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Catherine Cohen
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Catherine Cohen
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George Severis
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Catherine Cohen
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George Severis
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George Severis
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George Severis
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George Severis
Hootie Hoo everyone. This is your weekly show Update. If you are in New York City, you can see me, George Severis. Do an hour of standup comedy at the legendary Joe's Pub on November 25th. It is a genuine dream come true to do Joe's Pub, so I would really love to see some glamour girls in the crowd. And you can get tickets@publictheater.org and if you're in the beautiful Canadian city of Toronto, we are at long last doing a Stratiolab Toronto show on Saturday, November 23, at the Paradise Theater. And tickets to that show are available in our Instagram Bio and on linktree.com Stradolab and they're, I have to say, already going fast. So I would act now. Enjoy the show.
Sam Taggart
Podcast starts now. Welcome to the episode. This is Straightia Lab, by the way, and we couldn't be better.
George Severis
I'm feeling amazing.
Sam Taggart
George, I have to be completely honest. I need to ask you this. And part of it. This actually is sort of an amazing collab with our guest. But I do need to say, are you mad at me?
Catherine Cohen
Oh, wow.
Sam Taggart
I'm feeling intense.
George Severis
You keep putting me on the spot today.
Catherine Cohen
Why are you guys fighting? It's crazy.
Sam Taggart
No. Are you mad, though?
George Severis
No, I'm not mad.
Catherine Cohen
What happened in the last episode? Oh, it was just like, keep this in. Keep this in. Are you shocking the producers?
George Severis
It's so funny that this is how we're starting, because what happened with the last episode is we were like, you know, all right, spoiler alert for everyone. This is still the Friday after the election. Okay. And in for the last episode, I. I sort of came in and I was like, you know, I'm not ready to talk. I would like to at some point form my thoughts and. And say something thoughtful and inspiring, but I don't have it in me right now. Like, I just, you know, it's. I'm not. I'm not there yet. I feel like I have not processed it not to be, you know, a cuck. Cuck lib, but I have not. I just. I don't feel ready yet. And then. And Sam was like, no, we should address it. I was like, okay, great. And then that's how we started the episode. Got you by sort of like discussing almost on a meta level, the. The ethics of addressing or not addressing the election on our gay.
Catherine Cohen
What I call breaking a seal.
George Severis
Breaking, yes. Which is on our gay comedy podcast.
Sam Taggart
Yeah, yeah.
Catherine Cohen
Breaking the seal is when you're. When you're recording your comedy podcast after a devastating global tragedy.
George Severis
And I do want to say, Catherine, that I was thinking about this. You were the first remote record we ever did.
Catherine Cohen
If you think I don't remember.
George Severis
I remember vivid when Lockdown started. Our first.
Catherine Cohen
I want to say I, like, shouldn't come on the pod.
Sam Taggart
You're scaring me.
Catherine Cohen
It's crazy.
Sam Taggart
You are so scary.
George Severis
Our first, like, four or six episodes were recorded. We, like, bank recorded them pre lockdown, and so they were recorded in person in a studio. Then lockdown started, and we were like, who should our first lockdown guest be? And I was like, I know just the gal. I know just the cabaret icon.
Catherine Cohen
I remember exactly. Like, I remember where I was sitting, what it looked like. Yeah, yeah.
Sam Taggart
I remember being like, well, this will be perfect, because you guys had already been recording on Zoom, so it was like, almost. She'll be able to, like, teach us how to do it.
Catherine Cohen
That's so psycho.
George Severis
And I also remember you had just. I felt very honored because you had just booked me on your first ever Instagram Live show.
Sam Taggart
God.
George Severis
Where my. My bit that I did. So I kept thinking that the way to do Instagram Live Zoom comedy was that, you know, obviously I'm not going to do, like, my material. So I was like, right, what bit can I do? And so for years, my bit was that I was, like, wearing a face mask and, like, a towel or something. It was like, oh, God, Like, I didn't know you would call. And then. And then for Mary Beth's, my bit was that I was, like, in the tub, but I didn't know when I was gonna be on the lineup, so I ended up having to be in the tub, like, wrinkly, for, like, an hour and a half, waiting, Waiting for the bit.
Catherine Cohen
I do think, you know, those became so tiresome and painful, but people still come up to me and are like, thank you for doing that during lockdown. Like, it. And not to be so, like. And of course, I am amazing, but not to be that way. But these people, I'm like, oh, people actually, like, care. You forget people care.
Sam Taggart
No, people care.
George Severis
People do care.
Sam Taggart
Desperate for something.
Catherine Cohen
And people love your pot and want to laugh, laugh, laugh. And so that's why, even in the face of disaster, you crack it open and you say, we're breaking the seal. You say, what can we do but move forward? I guess.
George Severis
And maybe the first sign that something was not gonna go right was so we had you booked on a different date. And for various reasons, I think it was my fault. I don't think it was anyone's fault.
Catherine Cohen
I'm glad you think that.
Sam Taggart
Don't take blame.
George Severis
Don't take blame.
Sam Taggart
Rule of power number four. Don't take blame.
George Severis
If there's one Thing we can all do in the new Trump era is like, at the very least, take that lesson. Be like, if they're not taking blame, I'm not taking. I'm not taking blame.
Catherine Cohen
Oh, my God.
Sam Taggart
I'm not taking any blame.
Catherine Cohen
It's not my fucking fault.
Sam Taggart
It's not my fault.
George Severis
Actually, if the Democratic Party is listening at my message for you, don't take blame.
Catherine Cohen
Oh, my God.
George Severis
My message to the Democratic Party is don't listen to the haters, y'all. You did everything right, George. Have to keep doing the same thing.
Sam Taggart
The issue is that's already what they're doing. That's literally the takeaway. They're like, well, the campaign was perfect. It's just people who are weird.
Catherine Cohen
People are so weird in this country. And by weird, I mean racist, misogynistic, xenophobic, transphobic. Shout out, shout out.
George Severis
Shout out to all of those qualities that one can have.
Catherine Cohen
It's amazing that one can have all of the qualities at once.
Sam Taggart
Yeah, well, they lead to one another.
Catherine Cohen
Feeling all the field.
Sam Taggart
Oh, God.
Catherine Cohen
No, I know.
George Severis
But then let me say this. On top of that, it's amazing that if you're in the dnc, you can also have such qualities as being stupid, being out of touch, not understanding how to look at. How to.
Sam Taggart
How to look at data, being condescending.
George Severis
Being condescending. Saying the completely wrong thing at every time, having a very easy assignment, and not understanding feeling entitled. Feeling entitled.
Catherine Cohen
The assignment was so easy.
Sam Taggart
No, it was literally, like, so easy. And it's always been easy.
Catherine Cohen
Slam. Should have been a slam dunk.
Sam Taggart
This should have done me off.
Catherine Cohen
And instead. And here's a sports metaphor on studio lab. Instead. They fumbled it.
George Severis
They fumbled the bag, bro.
Sam Taggart
They fumbled hard.
Catherine Cohen
I know. No, it is an interesting balance. Like, we want to be playful, and yet these are real things.
Sam Taggart
Yeah.
Catherine Cohen
I don't know.
Sam Taggart
No, it's complicated.
Catherine Cohen
But just tell me. Everyone just. I mean, this is. It's so weird that you're not in this room, because it does. It does feel like you are.
Sam Taggart
No, it's working. We're working technology.
George Severis
Because sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes we'll do these.
Sam Taggart
We're living in the future. It feels like you're here.
Catherine Cohen
This is really good. This is, like, fully a movie where, like, this. I'm so brain dead. This is a movie where it's like, you're here. This is like how I'm in a movie where you're here.
George Severis
Totally. Totally.
Sam Taggart
I was gonna say that.
George Severis
Yeah.
Catherine Cohen
Okay.
George Severis
It doesn't feel right.
Catherine Cohen
Your background is better.
George Severis
Well, I mean, it's. It's because I.
Sam Taggart
It's on purpose.
Catherine Cohen
It's on a mistake that. Because that's what I'm going for.
George Severis
And actually, you know, I just. You know, for anyone not. I haven't decided if I'm ready to release this episode. Video. Video. Video option. But for anyone not watching, you know, I do have all these books behind me, but then I also have. At some point, I was in the middle of moving stuff, and so there's just, like, piles of stuff everywhere. And this was truly, like, two months ago. And for the first couple of times, I would apologize for it. And now I've actually started owning it as, like, oh, I'm a crazy intellectual.
Catherine Cohen
No. Yeah. You're like. Your notes are stacked up.
George Severis
It's way more professorial, radical. And that's a play I gave up on. Yeah. Yeah, you're right.
Sam Taggart
That's a play I gave up on organized chaos. Yeah.
George Severis
Can I say something, please? One. Oh, Catherine's leaving.
Catherine Cohen
I'm back. I'm grabbing my. I'm grabbing my. Now, is it Pellegrino? I couldn't remember who was Perrier or Pellegrino.
Sam Taggart
I hate when that happens.
George Severis
Is the DNC out of touch? Grab your Pellegrino and let's find out.
Sam Taggart
God, I always forget. Is it Perrier or Pellegrino?
Catherine Cohen
So fucking stressful right now.
George Severis
I'm obsessed with. Okay, I have two things to say that are both kind of related to the Pellegrino class. Okay? Coining that, by the way.
Sam Taggart
No, genius, that's a book.
George Severis
That's the Pellegrino class. One is, I'm. Have you guys heard when people talk about I'm working on a book project rather than saying I'm working on a book.
Catherine Cohen
Wait, no. Who said that to you?
Sam Taggart
People?
George Severis
Okay, who said that? People say that.
Sam Taggart
It's out there.
George Severis
It's out there. And I first heard it in, like, academia, because people. It would be, like, an academic.
Sam Taggart
To me, it implies, like, nonfiction. Like, they're, like, working on more of a research.
George Severis
The book project is about, like, oh, it's on, you know, the evolution of.
Catherine Cohen
I feel sick.
George Severis
I hate it so much. I'm like, just say you're working on a book.
Sam Taggart
Well, they're like, but it's not a book. It's a book project.
Catherine Cohen
Are people avoiding saying they're working on a book because it seems.
George Severis
Well, it makes it sound more intellectual. It makes it sound like you're doing research and you're like, in the stacks.
Sam Taggart
Working on a book is like, so you're typing.
Catherine Cohen
Right.
Sam Taggart
And book project is like. It implies papers on the wall. It implies like multimedia as you're like processing your feelings.
