Comedian Tig Notaro on Laughing Through Grief

Summary

On with Kara Swisher: "Comedian Tig Notaro on Laughing Through Grief"

Published: December 1, 2025
Host: Kara Swisher
Guest: Tig Notaro (Comedian, actor, director, producer)
Main Theme:
A candid, moving, and resonant exploration of how comedy can coexist with grief, as Kara Swisher and Tig Notaro discuss Tig’s new documentary, “Come See Me in the Good Light,” finding joy after tragic news, the shifting landscape of comedy, and the lessons learned from death, legacy, and living authentically.

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into Tig Notaro’s creative process, particularly her work on the new documentary about poet Andrea Gibson, and reflects on the intersection of comedy, grief, and life’s purpose. Through personal stories and sharp wit, Tig and Kara explore the power of vulnerability, the evolution of standup comedy, and the importance of curating a meaningful life—before tragedy forces you to reconsider your priorities.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Story Behind "Come See Me in the Good Light"

[03:41 – 19:11]

• Tig’s Introduction to Andrea Gibson

  • Met in early 2000s via a political/social activist group (Vox Feminista).
  • Gibson described as the “rock star of poetry” due to their powerful, humorous, and moving performances.
  • “Andrea felt very familiar just looking at this person… from the gay world, comedy, music, but a poet. That’s interesting. …Andrea went on stage and just annihilated the room.” (Tig Notaro, 04:37)

• Genesis of the Documentary

  • Sparked during conversations about Andrea’s podcast production.
  • “Steph just casually said, I feel like Andrea's life would make a really interesting documentary… I couldn't even believe it hadn’t crossed my mind.”
  • Immediate action: Tig reached out to filmmakers, and Ryan White and Jessica Hargrave quickly committed.

• Capturing Andrea and Meg’s Story

  • The film keeps focus on Andrea Gibson and their wife, Meg Fowey, both poets.
  • The approach: “Show, don’t tell”—the documentary is a fly-on-the-wall view, avoiding conventional talking heads or celebrity commentary, even from star producers like Sara Bareilles, Brandi Carlisle, and Glennon Doyle.

• Moments of Humor in Grief

  • Noted for “preciousness,” yet Andrea and Meg could find “the most inappropriate laughs"; nothing was off-limits.
  • “That’s such a sweet spot… that’s what I’m desperate for in my relationships with anybody.” (Tig, 07:52)

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2. The Impact of Illness, and the Awakening It Brings

[09:29 – 17:11]

• Parallels between Tig’s and Andrea’s Journeys

  • Tig: “I don’t understand who I was even remotely before 2012, before my diagnosis. …It’s sad that a lot of people can’t get that awakening until something horrendous happens.” (10:03)
  • Making the documentary during Andrea’s illness opened Tig “on a whole different level. Very, very life changing.”

• Sundance Experience with Andrea

  • Emotional and atypical, with Andrea present despite illness; the film won Festival Favorite.
  • “The death isn’t really the point, it was the life.” (Kara, 14:45)
  • “Life is the point.” (Tig, 14:47)
  • The group spent most of Sundance together in an Airbnb, cherishing small moments rather than traditional schmoozing.

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3. Grief, Presence, and Transforming Your Life

[22:13 – 33:31]

• Reliving Tig’s Cancer Diagnosis on Stage

  • Kara plays the famous “I have cancer. How are you?” set:
    “Diagnosed with cancer feels good.” (Tig clip, 22:36)
  • Tig didn’t directly connect her famous set to Andrea's concert, saying: “I realize now I was in deep denial when Andrea was ill. …I think there was maybe a level of disassociation…” (Tig, 23:04)

• Audience Question: How to Love Life Before It’s Too Late?

  • Pulitzer winner Geraldine Brooks asks: “How can we have that feeling before it gets to the end?” (24:42)
  • Tig’s answer: “You have to just really... find ways to very honestly show up and experience your life the way you want it to be… I was missing it and I want to be present for it.” (Tig, 25:21–27:57)
  • Kara adds, “Now death time waste me, essentially.” (28:07)

• Taking Control and Walking Out

  • Tig shares a story about quitting high school out of conviction: “I quit. I’m done. …[The coach] had to just get out of my way and let me go. And I—I was like, oh, my gosh, I can do it.” (29:56)

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4. Evolving Relationship with Grief and Spirituality

[30:32 – 37:45]

• Experiencing Grief Differently with Andrea

  • Describes being present at Andrea’s at-home death, which was filled with chosen family and exes: “It was so beautiful. …I felt like I was on mushrooms for months after Andrea died…” (Tig, 32:22)
  • The loss led to feelings Tig hadn’t had before, describing both a spiritual opening and being haunted by Andrea’s words and work.

• Signs from Andrea After Death

  • Tig’s story about coincidental Shania Twain performances (“Looks Like We Made It”) in London—Andrea and Meg’s song.
    • “I walk into town, this guy's singing their song… I filmed the back of [my sons’] heads just watching this man sing it… Next day… woman with gigantic harp sits behind us… first song she starts playing—Shania Twain.” (Tig, 35:47–37:19)
  • Meg’s reaction: “It looks like Andrea followed your family to London and is giving us the okay to do our project together.” (37:45)

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5. The Shifting Landscape of Comedy

[38:03 – 49:19]

• Legacy of Talking about Tragedy in Comedy

  • Kara: “The NYT credits your Grammy nominee Live as a turning point…”
  • Tig: “There was no big plan… I loved standup so much and thought, I want to do this one last time. …I felt so compelled to share the reality.” (38:27)

• Comedy’s Personal Turn

  • Talk of “bro comedy” versus deeply personal, low-joke-count specials (e.g., Gerard Carmichael, Mike Birbiglia):
  • “You have to really be behind what you're saying… the most authentic experience possible.” (Tig, 45:11)

• Tig’s Current Standup Approach

  • Only tours one weekend a month, valuing family time and “work-life balance.”
  • “I’m a real weirdo… I just show up five minutes before I walk on stage… I'm very removed, but I think I’m okay with that.”
  • “I don't need to own the world or Hollywood. …I want to maintain this tremendous life that I have.” (Tig, 54:42–55:12)

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6. Handsome Podcast and Political Existence

[47:41 – 49:54]

• The Joy and Lightness of Handsome Podcast
  • Co-hosts: Fortune Feimster and Mae Martin.
  • Less explicitly political, more about “joy and lightness” and authentic friendship; by existing and being out, they are “political” (Kara, Tig, 49:40–49:54).

