Spirit Gives Up the Ghost

Summary

Lovett or Leave It – "Spirit Gives Up the Ghost"

Date: May 6, 2026
Host: Jon Lovett
Featured Guests: Ann Wilson (of Heart), Yamanika Saunders

---

Episode Overview

This live episode of Lovett or Leave It opens with Jon Lovett’s irreverent, insightful take on the big and bizarre news of the week—focusing on the collapse of Spirit Airlines and its fallout—before shifting to an intimate, funny, and moving interview with rock icon Ann Wilson of Heart. The show then dives deep with comedian Yamanika Saunders, exploring everything from love and career insecurities to body image, sexism, and the joy and agony of making art and finding connection. Throughout, Lovett keeps things lively and relatable, blending caustic political humor with real talk about life, art, and self-worth.

---

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Spirit Airlines Collapse and Political Satire

• Spirit's Demise (01:16–05:46):

  • Spirit Airlines declares bankruptcy after failed bailout talks with the Trump administration, cheekily branding themselves the "official airline of January 6" as a final publicity stunt.
  • Lovett lampoons their late-night dissolution notice:

    “Spirit Airlines died as it lived, being unreachable by phone.” (01:54)

  • Jokes about the cultural clash of displaced Spirit Airlines passengers being offered discounts by United, Delta, JetBlue, and Southwest.
  • Honors Spirit staff, highlighting its safety record:

    “Spirit had zero fatal accidents. A lot of people on Spirit still died from the shock of finding out the world isn’t flat. But that's not on the airline.” (04:14)

• Politics Intersect (04:52–05:46):

  • The Trump administration blames Biden and others for not allowing a JetBlue-Spirit merger, with Lovett poking fun at the political blame game.
  • Lovett on false trade-offs:

    “If we have to choose between a world without Spirit Airlines and a world without Iranian nuclear weapons, I choose death.” (05:46)

2. Global Tensions and Satirical News

• Iran, Oil Prices & Project Freedom (06:29–10:05):
  • U.S. launches "Project Freedom" in the Strait of Hormuz with the USS Nancy Reagan, parodied with fake press conference audio.
  • Lovett cracks on rumors of "kamikaze dolphins" and the U.S. gifting "dome" to the world:

    “I can't confirm or deny whether we have kamikaze dolphins, but I can confirm they don't. Said Spirit Airlines, Inshallah, Iran gets kamikaze dolphins.” (08:18)

  • Trump announces a "pause" on Project Freedom; oil/gas prices spike.
  • Trump’s approval in recent polls is tanking; Lovett mocks Trump’s “mini war” rhetoric:

    “We regret to inform you that your son died in a mini war as part of a fun sized action. He made the ultimate tiny sacrifice.” (10:05)

3. Ann Wilson: The Art & Ethics of Rock

• On Rock Singing, Imperfection & Auto-Tune (14:40–17:32):

  • Lovett bemoans the loss of emotionally raw rock voices.
  • Wilson’s take:

    “A lot of them now are more interested in doing vocal pyrotechnics...not as much about soul.” (15:05) “Nowadays you don't even really have to be a good singer. They can make you sound like a good singer, you know, in post.” (15:37)

  • Both agree the “wrong” or imperfect notes humanize music.

• Charisma & the “It Factor” (17:47–18:45):

  • Lovett contrasts Hollywood/rockstar charisma; Wilson affirms magic can’t be faked:

    “It's the brass ring of soul. You just can't grab it all the time.” (18:30)

• On Performing the Iconic “Stairway to Heaven” (18:45–22:31):

  • Wilson recounts the pressure of honoring Led Zeppelin, describing the “meditational trick” used to get through the performance.

    “We’re not going to use this moment to be all nervous...pay attention exactly to what we're doing. Like the old meditational trick where you have a bowl of water and you have to walk across the room and not spill a drop.” (19:21)

• Documentary “In My Voice” & Legacy (22:31–25:26):

  • Wilson reflects on being known just for Heart and the desire to show her journey and vulnerability.

    “It's not a whitewash...tells a rock and roll story, but also just the story of a person who started out as just a little suburban girl with braces.” (22:42)

• Heart, Sisterhood, and Conflict (25:26–26:34):

  • The unique challenges and rewards of being in a band with her sister Nancy.
  • On conflict resolution:

    “Under the rug never works...Gets more and more and more ugly.” (25:32)

• Origins of “Barracuda” (26:34–28:13):

  • Story of a promoter’s incest rumor inspiring “Barracuda” in a rage.

    “We had grown up...believing that our music was magical and that we were gonna go out and be magical, too…this guy comes up...and says, ‘So how’s your lover?’...It really offended me...I wrote the words to Barracuda.” (26:05)

• Supergroup Game (28:34–30:36):

  • Wilson chooses Chapel Roan as her ultimate supergroup partner, praising her “it factor” and potential.

4. Yamanika Saunders: Love, Insecurity, and Real Talk

• On Female Independence & Dating (34:04–35:45):

  • Saunders:

    “I would always implore that women follow their dreams more than they follow the penis.” (34:04)

  • Wild dating story:

    “He stole some tires on the way to the hotel to have sex with me...If you're on your way to have sex with me, and your options are my vagina or tires, and you choose tires first, we need to have a serious conversation.” (35:07)

• On Body Image, Weight Loss, and Society (39:04–43:55):

  • Yamanika shares losing 103 pounds, tackling the shame and prejudice women face.

    “Sometimes people, it's hard when you have talent...people who are really talented in their craft...have a whole different energy to be a person of vanity, right, and to look a certain way.” (43:39)

• Ann Wilson on Body Image:

  “It's got everything in it (the documentary). It's got the wonderfulness of being beautiful and also how hard it is to have everybody talking about you when you're not...meeting up to cultural standards.” (40:30)

5. Ethical Dilemmas in Heart Songs (45:32–50:37)

• Magic Man:

  • Discussion of the song’s inspiration and whether it’s okay to tell your mom your partner has “magic hands.”
  • Wilson:

    “The phrase magic hands was supposed to be like, in reference to a magician...not sexual.” (46:56)

• All I Want to Do Is Make Love to You – Is It Ethical?

  • Wilson:

    “As a singer, the person who says the words, I always despised it because I thought it was the worst way you could possibly ever treat another human being...So I just refuse to do that song even now.” (47:33)

• Boat Love (“Dreamboat Annie”):

  • Lovett jokes about falling in love with a boat; Wilson clarifies lyric’s meaning.

• On Love & Longevity:

  • Ann on maintaining passion for old songs and her decades-long journey.