Catherine Cohen
Or also book project implies like, I have this material and should the form, perhaps it will emerge as a book, but it could become something else because it's the theme and the story that I'm watching. Yeah.
Sam Taggart
It could be an eight episode podcast.
Catherine Cohen
Yeah. Is this a limited series? Let's release this in like three 10 minute chunks.
George Severis
Let's release this in 15 quibbies.
Sam Taggart
You know, I actually think that would be a fun direction for our podcast to take where it's like, for the next month. We're with Katherine Cohen.
Catherine Cohen
Oh, that's funny.
George Severis
Yeah.
Sam Taggart
We are diving into something very specific every day and we're such a cool idea. It's kind of fun.
Catherine Cohen
That's a great.
George Severis
Can I say something, Catherine?
Catherine Cohen
Yeah.
George Severis
So I've always. Okay, wait, my second point about the Pellegrino class, and this is not a point, but it's more something I need help with. I've decided I would like to be one of those men that basically owns a women's leather purse.
Catherine Cohen
I'm so sorry, one more time.
Sam Taggart
You want to be one of those men that owns a women's leather purse?
George Severis
I want my dated non binary legend.
Catherine Cohen
Boy, I think you should. Were you just admiring my bag?
George Severis
Yeah. Yeah, that's why I was.
Catherine Cohen
Thank you so much.
George Severis
I was like, I want like a loewe. Like, I don't want it to be super non binary. I want it to be gesturing at masculinity. Like, this is. I'm not making a statement about gender. I'm making a statement about leather. About leather, Yes.
Sam Taggart
I mean, I will say bags that are gendered male are lost. When we look at these bags, I'm like, disgusting. I don't want that.
Catherine Cohen
Yeah, we should reinvent the briefcase.
Sam Taggart
There's no sense of play. It's so self serious. It's just like.
George Severis
Yeah, I want a bag that. A. Apologies for using an outdated slur. Lipstick lesbian. I want a bag that is masculine for a woman.
Catherine Cohen
Yes.
Sam Taggart
No, I know what you mean. I know what you mean.
Catherine Cohen
I think the bag I have would suit you. Well, it's sort of.
George Severis
I agree. That's why I brought it up.
Catherine Cohen
Well, thank you for bringing up. Because actually yesterday I walked into my podcast recording where I broke the seal and I said, no one's talking about my bag because it was a gift from my mother for my birthday. And By a gift. I sent her a link and I said, this is what I would like for my birthday, because that's how we rock in my family.
Sam Taggart
Yeah.
Catherine Cohen
And I just wanted to feel that big. To borrow a term from that hit TV show, capacious supple leather feeling.
Sam Taggart
Yeah.
George Severis
Yeah.
Sam Taggart
It's too bad Trump won and then we couldn't spend enough time on your back.
Catherine Cohen
You stole the flower. I live in hell. I live in hell.
Sam Taggart
Oh, my God.
Catherine Cohen
Wait, I do think you need a non gendered leather bag.
George Severis
I need a non gender. Here's what I need. Okay. And I've, like, planned this out, and I wonder how the Trump era is going to play into it. We're talking big brand change for me. Daily uniform, raw denim, blazer, leather bag.
Catherine Cohen
That's so hot. You kind of want to dress like Jenna Lyons.
George Severis
Exactly.
Sam Taggart
That's really smart.
Catherine Cohen
You look good in that.
Sam Taggart
That's really smart.
George Severis
And I think the shirt can change, and I think I can play around with it. By the way, one of the best things you could do. Pants, blazer, denim shirt.
Sam Taggart
No, I think that's chic. I think that's chic. But, George, you're kind of scaring me.
George Severis
Like, why?
Sam Taggart
It's just so serious. And you're going to do it all the time, but you're doing it right now.
Catherine Cohen
George saw that I have a blazer and a leather bag, and he said, I want what Ms. Pellegrino has. I crave her. Je sais quo.
Sam Taggart
Her. Yeah, casual. Casual. Perfect style.
Catherine Cohen
You know what, Sam, I have to bring this up. This shirt reminds me of our date.
Sam Taggart
Did I wear this on our date?
Catherine Cohen
No, but it's just reminds me that we went on a Georgia.
George Severis
Wait, when was your date?
Catherine Cohen
Did we touch on this last time?
Sam Taggart
This date was before anything was wrong in the world. Actually.
Catherine Cohen
It was pre 2016. Trump. It was pre everything. It was pre. It was. Neither of us had podcasts yet, and we were like, let's.
George Severis
That's when things started going south, by the way.
Catherine Cohen
Oh, by the way, I cannot believe I still have a podcast.
George Severis
The rise. I'm, like, basically being completely earnest here. The rise of podcasting was the harbinger of doom. I mean, if you think about Joe Rogan, if you think about, like, just everything. The media should never have been democratized.
Sam Taggart
But anyway, yeah, we went on a date to.
Catherine Cohen
We just, like, went, like, bar hopping. But all of a sudden we were like, why does this feel like a date?
Sam Taggart
It was so flirty, and it was like, we should have, like, made Out a little at the end. I wish.
Catherine Cohen
Because, you know, you're my dad. I've always thought he was.
George Severis
I recently had that.
Catherine Cohen
Really?
George Severis
I recently had that with Amy Zimmer.
Sam Taggart
Oh, fun.
George Severis
Because we did a. We are sort of starting. I think this is our third one. Basically a yearly tradition of having like, steaks and martinis and like, really, like, going out.
Sam Taggart
That's really fun, George.
Catherine Cohen
I feel like you and I have a yearly drink as well. That needs to change.
George Severis
Katherine, the way that I. I know. You're so hard to reach. And so I was literally like, catherine.
Sam Taggart
You'Re hard to reach.
George Severis
You are.
Catherine Cohen
Do you really think that?
Sam Taggart
100.
George Severis
Not hard to read. I'm actually hard to find in person.
Catherine Cohen
I'm actually shattered because, you know that my whole thing is that I have no friends.
George Severis
That's not true. Here's what happens.
Sam Taggart
You are so hard.
George Severis
No, it. Whenever you're in town, my heart rate goes up because I'm like, okay, like, this is your one shot. If you don't do it now, then it's Q4. Like.
Catherine Cohen
It'S only because I was milking. I had one show I wrote and I was like, I'm going to tour this into the ground. And that's. So I've been gone on and off for like two years, but I'm done.
Sam Taggart
But even before that, you were like shooting another show.
Catherine Cohen
Oh, well, you know, I shot a. I haven't really spoken about this, but, you know, I shot an amazing television show that has yet to air.
Sam Taggart
Oh, that's never come out.
Catherine Cohen
It's actually yet to air. And I worked on it for two years. And I went to Latvia, I went to Iceland, I went to Argentina, I went to. I've been all over the world.
Sam Taggart
But for a show that hasn't aired.
Catherine Cohen
It has yet to air. We don't know where it's airing or when, but we celebrate that.
Sam Taggart
Wow.
Catherine Cohen
Isn't that cool?
Sam Taggart
God, I love our media landscape.
Catherine Cohen
But I. I'm shattered that you think I'm hard to reach because I'm actually famously really good at texting back.
Sam Taggart
Really?
George Severis
So you are good at texting back?
Catherine Cohen
It's okay.
Sam Taggart
We're fact checking. We're fact checking.
Catherine Cohen
Say it.
George Severis
Say it. Okay, you have a tell. Can I say what it is?
Catherine Cohen
What?
George Severis
When you are. I think that when you are not quite available to like have an in depth conversation, you text. Hahaha. But starting with A. So you go A H, A H, A H. Do you. Would you say that's accurate?
Catherine Cohen
I text that a Lot. Yeah.
George Severis
Oh, interesting.
Catherine Cohen
For me that means like that's even funnier than I would have thought. For me, ahahaha is funnier than hahaha.
Sam Taggart
So ahaha is coming from a sincere place.
Catherine Cohen
It's very sincere. Yeah. Okay, that's interesting. No, it's good to learn how you are seen in the world. But yeah, it's not a bad thing.
Sam Taggart
I think most of the people that we, you know, could get drinks with in 2015 are now quite hard to reach.
Catherine Cohen
I do feel like so many of our friends cannot respond to one of my texts to save their life. So at least, at least I feel like. I feel like you both respond.
George Severis
I respond, no, I think. And we know who I'm talking about. We can make it less. I'm being jokey. Jokey. But of course you respond and you are actually, it's not that you're hard to reach.
Catherine Cohen
Mr. Jokijoki.
George Severis
Mr. Jokijoki.
Catherine Cohen
I'm sorry to interrupt. Go ahead.
George Severis
No, but I do think time also flies. Like I remember our last date that we had at this point was probably over a year ago. Even though I don't think of it as over. I know, but when we went to that hotel bar.
Catherine Cohen
Yeah. This isn't about shaming. It's. I think we've all been quite busy. You got married, you moved to la.
Sam Taggart
Against my work.
Catherine Cohen
Now you work non stop.
Sam Taggart
That's true.
Catherine Cohen
I was kind of interested in what we were talking about pre pod, which is. Do you want to discuss that on POD or are you not talking about that?
Sam Taggart
The show or my lack of sense of self?
Catherine Cohen
Well, the amazing mashup that's resulted. Because I think we all feel this way. You crave a steady job, then you get one, Then you're like, is this what I wanted? How are you feeling?
Sam Taggart
It's complicated. I've been working this job for. It's coming up on a year. We're like, that's crazy. A month away from it being a year and it's like a full, full time job.
Catherine Cohen
It's also really. We're doing it live, we're doing it.
Sam Taggart
The show's coming out no matter what. It's like very fun. I really like the room, but I do, I am starting to be like, wait, who am I?
Catherine Cohen
Because you must get home and just pass the fuck out.
Sam Taggart
I'm so tired and I literally have to get up at like 6:15 if I want to go to the gym.
Catherine Cohen
Well, sorry. Okay. Caveat. Caveat. On the Lower east side, it really.
George Severis
Is your Self discipline on that front is really impressive to me because I, I'm not, I can't get into it. But I've had a job for the past few months for which I have to by the way, commute to Penn Station.
Catherine Cohen
I'm so sorry that you're going through that and I want to.
Sam Taggart
That's really tough.
Catherine Cohen
First we're living in towards America now.
George Severis
That I will say I. It's, you know, the start time is on the later side. It's like I can get there by you know, 10, 10:30 and it's fine. So I could go to the gym if I wanted to, but there is no part of me that's going to wake up any, any earlier than I absolutely need to.
Sam Taggart
No, I've just been like, what? I feel like I wake up stre and so I'm like, let's just run with it and just get up and go.