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7. Projects, Acting, and Creative Control

[49:54 – end]

• On Acting (Star Trek, The Morning Show)

  • Preparation: Tig based “heinous tech chief of staff” on a memorably abrasive figure from her past.
  • “I'm more so identify as a comedian… I was relieved that whatever I was going for seemed to [work].” (Tig, 50:28)

• Future Goals

  • Loving documentary producing, values collaboration and working with good people over showbiz status.
  • “My wife and I have co-directed… but I just… want to maintain the life I have.” (Tig, 55:12)

• Upcoming Project: All Lesbian Action Film

  • Following her viral turn as the “sexy” pilot in Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead, Tig pitched a “hot lesbian action” film to Snyder.
  • “What if we just went for it and everyone's a hot lesbian and just…” (Tig, 58:26)
  • Working title: “Deviant.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I always say that everything was so precious to Andrea, but then also nothing was too precious… You could watch Andrea annihilate a room to tears, then have the most inappropriate laughs afterward.”

  • Tig Notaro [07:52]

• “That’s the thing—life is the point. Andrea didn’t think they were gonna be able to go to Sundance… but last minute, Meg and Andrea drove out from Colorado… We spent our whole weekend in the Airbnb… having tea, laughing, and sitting by the fire.”

  • Tig Notaro [14:45]

• “I don’t understand who I was even remotely before 2012, before my [cancer] diagnosis. And that cracked me open in a way that it’s sad that a lot of people can’t get that awakening until something horrendous happens.”

  • Tig Notaro [10:03]

• “I have cancer. How are you?”

  • Tig Notaro (performing) [22:36]

• “You have to just really... find ways to honestly show up and experience your life the way you want it to be.”

  • Tig Notaro [27:57]

• “Sometimes grief is the fastest route to truth.”

  • Andrea Gibson poem, quoted by Kara Swisher [31:14]

• “I love a harp. But it’s like, how is our tea going to go…? The first song she starts playing was Shania Twain.”

  • Tig Notaro [36:43]

• “I just want to maintain this tremendous life that I have… I want to be surrounded by good and good people and whatever that brings.”

  • Tig Notaro [54:54]

• “Picture this poster: Hot Lesbian Action. Come on.”

  • Tig Notaro (on her film pitch) [58:27]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:41 – 19:11: Tig on Andrea Gibson, the documentary, and the power of humor in grief
• 22:36: Tig’s iconic “I have cancer” standup moment
• 24:42: Geraldine Brooks’ question on loving life now
• 29:56: Tig’s story of quitting school
• 31:14 – 37:45: The process and impact of grieving Andrea, experiences of “contact” after their death
• 38:03 – 41:20: Tig’s legacy and the shift in comedy
• 46:54: On balancing standup with a meaningful life
• 49:40: Handsome Podcast and the “politics” of existence
• 50:28: Character choices for “The Morning Show”; acting versus comedy
• 54:42 – 55:35: Tig on creative goals and collaboration
• 58:26: Describing the “hot lesbian action” movie pitch

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Summary Takeaway

This episode is a full-hearted meditation on how art, humor, and tragedy mix in unforgettable ways. Tig Notaro draws lessons from deep grief and turning points in her life, all delivered in her signature dry, wry style. The conversation is peppered with laughter and surprising moments, but remains steadfastly honest about life's shortness, the necessity to be present, and the political power of simply living openly. At its core, the episode celebrates the transformative effect of friendship, art, and authenticity, and reminds listeners—often to comedic effect—that the real point is to embrace life before it’s too late.

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Transcript

[Kara Swisher]

All I want is a believable lesbian playing me.

[Tig Notaro]

What about me?

[Kara Swisher]

You're too old, damn it. Hi everyone from New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network, this is on with Kara Swisher and I'm Kara Swisher.

[Podcast Announcer/Producer]

My guest today is comedian Tig Notaro.

[Kara Swisher]

She's best known for her dry witted stand up comedy, but she's also a podcaster, actor, director and producer for film and television, including most recently the documentary Come See Me in the Good Light about the spoken word poet Andrea Gibson. The film documents Gibson's life and relationship with their wife Meg after being diagnosed with incurable cancer. I've met Tig a number of times at a variety of events and I've always thought she was one of the most outstanding standups around and of course got well known after her own cancer diagnosis when she started talking about it on stage. It also broke the ice for other comics to talk about death and grief in their sets. I wanted to talk to Tig about that legacy, how she thinks about how comedy is shifting. She's also been amazing on the Morning show playing a chief of staff of a tech giant to doing an absolutely perfect job as one of the most heinous people I've ever encountered in my reporting career. I also want to hear about her career moves and where she wants to go next. I Our expert question comes from Pulitzer Prize winning writer Geraldine Brooks, whom I interviewed earlier this year about her memoir Memorial Days, which is about the sudden.

[Podcast Announcer/Producer]

Death of her husband. This may sound dark, but it's actually.

[Kara Swisher]

Very uplifting, especially in this time we're.

[Podcast Announcer/Producer]

Focusing on things to be grateful for.

[Kara Swisher]

You'll be grateful for this interview, I think, and it's an important one to think about. Stay with us.

[Tig Notaro]

Foreign. This episode is brought to you by On Investing, an original podcast from Charles Schwab. I'm Kathy Jones, Schwab's chief fixed income strategist.

[Liz Ann Saunders]

And I'm Liz Ann Saunders, Schwab's chief investment strategist. Between us, we have decades of experience studying the indicators that drive the economy and how they can have a direct impact on your investments.

[Tig Notaro]

We know that investors have a lot of questions about the markets and the economy and we're here to help.

[Liz Ann Saunders]

So download the latest episode and [e-mail] on investing or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Nordstrom Sponsor Voice]

Support for this show comes from Nordstrom. Oh what fun. Nordstrom has gifts for all your favorite people all in one place, like beauty sets, sweaters, jewelry and toys with tons under $100 need ideas? Check out gifts from Ugg, Skims, Diptyque, Free People, Stanley and more. Plus explore their amazing gift shop in stores and online. Free styling, free shipping and order pickup. Make it all easy at Nordstrom.

[Podcast Announcer/Producer]

Support for this show comes from March of Dimes.

[Kara Swisher]

The US Is among the most dangerous.

[Podcast Announcer/Producer]

Developed nation for childbirth. Two women die from pregnancy related causes every day and two babies die every hour. It doesn't have to be that way. March of Dimes is a top national nonprofit leading the fight for the health of all moms and babies. With supporters like you, they fund research, provide education and advocacy and offer programs and services so every family can get the best possible start. Donate today at marchofdimes.org Vox that's marchofdimes.org.

[Tig Notaro]

Vox.

[Kara Swisher]

It is on Tig thanks for coming on on.

[Tig Notaro]

Thank you for having me on on.

