← Something You Should Know
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- [00:01]
A
Hi, it's Mike Carruthers, and I want to tell you about a great new podcast I think you're going to like. I've been really getting into it. So what happens when our passions become obsessions? On David Greene Is Obsessed, One of America's most familiar voices and longtime CO host of NPR's Morning Edition seeks out obsessives of all kinds while unpacking his own fixations. You'll hear actor David Arquette discuss his love for Bozo the Clown Paula Poundstone on her House Full of Cats, celebrity chef Michael Simon explains why he just can't quit the Cleveland Browns even though they make him miserable. And so much more. It's pop psychology disguised as conversations with the world's most fascinating people. In this episode, comedian, actress, and podcast host Tig Notaro explains why she quit eating meat almost a decade ago and hasn't looked back. Plus, she shares a really good potato recipe. Listen to David Green is Obsessed Wherever you get your podcasts. And now here's an episode.
- [01:09]
B
If you'd like to join the obsessed community, head over to joincampsite.com we'll give you updates on episodes, some behind the scenes access, and a whole lot more. That's joincampsite.com hope to see you there.
- [01:25]
C
Campsite Media.
- [01:31]
B
All right, so we call this show David Greene is Obsessed. And I'm gonna tell you, the thing I'm most obsessed about is, shall we say, understanding the backstory of obsessions. You know, the deeper things in someone's life that made them fall in love with something or, yeah, obsess about it. You know, you might meet me and find out that I have taken more than 1700 soul cycle classes. Okay, that's weird, right? You're thinking maybe this dude just likes to exerc. There is actually a lot more to me loving SoulCycle, loving the idea of being in a candlelit exercise studio with the hum of stationary bikes and great music. If you dig deeper, there's a lot there about my social anxiety, about wanting a consistent connection with a community, about wanting to know that I can come to a place where I'm always accepted. And that's really the kind of stuff that I hope this show is gonna be about. I mean, I truly think that obsess sessions are a window into someone's soul. And we just follow the conversations where they go. And I expect things are gonna get raw, they're gonna be joyous, they're gonna be wild sometimes funny as hell, anger inducing. But I hope you'll just be along for the ride. And I think today's a big example of the kind of interviews that I'm looking for. Tig Notaro, she's a comedian. You might know her. What you. Is that she is obsessed with plant based food. And we're gonna get to the question of why and we're gonna learn a lot about her when we come back. All right, welcome back. My guest today, stand up comedian, writer, author, filmmaker, Tig Notaro. Tig, thanks for being here. I'm excited to chat.
- [03:29]
C
Thanks for having me. You also forgot podcast host and podcast host.
- [03:34]
B
What else did I forget? Give me the full list. I don't wan. Anything.
- [03:38]
C
I mean, I've done some acting. I have no idea. I was just thinking, since we're on a podcast. Yeah. I'm a parent, I'm a spouse and all sorts of things.
- [03:46]
B
Yeah, yeah. And quite obsessive. Committed to a plant based diet.
- [03:52]
C
Yes, yes, indeed. And I know it's annoying to a lot of people.
- [03:58]
B
Do you. I don't. What is annoying? I don't think it's annoying. I don't, I don't find it annoying. You haven't annoyed me yet.
- [04:03]
C
Okay. Well, it's just the beginning. Um, I don't know, I feel like, you know, there's the, there's the joke that is very true that like, you don't have to ask somebody if they're vegan. You know, they, they know. They'll let you know the second they walk in that they're vegan. Because I feel like it. People that eat plant based, it's like, it's like I've found Christ. You know, is basically the feeling that I have is, yes, Jesus is.
- [04:36]
B
Why, why do, why do you feel, why do you feel Christ?
- [04:39]
C
Like, because it changed my life so much. And if people are interested, I would love to tell them about it.
- [04:48]
B
Okay.
- [04:49]
C
But I don't, I'm not, I'm not the kind of person that I'm judgmental about how you eat or what you do in any way. It's. And it's also, I'm not gonna plow through and start telling you you need to do this, but if somebody try.
- [05:08]
B
To stop once the door opens, you're coming in full on. Well, there's no place more welcoming than this conversation for your plant based information and commitment. So I want you to feel very safe. There's no annoyance at all. But could we get some definitions out of the way? I think in this world it's like plant based and vegan. Exactly the same. Is There something a missing in terms of.
- [05:37]
C
Yeah, vegan is like a more whole way of living. You try to do as little harm to yourself and others and the planet. And then plant based is very much specifically about what you eat.
- [06:04]
B
Vegan is a lifestyle. Plant based is a diet. Is that a shorthand?
- [06:08]
C
Yeah, yeah.
