Podcast Summary: Mike Birbiglia’s Working It Out

Episode: Sarah Sherman Returns: If Chucky Went to Sarah Lawrence

Date: January 12, 2026
Guest: Sarah Sherman (aka Sarah Squirm)

Episode Overview

In this energetic, irreverent episode, comedian Sarah Sherman returns to chat with Mike Birbiglia about the weirdness and triumphs of her new HBO comedy special “Sarah Sherman Live and In the Flesh,” her unconventional path at SNL, creative collaboration, therapy, and the joys of reading negative reviews. The conversation is fast, silly, and generous, peppered with inside SNL stories, new bits worked out live, and Sarah’s signature blend of the grotesque and heartfelt.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Sarah’s Comedy Special & Reading Reviews

• Letterboxd Obsession: Sarah discusses her fixation with reading Letterboxd reviews—not just the positive, but especially the negative.
  • Quote: “What’s been so fun is that a lot of the negative reviews bring me just as much joy as the positive reviews because they’ve achieved intended effect.” (00:50 / 12:00 / 14:16)
• Originality & Audience Reaction:
  • Mike praises the special as “phenomenally original and funny and bizarre and cool.” (00:50)
  • Sarah notes many critics dismiss her as “pee pee poo poo humor for kids,” but relishes being polarizing. (11:36)

2. Therapy, Nightmares, and SNL Pressure

• Therapy Routine: Sarah does psychoanalysis on a couch three days a week.
  • Quote: “Psychoanalysis. You’re supposed to be in there every single day, digging, digging…” (03:20)
• SNL Night Terrors: Recurring nightmares of being late on “writing night," feeling like an outsider.
  • Quote: “I’m going down the hallway that keeps getting longer and longer… knocking on all the doors, being like, do you want to write with me this week? And people being like, no…” (04:17)
• Working Through Issues:
  • Sarah jokes about processing personal insecurities and her “animal energy.” Therapy isn’t about being a ‘tortured artist,’ but about not being “a fucking chore and a burden.” (17:50, 18:57, 20:28)

3. SNL Process: Animals, Collaboration, and Lorne

• Animal Characters: Many of her infamous animal bits (drunk raccoon, squirrel, etc.) are Lorne Michaels’ ideas, not hers.
  • Quote: "Those have always been Lorne ideas. Every time I’ve played an animal on Weekend Update… Lorne is like, 'You should play this famous animal.'" (05:32)
• Collaboration Over Ego:
  • Sarah emphasizes the deeply collaborative structure at SNL, where even punchlines and bits are often punched up or entirely written by others.
  • Quote: “When people start to be like, it was all me. It’s like, no, no. It’s never, never.” (29:26)
  • Costume and sound designers can shape a sketch as much as the writers. (31:20)
• Learning Curve:
  • Transitioning from stand-up (Sarah Squirm persona) to the structure of SNL (Sarah Sherman persona).
  • Quote: “I’m less good at the Sarah Sherman stuff, and I want to be better at it.” (24:02)
• Support from Cast:
  • Colin Jost invited her to do Update as herself, leading to signature bits (“Chucky went to Sarah Lawrence”). (26:49, 27:07)
  • Guidance from other writers like PDD and Ashley Padilla.

4. Special Production & Guest Appearances

• Producers: Safdie Brothers and Ron Bronstein co-produced Sarah’s special. She actively sought them out after relating deeply to “Uncut Gems.”
  • Quote: “I don’t mind hunting people down...” (16:38)
• John Waters Cameo:
  • Sarah wrote Waters a letter with a drawing to land the cameo; she was “so starstruck [she] couldn’t speak.” (38:00)
• Cutting the Special: 30 minutes were cut for pacing—“Leave people wanting more!” (14:27)

5. Bowen Yang’s SNL Departure

• Sadness & Admiration:
  • Sarah discusses Bowen’s incredible work ethic, positivity, and how much she’ll miss his humor and presence on the show. (34:38)
  • Quote: “He always makes me laugh … it sucks.” (35:52)