[Kara Swisher]

We have a lot to talk about the morning show where comedy is. But I want to start because my wife and I last night watch documentary about Andrea Gibson. And for those who haven't seen the documentary and don't know about it, Andrea was a spoken word poet. Talk about what they were like and how the idea for the film came about. First of all, it's beautifully shot, I have to say, and very funny, actually. Very, very funny in a lot of ways. So talk a little bit about that.

[Tig Notaro]

Well, I met Andrea probably in 2001. Andrea was part of this political and social activist group called Vox Feminista. And to be completely honest, they were mainly preaching to the choir. They were in Boulder.

[Kara Swisher]

The name could not. He couldn't tell it from the name. Anyway. Go ahead.

[Tig Notaro]

Yeah, it was actually a totally new world for me. But meeting Andrea backstage through a mutual friend, I was told that Andrea was a poet. I did not run in the poetry circles, but you know, Andrea felt very familiar just looking at this person and I was like, yeah, it's like from the gay world, comedy, music, but a poet. That's interesting. And then Andrea went on stage and just annihilated the room. Like it was such a rollercoaster of just beautiful poetry and humor and performance. Yeah, real performance. This was like the rock star of poetry is what I always tell people. But I connected with Andrea, I think very much on a comedic level. Andrea was one of my favorite people to laugh with. And our mutual friend Steph Willen and I were, when Andrea was going through everything, different friends were kind of dealing with different parts of of their life and we were as Steph and I were talking about Andrea's podcast and how to Produce it and edit it and kind of find what the show was supposed to be. And Steph just casually said, I feel like Andrea's life would make a really interesting documentary right now. And I was like, oh, my God, like, I couldn't even believe it hadn't crossed my mind. It was so obvious. And so I work quickly and I, that day, immediately started reaching out to any and every documentarian, financier, anybody that I knew in that space. And, you know, the pitch was my non binary poet friend with stage four ovarian cancer. And so a lot of the response was like, let me think about that or, oh, a poet, okay. And then Ryan White and Jessica Hargrave, who I had known, they got back to me in three days and they were just like, we're going to buy tickets to Colorado. We're going out there. Immediately. Like, they got it, they got it.

[Kara Swisher]

Right. Why did it strike you? Because if you're working on a podcast, why a documentary? Why did you say, oh, yes, this has to happen?

[Tig Notaro]

I think it was just knowing. I mean, Steph and I had known Andrea for so many years and we knew that this was a really dynamic person who had a really kind of mind bending approach to dealing with really rough news. And I just, there was just something in me where I just felt like, this will be an incredible film if it's in the right hands.

[Kara Swisher]

Yeah, you seem to have gotten there ethos beautifully. And I think that was the way they were correct. I mean, talk a little bit about what they were like.

[Tig Notaro]

Well, I mean, I think the movie absolutely captured Andrea as well as Meg Fowey, who is Andrea's wife and also another poet. And that's the thing that the filmmakers laugh about is they're like, we were so. They were so hesitant about a poet and what, you know, and then they were like, oh my gosh, there's two poets in this story. But yeah, Andrea was just. I always say that everything was so precious to Andrea, but then also nothing was too precious. And you could talk about, you could watch Andrea, like I said, annihilate a room to tears, and then you could hang out afterwards and have the most inappropriate laughs. It's just, there's nothing, nothing you can't talk about with Andrea or Meg. Nothing you can't joke about. And that's such a sweet spot, I think. I mean, that's what I'm desperate for in my relationships with anybody.

[Kara Swisher]

Yeah, now you said you connected on a comedic level. Talk more about that. You're both genre bending performers. I would say humor on stage is dry, earnest, and also intense, but also very funny and visceral. You look alike a little bit too. A little bit. How would you say your personalities were similar or dissimilar?

[Tig Notaro]

I think, look, I've had moments in my life when I have felt deeply tortured and confused and frustrated with life and the world and myself. But I feel like that's where Andrea and I were. I think there was more of a separation. I think Andrea had for a long time a very deep struggle with depression. She talked.

[Kara Swisher]

You couldn't see it there after the diagnosis, which was interesting.

[Tig Notaro]

Yeah, well, I mean, and I had cancer. Personally, I went through my own cancer diagnosis and among other things that happened simultaneously. But I feel like I don't understand who I was even remotely before 2012, before my diagnosis. And that cracked me open in a way that it's sad that a lot of people can't get that awakening until something horrendous happens. But I'm still human and I fall into my old ways of taking things for granted, getting frustrated by the dumbest things, and then I can snap myself out of it in ways when I really get back in touch with what I went through and going through. Andrea's illness in the making of this film, it opened me on a whole different level. Very, very life changing for me and everybody that worked on that film. I mean, even the crew, it was a very small crew, but that crew continued to fly out and visit Andrea and Meg even after the film was done. It was very. A very close group of people. But I would say, and yeah, to go back to, like, a lot of people in our lives would say I was kind of the stand up version of Andrea, and Andrea was a stand up version of me. And even Meg the other day was like, God, it. It's crazy how much you remind me of Andrea and I see it and I feel it. But again, I don't think I carry that heaviness. I don't, But I have in moments of my life. Yeah.

[Kara Swisher]

There was a lightness though, too, in this documentary, because it's also heartbreaking. They saw it before they died. Is that right? At the Sundance.

[Tig Notaro]

Yeah.

[Kara Swisher]

Talk about that a little bit.

[Tig Notaro]

You know, Ryan Wyatt, the director, he and his producing partner Jessica, they're best friends from childhood in Georgia. They did the Pamel Anderson documentary. Ryan said that he didn't have any phone call or zoom or anything before he showed up at their door. They just knew he was coming and Jess was coming. And he said that the first he said, Meg walked out, hugged them both so warmly, and Andrea walked out and said, hi, I'm Andrea. I guess you're going to be with me when I die. Welcome to my home. And he just said he had never experienced anybody, any subject, so open. And in fact, that dinner scene, the very beginning of the movie, I don't know, you probably remember, that was the first day. Fingering conversation. The thumbing. The thumbing. That was the very first.

[Kara Swisher]

It started with fingering and then went to thumbing. So let's be honest.

[Tig Notaro]

Yeah. Then the truth came out. But anyway, so Andrea thought that this film was going to end with their death. But then as we were going along in the process, Ryan said, you know, we don't need our hero to die. He said, we can wrap up this film, and it's a really beautiful story, and then we can submit it to Sundance, and then Andrea could potentially see this film.

[Kara Swisher]

Right.

[Tig Notaro]

And so we did that behind Andrea and Meg's back. We wrapped it up, put an ending, which didn't end up being the ending, but a working ending, submitted it to Sundance without telling them, just so they're. They wouldn't be hurt in any way if they didn't get into the festival. And so we sent it in, and we heard through the grapevine. It got in unanimously. And then we were able to share the good news with Andrea and Meg.

[Kara Swisher]

It won festival favorite, and it was.