    “It's a whole different kind of magic. One that can really go through the bumps and the ups and downs...” (49:45)

• Meeting her Husband:

  “We had a blind date back in the 80s...40 years go by...I remembered him 40 years later. We exchanged information, we started talking online, and we were married within six months.” (50:37-52:01)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Lovett on Spirit Airlines’ End:

  “Spirit Airlines died as it lived, being unreachable by phone.” (01:54)

• Ann Wilson on Modern Vocals:

  “I've always thought that some of the most beautiful parts of music are the things that are wrong...the ones that really sound human.” (16:31)

• Wilson on “All I Want to Do Is Make Love to You”:

  “I always despised it...awful, cruel, and I just refuse to do that song even now.” (47:33)

• Yamanika on Talent vs. Image:

  “Sometimes we get super untalented people who look good and then they manufacture talent on them. And then you have people who are really talented in their craft...” (43:39)

• Ann Wilson on Love:

  “Love is one of the best things we have on earth and it's the only thing that's gonna save us, really.” (49:13)

• Yamanika’s Dating Reality Check:

  “I fucked more guys when I was fatter. ... Everybody likes a good, juicy pussy... winter night, cup of cocoa, chocolate pussy.” (42:18)

---

Key Timestamps

• Spirit Airlines News & Satire: 01:16–05:46
• Iran, Oil, Project Freedom: 06:29–10:05
• Trump & Economy: 10:05–11:10
• Interview: Ann Wilson
  • Raw singers/auto-tune: 14:40–17:32
  • Star charisma: 17:47–18:30
  • Stairway to Heaven & nerves: 18:45–22:31
  • “In My Voice” documentary: 22:31–25:26
  • Sisterhood & conflict: 25:26–26:34
  • “Barracuda” origin story: 26:34–28:13
  • Supergroup game: 28:34–30:36
• Yamanika Saunders Joins (dating, love, body image): 33:35–43:55
• Heart Song Ethical Conundrums: 45:32–50:37
• Reflections & Second Thoughts: 52:46–55:55

---

Tone & Style

• Playful, irreverent, and sharp, with moments of heartfelt sincerity.
• Guests bring warmth and candor, balancing Lovett’s caustic wit.
• Combines pop culture riffs, political satire, and deep dives into art and humanity.

---

For New Listeners

This episode serves as an extended, supremely entertaining case study in how to laugh at the news and ponder pop culture, with guest segments that offer both hearty political satire and rare, revealing interviews with iconic artists. Lovett’s blend of social relevance and comedy makes the big stuff feel personal, and the personal feel universal.

Transcript

[John Lovett]

Premier hosts on VRBO deliver quality vacation rental stays with fast responses and clear instructions so you don't have to worry about surprises.

[Ann Wilson]

I asked our host a question about

[Yamanika Saunders]

the house last night and he got

[Ann Wilson]

back to me super quick.

[John Lovett]

See, that's the premier host move right there.

[Yamanika Saunders]

I wish I had a premier group chat.

[Ann Wilson]

I asked them where we should have

[Yamanika Saunders]

dinner last night and they left me on red.

[Ann Wilson]

I know you saw it. It says it.

[John Lovett]

Classic group chat move. Don't walk into a surprise. Book a top rated vrbo. Stay with a premier host. If you if you know you vrbo

[Safeway/Albertsons Announcer]

Save on family essentials at Safeway and Albertsons this week at Safeway and Albertsons, fresh cut cantaloupe, watermelon, pineapple or melon medley bowls. 24 ounces are $5 each and wild caught lobster tails are $4.99 each. Limit eight member price plus selected sizes and varieties of Doritos, Lays, Cheetos, sun chips and Kettle cook chips are $1.99 each. Limit four member price. Hurry in. These deals won't last. Visit Safeway or albertsons.com for more deals and ways to save.

[John Lovett]

Welcome to Love it or Leave It Live from Hollywood and Netflix. Turns out if you are, say you are part of it. You are. That's how it works. Let's get into it. What a week. Spirit Airlines officially shut down over the weekend after negotiations with the Trump administration over a $500 million bailout fell apart. As a Hail Mary to the White House, Spirit Airlines declared themselves the official airline of January 6, but it was too little, too late. 500 million to rescue an airline? That's a waste of money, said Trump in a hard hat while demanding book matched Paradiso marble in the new ballroom. Shitters. Spirit announced its Dissolution Just after 2am on Saturday in a statement that read, quote to our guests, all flights have been canceled and customer service is no longer available. It's poignant. In a way. Spirit Airlines died as it lived, being unreachable by phone. That was good, Betsy. All right, we actually this is footage that we have uncovered. This is footage of the very last Spirit Airlines flight. Oh no. Temple of Doom. It's the one without the Nazis and yet also the racist one. Transportation. It's a funny thing about Temple of Doom. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy held a press conference at Newark Airport on Saturday to get the word out.

[Safeway/Albertsons Announcer]

So what that means is Spirit does not have airplanes in the air flying as of this morning. Also, their call centers are closed and they we don't have staff at ticket counters. So if you have a flight scheduled with Spirit Airlines, don't show up at the airport. There will be no one here to assist you.

[John Lovett]

And this is exactly why we need to build Trump's ballroom, said Sean Duffy, briefly confusing his talking points. The announcement left thousands of Spirit Airline travelers stranded at airports across the country. United Airlines, Delta, JetBlue and Southwest offer discounted fares for Spirit ticket holders for for a limited time. This also created a beautiful opportunity for cultural exchange as Spirit Airlines passengers showed Delta Airlines passengers how to whittle a branch of pinewood into a tiny flute. And Delta passengers taught Spirit passengers how to read. That's not. You're right. That is unkind. I am joking with my friends who got screwed by Spirit Airlines shutting down. It is not your fault. You planned this romantic destination wedding to Jacksonville to marry your cousin before she starts showing, and then it all falls apart. I'm kidding. I've flown Spirit Airlines before. We fired that tour manager immediately. But I did fly it, actually. Truly. I flew Spirit a few weeks ago. And you know what? It was a great flight. And I feel for the pilots and the flight attendants who had the toughest job in the sky. You made less than what you would have made on a legacy carrier while having to duct tape far more passengers to the seats. And you know what else? Spirit was cheap and safe. In 34 years of operations, we can now say Spirit had zero fatal accidents. Zero. A lot of people on Spirit still died from the shock of finding out that the world isn't flat. But that's not on the airline. The problem was Spirit hadn't turned a profit since 2019, filed for bankruptcy twice, lost like $5 billion, and its hope of a turnaround collapsed because of surging jet fuel costs. So, of course the Trump administration is blaming Joe Biden.

[Safeway/Albertsons Announcer]

To be really clear, jet fuel prices have gone up. This story was not written because of the Iran war. This story was written years ago because of what Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden, people to judge, and the DOJ under Biden, what they did to prevent the merger from happening. So again, I love that they try to play revisionist politics and try to come after Donald Trump again. What do they want?

