bowen on Hot Ones. Let's talk about.

[Tereza]

You have to talk about your experience.

[Bowen Yang]

Well, do you want to go in order on the list?

[Tereza]

Well, literally, the first thing is this is what I wrote down. Wicked is out critically. Beloved, huge at the box office. Hold space for that.

[Bowen Yang]

Hold space with the lyrics.

[Tereza]

Hold space with the lyrics.

[Bowen Yang]

Let's talk about MS.6 first, because. Can I just say.

[Tereza]

Let's talk about it.

[Bowen Yang]

Tracy Gilchrist, if you're listening, I've had the privilege of talking to Tracy before. She is a wonderful journalist. She holds space. She does. And that's exactly what she was doing. Yeah. And this was, again, important context. I think it's really vital for people to know that this was the week of the election that was recorded. The weekly election.

[Tereza]

Yes.

[Bowen Yang]

Emotions were high, feelings were raw. Like, I think that really touched Cynthia. Even if Tracy only saw it on two posts that the reveal that it was.

[Tereza]

Well, I work in cremate, so I have seen a couple posts. The whole thing of the pinky, too. It's all funny to me.

[Bowen Yang]

It's all so good. Everyone's having fun with it. And, you know, like, you're going to get that moment in the press tour with a queer outlet like Al, with someone like Tracy who looked fabulous. And she.

[Tereza]

She did.

[Bowen Yang]

She looks great. And also, I just. I love that we all kind of got on board with it and lost our minds just a little bit because, God, Bald and Doubt is out here posting tweeting about Baldan.

[Tereza]

Doubt is an icon, you know, best person on my biggest.

[Bowen Yang]

I found out after the fact that she was trying to get in on the John Mulaney Chapel Roan episode of snl. And I could have so easily gotten her a ticket.

[Tereza]

Oh, that will be made up. Bald and Doubt. No, we can make that up to you.

[Bowen Yang]

We will make that up to you. Bald and Doubt. Any show you want this season, please let me know, would happily have you arrived. Come. I'm so sorry I couldn't make Chapel happen, but you are so important to the culture. Bald and dad. But she's out here tweeting. This video is changing the way I talk. Yep.

[Tereza]

Was Balden Dowd, the one that was like, it's a language I don't understand, but they do. Someone was like, they are speaking a language fluently with each other that I do not speak. And breaking down every single thing of it. The holding of just the pinky.

[Bowen Yang]

Holding of just the pinky.

[Tereza]

The accepting of the compliment as if she wrote the song.

[Bowen Yang]

That's really powerful.

[Tereza]

That's really. That's what I wanted to.

[Bowen Yang]

That's what I wanted to happen.

[Tereza]

Every element of it is part of a larger conversation that I want to have about the Wicked press tour, which is.

[Bowen Yang]

It's incredible.

[Tereza]

It is so funny and like, it's amazing. It is funny. And the fact that we will think back on this press tour.

[Bowen Yang]

No, this is so fun.

[Tereza]

And the image we will have in our brains is Ariana wiping away at the air around her face so she doesn't cry. And that image of them running away from just like them hiding from their own tears. Serrates. This press tour, serrated. In the same way that there could be a hundred people in a room. Serrated. The star is born press. We will always remember this press store. And if it's irritating you, honey, honey, you're going to. It's going to be. It's going to be over very soon.

[Bowen Yang]

And we're going to do it again.

[Tereza]

And we're going to do it again next year.

[Bowen Yang]

Who knows, who knows, who knows? But thank you so much for saying that.

[Tereza]

It's funny.

[Bowen Yang]

It's so funny. Everyone's also like, it is sitting next to the fact that they are both giving Oscar worthy performances.

[Tereza]

And now we can say it because now they've said it. They being all the critics and everything. Like I was saying in the beginning, I was everyone that was kind of like being very gay about it and being like it will be nominated for Oscar. I was like, now let's not set a bar. That's crazy high.

[Bowen Yang]

Totally.

[Tereza]

But then having seen it, I left being like, oh, this movie's got it. Like it can go the distance because it emotionally works it.

[Bowen Yang]

Every emotional beat hits.

[Tereza]

Yes. And the performances are very rich and the characters are complex and dynamic and.

[Bowen Yang]

You know, the world is so fun.

[Tereza]

Yes. And now you're seeing, I think on Gold Derby as of today, Ariana is in the two spot in supporting actress and Cynthia is at seven. And suddenly that best actress category looks very crowded.

[Bowen Yang]

Act stacked. Stacked category. Can I just say one more thing about the crying?

[Tereza]

Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

We got to experience that individually. Yes. On this podcast. And let's just say like, in the room, it gets you. Yeah. And watching Cynthia tear up about this character that she obviously has sat with for years.

[Tereza]

Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

Just let her. Yeah. Like, she delivered. Everything else is just fun. Is just fluff, basically. You know what I mean?

[Tereza]

It's actually ruler culture number six. Let actresses be actresses. Let actresses be actresses. That's what they're going to do. And it can confirm from us, I think, maybe being the first interview where there were tears shed. And this wasn't even when they were together. We separately had them.

[Bowen Yang]

No, we separated them.

[Tereza]

The emotions are real. They are very real. Like, I'm. Am I out here just, like, crying? I was about to say I'm not out here just, like crying, but I guess I kind of am.

[Bowen Yang]

Anytime you do, it's so.

[Tereza]

It's real.

[Bowen Yang]

It's real. It's wonderful. It's earned. I don't have the capacity to cry the way that I used to. If something's going on, it's just because I'm tired.

[Tereza]

Oh, you feel too tired to cry?

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, yeah.

[Tereza]

See, when I'm tired, that's when it happens.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, fun, Fun.

[Tereza]

I'm that classic. Like.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, that's great. Let me. I'm just gonna veer away from the T word.

[Tereza]

The T word.

[Bowen Yang]

Let's go. Let's move on.

[Tereza]

We're not holding space for T words.

[Bowen Yang]

We're not holding space for T word. Hot ones.

[Tereza]

I want to hear all about hot ones because, of course, all the conversation, as it should be, is all about them doing their press tour. You have turned some L, E, W, K s. And I specifically want to say kudos to you and the number one in the game, Michael Fisher, the number one for what you wore on the Tonight Show. Bitch, that suit was everything. Speak about that.

[Bowen Yang]

Thank you, Valentino. Head to toe, Valentino.

[Tereza]

Very good.

[Bowen Yang]

They. They would not make a single concession adjustment because it's Valentino. They go, no, you're wearing head to toe Valentino. He's not wearing anything else.

[Tereza]

When a house says we're dressing you, you listen to the house.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, my God. Period. I'm not. I am not pushing back.

[Tereza]

That was amazing. That was a great look.

[Bowen Yang]

Michael Fisher, the king that you are.

[Tereza]

Dressing me for my tour.

[Bowen Yang]

I mean, this. This man doesn't fuck around and dress. Josh Narin for the dick's press tour.

[Tereza]

Dressing Sebastian Stan for all his stuff. By the way, can we say, can someone fucking nut up? Maybe this will be my. I don't think so, honey.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, yeah. Hold on.

[Tereza]

But let me Just say, like, right now. Actually, you know, hold space. I'm going to hold space on this one. It's Sebastian Stan related at the end of the episode, but that's kind of. I don't think so, honey. Talk about hot ones. So this is a dream. This is like such a cool opportunity.

[Bowen Yang]

I'm hot. Toss culture down.

[Tereza]

You did amazing.

[Bowen Yang]

Thank you. That was so much fun. I left buzzing. My stomach lining was only ruined for like one day, the rest of the day. And then I woke up the next day being like, oh, I feel fine.

[Tereza]

But it was an experience on the toilet later.

[Bowen Yang]

Not even on the toilet. It was just like. Because I had a full. I had a day. I was running around and then I was just like, oh, my stomach feels awful.

[Tereza]

So did you have more stuff to do after that?

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Tereza]

Okay. So they say people that have done it were like, I'm so unhappy that I scheduled more things after that because of the way it fucked me up. You didn't experience all I didn't experience.

[Bowen Yang]

I was just. My bowels were irritated and that was the syndrome. I had ibs. I hear you in that moment. And then just in general, I was worried about you.

[Tereza]

As someone whose stomach is volatile.

[Bowen Yang]

Wait, is this a thing about me?

[Tereza]

Because I've multiple people toilet with you in a room with you so many times.

[Bowen Yang]

Sure. Multiple people are like, you are king of my. My tummy hurts. And I'm like. I don't say those words.

[Tereza]

No, I don't think you ever say that. I just think you will have an intense bowel reaction.

[Bowen Yang]

Well, I got my gut biome checked. There you go. And what's the tea? I'm so. I'm overall fine. I have a huge overpopulation of one fauna, which is a bacteria that creates a lot of gas.

[Tereza]

This is going to connect you with a lot of people.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Guys, this is not the first time I've said this. Look it up. This is not sponsored. Flore.com f l o r e not dot com. Just google flore gut bio.gov it should be gov. Well in the Biden administration because RFK Jr sure ain't touching that. No, we can't talk about it, but poop in a tube. Send it in. It will show you the world.

[Tereza]

Oh, this is. This is a callback to your poop in a tube.

[Bowen Yang]

This is the poop in the tube.

[Tereza]

Oh, so this is what it ended up saying.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes. And it was very valuable information.

[Tereza]

Especially because you were going on the Hot One show.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes. And I'm taking my. They've custom made me prebiotic.

[Tereza]

How much of the experience was enjoyable from a taste perspective?

[Bowen Yang]

So enjoyable I would say they're all very good hot sauces. Except the bomb, which I always knew was that girl. When Charlize Theron described his battery acid, I said, well, now I know exactly what I'm in for. And it was even worse than I thought.

[Tereza]

Even worse than battery.

[Bowen Yang]

No, I have some. Don't try some.

[Tereza]

Oh, kinda. Is it going to ruin my night? They let you take it with you?

[Bowen Yang]

Part of the gift bag, part of this bag bag is they give you one bottle of each. Do you want it?

[Tereza]

Are you kidding me? And we're having chicken tonight, right?

[Bowen Yang]

We're having chicken tonight. But I.

[Tereza]

Should I wait or should I do it? Should I do it?

[Bowen Yang]

Do you want to? Do you want to dab just a little bit?

[Tereza]

Yeah, let's do a little dab. Oh my God.