Catherine Cohen
Do you feel this way too, George? I feel like I wake up and immediately I'm filled with so much dread, so much fear.
George Severis
Is that I think so here's what I'll say. There was a, I would say 5, 6, 7, 8 year period where I was like constantly putting off developing a either morning or nighttime routine and I was constantly being like, okay, like I'm less screen time. Okay, meditation, no screens before bed. And I would go through these like week long, two week long cycles of like boom and bust. Boom and bust. I would say approximately one year ago I gave up completely. Like I am no longer making effort. The one thing I'm doing is exercising, which is helping a little bit, but otherwise making zero efforts to improve my lifestyle choices. That's good. And there's something that's like I need to get back on the horse.
Catherine Cohen
When do you work out?
George Severis
I just. Great question. Like in the very short time between work and dinner, basically.
Catherine Cohen
Work and play.
Sam Taggart
Oh, that can be nice.
George Severis
And then in an ideal world it would be like work, gym, dinner, laundry. Gym, tan, laundry.
Catherine Cohen
Yeah, Show. I mean I haven't done a show in a long time.
Sam Taggart
Well, and I've got to be honest, the shows in LA are not as fun. I bet they are.
Catherine Cohen
Are more frequent.
Sam Taggart
I am.
Catherine Cohen
But do you feel in touch with the live comedy scene in New York, George?
George Severis
You know, okay, I feel like an elder.
Catherine Cohen
I feel like an elder.
George Severis
I definitely feel like an elder. However, there are enough people, you know, I was at Max's apartment last night and there were. He just like had a few people over and I was looking around, I was like, there are Actually, enough people here that have been here from the start, and I feel I am in community with and like, so I don't feel as alienated as I have felt at times in the past.
Catherine Cohen
Totally.
George Severis
I am. I was touring over the summer and that felt. I really felt like I was soaring because I was, like, doing. I had never toured by myself before, and I. I felt like I was like, really evolving and doing something. And then as soon as I came back to New York, it was just like, cut. Like, I. I didn't make an effort to be booked on stuff here, so I just, like, came back and stopped performing basically for like. Like two months.
Catherine Cohen
Yeah.
George Severis
And I think the whiplash of that is getting to me a little bit.
Catherine Cohen
I feel that so much. I feel I.
George Severis
Sometimes you will. I had a. Sometimes you'll talk to a younger person and the things that they say about, like, what they're. What Com. What the comedy lifestyle is like now are just so unrelatable and so completely different. Just like, I mean, I don't. It sounds so cliche, but just like, literally people being like, okay, so what you have to do is just like, no matter whether anything is funny or good or not, just like post twice a day. And you have to. You have to post like once at 9am, once at 1pm and then if you do it enough, you will, like, just. The way it works is that you will go viral, even if, like, it's just a matter of, like, quantity. It's just like if you flood the algorithm, you will at some point go viral. And then when you do go viral, then if you do that approximately, like once every four months, then within two years, you can get this number of followers and then you can start making so much money through brand deals. And literally last night, you know, I was talking to someone, she was like, yeah. And then. And then this person I know got a. Got a coach. And so then you just post that and then that's how you make your money. And then you're able to, like, fund your standup career through that. And I was just like, oh, my God. It's just like when I think about what we were talking about, which was like, which open mics to go to, and, oh, it was so pure.
Catherine Cohen
Wait, I have a question, because I feel like. So I think about this all the time too, but it's like, now we live in a world where, first of all, there's too many famous people. Everyone's famous. Yes.
George Severis
And also no one's famous for somehow not us.
Catherine Cohen
First of all, we're the most famous people in the world. Let me say this. I feel like having a lot of followers doesn't mean anything anymore. Do you mean?
Sam Taggart
Well, we've talked about this. It doesn't mean anything.
George Severis
It doesn't mean anything.
Catherine Cohen
Right.
Sam Taggart
It's like sometimes even it means the opposite.
Catherine Cohen
Yeah. Cause auteurs are coming at you with 3,4000 followers because they're auteurs.
Sam Taggart
Because they care about the art, because.
Catherine Cohen
They'Re doing the craft. They're not doing the 9AMs. But I try and do a little both, honey.
Sam Taggart
I want my feet in both.
Catherine Cohen
I'm trying to play the game, but still make something that I care about. Which is not easy.
Sam Taggart
It's not easy.
George Severis
I actually think you have. You are one of the few people that has.
Sam Taggart
You're doing both.
Catherine Cohen
That is so figured it out crushing doing both. But you know what I noticed? What I've noticed. Yeah. Is people. So like, you have to build these crowd work moments into your shows, which feels totally unnatural and weird. So that you have. Cause I'm like, oh, yeah, I'll post all my jokes, but then I only have that many. Cause then I have an hour and then I, you know.
George Severis
That is what people are doing. It seems so obvious in retrospect and yet I just can't. It seems so unnatural to me. I don't know.
Sam Taggart
I was fed a crowd work clip recently that was edited.
Catherine Cohen
Fed is so. I mean, it's so true. And that's what you would say, but I do.
Sam Taggart
I was force fed. I was force fed.
Catherine Cohen
Baby birded. Yeah.
Sam Taggart
This clip of this standup doing crowd work that was edited so intensely, every single word had like a graphic caption on it. And like the zoom ins were so constant. It was as if it was the most exciting thing that had ever happened. And I was like, this is so boring. And also the riffs were so mediocre and just like, like really reaching. Like, oh, I bet that's like. That's like driving down the highway with. With a raccoon on your head and like. But like, zoom in. Crash. And like, it made it seem like it was like the most amazing time. And I was like, this hurts to watch.
Catherine Cohen
Yeah.
George Severis
Are we. Are we? Are we in a uniquely esthetically depraved era?
Sam Taggart
100% like.
George Severis
Because I think this is actually, like, I honestly think my reaction to a lot of this stuff, it's like I can pretend it's because I'm. Oh, I'm so sophisticated that God forbid I post a real. That's not my issue. Like, I can probably get into that headspace and I could probably do it, but I actually think what I'm more responding to is the ugliness of it. Like, I can't.
Sam Taggart
It is so, like, it's not even ugly.
Catherine Cohen
How is this.
George Severis
What it has all been leading to is like terrible fonts that are not centered and weird cuts.
Catherine Cohen
Impact. It's Impact. They're using the Impact font.
Sam Taggart
It' even like, they're like, you are actively punished. I feel if something is thought out and does look nice, you're like. They're like, well, then you're a fake.
Ryan Seacrest
So then this is like paid for.
Sam Taggart
And it's like, well, no, it's thought. It's set design. It's. It's.
George Severis
Well, yes, because there's something about what user generated content is meant to look like. Citizen journalism. Like, it's meant to be like, on the ground. Like, you know, and so then when you. If you're out there, you know, going to film school, making a short film about a French tutor that ends up being. Bisexual.
Sam Taggart
I was gonna say bisexual.
George Severis
You post that. It's so well lit. It's so sepia. You post that suddenly someone's like, what is this, like, some clip from, like a TV show? I don't want to watch that. I'm here to watch someone explain to me why, you know, why, like, megalopolis is actually a metaphor for ancient Greece or whatever.
Sam Taggart
Yeah. Have you guys seen. We're jumping all over the place.
Catherine Cohen
George. I want to jump some more too.
Sam Taggart
Okay. The one thing about this that I want to say really quick is that one of the things that was like an echo of 2016 again was these videos of, like, liberal destroys 25 conservatives. Have you seen these?
Catherine Cohen
No.
George Severis
Yes. It's called Jubilee. That show? Yes. Do you know about this?
Catherine Cohen
No. What's that?
George Severis
Am I Ellen Hog.
Sam Taggart
They're like mega viral. And it's like, watch. And it's like a long clip where there's like one blonde boy who's liberal and then he, like conservatives come and sit in a chair in front of him and they argue about it.
George Severis
It's Marina Abramovic style.
Sam Taggart
It's the argument Abram Riley.
Catherine Cohen
Because I saw one with Buttigieg.
Sam Taggart
Yes.
George Severis
Buttigieg did one.
Catherine Cohen
And I go, why is Buttigieg doing Marina Abramovich? That was my first thought. I was like, huh?
Sam Taggart
And you better believe people just destroyed 25 undecided.
George Severis
York is crying.
Sam Taggart
Yeah.
George Severis
No, it's. No, you're absolutely right. And. And You. And then, of course, you start thinking, okay, we think, why is culture being so repetitive? But maybe it's just because we're finally old enough to witness a cycle of repetition. And the people that are, like, 60 years old have just been witnessing these cycles for longer. So they just know that, like, like, inherently in the 90s, there was a debate about political correctness. So it's going to come back in another 15 years, and it's going to be a debate about wokeness. And then in another 15 years, it's going to be called something else, and it's going to be the same exact debate. And then. And then affirmative action is going to be debated because people are in a certain psychological Freudian space where that's the thing that they decide as the enemy. And it's just. It's these, like, cycles of national mood and global mood that just, like, naturally happen. Because that's. Because the world is like one giant organism that's just, like, processing and unloading things.
Catherine Cohen
Do you think that trends are cycling faster? Like, how? With.
George Severis
Yeah, I think that's. I do think that gives you like, hell with pants. Yes. And I do think that is what's difficult. Like, I almost think Trump coming back, it's like, trends are so fast.
Sam Taggart
It should be longer. It should have been a decade.
Catherine Cohen
No, genuinely, it's almost been a decade.
Sam Taggart
Well, don't say that.
Catherine Cohen
Imagine being 25 the first time, and now you're 100 years old.
Sam Taggart
No, the way that I'm like, that's honestly one of the. This is obviously not the main sad point, but the.
Catherine Cohen
This is the saddest thing about all of this.
Sam Taggart
No, but that was like. I was like, damn. So much of my life will have been spent thinking about this man.
Catherine Cohen
Yeah.
Sam Taggart
And being, like, bothered by this man.
Catherine Cohen
Some would say the best years of your life.
Sam Taggart
Many.
Catherine Cohen
Although people love to say it's like, it only gets better.
Sam Taggart
No, my 40s are gonna fucking rock.
Catherine Cohen
Totally king.
Sam Taggart
I'm so excited.
George Severis
Oh, no, my 40s are gonna be amazing.
Sam Taggart
Well, you.
Catherine Cohen
Of course, all of our 40s are gonn electric.
George Severis
I'm like, I mean, my. Are you kidding me? Blazer, leather bag. It's going to be George yours.
Catherine Cohen
You can do that now.