[John Lovett]

A nuclear Iran? Yes, said Spirit Airlines. Inshallah, Iran gets nukes. My two cents. If we have to choose between a world without Spirit Airlines and a world without Iranian nuclear weapons, I choose death. Just so you know, a Reagan appointee ruled that JetBlue's attempt to take over Spirit broke antitrust law because it would raise prices for consumers you know who agreed? The CEO of Spirit Airlines, who said publicly at the time that a merger wouldn't survive regulatory review. He wanted to merge Spirit with Frontier to create a bigger, ultra low cost carrier which would have had a better chance of being approved. It would have been the combination Taco Bell, Pizza Hut of the sky. And with no competition at that price point, the new budget airline wouldn't have to offer bells and whistles like seats or individual soda cups for each passenger instead of a communal bucket from which every flyer would get one free sip. Then you merge both with the bang bus and you might have the only company that could survive the arrival of AI what are you taking to get to Phoenix? Oh, I'm taking Spirit Frontier, Bang bus. Speaking of people that would bang on a bus, Health Secretary RFK Jr also had some important airport news to share over the weekend. He caught a bird. Looks like I'm not the only one who packs their own snacks for the airport. $18 for a sandwich? Absolutely not. Meanwhile, the chaos that led to Spirit's demise shows no signs of abating. On Monday, the US Launched Project Freedom to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz. And Iran fired missiles and drones at the United Arab Emirates. Is it a war? Is it a ceasefire? More like can't keep it straight of Hormuz. Yeah, here's. Thank you. Here's Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth explaining Project Freedom as a direct gift from the United States to the world. We have established a powerful red, white and blue dome over the strait. And in order to give that gift of dome to the entire world, the Navy has dispatched the USS Nancy Reagan. Hegseth also dismissed a troubling rumor about Iran's military capabilities.

[Ann Wilson]

For Secretary Hegseth, are there still concerns about mines in the strait? And can you kind of clarify these reports of kamikaze dolphins that we've heard about?

[John Lovett]

I haven't heard the kamikaze dolphin thing. It's like sharks with laser beams, right? I can't confirm or deny whether we have kamikaze dolphins, but I can confirm they don't. Said Spirit Airlines. Inshallah, Iran gets kamikaze dolphins. And how well is Project Freedom going? By Tuesday evening, Trump announced it was paused after basically one day. Any ships left stranded in the Strait of Hormuz are advised to rebook with Delta Airlines. In response to rising tensions, oil prices spiked and gasoline rose to $4.48 per gallon nationally and in California to an aver price of. So what happens if you skateboard on the freeway? Is it Illegal or is it just, is it just frowned upon? Here's Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant to tell us it's nothing to worry about. We are cognizant that the, that this short term blip up in prices is affecting the American people. But I am also competent on the other side of this. Prices are going to come down very quickly. You know the conflict land. The stock market is looking to rue this. Corporate earnings are good. You can't afford the gas that gets you to your job at Buffalo Wild Wings. Have you considered liquidating a portion of your holdings? Have you considered a dividend to shareholders, perhaps? Over 15 months into his second term, Trump continues to blame Democrats for high prices. Here he is on Friday, you know, amazing. I come into office and I say, wow, look at how high these prices are. And the Democrats start screaming, affordability, affordability. They're the ones that caused the problem. I'll tell you one thing, they got one good line of bullshit. That's one thing I'll say about it. I said the prices were too high. What more do you people want? Lower prices.

[Yamanika Saunders]

Grow up.

[John Lovett]

And Mr. President, sir, that is insulting. We're Democrats. We have more than one good line of bullshit. He does have our accent down, though. I'll say. Got us affordability. Affordability. That is what we sound like. Got us again, new affordability. Who's he? What the fuck? A new series of polls has Trump approval tanking, with AP finding him at 33%. With his support on the economy even lower. Trump, aware of the public's anger, attempted a rebrand. Our country's booming now, despite the fact that we're in a. I call it a mini war because that's all they are, a mini war. What a comfort to the families of the fallen. We regret to inform you that your son died in a mini war as part of a fun sized action. He made the ultimate tiny sacrifice. But you don't have to take Trump's word for it on how great things are going. The President invited Rick Harrison from Pawn Stars to praise him. I mean, I'm a history buff and I know a lot about this White House thing and everything.

[Ann Wilson]

Literally. He's going to go down as maybe

[John Lovett]

the best president ever. I love this guy. What a take. You'd think a pawn shop owner would know when something is going to age like shit. And finally, speaking of going to shit, after two years of public battle, leaked texts and legal wrangling after Blake Lively accused Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment on the set of It Ends With Us, the two reached a final settlement. As a result of the agreement, Baldoni has agreed to allow Lively ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, and Lively has agreed to end her nuclear program. You can find all this out in Ryan Murphy's new limited series, American Crime. Who gives a fuck? All right, we have got a great show for you tonight and we'll be right back with Ann Wilson. Thanks to HomeServe for sponsoring this episode. Sometimes owning a home is amazing. And then sometimes you're sipping coffee and all of a sudden you're ankle deep in water from a burst pipe and you can't call a landlord. You're Landlord Repairs don't care about timing and they definitely don't care about your budget. Regular homeowners insurance usually doesn't cover a lot of the day to day wear and tear, plumbing failures, H Vac breakdowns, electrical issues. You're often on your own. For those. That's where HomeServe comes in. For as little as 499amonth, they've got your back. Repairs hit fast and hard. You could be searching for a contractor in a panic, or you could already be on the Phone with Home Serve's 24. 7 hotline. Scheduling repair. It's super simple. Choose a plan for your needs and budget and when something on your plan goes wrong, you call their 24.7hotline to start a repair process. They've helped homeowners for over 20 years with a trusted national network of 2600 local contractors. With 4.5 million customers, a 4.8 out of 5 post repair rating, and an 8 plus BBB rating. They're the real deal. Help protect your home systems and your wallet with Home Serve against covered repairs. Plans start at 499amonth. Go to homeserve.com to find the plan that's right for you. That's homeserve.com not available everywhere. Most plans range between 4.99 and 11.99amonth for your first year. Terms apply on covered repairs. Love it or leave it is brought to you by Zbiotics Pre Alcohol. Let's face it, after a night with drinks, I don't bounce back the next day like I used to. I have to make a choice. I can either have a great night or a great next day. That is, until I found Pre Alcohol Zebiotics Pre Alcohol Probiotic Drink is the world's first genetically engineered probiotic. It was invented by PhD scientists to tackle rough mornings after drinking. Here's how it works. When you drink, alcohol gets converted into A toxic byproduct in the gut. It's a buildup of this byproduct, not dehydration, that's to blame for rough days after drinking. Pre alcohol produces an enzyme to break this byproduct down. Just remember to make pre alcohol your first drink of the night. Drink responsibly and you'll feel your best tomorrow. We love using Zebiotics. It's the best. It's the best. I went out the other night and I was like, you know what? I'm gonna have a night. And so I had a little Zebiotics and next thing I know, the next day I was fine. From the crack of the bat at the stadium to the start of wedding season and the roar of the engines in Indy. Oh, my goodness. Wow. Dramatic May is packed with back to back reasons to be out. Don't let rough mornings after keep you on the sidelines. Drink pre alcohol to stay ahead of it and make the most of every Saturday this month, go to ZBiotics.com love it to learn more and get 15% off your first order when you use love it at checkout. ZBiotics is backed with 100% money back guarantee, so if you're unsatisfied for any reason, they'll refund your money, no questions asked. Remember to head to zebiotics.com love it and use code love it at checkout for 15% off. Please. Welcome to the show, an icon who needs no introduction. The one, the only, Ann Wilson is here.

[Ann Wilson]

Hi.

[John Lovett]

It is such an honor to have you here today. Thank you for being here.

[Ann Wilson]

God, thanks for having me.