[Bowen Yang]

Just one little dab. I don't want you.

[Tereza]

I'm gonna. I swear to God. No. This is a huge moment.

[Bowen Yang]

I don't have milk. Or should I don't have milk?

[Tereza]

You don't have any milk. You know what's funny about the milk of it all? I actually love drinking milk.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes, me too. I love milk.

[Tereza]

So that would be one of my favorite parts of being on it's the.

[Bowen Yang]

Case and washes away the spice. Do you want to try it?

[Tereza]

You know what? I'm actually not going to try it just because we have a full night of friends coming over and if I react badly, I don't want it to be the night. And also I'm going to hold space for my opportunity to one day do the show. Yes.

[Bowen Yang]

No, ma'am.

[Tereza]

And so I'm going to let. I'm going to kick it down. I can't wait for you to manifesting it for myself that I one day get the opportunity to go.

[Bowen Yang]

Absolutely. You will not. You are. You are literally the superstar of my life.

[Tereza]

Okay, that's enough. More on, more on Sean Evans and flirty chemistry with that.

[Bowen Yang]

Was there chemistry? I just find him be so charming and he's so thoughtful. Such a great interviewer.

[Tereza]

Readers comment below if you think that there was chemistry. Clap if you think she should suffer.

[Bowen Yang]

Handsome guy. Very handsome man. He is very handsome.

[Tereza]

And I bet in person it's even better.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, totally. But like listen, you know me like when I see someone, I'm not a big flirt.

[Tereza]

You don't think unless I really call.

[Bowen Yang]

My target, I'm like, I want to flirt with that person. I'm just like, no, I'm a big flirt. I know you are. Oh, hello.

[Tereza]

How's that? Did someone knock? Okay. While he goes and checks and sees if someone just knocked, Even though it's an hour before someone is supposed to be here. I'm going to say so. He asked you, actually. So it was all a great experience. You definitely were flirting. You said that he mirrors.

[Bowen Yang]

He mirrors. So he. So whatever you choose, by the way, let's just get this out of the way. I chose tenders.

[Tereza]

Yes, yes, yes. People were wondering.

[Bowen Yang]

I love. I love away. I didn't want to deal with bones that day because that just gets. Then my fingers get too oily, and it just becomes a hole.

[Tereza]

I think you inched even closer to legendary status when you chose tenders.

[Bowen Yang]

Why? Why do you say so?

[Tereza]

Because I feel like a lot of people don't do that. I feel like people are just like, oh, no, I'll do the wing thing. Because I also think there is this ideology that, like, you're going to go do the wing show and, like, maybe this is like, you know, the patriarchy speaking, but it's like a real wing is on the bone. But you. Queer culture, you'll take it on the tender.

[Bowen Yang]

Absolutely. Take it on the tender. Plus, it's. It's a bigger bite. It's more surface area. Like. Yeah, with a wing, you're kind of just like, what, Puncturing the skin with your teeth and then you nibble just a little bit off. And then it just kind of like. It's a little. I don't know, something about a tender. It's like, you are. Yeah, I took some bites, and I would not have done that with a wing.

[Tereza]

Did you eat a lot of them, or is a bite of each. A bite of each?

[Bowen Yang]

A bite of each. I ate about a half of each. And for some of them, like those early ones, I was like, little dicks. It's the pear one.

[Tereza]

Yeah. Oh, that was interesting. I don't think I had seen that one before.

[Bowen Yang]

Pear and ghost pepper or pear and habanero. That's a wonderful sauce. I'm so excited to have it in my pantry.

[Tereza]

So you are one who has da bomb in your house now you have a weapon in your home.

[Bowen Yang]

I have a weapon in my home.

[Tereza]

You don't need to get a gun.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, yeah. Someone comes into my house, I'm throwing that in their eyes.

[Tereza]

It's the bomb on site. Beyond insanity.

[Bowen Yang]

Beyond insanity.

[Tereza]

It's that bad.

[Bowen Yang]

And the last dab delicious really?

[Tereza]

Okay, good.

[Bowen Yang]

Because it really. It really does. It peaks at da bomb, and then, like, the last dab is so delicious.

[Tereza]

But I noticed you did have a hard time with the second and last one too. Like, it was.

[Bowen Yang]

It wasn't good.

[Tereza]

After Dubai, it wasn't good.

[Bowen Yang]

I would have tolerated it if the order had been the second, if da bomb was the second to last. You know what I mean?

[Tereza]

Like, I hear you.

[Bowen Yang]

Like, all the way up to da bomb, I was like, this isn't that bad. I love, you know, like, my. My Szechuanese food. I love my spices. I look up hot sauce production videos when I'm eating a spicy meal at home by my lonesome.

[Tereza]

You were a legend on that.

[Bowen Yang]

Thank you.

[Tereza]

You were dragging your outfit, but I thought again, Michael Fisher killed it.

[Bowen Yang]

Michael Fisher. That was a wear shirt. So fun.

[Tereza]

Yeah, it was good.

[Bowen Yang]

That was a great time. I was so grateful I got to do it. And that whole crew, that staff there. Loveliest people. The loveliest people in digital media. And we love first week feast. A lot of people in the comments saying, who is this guy? And I go, really? At this point? This is my. This is my thing. I go, no one can possibly know who everyone is in the culture.

[Tereza]

Oh, yeah, I. I really don't think so, honey. It's like, I don't even know who this is.

[Bowen Yang]

It's like, okay, I don't know who half of the girls are anymore.

[Tereza]

I don't know either.

[Bowen Yang]

So, like, it's. That's not a. It's not a thing worth spending your thumb muscle energy typing.

[Tereza]

Also, it's like, if you're commenting on a video, who is this person? And the person you're talking about is in the video? Maybe if you watch the video, you'll find a little bit.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, maybe you'll learn more about.

[Tereza]

Maybe you'll learn more about the person that you're.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Tereza]

That you're in lack in terms of knowledge about. I thought it was a wonderful appearance. And when he asked you your Mount Rushmore of albums for the year, I.

[Bowen Yang]

Did not leave out Brat. By the way, they cut around that.

[Tereza]

You definitely didn't have Brat in the episode. Yeah, that. Like, it was.

[Bowen Yang]

And people are calling me out on it rightfully. But I think what we must. What you must understand is that I did, of course, give Brad its flowers.

[Tereza]

Do you want to. In an episode that we will not edit? Because this episode never has edits every time.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay.

[Tereza]

What is your actual Mount Rushmore of pop albums in there in 2024. So this will lead us into the Grammy nominations category. I mean, because we didn't get to talk about it.

[Bowen Yang]

Didn't get to talk about it. And things have since changed with Beyonce with this Christmas performance.

[Tereza]

Yes.

[Bowen Yang]

So I'm very excited about that.

[Tereza]

Me too.

[Bowen Yang]

That does change things for me. I'm like, thank you. She's giving us a moment with Cowboy Carter. I would put Cowboy Carter up there, brat, for sure. See, this is where it gets hard. I got two more slots. I'm going to say short and sweet.

[Tereza]

Which didn't make it in the Hot Ones episode.

[Bowen Yang]

And I revisited this week because I'm just like, this woman has the number one movie. The number one album has had a number one album this year and a number one single. Eternal Sunshine is still so fucking good.

[Tereza]

Eternal Sunshine is fucking phenomenal. In fact, I was wearing, like, the sweatshirt the other day. And the merch goes off too.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, yeah.

[Tereza]

Speaking of merch, I have Sabrina Carpenter. Short and sweet. I'm happy you said it. Has now re emerged back in the.

[Bowen Yang]

I don't know why I pit that against Eternal Sunshine. They're both excellent albums and very emblematic.

[Tereza]

Of the year I went to the tour.

[Bowen Yang]

Please tell me you were there when Domingo was there.

[Tereza]

I was there when Domingo was arrested, and it was. He was arrested for being too hot. Like, the show was great.

[Bowen Yang]

Of course it was funny. It's stupid.

[Tereza]

It's so funny. Every song is good also. Not only is every song on Short and Sweet good, and obviously in the show, justice for tornado warnings. Oh, go back and listen to tornado warnings. Is it on the set list?

[Bowen Yang]

Yes. Yeah, she knows. She knows. How fucking good.

[Tereza]

It's like a really fun part of the show. And just. I don't know, just the whole thing is a blast. Like, Marcelo being out there as Domingo was so fun.

[Bowen Yang]

You know what that guy did? Yeah.

[Tereza]

He flew out the writers.

[Bowen Yang]

He spent his own coin. And flew out the writers. Good. And flew out Kara and Hare, the amazing Karen, the wig maker. What a fun moment.

[Tereza]

It was great. I was really happy to be there for that. And it was a really fun concert. Really? Really. Just like a. Oh. Then I turn around, who's sitting next to each other behind me, and literally the entire. I felt so weird about this because the entire stadium turns around and looks at the fact that John, Jeffrey Epstein, and Ghislaine were there.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, my God, I knew it.

[Tereza]

And they were catching up. Oh.

[Bowen Yang]

And he was like, how do you.

[Tereza]

Spell your name again? It's coming up on the holidays. It's like what, the three year anniversary of our Ghislaine episode. You gotta check out the Ghislaine episode.

[Bowen Yang]

That's some of my proudest words, honestly.

[Tereza]

The 12 Days of Christmas. The McDonald's episode. And the Ghislaine episode. And the Mary M. Cosby episode. Oh, 12 days of culture.

[Bowen Yang]

12 days of culture. Should we do that again?

[Tereza]

Maybe we should.

[Bowen Yang]

It's been four years.

[Tereza]

Has it been?

[Bowen Yang]

I guess.

[Tereza]

Yeah, because that was 20.

[Bowen Yang]

20. 2020.

[Tereza]

Okay, so what was I saying? Oh, no.

[Bowen Yang]

John Mayer and.

[Tereza]

Oh, John Mayer and Katy Perry in the same.

[Bowen Yang]

What?

[Tereza]

Well, they clearly didn't know it was happening. And then I felt weird because everyone was turned with their phones out, facing them, watching them talk. And I was just like facing forward. Like, you guys, please don't like. That's not.

[Bowen Yang]

But in the words of Jenna Maroney, respect celebrity privacy.

[Tereza]

Respect celebrity privacy. Celebrity rights. But everyone was enjoying the short and sweet tour.