[Tig Notaro]

Even out of scripted films. Yeah, it was. Yeah, it was wild.

[Kara Swisher]

Yeah. So what was interesting at the end, I was, everyone, you are expecting that the final moments, right? That's what you're expecting from it, which was kind of interesting. And then I had to look it up, and I was like, oh, they got to go to the film festival. That's wonderful. Right? Because the death isn't really the point is. Was the life.

[Tig Notaro]

It's life.

[Kara Swisher]

Yeah, exactly.

[Tig Notaro]

Life is the point. And Andrea didn't think that they were gonna make. Be able to make the trip out to Sundance, because at that point, there was a lot of tumors in Andrea's lungs, and Andrea was struggling to breathe. And. But last minute, Meg and Andrea were able to drive out from Colorado to Sundance. Some of the producers and my wife came out. We all got an Airbnb, and I had the most atypical Sundance experience in my life. I had been maybe four or five times before, and you're always expected to go to dinners and parties and events and schmoozing. And here we were with Andrea and Meg sitting in this. We were in this Airbnb having tea by the fire. And we would go out every now and then, me, Steph, the producer, Ryan and Jess, and we'd go to very targeted situations, moments that we had to just introduce ourselves. And then we just got back in the car, went back to the Airbnb. We had no vibe of how the movie was doing other than the premiere went well. And we were like, wow, that felt so good. I mean, truly. We spent our whole weekend in the Airbnb. Yeah, in the Airbnb, having tea, laughing, and sitting by the fire. And then I go back, I was working in Toronto, and I get all of these texts and calls, and I was so scared that it was bad news about Andrea. And so I called my wife, and I was like, oh, God, what do I do? I'm not. I can't do this. I can't do this. And she said, you just have to. You just have to call. And I did. I called Meg and Andrea, and they were like, did you hear? And I was like, what? I was so expecting to Worse. Yeah. In the direction. Yeah. I was, like, ready to cry. I was just like, what? And they were like, we won Sundance. And I was like, wait, what are you talking about? What do you mean? Like, it was so confusing.

[Kara Swisher]

So one of the things about the document was interesting is, as you said, holding attention on two poets, two lesbian poets who live in rural Colorado, like.

[Tig Notaro]

Again, and not massive celebrities. But Andrea was certainly, like I said, a rock star in the poetry world.

[Kara Swisher]

Right. But you did have a lot of producers, is what I was noticing. Sara Bareilles, Brandi Carlisle, Kevin Nealon, Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach. I was like, what is going on here?

[Podcast Announcer/Producer]

A lot of people could have been in it. Right?

[Kara Swisher]

You decided not to have that. Like, people talking about Andrea.

[Tig Notaro]

Yeah. I think Ryan wanted to really just be a fly on the wall in their lives. And I think it is so much more compelling. It's that idea of show don't tell.

[Kara Swisher]

Right.

[Tig Notaro]

And we were showing people this life, and there was some talk about me being at that dinner in the very beginning of the film, and I. I just. Not that I'm the biggest, most distracting star that you could stumble upon, but I just. I didn't want to be in. I wanted to very naturally, if it ever made sense, but I did not want to be in the movie. I wanted the attention to be on Andrea and Meg. But then the one little moment I was okay with being in was Andrea wanted me to open their final show. And so I felt like that's a natural moment for me to be in. Briefly, briefly. And even Sara Bareilles was such an Andrea Gibson fan that she just flew out. We didn't know her personally, but she flew out to Andrea's final performances in Denver and we crossed paths there and, and she was just like, anything I can do for this movie. And so that's where Sarah Bareilles and Brandi Carlisle collaborated on. The final original song in the documentary is Andrea's poem that they put to music and sang. And it's so beautiful.

[Kara Swisher]

It is, Absolutely.

[Podcast Announcer/Producer]

We'll be back in a minute. This podcast is brought to you by Netflix Presenting Frankenstein, a film by Academy Award winning director and writer Guillermo del Toro, starring Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi. The New York Times raves Frankenstein is the movie Guillermo del Toro was born to make and the Toronto Star hails it as a stunning epic with piercing humanity. For your awards consideration. Support for this show comes from LinkedIn. You know how important it is to hire the right person for your small business. That's why LinkedIn Jobs is stepping things up with their new AI assistant, so you can feel confident you're finding top talent that you can't find anywhere else. The best part is those great candidates are already on LinkedIn. LinkedIn says that employees hired through LinkedIn are 30% more likely to stick around for at least a year compared to those hired through the leading competitor. That's a big deal when every hire counts. Hiring doesn't have to be complicated. And let's be real, when you have a business to run, you don't have the hours to spend on hiring. And you can't just wait around hoping the right person stumbles upon your job. That's why LinkedIn Jobs AI assistant suggests 25 great fit candidates daily so you.

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[Podcast Announcer/Producer]

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[Kara Swisher]

You mentioned your own cancer diagnosis. One of the big moments, of course, the film is when Andrea performs on stage for what they believe to be the last time you were their opening act. You're only on camera for a minute, you said. It's hard not to be reminded. A little bit of a breakthrough moment for you in 2012, as you noted when you told an unsuspecting audience that you've been diagnosed with cancer. Let's play that clip.

[Tig Notaro]

Good evening. Hello. I have cancer. How are you? Hi, how are you? Is everybody having a good time? I have cancer. How are you? It's a good time. Diagnosed with cancer feels good.

[Kara Swisher]

Did you think about that moment during Andrea's show?

[Tig Notaro]

I actually didn't, oddly. And nobody's asked me that until just now. I mean, I don't know, I maybe in the deep, deep corners of my mind, I did, but I think that I was, I realize now I was in deep denial when Andrea was ill because Andrea seemed so okay and because I had heard so many stories of people kind of beating the odds and living longer, living 10 to 15 years. And I kept thinking, like, I think that's what's going to happen with Andrea. And so I think there was maybe a level of disassociation in certain times where I just thought, okay, I know we're doing supposedly Andrea's final show here. We're filming this. But I didn't believe that that was gonna be Andrea's final show, even though it very unfortunately ended up being. But the good news is we filmed the whole thing with multiple camera angles and have edited it as a full standalone concert special that we're hoping to release.

[Kara Swisher]

So every, every episode we get a question from an outside expert. Yours is from Pulitzer Prize winning writer Geraldine Brooks, whose memoir Memorial Days is about her grief Journey after the death of her husband, Tony Horowitz, who is a friend of mine also, and so is Geraldine. Have a listen.

[Geraldine Brooks]

I'm Geraldine Brooks and my question for you is when Andrea Gibson at the end says, I fucking loved my life, I wonder if with everything you've been through and with watching her go through what she went through, if you have any insight for the rest of us about how we can have that feeling before it gets right to the end. Thank you.