Sam Taggart
Your 60s are going to be to die for. See, George, I just don't want you to, like, do blazer and leather bag now when it's like, you have your 40s.
George Severis
Oh, you think I should enjoy my 30s a little more?
Catherine Cohen
You want them in, like, put him in a mesh T coat.
Sam Taggart
Put him In a chore coat, for crying out loud.
Catherine Cohen
I don't know. I don't know.
George Severis
Talk about trend cycles, by the way. Workwear is going to be so embarrassing in seconds, George.
Sam Taggart
It's all I have.
George Severis
I was over at Max's last night, and every single man was wearing some version of, like, Carhartt, Stan, Ray, like, you know, whatever. Workwear. Every single one with the same exact pocket patterns. And I was like, enjoy it while it lasts, boys.
Catherine Cohen
You holding your giant leather bag, petting it like a cat. Like a hairless cat. Enjoy it, boys.
George Severis
Drinking a glass of champagne, but no one. I walked in with it. No one offered it to me.
Catherine Cohen
That sounds good.
Sam Taggart
No, that sounds good.
Catherine Cohen
I wish we could all unwind with, like, a big bottle of red after this.
Sam Taggart
God, I would do anything to just.
Catherine Cohen
Like, what day is it? You're not working today?
Sam Taggart
No, I'm not working today. We have Fridays off.
Catherine Cohen
And yet here you are.
Sam Taggart
Yeah.
Catherine Cohen
Plugging. Plugging in those hours.
Sam Taggart
Well, I have multiple jobs. Of course.
Catherine Cohen
I know multiple income streams.
Sam Taggart
You have to.
George Severis
I will say, one of the reasons why I feel especially cuckoo is that. So Sam and I had a separate business meeting before our first recording. Then we did that. Then first recording, then second recording. I have been. Sam has been, like. At first he was at his apartment, then he was in studio. He, like, said hi to the producers. I have been in this spot while the sun has been going down for four hours.
Catherine Cohen
No, I don't envy. I know you're sundowning, but also. Oh, my God. But also, both of you. I'm familiar with the feeling you're having, which is there's nothing worse than doing two in one day. It's hell on earth.
George Severis
I would not describe speaking to you in any context.
Catherine Cohen
You know what I'm saying? I take no offense to it. I'm trying to come in and bring a fresh energy because as someone who's been in a podcast video for 19 hours straight, you lose all. Everything you guys have done.
George Severis
And then someone. And then someone comments like, it looks like they don't like each other anymore.
Sam Taggart
Oh, my God, I hate when they do that.
George Severis
Let's do our first segment.
Sam Taggart
Oh, my God.
George Severis
Get it out of the way. And then. And then we're gonna, like, go, go. And then we're gonna really luxuriate on your topic. Okay.
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Ryan Seacrest
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Sam Taggart
I know, right? I was worried we'd bring back the same team.
George Severis
Oh, no, I meant those Blackout motorized shades.
Ryan Seacrest
MVP of the room. Blinds.com made it crazy affordable to replace our old blinds.
George Severis
Hard to install.
Ryan Seacrest
No, it's easy.
George Severis
Even you could do it. Nice. I installed these and then got some from my mom too. You fly across the country to do the install?
Ryan Seacrest
Nope. Blinds.com can do it all. All she had to do was pick what she wanted.
Sam Taggart
She talked to a design consultant for.
Ryan Seacrest
Free and scheduled a professional measure and install.
George Severis
Look at you, hall of fame, son. Oh, I just picked the winning team. They're the number one online retailer of.
Ryan Seacrest
Custom window coverings in the world.
George Severis
Oh.
Ryan Seacrest
Blinds.com is the goat the goat.
George Severis
Shop.
Catherine Cohen
Up to 45% off select styles plus.
George Severis
A free professional measured and a 100%.
Addison Rae
Satisfaction guarantee during the blinds.com year end blowout.
George Severis
Up to 45% off now@blinds.com blinds.com rules.
Catherine Cohen
And restrictions may apply. Incredible.
George Severis
So, Catherine, our first segment is called Straight Shooters. And in this segment we ask you a series of rapid fire questions where you have to choose one thing or another thing to get familiar with this four years ago and complicity and straight culture. Now take one final sip of that Pellegrino.
Catherine Cohen
Can you explain it again? I do. What?
George Severis
Okay, so the one rule is you can't ask any follow up questions.
Catherine Cohen
Oh, cool. Okay, then let's just rock. Let's rock it.
George Severis
Catherine, running late or looking stunning for your date?
Catherine Cohen
Sorry, am I picking which one? Straight.
George Severis
Oh, see, that's a question.
Catherine Cohen
No, I really didn't hear the beginning.
Sam Taggart
No. So that's kind of part of it.
Catherine Cohen
No, I don't want to be bullied.
Sam Taggart
No, that's too late, though.
Catherine Cohen
Oh, my God. Y'all know I'm straight with a shred of bi. But it's a small shred.
Sam Taggart
The shred it like the shred is.
George Severis
Getting smaller and smaller.
Catherine Cohen
No, it actually got bigger and then smaller and then bigger and then smaller.
George Severis
It's like the New York Times election needle.
Catherine Cohen
You know, I was on a plane watching that needle fly.
Sam Taggart
Wow.
Catherine Cohen
I was up in the air coming with a Pellegrino. I was thinking of, you know, actually my new thing and now it shows my age. But what's better than a white wine spritzer?
Sam Taggart
No, that's fun.
Catherine Cohen
Oh, yeah, that's on a plane, you go off. A white wine. Could I also have like a seltzer?
Sam Taggart
Misha's a big white wine spritzer head.
Catherine Cohen
It keeps you hydrated, keeps you on your toes.
Sam Taggart
It's practically good for you.
Catherine Cohen
Okay. Sorry. Running late or looking great for a date?
George Severis
Looking stunning for your date.
Catherine Cohen
Looking stunning.
Sam Taggart
Perfect. Okay. Catherine, leaving a bad Yelp review or saying, ah, to hell with you.
Catherine Cohen
To hell with you.
George Severis
Mamma Mia. Or Papa Don't Preach.
Catherine Cohen
I gotta go. Mamma Mia.
Sam Taggart
Okay. Finding Nemo or losing the youth vote?
Catherine Cohen
Finding Nemo.
George Severis
Uncle Sam or Auntie Ann's?
Catherine Cohen
Auntie Ann's forever.
Sam Taggart
Okay. Carrot top or apple bottom?
Catherine Cohen
Apple bottom. Jeans, boots with the fur. Got the whole club looking at her.
George Severis
Peek a Boo or Snake to the loo.
Catherine Cohen
Snake to the loo.
Sam Taggart
Okay. We hold these truths to be self evident. Or when it comes to Charlie Puth, let's just say I'm hesitant.
Catherine Cohen
Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist.
George Severis
I completely agree.
Catherine Cohen
We agreed after seven bars of chocolate.
George Severis
Wait, Sam, that was your last one. Was so me.
Sam Taggart
Oh, that's true. You know, we influence each other.
George Severis
I think I would a like doing a political one and then a non political one is very me. And then Charlie Puth is very me. I think you are. I'm way more Charlie Puth than you are.
Sam Taggart
No, that's true. I guess I'm. I don't really understand his deal.
Catherine Cohen
I have no idea what his deal. I only know him as a Swiftie. I only know him as part of the Swift extended universe.
Sam Taggart
As a gay guy. I only know him as someone that posts thirst traps that gay guys will like, like put on Twitter.
Catherine Cohen
And. Is he married to a straight woman?
George Severis
Yeah, he is straight. And as a Charlie Puth fan, I will say that I actually really like some of his songs.
Catherine Cohen
That's crazy too.
Sam Taggart
Oh, yeah? What songs?
George Severis
I like this song called Charlie Be Quiet, which is a sort of. Do you remember that micro moment? Do you remember the micro moment when the first Olivia Rodrigo album dropped where it was suddenly cool to be Avril Lavigne?
Catherine Cohen
Yes.
George Severis
So he, like, that was what he was doing with that. It's almost like a. I would say almost like a simple plan type beat. Like, it's like punk pop.
Catherine Cohen
Oh, welcome to my life.
George Severis
Yeah.
Sam Taggart
Wow.
George Severis
So I like that song. I like. I gotta say, you know, I literally sometimes listen to his album.
Catherine Cohen
This is.
Sam Taggart
That's crazy. It's crazy. You're scaring me, George.
Catherine Cohen
It's already a hard day.
Sam Taggart
I Know our country has fallen.
George Severis
I so love. I love his thirst traps. I think they're fun. And like, let me even.
Catherine Cohen
Is he hot? Like, let me look him up.
George Severis
He's interesting looking.
Sam Taggart
I mean, I actually do appreciate a good. I'm glad that he's thirst trapping. I think that's fun.
George Severis
Yeah, I like. And the thirst traps have a sense of whimsy to them. That is I appreciate way more than like a Shawn Mendes.
Sam Taggart
They actually remind me a lot of myself.
Catherine Cohen
He looks younger than he is.
George Severis
He's like you in that. He's like, silly but hot.
Catherine Cohen
Yeah, I love his little eyebrow situation.
Sam Taggart
His little eyebrow situation is fun. What did Katherine get on our new scale of disease or not disease?
Catherine Cohen
Oh, he looks too young. You know that. Might even want a old guy. Oh, my God. You.
Sam Taggart
Yeah, me.
Catherine Cohen
Uaf.
Sam Taggart
Yeah.
Catherine Cohen
I feel like I heard you. Someone that I know.
Sam Taggart
Oh, which one?
Catherine Cohen
I can't remember. I'll kick you after.
Sam Taggart
One time I had sex with a 66 year old man.
Catherine Cohen
That's great.
George Severis
Was that re. Was that recent, Sam?
Sam Taggart
No, it wasn't.
George Severis
Okay, so how old were you?
Sam Taggart
Literally, like 19.
Catherine Cohen
Oh, my God.
Sam Taggart
Yeah, we might have to cut this.
Catherine Cohen
Why?
Sam Taggart
Because it's scary.
Catherine Cohen
Were you scared?
Sam Taggart
I was a little scared.
Catherine Cohen
I'm sorry. That's horrible.
Sam Taggart
But it was my fault. I like, fully, like, went over to his house.
George Severis
It was not your fault.
Catherine Cohen
Yeah, I'm sorry. Can we at least just sit you down, tie you to the chair and tell you it's not your fault?
George Severis
Sam. Sam, it's not your fault. We're being Robin Williams in Goodwill hunting right now.