[Bowen Yang]

Juno. How did Juno go?

[Tereza]

Juno was amazing.

[Bowen Yang]

Bad can look so bad.

[Tereza]

Cam is great. Juno is. Juno is probably now nowadays.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, the song I listen to the most fantastic. By the way, Nonsense Christmas looks so fun. Lauren Mandel, Culture Awards. The only reason you produced that down. Produced that down. She produced nonsense Christmas. Yeah, we say.

[Tereza]

Yeah, we can say.

[Bowen Yang]

We try to move heaven and earth to do it. We were asked to do it.

[Tereza]

We were asked to be in it.

[Bowen Yang]

We were asked to be in it. We couldn't make it work. We're so bombed. We love you, Sabrina.

[Tereza]

We were actually doing a culture awards related thing in LA and she was shooting it in New York and we heard. We got the ask. And that would have been so fun.

[Bowen Yang]

It would have been so fun. Oh, well.

[Tereza]

Next year's nonsense Christmas.

[Bowen Yang]

Next year's nonsense Christmas.

[Tereza]

She's the perfect person to do a Christmas special. It's the humor. It's the. Oh my God. I can't believe I just had the word humor after the humor.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh my God, that was a such a fun episode.

[Tereza]

Wasn't that fun? I listened back and I was like, wow, this is even more fun than I remember.

[Bowen Yang]

It's also about a pancake breakfast. So special. Okay, what else is on the list?

[Tereza]

I have Charlie XDX on snl.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, my God.

[Tereza]

So that episode was so much fun. I have to say Shrek.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, actually is back.

[Tereza]

Shrek is now permanent, relevant monoculture. It's actually rule culture number 15. Shrek is now permanent relevant monoculture. There's never a time because by the way, they keep coming out with Shrek's.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes, Shrek 5 is coming.

[Tereza]

And also Puss in Boots is. Oh, my God, spin off.

[Bowen Yang]

Come on.

[Tereza]

But Shrek will never not. What are you tripped about?

[Bowen Yang]

You sent me a Lord Farquaad thing the other day. Why was Farquaad on the brain?

[Tereza]

This is so. I don't know why this happened, but I found myself. I, like, woke up from a blackout and was like, on Lord Farquaad's Wikipedia, like, looking at information about his past. And I just was like, I don't know why I'm here. I'm screenshotting this and putting this on my story. But it was basically like Farquaad's history. It was like Farquaad, like, I forget. It was like his basic info. And I was just like, I don't know why I'm here, but the reason.

[Bowen Yang]

Is because Shrek is on the brain.

[Tereza]

Shrek is never going to be far from top of mind. For everyone.

[Bowen Yang]

For everyone. I had the privilege. Oh, my God. I go to the Today show and.

[Tereza]

Then I'm going tomorrow morning.

[Bowen Yang]

Huh?

[Tereza]

I'm actually going to Morrow morning.

[Bowen Yang]

What?

[Tereza]

Yeah, I'm on the 9am hour.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, my God. Who are we talking to? Hoda and Jenna?

[Tereza]

No, I'm talking to.

[Bowen Yang]

I'm eating the food from Chanel and Craig and everybody. Oh, they're.

[Tereza]

Yeah, Chanel, Craig, Al Roker.

[Bowen Yang]

If you can talk to Sean Hickey today. Jenna and Hoda want us to do something.

[Tereza]

What do they want us to do? Because you said at the end of your segment there's going to be a.

[Bowen Yang]

Surprise surprise for Hoda, but Hoda kind of knows about it. But I'm going to tell you off link.

[Tereza]

Okay. I'm into it. Yeah, I'm interested because I keep wanting to go back.

[Bowen Yang]

It would involve us recording something in the studio.

[Tereza]

Wow. Oh, okay. Now I think I have an idea about what this might be. And obviously, you know, I'm interested.

[Bowen Yang]

I'm so interested to send off Hoda copy. Are you kidding me? Whoa. Sorry. I'm saying too much.

[Tereza]

Hoda legend.

[Bowen Yang]

Hoda legendary.

[Tereza]

She is a legend.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, my God. I can't believe I got to look her in the eyes and say, thank you so much for the years you put in and for sharing everything about your life with us, about hope and with Ed and Hailey. Like, that is so special. Gosh, I love her just the best. Wow.

[Tereza]

Would it be.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, I was on today's show. And then in between segments, first of all, the stunning, wonderful, incredible Paul Mescal and I are next to each other. In the dressing rooms.

[Tereza]

Oh, my God.

[Bowen Yang]

We got to introduce herself to each other. He's so excited. He's. I can't wait for him to host. Oh, yes, he's hosting the next show. And then lovely staff member on Today goes Bowen. John Lithgow would like for you to say hello. John Lithgow, Lord Farquad himself.

[Tereza]

Wow. This is.

[Bowen Yang]

And this is what I'm saying. Lord Far. No, couldn't have been nicer.

[Tereza]

John Lithgow would like for you to say hello.

[Bowen Yang]

I was like I was being invited to meet the king.

[Tereza]

Wow. I mean, in a way.

[Bowen Yang]

In a way.

[Tereza]

I've met him years ago. I interviewed him and Blythe Danner about a movie at Sundance. And they do. They have the gravitas.

[Bowen Yang]

They are like American people constantly think he's British. Yeah. Even though he's American.

[Tereza]

Yes. Probably because of the Churchill of it all.

[Bowen Yang]

The Churchill of it all. But anyway, Shrek is on the brain. Farquaad. You know, I never got until years later that it's supposed to be like a play on Fuckwad.

[Tereza]

Oh, is it really?

[Bowen Yang]

Yes.

[Tereza]

See, the thing about Shrek, it was subversive.

[Bowen Yang]

Very subversive.

[Tereza]

I'll never forget, like, my grandfather was fighting me when we. When I was a kid. He was like, you really want to see this movie, Shrek?

[Bowen Yang]

Yes.

[Tereza]

I was like, I want to see it. It has a good review in Newsday, which was the Long island newspaper. I was like, it has three stars in news. They were going, it might even have four stars.

[Bowen Yang]

I bet it had four stars.

[Tereza]

Because whoever was reviewing at Newsday fucking understood the assignment.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes.

[Tereza]

And my grandfather was like, all right, I can't believe we're going to see Shriek. And so we go there and immediately it starts giving this most biting humor.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes. And he was like.

[Tereza]

And when they said duloc is a perfect place.

[Bowen Yang]

You keep up up the grass and your shoes. Wipe your face.

[Tereza]

So come on, this is great comedic work.

[Bowen Yang]

Jennifer Saunders singing, holding out for a.

[Tereza]

Hero in the second one.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes. Rupert Everett playing Prince Charming. That was the first time they let a gay man really go off into fantasy world.

[Tereza]

Rupert Everett walked so Jonathan Bailey could, period twirl his ass.

[Bowen Yang]

Thank you for that close up shot, by the way. You know the shot I'm talking about, y'all.

[Tereza]

Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

You know, a dance with your life where he really has ass in face. If you get to see that 20ft tall at IMAX, I'm so happy for you.

[Tereza]

It's wonderful. But I've been a fan of Jonathan Bailey's ass. Since Bridgerton. Since Bridgerton in the first episode. You see it and it's all its glory.

[Bowen Yang]

Since Crashing. Since Final Fantasy 14. I'm going to keep saying it.

[Tereza]

Fellow travelers too. I mean, the sex scenes in Fellow Travelers are real and intense.

[Bowen Yang]

Happy for everyone involved.

[Tereza]

I'm so happy for those boys that they got to live their dreams.

[Bowen Yang]

What else?

[Tereza]

What else did I. Oh, so, so, so, so, so then we changed it.

[Bowen Yang]

To Shrek the Musical and then it was so fun.

[Tereza]

So did you know from Charlie that she was doing Coachella? Did she tell you that? We know she didn't.

[Bowen Yang]

She very close to the best.

[Tereza]

Now they've announced Coachella for next year. Daga headline. And when she took to Instagram and said, I have long dreamed of hosting a night of chaos in the desert, I said, you better talk to us about what you've long dreamed about.

[Bowen Yang]

I'm long dreamed of hosting a. A night of chaos in the desert. Right, right, right, right.

[Tereza]

So the desert is a place for chaos. Right.

[Bowen Yang]

Gaga ending every sentence with right, perfect.

[Tereza]

That's right. She's going to be out there. So it's. First of all, Friday night is going to be freakish. Missy Elliott into Gaga.

[Bowen Yang]

I can't believe. I'm so jealous.

[Tereza]

I can't believe you're working.

[Bowen Yang]

I can go the second week. I can't go the first.

[Tereza]

Oh, God. We have to.

[Bowen Yang]

Literally flying in Sunday to go to.

[Tereza]

Are you actually going to do that?

[Bowen Yang]

I love.

[Tereza]

Did you know I have a ticket?

[Bowen Yang]

I love Mr. Malone.

[Tereza]

Yes. Oh, post Malone on Sunday. I'm Megan Thee Stallion.

[Bowen Yang]

I am just devastated to miss Charlie and Gaga and Missy. Like, I'm like, that is really tough. Anything. Green Day. I love Green Day.

[Tereza]

It's a pretty tough series of X to miss, but it's going to be worth it. Sunday is going to be amazing.

[Bowen Yang]

We're going to have a great time.

[Tereza]

Yes, we will. I'm so excited about Twigs.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, my God.

[Tereza]

Like, the lineup is good. Like, I would say it's more exciting in the headliner space. But the thing about, like, not knowing a lot of the people on the. Because I'm not familiar with a lot of the acts, like, below the line. Below the line is you discover them.

[Bowen Yang]

And it's going to be fun.

[Tereza]

It's going to be great. I'm really.

[Bowen Yang]

That's. That's how Chapel blew up.

[Tereza]

Yes.

[Bowen Yang]

So, you know, like, that is Coachella at its best. When it's like, oh, this is a place where people, like, find someone.

[Tereza]

Yeah. Chapel Roan. In the Gobi tent, going, absolutely off.

[Bowen Yang]

You better go see T. Pain this year.

[Tereza]

Oh, there's no way I'm missing T. Pain. My story last year, Dave Mazzoni and I were. All we wanted was to see T. Pain, but the Heineken house where he was performing was absolutely. It's the Heineken. We had to see T. Pain in the Heineken house of Coachella, where I was there for my absolute sponsorship. Like, listen to this fucking sentence.

