The Mitch Is Back

Summary

Podcast Summary: Lovett or Leave It – "The Mitch Is Back"

Date: July 15, 2026
Host: Jon Lovett
Guests: David Wain, Joe Lo Truglio, Rachel Harris

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Overview

The July 15, 2026, episode of Lovett or Leave It, titled "The Mitch Is Back," delivers Lovett’s signature comedic breakdown of the week’s political and cultural headlines. With guests David Wain, Joe Lo Truglio, and Rachel Harris, the episode navigates recent political deaths, the camp experience, comedy in Hollywood, acting anxiety, and media quirks—with plenty of incisive and irreverent humor throughout.

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Key Segments & Discussion Points

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1. Opening Monologue: Lindsey Graham’s Death, McConnell’s Return, and Michigan's Gastro Outbreak

(00:15–12:45)

• Lindsey Graham’s Death

  • Lovett announces Senator Lindsey Graham has died, with jokes about his career and sexuality (“He loved seamen”), and riffing on the political aftermath, including his sister Darlene Graham Norton’s appointment.
  • Quote: “...it is simply not possible to hear this news about Lindsey Graham's sister being appointed... and not picture Lindsey Graham in a dress and a wig, right?” – Lovett (02:35)

• Graham as Tragic Figure

  • Lovett intersperses roast with some genuine humanity: “This evil fag was a wonderful brother.” (03:41)
  • Political summary of Graham’s career high and low points—including his old critiques of Trump.

• Trump’s Response

  • Trump eulogizes Graham on Fox News, reminds public of Graham’s criticism on Jan 6, then walks back the rebuke.
  • Quote: “Mr. President, this is hardly the time to drag Lindsey Graham's memory through the mud…” – Lovett (04:46)

• Reflections on Politicians

  • Excerpts Graham’s musings on power: “What I finally realized is that there is no they. There’s only we. And we usually don’t know what the fuck we’re doing.” (06:57)

• Mitch McConnell Update

  • Jokes about photographic “proof of life" for McConnell, drawing comparisons to hostage videos and poking fun at his age and health.
  • Quote: “He’s holding the Sunday Wall Street Journal sports section, a tactic borrowed from hostage videos.” – Lovett (08:05)

• Michigan Explosive Diarrhea Outbreak

  • Michigan/Ohio suffer from a foodborne illness, Lovett riffs on the CDC being understaffed: “You don’t realize how important [the chief diarrhea detective] is until everybody got diarrhea.” (09:46)
  • Taco Bell gets caught in the (humorous) crossfire as a potential outbreak source.

• Politics, Scandal, and Obituaries

  • Touches quickly on security concerns about Trump’s recently gifted plane and the death of Sam Neill.
  • Lovett closes with a bit imagining Lindsey Graham entering “gay hell.”

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2. Interview: David Wain & Joe Lo Truglio on "Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass" and Comedy in Film

(15:53–33:14)

• Celebrity Sex Passes

  • Lovett asks, “Who are your celebrity sex passes?” creating an awkward but humorous back-and-forth.
  • Memorable Answers: Daphne from Scooby Doo (Joe), animated show crushes, and a running bit about not understanding one's own sexuality.

• Making Comedy Films—Hollywood Today

  • Discussion about how hard it’s become to make original comedy films.
  • Quote: “The studios basically gave up on them. And so all I ever do is just hope for the, you know, I write what I want to write and hope for the best.” – David Wain (19:53)
  • Both stress the fun of making friends laugh as the core of creative motivation.

• Process and Writing

  • David Wain describes intensive writing sprints as his only way to get scripts finished: “It is the ADHD. It’s because there’s no other way to do it for me.” (20:59)

• Casting Jon Hamm & Jennifer Aniston

  • Explains the process of inviting big stars to do silly, self-referential roles.

• "Wet Hot American Summer" 25th Anniversary

  • Upcoming theatrical re-release and celebration discussed, with reminiscence about the film’s slow rise to cult favorite status.

• Summer Camp Memories

  • Hilarious, sometimes traumatic childhood camp stories: bad food, homesickness, swimming with jellyfish, collective commiseration over misery as a rite of passage.
  • Lovett introduces the segment: “Should This Miserable Child Suck It Up?” featuring sad/humorous letters from his nephew at camp. (27:29)

• Advice for Parents

  • Panel debates whether to let kids quit camp early, landing humorously on “suck it up!” unless there’s actual danger (as in a story about a child being electrocuted in the shower).

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3. Interview: Rachel Harris on Star Trek, Comedy, and The Daily Show

(34:40–46:45)

• Star Trek Experience

  • Harris recounts turning up on "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" having memorized the wrong scene, scrambling with complex “Trek lingo,” and how honesty and asking for help saved the day.
  • Lesson: “If you just ask for help, sometimes people want to be nice.” – David Wain (37:38)

• Improv vs. Scripted Work

  • Contrasts the pressure of being funny in Christopher Guest movies vs. the intense line memorization for shows like Star Trek.
  • Quote: “The Curse of Death is trying to be funny. Right. So you just have to come prepared, know what your point of view is, and then hope for the best.” – Harris (38:35)

• Working with Legends & Imposter Syndrome

  • Describes intimidation working alongside Catherine O’Hara and Ricky Gervais, and the desire to impress peers.
  • Harris on daily show years: tension and pride in “calling out self-righteousness,” but guilt in "tricking" people in field segments.

• The Daily Show’s Changing Tone

  • Anecdote about being called “mean” by a movie star who preferred Craig Kilborn over Jon Stewart, leading to nostalgia about early cable comedy days.

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4. Rant Wheel: AMC Promos, Hollywood’s Typecasting, Name Tag Etiquette, and Accidental Swastikas

(48:00–55:54)

• AMC Theaters’ Nicole Kidman Promo (Joe, 48:31)

  • Joe rants about repetitive intro videos at the movies: “Let's rotate, people. This isn't a pop hit.”
  • Lovett and group riff on Nicole Kidman’s iconic status and promotional overexposure.

• Same Actors in Every Major Film (Rachel, 51:10)

  • Harris laments lack of fresh faces in blockbusters, citing The Hangover as example of unknowns making a movie great.
  • Lovett adds: “Do we need Jason Momoa to be Flounder in The Little Mermaid?”

• “Do You Remember Me?” Social Faux Pas (David, 53:01)

  • David proposes mandatory nametags and jokes, “Everyone is distracted, and a lot of people are bad with names and faces like myself. So just give them a break!”

• Restaurant Decor & Unintentional Swastikas (Lovett, 54:48)

  • Lovett recounts finding swastika-shaped trim at a Chinese restaurant and the resulting awkward family dinner conversation.

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5. Second Thoughts & Regrets

(56:00–60:06)

• Lovett and guests read producer-submitted “regrets” for the show, including too many (or not enough) Lindsey Graham gay jokes, and whether Lovett’s Taco Bell Chihuahua impression was over the line.
  • Quote: “Too many Lindsey Graham gay jokes, or not enough. It’s kind of our last chance.” – Lovett (56:00)
• David wishes he’d further hyped the positive audience response to his film.
• Lovett confesses to shoehorning his own failed sitcom into conversation and debating if it could become a sleeper hit.
• Panel closes appreciating the fun, affirming the good vibes of the night.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Lovett (re: Graham’s career flip-flop): “You can give up your principles and sell your soul and no one will stop you, no alarm will go off, no one will protect you as you become a vassal for a fraud…” (07:34)
• David Wain (on comedy films): “People will always want to laugh.” (20:41)
• Rachel Harris (on improvising and nerves): “The Curse of Death is trying to be funny.” (38:35)
• Rachel Harris (on Star Trek lingo): “I’m not used to speaking Trek.” (36:27)
• Lovett (on AMC/Nicole Kidman): “I liked it. They did shorten it. There’s a cut down version.” (49:52)
• Lovett (final second thoughts): “I think we're good... There are 111 days until the midterms. We'll be back Friday...” (59:58)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• Monologue / Headlines: 00:15–12:45
• Dave Wain & Joe Lo Truglio interview: 15:53–33:14
• Rachel Harris interview: 34:40–46:45
• Rant Wheel: 48:00–55:54
• Second Thoughts: 56:00–60:06

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Overall Tone & Style

The episode delivers Lovett’s trademark blend of sharp political commentary, theatrical irreverence, and playful banter. The chemistry between Lovett and his comedic guests—in both reminiscence and live improvisation—keeps the pace fast, witty, and slightly chaotic, offering listeners both analysis of current events and a celebration of comedy culture.