- [06:09]
B
And are you both?
- [06:12]
C
I would say I am plant based and I'm leaning heavy in the vegan direction but I feel like I can't quite. Even though I call myself vegan, I just don't think I'm doing the most tremendous job. But I think about it and I lean heavily towards it.
- [06:36]
B
Where are you falling short of getting the full vegan badge?
- [06:40]
C
You know, it's those tricky places where I travel a lot, so I'm flying a lot. And I mean the good thing is, is in Los Angeles where I live, I live in a very walkable area, so I don't own a car. And the majority of the traveling I do locally is by foot in my neighborhood and the cafes and places around me. But it's just things like that when I'm on TV shows. The clothing that I wear isn't always vegan and even I have some old pieces of clothing or shoes and that's kind of a toss up within the community of what do you do when you make that transition? And then you have leather shoes and then even if you give them away, they're still out there in the world.
- [07:34]
B
They're still in the world. Do you destroy them? Like, do you burn them? Like, what are the various options?
- [07:39]
C
I mean people are torn on it. So that's what I mean is that's where I can't claim I'm doing the most top notch job. But gotcha. I'm doing, I'm doing my best and I'm very aware of where I need to make little changes.
- [07:59]
B
So the diet, I mean, just, just so everyone is, is, is with us. I mean it's no meat, it's no dairy, it's no eggs, it's nothing like.
- [08:09]
C
No animal products, anything to do with animals, right?
- [08:11]
B
Yeah, right.
- [08:12]
C
That is correct.
- [08:13]
B
And you've not just committed to this, but you've gotten your family into it too, right? Your sons, your wife?
- [08:21]
C
Well, my wife was vegetarian I think since she was a teenager. And I've had a lot of health issues. And it kept coming up, you know, you gotta shift your diet, maybe look into a plant based diet. And it was always like kind of one of those. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, I know. But it just seemed impossible and it also seemed like it wouldn't be, it felt like if I did do it that it wouldn't be tasty, fulfilling, exciting. And it was quite literally the opposite. It changed my whole relationship with food. But yes, I was, I was dealing with a lot of pain and a lot of different issues. And I was about to go out on a two week tour and in the back of my mind I thought, okay, I'm going to be away from my regular everyday life and I'm just going to use that time to watch documentaries, to read books. My opening act was vegan and he's a chef and all of these things. So I was like, this is perfect, I'm going to try it out. So I thought it was also a great opportunity because I was away from my regular life to try actually eating that way. And where most people think, oh, when you're traveling it's the worst because there's no options, but there are so many options. But anyway, I did it and I called Stephanie, my wife, and I just said, I think I'm gonna try becoming vegan. And she said, hi honey.
- [09:59]
B
I went on the road, I think I'm vegan now.
- [10:02]
C
Yeah, essentially. And she said, you know what, I've always wanted to be, so I'll do it with you.
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B
Well, that's convenient.
- [10:08]
C
Yeah, it was really convenient. And our kids were one at the time, so they had only, had, didn't.
- [10:15]
B
Have much of a choice. They weren't gonna push back much, or at least not persuasively.
- [10:20]
C
No choices. And yeah, only like six months of their life was any meat or dairy. And so they've only known that. But what we tell them, they're now nine and what we always tell them is that they can make their choices about what they put in their body. And if they want to try things, because, you know, they're at birthday parties and school events and, and they sometimes try things, but in general they're very proud to be plant based. And I saw different, I saw a difference in how I felt. That's the final come back around to becoming vegan.
- [11:02]
B
And that has been what is, what is the difference? I mean, what do you tell people about how your body feels, how your health feels different when you're all plant based?
- [11:12]
C
For me personally, I had so much more energy, I felt so much lighter, I felt more clarity just in my brain. And I think that people come to eating like this for many different reasons. And it can be health, it can be animal rights or environmental reasons. And mine was originally health but then it just bleeds into everything, creates more of an awareness about myself and others, and. And I love animals. And it just created a whole different relationship with. With everything that I did.
- [12:01]
B
What adds to the awareness of yourself when you're like, what's the relationship there with a diet like this?
- [12:07]
C
Well, just being more conscious. You know, you can be kind of going through your life and your day, doing things kind of unconsciously, and that includes what you put in your body. It's just like, oh, there's a bag of something. You just put it in your mouth. You're just not thinking. And. And not that. I mean. Well, I was gonna say not that you have to live your life looking at every package that you're opening to eat, but it probably wouldn't be bad to do, but that's what shifting to plant based was for me is. Yeah, I do have to look at the labels, and every now and then I miss something and I'm like, oh, gosh, that had I just ate an egg. Yeah. Yeah. But it is interesting, like, all of the little mistakes I've made and things that I've accidentally put mouth. Which of course, is not some huge issue, but it's really. I. I've been vegan now for eight years, and. And I often think, I wonder how much I've accidentally consumed. Like, I would love to see, you.