[Bowen Yang]

You got to go. That's good.

[Tereza]

I did get to go. I'm so excited. I. I cannot wait. I cannot wait.

[Matt Rogers]

Is your country falling apart? Feeling tired, depressed? A little bit revolutionary? Consider this. Start your own country.

[Bowen Yang]

I planted the flag and just kind of looked out of like, this is mine. I own this.

[Matt Rogers]

It's surprisingly easy.

[Bowen Yang]

55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete.

[Matt Rogers]

Everybody's doing it.

[Bowen Yang]

I am King Ernest Emmanuel.

[Matt Rogers]

I am the Queen of Ladonia.

[Bowen Yang]

I'm Jackson.

[Tereza]

I, King of Captain. I am the supreme leader of the Grand Republic of Montonia.

[Matt Rogers]

Be part of a great colonial tradition.

[Tereza]

Well, why can't I trade my own country? My forefathers did that themselves.

[Matt Rogers]

What could go wrong?

[Bowen Yang]

No country willingly gives up their territory.

[Tereza]

I was making rocket with black powder, you know, with explosive warhead. Oh, my God. What is that?

[Bowen Yang]

Bullets, Bullet holes. We still have the off road portion to go.

[Matt Rogers]

Listen to Escape from Zakistan and we're losing daylight fast. That's Escape from zaqistan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Bowen Yang]

I was hanging out with some friends the other night and just doing gay music videos, and disease came on and I go, this fucking video rules.

[Tereza]

It really does rule.

[Bowen Yang]

It's so good.

[Tereza]

Yeah, it's giving.

[Bowen Yang]

Like something's going on in the culture right now where a lot of people are doing stuff in the suburbs. Yeah. In the music video space.

[Tereza]

What do we think? Is it to appeal?

[Bowen Yang]

No, no, no. I think it's just. It's just a fun backdrop always, especially when you have debauchery going on.

[Tereza]

Do you have any thoughts on. Speaking of the music space, any thoughts on the Grammy nominations?

[Bowen Yang]

I'm very excited. I.

[Tereza]

Award season is upon.

[Bowen Yang]

Award season is upon us, I think, for the most part. Like, what we wanted.

[Tereza]

Yeah, I think actually exactly what I wanted. But obviously Ari was snubbed a bit.

[Bowen Yang]

Ari snubbed. And she's like, she don't care. She's like, I've got. Well, it's not that she doesn't care. I think she's just like, I'm on a totally different journey. I'm so proud of that album, but it's not top of mind in a way that I think is so healthy.

[Tereza]

My thing is, like, she's gonna get an Oscar nomination. And of the nominations she did get, she can now say that she's nominated for a Grammy alongside Brandy and Monic. Like, to me, it's. To me, the morning was a win.

[Bowen Yang]

That was a dream.

[Tereza]

Like, to look at the list and see there is my name next to Brandi and Monica, as it should be. But, like, I was so happy with that nomination because their vocal in that altogether was really crazy.

[Bowen Yang]

So great.

[Tereza]

That song is great, but I just.

[Bowen Yang]

That album is really spectacular.

[Tereza]

It's crazy to see all of the album of the Year nominees, six of the Pop Girlies and then Jacob Collier and Andre 3000 for an instrumental album. Like, it's a cuckoo year like, that they would do that, like. And I guess. Yeah, I guess the one big pop girl who missed out on the album of the year nom was was Ariana, maybe because it came out super early or at March. It feels earlier than everything else. But then Chapel was September of last year.

[Bowen Yang]

Right.

[Tereza]

It's just.

[Bowen Yang]

What are your thoughts? What are your thoughts?

[Tereza]

Well, the thing that I had hoped, my predictions for winners, or at least my hopes for winners can all happen.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Tereza]

And I hope they spread the wealth. I don't know that they will.

[Bowen Yang]

I don't know that they will.

[Tereza]

My dream would be album of the year. Brat record of the year, Espresso song of the year. Either good luck, babe, or birds of a feather. Chapel Roan, best new artist pop vocal album. That is where Ariana could win. I would give it to her now that she isn't up for the other big ones. But I could see Sabrina taking it also Chapel, that category, stacked pop duo. I think you have to give it to Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. But I could also see. I could also see it being Billy and Charlie because that song is fucking huge.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Tereza]

It comes on and you feel so excited.

[Bowen Yang]

Of course. It's so exciting. I do think die with a smile.

[Tereza]

Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

Die with a smile. Fastest song to billion and it's number one now.

[Tereza]

I think it's like that song could win a lot more than we. Yes. And also, I realized I didn't say Beyonce in any of that. But watch out for this Christmas show. Christmas thing. I didn't even know there was a football game on Christmas. Did you know about this?

[Bowen Yang]

I know that Classically, there are big football games on Thanksgiving and Christmas, but otherwise.

[Tereza]

Is this part of her Netflix deal?

[Bowen Yang]

Yes, because it's the live game on Netflix.

[Tereza]

Okay, so people are all up in arms about the potential for this to be a nightmare because I guess big.

[Bowen Yang]

Glitches with the Jake Paul. Yeah, the Jake Paul and the Love is Blind stuff. Like, like Netflix's Live thing is just always technically a little.

[Tereza]

We got to get it together.

[Bowen Yang]

Got to get.

[Tereza]

You got to get it together for Beyonce.

[Bowen Yang]

Come on, Ted.

[Tereza]

Ted, speaking of awards, have you been seeing any Oscar movies?

[Bowen Yang]

I'm so behind. The answer is no. I have recently. Last night I watched Look Back, which I think will probably get nominated for. It's going to be tough. It's an only hour long. It's a, it's an anime movie. But I certainly think it might. It's going to be hard to categorize either. I need to do some more reading on this too. Like, it should be up for best animated film. It has a chance of being foreign. Yeah, for sure. I don't know. I got to look into, like, the criteria for a short film.

[Tereza]

I actually don't know. I feel like it Usually they are.

[Bowen Yang]

Less than, like, okay, then yeah, then.

[Tereza]

I don't know that. I don't know the ins and outs of that. Like, I haven't been looking in, I haven't been in the animated short space. I've been in the feature space.

[Bowen Yang]

This is the year that I really kind of go all the way down the bell.

[Tereza]

You should. Are you a member of the Academy?

[Bowen Yang]

No, girl, if I were a member of the Academy, I would not leave the house. I would, I would be on the app, the Academy app. All day, all night.

[Tereza]

It's probably not far away for you. I.

[Bowen Yang]

Listen. Janet Yang, the legend. You. Oh, my God. I got to meet Janet Yang at this event. And she was so nice to my parents. She spoke Mandarin to my parents. I was like this, this woman can take over the world if she wants. President of the Academy. The chicest woman.

[Tereza]

Oh, you're not. Your invitation is not far away.

[Bowen Yang]

Well, I don't know. You'll be getting one, but I, I, I'm really only in it for the app. I'll be transparent. I just want the Academy app on my Apple tv.

[Tereza]

I get that. I've seen a few things. I saw a real pain.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes.

[Tereza]

Jesse Eisenberg and Karen Culkin. I thought it was good. I mean, I thought it was like, it's a great examination of that relationship. Like a brotherly relationship, but, you know, complicated and estranged. It's bizarre to me that people are saying, like, so I went and saw it because it had Oscar buzz and I was like, oh, Kieran Culkin is in the one spot on Gold Derby for supporting Best supporting actor. You go see it. He's in 95% of the movie.

[Bowen Yang]

So this is a theme of. This is going to be a theme of the year, I think.

[Tereza]

And then I was looking at best supporting Actress and Zoe Saldana is in the one spot and they're saying she's the lead of that movie. So I'm like. And I think there are very few people in that business as talented as Kieran Culkin and Zoe Saldana.

[Bowen Yang]

Absolutely.

[Tereza]

I think that, like, if their performances, like, merit that consideration, they should be in the ostrich conversation. But the problem with just throwing rules.

[Bowen Yang]

To the side in a post Olivia Colman World.

[Tereza]

Yes. My thing with when a lead performance wins or is nominated for a supporting category, it really just, like, it robs all those character actors and those supporting players of the opportunity to get that shine.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes.

[Tereza]

You know what I mean? Like, it's just, it's actually really. Because why even have a supporting category if you're just going to ignore the rules? And I can't help but wonder, like, what exactly makes them feel like they can make those decisions sometimes? Like, if Zoe Saldana, the lead of Emilia Perez, who is also the lead of not just Avatar, but also the Marvel series at large in Guardians, who has been a star since the late 90s, who has consistently worked year in and year out, why do they feel like they can bump her down to supporting?

[Bowen Yang]

It's a bummer for everybody because, yeah, supporting ends up being this, this repository.

[Tereza]

Now it feels like, oh, don't worry, we're going to campaign you for the Oscar, just not the one that is, like, the one everyone's going to be talking about. Why, if Zoe Saldana is brilliant in Emelia Perez and I haven't seen it yet, but by all accounts, she is, like, ferocious. Her best performance, whatever, then why aren't you campaigning? Zoe Saldana?

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Tereza]

Someone literally everyone in America in the world has seen her movies, why isn't she competing in lead Actress if she's the lead of that movie? I just don't understand why they have, like, obviously it's a studio decision so they can hopefully maximize their opportunities to win more Oscars. But, like, you know, if you move Zoe to lead, maybe you do get two nominations in best Actress with her and you Know Carla Sofia Gascoigne. Now they're talking about nominating Isabella Rossellini in conclave, a movie I saw on election day.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, God.

[Tereza]

Which was rough to watch old white Catholic men count votes on election day and then leave and check my phone.

[Bowen Yang]

But Isabella, for supporting, she has, like.

[Tereza]

Maybe three scenes, doesn't really do much.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Tereza]

But she's going to compete with Zoe Saldana, the lead of the movie, and Ariana Grande, the lead of the movie. Like, if these performances are good enough to be in lead, which they are. Put them there. Put them there.

[Bowen Yang]

It is interesting right now. Currently, Golderbear has Mikey Madison, the favorite, her best actress.

[Tereza]

Have you seen Enora?

[Bowen Yang]

I have not. I have. I meant to. I'm very behind, like I said. But. Yeah, it's like you're seeing your Angelinas and your Nicole's and you wonder if all this shuffling is just to make room for them 100%. Where. Yeah. You must have wonder how they feel about it. Where. I don't know. I mean, their feelings are important, but also, like, not the most important thing.