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This summary provides an in-depth look at the major segments, highlights key moments and jokes, and is designed to serve both regular listeners and new audiences who missed the live show.

Transcript

[John Lovett]

Love it or leave it.

[Rachel Harris]

It's love it or leave it Straight shoe time.

[John Lovett]

Love it or leave it.

[David Wain]

Let's love it.

[John Lovett]

Welcome to Love it or Leave it. Live from Hollywood, I'm John Lovett, and I'm on that new Michigan produce diet. Poor summer. Gotta tighten it up. We got a great show for you tonight, but first, get into it. What a week. A US Senator has shuffled off this mortal coil over the weekend. And twist, it wasn't the one we expected. See, I am alive, said Mitch McConnell, bolting upright and causing the medical examiner to issue a full body scream. Yes. South Carolina Senator and Secret RuPaul's Drag Race fan Lindsey Graham died on Saturday evening at the age of 71. It came as quite a shock as Graham seemed like he was in a younger man's body.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

According.

[John Lovett]

I would say get comfortable with what that was. According to Axios, a person who spoke to the senator on Saturday night urged him to seek medical attention immediately. But Graham said he would do so Sunday morning after his scheduled appearance on NBC's Meet the Press. A bitchy queen literally dying to be on television cannot relate. President Trump hailed Lindsey Graham as a true American patriot. On truth social and order that all American flags across the country be lowered. To quote half mast through Saturday, half mast refers to the lowering of flags on naval vessels, which Lindsey would have appreciated. The man loved seamen. So, okay, Trump meant half staff. Fine. But also, and I seem to be the only person who actually cares about this, the President of the United States cannot order the flags across the country to be lowered. He does not control all of the American flags because this remains a free country. His authority extends to federal flagpoles and the masts on government ships. And that is it. Besides, this is Lindsey Graham we're talking about. He wanted the full poll. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster appointed Graham's sister, Darlene Graham Norton, to serve out the remainder of her brother's term. And I don't know why, but it is simply not possible to hear this news about Lindsey Graham's sister being appointed to fulfill his term and not picture Lindsey Graham in a dress and a wig, right? Like, it's an incredibly powerful image that this idea calls into all of our collective consciousness. Didn't when you heard that Lindsey Graham's sister was gonna replace Lindsey Graham, didn't you picture, almost against your will, Lindsey Graham in a kind of Barbara Bush style dress with pearls and a kind of weird bob style, like, old school Republican wig, right? Like, am I crazy? Like, did you. Am I alone? Did you Picture that right? No. Shut up. Anyway, here's the governor.

[Announcer]

Lindsey took care of his little sister in years long departed.

[Donald Trump (voice or impersonation)]

It's my honor to ask his little

[John Lovett]

sister, Darlene Graham to finish his work for him now. So Lindsey and Darlene Graham's mother died of cancer, and soon after, their father died of a heart attack. Lindsey Graham was 22. His sister was only 13. He became her legal guardian. And, oh, I guess you don't want to be reminded that this flawed and ultimately tragic figure also contained genuine humanity, because it makes the jokes feel a little bit bad. Well, that's on you. This evil fag was a wonderful brother. He was also in the middle of running for his fifth term, and the GOP will need to hold a special election to replace him on the bench. And his allies and opponents all agree Graham left a big hole to fill. South Carolina congresswoman and advocate for mental health treatment by dint of her behavior. Nancy Mace finished dead last in the primary for governor a month ago. But she's interested posting this Godfather clip on social media.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Just when I thought I was out,

[John Lovett]

they pulled me back in. Hey, babe, no one's pulling you back anywhere. I've never seen a person less pulled in my life. Go enjoy your summer. Have some fresh, uncooked vegetables. It is the season. On Monday, Trump called into Fox News to eulogize the late senator.

[Announcer]

Now, he had one bad moment, and that was, you know, in the January 6 thing when he stood up. All right, now I've had it. That's it. I can't do it anymore. Then he called me, like, about 40 minutes later. He said, did I really say that? I can't believe it. And he took it back, which. So I give him a 99 instead of a 100.

[John Lovett]

Mr. President, this is hardly the time to drag Lindsey Graham's memory through the mud by reminding us of his failure to hang Mike Pence. And it obviously ran counter to Graham's instincts. He loved to see a man who's hung. Graham once wrote a bill to cap greenhouse gas emissions with John Kerry, and he was part of a gang of eight in 2013 that proposed a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Gang of Eight was also his favorite pornhub. He absolutely hated Trump. There's a lot of quotes by Graham mocking Trump, but it's worth seeing Graham's full plea from December of 2015. What is your reaction to hearing what Donald Trump says?

[Donald Trump (voice or impersonation)]

Disgusted. Well, I want to talk to the Trump supporters for a minute. I don't know who you are, and I don't know why you like this guy. I think what you like about him, he appears to be strong when the rest of us are weak. He's a very successful businessman. He's going to make everything great. He's going to take all the problems of the world and put them in a box and make your life better. That's what he's selling. Here's what you're buying. He's a race baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot. What Mr. Trump is doing, and I don't think he has a clue about anything. He's just trying to get his numbers up and get the biggest reaction he can. He's putting our soldiers and diplomats at risk. He's empowering the enemy. And this ban, if it's actually enacted, would take people who have been interpreters, who came to our side in Iraq and Afghanistan, who are under siege in their own countries, and basically becomes a death sentence for them. And you know how you make America great again? Tell Donald Trump to go to hell.

[John Lovett]

That's great. And then Trump won, and Graham became among Trump's closest allies. In fact, Graham got so jealous of Trump's other best friend that he had him murdered in jail and made it look like a suicide. Graham was pretty explicit about his motivations. He wanted to keep his job, stay relevant, and he believed he could harness what he called Trump's magic for good against Trump's dark side. And now he's dead. Do we think Graham succeeded? There's a quote from him reported by the Atlantic this week. He said, when I was first elected to the House, I looked for the they, they who run things, they who know how things really work, they who know what they're doing. But I couldn't find the they. He keeps looking in the Senate and the White House. What I finally realized is that there is no they. There's only we. And we usually don't know what the fuck we're doing. What he's talking about are the adults. And on some level, I think he's talking about parents. I do. And just. Just as there's no one, once we become adults and parents ourselves who secretly

[Joe Lo Truglio]

know what to do, there's also no

[John Lovett]

one to tell you how to be. You can give up your principles and sell your soul and no one will

[Joe Lo Truglio]

stop you, no alarm will go off,

[John Lovett]