Sam Taggart
Well, I was like. I was just like, sure, I'll go to this man's random. This random man's house and.
George Severis
All right. Can I say something since we're on this topic?
Sam Taggart
Yeah.
George Severis
One of my regrets is not doing that more when I was 19.
Catherine Cohen
See, you can't win.
Sam Taggart
You can't win.
George Severis
You really can't win. Actually, I do think, obviously there are positives and negatives to many elements of gay culture. And I'll be the first to say.
Sam Taggart
That George takes a bold stance on gay culture.
George Severis
I'll take a bold stance and say, you win some, you lose some when it comes to being gay. Okay. But I do think the sort of the tradition of, like, age gap, like sexual awakening for the younger man and sort of daddy, like, almost coming into Daddy Dom for the older one. It's like they're both discovering a part of themselves. And I think that is actually that can be if it Is, you know, obviously completely consensual and completely above board. That can be a very beautiful part of gay culture. And there's no way to go back to being 22 and do that. So it's either you experience it or you don't. And I didn't. I never, like, went for older men when I was that age. And it's something I will regret for the rest of my life.
Catherine Cohen
I feel like you still could get with a much older person and feel like you could still feel gay.
Sam Taggart
Yeah, yeah.
Catherine Cohen
Actually, I mean, to ask you, speaking of that great tradition, I mean to ask you about a Greek question, please. There's a phrase, there's a term. I was sent.
George Severis
Okay.
Catherine Cohen
Acrasia or Acrasia. It's a term, a Greek word that refers to the tendency to act against one's better judgment. A K, R, A S, I A.
George Severis
No, I'm seeing it. You know, it's interesting. I it. Here's the thing with Greek.
Catherine Cohen
Huh.
George Severis
There are some things that are. I have heard that, but it is not like a. It's not something I could have told you off the top of my head what it means. The thing with Greek is that there are things in ancient Greek and sort of in, you know, classics textbooks that have taken on a life of their own that are very different than like your experience as a person living in contemporary Greece. So sometimes there will be like a full on Greek word that I don't necessarily know, but like American people that took a, that took like classics classes in college will know. And then I'll feel so ignorant because I'm like, well, I don't know that, but I do know the Greek word for, you know, I don't know. Bathroom.
Catherine Cohen
Yeah. No, no. You're like, that's not part of my daily life. So it's more of like, it's more of like a I went to college and learned this word vibe.
George Severis
And it's also, even things like, things also do genuinely mean slightly different things in ancient Greek and in modern Greek, like the same exact word. So sometimes someone will like talk to me about what something means. I'll be like, well, in fact, in modern Greek that just means. Oh my God, talk about modern Greek. My mom is calling me. One second.
Catherine Cohen
Oh my God. Let's pick it up.
George Severis
Okay.
Catherine Cohen
That's amazing.
Sam Taggart
Did you hear a winning put podcast in that sentence?
Catherine Cohen
No. That's amazing, George.
Sam Taggart
I love you did my favorite thing which is I. Yeah, like speaking my.
George Severis
Mom has literally been the word podcast.
Sam Taggart
In the middle of it.
George Severis
My mom has Been trying to reach me for two days. And in my mind, of course, I'm like, there's no way I could have. There's not a single way I could have gotten back to her when in fact all it would have taken is like a single text.
Sam Taggart
Yeah, it's tough. You should text her. Ahahaha.
Catherine Cohen
Shut the fuck. Hey, Sam. Shut the fuck up. My first time spiking the camera. Now let me ask you this. So would you say Acrasia or Acrasia?
George Severis
I would assume, and maybe I'm wrong, but if I were to see that in Greek, I would assume it's Akrasia.
Catherine Cohen
Akrasia. Thank you. Okay. I only asked because I was feeling really connected to the meaning of it. Because I'm obsessed with not doing the things that I should do.
George Severis
Yeah, Someone acts against their better judgment through weakness of will.
Catherine Cohen
Ooh, yeah. Like me not going to the gym.
Sam Taggart
I didn't like that judgment at the end. Weakness of will. Maybe I'm being self destructive.
Catherine Cohen
Okay, this is good. Well, anyways, Pat and I were talking about it today. Cause I brought it up and I was like, it's perfect. Cause I'm seeing George later. And then Pat thought you were betraying him because you were in town. Didn't tell him. Little did I know you're merely a computer. So you are on his shit list.
George Severis
Oh my God. So he thought I was in town.
Catherine Cohen
I thought you were in too. So I was like, I'm going to.
George Severis
See Sam and George later. Oh well, it's gonna be great when I finally text him.
Catherine Cohen
The big reveal.
George Severis
The big reveal.
Sam Taggart
Okay, wait, do we wanna get. I mean, it's 3:30.
Catherine Cohen
When do we start?
Sam Taggart
We started at like 2:30, didn't we? 2:45.
George Severis
No, we started at like 2:45.
Sam Taggart
Okay, great.
Catherine Cohen
Okay, great. You guys are dying to leave.
Sam Taggart
No, I'm just like, I.
Catherine Cohen
What's wrong?
Sam Taggart
Well, no, I feel like we should get into the.
Catherine Cohen
Sorry, I'm not.
Sam Taggart
Traditionally we would get into the straight topic at this, at a stage before, but we've been so non traditional and it almost feels like stopping conversation to get into the straight topic.
George Severis
I know. Well, you know, you and Pat are so. This happened. This happens when Pat is on the podcast too. You and Pat are so well trained in the art of conversation that it actually, like, it makes us not follow our own rules for our own podcast. Because we're like, well, we better just talk for 25 minutes about sort of like the ins and outs of New York vs LA comedy and whether TikTok is good. Or bad.
Catherine Cohen
I'm laughing because we just got a comment that was so. It was like, you guys are the worst interviewers I've ever heard of in my life.
George Severis
But interviewing is different.
Sam Taggart
It's a different thing. You're not like, tell me about this.
Catherine Cohen
We love to converse.
Sam Taggart
You talk.
Catherine Cohen
We love to talk. Face it, girl, you talk. But also, this is so. You know, I was so excited to come because this is so easy to talk to old friends.
Sam Taggart
I know.
Catherine Cohen
And you know that sometimes you're carrying a conversation for work and it's exhausting.
Sam Taggart
Yeah, of course.
George Severis
Don't we know it.
Catherine Cohen
I've seen some things. I've heard some things. I've been involved in some things. Ow. I'm so sorry. I have a crick in my neck.
Sam Taggart
Oh, no.
Catherine Cohen
But this happens to me once a.
Sam Taggart
Week, so we don't need to go to the hospital.
Catherine Cohen
So we're not going straight to hospital. I prefer the British version. Straight to hospital. Straight to hospital. Well, I read my Straight Topic. I thought of it. I kind of forgot, and then I thought of it in the car. I ran it by Sam, so I can drop it here if you want. In the chat.
George Severis
Yes, drop it. What is your straight topic? And what is straight about it? Go.
Catherine Cohen
Movies are straight.
George Severis
Wow.
Catherine Cohen
And film is gay. Do you like that?
Sam Taggart
I love that.
Catherine Cohen
Yeah.
George Severis
Yeah, I love that.
Catherine Cohen
Movies are straight. It's like, we're going to the movies. It's like, okay, we're seeing Fast and Furious. Like, we're seeing Marvel. It's like, we're going to the movies. Buckle up. Like, dude, have you seen that movie? Let's watch some movies. It's like, okay, shut up.
Sam Taggart
I actually do think we need to differentiate it more literally. It actually would be nice to be the same way that a movie is different than a TV show. We need a movie and a film. That's two different things. Oh, a film's coming out.
Catherine Cohen
Anora is a film.
Sam Taggart
Anora is a film. And I would like to see the film. Smile 2 is a movie.
Catherine Cohen
Smile 2 is an amazing movie. And movies can be amazing because they.
Sam Taggart
Shouldn'T even be in competition with each other. They're so different.
Catherine Cohen
It's a different. It's like, oh, is this.
George Severis
Well, you know what it is? It's vase versus vase.
Catherine Cohen
Wow. And vase is straight.
George Severis
And. And vase is straight, but also, like, cheap. Like, it's. It's basically like when it reaches a certain threshold of, you know, sophistication, monetary value, whatever, it becomes a vase, and it's that. But for cinema, you know, a TikTok can never be a short film, no.
Sam Taggart
Matter how hard they try. God, that's what's wrong. When people are like, TikTok is doing some of the most amazing film stuff right now, where it's like. If you look at the editing, it's actually really interesting. It's like kind of a new cinema, if you think about it.
Catherine Cohen
Who's saying that?
Sam Taggart
Disgusting perverts.
Catherine Cohen
The same people who are working on book projects, literally.
George Severis
No, Sometimes, yeah.
Catherine Cohen
Really, people are like, if you act, that's where things are happening.
Sam Taggart
Like, they're all just little directors.
Catherine Cohen
But guess what? I absolutely adore TikTok.
Sam Taggart
Do you?
Catherine Cohen
Have you guys ever laughed so hard in your life? Yes, I will be. I mean, it's probably. I've been spending a lot of time alone and, like. Cause when you're touring or traveling, you're, like, by yourself and you do go crazy. But, like, there'll be times, like, I'm alone in bed, I'm in tears, laughing at a TikTok. And whether or not it's a good TikTok or a funny joke, it's brought me joy. And I have to accept that.
Sam Taggart
Mm. So I. I've only experienced TikTok as a trap, where it's like, I'm there against my will. You're angry, and I almost in, like a. In a gambling way where I'm like, I hated that. I hated that. I hated that. And I'm, like, waiting for something good to come, and I'm like, I'll get off when I.
Catherine Cohen
You're fighting the hug from your estranged parent. You're fighting the hug, and you need to sink into the hug. I know. I'm sorry.
Ryan Seacrest
I'm sorry.
Catherine Cohen
That's what's happening.
Sam Taggart
No, that makes sense.
George Severis
I've been worried recently because. So I have never looked at TikTok Tock in my life.
Catherine Cohen
Sorry, Free record that. Post that straight to grid. I have never looked at.
George Severis
I do. I have. I have seen TikToks people send to me and then it opens on the, like, Safari app. Hell, I have literally never in my life seen what a for you page looks like. I think.
Sam Taggart
Yeah.
George Severis
For the longest time, I would. You know, I'll say it. Feel a little better than everyone else because, well, you are the case.
Catherine Cohen
You are.