- [13:11]
B
Know, some meter, some.
- [13:13]
C
Some count. Yeah. Yeah. So. But I don't know that anyone will ever surprise me with that.
- [13:20]
B
I am happy to if I. If there's a way to figure that out and. And hand you the data. I would be more than happy to.
- [13:25]
C
Remember when Oprah and she brought, like, a wagon out with, like, lard or something, and she was like, this is how much I lost. That's kind of my fantasy is that somebody will. Maybe Oprah one day will surprise me with a wagon of how much animal product has snuck into my body in the past.
- [13:46]
B
I love that. No, it can be really powerful. I remember the mayor of Philadelphia a long time ago wanted to talk to residents of Philadelphia about how much weight they should lose. And he measured it in, like, millions of tons or something, and I was like, oh, that's powerful. Okay. Yes. We as a community shouldn't. Should lose weight if we're dealing with, like, you know, the weight of a large naval destroyer.
- [14:06]
C
Well, that's. That's like. And I saw some clip about the. The sugar that they even put in dairy, milk, and like, the first five years of a child's life, the amount of sugar in Milk is like a wheelbarrow.
- [14:23]
B
Yeah, that's powerful. That hits you.
- [14:26]
C
Yeah, it really does.
- [14:29]
B
You've done training in terms of plant based diet. You've learned a lot, you've gotten certified, you share recipes, you evangelize about it again once the doors opened. I mean, you're not doing this like on the street and attacking people. But why is it important to you to spread the word beyond your own personal experience?
- [14:50]
C
Well, because I, I was truly shocked. I did not expect to see results and I thought, okay, if I go plant based for these two weeks on the road, worst case scenario is I ate healthy for two weeks. And, and during the pandemic I was reading a book about nutrition and you know, to again go from having these health issues, which started in 2012. I had pneumonia and then I contracted this intestinal disease called C. Diff that can be quite deadly.
- [15:30]
B
It sounds horrific. As I've read about, I mean, your experience and what other people have gone through.
- [15:35]
C
I mean, it's just, oh, it is so bad. It is so painful and deadly. I'm so lucky that I lived through that. And, and I had invasive cancer. And so I just, I've been fascinated by, I mean, it seems obvious, but just the idea of like, if you put the wrong. And my belief is that if you, if you put the wrong fuel in your vehicle, it's going to break down over and over and ultimately die in early death. And if you put like really, really good fuel in your car, it's going to run forever. And so when I saw that shift, I started reading more about it. And in the pandemic I had all of this free time and, and then I thought, why don't I see if there's a class that I could take online just to learn more. And so I did. I got this certification online for plant based nutrition. I'm not like a nutritionist or anything, but it was during the pandemic that I started helping a family member and my next door neighbor. He had high blood pressure and so, and my opening act, Greg, he and I would get on Zoom and help my neighbor and he ended up not having to take this pill for the rest of his life because he shifted his diet and he got the results within weeks that it was beneficial. And so I was just helping Greg and I helped a couple of other comedians and it just felt good. If people were interested, I just wanted to help them out.
- [17:33]
B
I think about the question of control, how much of this kind of obsession, commitment to plant based is a way that you have found that you can control your health and your life and feel like you do have some semblance of control because so much of life, as I think you've learned yourself, can be unpredictable.
- [17:58]
C
Well, I mean, even if you believe, which I do, that you're, you're eating a healthy diet, you certainly can't always fully control your health because there are other factors. But I do believe it gives you a little bit of a, a leg up. And, and I do, I feel like if there is something I can do, exercise every day, I just know I don't want to end up as sick as I was in a four month period of time in 2012. Like, I never want to be there again. And if I, if I can be any part of the solution, then I want to do what I can. And so it's working at it every day. And it is my North Star to not end up sick, hopefully, hopefully not end up sick again. But yeah, I do. I, I prioritize what I eat and exercise and try to get good sleep and I look, I also have people, when they'll see me eating a donut or cupcake or birthday cake, they're like, what are you doing? And I'm like, it is vegan. It's not like I don't have, I.
- [19:18]
B
Enjoy my eating, even though I've committed to this.
- [19:21]
C
Yeah. I mean, the majority of the time I try to eat the healthy version of plant based, but I also indulge in vegan pizza and burgers and all of that stuff from time to time.