[Kara Swisher]

Great question from Geraldine. For people that don't know her husband died suddenly on the street in Washington dc.

[Tig Notaro]

Oh my gosh. That's that whole thing, like we were talking in the beginning is this movie is about life more than it's about death. And it's about. I can't remember if Andrea said it in the movie or after of like trying to find that joy before getting any sort of terrible diagnosis or news. And it's hard. It's really, really hard because there's so much noise in life. And I think one of the things like I was saying how this movie changed me was I work in Toronto and I was a full time cast member on this new TV series and I was just spending half of my year in an apartment, a furnished apartment, away from my wife and kids. And I was just like, this is not life. I mean, no offense to the show. I'm still on it. But I asked to be downgraded to just a recurring guest star because I started to really become keenly aware all over again that I want to be in my life. And I felt like I was missing it and I want to be present for it. I guess what I'm getting at is trying to really curate the life that you want to live so that you can have real experiences that it's really hard to shut down. Everybody knows this, the all of the noise of life. And do I really need to do this with my time? Do I really want that person in my life?

[Kara Swisher]

Yeah.

[Tig Notaro]

Do I. Do I really need to be start to finish every day so busy? Like, do I? Like, no, I don't. And so I think that you have to just really. And this is all new to me because I am after so many interviews of me lying to myself and everybody I was talking to, like, oh, yeah, yeah, I'm definitely work, life, balance, I'm getting on that and I'm handling that. Yeah, I see it in my face. And then I was like, no, I'm not. I'm not doing that. And I have to. I'm in charge and I Have to make the changes to live my life, to actually live my life. That's a long winded way of saying that. I think you just really have to find ways to very honestly show up and experience your life the way you.

[Kara Swisher]

Want it to live it. You're right.

[Tig Notaro]

Yeah.

[Kara Swisher]

I was leaving a job that I just didn't like anymore. I wasn't enjoying it. And someone, you know, I was trying to be polite and they said to me, well, why are you really leaving? It was a very prominent job. And I said, I don't want to talk to you anymore. I was like, there's only so many seconds and I can't talk to you. And they were like, what? And I said, okay, I have to go now and I won't be talking to you anymore. You wanted to know. That's actually. That's what it is. It's. You're wasting my time now. Now death time waste me, essentially.

[Tig Notaro]

That reminds me, I so connect with that deeply because it's different, but the same. When I was. I was such a. I failed three grades and then dropped out of high school. And I was in school suspension one day and I was like basically 73 years old. I was supposed to be out of school long ago. And I'm sitting there in. In school suspension. Cause I was tardy a million times. I didn't turn in my school work. So I'm sitting in there. And when you get assigned a day of in school suspension, they deliver your classwork and you need to finish that. And if you don't finish that, then they just add more days to in school suspension. And I was sitting there going, well, I never do my work in the first place. Why would I do it in here? I don't know who they think is going to be doing these stacks of assignments. And I just thought, I know in my gut, in my soul that this is not my world. And I got up from my desk and I just started walking to leave. And the gym coach that was, you know.

[Kara Swisher]

Yeah, it's always a gym coach.

[Tig Notaro]

It's always a gym coach. It was assigned to like, make sure that we all ended up alive by the end of the day. And that was the only contribution. And he got in front of the door, he's like, whoa, whoa, where do you think you're going? I said, oh, I'm heading home. And he was like, oh, no you're not. And I said, no, I actually, I quit. I'm done. I'm like, I'm just gonna head home now. Yeah. And he Was so baffled, but he had to just kind of get out of my way and let me go. And I. I was like, oh, my.

[Kara Swisher]

Gosh, I can do it. I can do that.

[Tig Notaro]

I. And I, you know, yeah, I. There we have the story.

[Kara Swisher]

This is the story. Absolutely. One of the things that was interesting with Andrea, she wrote a lot about death and grief before they were sick. And there's a line in one of her poems every time I ever said I wanted to die. And by the way, you use the poetry beautifully. It's hard to do that, but you did it perfectly. And it goes. Sometimes grief is the fastest route to truth. Now you've lost your mother, your father, your stepfather, and you said that you felt grief differently than in Andrea's death or you let yourself feel it. Can you talk about that? Do you think having kids changed things for you? What you were just talking about, like this, this. This idea that, you know, I don't have time for this shit kind of thing. I suppose that's the headline version of it.

[Tig Notaro]

I don't know. You know, probably it's mixed in there that. Because I have kids, but I would say more so than anything, it was so every death I've been at four end of life death or bedsides. My mother, my stepfather, my cousin, and then Andrea's. And Andrea wanted to die at home surrounded by loved ones. And boy did they. And my mother, my stepfather, and my cousin all died in hospital beds. But this experience was so, I mean, Andrea's home, Andrea and Meg, their home was filled with Andrea's closest friends and ex girlfriends and parents. And it was really beautiful. And it was really. There were so many dynamics going on that were being navigated, having to be put aside. And it was so beautiful.

[Kara Swisher]

Yeah.

[Tig Notaro]

And I felt like I was on mushrooms for months after Andrea died because I kept saying to Stephanie, my wife, I was like, I don't even understand how I'm going to come back from Colorado, exit the 101 Freeway onto Melrose, and just go back to my life in Los Angeles. Like, I truly don't understand. And so I think that that is what changed me. And as well as Andrea, something opened in me. I am the most like, non. I don't even claim that I'm spiritual. I'm like. But after this experience, I was seeing Andrea, I was feeling Andrea. I was in really ways. I didn't even recognize myself. The way I was talking, the way I was. And also Andrea's body of work that was left behind, that already echoes in my mind the Way I go through life, there's so many different lines where.

[Kara Swisher]

I'm like, in that. The striking line, which is in the film, the poem love letter from the afterlife, they wrote, I am more here than ever before. I am more with you than I ever could have imagined. So close, you look past me, just wondering where I am. Just after they died, Andrea made a kind of cameo. On the handsome podcast that you host together with Fortune Feimster and Mae Martin, tell the story of what happened there. It was funny and weird and have they made more appearances?

[Tig Notaro]

Yeah, it was days after Andrea died and my co host asked how I was doing. And I was getting into it and I wasn't. I was just sitting. Like, I'm sitting right now. I didn't touch anything on my laptop. And then all of a sudden I heard myself doing stand up and material I didn't even recognize. I was like, hold on, guys, do you hear what's happening? And. And so it felt like, okay, I'm open to. I'm open to what? Everyone is looking at me thinking, this is Andrea saying hello. And that is something I would have shot down before.

[Kara Swisher]

Sure.