George Severis
But here's the thing, Catherine. Recently, I would say over the last year, more and more smart people that I really respect and find to be incredibly informative and intelligent will tell me it's like they're dropping one by one. Because they're, they're all getting on, they're getting into TikTok. Even at this late stage. I would say you're the latest example of this.
Catherine Cohen
I joined late, but it's a huge part of my life. And, and actually watching my boyfriend shout out. Yeah, shout out to my straight boyfriend. Watching him use TikTok to build this is humiliate. His podcast has been amazing. He really is a master of the form.
Sam Taggart
Wow.
Catherine Cohen
And in our, yeah.
George Severis
And it's so, in that sense, he's a filmmaker.
Catherine Cohen
My boyfriend is a filmmaker. Yeah, I joined it late, but it has brought me so much joy. And now there is this, this disconnect between people who know the weird sounds and references and then those who don't. And I don't know what's better or worse.
George Severis
I, I, well, this is the thing, like, I don't know them. And I actually, I, I remember very distinctly in the, let's say, the 2010s when I was very active on Twitter. I remember knowing about, knowing about memes and trends and then in three weeks reading about them in the Time style section and being like, like, oh, my God, these losers. Like, they're like all like fucking pathetic 35 year olds writing about what's happening on Twitter and that. And now I have become the news consumer that is hearing about TikTok trends three weeks late because I'm not there on the ground floor. Those style section pieces are for me now.
Sam Taggart
I would be scared for you when you first open it, because I really.
Catherine Cohen
Do think Pandora's Box.
Sam Taggart
It's. I remember looking at the, the TikTok app for the first time and feeling nauseous. It's like, you know, how have you done shrooms? And you were like, before the fun part, and you're like, you're nauseous. Like, your head kind of hurts and you're like, oh, this is going to be bad, bad. And then you get past it and you're fine. There is that moment of looking at TikTok for the first time where you're like, these people are sick. The world is disgusting. I like, everything is so empty. There's death all around me.
George Severis
Okay, but then you settle back. That's the truth.
Catherine Cohen
No, there's so much joy within the app. There is so much life. There is so much life within the app.
George Severis
Listen, I'm happy for all creators, especially LGBTQ ones.
Catherine Cohen
I think it's making me a worse artist, but it's bringing me, it's like a drug. It's a Band Aid. It's an instant hit of dopamine in a really dark, dark time.
Sam Taggart
I want to say this is a huge shift of subjects. Lately. I listened.
Catherine Cohen
Huge lately. It's a good title. Yeah, it's huge, comma, slightly.
Sam Taggart
I listened to your episode of Las Culturistas.
Catherine Cohen
Oh, my God. How was that?
Sam Taggart
It was so interesting because this is a podcast about podcasting, first and foremost, of course. And it was so jarring because I was. You guys were all talking about how much time has passed since we've all known each other. And it's true. But it was freaking me out because it was so the end of the story, in a way.
Catherine Cohen
And I disagree with that.
Sam Taggart
Really?
Catherine Cohen
I feel like where it's just starting.
Sam Taggart
Okay, I love this.
Catherine Cohen
I know what you're saying. I know what you're saying. Keep going.
Sam Taggart
Well, I was just, like, I felt zoomed out from life kind of listening to that.
Catherine Cohen
But do you know what it is? I think I feel like I see you guys more frequently than I see them.
Sam Taggart
Yeah, that's true.
Catherine Cohen
So it felt more like, oh, my God. Remember that?
Sam Taggart
Right, right, right, right, right.
Catherine Cohen
I don't know.
George Severis
I'm trying to remember. Okay. No, I did not listen to that, but I did listen to Matt on seek treatment, and that made me feel insane.
Sam Taggart
Sometimes I think I forget how much time has passed. Like, I think I do. I do feel that, like, we're still getting started. We're still scrappy. We're still figuring it out, and we're still trying to figure out how to make what we actually want to make.
Catherine Cohen
Yeah.
Sam Taggart
And so it's funny to be like, remember back then. Cause I'm like, whoa, Right. I do kind of update my ledger, and I forget sometimes to update my ledger because I'm like, it's still 2017.
Catherine Cohen
But do you think that's a pandemic thing, too? We just had this huge chunk, like.
Sam Taggart
Yeah, no, there's something to that. No, there's something to that.
George Severis
Here's the thing with the pandemic. I've always felt like, in many ways, in fact, in most ways, we were the perfect age during that time because we were not young enough that it affected our education or our upbringing or our family life or our socialization. And we were also not old enough that we had kids, had families. It didn't. We are. We're all able to have jobs and careers that basically could transition to remote work for a time, and we weren't like. Like, left behind economically. Like, there were so many ways in which we were incredibly lucky. But then a way in which we, like, were unlucky is that we lost those, like, last few years of youthful wonder, which is obviously so. It's. So it's so much less important than any other possible thing you could lose. Obviously. Like, there are people whose lives were ruined. There are people who died, but it is that if there is one thing we truly lost, it's like. Like, the idea of just, like, the transition between feeling like you're in your 20s and feeling like you're a full adult happened without us noticing.
Catherine Cohen
Agreed. 100 million percent. That's. Yeah. Even, like, because I just turned 33, and I feel like, emotion. I feel like I just turned 30. And emotionally, because I'm like, oh, wow. I'm really. Like, my partner moved in. Like, we're doing this. I can afford a plane ticket. Like, I'm in my 30s.
George Severis
But really, I mean, even when I was getting married, I was like. I was like, what am I, a child bride? And actually, everyone was also acting like that, too.
Catherine Cohen
But you kind of. You kind of are.
Sam Taggart
You are.
Catherine Cohen
You are still. I'm like, I don't know when. No.
Sam Taggart
I've been calling Matthew a groomer this whole time.
George Severis
Matthew is a groomer.
Catherine Cohen
When someone becomes pregnant, I'm like, wait, you're way too young for this, sweetie.
Sam Taggart
I literally told someone recently. I was like, it just finally feels like I'm not in college anymore. And I was like, that's insane.
Catherine Cohen
That's how I feel, too. It's like 10.
Sam Taggart
I'm 35. Like, I'm fully 35.
Catherine Cohen
Yeah.
Sam Taggart
Like, that is a crazy thing to say.
Catherine Cohen
Yeah. Respect.
George Severis
No, it's true.
Catherine Cohen
Oh, my God. Everyone's kooky, but.
Sam Taggart
Yeah, everyone's kooky. And life is crazy.
Catherine Cohen
Life is la, la, la.
Sam Taggart
You know, we didn't talk about the topic, but that's okay.
Catherine Cohen
We did.
Sam Taggart
But we did movies, right?
Catherine Cohen
Movies are great.
Sam Taggart
No, we talked about it enough. And it's like, I actually have found this to be so fun.
Catherine Cohen
Yeah. That's all life should be.
George Severis
Oh, it's completely fun.
Catherine Cohen
Life should be fun and, like, joyful, and it's so hard to stay that way.
Sam Taggart
It is.
Catherine Cohen
Do you know that I'm dressed like a flight attendant, or do you not care?
George Severis
I have actually noticed that.
Sam Taggart
No, I love the scarf. It's so fun.
George Severis
I noticed that. And actually, from my angle, I was like, am I seeing something incorrectly?
Catherine Cohen
No. I received this at a Diane von Furstenberg event for women.
Sam Taggart
Oh.
Catherine Cohen
And I said, check. I said checkmate. I love it.
Sam Taggart
Yeah, I love it.
George Severis
You know, one of my favorite things to talk about is how Diane von. The wrap dress is talked about as though it's literally, like, as important as inventing the nuclear bomb. Like, she's Oppenheimer.
Catherine Cohen
Guess what?
George Severis
It is every time she is mentioned Diane von Furstenberg. There is an interview with Diane von Furstenberg on every single New York Times Sunday section. Like, they will not stop interviewing her about the dress.
Catherine Cohen
I know, but let me say, as an absolute. As a. To borrow a phrase from Rihanna, as a fluctuating queen, the wrap dress is everything. It always fits. It always fits, and it always makes you look snatched. So. Thank you, Diana. Do you think so?
George Severis
I mean, obviously you do. It's your. I'm not saying do you think so for you, but I'm just. I'm trying to think.
Catherine Cohen
I think it's universally flattering. I do.
George Severis
It is universal. Universally.
Catherine Cohen
Okay. I don't think. I don't think it's trendy or, like, necessarily always.
George Severis
Yeah, but you think it's more universally flattering than, like, let's say, shirt, dress, belt.
Catherine Cohen
I mean, there's. There's. That's. I don't know what you're saying. There's a similarity there.
George Severis
Okay. Yeah, yeah.
Catherine Cohen
I mean, shirt dress. I mean, this is. What's a shirt dress to you?
George Severis
Like, like. I don't know, like a dress.
Catherine Cohen
Jet lions.
Sam Taggart
What does shirt dress mean?
George Severis
Basically everything. I know everything to me, like, the.
Sam Taggart
I see shirt dress as a woman at the beach.
Catherine Cohen
Okay. Interesting. Yeah. Yeah. You're thinking. You're thinking over a size oxford, like my boyfriend.
Sam Taggart
Yes.
Catherine Cohen
Yeah.
Sam Taggart
And you can, you know, it's so chic.
George Severis
Okay. Braided belt, really, really long. So then you do it one extra loop. You do a loop, but then you also, like, tie it.
Catherine Cohen
Cool.
George Severis
You know what I mean?
Catherine Cohen
Around the rest of it's giving, like, Keira Knightley rail thin bones jutting out of the hips. The belt's, like, falling off like Glastonbury.
George Severis
Yeah.
Catherine Cohen
Okay. I. Okay. We kind of touched on everything.
Sam Taggart
Yeah. Any other. Other things we didn't touch on?
George Severis
Here's what I have to. I do want to a little, because I really like the movies versus films thing. And I just want to say one more thing. Okay. All right. To bring it back to politics.
Catherine Cohen
Oh, awesome.
George Severis
I actually think film is thriving, but movies are suffering right now. Here's. So here's. Hear me out.
Sam Taggart
And that's why Trump was elected.
George Severis
Exactly.
Sam Taggart
To get movies tradition.
George Severis
Movies traditionally are the more privileged Form. It's like they're the big blockbusters. It takes more money to make them. The actors get paid more, they are more flashy, More people see them. And films are, like, for, you know, gay Italians, and they're in, like, little screens, and, you know, you have to first get a PhD in order to go see them. Blah, blah. What has happened is movies have suffered so much. No one's going to the multiplex anymore. Everyone's watching Netflix. But films, because they were already this, like, small enterprise, have actually been able to weather the storm. And there is an anora. There still is a Cannes Film Festival every year with all a bunch of artsy films.