- [19:34]
B
Can I ask you about that Horrific period of 2012 when things sound like they did feel totally out of control? I mean, you went through a series of really tragic events all compressed into just a few months. Do you mind reminding us what happened?
- [19:50]
C
Yeah, I, I think it started out as like, like bronchitis or a sinus infection, something like that. And I had gone to urgent care and I got. Oh, they told me I had pneumonia when I went in there. So they gave me antibiotics and antibiotics. Some people can have an adverse response and it can clear out all of the bacteria in your gut. And that happened to me. And what was left is this bacteria called C. Diff, which people have in their gut. But it's okay as long as it's mixed in with the other bacteria. But when it's left alone to thrive, it just eats your insides. And so that was brutal. And then when I got out of the hospital, my mother tripped and hit her head and died. And then I went through a breakup Right after. And then. And then I was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. So that was in a four month period of time and it just, it was, it, you know, it was obviously more than just being deathly ill, but I don't ever. I just. I really want to steer clear of how I felt during that time period because I did see how quickly health and life can slip away.
- [21:29]
B
I can. I can't even imagine going. I mean, I. I lost my mom very suddenly out of the blue. I mean, I just found out that she had dropped dead. No, I appreciate that. I'm sorry for what you've been through, but I. I remember the. The shock and pain and the feeling of total loss of control, but just to. To imagine that being exacerbated by just other crises.
- [21:56]
C
I mean, I was deathly ill. On her deathbed. Yeah. Well, I'm. Yeah. How long ago did you lose your mother?
- [22:04]
B
It's been almost 20 years.
- [22:06]
C
Yeah.
- [22:06]
B
Yeah. I was. I was just turning 30 years old and I think I was. You know, I was mostly raised by just her. It was just the two of us. And I've read that you had a really, really tight relationship with your mom, too.
- [22:18]
C
It was tight, but it was also. My mother was pretty wild. It was a lot of the parenting, the parent stuff, but. But I'm very thankful.
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B
Depression and stuff. It was like, am I The adult? I'm 17 years old.
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C
My mother would put us to bed and head out and party for the night. But. But she. I'm very thankful for what she instilled in me, which was a lot of like, if somebody's got a problem with you, you can tell them to go to hell. So that was how I was raised, with that vibe. Not in a mean way, but just in a, like, you know, I'm good, I'm good.
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B
Yeah.
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C
Yeah.
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B
I love that. What a good lesson. So you're one of those crises was a breast cancer diagnosis. And do I have this right? You got the diagnosis and you were scheduled to do a standup show in LA that same night?
- [23:18]
C
It wasn't the same night. It was a few days later. Yeah, that was kind of when I got the diagnosis. That was the cap of all of the hell where I truly. When I got that diagnosis, I was like, what? Like, I can't. I remember thinking, I can't. I can't possibly have cancer. I've been going through all this other stuff. I couldn't even. I was so backlogged with grief and pain. Emotional, physical pain. And now you're telling me I have invasive cancer. It was so confusing. And so I had called Flanagan, the owner of Largo, which is my home club here in la, and I just said, I can't perform. I told him everything that was going on, and he said, well, let's keep it on the books in case you change your mind last minute. And I thought, man, this guy's nuts. But sure enough, when it came down to it, I had time to reflect on how, yeah, life can shift on a dime. And what if I don't come back from this? What if I don't get to do standup again? I should just take this opportunity because I knew I was about to go into surgery and treatment and recovery and all of this stuff. So I went on stage and talked about the four months of hell I had been going through and.
- [24:47]
B
Yeah, how did you open the show? Do you remember?
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C
I do. Well, I was in the shower before the show and I was thinking, God, how am I going to get into all of this? Because it wasn't my typical vibe. And so in the shower, a thought ran through my head where I thought. I thought, well, what if I walked on stage and said, hello, good evening, I have cancer. And it made me laugh so hard. And then I thought, oh, I can't do that. That's crazy. What if somebody in the audience has cancer? And then I was like, wait, I have cancer. I can do this. This is my story. And so I did. I walked out on stage and said, hello, good evening, I have cancer. And. And it was recorded and released and became the number one selling comedy album of the year, which shocked me. But so many people could relate to losing a loved one or have been touched by cancer in some way in their lives and gone through a breakup. And so, yeah, that's what I did.
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B
You once described doing the show that night and starting that way as controlling the narrative. What do you mean by that? And why was that important?
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C
Well, I mean, it's really actually been quite a run of looking back at that time because, yeah, there's controlling the narrative because it's so vulnerable and I'm speaking publicly and all of that stuff. But I actually realized as time went on that more than anything, I was probably needing support. And that's probably the most honest answer of what. What was going on. It was, yes, I wanted to do standup again, but I also. I was without my mother and my girlfriend was gone. I was. This was my home, was on stage, essentially. I'd been doing standup for decades at that point. And that audience at night was. I always say it was like the exact perfect people there to receive that information.