[John Lovett]

So I was listening to Hart to prepare for this interview and I was angry because what happened to the belting rockers? What happened to the singers who just poured it all out there night after fucking night? What happened to them?

[Ann Wilson]

Well, they're still out there. They're just. I think a lot of them now are more interested in doing vocal pyrotechnics. You know, it's not as much about soul as it is about how high can you sing or how many backflips can you do with your voice?

[John Lovett]

Do you really think that that's part of it? Because it does seem like there's. Maybe it's because they can use technology to perfect everything. That.

[Ann Wilson]

Oh, that. Yes. He could have gone all day without bringing that up.

[John Lovett]

Sorry.

[Ann Wilson]

Don't get me started. Yeah, the whole technology thing is it kind of gets under my skin a lot because, well, I come from a time when that didn't exist. So if you sang something off key or something, you had to start over, do the whole thing all over. You know, nowadays you don't even really have to be a good singer. They can make you sound like a good singer, you know, in post pro, so.

[John Lovett]

Right. But there's still.

[Ann Wilson]

It's irritating.

[John Lovett]

It is, yeah. Well, it's irritating. But then at the same time, what made a great song wasn't that every exact part of it was perfect. Like, some of the most beautiful songs have the little imperfections that were from emotion.

[Ann Wilson]

Exactly, yeah. I've always thought that some of the most beautiful parts of music are the things that are wrong, that are not, as you say, perfect or sterilized, the ones that really sound human. And that's the thing that makes people sound different from each other. When we're all perfect, we just all sound anonymous. We all sound the same, you know, so that's something we've lost. I think I've heard a couple of singers lately, like Lola Young, who will come out and just let it down, you know, I mean, let it go. And that's really inspirational to me.

[John Lovett]

Are there moments when you were recording something and you laid down the vocals and then you tried to do it again, you tried to get it right, you tried to change it, but actually it was something about the first or earlier time that was the right one, the magical one.

[Ann Wilson]

Oh, yeah. That happened all the time. You know, just you go up the mountain and then maybe you don't know when you're at the mountaintop and you start trying and trying, but you just can't reproduce that first thing that happened all the time.

[John Lovett]

There's also, though, even as people are striving to get something that sounds perfect, there is still. I remember when Trump was first doing debates against Republican politicians, and I remember somebody at the time said, oh, these politicians may be Washington good, but Trump's Hollywood good. And then in my time in Hollywood, I've met a bunch of actors and you'll think, oh, wow, they have incredible charisma. But then you meet rock star charisma. You meet the thing that makes someone a music star, and it's on another level. And even if everybody's music is being perfected, there is still that magical thing that makes someone, let's say like a chapel roan, like, stand out from other people.

[Ann Wilson]

The it factor, you know, the thing that you can't even describe. And not everybody has a lot of people really try hard for it, but, you know, it's the brass ring of soul. You just can't grab it all the time.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, I saw you performing at the Kennedy Center Honors. Where were you? Sang Stairway to Heaven. And Robert Plant is just crying because I can't imagine what it's like to go from being this sort of counterculture outsider to someone sitting in that place, but also to hear your incredible performance of it. What. What was it like being there that day and singing that song?

[Ann Wilson]

Well, to sing a song like Stairway to Heaven is really sort of going out on a limb, you know, because that song is close to being holy in this culture. So you don't want to screw it up in any little tiny way or seem fake, or seem like you're trying to sound like Led Zeppelin just to honor the song. I think the way it was originally written, and especially the lyrics have deep poetry to them and a spirituality to them, a magic that those have to be honored and done just right. So to do that song was really nerve wracking at first. When we heard we were going to do it. Oh, well, maybe we'll just do rock and roll instead. No, no, no, no, no. You're doing Stairway to Heaven and you're going to do it. You're going to get up there and do it. You know? So what we did was we eventually, just right before we were going to walk on and sing, we thought, my sister and I thought, well, we're not going to use this moment to be all nervous and to think too much. We're just going to get out there and pay attention exactly to what we're doing. Like the old meditational trick where you have a bowl of water and you have to walk across the room and not spill a drop. Well, that's what we tried to envision. And so we both made it through the song without freaking out. We freaked out afterward.

[John Lovett]

But the reason I bring it up is because watching you, you know, I can't imagine there are many ways in which you would be nervous at this point, but I can see how taking on this iconic song by this kind of unique vocal performance would be nerve wracking. And then you perform it and you're like, oh, this is like Godzilla versus King Kong. This is like one of the great vocalists taking on a song by another great vocalist. And I wonder, in your career in Heart, were there moments where you were just like, you know what? Like, I am one of the fucking best to ever do this?

[Ann Wilson]

No, I can honestly say I've never thought that. Because it doesn't matter how many songs you've sung or how many hit records you have or how much people tell you you're something. There's always somebody better. There's always somebody. There's always something to aspire to. And that night, you know, it was like, imagine the audience, just the audience alone, The Obamas, David Letterman, Yo, Yo Ma. It's like all. Everybody was there in the audience. So it was. The real trick was just keeping the eye on the ball and not going, oh, look who's here, and then losing track, you know. No, you can't think. You just do it.

[John Lovett]

So you have a new documentary about you coming out called In My Voice. What did you want to convey that you felt like people either don't know or don't understand about you?

[Ann Wilson]

Yeah. The main thing was, at this point in my life and in my career, it seems like people just have me tied to heart because that's been my life's work, you know, And I thought, well, okay, now it's time to let people in on what the rest of my life has been like, you know, outside of the band, outside, behind the scenes, you know? And the documentary is not a whitewash. It's tells the story. It tells a rock and roll story, but also just the story of a person who started out is just a little suburban girl with braces and all that and really went. Took a big journey, you know, and experienced love and hate and people making fun of me and people saying, oh, you're a genius, and just the whole thing. Yeah. I just wanted to let people know from, like, in my own words, what the story is about me.

[John Lovett]

What is the balance for you in being part of Heart with your sister and also wanting to have your own identity? I'm part of, I think, a group that I would say is sort of. I consider the heart of Podcast pod. Save America and Stop it. But look, you know, we do this together, and our identities are tied to it together, and what someone else says or does kind of reflects on me a bit. But at the same time, I have my own point of view and my own way of seeing the world. And I can imagine that that's even more challenging when it's your sister.

[Ann Wilson]

Yeah. Yeah. I think that Nancy and I grew up as small children learning how to play music together. And that was a bonding thing that we took on as children. Where most kids were outside playing with dolls or, you know, playing horses in the grass. We were upstairs playing guitars. And so that just kind of grew and matured into standing up and playing guitars in front of people. And then one thing led to another, and it got to where it is. But she and I have a delicate relationship. Even so. Of when she does something that makes me mad or I do something that makes her angry. There's a way that we know how to deal with it now where we can actually talk it out like grownups.

[John Lovett]

Yeah. Was there times in your life where you just sort of tried to not talk about it, where there were things where you touched it and it doesn't work, huh?

[Ann Wilson]

Under the rug? No, under the rug never works.

[John Lovett]

Just builds.

[Ann Wilson]

Yeah. Gets more and more and more ugly.