[Tereza]

For me, the thing I'm thinking about the most is it's like you just want the opportunity to reward character work. And especially with someone like Kieran Culkin, who is a character actor. His entire career has played character roles, and he has built his career playing roles like this. And then he's a lead in the movie. Especially after he wins a lead Emmy for a show that has three, arguably four leads.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes, yes, yes.

[Tereza]

They did the right thing with him there. Put him in the lead category. He won a deserved lead Emmy for that. Like, why are you putting him in the supporting category? He's not a supporting role or a supporting actor.

[Bowen Yang]

So the direction of this matters. Where it's on Olivia Colman thing where she gets bumped up from supporting. Tali.

[Tereza]

Yeah. When the true leads were bumped to supporting. Right.

[Bowen Yang]

Well, yeah, so. So. So it goes both ways in that situation. But, like, you're. You're talking about how it moves from top down.

[Tereza]

Yeah, I mean, it moves down a little bit. Yes.

[Bowen Yang]

You need to read Oscar wars by Michael Schulman.

[Tereza]

Right? I do, I do, I do.

[Bowen Yang]

You would love. You would eat it up.

[Tereza]

But I guess my point is, like, if we can lift, like, for example, Viola Davis in doubt, great supporting nomination. One amazing scene sequence, if you want to call it that, she becomes a superstar and then years later she gets to commit her own category, fraud, and win best supporting actress for Fences. You know what I mean? It's like so. But you wouldn't have the superstar that is Viola Davis is what I'm saying, without the nomination, making room for a nomination like that. And that's why it's important. You wouldn't have, like, you know, Octavia Spencer.

[Bowen Yang]

Sure.

[Tereza]

Like, as this, like, marquee name. It's important to make room for real supporting work because it actually opens up a door to interesting actors who are doing interesting work in these types of roles who are crucial functionally to these movies.

[Bowen Yang]

You need to run this business.

[Tereza]

But if I did run the business, they'd be like, oh, we can't do that, because money. I'd be like, okay. I think this is what I would do. If you're in more than 70% of a movie, a jury looks at it. For example, a lot of movies have ensembles that are in the whole movie. Think about who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Right? It's an ensemble of four people. They're in the movie the whole time. You would look at the role of Honey. A jury would look at it. She's in more than 70% of the movie. And they could decide this is a supporting role because Elizabeth Taylor is the lead. And that, I think, would be fair. I'm not even saying if you're in more than 70% of the movie, you must be considered a lead. I'm like, if that's the case, let's at least look at it so that this can hold some, like, fairness. Because there needs to be something in place to achieve fairness, because the current system is not fair.

[Bowen Yang]

Janet Yang, legend, take note. Hire Matt. Put Matt nine in the Academy.

[Tereza]

I think that's a pretty easy fix and a pretty reasonable. And it doesn't even change things.

[Bowen Yang]

That who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf Example is perfect, too.

[Tereza]

Right.

[Bowen Yang]

Like, okay, she's in the movie, but it's Liz. It's. It's Richard.

[Tereza]

Right. But you can create new stars with Oscar nominations.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes.

[Tereza]

So do that.

[Bowen Yang]

I am very happy to see Clarence Macklin be number four for best supporting. But he should win, right? That's my point exactly.

[Tereza]

Clarence Macklin for in Sing Sing should win that award. And because Kieran Culkin is there, who, by the way, it's nothing against him.

[Bowen Yang]

No, no.

[Tereza]

I think he's so talented and he's terrific in the movie as a lead.

[Bowen Yang]

It's the. It's the system of it all.

[Tereza]

And that Clarence Macklin performance is a supporting revelation definition of what should be highlighted by that category. And he's in the fourth spot. You know what I mean, like, that is the category for the scene. Stealing work.

[Bowen Yang]

How much is denzel in Gladiator 2? I have not seen.

[Tereza]

I don't know. But apparently he tears it up.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. I hear he's having fun.

[Tereza]

Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

I can't wait.

[Tereza]

Putting on these rings and the stress and going crazy was. Was his line I saw Saturday Night.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes.

[Tereza]

I think it would be better if it were all Muppets.

[Bowen Yang]

You're so right.

[Tereza]

I don't know why I'm there. Like, the way that it moves throughout 30 Rock and different characters come in, it's literally Muppets. It's the Muppets. And I was like, this should have been the Muppets.

[Bowen Yang]

It's like the moment in 30 Rock when you see the world through Kenneth's eyes and he sees Liz walking around as a Muppet.

[Tereza]

Literally.

[Bowen Yang]

That's the energy.

[Tereza]

Like Belushi's behavior in the movie. Muppet ass.

[Bowen Yang]

Muppet ass.

[Tereza]

Like, even Chevy. Like, the way he's like a cat and everything. I just think the way the characters moved in and out, and they all just popped in their little moments. This is Muppets. And this movie would be more memorable if they just committed to it. And maybe it was the fact that Jim Henson is there in the movie mentioning the Muppets, and I was like, oh, this should all be Muppets.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, totally.

[Tereza]

Like that scene where little mama Andrew Barth Feldman gets too high. I'm like, this is a Muppet.

[Bowen Yang]

This is the Muppet.

[Tereza]

And he's giving kind of like a. I love him. He's giving kind of like a Muppet performance.

[Bowen Yang]

I love Andrew.

[Tereza]

No, he's great.

[Bowen Yang]

Fantastic.

[Tereza]

Andrew Barth Feldman in no Hard Feelings.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, he's so good. He's so good in that movie. Great in this movie, too.

[Tereza]

Noel. Muppets should be in Anora. Honora is one of the great movies of the year. You're gonna love it.

[Bowen Yang]

I'm so behind. Yeah, she's.

[Tereza]

She's incredible.

[Bowen Yang]

That.

[Tereza]

That I saw myself on screen when I saw her. Oh, yeah, I did like a Staten island stripper. They're like, come on, let's go to the atmosphere. I was like, I get her.

[Bowen Yang]

She's a Heidi Garden character.

[Tereza]

Oh, definitely. Definitely. Oh, wait, didn't she do.

[Bowen Yang]

Didn't she did 80s cocaine wine. Wait, no.

[Tereza]

She played Mikey Madison auditioning for Wicked.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Tereza]

I was like, well, we really went niche with this one.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. No, but people. People loved it. I got to see Conclave. I got to see the Brutalists, Nickel Boys. Is the first time I'm.

[Tereza]

I heard.

[Bowen Yang]

It's really good hearing of this.

[Tereza]

Oh.

[Bowen Yang]

Based on the book, of course.

[Tereza]

Anjanu Ellis Taylor.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Tereza]

Tears it up.

[Bowen Yang]

She's. And she's. She's listed as. Well. Um. Well, this is an interesting year.

[Tereza]

Yeah. And then I went to the theater last night.

[Bowen Yang]

You need to tell everyone about Gypsy, Audra and Gypsy.

[Tereza]

So when you also saw Sunset Boulevard.

[Bowen Yang]

I saw Sunset Boulevard, yes.

[Tereza]

So across the street from Sunset Boulevard, Audra McDonald is in Gypsy. And I went to the third preview. I'm gonna take the tone that I took when I saw Sweeney Todd in previews and say, I'm gonna give this all the benefit of the doubt. It was the third preview. And I have also heard this director, in particular works a lot out in previews because from what I saw, a lot needed to be worked out in previews.

[Bowen Yang]

And they worked it out with Sweeney Todd in the end, I believe.

[Tereza]

Absolutely. I mean, and I think that that's kind of the thing with previews is you see, at least from a distance, like, what's working. Like, things are in process. I get it.

[Bowen Yang]

She is spectacular.

[Tereza]

She. Audra McDonald. I happened to have, like, a seat where I was pretty close to her, and she kind of comes very forward and gives Rose's turn, like, right in the first row. It's the highest quality acting on Broadway, I would say.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, it is.

[Tereza]

And it's her. Rose is very interesting. It's almost, like, pathological. It's almost like she's playing Rose's mental illness more than we've ever seen. Because, like.

[Bowen Yang]

Because a lot of actors will love to play up to the break.

[Tereza]

Yes. I feel like Bernadette is giving, like, seductive narcissists.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes.

[Tereza]

Patty is giving, like, bombast, Bombast bull of a woman. I don't take no for an answer. This, like, almost like it's born in her culture to take over. And then the despondency when she realizes she's gone too far does. It just gives me, like. It's an attitude issue that goes out of control. Audra, in her quiet moments.

[Bowen Yang]

Ooh.

[Tereza]

You see her, like, processing and working out disappointments and things that make her angry. And then she leaps into action in a way that, you know, her brain is telling her, you'll die if you don't fix this. And it's thrilling to watch. You can't have a more special experience than watching her do Rose's turn. From an acting standpoint, everyone that's wondering about how her voice is going to fit the music. It really just depends how married you are to Patti LuPone and Bernadette's and some people are married and Ethel Merman, like, you know what I mean? Like, and yeah, it depends how married you are to, like a brassy belty rose if you're married to that. This is going to feel weird to you because it's very Audra. It's very legit sounding. It is mixed. You know what I mean?

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah. I guess we're split in the culture as to what we want, which is some people might be married to the classic roses and then others might be like, maybe it is time for something new. Yeah. How has he gotta get a gimmick?

[Tereza]

Amazing.

[Bowen Yang]

I love that song.

[Tereza]

It is act two of Gypsy really soars.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Tereza]

Like, act one is good, but act two of Gypsy is incredible. The gimmick ladies. I love it.

[Bowen Yang]

Always like my favorite part of Gypsy. Yeah. And besides, like the big showstoppers. But you gotta get a game. I'm just like, this is so fun. It's just three charm songs in one.

[Tereza]

Yep. Yeah. It's so good. And the costumes are great. Like the performer, the actresses are so good. It's just so crazy because across the street, Nicole is so different.

[Bowen Yang]

So different.

[Tereza]

Like doing this, like avant garde, abstract, like almost like multiple personality performance.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Tereza]

Like a disordered singing down. But now I think she made it really fucking tough for herself.

[Bowen Yang]

She made it tough. And can I say my note, my critique for Nicole?

[Tereza]

What?

[Bowen Yang]

The moments that are played for comedy.

[Tereza]

Pushed.