- [27:09]
B
What made them perfect?
- [27:11]
C
They went on the ride. Nobody. People thought I was kidding. When I walked out and said, hello, good evening. I have cancer. How's everyone doing? It was awkward. Awkward laughter. There was shock and silence and people realizing it was true, and then laughter. Hard belly laughter. It just was. They were along for the ride fully with me. And every now and then, I run into people that were in the audience that night. What's really crazy is I just produced a documentary about my friend, the poet Andrea Gibson, and it's gonna be out on Apple. And the director of that film was at my Largo show that night.
- [28:05]
B
No way. Just by happenstance.
- [28:07]
C
Well, his producing partner, Jessica, she was the tour manager of a tour that I was on years before, and I didn't know she was a documentarian. And Jessica had invited Ryan, the director, to my show that night in 2012. And then she got sick. And he said, oh, I'll just bring all my gay guy friends and we'll go see this comedy show and. And have a good time. And he said he remembered. He told all of his friends, he was like, yeah, I guess this comedian's funny. And I walked out on stage and was like, hey, I have cancer. So it's really wild. The full circle of him directing the Come See Me in the Good Light documentary all those years later.
- [28:58]
B
That's amazing.
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C
Yeah.
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B
Do you ever. You know, I just think about when you were talking about the. The diet, how that gives you this feeling of, I have built some kind of defense against having to go through a horrific period in terms of health and that. That feeling of not being in control of 2012. Like, it. Do you think there'll ever be a point where you get farther enough away from that terrible period that you. It doesn't need to shape how you think about life as much, because I know, like, early in your life, it's like friends said there was something called tig luck. Like, you. You were a very lucky person. Like, things just went well, and then when something. When so many things don't go well and you're. You're sort of looking for some way to. To build a defense against that. Is that a. Like, a lifelong sort of way to live? Or is there a time when you're like, okay, it's been. It's been enough time. I don't have to fear that as much anymore.
- [29:57]
C
I can't say that I fear it. I think what that experience taught me Is that like I was saying before, the response I had when I got diagnosed with cancer, I was like, this can't happen. I was just. I went through all of this other stuff, and I really believe that I thought that I had all of the bad luck in the world, so now it must be just a smooth ride in life, and that hasn't happened. I do feel like I still have tig luck, but I also think I have a very realistic perspective on life. And part of that realistic perspective is knowing that the fun and wonderful thing about life is we don't know what's around the corner. And it really has made me learn to trust life and trust what's coming, even if it's not great. And so I don't feel fearful. I feel more so. I just want to be prepared. You know, it's like when I take my sons to their baseball games, I want to make sure that if we're between a double header, that I have lunch packed. You know, I'm not scared my kids are going to starve. I just. I just want to make sure we're all set, and. And that's the best I can do.
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B
Your sons are nine now. Is that what you said?
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C
Mm.
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B
I. I saw you. You told this incredibly charming story. I think it was on Colbert recently, of when. When you were in the car on the way to school, and. Yeah, they. You realized that they didn't know that. That you and your wife were gay. Is that what. What was that conversation?
- [31:41]
C
Like, they were seven at the time, and, yeah, they were in the backseat on the way to school, and Stephanie said something about being gay. And our son Finn leaned in the front seat and said, you're gay. And sitting there like, oh, my God, How. How on earth do our kids not know we're gay? This was the. It was so wild. It was so. And there we are just trying to explain everything in the next three minutes before we drop them off.
- [32:16]
B
It's a lot to fit into three minutes. I mean, are we. How did you approach this?
- [32:21]
C
Well, they also were like, what is gay? Which also was so confused. It was like, how. Wait a minute. We're like the mayors of Gaytown. Look at me. And, you know, like, oh, gosh. And we realized that just because they knew they had two moms and they had seen our wedding pictures, that. That doesn't equal gay. You know, like, you have to actually say, gay is a boy and a boy a girl and a girl. And so we were explaining that before we drop them off, but we were just like, oh, my God, like, it was so confusing. But I. The more I've talked about it, there are other parents that have told me that they experience the same thing. And. And there's kind of this beautiful thing in that it's a non issue, you know, like, they didn't know or care and. And now they really know. But. But yeah, it was. It was. It was shocking. It was shocking. And they're surrounded by so many different people and gay families and. But yeah, just. And I've joked that, like, man, what did they think I was? The butler? Who did they think I was? So, yeah.
