Live Wire with Luke Burbank

Episode: Sona Movsesian, Marcella Arguello, and Brown Calculus (REBROADCAST)

Date: November 14, 2025

Episode Overview

This rebroadcast episode of Live Wire—hosted by Luke Burbank—features three uniquely talented guests: Sona Movsesian (Conan O’Brien’s long-time assistant, writer, and podcaster), comedian Marcella Arguello, and Portland-based musical duo Brown Calculus. The episode explores workplace realities and absurdities, personal journeys, and the power of humor and music to illuminate everyday experiences.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Opening: Best News We Heard All Week

Theme: Celebrating uplifting and quirky good news stories.

• [03:49] Music History: The Lost Prince Demo

  • Elena Passarello shares a story about a recently rediscovered 1977 Prince demo tape, found among the estate of the late Warner Bros. CEO Russ Thyrett.
    • "You would have the actual physical and analog, you know, Prince's voice hammered into this tape in the original box." – Elena [06:06]
  • The demo, credited with earning Prince his first record deal, is now up for auction.

• [07:17] Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Expands to California

  • A new law will provide free books to children statewide, with bilingual options for the first time—another example of Dolly Parton's lasting influence.
    • "You can get a free book mailed directly to your home at no cost to your family." – Luke Burbank [08:39]
  • Elena adds: "Be like Dolly on a dinosaur." [09:01]

2. Interview: Sona Movsesian – The World’s Worst Assistant

[10:28–32:21]

Early Career Mishaps and Self-Deprecation

• Sona discusses her new memoir The World's Worst Assistant and reflects on past jobs (e.g., napping at Tick Time watch shop, getting fired from the Hollywood Bowl after not returning from vacation).
  • "That's where I learned how to nap on the job." – Sona [11:47]
  • On getting fired: "I was in Palm Springs when I should have been at work. And I was like, you know what? That's fair. This is a fair...what you're doing is a good decision." [13:28]

Life with Conan O'Brien

• She expected a short stay as Conan’s assistant, but 13 years later, she’s indispensable—despite (and because of) her "strategically subpar" performance on administrative tasks.
  • "I've ridden those coattails as much as I can...I just used [Conan's] fame to my advantage." [14:02]
  • "I'm bad at what assistants should do...But for working for someone like Conan, who is a comedian, comedians love when they just get material from the people around them. And one thing that I have provided Conan with...is an endless well of material." [17:03, 17:19]

Comedy as Job Security

• Sona describes the evolution of her and Conan's mutual roasting dynamic, tracing its roots to a joke about her Armenian being mistaken for "arguing with Dracula."
  • "He goes, ‘What was that? It sounded like you were arguing with Dracula.’...that me laughing gave him license to realize he could go from, oh, you're now a vampire..." [19:04]
• The exchange reflects an office culture where humor and being the butt of jokes become their own sort of value.

Podcasting & Writing

• Sona recounts her initial skepticism about co-hosting Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend:
  • "It's Conan o' Brien needs a friend, not Sona Movsesian needs a friend. So if it’s terrible, it’s not my name on it." [21:47]
• On writing her book while raising twins:
  • "I was, like, pumping milk and typing at the same time." [22:55]
  • "There’s so many words you have to put on the page. I didn’t realize that when I wrote it." [22:55]

Workplace "Jar of Truth" Segment

• Sona answers rapid-fire questions about the worst office behaviors and pet peeves:
  • Worst: Scheduling meetings at 4:30 on a Friday. "What are we doing? That's the correct answer." [29:00]
  • Against out-of-office messages revealing vacation destinations: "Do not ever put on your out of office that you're on vacation...someone could be like, they're not home. I'll go rob their house." [29:54]
  • Power moves by bosses: Prefers a boss who overruns meetings by five minutes to one who "gives you your time back."
    • "That's a power issue that you don't want to get involved...It's like, you're welcome. Here's three minutes." [32:09]