no one will protect you as you become a vassal for a fraud until one day you die. And that fraud you once despised but then embrace despite knowing in your bones that it was wrong. He gives you a number grade to sum up your entire life. Says you love the outdoors and sucked at golf briefly had a conscience. But don't worry, it didn't last, for he hangs up and continues to do exactly what he would have done had you never sold out in the first place. So, RIP Lindsey Graham, I'll see you in gay hell, where the Diet Cokes are flat and the boobs are enormous. Speaking of people you might see in hell On Sunday, Mitch McConnell's team finally provided proof that the senator is alive and well. Well, just alive. There's the photo. Come on, give me more of a smile, said the photographer to the two people off camera pulling the strings attached to each side of Mitch McConnell's dead face. The photo shows the senator propped up in a hospital bed next to his wife. He's holding the Sunday Wall Street Journal sports section, a tactic borrowed from hostage videos. They had planned to upload a video as well, but the circling vultures kept swooping down, swooping into the shot. The image was accompanied by a lengthy statement that also explained his prolonged silence. He said, you all know how folks of my generation often hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with growing older. Even in the public eye, I feel that same instinct. I can't help it. The statement says McConnell plans to get back on the Senate floor as soon as possible. It continues, I can't wait to catch up on the news right after I eat this delicious leafy green salad from Michigan. Speaking of needing a guilt free reason to get a side of fries, an outbreak of a parasite that causes explosive diarrhea has led to over 4,000 cases across Michigan and Ohio alone. Let's just say the Cleveland Browns are heading to the bowl. The number of reported cases in Michigan doubled from Friday to Monday. As a result, Michigan has been downgraded from a flyover state to a fly around state. The outbreak may even be worse than what's reported. Due to doge cuts, the CDC has lost a quarter of its workforce and the Trump administration scaled back. That tracks foodborne illnesses. I warned you, said the CDC's former chief diarrhea Detective. I knew the name seemed dumb to Elon, but it was a serious job. The parasite the chief Diarrhea detective cannot get any respect in this administration. They were making fun of him, shoving him in a locker, putting signs on his car. The chief Diarrhea detective It's an important job. You don't realize how important until everybody got diarrhea. The parasite isn't airborne, but spreads through food. It's been found in berries, bagged salad mix, pre cut fresh herbs, and it says here that thing you just ate. Symptoms include weeks of watery diarrhea, fatigue, cramps, bloating and other gastrointestinal issues, said Jewish Americans. And how do you know if you have it? Per the Washington Post on Tuesday, federal and state authorities are investigating Taco Bell as a vector in Michigan's outbreak. When reached for comment, the Taco Bell Chihuahua said, yo quiero saltines and Gatorade. While the link hasn't been confirmed, multiple Taco Bell locations have voluntarily removed lettuce and tomato from their menus. But the lettuce and tomatoes are why I go to Taco Bell, said a serial killer. Explain to Taco Bell. Who cares just the shit that falls out. We don't. Let's give it up. Taco Bell never put them back. Why are we all pretending we want the lettuce and tomato on these things? Shut up. Explain to Taco Bell's spokesperson. The last thing we want is for people to associate Taco Bell with diarrhea. Speaking of problems that are airborne, on Friday, Trump's Justice Department issued subpoenas to several New York Times journalists who reported on security concerns related to Trump's new plane, which was gifted to him from Qatar. Yes, had it not been for this reporting, we would have no reason to doubt the hastily renovated used airplane, given as a bribe by a corrupt emir, might pose a security risk. But have they found the electronic monitoring devices? Said a Qatari spy who said that, replied Trump, alone in the airplane's beautiful marble bathroom. According to the reports, Trump used the old Air Force One instead of his new present after the Secret Service expressed concerns that the Qatari plane lacked the advanced security features necessary to protect the president, said the Secret Service. Also seems like a suspicious number of trap doors to include in the floor of Air Force One. Trump enlisted FBI Director Cash Patel to personally head up the investigation, with Patel canceling a trip to Chicago to see his country singer girlfriend perform, said Trump, you can miss that, right? It's like a son's wedding or whatever. And finally, the great actor Sam Neill, known for his roles in Jurassic park, the Hunt for Red October, and in a movie that absolutely fucked me up. Event Horizon has passed away at age 78 in Sydney, Australia. That's weird. I haven't seen him around heaven yet, said Lindsey Graham, being dipped by his feet into a lake of lava by a giant shrieking pig monster. We've got a great show for you

[Announcer]

tonight

[John Lovett]

and we'll be right back.

[Announcer]

Hey, don't go anywhere there's more of Love it or Leave it Coming up

[Joe Lo Truglio]

Love it or Leave it is brought

[John Lovett]

to you by Quo.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

Running a business means you're always reachable until you're not. And the moment you miss that call, the text, the follow up, a competitor is the one that picks it up. That's why today's episode is brought to you by Quo, spelled Q U O the business phone system built so you never miss an opportunity. All your calls, texts and voicemails live in one place so anyone on your team can pick up a conversation, see the full history and respond fast. Quo is the number one rated business phone system on G2, trusted by over 90,000 businesses who rely on it to stay reachable and look professional every day. Set up in minutes in any device. Keep your existing number, add teammates as you grow. No it, no hassle. Quo's built in AI agent handles after hour calls, answers questions and even books appointments so you never miss a lead. Even when your team is offline. Quo integrates with the tools your team already uses, like HubSpot, Zapier, Claude and more, helping you save time, stay organized and spend less time chasing information between systems. Money is on the line. Always say hello with Quo. Try quo for free plus get 20% off your first six months when you go to quo.com love it that's q u o.com love it love it or leave it is brought to you by Selectquote Life Insurance. You need it, but you keep putting it off because you think it's complicated or expensive or that you'll live forever. Stop telling yourself you'll handle it later and take care of it today. With SELECT quote In 15 minutes you could have coverage that fits your life and budget. Here's what makes Select Quote different Their licensed insurance agent works for you, not for one insurance company. They compare options across multiple carriers to find the right coverage at the lowest price. They've been doing this for nearly 40 years and have helped over 2 million people find coverage. Even if you have health issues, they can help high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease. Their agents know which carriers will give you the best for your specific situation. If you're healthy, they can get you same day coverage with no medical exam. Other brokers push policies that pay them the most. Select Quote's agents actually shop for you. Selectquote they shop, you save. Get the right life insurance for you for [e-mail] love it go to SelectQuote.com love it today to get started.

[John Lovett]

And we're back. David Wain and Joe Latrulio will be out in just a moment. But first, I will be kicking off Crooked Con weekend with Love it or Leave it Live in Washington D.C. on Friday, November 6th at the historic Capitol Turnaround Theater. And the next day, I'll be at the all day crooked con on November 7th. So come be part of Crooked Con. It's a great time, It's a great chance to hang with a bunch of people fighting to protect democracy, fighting to be part of this great community. We will have just had the election. We'll know how it ended up and get ready to go into the primaries and the presidential race to come. So get tickets for Love it or Leave It Live and the all day [e-mail]. all right. Please welcome to the stage my two celebrity hall passes. Besides myself, of course. What does that mean? It's David Wade and Joe Litrullo.

[Donald Trump (voice or impersonation)]

Hi.

[Announcer]

Hi.

[John Lovett]

Good to see you. Get in here. Hello.

[David Wain]

Hello.

[John Lovett]

Hi, everybody.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Hi.

[John Lovett]

Thank you for coming on made a. A new movie, Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass.

[David Wain]

Yes.

[John Lovett]

So let's start with this.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

Who are your celebrity sex passes?

[David Wain]

Oh, my goodness.

[John Lovett]

Oh, boy.

[David Wain]

Well, that's a stumper.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

That is a stumper.

[John Lovett]

I'm sorry, has this not been asked of you?

[David Wain]

It has. And yet I was trying to think of a. There's never a good answer. And I'll tell you why. Because if I named an actual famous person that I actually want to have sex with, that would be very awkward and creepy and so then I guess I could make a joke. But now it's too late for that now that I've torn it apart.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

I'll tell you what, I'll tell you what, I'll tell you what. I always had a crush on Daphne from Scooby Doo. The Animated Daphne.

[John Lovett]

Oh, cool.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

Do you know, does anyone want the direction to go? Like I thought Aladdin when I was a kid. Boy, Aladdin, right?

[David Wain]

He was the guy.

[John Lovett]

His legs went all the way up, got abs.

[David Wain]

Speaking of that sort of thing, do you remember the show Sid the Science Kid?

[John Lovett]

Yeah.

[David Wain]

So there was the girl on there that wore the sweater and had the glasses and that's. That really gets me going. And I was very excited about that. But that was on when I was already a parent of kids who were

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

watching it and it almost seems too late.

[David Wain]

And also she was in nursery school, this character. But it was more the clothing.

[John Lovett]

Right. They look.

[David Wain]

I should quit while I'm ahead.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, I always. I didn't know that I had a. I didn't understand that I was gay. And so when I would see characters on TV shows growing up, I would just think I wanted to be them.

[David Wain]

Sure.

[John Lovett]

And so then I would go to the mall and I'd go to Structure and try to recreate what Zack Morris was wearing. And, you know what. You know, a yellow T shirt under a flannel looks so cool there in the streets of whatever that high school was. Belle Save Bell School. The high school. But when I did it, I look like a fucking clown.

[Announcer]

Yeah.

[David Wain]

Because he didn't go to Save Bell School.

[John Lovett]

I didn't go to Save Bell School. So we were realizing it's. Gail Daughtry is a play on Dorothy Gale. This is this whole. This film is a play on wizard of Oz, and.

[David Wain]

Yes, it is.

[John Lovett]

And.

[David Wain]

But it's. It's really. It's. It's more like its own thing. But then it just sort of becomes kind of structurally wizard of Oz in a fun way.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

They're kind of like Easter eggs about.

[David Wain]

It's like a big Easter egg.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

What I like about this movie is, like, the idea of the celebrity sex pass is, like a funny thing people talk about.

[David Wain]

Right.