[John Lovett]

And when you can belt, like the two, I mean, you can belt. I can't imagine on that tour bus really letting loose. Now, Barracuda, according. You had talked about this. That is based on a promoter, a record promoter, spreading a rumor that you and your sister were in an incestuous lesbian relationship. What?

[Ann Wilson]

Yeah. And like I just said, we had grown up as little kids, like, listening to Simon and Garfunkel, you know, and really believing that our music was magical and that we were gonna go out and be magical, too. And so then we get to this point where we're backstage after a show, and this guy comes up, and first he shows us his. His pornographic watch where you move your arm and she drops her drawers. You know, that type of thing. We're like, oh, cool.

[John Lovett]

It's really cool. What a cool watch.

[Ann Wilson]

That's neat, you know? And so then he goes, a Brolex. Yeah. Really? So then to me, he says, well, so how's your lover? And I go, well, he's fine. Michael's right over there. Why don't you go say hi? No, you, sister, you love her, you know? And it was just the most sleazy, the most ew thing, you know? And it really offended me more, I think, because we had that idea of our music being magical and somehow pure. And so I went back to the hotel, and in this fit of rage, I wrote the words to Barracuda. So poor, poor man.

[John Lovett]

Well, I feel like it's like, you know, fuck him. You made such a beautiful song out of it. Such a cool song.

[Ann Wilson]

Yeah, really. Where is that guy? Let's see if we can get more Barracudas out of him. Yeah, that's what they would say. Barracudas.

[John Lovett]

Such a funny word, too. And are you still in touch with the Magic Man?

[Ann Wilson]

Kind of, but he actually. He passed away last year of cancer. And so, yeah, I guess you could say I'm in touch with him, but it's not on this plane. Yeah, but, yeah, he Was an amazing person.

[John Lovett]

Magical. One would think.

[Ann Wilson]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[John Lovett]

It seems like you were trying to convince your mother of it, but the rest of us get it.

[Ann Wilson]

Could not do it. Could not convince her.

[John Lovett]

No.

[Ann Wilson]

She was like, get your little pink butt home. I mean, she was not that excited about me getting into that at all.

[John Lovett]

Now, Anne, no one has a voice like yours, but only you can decide who might perhaps join you in a new supergroup. In a game we're calling the Heart wants what she Wants. Here's how it works. I will present you with two incredible singers, and you must pick which one you think you would like to have as part of your group. Okay.

[Ann Wilson]

As part of the group.

[John Lovett]

As part of your group. Yeah. And the winner will go on to square off with the next performer. Okay, here we go. First up, Hozier or Sabrina Carpenter?

[Ann Wilson]

Hozier.

[John Lovett]

Hosier.

[Ann Wilson]

Okay.

[John Lovett]

Hozier or Justin Bieber?

[Ann Wilson]

I think I'm going to stick with Hozier.

[John Lovett]

Sticking with Hozier. Hozier or Ariana Grande?

[Ann Wilson]

Hozier.

[John Lovett]

Hosier. Hosier or Bruno Mars?

[Ann Wilson]

Oh, that's harder. I don't know. I like Hozier.

[John Lovett]

There's no wrong answers. All right, it's getting tougher. Hosier or Chapel Roan?

[Ann Wilson]

Oh, well, yeah, I know Chapel. She'd be mad if I didn't. Okay, Chapel Roan.

[John Lovett]

But even if you didn't know her, you would have still chosen her.

[Ann Wilson]

I think so, yeah.

[John Lovett]

Hell, yeah. She did a cover of Barracuda. That's pretty cool.

[Ann Wilson]

Yeah, but that isn't the reason why I chose her. I just think she's young and she's already where she is. I mean, she just imagine where she's gonna be when she's 40. I mean, that chick has a lot inside.

[John Lovett]

Yeah. Talking about sort of the charisma and the it thing. Something magical about her. Chapel Roan or Taylor Swift?

[Ann Wilson]

Chapel Roan.

[John Lovett]

Chapel Roan or Harry Styles?

[Ann Wilson]

Harry Styles. Wow, he's cute. But I still have to pick Chapel.

[John Lovett]

It's a great choice for music.

[Ann Wilson]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

Well, that's it. Chapel has won. Chapel has made it all the way to the end.

[Ann Wilson]

Okay.

[John Lovett]

Ed Wilson, thank you so much for being here and talking to us. When we come back.

[Ann Wilson]

Thank you.

[John Lovett]

Yamanika Saunders joins us. Love it or leave it is brought to you by Thrive Market. Thrive Market is a membership based online grocery. For just $5 a month, you get access to curated selections of organic and non GMO brands, 90 plus dietary filters, weekly sales, free gifts, and the peace of mind that 1000 plus ingredients are already restricted. One annual fee priceless piece of mind. They have frozen foods like frozen pizzas and waffles that are really great. If you like cheese puffs, I got these vegan cheese puffs, these hippies white cheddar cheese puffs that are awesome and they have a bunch of great snacks. They have these like salts. They sell these like salty sweet skinny dipped almonds that are great. There's great pastas there. They have this like Kaizen fusilli that's really good. They have like really good healthy stuff that you want that you know that you can just like know is coming to your house really easily rather than having to like go to the store and figure out what it is like. You just rely on Thrive Market. They have like really good stuff that you can just order and know that it's one of the staples will come to your house. Every product and brand is vetted before they ever hit the site. The IN App Barcode Scanner finds a healthier swap for almost anything in your pantry right now. You'll find healthy dupes and brands you've never heard of or can find at your local store. Member pricing up to 30% off plus weekly sales and free gifts and price matching and free delivery and qualifying orders all in the membership. No per order delivery fees, service charges or tip math one annual cost 90 plus filters means you're only seeing what works for you. High protein, low sugar glp, one friendly gluten free keto and more. No more decision fatigue. Your filtered results only show what fits your household. Ready to do your own spring reset? Join Thrive Market with my link thrive market.com love it for 20 off your first three orders, plus you'll get a free $60 gift. This episode is sponsored by Better Help. Life can be a lot sometimes. Regardless of what's keeping you up at night or leaving you overwhelmed, it's easy to feel like you have to figure it all out on your own. But you don't have to face these challenges alone. Having someone to listen, understand and support you can make the difference. That's where Better Help comes in. Better Help therapists work according to a STR code of conduct and are fully licensed in the US Better Help does the initial matching work for you so you can focus on your therapy goals. A short questionnaire helps identify your needs and preferences and their 12 plus years of experience and industry leading. Match fulfillment rate means they typically get it right the first time. If you aren't happy with your match, switch to a different therapist at any time. From their tailored rex with over 30,000 therapists. Better help is the world's largest online therapy platform, having served over 6 million people globally. And it works with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 for a live session based on over 1.7 million client reviews. Therapy, you need it. We all do. Get yourself into some therapy. Talk about your problems. Especially if you think you don't need therapy. That probably means you need it the most. You don't have to traverse life's challenges alone. Find the personal support you're looking for in therapy. Sign up and get 10% [e-mail] Love it. That's betterhelp.com. love it. Please welcome to the stage someone I'd love to front an 80s rock band with. It's the hilarious Yamanika Saunders. Hi. Thanks for being here. Yeah, right here.