Catherine Cohen
Yes.
George Severis
And so I think that. Moo. I think that, like, the people that make the big movies are becoming more reactionary in the same way that the people that were on top of the social ladder are becoming reactionary politically because they have lost a tiny bit of their power.
Sam Taggart
Wow.
George Severis
Thoughts?
Sam Taggart
I think this is genius. First of all, I am trying to think of literally anything to say about it.
Catherine Cohen
I know. I'm kind of like, keep going.
Sam Taggart
Yeah.
George Severis
But does this track what I'm saying?
Sam Taggart
I think it does track. I think it's sort of.
George Severis
I was not convinced.
Catherine Cohen
I don't know. I don't think movies have lost their power, I feel like, more and more and more. Well, yeah, yeah, they're.
George Severis
No, but they're like flops like that. No one is going to multiplex, and.
Catherine Cohen
Yet we're pouring, like, more and more money into making, like, the same horrible things.
Sam Taggart
So, yeah, I guess what you're saying is more like, movies are like the Democratic Party.
George Severis
But don't you think, Catherine, that that is what's reactionary about it? It's like.
Catherine Cohen
Yeah, they're grasping so tight, and it's burning their hands.
George Severis
It's like the way that movies going from being bad and original to bad and derivative is like the Republican Party going from Bush to Trump.
Catherine Cohen
Oh, my gosh. Okay, okay, okay, okay. Yes, yes, yes, yes. I'm on board. I'm on board. I'm on board. God, I do think what's. Yeah. Films will always exist. People will always make films. Movies are like theme parks. It's like, is the roller coaster gonna.
George Severis
Shut down once they're no longer monoculture? Can they even be called movies?
Sam Taggart
Well, literally. Netflix and all the other horrible movies that come out on streamers, except the ones that we would make, of course.
Catherine Cohen
Of course. And the ones our friends are in, and we think those are awesome.
Sam Taggart
And we like.
George Severis
You're so Good.
Catherine Cohen
You were so good in that.
Sam Taggart
But because of those movies. And it's like those movies and film are actually the only two things now. Like a movie coming out in theaters that's just a movie. I'm sort of like, what's the point?
Catherine Cohen
A movie. Like, what's the last movie that came out that wasn't part of a franchise? A movie?
George Severis
Well, anora. Conclave.
Sam Taggart
But you mean a movie, not a film movie.
George Severis
Okay.
Sam Taggart
Okay. Wait. Is Conclave a movie or a film?
Catherine Cohen
No, it's a. I, like, literally don't know what that is.
George Severis
Oh, you would love it, Catherine. It's about how they're.
Catherine Cohen
They're electing to be about that.
George Severis
They're like the new Pope and Ray finds is Nancy Pelosi.
Catherine Cohen
What could it be?
George Severis
So, okay, what's the last. This is a good.
Sam Taggart
Okay, what's the last movie?
George Severis
Oppenheimer.
Sam Taggart
But that was. Wasn't that a film?
Catherine Cohen
No, no, it was a.
George Severis
It was. It was.
Catherine Cohen
You know that. I saw that three times.
Sam Taggart
Are you an Oppenheimer head?
Catherine Cohen
No, I was going through. I was about to have surgery, and so I couldn't do anything, but I just kept. See. And there were a few things playing, and I would just see them, like, again and again and again because I had nothing to do and no one to.
Sam Taggart
And how much I love see the Barbie film.
Catherine Cohen
I did see it one time.
Sam Taggart
Yeah. So you preferred Oppenheimer?
Catherine Cohen
Yeah, I can't say. I can't. Off the record, I can't. I can't. I did.
Sam Taggart
And so who did you vote for?
Catherine Cohen
Just curious.
Sam Taggart
Just curious.
Catherine Cohen
Ms. Coconut?
Sam Taggart
Ms. Cuckoo Nut.
Catherine Cohen
Yeah. Interesting. Oppenheimer, I think, is a good choice.
Sam Taggart
Yeah.
George Severis
But I see what Sam is saying. Like, it is filmic.
Catherine Cohen
Filmic. Great word.
Sam Taggart
It's like, takes some patience, and it takes being like, there's gonna be a lot of stuff here.
Catherine Cohen
God, what's the movie before that?
Sam Taggart
A movie? A movie. A movie.
George Severis
Like, not based on any IP, that was a real movie.
Catherine Cohen
Hold for 12 minutes.
Sam Taggart
I know.
Catherine Cohen
I'm like, how do we look up? Like, trying to Google the ungoogleable.
Sam Taggart
We finally found a question they can't answer.
Catherine Cohen
The AI overview can't tackle.
Sam Taggart
George is on it.
Catherine Cohen
I love the blue lighting off his eyes.
George Severis
I mean, are you ready for this?
Catherine Cohen
Yeah.
George Severis
Worldwide box office 2024. Okay. Inside out two Deadpool and Wolverine. Despicable Me 4 Dune Part 2, Godzilla X Kong, Kung Fu Panda 4 Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Bad Boys, Ride or Die, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Twisters Alien. Romulus. All right, number 12. It's the first. Oh, no, it ends with us. Is also based on a book. Okay. The Last Dance, The Wild Robot.
Sam Taggart
Oh, the Wild Robot.
Catherine Cohen
What's the Wild Robot?
Sam Taggart
That's an animated movie that's supposed to be good, but I haven't seen. And I don't know if it's based on anything that could be.
Catherine Cohen
I don't know if being based on a book counts. It's not the same as being like. But then Dune. Yeah, I don't know.
George Severis
This is great. A quiet place, Day one. The Garfield movie. Joker, Fully Adoo.
Catherine Cohen
I don't remember that. Original.
George Severis
But that's a sequel.
Catherine Cohen
It's still a sequel. Yeah, yeah. Okay, keep going.
George Severis
Joker Fully Ado. Ghostbusters, Frozen, Empire. All right, here we go.
Catherine Cohen
We're hacking the mainframes.
George Severis
Here was a failure. Here was a failed movie.
Catherine Cohen
Okay.
Sam Taggart
Okay.
George Severis
The fall guy. If the fall guy had succeeded, that would have been a real movie.
Catherine Cohen
What's that about?
George Severis
It's about a.
Sam Taggart
It's a rom com with. About a stuntman.
George Severis
Brian Gosling.
Catherine Cohen
That sounds true.
George Severis
Emily Blunt. And he plays a stuntman.
Catherine Cohen
And it's original.
Sam Taggart
And it's original.
George Severis
And it's original.
Catherine Cohen
Wow.
George Severis
And guess what? It's starring the two stars of the biggest movies of the last year.
Catherine Cohen
And it flopped.
George Severis
And it flopped fully.
Catherine Cohen
Was it supposed to be good or bad?
Sam Taggart
Mediocre.
Catherine Cohen
So interesting.
Sam Taggart
I think it was medium.
Catherine Cohen
Medium rare.
Sam Taggart
Yeah.
Catherine Cohen
Interesting.
Sam Taggart
Well, George, that was actually quite sad.
Catherine Cohen
That was really, really hard to hear.
Sam Taggart
What you said because I was actually like, sometimes I think people are over exaggerating when they're like, everything's a sequel, everything's a franchise. And I'm like, grow up. And then you're like, damn. Wait, that was true.
George Severis
But this is what I mean when I say film is thriving because it's like, there's no such thing as a mass appeal movie anymore. So you just have to give up on that and understand that you're not gonna make the big bucks.
Catherine Cohen
Hmm. Well, there have been some very good films in the last few years.
George Severis
I agree. I'm trying to think it, like, shockingly good. I think that's the secret is, like, once you give up on trying to reach a lot of people, you can make good films.
Catherine Cohen
Or I feel like you end up. You can end up reaching tons of people if you make something that's really specific and true to you, which is hard to make happen these days. Days. And these days.
Sam Taggart
I know.
Catherine Cohen
God, what's better than a cool ranch? Dorito. I'm sorry, I just had to take a hit.
George Severis
No, I'm so.
Catherine Cohen
It's fucking. God. What's everyone gonna have for dinner tonight?
George Severis
That's a really good question. I'm craving a burger.
Catherine Cohen
I was craving a Smash Burger. Fuck.
Sam Taggart
Fuck.
George Severis
Oh, really?
Sam Taggart
I have no idea. You know, I'm not in charge of what I'm eating. It's all about what Misha wants.
Catherine Cohen
Is that how it is? Are you okay? Blink twice.
George Severis
But Sam, you don't care though.
Sam Taggart
I don't care.
Catherine Cohen
What do you mean?
Sam Taggart
You don't give up all control. I say I don't care what we eat. What do you want?
Catherine Cohen
Really? That's you.
Sam Taggart
Unless I had something like that for lunch. Then I'm like, I don't want that.
Catherine Cohen
Classic no go.
George Severis
I would say this is one of the, like, this is one of the least. Like, this is one of our biggest differences probably is like, I fetishize restaurants and I'm so, like, if I'm having a bad day, like, a good meal will really turn things around.
Catherine Cohen
Everything. It's all we have.
George Severis
Yeah.
Catherine Cohen
You married so well.
Sam Taggart
That's true.
George Severis
Tell me about it.
Catherine Cohen
I'm waiting and I want to go back to the Smashburger at the table.
George Severis
I feel like, well, next time you're.
Catherine Cohen
In town, once I stop. Ahahaha.
George Severis
We have invited you.
Catherine Cohen
I know. No, no, I know. Whenever I get invited, I'm like, I cannot fuck this up. It's such an amazing. It's such a beautiful invite. Okay, sorry, what were you saying?
George Severis
I was just saying this is a very minor point. I really am a Smash Burger truther. Like, I want things thick.
Sam Taggart
You don't. You don't like Smash?
Catherine Cohen
Oh my God. I don't like Smash.
Sam Taggart
I'm all in on the smash.
George Severis
I want thick and juicy and I want it medium rare. And I want to really feel like I'm biting into it.
Sam Taggart
Stop being so erotic.
Catherine Cohen
I like that, but I can't. What's your favorite burger then?
George Severis
Yeah, like. Like favorite restaurant, I guess.
Catherine Cohen
Like, where do you like, where do you go? And who has your favorite burger then, is what? I mean.
Sam Taggart
Currently.
George Severis
Oh. Oh, currently. Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. Okay, well, this is not my favorite burger, but like, there's a place close to me.
Catherine Cohen
I asked him.
George Severis
So.
Sam Taggart
George, the question was.
Catherine Cohen
Remind me really quick what Ryan would ask.