[John Lovett]

But in actual life, it's not really

[David Wain]

meant to be taken literally. And that's what the movie's about. What if somebody suddenly both had the opportunity and the balls to actually do it? And then this guy, her fiance, and actually has meets and has sex with and I'll spoil it. Jennifer Aniston in the movie. And then, spoiler alert. And then she's distraught and she decides she's in Hollywood on a trip. And then a psychic says to her, hey, if you find your celebrity sex pass, Jon Hamm, that'll even the scales and will save your relationship. And so she goes on this journey to find and have sex with Jon Hamm.

[John Lovett]

Wow. Yeah. And it's a little like, hey, what's in it for Jon Hamm? You know?

[David Wain]

Right.

[John Lovett]

Yes, Sex. In the end, sex.

[David Wain]

But, you know, guys love sex.

[John Lovett]

Guys love sex.

[David Wain]

Speaking for myself, it's.

[John Lovett]

Sex is their favorite.

[David Wain]

Especially that. And that part at the end. That part of the.

[John Lovett]

Oh, my God.

[David Wain]

That's.

[John Lovett]

That's.

[Announcer]

And then.

[John Lovett]

Right. And then you kind of lose interest in sex for a while.

[David Wain]

For a few minutes. Yeah.

[John Lovett]

For a. Yeah.

[Announcer]

Wow.

[John Lovett]

It must be nice.

[David Wain]

A few days. Whatever it is. Yeah.

[John Lovett]

So you've both have been making comedies long enough that you have this fan base that's, like, so excited for what you're doing, and you've been making movies like, is it at this Point, like, it's harder and harder to make a movie. Do you find that, like, you have, like, how have you found your way to navigate this sort of evolving and, like, increasingly convoluted system in which fewer and fewer things are being made?

[David Wain]

I don't have any good answer for it, but I will. I definitely agree that especially comedy feature films, original kind of feature films are rarer and rarer, and the studios basically gave up on them. And so all I ever do is just hope for the, you know, I write what I want to write and hope for the best.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Yeah, a lot of it is just kind of trying to make your friends laugh, getting together, trying to, you know, come up with an idea that's fun to do. And then if you kind of make your friend laugh, then maybe you have something worth shooting.

[David Wain]

And as far as, like, the landscape goes. Yeah, if it, if it ends up, you know, the last movie I did was, it ended up on as a Netflix movie. And this one somehow got a theatrical release, which I'm thrilled about because it really should be seen in a theater and people are loving it, but who knows? And each one takes a long time. And hopefully as platforms keep changing, things will evolve, but people will always want to laugh.

[John Lovett]

So you said that you came up with the first draft of this and the concept for two more during a seven day sprint. So what's it like not having adhd?

[David Wain]

No, that's, that's the opposite.

[John Lovett]

It is the adhd.

[David Wain]

It is the adhd. It's because there's no other way to do it for me. Like, if I, if I've given myself a year to write a movie, it's never gonna happen. If we say we lock ourselves in a room seven days, like you're doing a film shoot 12 hours a day. There's nothing else to distract, nothing to interrupt. Then we get a first draft done.

[John Lovett]

Sorkin said that he would lock himself in a room at the Four Seasons, do the coke until it ran out, then.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

Right.

[John Lovett]

Till the New Coke came.

[David Wain]

Right. That's, that's, that was his secret.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

That was his secret.

[David Wain]

That was the story of New Coke.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, that's how he, you know, he walks out and he says, I think there's, there's a. There's at least two things in this.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

You know, he does a lot of walking talk.

[David Wain]

Well, what has Sorkin ever done? Really? I mean.

[John Lovett]

Right. Yeah. What has Sorkin ever done?

[David Wain]

Has he ever really achieved one?

[John Lovett]

Name. Name three things. Name seven movies.

[David Wain]

Name 20 movies that he did. Well, can only name 15.

[John Lovett]

How was it? How did you get Jennifer Aniston and Jon Hamm on board?

[David Wain]

Well, we were just lucky enough to have crossed paths with them at different points over the years. And you know, we're so great and funny and, and people are dying, dying to work with us, but we just basically said, do you want to do this riff on your own? Playing yourself in a weird funny way? And they were incredibly game, as were many other celebrities that are in this movie.

[John Lovett]

So it's also about to be the 25th anniversary of wet Hot American Summer. Is there any plans for the anniversary?

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Yeah, yeah, we're doing a show out here August 8th, I think.

[David Wain]

Right. There's a big outdoor screening and a concert with our. We have this middle aged dad jam band and we're doing. And there's going to be the cast panel, but then there's also the focus Features is doing a re release. They're putting it in theaters all over the country on August 14th. And it's like it's going to be in something like 800 theaters at least. And the original movie, when it first came out, was in two theaters at first and it expanded to like 10. So this is very exciting.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

What was the step up? It's a step up.

[David Wain]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

That's more by a lot.

[David Wain]

More by a lot, math wise.

[John Lovett]

It's like, well, what was your experience of the movie kind of being small, having this small release and like slowly becoming a cult class? Like when did it start to feel like, wow, we did it? Like, yeah, like it didn't, you know, people didn't maybe know about it or it wasn't as big as we hoped it would be, but it became one of those movies that like had purchase.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

My memory of it, of when it caught on was when it was released on dvd and I don't even know if it was on Blu Ray, but the DVD seemed to float around colleges and college dorm rooms and you know, and all of a sudden it was this like cult film which was really nice to see because, you know, at first it was not that it was incredible.

[David Wain]

Yeah, one of the. We made this movie for very little, did nothing when it came. Basically it essentially wasn't released. And then so you move on. And that's like most indie movies. And then two, three years in, people are like, the buzz starts building. They had these midnight screenings. People are dressing up and lining up around the block. And then little by little over the years, by the time we did this sequel series on Netflix, it was like this, you know, unanimously heralded Cult classic. We're like, oh, I guess it is. It's crazy. It's amazing. That's cool.

[John Lovett]

Do you think that's going to happen to my failed TV show?

[David Wain]

Yes, it's going to happen.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

It's about to happen.

[John Lovett]

Hell yeah.

[David Wain]

That's what I'm hearing.

[John Lovett]

Taking a long time, taking longer.

[David Wain]

You need patience.

[John Lovett]

It's been 12 years. And as right now, I think you can only get a DVD if you pay to print one. Is that a bad sign, you think?

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

No, but you're in region B or something.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, you got to get it printed for yourself, but you can customize it, so that's kind of cool. But I think that's true of any

[David Wain]

video I'm going to order. I'm going to order.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

I'd order it.

[David Wain]

Custom printed DVD of your old show.

[John Lovett]

Well, thanks for saying that. Thanks for saying that. Now, David, you were not initially excited about your first summer camp experience.

[David Wain]

True. I went to this place, place called Camp Moden in Maine. And my first summer, my parents came halfway through and I begged them, crying to take me home. And they said, no, you need to stick it out. And I'm so glad they did because not only did I have an incredible many years at summer camp, but I made my whole career out of it as well.

[John Lovett]

Wow. Yes. It was good for commerce. You couldn't have known that at the time. Joe, did you have a good or bad camp experience?

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

I didn't go to the overnight camps. I grew up born in New York, but grew up down in South Florida. And I went to a sea camp, which was the only overnight camp I went to was just a weekend. And they said, hey, we're gonna go to this lagoon and there's gonna be some very small little lemon sharks, little nurse sharks, no more than a foot or so. And they were right. But they didn't tell me that there was also swarms of Cassiopeia jellyfish that were also in the lagoon.

[David Wain]

Sounds like an utter nightmare.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

It was an utter nightmare. But luckily, you know, they said it doesn't hurt too much, but they were wrong. It did hurt. It did hurt.

[David Wain]

I would downgrade it from C camp to D minus camp.

[John Lovett]

Hey, got him.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

That type of stuff.

[John Lovett]

Got him.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

That's.

[John Lovett]

You're nailed.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Got em.

[John Lovett]

But anyway, yeah, speaking of camp season, so there's a kismet to your being here because it is the anniversary of wet hot American summer. The kids are in summer camp. And coincidentally, my sister sent me a series of letters that my nephew had sent from Camp Okay. And I'll just read one example. These are real letters. I'm gonna read them. I have permission from my nephew to his parents. Your sister to his parents. His sister, my sister, his mother. You get it?

[David Wain]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

First letter begins, everything we did so far was not very good. The meals are bad. Staff are not that good. Have done nothing fun. Went to sleep very late because nobody would stop talking. 12am oh, cried a little today, too. Are you picking me up today? Monday? If not, come pick me up as soon as possible. Tomorrow, Wednesday, before lunch. Please. I hate camp. Let me know when you are coming. Love, Bennett.