[Yamanika Saunders]

Huge fan of yours, so.

[Ann Wilson]

Well, thank you.

[Yamanika Saunders]

Yeah. No, I'm a barracuda, too. Yeah. At least that would men say when they mess with me. So. Yeah.

[John Lovett]

What is it? Yeah, I guess we all have. There's a barracuda in all of us, I think.

[Yamanika Saunders]

Yeah, no, for sure. Absolutely. Can I get a little closer to you? I don't want to crowd space legacy and all that, you know.

[John Lovett]

Oh, come on now, Yamanika.

[Yamanika Saunders]

Yes.

[John Lovett]

Heart songs are often about love. Love is tricky. I'm in an extremely good relationship. Aren't you happy for me?

[Yamanika Saunders]

No, I hate it. No, I hate it. Like, love right now is gross. I think love is for women. Right now is a little difficult because women are doing such amazing things and sometimes the guys can't keep up, and that causes a lot of insecurities with women. So I would always implore that women follow their dreams more than they follow the penis.

[John Lovett]

Yeah. And were men intimidated by you?

[Ann Wilson]

Uh, yeah.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get that. I mean, who wouldn't be? Who wouldn't be? So.

[Yamanika Saunders]

Well, actually. No, no, no, no. They shouldn't be. Right. But if they are, that means they can't step up to the plate. So I think women should be as intimidating as possible. So you get the right guy that can handle it.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, yeah. Set the set up. You want more? You want to make sure the filter's set pretty high. You know what I mean? You don't want. You don't want bad ones getting through the. Through the.

[Yamanika Saunders]

You have to check it. Like, I. You know, as a comic, I'm always on the road and picking up, you know, outfits from Marshalls and penis from bars. And, you know, I've had some. You know, I just recently dealt With a guy who I thought was great. But, you know, in one of our encounters, when I went to go see him, he stole some tires on the way to the hotel to have sex with me. And that's when I really realized I needed an intervention. Right? Like, if you're on your way to have sex with me, and your options are my vagina or tires, and you choose tires first, we need to have a serious conversation.

[John Lovett]

Did you get a little notification that said the guy had one stop along the way?

[Yamanika Saunders]

No. He called me as he was evading the police. Swear to God, it was. I know. It was the worst experience ever. And, you know, he was already on his way to me. He stole tires. Good for him for multitasking. But it was like, what do you say when a criminal's coming to your hotel to have sex with you? You don't tell him no. You know, he's already on the way, and he evaded the police. So, yeah, come on in this room and let's have fun, I guess, until you go to prison.

[John Lovett]

There's something romantic about that, in a sense.

[Ann Wilson]

I know. I'm just.

[Yamanika Saunders]

You think it's romantic. That's why I got messed up. Cause I thought it was. And then, you know, eventually a felon will be a felon. So, you know, you can't really deal with a man that you can't close your eyes and go to sleep around.

[John Lovett]

Would you ever cheat on Megan? Thee stallion?

[Yamanika Saunders]

Oh, yeah. Let me. They were so happy to get a black person up here so they could ask this question. I also choose chaperone. No, I know. No, I love Megan. I love Megan. I would never cheat on her. But then again, that's exactly how men. They're so stupid. They could have the most amazing woman in front of them, and they still want more. They still want to see what's better than the person that they have who could be totally amazing while they ain't shit. Oh, can I curse?

[John Lovett]

Yeah.

[Yamanika Saunders]

Okay. Because I've been keeping it real light. While a man's not shit, he will also look at a woman and determine whether she's shit or not. And he ain't shit. So this whole Megan thee stallion, this Clay guy first. Did anybody know him? Right? Nobody knew him. Okay, sir, you looking around? Nobody cares. Okay? You're the one person that knew him before Megan brought him to the rest of us. And I wish he would go back into obscurity or whatever little basketball card he's playing, but, no, I would never do that. Imagine you have a woman first of all, Megan is such an amazing artist. But imagine all that she's gone through, you know, losing her parents. And then she still went to college, finished, got her degree in business when she didn't have to because she's an entertainer, and she was super successful at that. And she still wanted to have, like, a backup plan and do so. The fortitude and the integrity in this woman is by far amazing. And I think this guy is an idiot for playing a game on her.

[Ann Wilson]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

[Yamanika Saunders]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

Speaking of idiots, you also recently said RFK Jr looks like a half lit Marlboro Light on Sherry.

[Yamanika Saunders]

I do rfk. Listen, we all, like, politically, you know, not everybody is on board with me. Well, the one thing we can agree about is he should not have been the head of the Department of Health. You know, he can't be on a breathing tube. And then also tell people about Tylenol this, like, are your CO Pays up to standard? You know what I mean? But, you know, again, we live in a society that's male dominated, white male dominated, so he can do whatever he wants while undermining this country. And he has done it so far in a really tragic way. So why not make fun of him? He's a piece of shit.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, yeah. Now, you also said on Sherri Shepherd's show that you lost over £100 au natural.

[Yamanika Saunders]

I lost £103.

[John Lovett]

103.

[Yamanika Saunders]

Yeah. No, I got stuck in the beginning. I got a hit of some of the glp, but sometimes people too fat for the gop, right? Oh, yeah. If you can go over it, I can go over my appetite. You know, I think people need to understand being big sometimes is not necessarily just you're a lazy person or you're not considerate of your lifestyle and how it's affecting you. It is a sometimes a disease that you have to conquer.

[John Lovett]

Right.

[Yamanika Saunders]

And so I had to learn how to have control over my mind, my body, what I put into it, other than the felon.

[John Lovett]

And, you know, that's not a lot of. Not a lot of calories there.

[Yamanika Saunders]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, no, no. He definitely wasn't gluten free. But I love these ladies over here. Okay. I might just start my own show with y'.

[John Lovett]

All.

[Yamanika Saunders]

Mine is the guy with the glasses. Who knows Clay, whatever

[John Lovett]

the reason, I brought up only because, you know. And you. You know, one of the things you've talked about is just like, how much shit. Like, how hard it is and how much shit they give women for how they look. How much shit you got over the years for how you looked for your weight. And, like, I know you're somebody that has been trying to figure out, like, you know, like, how to talk about this and how to exist in a. In a. In entertainment when you're under such a glaring spotlight. And I wonder if that's part of what you're kind of reflecting on in this movie.

[Ann Wilson]

Oh, yeah. Yeah. It's got everything in it. It's got the wonderfulness of being beautiful and also the. How hard it is to have everybody talking about you when you're not, you know, when you're not meeting up to cultural standards. I mean, that's hard, too. But I found the best way to go on with your life and with what you're trying to do is just to let it roll off your back and just keep doing what you're doing, you know, and work on yourself.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, well, there's like a balance, right? Because you don't want to let other people's expectations determine how you feel about yourself. And you get a lot of shit for. But at the same time, I know that, like, I know that I feel better about myself when I look a certain way, when I feel like. And also that I feel accomplished, that I've, like, gotten myself, whether I feel healthier, I'm eating better, I'm sleeping better, I'm working out more. And that, yeah, on some level, that is because of expectations, but. But it also is something I feel internally. And I don't know how to separate those two all the time. I don't know how you feel about that.