[Bowen Yang]

Pushed. No need to do the Valor girl voice. It doesn't need it. Yeah. You're putting too much sauce on it.

[Tereza]

I think here's the thing. It's like Audra is so. It's crazy because you cannot deny the performance, the power of Nicole's performance. She is spellbinding. She's amazing, and her singing is out of control. It's almost like you've never heard the songs like this in an amazing way. Across the street, Audra sings the songs from gypsy. And Audra McDonald is one of the greatest singers alive. But the style of singing is so different from what people are accustomed to that you're also hearing those songs like.

[Bowen Yang]

You'Ve never heard Audra to me, and the bar is kind of whatever for Nicole.

[Tereza]

Well, now I think the bar is so high for Nicole because everyone's talking about it. And I think she made it really difficult for herself saying this stupid comment about the hat on Russell Brand's Instagram because in terms of Tony voting no, that's alienating.

[Bowen Yang]

So many people.

[Tereza]

Well, the Tony voting block is only 800 people, so that's a community of people. So you really do need a community to rally around you. And I don't know that they rally around her after even an explained comment like that when they have other options.

[Bowen Yang]

And the way that the comment was explained also could have gone better, in my opinion.

[Tereza]

Here's what I'll say. I believe her when she says, I'm just a religious person, but that's not really an excuse. I mean, like, I don't know. I don't know. A lot of it's weird to me, but, like, it's a shame because I'm a huge fan of her performance. And I still do think everyone should go see this production, which I think is incredible.

[Bowen Yang]

I want to go see Mandy Gonzalez on Tuesdays because I hear she is incredible. It's a different take with the same production, obviously.

[Tereza]

She does every Tuesday.

[Bowen Yang]

She does Tuesdays.

[Tereza]

Okay. We should. We should go.

[Bowen Yang]

I would love to see her. And I mean, just. I mean, the direction of the show, I think, is phenomenal.

[Tereza]

It's. I mean, you did enjoy it.

[Bowen Yang]

I really enjoyed it.

[Tereza]

It was amazing. That's my thing, is it's like, as it stands right now, like, if you're picking between the two performances, like, the one production is just way more memorable. But again, maybe Gypsy will get there. But I'm seeing Death becomes her next month.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, my God.

[Tereza]

And I'm. I heard it's to die for.

[Bowen Yang]

Can we just.

[Tereza]

No pun intended, of course.

[Bowen Yang]

Can we give respect to the name Megan Hilty, obviously, period. Jen Samar.

[Tereza]

Yes.

[Bowen Yang]

One of our best.

[Tereza]

Yeah. No, I. All I'm hearing is that they tear it up and the show is so fun.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, my God. I love it.

[Tereza]

No, and also to say nothing of Michelle Williams, of course.

[Bowen Yang]

Like, when you see Michelle Williams the day after Beyonce on tv.

[Tereza]

Oh, my God. Yeah. Wow, wow, wow. It'll be. I'll have to see. Do something with Kelly on.

[Bowen Yang]

Absolutely.

[Tereza]

Lay it on me from my parents. The music video. Lay it on me, baby. Lay it on me oh, lay it on me.

[Bowen Yang]

Death Becomes her will be a gag.

[Tereza]

I mean, we've been asking for it as a cult.

[Bowen Yang]

I know, but the great cast.

[Tereza]

I love Megan Hilty.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, my God. I love. She was great on. Watch what happens live.

[Tereza]

Yeah, she's great.

[Bowen Yang]

She's so fun.

[Tereza]

Watch Smash again.

[Bowen Yang]

Watch Smash again.

[Tereza]

She. She. Even when the third graders. Because the original third graders were writing on Smash, those third graders are now. They're like, they've grown up. They have kids. But when they were in third grade writing Smash, it didn't matter to Megan. She tore up no matter what the storyline was and always sang her tits off, of course.

[Bowen Yang]

And she was dealing with Republican leads way before anyone else.

[Tereza]

Kathy McFu.

[Bowen Yang]

McFuke, Jen Simard. Oh, my God. I just. I just got to say, I got to meet her at the Tonys and I was. I was gagged. And she was my favorite part of Company. My favorite part of Company.

[Tereza]

I get to see Company.

[Bowen Yang]

She was fabulous in company. She was making my ass laugh.

[Tereza]

I love. I mean, like, everything I've seen her do. I do love. God, I love. Super excited when I found out it was the two of them, because I was like, oh, that's really fun. They found people that are really going to give it.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes, yes.

[Tereza]

Like, a show like that would be so easy to, like, cast stunty.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, totally.

[Tereza]

But they found, like, some of the real girls.

[Bowen Yang]

Here you go.

[Tereza]

Isn't it funny how the people we love most are often the hardest to shop for? Well, luckily, there's one gift that everyone on your list is sure to enjoy. An Aura digital picture frame.

[Bowen Yang]

Named number one by wirecutter, Aura frames make it incredibly easy to share unlimited photos and videos directly from your phone to the frame. And when you give an aura frame as a gift, you can personalize and preload it with a thoughtful message and photos using the aura app, making it an ideal present for long distance loved ones. It's a gift so special, they'll use it every day.

[Tereza]

You know, it can be really tough to find the perfect gift for someone. And here's kind of like a little gift hack. You get someone this digital picture frame, and then they can fill it with all the beautiful memories. So it's kind of like you're collaborating on the gift. You know, here's the container. You fill it up, hon.

[Bowen Yang]

I underestimate the power of a frame.

[Tereza]

It's all about how you frame it, Beau. For a limited time, visit auraframes.com and get $45 off Aura's bestselling carver matte frames by using promo code culturistas at checkout.

[Bowen Yang]

That's a U R A frames.com promo code culturistas. This exclusive Black Friday Cyber Monday deal is their best of the year, so don't miss out. Terms and conditions apply.

[Matt Rogers]

Is your country falling apart? Feeling tired? Depressed? A little bit revolutionary? Consider this. Start your own country.

[Bowen Yang]

I planted the flag and just kind of looked out of like, this is mine. I Own this.

[Matt Rogers]

It's surprisingly easy.

[Bowen Yang]

There are 55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete.

[Matt Rogers]

Everybody's doing it.

[Bowen Yang]

I am King Ernest Emmanuel.

[Matt Rogers]

I am the queen of Lidonia.

[Tereza]

I'm Jackson I, king of Capperburg. I am the supreme leader of the Grand Republic of Montonia.

[Matt Rogers]

Be part of a great colonial tradition.

[Tereza]

Well, why can't I trade my own country? My forefathers did that themselves.

[Matt Rogers]

What could go wrong?

[Bowen Yang]

No country willingly gives up their territory.

[Tereza]

I was making rocket with a black powder, you know, with explosive warhead. Oh, my God. What is that?

[Bowen Yang]

Bullets, Bullet holes. We still have the off road portion to go.

[Matt Rogers]

Listen to Escape from Zakistan.

[Bowen Yang]

And we're losing daylight fast.

[Matt Rogers]

That's Escape from zaqistan on the iHeartradio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Tereza]

Here's what I have housewives. I have housewives. There's a whole ton of stuff happening with the housewives, of course.

[Bowen Yang]

Let's do quick hits.

[Tereza]

Quick Hits. Team Dorit or team Kyle.

[Bowen Yang]

I'm going to go Dorit. Even though she's going through something, she's more fun to root for in this moment. Because Kyle, I don't know what to feel because she is not really. She's being vague in the information, which she has every right to be. I just. I'm like, I don't know what my feelings are on this. Like, I. I don't know.

[Tereza]

I think I'm Team Dorit.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Tereza]

I think I have to be team Dorit. Because as much as I love Kyle and I. As much as I give her a name when I order at Starbucks, something about Dorit's, like, on the verge, flying down the canyon, smoking a cigarette. I'm like, this woman has no fucks to give, and therefore I believe she's gonna come and be honest.

[Bowen Yang]

That's what you want to see on Housewives. And you don't. It's not fun. And not that it's for fun or entertainment, even though it's a show, but it's like. And she's dealing with deeply personal, painful thing. Not painful, but just sensitive thing. It's not fun for someone to be cagey about something like this.

[Tereza]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I will also say, like, when they were picking on her hat that she wore for the surreal party, I'm like, you guys know that she's one of the only ones that's, like, actually kind of doing the surreal assignment.

[Bowen Yang]

Sure.

[Tereza]

Y'all are dressed as woodland creatures.

[Bowen Yang]

You all are being, like, goofy. Yeah. Wait, you're talking About? We're talking about Doritat.

[Tereza]

Yeah. Her thing that she wore to the surrealism party.

[Bowen Yang]

I thought it worked.

[Tereza]

I thought it worked.

[Bowen Yang]

Antlers didn't really make sense.

[Tereza]

And why were they all in them?

[Bowen Yang]

I don't know. We're talking about, like, dall? E surrealism, Right? Magritte surreal.

[Tereza]

Magritte surreal.

[Bowen Yang]

Like, wear an apple. Put an apple on your face. You know, like, do that.

[Tereza]

Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

So people were being goofy and random.

[Tereza]

It was too goofy for me.

[Bowen Yang]

No bows.

[Tereza]

I love. I like bows.

[Bowen Yang]

I like bows as a vibe. Even though, like, whatever her, like, career history is is kind of weird and checkered.

[Tereza]

I don't know if it's checkered or not. My question is just, like, why? It's like, when she was like, I worked here and here and here and here and here and here. You and, I don't know companies. Usually when someone has worked at a lot of places, it means they've had to leave a lot of places. But I also don't want to take anything away from her because she's clearly a very dynamic, compelling.

[Bowen Yang]

No, she's a very person. I'm very. I think this is the right vibe. And I don't really miss your Crystal Kong Minkoff.

[Tereza]

Oh, I didn't even think about her. I don't think about any of the housewives that aren't on anymore. That's why whenever anyone's like, oh, we miss so and so. I'm like, we're going to miss so and so. I'm like, you're not, though.

[Bowen Yang]

The only exception is because maybe it's a full reboot is Roni because. And we'll talk about Roni's.

[Tereza]

Roni is nothing. It is tough. I was rooting for them. We were all rooting for them.

[Bowen Yang]

We were all rooting for them. How dare them? This whole fucking. Aaron. Aaron. I'm just like, girl, what are you doing to me?

[Tereza]

She's not even the problem.