[David Wain]

Oh, God, poor Bennett. And yet I can relate. I understand.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Is that. Can I ask, is that like a week in a couple days in, or

[John Lovett]

do you know, I believe this was day one. Yeah, that was a day one missive. Now, then there were reports that he was having a nice time at camp.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Plot thickens.

[John Lovett]

And we're going to just. I'll just. This will be. We'll just jump to the final letter and it reads, I hate it here. Nothing is fun. Come pick me up from this prison now, please. I am done giving it a chance. I am done being positive. Please tell me when you are picking me up. Daytime, Monday. I do not want to wait until visiting day for you to pick me up. Please. Monday, text the person you are talking to to make sure I am okay. I'm on the brink of finding my own way out of this prison.

[David Wain]

Oh, my God.

[John Lovett]

Come pick me up as soon as possible. I'm miserable, having no fun, and really want to leave. Come pick me up, please.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Wow.

[John Lovett]

So here's the question. What did my sister do? And what would you do? Which is why it's time for a segment we're calling should this Miserable Child Suck It Up.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Okay.

[David Wain]

I would say after the first letter, 100% suck it up.

[John Lovett]

First letter, first day, let it ride.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Like, I would agree with that.

[David Wain]

They're all Half the kids are writing that letter after the first day. Second letter. More complicated.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Second letter. I still think he's got to suck it up.

[John Lovett]

Wow.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

I think. I think you if. Yeah, he wants to escape, but I think adversity is good. How old is.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

How old is.

[John Lovett]

He's 11.

[David Wain]

Yeah.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

All right. So I have a 10 year old and, you know, he didn't want to go to a camp because he had a scratch on his knee and it was just a scratch. And I, and I. And I said, we have to, we have to, we have to go. I've got things to do. Like, you know, scroll and stuff. And so, and so he ended up going.

[John Lovett]

And I think it helped the summer to scroll.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

That's right.

[John Lovett]

You went, sorry, you picked up him.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

No, no, he went. I dropped him off the camp. He went and he was okay. I said, how was, how was it? And he's like, it was fine. My, my, the scratch didn't hurt. And I, you know, of course it didn't hurt.

[John Lovett]

Perhaps the scratch was some kind of an excuse to say he didn't really want to go because he was a bit scared. Perhaps, perhaps I don't want to impute anything.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

He was feeling a little lazy. But that's what I'm saying, scared and lazy.

[John Lovett]

Maybe I still live in that space.

[David Wain]

You have to remember still, no matter how bad it is, it's still a place that your parents are paying for you to go and have like leisure activities.

[John Lovett]

It's right.

[David Wain]

It can't be. I mean, it can be bad, it can be terrible, but I don't know.

[John Lovett]

So let's. Here's another story. This is from Hallie, our head writer. One weekend at Brownie camp, which is the Brownie is the Girl Scout level for third grade. For those who don't know. A friend of mine and I had to take a flashlight out into the woods in the dead of night to the terrifying, gross, unlit, Porta Potty style outhouse. My friend went first, opened the door, stepped inside, was silent, then turned around and said, I can't find the toilet. I laughed so hard I peed my pants. And everyone found out about it when I had to get a plastic bag from our troop leader for my pee pants.

[David Wain]

That's a great story, but I would say also a classic. That's not a leave camp story.

[John Lovett]

No, you gotta stay. I think that's right.

[David Wain]

You know, I just remembered I went to a place called the Country School with Craig Wedron when I was 10 or something. And it was a farm Amish camp. And it was awful. And there was no electricity and you had to bathe at the end of the week in four inches of dirty water that everyone else bathed in and you just shoveled, put poop all day. And I hated every second of it. But I didn't even think to ask to go home.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

It wasn't a work camp or any

[John Lovett]

type of labor camp that accidentally was it for dissidents.

[David Wain]

It was like to have the Amish experience, but we found out it was a fake Amish family that was in the trailer at night watching TV and stuff. It was.

[John Lovett]

It was crazy, honestly. That I respect that so much. I think that's awesome. They're selling the candles you're making. What a rip. What a rack. All right, next up, we have Jay, also on the love it or leave it team. He says, When I was 11 or 12, I went to Boy Scout camp and didn't poop for a full week due to terrible anxiety. I was a little gay boy who hated being in the woods. I called home collect every day, crying. At first, they would encourage me, this is a new experience. You'll be fine. But eventually, they would answer and say, we're not picking you up. Really quickly. So it wouldn't charge them for a collect call. That is so funny. Later, I found out my mom did and stepmom had met to discuss letting me come home, but decided I needed to stay and tough it out. Were they right to let this miserable child suck it up?

[David Wain]

I just was explaining to my son who's at camp this summer, what a collect call is. Anyway, this.

[Announcer]

They.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

This guy.

[David Wain]

Stick it out.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

He's got this. Stick it out.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

Finally.

[John Lovett]

This is from Amy in Dallas, from the friend of the pod Discord. I was electrocuted in the shower when I was at church camp in Texas in the 70s.

[David Wain]

This is the kind of shit.

[John Lovett]

There was a short in the water pump, and they told us to get out of the showers immediately. Being the daughter of a rabid environmentalist, I had to turn the water off first. Big mistake. Next thing I knew, I was being electrocuted and my hands were stuck to the metal handle.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

Ac.

[John Lovett]

That's dangerous.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

That's no good.

[John Lovett]

You want to get fired off, like from Jurassic Park?

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

You don't get attached to it.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

That's bad.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

That's real bad.

[John Lovett]

Fortunately, a counselor wrapped a towel around my waist and pulled me off. I wasn't permanently injured, but I was freaked out and wanted to go home. But for some reason, they wouldn't even let me call home, let alone go home. Needless to say, I stayed dirty the rest of the camp.

[David Wain]

Well, staying dirty, that's a class. I mean, I never showered.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

This deserves, like, you know.

[John Lovett]

Navy Seal 6.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Get. Get her out of there. Get in there.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, Danger.

[David Wain]

Yeah, that's.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

This is danger, you know, this is different.

[John Lovett]

Yeah.

[David Wain]

Sometimes the only. The only caveat I'll say is I've heard stories like this, and then somebody else who was there was, like, actually, it was nothing like what she did. Like, there was, she said electrocuted, but she really just, like, you know, bumped her head for a second or something.

[John Lovett]

I believe women, great physical career.

[David Wain]

Fair enough.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

Thank you.

[John Lovett]

David and Joe. Catch Gail Daughtry and the celebrity sex Pests. In theaters now. Go to davidwayne.com for tickets to the Middle Aged Dad Jam band tour. Also la get tickets to the special wet out American summer 25th reunion screening at streetfoodcinema.com and we'll be right back.

[Announcer]

Yeah. Hey, don't go anywhere. There's more of Love it or leave it coming up.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. While the stigma around mental health is fading, asking for help can feel daunting. New data from BetterHelp confirms it. BetterHelp's 2026 State of Stigma report surveyed 2,000Americans and revealed that 85% of Americans believe getting support is wise, yet 74% say society discourages people from doing so. With over 30,000 therapists, BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform, having served over 6 million people globally. And it works with an aver rating of 4.9 out of 5 for a live session based on over 1.7 million client reviews. Better Helps therapists work according to a strict 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 re. Don't let stigma stand in the way of support. Start therapy with Better help. Sign up and get 10 [e-mail]. love it. That's betterhelp.com. love it.

[John Lovett]

And we're back. Please welcome to the stage. There's been in more comedies than could shake a stick at. It's Rachel Harris. Hi, welcome. Come on in. Hi, Rachel.

[Rachel Harris]

Hi.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

Welcome.

[John Lovett]

So nice to have you.

[Rachel Harris]

Thanks for having me.

[John Lovett]

It's. It's nice to see you. This rug's a mess. I'm sorry.

[Rachel Harris]

Yeah, but I just like that you're like, just frogging it up there.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, I like to get up. I like to move around.

[Donald Trump (voice or impersonation)]

That's.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

Yeah.

[Rachel Harris]

No, no, no. Don't change.

[John Lovett]

It's never happened. You and Joe coincidentally just were in a show together.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

Right.

[John Lovett]

And we were debating whether or not we were able to talk about it. We decided we mostly can. And so it was Star Trek.

[Rachel Harris]

Yes.

[John Lovett]

You're in Star Trek together.