[Tig Notaro]

And one of my favorite stories on this topic is my wife was in London filming a movie, and I flew out there with our sons and my mother in law and we were all out visiting. And the first morning we woke up, Stephanie's at work and I take our sons into the little village nearby to go look around. And there is just a man standing in the middle of the village area singing at the top of his lungs. Looks like we made it. Oh, wow, that Shania Twain song. Yeah, which is a great song. And it's in the documentary as Andrea and Meg's song. And I had just. When I left la, I had just left Meg, who was staying with us for a screening in Los Angeles. And we had talked about this project we were gonna work on. And let's not jump to any decisions. Let's just sit on it. And then I flew off to London and then she went back to Colorado. And so I walk into town, this guy's singing their song. And I told my sons. I was like, guys, this is Andrea and Meg's song. And I filmed the back of their heads just watching this man sing it like they understood the beautiful moment we were witnessing. So I was like, wow, that was wild. And I sent that to Meg and she said, oh, my gosh, I'm weeping. And the next day we go for high tea. Stephanie's off work. We meet up with her and her Mother. And we're all sitting at this cafe and this woman with this gigantic harp comes and plops it down behind us. And we're like. We kind of look at each other like, oh, boy.

[Kara Swisher]

There'S such a harp. I would be thrilled. But go ahead.

[Tig Notaro]

I love a harp. But it's like, how is our tea going to go? You know, we have a harp that's like two stories high sitting behind us. And so we were all just looking at each other, kind of laughing, like, this is gonna be a funny tea. The first song she starts playing with Shania Twain.

[Kara Swisher]

Oh, my God.

[Tig Notaro]

Wow.

[Kara Swisher]

What's this village in Shania Twain?

[Tig Notaro]

This was a different area of town. And then I'm looking and I said to Max and Finn, my sons, I said, do you recognize this song?

[Kara Swisher]

Yeah.

[Tig Notaro]

And they said, they were. I have it on video, too. They were just dumbfounded. They said, this is Andrea Meg's song. Yeah. And I said, yes, it is. So I tell, I send that to Meg, too. And she said, well, it looks like Andrea followed your family to London and is giving us the okay to do our project together.

[Kara Swisher]

Oh, wow, that's funny. Wow. But it looks like we made it. Great song.

[Tig Notaro]

Yeah, it is.

[Framer Sponsor Voice]

It's a great.

[Kara Swisher]

I love Shania Twain. I was a Shania Twain.

[Tig Notaro]

I wonder. I know. I'm like, gosh, has she heard that her song is in this film? I don't know.

[Kara Swisher]

I don't know. That's a good. Well, that's a good question. I'll have to find her for her.

[Tig Notaro]

Get her on the horn.

[Kara Swisher]

So I'm gonna switch. That's a wonderful story. Let's switch gears a bit and talk about comedy in general. The New York Times credits your Grammy nominee live as a turning point for talking about tragedy in standup comedy. Since then, Liz Glazier, Patton Oswald, and Sarah Silverman all came out with specials about death, to name a few. What do you think about the fact that making okay to talk about illness and grief is part of your comic legacy?

[Tig Notaro]

Yeah, it's interesting, you know, there was no big plan behind it. I was a comedian. That was just very observational. And every now and then, there was something personal, barely, in my comedy. And when. When I went through that period of time, I. I not only had a cancer diagnosis, I had pneumonia and C. Diff, which is an intestinal disease, very deadly. My mother tripped and hit her head and died. And my girlfriend and I broke up. And it was a four month period of time where I had really seen firsthand how life can just slip away and life as you know it and actual life. And so I loved Stand up so much and thought, I want to do this one last time. And I just felt so compelled to share the reality. When I pictured walking onto Largo's stage in Los Angeles, I could not imagine saying, you know, well, yeah, when I was. I was driving today, like, whatever. Whatever I was gonna talk about, I just thought, I have to share what I've been going through. Because it was. I didn't know. If I had gone crazy, I was maniacally laughing about different topics that I would never have found funny. One of the things I discussed on stage was the questionnaire that the hospital sent my mother after she died, asking her how her stay in the hospital went. And when I got that questionnaire, I was so upset. I was so mad. I wanted to make it my life's work to find who sent this and how to stop this. And then after I got back to la, I was like, oh, my God, that is so funny. And I was crying, laughing.

[Kara Swisher]

That's funny.

[Tig Notaro]

No, my God, it's so funny. So funny. And part of my standup for that live album was me answering all of the questions, you know, was your room too loud?

[Podcast Announcer/Producer]

Right.

[Tig Notaro]

Did your nurses and doctors give you the appropriate care?

[Kara Swisher]

Right.

[Tig Notaro]

And. And so I just responded to all of it just so sarcastically. Yeah, perfectly. But, you know, it definitely opened this side of me where I'm completely fine to share personal stories in my life and struggles, but I also am finding a balance of. I don't have to tell you everything just because I told you that. And I like where I've landed with all of that.

[Podcast Announcer/Producer]

We'll be back in a minute. Support for this show comes from Crucible Moments, a podcast from Sequoia Capital. Sometimes the difference between success and failure comes down to one chance encounter, or following a counterintuitive instinct or ignoring conventional wisdom to make a bold decision. Like when the founders at Palo Alto Networks wanted to redefine cybersecurity for the.

[Roloff Bota]

Modern age, everybody thought we were crazy. Nobody would use the cloud for cybersecurity. And when I hear something like that, I say, of course I'm going to do it. If everybody believes it shouldn't be done or it cannot be done, then it's a good reason to do it.

[Podcast Announcer/Producer]

Or when mobile gaming giant Supercell could only rewrite the rules of the industry after failure in the company's formative stages.

[Tig Notaro]

Many of the best things we've learned.

[Kara Swisher]

Have actually come through failures.

[Podcast Announcer/Producer]

These are crucible Moments turning points in a company's journey that made them what they are today. Hosted by Sequoia Capital's Roloff Bota, Crucible Moments is back for a new season with stories from Zipline, Stripe, pal, Palo Alto Networks, supercell, and more. Subscribe to season three of Crucible Moments. New episodes are out now, and you can catch up on seasons one and two at cruciblemoments.com on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. Listen to Crucible Moments today. Support for this show comes from Odoo Running a business is hard enough, and you don't need to make it harder With a dozen different apps that don't talk to each other. One for sales, another for inventory, a separate one for accounting. Before you know it, you find yourself drowning in software and processes instead of focusing on what matters growing your business. That's where Odoo comes in. It's the only business software you'll ever need. Odoo is an all in one, fully integrated platform that handles everything. That means CRM, accounting, inventory, E commerce, HR and more. No more app overload, no more juggling logins. Just one seamless system that makes work easier. And the best part is that Odoo replaces multiple expensive platforms for a fraction of the cost. It's built to grow with your business, whether you're just starting out or you're already scaling up. Plus, it's easy to use, customizable and designed to streamline every process. It's time to put the clutter aside and focus on what really matters running your business. Thousands of businesses have made the switch, so why not you try Odoo for [e-mail] that's o d o o.com.