[Bowen Yang]

She's not even the problem. But, like, the Rebecca Minka the Prank quote, unquote.

[Tereza]

I'm like, I hated the prank.

[Bowen Yang]

Ducks balls.

[Tereza]

Yeah. I hated the prank. Aaron didn't even need to do the prank because I was like, you're one of the ones actually giving a storyline meanwhile, like, so many of them are not. And they can't get me to care about Raquel.

[Bowen Yang]

They can't get me to care about Raquel.

[Tereza]

I don't even know the women from last season, really. It's like, why are you suddenly doing Raquel? It's like, I Don't know the girls that we have on the show already, Right?

[Bowen Yang]

I'm like, sorry, what is. What is UBA about again? Like, what happened to the hot sauce?

[Tereza]

Like, I would love to know what happened with the hot sauce.

[Bowen Yang]

And I like the hot sauce. Jessel, I'm rooting for still, in a way, Puvet makes it very tough. That is one of the lamest motherfuckers to ever be on television.

[Tereza]

Yeah, he sucks that thing of, like, when straight men, like, negative. Like, the, like, thing of, like, oh, I'm going to be annoying as a funny thing and eat on our therapy zoom. I would turn to my husband and say, you better close your mouth and put that snack away right now. You are embarrassing me. Disrespectful.

[Bowen Yang]

You're embarrassing me while the cameras are on.

[Tereza]

Here's the thing. The reason why you're embarrassing me is because you're embarrassing yourself.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes.

[Tereza]

And now I'm on this television show on therapy, and you are not being funny, and you think you are, and it's humiliating. And his thing of, like, constantly minimizing her. I get that she's no saint. And, like, obviously, like, of course. Of course their relationship was established as being very, like, the meanness to each other as, like, a foreplay that they do. But it's like, dude, come on.

[Bowen Yang]

Come on now. I'm like, oh, you're. You're just like, a wannabe tech bro.

[Tereza]

You said Elon, he wouldn't want the daughter to be Taylor Swift, but he would want his daughter, his son, to be like, Elon. I was like, you said it, all right.

[Bowen Yang]

I'm like, you jack off to the cybertruck or something. Like, he was literally is like, I want a cyber truck. I'm like, this is. This is our guy. Not our guy, but I'm just. This is the guy.

[Tereza]

It's giving cabinet appointment. Oh, okay. So, O.C. i thought Emily Simpson won the reunion.

[Bowen Yang]

Emily Simpson, you're the dumbest girl ever.

[Tereza]

Don't. Don't you dare call me dumbest girl I've ever fucking met.

[Bowen Yang]

I've ever fucking I ever fucking met.

[Tereza]

No lies told there.

[Bowen Yang]

No lies told. Sorry, Alexis.

[Tereza]

Sorry, girl.

[Bowen Yang]

But you're a wonderful mother. She's a wonderful mother.

[Tereza]

I'm sure they're all wonderful mothers. Like, these people, they come on, and I'm. I just wonder, like, what did Alexis think this was going to be like, right? What exactly did she think was going to happen when she went fresh off getting together with the star of the show's like, Ex husband. Ex fiance, whatever it was.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Tereza]

And, like, have no, like, contrition about it. Did you expect it to have, like, a future on the show?

[Bowen Yang]

No. You're in, you're out.

[Tereza]

Defense Against Dark Arts.

[Bowen Yang]

Katie, that was tough.

[Tereza]

I want her to come back, though.

[Bowen Yang]

I do. I want. I want that as well. I think there's extrapolation there.

[Tereza]

I thought one of the lowest parts of the reunion was that I think it was Heather Debrow, who. I do, like, brought up that years before Katie had that, like, illegal situation that they. I was like, this is, like, not relevant. And feels petty.

[Bowen Yang]

So petty. And I think she. She felt bad. She knew that. And then that's why she went over. I don't know. That's part of the reason why she went over.

[Tereza]

And, you know, and Tamara, I don't. I buy it. It needs to be a three times.

[Bowen Yang]

A week therapy for so many reasons. Potomac, I am so on board with. Oh, my God, someone stopped me today in the street as I was getting into an Uber. She was like, hold on your window. I was like, okay, what's she gonna say? She goes, I just want to let you know I loved Giselle that you and Matt changed my mind on it. And I said, but wait, she's fun again. I like her. She's like, really? I'm gonna start. I need to start watching Potomac.

[Tereza]

So this person marked you down to share a Potomac.

[Bowen Yang]

To share that, like, we had helped her change her mind on Giselle. Because if anyone knows the history of our podcast and Giselle, we've been very anti.

[Tereza]

Yes.

[Bowen Yang]

Now with Robert Dixon picture. Now that I think the producers. Now that I think Giselle might have been a little, you know, scared by. Under her ass. Something happened. Now she is. I think she's very enjoyable. And I never thought I would say those words.

[Tereza]

I'm enjoying Giselle. I'm even enjoying Ashley. Like, I'm actually. I'm actually enjoying the group as a whole. And I've also. I think Wendy is so much better when she's not feeling like she has to, like, anxiously be on the defensive all the time. Ms. Stacy is.

[Bowen Yang]

I am obsessed.

[Tereza]

She's. She's here to stay. I said I want Stacy in a confessional after every scene, even when she's not in. I want her reacting to every single thing that happens on the show. The boyfriend is. Oh, I love it. It's too good.

[Bowen Yang]

No, I'm just. Can I just say, like, none of it is embarrassing. None of it, like, lowers any sort of thing. I Have for Stacy like she is. I will. I will follow her to the ends of the earth.

[Tereza]

I am a Stacey.

[Bowen Yang]

Sarah Sherman and I are like, that is the most beautiful woman Sarah and I are.

[Tereza]

She now takes the crown away from Lisa Barlow for you.

[Bowen Yang]

Lisa has not been doing it for me lately. I'm so sorry.

[Tereza]

Transitioning to salt.

[Bowen Yang]

Like, yeah.

[Tereza]

We are sort of at an impasse, you and I, with Bronwyn.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes.

[Tereza]

I'm very pro Bronwyn, and I'm not.

[Bowen Yang]

To draw a comparison to pvet. It's like rich people being funny and quirky is like taking a plane and going to Vietnam to eat a banh mi. And I don't know if this is fair to draw a parallel, but it's like you dress up in an inflatable dinosaur costume to go greet your husband, or you have, I don't know, like, tacky PJs and you have dog turds around the house. I'm like, something is off.

[Tereza]

You revealed what it really is about Brontwood, though, for you.

[Bowen Yang]

One of the things that's not the main reason, but she does trigger me, and for lack of a better word, to this awful person that I knew growing up. And it's because she talks like this or the way she confronts is with this.

[Tereza]

I don't like that tone of voice. Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

Hate it.

[Tereza]

I will say for me, my like of Bronwyn is because I do think that she's able to explain her perspective in a way that I've noticed. Something about the Salt Lake women, they often don't get it.

[Bowen Yang]

They can't.

[Tereza]

They can't explain their own point of view. They can't see the forest for their trees emotionally, like Lisa Barlow most of all. And it's funny and it's great. I feel like Bronwyn is the most grounded. And she's like, no, I know how I feel. My moral compass is what it is. You might not agree with it, but I'm going to eloquently and intelligently dress you down and get you together.

[Bowen Yang]

No.

[Tereza]

And she's like, the first. Like, good, like, on the spot, like, conversational.

[Bowen Yang]

Like high eq. Yes, sure. And then sometimes she lets things slip in a way that I'm like, whoa. Where she's like, haven't I bogged your loyalty? I sat in first class because I. Because it was my credit card, which.

[Tereza]

You know, I guess the first class of it all.

[Bowen Yang]

I don't know. Like, when she's. When she's backed into a corner in a real way, I Think she kind of. It's tough.

[Tereza]

Yeah. But I do think, though, like, if you take all of your friends on a private plane to your home for your anniversary with your husband, you do get to say to someone that they're being an asshole and it's fucked up when you paid for shit.

[Bowen Yang]

I do think you get to say.

[Tereza]

That as a real housewife of Salt Lake City, I think she's within her rights.

[Bowen Yang]

No.

[Tereza]

Todd scares me, though. I scary.

[Bowen Yang]

And I think we're gonna see that marriage really kind of the hood of that pop up.

[Tereza]

Oh, that's Gerardish as fuck.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Tereza]

But I think not in a legal way. And, like, a. That setup is giving me Ajna.

[Bowen Yang]

I have not made up my mind on Bronwyn. I'm just. And I see potential for. She's here. Look, if Giselle. If I can get. Giselle can get me to like her, anything's possible. So. And Bronwyn seems very, very, very interesting, and that's what the show thrives on.

[Tereza]

I think the fact that Heather is so pressed about Bronwyn is because I think Heather. Heather doesn't realize. The audience can tell. Like, Heather's trying to make it about. Like, I am very protective of this group because we've been through a lot.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes.

[Tereza]

And it's like, okay, that might be true, but what you're protective of is the dynamic of the group for show reasons.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes.

[Tereza]

And your status. And Bronwyn makes the show better. But I don't know if, in Heather's mind, that's true, because I think Bronwyn brings a big personality and takes up a lot of space, and when you're there, that's something I was thinking about. Like, I didn't even think about that with, like, Housewives. I was actually watching an interview with Bozema on Kelly Clarkson, and Kelly was like, so what's been your experience of being on Housewives? And Bozema goes, you know, it's not dissimilar to being in the boardroom. She was like, you're all sitting there, and you're trying to work out a problem or a solution, and people are very convinced of themselves, and you have to be able to broker communications and conflict and resolve, and everyone has different things that they want. She was like, I can liken it to that. And I was thinking about that, and I was like, you know, Bronwyn brings a new element to that boardroom, and you don't have a great set of minds on Salt Lake City. I think, in a boardroom sense, I think you have a lot of people screaming, very convinced of themselves. We have entertainment. But Bronwyn is just bringing a new element to the boardroom, and Heather is uncomfortable with that. But she should get comfortable. Totally.

[Bowen Yang]

She should get comfortable. Bronwyn's here to say I do kind of bristle a bit at, like, the vernacular sometimes.

[Tereza]

Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

Who definitely makes the show better? I don't know if she makes the show better. The vernacular she possesses, the vernacular she possessed, she does not have. But I think Bronwyn, I don't know if I agree with you yet that she makes the show better. Who makes the show objectively better?