[Rachel Harris]

Yeah, we did Star Trek, Strange New

[John Lovett]

World and I understand that you're on Star Trek, which must be stressful just because it's a lot of lingo. And then all of a sudden and you showed up and you did not. You were. It was a different scene than you expected.

[Rachel Harris]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

So what happened?

[Rachel Harris]

Yeah, it was the first day of shooting and Joe and I gratefully were in the scene together. But I. I got to set and I looked at the call sheet and I this. The scenes are very similar. Like some of them, like, we kind of do the same thing, but different. And so I just. I just prepared the wrong scene. And I had a thought for a moment that I thought, oh, my God, I didn't prepare the right scene. And the one that I did prepare had a ton of like, cool Star Trek lingo in it. That is not. I'm not used to speaking Trek.

[John Lovett]

Right.

[Rachel Harris]

You know, So I had a moment where I thought I. I'm just gonna pretend that I know which scene I'm doing and try to learn it really quickly. And I realized that was not going to be a good idea because of all the lingo.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

It's very specific.

[John Lovett]

You have to know what the phasers are set to and where the power's going and where the shields are, the percentages. But she crushed it.

[Rachel Harris]

It was crazy, but you crushed it. He's very sweet, but I can't wait to see it. The one thing that I'll say. Yeah, you would get. Buckle up. No, the one thing I was going to say was that I had. You know, it's nice being. Having worked a lot because David and I have done films together as well and it's really great to have. The great thing about having Joe there was that I knew that I could be honest. And so I just simply said to the first AD and to the director, I said I didn't prepare the right scene. And they were so. I was so glad I did because they said, well, we'll move the day around and we'll give you some more time to learn it. And then Joe, who was in scene with me, was so great and just sat there and ran it and ran it. But it was also great because he was really like, I'd be shitting my pants right now too, you know. So it was.

[David Wain]

You know what, though?

[John Lovett]

Just.

[David Wain]

This is a lesson that if you just ask for help, sometimes people want to be nice, you know, it's not. Yeah, we're not allowed to get each other.

[Rachel Harris]

They weren't angry, but. Yeah, yeah, that's true. I think you're. And that's on a bigger scale.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Macro level.

[Rachel Harris]

Yeah. Thank you.

[David Wain]

Like, this is love it or leave it. We want to talk about big things.

[John Lovett]

We got to talk about big things. So you've been in three Christopher Guest movies. You're in Best in Show, A Mighty Wind. And for your consideration, you. How is it. How is preparing for those movies different than, say, preparing a lot of jargon for Star Trek?

[Rachel Harris]

Oh, well, just that. I mean, like, just, like, the memorization of the scenes is really is. That's the hardest part for me. But the difference, though, with doing a film where you're improvising is you have the bullet points, but then the pressure is always on you to be funny. And the Curse of Death is trying to be funny. Right. So you just have to come prepared, know what your point of view is, and then hope for the best, and just listen and respond honestly in character. And, I mean, I love it. It's just, you know, you just have to listen and do your part.

[David Wain]

But also, you are uniquely one of the greats at that. Like, not everybody can do that.

[Rachel Harris]

Well, that's very sweet. And he's right.

[John Lovett]

No, he's right 100%. He's totally right. Are there people that have been, like, intimidating to do those kinds of scenes with people that or that, like, you felt, like, nervous about because they were such legends or who and then, like, what was that like?

[Rachel Harris]

Oh, yeah, no, I remember doing for your consideration. Every time I say it, I get choked up. Getting to work with Catherine o' Hara was so amazing. She was just so kind and everything you'd want her to be. And we shared a dressing room, and there was, like, an accordion door that we could have closed. It was like, first of all, we didn't really have dressing rooms. We had, like, honey wagons, and then we all hung out in one big green room. But I was never nervous with Katherine, though. Katherine was always like, you know exactly what you're doing, and it'll be fun, and. But the one person. When Ricky Gervais was just first coming up, he was in for your consideration. And I remember just wanting to, like, say one line to him in, like, a big group scene, and I couldn't.

[John Lovett]

Why?

[Rachel Harris]

Because I. I loved him in the office so much, and I just thought it was. I love British humor so much, and that form of comedy, I think it's so, you know, underplayed and fantastic. And. And I just. That was. I mean, you asked if there's someone that I was feeling a little insecure around, and he was a big one. And then we did a film together. We did Night at the Museum together and became really good friends, and that was really lovely.

[John Lovett]

I was gonna make a joke about how. And, you know, like, Joe, he's famously nice. Ricky Gervais.

[Rachel Harris]

Yeah, yeah. Like Joe Luchuglia.

[John Lovett]

They're kind of like, sort of. You're the kind of American Ricky Gervais or personality wise.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

Culturally.

[John Lovett]

Personality wise. That's the. That's the niche.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

That's my niche.

[John Lovett]

Yeah.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Like, nice guy.

[David Wain]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

Same kind of energy. Two nice guys. Two nice guys.

[Rachel Harris]

But I also think when you're working with your peers, you also want to make your peers laugh. You know, you want to be funny and effortless. And David's directed me in Party Down. Do you remember? You directed.

[David Wain]

That was really great.

[Rachel Harris]

Yeah. And he was so wonderful in that. But also that was like. Whenever you're coming on to, like, a set and you aren't a regular on the show, but you're a guest on the show, that's, I think, when it's kind of scary, when you want to do really well. And it's nice that, you know, people like David and Joe and everybody are, you know, it's really fun when you have, like, friends that get to work with.

[David Wain]

When you're doing Star Trek. Do they make you say it exactly as it is on the page?

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

They were pretty tight.

[Rachel Harris]

They were pretty tight.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

They were pretty tight with. They weren't Aaron Sorkin.

[Rachel Harris]

No, no, no. It wasn't Arthur Miller, but, you know. Right, right. But it was.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

You could put some handles on there. You could be like.

[John Lovett]

Oh, yeah.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

But you can't really. No words.

[Rachel Harris]

We did a lot of gesticulating.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Yeah.

[Rachel Harris]

But the scene in particular, that I didn't know my. That I was struggling with my lines. I really did. I didn't know my lines, and I. Ethan Peck plays Spock and he's so, you know, emotionless.

[David Wain]

What, did they fire Leonard Nimoy?

[John Lovett]

They went with somebody younger. Hollywood. This fucking town. This town.

[Rachel Harris]

They did. But he felt so bad because every time I would fuck up, remember, he was so stoic. And he would say, I'm so sorry. I can't. Like, we'd break. And he'd go, I'm so sorry, you're dying. He's like, I can't give you, like, any emotion to, like, look at you and be like.

[David Wain]

Because of the character. Because of the character.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Yeah.

[David Wain]

You should say you're half human.

[John Lovett]

Yeah.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Give me half of what you got. Sorry.

[John Lovett]

Spock, famously, is a roiling cauldron of Deep and enormous emotion just beneath the frozen exterior. It's actually. Yeah, it's a deep conflict inside of the character as you tell him that you were also on a Daily Show.

[Rachel Harris]

I was.

[John Lovett]

And famously, Stephen Colbert said that one aspect of being correspondent on the Daily show is leaving your soul behind. Did you do that?

[Rachel Harris]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was hard because I grew up in Ohio and the Daily show then was like. It wasn't as, I want to say, because it was early 2000s. It wasn't as like the two political parties weren't as polarizing. George W. Bush was in office, it seemed. Beloved, beloved, beloved. It just wasn't as. I mean. Well, I remember I was flying across the country on assignment doing a field piece when they started the war. And they were like, you're in the air and they've just started a war. And it was kind of scary. Yeah.

[John Lovett]

Then things got tense.

[Rachel Harris]

Things got real tense, but they weren't necessarily going after. It wasn't Republicans that they were going after or they were. It was more just like people that were. People that were very self righteous and we were calling them out, you know, taking the piss out of that. And I loved doing it. But at the same time, sometimes people just didn't really understand what we were doing. And I felt terrible. Like it was like leading them into a trap. And I famously, once I finished, when I left the Daily Show, I went to do Starsky and Hutch and I was so excited to be in a Spence Stiller, Owen Wilson movie. And I just come off the Daily show and there was a really famous actor sitting in the makeup chair next to me. And I said, oh, yeah, I just came off the Daily Show. And he goes, yeah, I used to like the Daily Show. I think their humor is really mean. And I was like, huh? He goes, yeah, it's really, really self righteous and mean. And I, I was so proud to have been on the Daily Show. And he goes, yeah, I didn't like it. I don't like it now that Jon Stewart's the host and Jon had only been the host for, I'm not kidding, maybe like a year.