- [33:40]
B
God, there's something so beautiful about it not being like a. Like the fact that we have two moms, that's like, totally normal and they lead with it. And she's like, hey, I'm just curious.
- [33:49]
C
Our kids lead with it. They tell everyone. They're like, oh, yeah, I have two moms. And they feel lucky and proud. And so it's pretty great.
- [34:00]
B
We're gonna take a quick break, and I'm gonna come back with Tig Notaro in just a moment to talk about some other obs. We'll be right back. All right, we're back with David Green is obsessed. I am with Dignitaro, podcast host. We'll say that first. Also filmmaker, comedian, author. This is the part of the show I like to say. It's not David Green is obsessed, but Dignitaro is obsessed. So I want to ask about a few other obsessions and I guess related to plant based. Is there a recipe that you obsess about more than any other that you would want to share? So those of us who are plant based or not might get a tip.
- [34:42]
C
I can't even go into my morning smoothie because that is. There's.
- [34:49]
B
We don't have time.
- [34:50]
C
No, we don't. Because, like, I'm. So I researched, like, all of the most nutrient dense things that I find delicious. And they're all in there. And the different measurements.
- [35:04]
B
Give me the thumbnail of this. Now. I need to know a little bit about this movie. Even if we don't have time for the full recipe.
- [35:09]
C
I mean, oh, my. I. It's. It's like oats, steel cut oats. I eat them raw in the smoothie. It gives them a crunch. There's frozen wild blueberries, avocado, half a banana, chia seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds. There's so much stuff in there and it is so delicious. But, yes, I have to put that aside. It's too complex.
- [35:43]
B
But I Want to make it, even if it's complex. I now want to go find it and make it myself.
- [35:47]
C
I use golden raisins, dates. Oh, I love golden raisins so much.
- [35:55]
B
So good. I used to have them my cereal. Like, those were my, my choice raisins.
- [35:58]
C
Like, as a kid.
- [35:59]
B
That's so much better.
- [36:00]
C
Yes. Almonds, almond milk, unsweetened almond milk.
- [36:08]
B
This is all in one beverage? Yeah.
- [36:10]
C
Cinnamon. It's a lot. It's a lot of things. A little bit of raspberries. But the thing that I want to share with people is this meal that my closest friend of my whole life and I, we both claim the other one created it, but I'm certain she created it because she's way more of a cook.
- [36:34]
B
Oh, you're giving each other credit. This is not claiming credit. This is.
- [36:37]
C
You're giving me. No, we give each other credit. And I'm certain Beth created this. There's no world I would have ever, ever come up with this. This is going to sound weird. And just clear your mind, go get the ingredients and taste this. It's so good. Everybody's like, that seems weird. And then they taste it. They're like, oh, my God.
- [37:00]
B
Okay, so I'm letting go of all preconceptions. I am now a fully open minded eater.
- [37:05]
C
Amazing. A plate full of raw spinach covering the entire bottom of the plate.
- [37:10]
B
Every acre.
- [37:11]
C
Okay. Yes. Then a plain baked potato placed in the middle there.
- [37:17]
B
Sounds great.
- [37:17]
C
You crack it open, you fill the potato with not salsa or anything other than pico de gallo. I mean, chunks of pico de gallo, which is sliced tomatoes, onions, cilantro, all that kind of stuff. Like just chunks of it inside of the potato. And the juice of this pico de gallo all over inside of the potato? Yes, yes, yes.
- [37:44]
B
All up. Yeah.
- [37:45]
C
You slice up an avocado, you put the wedges around the potato, and then you take balsamic vinegar, I believe is what it is. And then you kind of drizzle that around and you must take a piece of everything in each bite because, yes, it is so delicious. And I beg anyone to argue with me.
- [38:14]
B
I don't feel like you have to do much convincing. Are people skeptical? Like, have you started to get into this recipe? And they're like, freaked out? I mean, it sounds amazing.
- [38:23]
C
They're like, no butter. And I'm like, no, no butter. It's just pico de gallo in the potato. It's so good.
- [38:29]
B
But it probably like, it flavors the potato, right? I mean, it just gets. All right.
- [38:33]
C
I'M on your side. Yes, it does. It's so good.
- [38:36]
B
Now I'm on your side. No, this sounds phenomenal. Do you have it, Is there name for this thing?
- [38:40]
C
Yeah, we call it Tater Time.
- [38:42]
B
Oh, I love that. Okay. Yeah, I might make it for my wife, like tonight.
- [38:45]
C
You should.
- [38:46]
B
She's a huge baked potato fan. She does love butter. She says, like, hold everything else if you go to a restaurant or something. But if I get her away from.