[Ann Wilson]

Well, I just know you get so much more positive reinforcement when you look great. And that seeps into your self image. It really does. Whether you want it to or not, right?

[Yamanika Saunders]

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, for me, I'm already hitting a lot of situations as a black woman.

[John Lovett]

Right.

[Yamanika Saunders]

Because we're not a part of the main culture and the ideal. So I definitely found it through my family, which is great. Every day, them telling me I'm beautiful and, you know, my skin is beautiful. And what I got going on, I had to believe it, though. And so I think the thing that we feel good about when we start to make adjustments that kind of put us in this, quote, unquote, more acceptable body or face or whatever is you start to get a confidence boost. But the reality is I fucked more guys when I was fatter. You know what I'm saying? For real, I was. Cause everybody likes a good, juicy pussy. Sorry, but no. Cause you gotta dig in there and it's warm and it's like, nice winter night, cup of cocoa, chocolate pussy. So, you know, it's all great. It's all great. But I had to know that I am worth better than what I was accepting when I was larger. But yeah, the business has its own. You know, sometimes people, it's hard when you have talent. Okay, I'm gonna say something. Probably don't get upset. I'm saying that to myself. But sometimes we get super untalented people who look good and then they manufacture talent on them. And then you have people who are really talented in their craft and whatever they got going on that doesn't. There's a whole different energy to be a person of vanity, right. And to look a certain way. I have girlfriends who are in the gym all the time. They don't have time to work on their creativity. I'm working on jokes, I'm working on material. I'm working on my purpose. And my purpose isn't looking good for some man or looking good for some audience. I want you to understand that what I got going on is a lot better than this. But breaking through that thing with the audience sometimes because they've also been conditioned that the thing they should receive is the thing that looks better and not necessarily the person that's more talented.

[Ann Wilson]

Yes, darling.

[Yamanika Saunders]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

We'll be right back. This episode is presented by Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Planned Parenthood health centers are the nation's leading provider of sexual and reproductive health care, including cancer screenings, wellness exams, STI testing and treatments, birth control, abortion and more. Today and everyday, Planned Parenthood is committed to providing access to the care information resources people need to make their own decisions about their bodies and futures. But the Trump administration and Congress are trying to take away that freedom. They defunded Planned Parenthood Health centers in an effort to cut off affordable medical care for millions especially low income Americans who rely on Medicaid in an ongoing affordability crisis. Stripping people of high quality, affordable health care is yet another cruelty inflicted by this out of touch administration. Planned Parenthood has never, will, never stop fighting for everyone's fundamental right to quality health care. Regardless of who you are and where you live, no matter what, they need supporters like you in the fight. [e-mail] defend that's planned parenthood.org defend save

[Safeway/Albertsons Announcer]

on family essentials at Safeway and Albertsons. This week at Safeway and Albertsons, fresh cut cantaloupe, watermelon, pineapple or melon medley bowls 24 ounces are $5 each and wild caught lobster tails are $4.99 each. Limit eight member price, plus selected sizes and varieties of Doritos Lays, Cheetos, sun chips and Kettle cooked chips are $1.99 each. Limit for member price. Hurry in. These deals won't last. Visit safewayoralbertsons.com for more deals and ways to save.

[John Lovett]

And we're back.

[Ann Wilson]

We're back.

[John Lovett]

Now it's time for our next segment. And you know what that sound means. That's right. It's time to tackle the ethical conundrums presented by Heart Songs.

[Ann Wilson]

Ethical conundrums.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, that's right.

[Ann Wilson]

Wow.

[John Lovett]

In a segment we're calling Heart to

[Yamanika Saunders]

Heart,

[John Lovett]

our first question inspired by magic man, may his memory be a blessing. You're a mother whose daughter has been entranced by some kind of magic man Yamanika. What do you do?

[Yamanika Saunders]

First of all, question why I have a daughter? Cause I don't want any children. I have nieces and I'm done with that. Some magical man. Magical with what, Anne?

[Ann Wilson]

Well, what were we talking about a minute ago?

[Yamanika Saunders]

Oh, yeah, that old thing. That whole thing will switch you around. I have gone from not liking a guy and then he enters me and it's a whole new world.

[Ann Wilson]

Oh, it's I love you.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, yeah.

[Yamanika Saunders]

You know, it's that first. And you know, if a guy can, you know, when you cross your eyes, like, ugh. And that's dangerous because then again, he's gonna steal tires and meet you at the hotel and fuck you with felonies.

[John Lovett]

Follow up, is it okay to tell your mom that the man you're dating has magic hands? That's a kind of crazy thing to tell your mom.

[Ann Wilson]

Yeah, but it wasn't. See, I think that's one of the ethical conundrums because the song wasn't written. The phrase magic hands was supposed to be like, in reference to a magician, you know, not sexual.

[John Lovett]

Right.

[Ann Wilson]

But that's how the mother would take it. Right?

[John Lovett]

Probably. Now, not to confront you, Anne, about your song All I want to do is make love to you, but is it ethically defensible to have a one night stand specifically to get pregnant and then not tell the guy until afterwards, ostensibly via song.

[Ann Wilson]

Would you like to hear my opinion of that song?

[John Lovett]

Yes.

[Ann Wilson]

Okay. We recorded that song and it was a huge hit around the world. But as a singer, the person who says the words, I always despised it because I thought it was the worst way you could possibly ever treat another human being is to just go, gee, I guess I'm kind of Horny. I guess I need to pick up some strange dude, you know, take him to bed, get pregnant and not tell him about it, and then just bring the baby on him later. That's awful. That's cruel. That's brutal. And I just thought it was really awful. So I just refuse to do that song even now.

[John Lovett]

Oh, wow. It's off the table. Well, that's an answer to our ethical conundrum. You're out. It's wrong.

[Ann Wilson]

It's gone.

[John Lovett]

It's dead. Oh, wow.

[Yamanika Saunders]

Can you talk to Nick Cannon in the future?

[John Lovett]

Would it be morally defensible to fall in love with a boat? Which is what I believe Steamboat Annie is about, Is that. I think that's what it's about. You fall in love with a boat.

[Yamanika Saunders]

Okay.

[John Lovett]

Ann Wilson. What about love?

[Ann Wilson]

Well, you say it's gross. I think when you're in it, it's absolute magic. And that's the hormones, of course, flaring up, making everything be the best it could possibly be in the world. Everyone's great. So in that way, I think love is one of the best things we have on earth and it's the only thing that's gonna save us, really.

[Yamanika Saunders]

Amen.

[Ann Wilson]

And that's not only talking about sexual love, of course. You know, we're talking about love.

[John Lovett]

Yeah. Love.

[Ann Wilson]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

Not just with the Magic man, but with friends and family and loved ones.

[Ann Wilson]

Anybody except Trump, you know, except for Trump.