[John Lovett]

It's so rare to meet the like, Craig Kilbourne diehards.

[Rachel Harris]

You know, it's like this was a Craig Kilborne diehard.

[David Wain]

No, I was a correspondent on the Craig Kilborn pre Johnster.

[John Lovett]

You were.

[Rachel Harris]

You really.

[David Wain]

But it was, it was. They were still figuring out the format and I was doing like funny fake segments from Maplewood, New Jersey, the Maplewood Minute, as if it Was like Hollywood

[John Lovett]

because I was such a nerd. I watched all. I watched the whole thing. Like when I was in high school, I watched the Krell Kilborne Daily show and it would re air during the day, the next day, I believe, on Comedy Central. And I would watch it. And then I remember I was actually. I was upset when it was gonna be switching to Jon Stewart. I had no ill thoughts about Jon Stewart. I just really liked Craig Kilbourne. And then I remember the first episode, the Jon Stewart show where they retired the fire. Five questions at the end. 4, 3, 2, 1. Because that left and went with Craig Kilborn to the other when he went to cbs, I believe.

[Announcer]

Yeah.

[David Wain]

Huh.

[Rachel Harris]

That was a really loud. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, but I, I loved my time on the Daily Show. It was so fun because it was, it was obviously John and my audition for that. I don't want to like hijack everything, but my audition for that was, it was, you know, the Daily Show's heavily scripted, you know, and when you do your correspondence piece. But I didn't know that when I auditioned because I was coming from an improv background. So I thought, oh, I've got to make this mine. And so I rewrote everything, like in my voice. And at the end of it, John, I finished my audition and I could hear Jon Stewart going, well, she's fired. And I was like, thanks, Sue. Thanks so much. Bye. Bye. And then they called and they said I had the job.

[David Wain]

So it turned out you did do the right thing.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

I did the right thing.

[Rachel Harris]

I did do the right thing.

[David Wain]

Nobody can out. Rachel Harris. Rachel Harris.

[John Lovett]

We'll be right back.

[Rachel Harris]

Ok.

[Announcer]

Hey, don't go anywhere. There's more of Love it or Leave it coming up.

[Donald Trump (voice or impersonation)]

Up.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

Love it or Leave it is brought

[John Lovett]

to you by Quints.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

Summer days are always a little more relaxed. So when I open my closet, I find myself reaching for the same comfortable go anywhere clothes again and again.

[John Lovett]

That's why I keep coming back to Quint. They focus on well made essentials that

[Joe Lo Truglio]

naturally become those everyday staples you'll live in all season long. Quint is 100% European. Linen pants and shirts are breathable, easy to throw on. And the summer upgrade your rotation needs. Starting at just $34. Their tees are so soft you'll never want to take them off. And the lightweight cotton sweaters are exactly what you want when summer nights cool down. Everything at Quint is priced 50 to less than similar brands. They work directly with ethical factories and cut out the middlemen. So you're paying for exceptional quality, not a brand markup. We love Quince. I have great sweats from there, sheets from there, sweaters from there, poles from there. They're great bags. Just a great company. Make your summer wardrobe easier. Go to quince.com love it. For free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q U I n c e.com lovett for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quints.com lovett.

[John Lovett]

And we're back. It's time to take out a love or leave it Classic. That's right. It's time for the rant wheel. Here's how it works. We're gonna spin the wheel. It'll land on one of our four faces. And that person has one minute on the clock to rant against that person, place or thing of their choosing. Are you ready?

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Oh, boy.

[David Wain]

I don't know.

[John Lovett]

I have. I. I can give you one of my options if you want people who

[David Wain]

are different than you.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Okay, here we just go.

[John Lovett]

Jump right in, Joe.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Listen, listen. I think AMC theaters promos with Nicole Kimby.

[Donald Trump (voice or impersonation)]

Yeah.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Okay. We've seen them a lot.

[Donald Trump (voice or impersonation)]

All right.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

I know why I go to the movies. It's for the magic. Sure. Yes. It's to laugh and to cry.

[Donald Trump (voice or impersonation)]

Sure.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

I know the indescribable feeling when the lights dim. But we're done with it now. It's like a Rocky Horror Picture Show. And again, let me just add, I love Nicole Kidman. This has nothing to do with Nicole.

[David Wain]

Great actress.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

And has nothing to do with AMC theaters that are supporting our movie. It's just a matter of, like, let's rotate, people. Let's. This isn't a pop hit. Let's move it along. We get it.

[John Lovett]

I mean, it's so important. And I'm glad you took a moment inside of that.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

I still gotta go. All right, well, look, listen. Also, they open with it with it in the rain. You know, like as if we only go to the movies when it's raining. Come on, guys. We go to the movies because we love the movies. It doesn't matter about the weather. Get in there and go see a perfect story because you can. Yeah.

[David Wain]

Pretty good.

[John Lovett]

Beautifully said. I appreciated how midway through, you took a moment to make sure you complimented Nicole Kidman so that she would. Would turn the key and close the box with the red button on it so you're safe again. That was beautiful. And I agree. I agree. I liked it. They did shorten it. There's a cut down version.

[David Wain]

They do different. I agree that it's as if they've only could shoot one promo for 10 years and they have to keep cutting it up in different ways.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

And it's like they could do it more size. Maybe it's a big payday. They want to kind of spread it out.

[David Wain]

Maybe they know it was a. It was like a meme in a zeitgeist.

[John Lovett]

Yeah. And that's a lightning in a bottle thing. You know, you're not gonna, you know, the next one is like, I don't know who it's gonna be walking down the stairs. But it's like a kind of nobody wants that. That's a tough job. You know, like that. Let's do another. You know, Joseph, I wonder how much I'll do it. They said they're looking for a Ricky Gervais type.

[David Wain]

I wonder how much they offered her to do another one.

[Rachel Harris]

Yeah. And what was it? Somehow heartbreak seems. What in here seems less harmful or what is it seems heartbreak seems heartbreak

[John Lovett]

like this heartbreak feels.

[David Wain]

But also I wonder if she was asking her reps, like, did I give them permission to use that forever? Like. Yeah, I thought that was like, for. During the pandemic for like a few weeks they would run that.

[Rachel Harris]

And also heartbreak never feels good anywhere.

[David Wain]

It doesn't place like this.

[John Lovett]

You're right.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Thank you.

[John Lovett]

You're right. It's heartbreak. It hurts.

[Rachel Harris]

It's called heartbreaking for a reason. Right.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

Let's spin it again.

[John Lovett]

Rachel, what's something you'd like to rant about?

[Rachel Harris]

Okay. I would like to. And kind of keeping on theme, I guess because he just talked about theaters. I would like to rant about the fact that film. We all like to go to see films. Right. But what I think we're tired of is seeing the exact same actor in every single big film. Right. And I think I didn't realize I was gonna get an applause break. But for me, and the example I use all the time is that the Hangover, this film that I did with at the time, people didn't really know. The biggest actor in the film, I think was Jeffrey. Boy, I love that.

[John Lovett]

Jeffrey Epstein.

[Rachel Harris]

No, Tambor. Jeffrey Tambor. He was one of the biggest actors in it. And it was a little known Ed Helms, a little known Zach Galifianakis and Bradley Cooper. And I think that's what made that film so great was that nobody really knew those guys. They took a risk on them. We liked going on the journey with them because we hadn't seen them so much before and my time's up.

[John Lovett]

I think it's. Well, I feel that way often. When they all announce some new animated movie and you'll see the cast, you'll be like, what? Why do you need super hot people for this? Are things not easy enough for the hottest human beings in the history of humankind?

[David Wain]

And the richest.

[John Lovett]

The richest, hottest people in our community, they're also getting the voice actor work. Like, why? Like, is there any.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

It's all.

[John Lovett]

By the way, it's, like, evident. It's like, it's so they can do the promotion cycle for the thing, but it's like, what about the voice actors that have those great voice actor voices, you know? Like, I don't need Jason Momoa to be floundering the Little Mermaid. You know what I mean? Doesn't do anything for me. Jason Momoa is flounder. Why? Come on, let's spin it again.