6. The “Slow Round”—Jealousies, Advice, and Emotional Songs

• Creative Jealousy:
  • Sarah admires Ashley Padilla’s ability to “write the perfect sketches” and her generosity in helping others. (36:15)
• Advice:
  • From Dynasty Handbag: “You don’t need to schlep all your props … you’re enough.” (40:11)
• Songs That Make Her Cry:
  • “The Christmas Shoes” and “Picture” by Sheryl Crow & Kid Rock. (41:11)

7. New Bits: Working Out Material Live

• Sarah’s “Brazilian Butthole Lift”: Imagining a new, grotesque beauty standard and its comedic implications. (42:04)
  • Mike: “You just did this physical thing for the audio listeners… you just did like a back bend.” (42:47)
  • Group riffing on underwear practicality, saggy body parts, and elaborate scenarios.
• Mike’s “Leashed Kids in Brooklyn”: On the absurdity of children on leashes, dog walking, and feelings of social exclusion. (47:00)
• Shared Bathroom Key Bit:
  • Disgust at café bathroom keys attached to ladles, bricks, and the anxiety around who touched what and why it might be weaponized. (49:17)
  • Sarah: “Maybe it’s such a big thing on the key because … they’re giving you a weapon.” (51:16)

8. Final Thoughts on Collaboration, Surrender, and Process

• Sarah: “Collaboration is life. You don’t get anywhere alone.” (29:19)
• Both discuss the parallels between the SNL process and a school play—“everything’s the school play”—no matter the scale. (32:05)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Reviews & Audience:
  • "What’s been so fun is that a lot of the negative reviews bring me just as much joy as the positive reviews because they’ve achieved intended effect.” – Sarah (00:50, repeated at 14:16)
• On SNL’s Lorne Michaels:
  • “He’s 80 years old. He’s faster than me…he writes the show!” – Mike (07:44)
• On Comedy & Suffering:
  • “Nothing good comes out of suffering… I am in therapy because I’m not being my best self if I’m suffering.” – Sarah (17:50)
• On Creating Comedy:
  • “It’s a way to harness my wild energy for the show.” – Sarah (06:51)
• On Collaboration:
  • “Collaboration is life. You don’t get anywhere alone.” – Sarah (29:19)
• On Generosity:
  • “When people are generous to other people creatively, it doesn’t hurt you. It helps.” – Mike (37:32)
• On New Material:
  • “Brazilian butthole lift… now my hole’s in the middle of my back…” – Sarah (42:04)
• On SNL Persona:
  • “Sarah Squirm is just the stuff you can’t put on tv.” – Sarah (24:15)
• On John Waters:
  • “I sent him a letter. …I drew a picture of myself as a pile of bones and guts. …Then I got a phone call: ‘Sarah, this is John Waters, see you on set.’” – Sarah (38:10)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Letterboxd reviews & special backlash: 00:00, 11:36, 14:11
• Therapy, SNL nightmares: 02:39 – 05:07
• Animal characters, Lorne Michaels: 05:24 – 08:01
• Collaboration, writer’s room: 25:11 – 29:19
• Advice to new comedians/collaboration: 37:32
• Sarah & Mike test out material: 41:54 – 50:56
• Sarah’s “Chucky went to Sarah Lawrence” story: 27:06 – 28:36
• Bowen Yang farewell: 34:33 – 36:00
• John Waters cameo: 37:55 – 39:05
• Nonprofit plug (Trans Lifeline): 51:49

Tone & Style

The conversation is goofy, self-effacing, and warm, moving fluidly from gross-out punchlines to sincere reflections on artistic struggle, belonging, and the necessities of teamwork. Both Sarah and Mike riff on ideas without ego or pretense, inviting listeners behind the scenes of mainstream comedy and the messier, artsier world that fuels it.

Further Listening/Watching

• Watch Sarah’s special: “Sarah Sherman Live and In the Flesh” on HBO
• Follow Sarah: @SarahSquirm on Instagram
• Support: Trans Lifeline