[John Lovett]

Except for Trump. Well, I think Trump doesn't understand love. Right. I think it's a confusing thing to him. How does it feel when you now are performing the songs you have now been singing for more than 50 years? In some cases,

[Ann Wilson]

some of them. I find it really hard to relate to. Like. Well, Magic man is really hard for me to relate to now because it was written when I was 22 or something. And, you know, I'm 75 now, so it's really hard to reach back and access that girl. And the way I felt about this wide eyed thing about this man, you know, since I've met somebody and I've been married for almost a dozen years now to somebody who really is right for me. And it's a whole different kind of magic. One that can really go through the bumps and the ups and downs and when you come through something, you love each other more because you've been through it.

[John Lovett]

How did that happen?

[Ann Wilson]

Oh, God, it was amazing. We had a blind date back in the 80s. We got too drunk on sake. And when he drove me home, I invited him in because I was really sort of hot for him.

[John Lovett]

Right.

[Ann Wilson]

But he was a gentleman and he didn't do that on the first date.

[Yamanika Saunders]

Oh, my God, what a guy.

[Ann Wilson]

So he rejected me, right? He went, oh, no, thanks. So I was so mad that I'd been rejected that I sent him a letter that went, well, thanks very much, but see you later. Like in the next life maybe. You know, I was really upset about it. So 40 years go by.

[Yamanika Saunders]

40? Yeah.

[Ann Wilson]

We're both 64. He comes to a book signing that Nancy and I were doing for a book we had out. And he hadn't forgotten about me all this time. I think it was the note.

[John Lovett]

Maybe it was. Maybe it was you.

[Ann Wilson]

Yeah. And he got to the front of the line. I remembered him 40 years later. We exchanged information, we started talking online, and we were married within six months.

[Yamanika Saunders]

Oh, my God.

[John Lovett]

Yes.

[Ann Wilson]

It was just one of those things that. What?

[John Lovett]

You know, till then, you always got by on your own, right?

[Ann Wilson]

Till then. Yeah.

[John Lovett]

Well, everybody check out Yamaneika on socials for a big announcement coming soon. Yamaneka is also performing in the Netflix is a joke festival. You're opening for Chelsea Handler.

[Yamanika Saunders]

Yes. And I'm doing my show, my headlining show right after at the Comedy Store in the belly room at 10pm so I'm gonna be working overtime. Yeah. And I wanna just say this. I would love to have shared this with you, but technically I can't. But you'll find out tomorrow. So just be on my socials. You'll find out what's happening.

[John Lovett]

Very exciting. And that's tomorrow with. You'll be with Chelsea. All right. We'll be right back. And we're back. We've had an amazing time tonight, and now it's time to look back at it in a segment we call Second Thoughts. And here's how it works. The producers have been taking notes as to things that I could have done better throughout this show and ways in which I can improve as a host and human being. And I'm gonna share those with you now based on.

[Yamanika Saunders]

You look like a white man. You get to practice being good. Come on.

[John Lovett]

And I just want you get a do over. As long as race is rearing its head. I wanna note that I didn't like say, oh, we have a black woman on the show. I'm gonna ask about Megan the stallion. That's on a. Teasing you.

[Yamanika Saunders]

I know you did.

[John Lovett]

Just for the record, it was a perfect.

[Yamanika Saunders]

It's a hot topic.

[John Lovett]

It's a hot topic now. One second thought I have is about what I just Said. But also, one question is whether I went too hard on the proud Americans who flew Spirit Airlines. Was I too mean to the people that fly Spirit? I don't think so, no. And one place where this producer suggests I paused to muse about what an interesting word barracuda is, and then we sat in silence for about 10 seconds. And that's on me.

[Ann Wilson]

Well, it's space, though. It's space. Gives the audience a chance to mull it.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, the Japanese art of ma. I don't think I'm niche. All right, now, the producer said, I didn't ask the Magic Man's human name, but I, out of respect, did not want you to put. I was gonna. I wanted you to share only as much about the Magic man as you wanted to, without prodding for me whatsoever. So I don't regret that at all.

[Ann Wilson]

Oh, well, it's no big deal.

[John Lovett]

It's no big deal, Bill. I was too glib about Dreamboat Annie.

[Ann Wilson]

Oh, about falling in love with a boat?

[John Lovett]

Yeah.

[Ann Wilson]

Yeah. Because it was. The boat was Dreamboat Annie. It was named Dreamboat Annie.

[John Lovett]

Right.

[Ann Wilson]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

I'm sorry.

[Ann Wilson]

Oh, well, maybe that's just another one of those lyrics. That's too.

[John Lovett]

No, I think it's really good. Yamanika, do you have any regrets about tonight? Any second thoughts? Anything you do differently?

[Yamanika Saunders]

You know what? I love that my spirit was calm. Normally I get in a situation. It's, like, stressful, but this was informative. I hope I didn't just. I feel like I just showed up. Like, I was also in the audience. Like, I was so impressed and. Lighten up on yourself. You're fine. What you got going on is great. Yeah. No, yeah.

[John Lovett]

Wow.

[Yamanika Saunders]

You're good. Yeah. Fuck that.

[John Lovett]

Anne, do you have any second thoughts about doing this show?

[Ann Wilson]

Uh, no.

[John Lovett]

I feel very. Thank you so much for being here.

[Ann Wilson]

Oh.

[John Lovett]

Being part of this.

[Ann Wilson]

It's my pleasure, really.

[John Lovett]

I think one of the reasons I have it. There's. You have that magical quality. You have that. That, like, intense charisma coming off of you. And I think we're both sitting. I mean, you're wonderfully charismatic and talented, but we're sitting here in the. In the presence of. It must get tiring to be called the Legend all the time. So I'll try to be more specific. You have that thing that, like, there's a kind of intensity even just looking in your eyes that's, like, very. Both soothing but also exciting at the same time.

[Yamanika Saunders]

Are you a Scorpio?

[Ann Wilson]

Well, thank you. No, I'm a Gemini.

[Yamanika Saunders]

Oh, we gotta talk. I'm a Scorpio raised by a Gemini. Okay, yeah, we'll talk.

[John Lovett]

And that's our show.

[Yamanika Saunders]

Yay.

[John Lovett]

Thank you so much to Ann Wilson, Everybody. Go to annwilson.com to find out more about the documentary. And thank you to Yamaneka Sanders. Thank you to Interwoven Studios. They are 180 days until the midterm elections. We'll be back in your feeds this Friday with Beck Bennett and Kyle Mooney. Love it or leave it is a crooked media production. Our show is produced by Kendra James, Bill McGrath, Kelsey Gante and me, John Lovett. Our production team includes Hallie Kiefer, Sarah Lazarus and David Toles, Claudia Shang, Jay Banks, Gavin Purcell and Matt De Groat. And our staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America East.

[Safeway/Albertsons Announcer]

Save on family essentials at Safeway and Albertsons. This week at Safeway and Albertsons, fresh cut cantaloupe, watermelon, pineapple or melon medley bowls 24 ounces are $5 each and wild caught lobster tail are $4.99 each. Limit eight member price. Plus selected sizes and varieties of Doritos, Lays, Cheetos, sun chips and Kettle cook chips are $1.99 each. Limit four member price. Hurry in. These deals won't last. Visit safewayoralbertsons.com for more deals and ways to save.