[Tereza]

Talk about it.

[Bowen Yang]

Angie K. Angie Kat Danavis, we.

[Tereza]

This is a Stan account.

[Bowen Yang]

This is a Stan account for Angie K. You have shown vulnerability this season. You've also pulled the Campia stunts that loop all the way back around to them. Working the scroll is so stupid. You executed it so beautifully. And timing. And the timing of it was so bad that it was good.

[Tereza]

It was brilliant.

[Bowen Yang]

But I'm just saying, like, it was.

[Tereza]

So bad that it was good. You know when she does, like, Campy Housewives things, like when she shows up and it's so clear, she knows she's on camera for me, with her, with almost no one else, it's charming.

[Bowen Yang]

The awareness works.

[Tereza]

Yes. It's like, well, Meredith, I actually was going to want to talk to you about this. Meredith, I'm like, yes, Angie, wind up.

[Bowen Yang]

It's so beautiful.

[Tereza]

Well, Lisa, you are not a good friend to me. And I think it's shown. Lisa, I'm speaking like, I'm just like.

[Bowen Yang]

You better be a housewife, Lauren. Matt's got an Angie K. They gave.

[Tereza]

Me another shot, and I go in there with just Angie K. If I go back in there years and years and years later for my third screen test at snl after you're gone.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, my God.

[Tereza]

This. I'm Matt Rogers, and today I'll be doing Angie Katzenevis immediately. And I just do her for five minutes immediate. Actually, no. I stay for 15. I refuse to leave.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, don't leave.

[Tereza]

You're doing it just like Angie came with it.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, my God. We love you, Angie, so much.

[Tereza]

Can we come stay at your place? This hot lake?

[Bowen Yang]

I got the invite.

[Tereza]

Oh, I know, but I want to come, too.

[Bowen Yang]

No. Can we both come? Angie, there's room in that house.

[Matt Rogers]

Is your country falling apart? Feeling tired, depressed? A little bit revolutionary? Consider this. Start your own country.

[Bowen Yang]

I planted the flag and just kind of looked out of like, this is mine.

[Matt Rogers]

I own this, it's surprisingly easy.

[Bowen Yang]

We have 55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete.

[Matt Rogers]

Everybody's doing it.

[Bowen Yang]

I am King Ernest Emmanuel.

[Matt Rogers]

I am the queen of Ladonia.

[Tereza]

I'm Jackson I, king of Capperburg. I am the supreme leader of the grand republic of Minto.

[Matt Rogers]

Be part of a great colonial tradition.

[Tereza]

But why can't I trade my own country? My forefathers did that themselves.

[Matt Rogers]

What could go wrong?

[Bowen Yang]

No country willingly gives up their territory.

[Tereza]

I was making rocket with a black powder, you know, with explosive warhead. Oh, my God. What is that?

[Bowen Yang]

Bullets, Bullet holes. We still have the off road portion to go.

[Matt Rogers]

Listen to Escape from Zakistan and we're losing daylight fast. That's Escape from zaqistan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Bowen Yang]

This is. I don't think so, honey. This is the segment where we take one minute to rail against something in culture and we are going to do just that right now.

[Tereza]

Okay. Yes, I have something. I alluded to it earlier in the episode and I just. Yeah, I'm ready to go.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay. This is Matt Rogers. I don't think so. When he's time starts now.

[Tereza]

I don't think so, honey. That Sebastian Stan doesn't get to do an actors on actors for the Apprentice for Variety because no one would sit with him and talk about that movie. He was quoted as saying that no actor would agree to sit down with him and talk about the Donald Trump biopic that he is in. That is so cowardly and stupid. I don't know if it's the publicists. I don't know if it's the actors themselves. Just sit down and talk with this man about his good work. And he's also in another movie called A Different man, which was getting rave reviews. He apparently gives a terrific performance.

[Bowen Yang]

Of course he does.

[Tereza]

This guy is a great actor. He takes himself seriously. Like, because you're what, scared of blowback. Trump voters aren't watching the Variety. Actors on actors.

[Bowen Yang]

I have news for you.

[Tereza]

I don't think so, honey.

[Bowen Yang]

That's one minute.

[Tereza]

I'm just saying Sebastian Stanley, if I had a movie out there, I would sit down with you.

[Bowen Yang]

You would go on hot ones. You would do actors on actors with Sebastian.

[Tereza]

I would do anything.

[Bowen Yang]

Michael Fisher would dress you both.

[Tereza]

I love Sebastian Stan.

[Bowen Yang]

I love that.

[Tereza]

And I didn't like seeing him be disrespected because he shows up. You know, he looks like he does a great job at his stuff. He seems like a nice guy. We've heard that. He's such a sweet, nice guy. And I think it was incredibly brave of him to do that movie.

[Bowen Yang]

Yes.

[Tereza]

And someone should step up and not be a loser. And especially now. You would get a lot of credit for doing it.

[Bowen Yang]

Of course.

[Tereza]

So. Because he called.

[Bowen Yang]

Because he called it out.

[Tereza]

Yeah. And I'm happy that he did.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, me too.

[Tereza]

Because. Because that is really important. Because. Are you telling me that we're. We're just now we're going to take what's happened and move forward in fear?

[Bowen Yang]

No. No fucking way. That implies the mandate. And let him host snl?

[Tereza]

Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

Lauren, I don't know if he.

[Tereza]

Do you think he would want to do that?

[Bowen Yang]

I've heard that he wants to.

[Tereza]

Oh, great.

[Bowen Yang]

And I would love for him to do that. He would be fantastic. I mean, for him and I. Tonya, it's like he can do a fun voice, a fun accent, he can commit.

[Tereza]

He's my favorite actor. All you need. I'm on record on this podcast. He's my favorite actor. Sebastian, I watch you before I audition.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, that's so beautiful. And it works because she books. I'll do one really quickly.

[Tereza]

Yes. Okay. So this is Bo and Yang's. I don't think so, honey. On the friendsgiving episode of Lost Coast. We hope you've all enjoyed celebrating Thanksgiving with us. We hope you had a snack and a cocktail. Or not. Or not. This is Bo and Jing's. I don't think so, honey. As time starts now.

[Bowen Yang]

I don't think so, honey. Pejorative on theater kids at this point, it's like, we get it. Like, it's fun to make fun of them, but also, like, what's the alternative? These people grow up and have no outlet for their creativity. The innate creativity that all human beings have and what they grew up to be a fucking, like, mass shooter. Like, shut up. Like, stop it.

[Tereza]

Don't.

[Bowen Yang]

Don't, like, stop this culture. Like, look, you got two theater kids in front of you. Well, I'm one of them, not you. Like, I think you were late.

[Tereza]

But I count. I count.

[Bowen Yang]

You do count. We both give off the. I'm a theater.

[Tereza]

I'm a late in life theater kid.

[Bowen Yang]

This is, this is the thing. It's like, you know, the alternative is bad. Okay, Right. So, like, not too much on the theater kid, you know? Non 15 Jordan. Like, it's not even that, like, I am annoyed that people are making fun of them. I'm just like, can't we do better as a culture? It's like, the least original thing when people like. And I'm like, you don't really know me that well. I have sex and I play video games as well.

[Tereza]

Yeah. That's one minute he fucks, he plays video games and he's a theater kid. Bowen.

[Bowen Yang]

And I'm a dancer, period.

[Tereza]

And he danced down in Wicked. The discourse online has gotten so bad that everyone's going to blue sky now. I'm like, this is going to become garbage too, though.

[Bowen Yang]

No, this is either a social media platform becomes for, like, suburban people who don't really give a fuck about. It's so funny. Yeah, well, it's like. It's like, Facebook is for moms. We love moms. Instagram is for, like, as a mall now Millennials. Like, like, like social media always. No, but it's not even for millennials. It just, it's. It always. Every platform veers off into some.

[Tereza]

Yeah. Thing.

[Bowen Yang]

Crazy new identity that was. That has nothing. That had nothing to do with what it originally was meant to do.

[Tereza]

Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

Like the Facebook being for moms. It's like not. Not nothing against moms. It was. It was for cool college students.

[Tereza]

Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

And then it became something totally different. Like, it just will always fall off a cliff. And like, podcasting is kind of. Not that it's a social media platform, but podcasting is sort of. It's so funny. I'm like, God, like, Matt and I are kind of like, keeping it old school.

[Tereza]

Oh, this is for sure an old school podcast. It's so weird.

[Bowen Yang]

We gotta. We gotta end the podcast. The chef is coming.

[Tereza]

We're having a chef cook us our friend.

[Bowen Yang]

I gifted a chef for princess.

[Tereza]

Gifted a chef.

[Bowen Yang]

Such a lovely gift, you know.

[Tereza]

Happy friendsgiving everyone. This is our episode. Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow. I apologize on this episode. I'm a little nasal. I have a little allergies. But we still are gonna soldier on.

[Bowen Yang]

And every episode with we love you so much.

[Tereza]

Oh, I leave quiet impression. Happy. To be exact. You wanna wear Evan's clothes when missing my fight. Where we're at. If you are lucky enough to go see the Short and sweet tour internationally, go do it. It's the first song.

[Bowen Yang]

Sabrina.

[Tereza]

Performa.

[Bowen Yang]

Las Culturistas is the production by Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and iHeartRadio.

[Tereza]

Podcasts created and hosted by Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, executive produced by Anna Hosnier and Han Sani, produced by Becca.

[Bowen Yang]

Ramos, edited and mixed by Doug Bame and Monique Laborde and our music is by Henry Kirsky.

[Tereza]

Hey, everybody. It's me Matt Rogers, letting you know tickets are on sale now. To see me on tour. The Prince of Christmas tour, that is. I'm doing my whole album. Have you heard of Christmas? Plus a lot more with the whole band all throughout December. Go to www.mattrogersofficial.com to see me in a city near you at all. Had enough of this country? Ever dreamt about starting your own?

[Bowen Yang]

I planted the flag. This is mine. I own this.

[Tereza]

It's surprisingly easy.

[Bowen Yang]

We have 55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete.

[Tereza]

Or maybe not.

[Bowen Yang]

No country willingly gives up their territory.

[Tereza]

Oh, my God. What is that?

[Bowen Yang]

Bullas?

[Tereza]

Listen to Escape from Zakistan. Need help? That's Escape from Zaq. Is stan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.