- [38:55]
C
Just don't even tell her what you're doing. Just make it and deliver it and give her. Put a little something on the fork. A little something, everything on the fork. Tell her to take a bite, start that way and. Yeah, let me know how that goes.
- [39:09]
B
I appreciate this. You might have just made my marriage even more solidified. Because she's gonna love that.
- [39:15]
C
Good.
- [39:16]
B
What is an obsession that you have only revealed to your wife until this moment?
- [39:22]
C
An obsession that I have revealed. You know what? I've kind of. I'm on this new Star Trek series called Starfleet Academy. It is. We're filming the second season. First season comes out in January of 2026.
- [39:45]
B
This is a brand new franchise, right? Star Trek. It hasn't been around very long. This is like a newly introduced.
- [39:50]
C
It's brand new. We'll see how it goes. We'll see if the fans get into it.
- [39:56]
B
I feel like it could become like a cult thing.
- [39:58]
C
Yeah, we'll see if we can get ahead of ourselves here. Will Tater Time or Star Trek.
- [40:03]
B
Yeah.
- [40:07]
C
Pull through in the long run? Okay. I have not until this show.
- [40:14]
B
Okay.
- [40:16]
C
Taken. I started out as a standup and I got into acting kind of accidentally and I didn't take acting lessons. I just kind of would scramble around, memorize my lines. After working on Starfleet Academy, they had this rule where you couldn't have your lines on set with you anywhere. Correct.
- [40:43]
B
Wow. Is that a new rule? Like, is that normally you can have your lines?
- [40:47]
C
Yeah, it was a new rule, like.
- [40:48]
B
In your pocket or on a teleprompter. Where do you normally do it?
- [40:51]
C
Yeah, you just kind of have it like in the green room with you or at your chair where you, you know. And they said no lines on set.
- [40:59]
B
Is that just to be cruel or because they wanted people to just feel like more Ad Libby?
- [41:03]
C
No, they wanted people to learn their lines and show up and have it down. And this is, you know, acting. It can be hard to learn your lines, especially if it's made up science stuff. And at first I was already struggling.
- [41:19]
B
It's Particularly difficult.
- [41:21]
C
I was already struggling. I've actually been on, I was on another Star Trek series before this called Discovery. I, I scrambled around famously with my lines and, and when that new rule popped up, I was like, what? What?
- [41:40]
B
But then I thought, was this rule made for you and they're not telling you if you would have been like.
- [41:44]
C
Holding onto, you know, maybe I'm the only one that they told the rule to.
- [41:48]
B
I'm curious, just asking and yeah, yeah.
- [41:52]
C
But I have to say, once I got over the shock and frustration, I thought this is probably better for me if I really, really get ahead of the game, prepare better. And I've now become a little obsessed with. I want to be the best actor I can be. I want to, I want to learn. You know, people would always ask me in interviews previously, what's your technique and how do you do what you do? I'd be like, oh, you know, I just do my best. That's what I do. Whereas now I just, I'm way more interested and I want to hear how people do what they do and what did their teacher teach them? And what about this actor they worked with? And now Stephanie and I connect in a way that we didn't before because she's so interested in actors and their technique and all that kind of stuff. And so it's a new obsession for me. And look, I'm no Meryl Streep and I'm no Holly Hunter who is the star of Starfleet Academy. But it's fun when you kind of force yourself to do better and make those big leaps.
- [43:19]
B
I love that. Okay, last question. My wife is going to kill me for revealing this on my show, but my favorite quirky obsession of hers is she's not just obsessed with late night popcorn, but she loves the like half popped kernels. And so she obsessively hunts them. Like hunts. I mean, needs to. Oh, you do too?
- [43:45]
C
Oh, yes, sir. Yes.
- [43:46]
B
What is it about these half popped crunch?
- [43:49]
C
What are you talking about? What is it about that?
- [43:52]
B
I've tried them. I've like tried to understand this, but now I have crunchy.
- [43:54]
C
I mean if you go back to my smoothie, I have raw steel cut oats in there. I love a crunch. And so your wife must love a crunch. I mean, she loves, she loves a nice crunch. Yeah.
- [44:09]
B
Okay, so that's a shared obsession.
- [44:11]
C
Has she tried sorghum?
- [44:13]
B
I have no idea. Should I tell her to try sorghum?
- [44:16]
C
Yes, tell her to try sorghum.
- [44:18]
B
Tell me more about sorghum.
- [44:19]
C
Sorghum is like, an even healthier grain than popcorn. Popcorn is healthiest if it's air popped, by the way. If anyone cares.