Memorable Quotes

• "If he can make fun of me in a group of people and then high five me afterwards, which is the most humiliating thing...he lives off of that." – Sona [17:03]
• On being indispensable: "I do one thing a week that's important, that justifies my existence...So I feel like it's a long con and I'm finally at the point where I'm doing absolutely nothing, but he can't get rid of me." [27:01]
• Advice for blending in: "If you walk out with confidence [shoplifting from Express], they're like, that must be her bracelet." [31:07]

3. Audience Segment: Worst Job Stories

[33:36–36:07]

• Listeners share anecdotes about unpleasant jobs, common threads being "lack of air conditioning and bodily fluids."
  • Jamie describes testing hydrology equipment with peat moss simulating feces in the heat of Alabama.
  • Another worked in a bird food factory making sticky, smelly birdseed bells.
  • "Worst job I ever had, a nursing home wedding officiant. Just kidding. It was an effing awesome gig." – David [35:20]

4. Comedy: Marcella Arguello

[36:42–42:56]

Marcella delivers stand-up focused on:

• Experiences as a tall woman, including confusion over gender and leveraging male privilege: "Men are respected, girl. So it's fine with me." [36:47]
• Observations from travel, including an airport interaction involving a Trump hat and the absurdity of politicizing airport parking: "This airport parking lot is a mess because of the Democrats...and that's where the dude drew the line. He was like, hey, hey, we're at the airport. Airport parking—it's always been bad." [39:15–40:15]
• Her love for gay bars and the creative (if sometimes shocking) pick-up efforts she's encountered:
  • On a club encounter: "You would be perfect if you had a big butt. I was like—you don't have legs. And I wasn't gonna bring it up." [41:30]
• Emphasizing the importance and value of live performance in challenging times: "Make some noise for yourselves...it's been such a hard two years." [40:42]

5. Music: Brown Calculus

[48:52–54:18]

• Portland’s Brown Calculus (Vaughn Kimmons & Andre Burgess) perform their song “Seven Seas.”
  • Lyrics touch on themes of spirit, ancestry, and healing, delivered in their signature "spacey soul" style.
  • "Spirit needs rest, you should just let it go...Deep as the ocean I can see." [49:06–51:44]

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Sona on her podcast role:
  "It's Conan o' Brien needs a friend, not Sona Movsesian needs a friend. So if it’s terrible, it’s not my name on it." — Sona [21:49]
• Sona on her work:
  "I feel like it's like a long con, and I'm finally at the point where I'm doing absolutely nothing, but he can't get rid of me." — Sona [27:01]
• Marcella on airport partisanship:
  "This airport parking lot is a mess because of the Democrats. And that's where the dude drew the line. He was like, 'Hey, hey, we're at the airport. Airport parking—it's always been bad.'" — Marcella [39:15–40:15]
• Elena, on Dolly Parton:
  "Be like Dolly on a dinosaur." — Elena [09:01]

Important Timestamps

• 03:49: Best news segment—Prince’s lost demo discovered
• 07:17: Dolly Parton's books for California children
• 10:28: Interview with Sona Movsesian begins
• 17:03: Sona on providing comedic material for Conan
• 21:49: How Sona sees her podcast role
• 27:01: Sona describes her "long con" assistant career
• 29:00–32:21: Sona answers workplace scenario questions
• 33:36: Audience: Worst job stories
• 36:42: Marcella Arguello stand-up set begins
• 48:52: Brown Calculus performs "Seven Seas"

Tone and Style

• The conversation maintains a humorous, self-deprecating, and candid tone (especially from Sona and Marcella), blending behind-the-scenes showbiz anecdotes with relatable workplace gripes.
• Stand-up and musical interludes provide moments of levity and introspection, with a celebratory and supportive spirit toward the community.

Conclusion

Live Wire crafts an engaging, laughter-filled, and occasionally heartfelt exploration of creative work, workplace survival, and the power of vulnerability and humor. Sona Movsesian and Marcella Arguello deliver sharp, relatable insights about finding security and satisfaction in unexpected ways, while Brown Calculus’ music brings a cosmic, soulful close to this lively episode.

Further Listening:

• The World’s Worst Assistant by Sona Movsesian – Now available
• Marcella Arguello: @marcellacomedy
• Brown Calculus: Music on Bandcamp, latest single “UFO Days” out now