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[Kara Swisher]

Some of the more recent what I consider groundbreaking work, like Gerard Carmichael's Nathaniel, for example, has a really low joke count. Talk a little bit about this evolution in comedy. I'm thinking of Mike Birbiglia too. Like it's a little different. It's a. It's more of a. I don't know what to call it. Is it Comedy. Cause it's very moving and funny in a way. But do you feel a shift in comedy or not? I mean, there is the whole bro comedy circuit, of course, that continues.

[Tig Notaro]

Well, I was going to say where to begin with the shift in comedy? Yeah, I feel a massive shift. Whether it is the bro comedy, very conservative comedy. You know, when I First started almost 30 years ago, it was very unusual to find a conservative out conservative comedian.

[Kara Swisher]

Right.

[Tig Notaro]

People would all kind of reference Dennis Miller. But yeah, I feel the shift. And I think that when you. I think if you go to that personal place, though, I mean, I think it's like anything you do, though, you have to really be behind what you're saying and not that people are being manipulated in any way with your performance and material. I mean, you want the most authentic experience possible. And if somebody's really going into an emotional story, you want to feel like you're really, really getting a real.

[Kara Swisher]

A real version of it. And when you look at sort of the tech, the sort of bro comedy, and it's linked to tech bros too, which I deal with on the daily. What does the comedy world feel like right now? Cause it's all over the place.

[Tig Notaro]

You know, I'm oddly the worst person to ask this because I feel like after the pandemic, I really kind of stepped away. That's when so much of this shift started to happen. And then when I resurfaced, it was a whole new world. And it's still obviously changing, but I don't know. I've been so, so removed from the standup world. I can only give you those broad strokes that you mentioned where it's getting very personal and is also getting very bro y.

[Kara Swisher]

Do you want to re enter that world or do you think it's not the best use of your time?

[Tig Notaro]

I mean, I still do stand up. I'm about to start a tour in the new year. But to go back to work, life balance. I told my agent I only want to do a weekend a month rather than these long hauls. Yeah. And I do a few shows a month in Los Angeles to kind of work out material, and then I just go on the road and I'm. I mean, I'm a real weirdo in that I just show up five minutes before I walk on stage and I walk on, tell everyone what I think is funny, and then I head out. So I'm very removed, but I think I'm okay with that. I'm 54. I've got a family I enjoy being with, and it's so different. I'm so different.

[Kara Swisher]

Yeah. A lot of people feel, though, that comedy is both under siege and critical during the time we're living in right now. And obviously you communicate it through the podcast that you have with May and Fortune. I'm curious what you think you're doing with that podcast. My wife loves it, by the way.

[Tig Notaro]

What I'm doing with Handsome.

[Kara Swisher]

Yeah. Like, how do you think is the best way to communicate? Because you talk a lot about political issues on that show, but also very funny stuff, sort of.

[Tig Notaro]

I mean, we're not deeply. No, I think just us as people. It's political. But before I started that podcast, I had a podcast with Cheryl Hines about documentaries.

[Kara Swisher]

Yes.

[Tig Notaro]

And once her husband ran for president, I said, I need to. This isn't really my world. And we were doing such a stupid show together. Like, just so silly that it just felt not great timing with what was happening. So I stepped away and I wanted to go towards joy and lightness. Like, I just really, really needed that. And so that's really what I wanted to do. And I wanted to. Yes, we have gone into some politics, but in general, it's not heavy on that side. And I wanted it to just be something that was a joyful world, lgbtq. But not only that and not. I just wanted to be silly.

[Kara Swisher]

You're right, you're not political, but, like, this documentary was very political without being explicitly political. You had the lives of two people who are not what society thinks about going through, thinks about a couple. And of course, just acting like it's just the way it is kind of thing. And the same thing with your show, which is actually climbing the charts rather nicely.

[Tig Notaro]

You mean Handsome?

[Kara Swisher]

Yes, handsome.

[Tig Notaro]

Oh, yeah. Yeah.

[Kara Swisher]

Because it's, you know, it's not just about comedy. It's about three friends, essentially. Right. But it's certainly just by existing. It's political, right?

[Tig Notaro]

It's political.

[Kara Swisher]

Yeah. In some ways, you know, you're also doing a lot of different things. Obviously, you're an actor with recurring roles on Star Trek and Morning Show. By the way, may I pay you a compliment? I have met the character you play dozens of times. Every billionaire I know has that person, and I don't know how you frigging nailed that, but would you mind explaining to me how you decided to play it that way? Because the chiefs of staff are the most evil people in technology of all. The technology of all the billionaires, just so you know.

[Tig Notaro]

Well, I thank you. I appreciate that.

[Kara Swisher]

Yeah.

[Tig Notaro]

And I honestly, it was more so that I worked with somebody that had kind of like a parallel ranking in their world. It wasn't tech or anything like that. And I just applied any sort of memory and feeling about this person that I worked with and I was like, I'm just gonna go for it and hope, you know, they'll give me a note one way or the other. And, you know, I more so identify as a comedian. And so here I am on this very hyper traumatic show. And yeah, I was relieved that whatever I was going for seemed to.

[Kara Swisher]

Oh, you did too. They actually asked me about the journalism part. I'm like, no, you don't get almost any of that.

[Podcast Announcer/Producer]

Right.

[Kara Swisher]

But her, that's the one.

[Tig Notaro]

Well, and I have to say there's something also comforting because I don't first and foremost identify as an actor. I've known Jon Hamm for years and there's a comfort level that I have with him just as a person that I felt like I could fall in line with this dynamic more comfortably.

[Kara Swisher]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Tig Notaro]

I have these friends from my childhood. My friends from childhood, they'll reach out and they're so confused that I am acting. Believe me, I am too. But they'll be like, I'm sitting here on my couch in Texas watching you on screen with Jon Hamm, and I'm like, how the hell did this happen?

[Kara Swisher]

So how the hell did this happen? I have just a few more questions. Of all the things you do career wise right now, what would you like? Speaking of controlling your life, what would you like to do more of? What would you like to do that you haven't done yet? And if you could do one thing, which of the one things and what would you like? No more of this. I'm done with this particular part of my life.