- [44:31]
B
But sorghum, don't do it in butter. You're probably not doing it in butter. I would venture a guess.
- [44:35]
C
Yeah, I'm not. What I do with my popcorn. I air pop it, and then I. And then I sprinkle liquid aminos on there and hot sauce, cholula, and nutritional yeast. And I mean, sprinkle so it. So you're not soggy. And my sons love it, everybody. It's so delicious. But. But, yeah, sorghum is just. It's just a healthier kind of version of popcorn, and it's so delicious. Then there's really cool flavors.
- [45:08]
B
This is amazing. I now have a lot to tell her. Sorghum. I can tell her that she shares an obsession with you when it comes and tater time. Yeah. Well, I was gonna ask you. What. Is there a. Is there a quirk? What's your favorite quirky obsession of your wife's?
- [45:20]
C
Wait, real quick. Does she know that there's a product where they have just little, barely popped popcorn?
- [45:28]
B
Interesting. You asked. Tig. I found popknots for her years ago and bought her the equivalent of, like, a lifetime supply or membership, but I think the company went out of business. I can't find them anymore.
- [45:40]
C
Unbelievable. Because. No, I thought I invented it. I was at a. I was watching a movie. I was at a movie theater years ago, and I was like, you know what? Because I was digging around in mine.
- [45:49]
B
What the World needs.
- [45:51]
C
Yeah. I was like, gosh, it's like, barely popped popcorn. And then, sure enough, you know, as soon as I invent something, two days later, I found out it's already been on the market for years. So I didn't know they went out of business, but maybe I'll get back to it.
- [46:05]
B
I think maybe they're back. I mean, I can't. I haven't looked recently. They went out of business. It was devastating.
- [46:09]
C
Well, let's keep it on the DL, and you and I can start our own.
- [46:12]
B
Don't tell. We can start the company.
- [46:14]
C
Me and your wife and you.
- [46:15]
B
Yes. Yes.
- [46:17]
C
So what is my wife's favorite quirky.
- [46:19]
B
Obsession of your wife?
- [46:21]
C
Gosh, my wife isn't terribly quirky.
- [46:24]
B
Or favorite obsession. Let's just take quirky out. Let's eliminate the adjective. Who needs an adjective?
- [46:28]
C
She's also not terribly obsessed with who needs anything. I would say her.
- [46:34]
B
Tell me what you love about your wife.
- [46:36]
C
Obsession for me is a Quirky obsession.
- [46:40]
B
That's perfect.
- [46:41]
C
I think that my ex girlfriends would say, yeah, that's a quirky obsession after they are no longer with me. Yeah, she's just not terribly quirky or obsessive.
- [46:55]
B
Well, she saves all of her quirky obsessiveness.
- [46:59]
C
She's very much into safety. And I, I have to say I appreciate that a lot about. Because I was raised, you know, water skiing in the swamps of Mississippi, so I needed to be reeled in a little bit and. Yeah, so it's not. It's not quirky, but it's. It's definitely something she's got her eye on all the time. And it's.
- [47:21]
B
What does she worry most about you doing? Like, what is the thing that she's like?
- [47:24]
C
Well, it's just any. Anyone or the kids, you know, or it's just everything is safety first. And I don't think I led with that. And it's a really great quality that she has, is having a real eagle eye on safety.
- [47:40]
B
Sounds important. Thich Natar. This has been such a pleasure. I really appreciate it.
- [47:45]
C
Thanks for having me.
- [47:47]
B
Thanks for being here.
- [47:48]
C
If anybody wants to check out the Handsome podcast, we certainly welcome all new listeners.
- [47:55]
B
Well, we will send them all your way to the Handsome podcast and. And also the new Star Trek show.
- [48:00]
C
And also come see me in the Good Light, the Andrea Gibson documentary that will be out on Apple tv.
- [48:07]
B
It's all you can. We can find you in many places.
- [48:09]
C
Yes, you can.
- [48:10]
B
Yeah, yeah.
- [48:11]
C
Thanks for having me.
- [48:12]
B
Send everyone your way. Yeah, thanks for being here. David Green is obsessed as a production of Campside Media. It is hosted by me, David Green. Our senior producer is Lane Rose. We are mixed by Ewin Lytramuin. The executive producers of Campside Media are Vanessa Grigoriades, Matt Sher and Josh Dean. Special thanks to our operations team, Ashley Warren and Sabina Mara. If you have an obsession you would like to share. Hope you do. You can send us an email. The address is obsessed campsidemedia. Com. That's obsessed at campsidemedia. Com. And hey, if you enjoyed the show, please rate and review the show wherever you get your podcasts. Really appreciate you listening.