[David Wain]

Oh, it's kind of 50. 50 gonna be me. Oh, my goodness. My thing is, when people. I don't think people should come up to you at a social event and say, do you know who I am? Do you remember me? It bothers me so much because there's. What are you gonna get out of it? Because if I don't know who you are, then it's just awkward for both of us. We both feel bad, so what's the point? And I personally feel like people should just wear name tags always. That should be mandated with your name and bullet points about who you are. But it's short of that, at least. You go up to somebody anywhere, unless it's your spouse. You should just be like, hey, oh, David Wayne. I'm a filmmaker. We met at the guy at Joe's house, and we were talking about bagels, and we had a fun time that it was, like a year ago and then before I even had a chance to speak. Now. And when I say, do you remember me? Like, of course I do. And whether it's true or not, everybody's happy. Happy.

[John Lovett]

That's right. Well, I find that, like, there's the. Like, sometimes you'll say, like, hey, you'll introduce yourself, and they'll say, we've met. And it's like, okay, fine. But, like, I'm just. Maybe I recognize. Like, maybe I thought we met. Maybe I'm not sure if you remembered me right. Like, it's not insulting to introduce someone to someone that. That you've already met.

[David Wain]

And also, like, all of our brains are fried. Everyone is distracted, and a lot of people are Bad with names and faces like myself so just give them a

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

All hurdling through On a rock through space Give us a break. You know, we made out. We're doing pretty well.

[John Lovett]

Lindsey Graham is.

[David Wain]

I forgot the name.

[John Lovett]

Nothing is promised. Let's spin it again.

[David Wain]

I wonder who it'll be I wonder who. I hope it's me again.

[John Lovett]

It has landed on me. And interestingly enough, my new headshot. All right.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

Okay.

[John Lovett]

My rant is about swastikas in the world.

[David Wain]

Wild. Sure.

[John Lovett]

So I went to an incredible restaurant.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

One of the best restaurants in Los Angeles is called Bistro Na.

[John Lovett]

It's in the San Gabriel Valley.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

If you call a weekend ahead, you

[John Lovett]

can get a Peking duck. And it's amazing food.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

I've been before some of the best Chinese food you will ever get.

[John Lovett]

But we're sitting at the table, and

[Joe Lo Truglio]

then we notice that there's this trim throughout the restaurant. Can we zoom in? Can you see that in the trim?

[John Lovett]

I didn't take a photo while I

[Joe Lo Truglio]

was there, so these are from Yellow. There are these swastikas everywhere, everywhere on every wall in the restaurant. And it's just on the line.

[John Lovett]

I think it's on the wrong side of the line, but it's just on

[Joe Lo Truglio]

the line of, like, did you know. What the fuck?

[Announcer]

Come on.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

Are we catching this?

[John Lovett]

You see what I mean? Once you see it, that's all you're seeing. That's all you're seeing. And then all of a sudden, okay,

[Joe Lo Truglio]

you're at a restaurant with your parents

[John Lovett]

on the last day of the visit, and now the topic of anti Semitism is on the table, and it's gonna be a tough fucking dinner. Because then it's about Bernie Sanders hating the Jews. And it's like, what? All right, that's the rant wheel.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

We'll be right back.

[John Lovett]

And we're back.

[Rachel Harris]

Wow.

[John Lovett]

And now it's time to close out the show with a segment we call Second Thoughts. Here's how it works. I thought this went great, but my producers have handed me a list of things they wish I hadn't said or done. First regret. Too many Lindsey Graham gay jokes are not enough. It's kind of our last chance. Oh, I didn't even think of that.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

These were our last ones.

[David Wain]

Well, people still make Reagan jokes.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, right?

[David Wain]

I mean, not very successful people,

[John Lovett]

Right?

[Joe Lo Truglio]

Like if.

[John Lovett]

Like, if, like, six months from now, I'm like, boy, Lindsey Graham, boy, he loved Guzzlin cum.

[Announcer]

Huh?

[John Lovett]

Like, it's not gonna play as well.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

I don't think it won't work as well.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, I don't think it'll work as well.

[Rachel Harris]

Does that on its own. Kill.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, I did the Taco Bell Chihuahua's accent, kind of.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

I, we talked. No, we talked about it. And we felt, we felt legally I

[John Lovett]

could get away with.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

I had to say yo quiero with the accent. If I said yo quiero, Gatorade and saltines. That's not funny. But if I had to say the yo quiero, if I did that, then I could just say Gatorade and saltines. I felt like we were in the clear. I think we were, we were okay, sort of, you know, with the, with, with the Internet. I think we'll see what happens.

[John Lovett]

I'm not loving the reaction.

[Rachel Harris]

Well, I, I, Yeah, I would get canceled because I thought it was very funny.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, you too.

[Rachel Harris]

Great. I mean, like.

[David Wain]

And I think if you, I, I'll take the side. I was very offended.

[John Lovett]

Thank you for, thank you, thank, thank you for holding me accountable. I laughed harder than the audience at the joke about the Qatari spy being heard in Trump's bathroom. That, that worked for me. And that's okay.

[David Wain]

I love how your producers are sitting there thinking of things that you did wrong.

[John Lovett]

So one thing that they, that the producers believe that David and Joe did wrong is that you need to have a better ready answer for celebrity sex pets.

[David Wain]

It's so funny. We have been asked that 300 times.

[John Lovett]

I know. And as I was, as the words were leaving my mouth, I'm like, john,

[Joe Lo Truglio]

shut the fuck up. What are you doing?

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

It's a fair question.

[John Lovett]

Yes, but why am I here? Why am I here in the slot bucket?

[Rachel Harris]

Oh, yeah. But I was like, that's creepy too. I was like, who would have been?

[David Wain]

I have answered that several times during our press tour with the answer, Ed Koch.

[John Lovett]

That's good. See, that's good.

[David Wain]

And I could have just done that again. So I have regrets.

[John Lovett]

Let's see. I tried to shoehorn my failed sitcom into the wet hot American summer conversation.

[David Wain]

I was supportive of that.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

I was supportive of that, too.

[John Lovett]

Any second thoughts you'd like to add?

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

I stand by my words.

[Rachel Harris]

Wow.

[John Lovett]

Brave.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Yeah, Brave.

[John Lovett]

Given what you've said. Given the thing you, the one thing you said that you're not even remembering that fucking. That I blasted out on you. Just sort of a blind spot. And you said it. I said, blind spot. Ableist. So now I'm done.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Well, I guess I'm gonna have a little surprise on the, on the, on the review you and then, and yeah.

[John Lovett]

So I think. I think we're good. I think we're good.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

David. Nothing.

[David Wain]

I feel great about everything that's happened tonight. I think this has been a great audience, by the way.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Agreed.

[David Wain]

Maybe it's not funny to say it, but it happens to be how I feel. I mean, people could get laughs for taking things down. You suck and we suck. No, I'm sorry. It's not how I feel.

[John Lovett]

Yeah, Yeah.

[David Wain]

I feel joy right now.

[Rachel Harris]

Are you. Can I ask you about this regret that you may not know about? When we first walked in, David said, ugh, I overdressed.

[John Lovett]

No.

[Rachel Harris]

Do you feel like you've overdressed now?

[David Wain]

Now I feel fine.

[Rachel Harris]

Yeah.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Try wearing a sweater.

[David Wain]

You know what's one regret I feel a little bit, actually.

[Rachel Harris]

What?

[David Wain]

I don't know if I enough really explained the incredible reviews that our movie Gail Daughtry and the celebrity sex pass has gotten.

[John Lovett]

It's getting incredible reviews.

[David Wain]

Not just critics, but like, audiences of all different types are having this, like, amazing experience, going and laughing so hard, like, more than they have in years. They keep saying. And I feel like I didn't underline that enough or explain that if you go to gaildaughtry.com you get tickets for wherever is nearby you to see it.

[Joe Lo Truglio (alternate or additional speaker)]

Yeah.

[John Lovett]

They say that basically the second leading cause of diarrhea is people laughing too hard at this movie right now. And it would be in first, but for this unusual parody parasitic year, it would have actually been diarrhea number one. Okay, and that's our show. Thank you so much. Rachel Harris, David Wain, and Joe Lucullio. There are 111 days until the midterms. We'll be back Friday with Des Bishop and Carmen Christopher. Have a great night.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

Love it or leave it is a Cricket Media production. Our show is produced by Kendra James, Bill McGrath, Kelsey Gante, and me, John Lovett.

[John Lovett]

Our production team includes Hallie Keeper, Sarah Lazarus, Raman Borsalino, Peter Miller, David. David Toles, Claudia Shang, Jay Banks, Gavin Purcell, and Matt De Gro.

[Joe Lo Truglio]

And our staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America.