[Tig Notaro]

Well, I mean, I remember years ago it was recommended that I branch out from stand up and just try other things because sometimes comedians can just get stuck in this crusty. Yeah. And so I thought, okay, I guess I'll try that. And I've tried acting, producing, writing. My wife and I have co directed and I've directed standup specials. I think that I'm not good at talking to a lot of people and dealing with a lot of people. I like to just do what I do and be done with the day. And so I think I'll always do some amount of standup. But I really, really loved producing this documentary. And it was such a compartmentalized joy because obviously my friend was dying. But the process and the people involved that really were so focused on making this about love and positivity. And there's. You probably know this well, too, that there's always a weirdo rattling around in some sort of project or There wasn't in this. And I just love, I mean, really basic stuff. I just love feeling good and feeling good about what I'm doing and who I'm surrounded with. Half of the shows I work on, like TV shows, I love connecting with people between scenes. I love it. I love it so much. So I think anything I do, I just want to maintain the life I have. I don't need to own the world or Hollywood. That doesn't drive me. I want to maintain this tremendous life that I have. I know people say this, but I really am putting it into action of, like, wanting to be surrounded by good and good people and whatever that brings. I get it. I can be talked into directing again. I don't want to direct, but I just. I'm open. If it's a. If it's a good vibe, I'm in.

[Kara Swisher]

So it sounds like the documentary certainly had an impact in that way of creating documentaries.

[Tig Notaro]

Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. It was. It was. And everybody that worked on it walked away with the same feeling of. I mean, just. Even as I told you, the crew continued to fly out to rural Colorado to visit these people.

[Kara Swisher]

These were compelling people.

[Tig Notaro]

Yeah, of course. But it was like I sat in an Airbnb. I wanted to just be with these people by the fire. That's what I'm looking for. I want that.

[Kara Swisher]

Well, you're talking about collaboration. You're talking about real collaboration as opposed to.

[Tig Notaro]

Oh, my God, I love collaboration. So I love being surrounded by people that have. I guess because I'm a failure dropout, I'm so used to not having. No, you didn't drop out.

[Kara Swisher]

You walked out.

[Tig Notaro]

Try to.

[Kara Swisher]

Try to read. Do not. Don't retell the story. Drop out is different than what you fucking.

[Tig Notaro]

Yes, I walked out.

[Kara Swisher]

You got up and you said, I took control.

[Tig Notaro]

I walked out.

[Kara Swisher]

I'll see you later. Goodbye.

[Tig Notaro]

Yes.

[Kara Swisher]

By the way, I heard you called me a power lesbian on your handsome show. According to my wife, yes. This is accurate.

[Tig Notaro]

You are.

[Kara Swisher]

It's true. It's absolutely. It's a hundred fucking. I'm a power person. I would say we can go beyond lesbian, but lesbian is good because it scares white men. So you and your wife Stephanie are creative collaborators. I heard you were working on an all lesbian action film. Can you explain this to me?

[Tig Notaro]

The writer, director, Zack Snyder, he was making this Movie called Army of the Dead. And one of his actors got in trouble for sexual assault, harassment, all of that. And then he said he was sitting in the editing bay and he was like, I can't release this movie with this guy now. And he had already finished editing it. And then he called me, he erased that guy, that actor, and then had me shoot an entire action film alone on a green screen. And I was thinking, this is a massive international cast. I'm sure I'm just going to be this small role that nobody's going to notice me. That's my self esteem there. But also, people were so kind of classically hot. And anyway, so we finish the movie, it goes out, and then I go viral for being sexy in this film.

[Kara Swisher]

Okay.

[Tig Notaro]

And it was so unexpected. I was like, wait, my phone's exploding, right? I don't know. I'm not walking around going, oh, my God, you know, check me out. And so I might. Floating. I was so confused. And then. Yeah. And so I called Zach and I said, I'm hearing it from straight men, gay men, gay women, and straight women that they think I'm hot in this movie. What if we just went for it and everyone's a hot lesbian and just.

[Kara Swisher]

I love it.

[Tig Notaro]

Yeah. And he was like, oh, my God, yes, let's make that movie. And so who knows? It's a Hollywood project. We're in the process of putting the script together. I mean, listen, picture this poster, okay? We have the name of the film. And then it says, hot Lesbian action. Come on. That's how I saw him on this episode.

[Kara Swisher]

Everybody. Everybody who wouldn't like it. You know what?

[Tig Notaro]

Who? Come on.

[Kara Swisher]

I don't know what else to say. I think it sells itself.

[Tig Notaro]

It does, Absolutely.

[Kara Swisher]

It would sell.

[Tig Notaro]

Everybody would go see the movie with hot lesbian action. Yes.

[Kara Swisher]

Yeah, I like it. I'm sold. I'm there. Do you have a name for the film Hot Lesbian Action right now?

[Tig Notaro]

Well, no. As of now, the movie is called Deviant. Takes place back in some old timey days. Some closeted deviants.

[Podcast Announcer/Producer]

Great.

[Kara Swisher]

I don't know. I think we'll just have to end on that because we were talking about grief and this is about joy. I think that's a fantastic idea. I think it's an amazing idea.

[Tig Notaro]

Thank you.

[Kara Swisher]

They're making the TV show of my book, Burn Book. And they said, what do you need for this? The production company. And I said, all I want is a believable lesbian playing me. That's all I have to do. Just a believable lesbian. Hopefully. You're too old.

[Tig Notaro]

You're too old.

[Podcast Announcer/Producer]

I'm old. It has to be a 30 year old.

[Kara Swisher]

It has to be someone who's 30, who's just getting.

[Tig Notaro]

I'll dye my hair.

[Podcast Announcer/Producer]

Yeah. Yeah, you will.

[Kara Swisher]

No, you're too old. I'm too old. Like all these people are too. We need a 30 year old.

[Tig Notaro]

I'm too old to play you.

[Kara Swisher]

I am too old to play me, so I can't do it. Anyway. This has been a delight. Thank you so much. Come See Me in the Good Light is streaming on Apple TV and showing its theaters. I cannot recommend it enough. It is heartfelt, joyful and sad, but also incredibly funny, which is the best part of it.

[Tig Notaro]

Well, thank you so much for having me.

[Kara Swisher]

Today's show was produced by Christian Castro, Roselle, Kateri Yocum, Michelle Aloy, Megan Burney and Kaylin Lynch. Nishat Kirwa is Vox Media's executive producer of podcasts. Special thanks to Katherine Barner and Eamonn Whalen. Our engineers are Fernando Ariel and Rick.

[Podcast Announcer/Producer]

Kwan and our theme music is by Trackademics. If you're already following the show, you can't wait for hot lesbian action. If not, a harpist is not playing your song.

[Kara Swisher]

Go wherever you listen to podcasts, search.

[Podcast Announcer/Producer]

For on with Kara Swisher and hit follow.

[Kara Swisher]

Thanks for listening to on with Kara.

[Podcast Announcer/Producer]

Swisher from Podium Media, New York Magazine, the Vox Media Podcast Network, and us.

[Kara Swisher]

We'll be back on Thursday with more.