Sam Taggart
The question was, what's your favorite burger? I fully kicked my shoe off and it's so far away I can't get it.
Catherine Cohen
I love that. Fancy free. Okay, Sorry, George, I Want to hear?
George Severis
There's a place called Inga's in Brooklyn that has a good. That has a good burger. And you like, can traditional potato bun, but, like a nice thick burger. You can sit at the bar, have a little martini, have a little burger. Oh, fuck. I'll go there by myself, dine alone.
Catherine Cohen
That sounds so good right now.
Sam Taggart
That sounds so fun.
Catherine Cohen
Can I ask everyone before we go, what's everyone's favorite kind of fry? Cause I'm interested in this as well.
George Severis
No, this is really important.
Sam Taggart
Whenever we have a podcast host on, they can't help but be podcast hosts. I actually love to see it. You are like. I find it comforting.
George Severis
Aw, Katherine, your Pellegrino and Doritos combo could unite American. You are literally uniting the left and the right.
Sam Taggart
Get you a girl who can do both.
George Severis
Okay. Yeah.
Catherine Cohen
It's such a good food.
George Severis
Sam, what's your favorite fry?
Sam Taggart
First of all, I love a little Cajun seasoning on the fry, and I like a medium thickness. I hate the shoestring fries. I would rather die. I think a waffle fry is fun.
Catherine Cohen
Totally.
Sam Taggart
But I like it every once in a while.
Catherine Cohen
Totally.
Sam Taggart
So just sort of a nice medium thickness with cajun seasoning for cool and crisp. But some soft ones in there.
Catherine Cohen
So. I like soft.
Sam Taggart
I love a soft.
Catherine Cohen
I like a soft fry.
George Severis
I like medium thick, crisp mayo.
Catherine Cohen
Love.
Sam Taggart
Oh, well, European, of course.
Catherine Cohen
Euro.
George Severis
But Sam actually does something very interesting. He likes them dry.
Sam Taggart
That's true.
Catherine Cohen
That's spooky.
George Severis
He doesn't want anything. He doesn't want any dipping sauce.
Catherine Cohen
I don't dip a sauce, and people have called me this for years. I'm sauce queen. I like.
George Severis
Yeah, no, I need the mayo up to three.
Catherine Cohen
Up to. I like.
Sam Taggart
I say if the fry doesn't stand up by its own. I don't. I don't want it at all.
Catherine Cohen
Really? Well, yeah.
George Severis
When I was in college, after, like, a big exam, I would go to the. This one food establishment on campus, and I would get chicken tenders. And then I would go and get every available dipping sauce. There were approximately eight, and I would line them up. Honey mustard, ranch, ketchup, mayo. There was like a. A green one, and then there was like a hot sauce bliss. And. And I would just by myself. It was very like, do not look at me. It's time to do George's big ritual, which was taking each chicken tender and dipping it into the different.
Catherine Cohen
Oh, my God. George's big ritual. I want to recreate that.
Sam Taggart
I know. We should do that. I Love socks.
Catherine Cohen
I know. I'm excited for dinner, but I don't know.
George Severis
I love this episode.
Sam Taggart
No, me too.
Catherine Cohen
It's without flaw.
Sam Taggart
It's so classic. Like, people talking.
Catherine Cohen
People aren't doing that enough.
Sam Taggart
People aren't doing that enough.
Catherine Cohen
If people talked more, the election wouldn't have gone the way.
Sam Taggart
Thank you. Communication is so important.
Catherine Cohen
We need more podcasts, not less.
George Severis
Especially how we're doing it, where it's like our circle of like minded people.
Catherine Cohen
Yeah. Everyone likes to hear about. Yeah. The New York comedy scene circa 2017.
George Severis
I know. Sometimes I'm like, damn, I feel so like these people that, you know, signed up to. And I'm talking about all the people that listen to the comedy podcast that like, signed up because they're like, I want to hear something funny. The things they know against their will after all these years about, like, which open mics produced which people and like, how this changed and blah, blah, blah.
Sam Taggart
Yeah.
George Severis
Also guess what? Can I say something?
Catherine Cohen
What?
George Severis
If there's one thing the selection has shown, it's that. And I say this essentially. Seriously. Seriously. The open mic scene of that era, like, was a rupture in American politics. It's literally like the people that were in the creek in the cave became Joe Rogan.
Sam Taggart
I literally saw Tim Dillon do bits about ice cream.
George Severis
I opened the Cave. Dylan.
Sam Taggart
I opened for Tim Dylan.
Catherine Cohen
That's cool.
George Severis
I opened for Tim Dillon in Boston. It was the night he got a phone call that he hadn't gotten snl. And I remember very well, he, like, got a phone call from his reps, hadn't gotten snl. Snl. And at the time, I was so impressed that someone could even be up for snl. And I was like, wow. And. And then he went up and crushed. And by the way, with material that was in funny, with material that is in no way political or cultural. Okay, let's do our final segment.
Sam Taggart
Let's do our final segment the way.
George Severis
I want to be there so we can all just get a drink.
Catherine Cohen
No, I know.
Sam Taggart
It'll be so fun.
Catherine Cohen
Well, imagine. Imagine my situation of having to go to the airport.
George Severis
Wait, Catherine, where are you performing?
Catherine Cohen
I'm not performing. I'm literally. My brother just moved there and Brian's sister lives there and so we're going to see them. But I will say that was actually one of my favorite shows of my whole tour at Bimbo's.
George Severis
Oh, Bimbo's is great.
Sam Taggart
I've not been to Bimbos.
George Severis
You know what I did last time I went there? I did The Swedish American Music Hall.
Catherine Cohen
Okay.
George Severis
Have you done that?
Catherine Cohen
No. Is it beautiful?
George Severis
It's like probably like a 300 person venue in like a really good location. It's nondescript. I'd never heard about it before and it was like the most fun show of the tour. Like, I just had so much fun.
Catherine Cohen
They were an amazing crowd. Good vibes there. But yeah, I'm literally just going for family and fun. But yeah, love that. I'm flying out of Burbank so it's easier.
Sam Taggart
So they say. I've never done it.
Catherine Cohen
It's easy, breezy. It's.
George Severis
There's one room go to go have a meal at Nopalito.
Catherine Cohen
Oh, putting it on my list.
Ryan Seacrest
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Ryan Seacrest
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Sam Taggart
Well, we should do our final segment, which is called Shout Outs. Yes. Where we give a shout out to anything that we are enjoying. People, places, things, ideas. Imagine 2001. You're at TRL shouting out to your squad back home, but about anything that you like. We always make them up on the spot. And this is such an amazing time politically to be overly positive because it feels so natural and normal. George, do you have one?
George Severis
Did I already shout out on Beauty when I was reading it?
Sam Taggart
I don't remember to be honest.
George Severis
Hold on, I'm going to think of one. I'm going to think of one. We always think of them on the spotcap.
Sam Taggart
Okay, I have one. Is like not groundbreaking. What's up freaks, losers and perverts? I'm here today to be a basic gay guy. And guess what? To even be a basic gay guy. Late because this will be coming out in two weeks. And even as I'm saying it right now, it's late, but I want to give a shout out to Addison Rae's Aquamarine.
Catherine Cohen
Aquamarine.
Sam Taggart
This song is good as hell. And of course, Addison Rae is an interesting figure because she starts in the space of sort of irony. You're like, oh, this is funny that we're standing this girl. And then you know each song, you're like, well, wait, I'm liking this more and more. And Diet Pepsi people were like, oh, this is good. And I was like, yeah, this is fun. This is good. Aquamarine has taken over me in a huge way. It's speaking to me in a way where I'm like, this girl has taste, she has style. This is both harkening to the past and yet completely fresh and completely new. I'm feeling, like, kind of blown away and sort of like, I don't know what's going on in that team over there, but it is good stuff and it makes me feel fun, it makes me feel hopeful. And I think it's nice when someone does something sort of like that is simple, but so perfect despite that. And I think it's doing less and it's. And because of that, it's doing more. So huge. Shout out to Addison Rae. Aquamarine. I love it and I can't stop listening to it.
Catherine Cohen
Wow. I'm more of a Diet Pepsi girl, but I agree, she's doing amazing work.
Sam Taggart
Yeah, it's really cool.
George Severis
She's really doing amazing work. Yeah. I also, you know, people were saying aquamarine is sort of ray of light era esque. And that has made me go back and re listen to ray of Light. And I mean, no skips.
Sam Taggart
No, I love ray of light.
Catherine Cohen
Okay, you go, George.
George Severis
What's up, interior decor fans? I want to give a shout out to purchasing a nice silver picture frame.
Catherine Cohen
Wow. This is something.
George Severis
Something. This is something you think you're gonna do when you're 65, 70, 85 years old, and I'm here to tell you, you can do it when you're 33. Go online and purchase one and then go to nationsphotolab.com and get a photo printed. It's very cheap. You put it in the frame, you have some decor, you. It is so actually relatively easy to find an affordable silver frame that actually looks very expensive. And you get to feel like a sophisticated grandmother in the Upper east side that has pictures of her grandkids everywhere. But it can be just pictures. Friends or your loved ones or your siblings. Or your family or even your pet.
Sam Taggart
Whoa.
George Severis
So get out there. And an easy way to just really spruce up the decor in your house, especially in this climate. If you want to just look around and see things that make you feel good is to purchase an affordable silver frame and put a photograph inside of that frame. Wow.
Catherine Cohen
Hey Upper East Siders. I have two I I'm going to do quickly I want to say shout out to my travel girls, my absolute road dogs. Let me tell you this. Shout out to carrying two small suitcases instead of one big one. Let me tell you why it's cumbersome. It's always overweight. Get two small bags, you're walking even down the stairs looking so this word has been taken by society of demure. I mean it's really so delicate to walk with two small suitcases. Shout out to two instead of one big. And shout out to the brand Calpak C A L P A K. They make amazing like toiletry kits, carry on bags, suit. I don't have their suitcase but I have like a tote from them. I really support a big backpack from them. Shout out to that brand. Shout out to carrying a few small things instead of one big thing which you wouldn't think would be better but it is. And the other thing I was gonna shout out is shout out to taking deleting Instagram and TikTok off your phone for the day then redownloading at night to check in.
Sam Taggart
Wow.
Catherine Cohen
And let me tell you this, when they're off your phone, you know what? I like to scroll instead for a little dopamine hit is the real get some beautifully pre worn.
George Severis
You know I'm the king of that.
Catherine Cohen
Are you really? Oh cool. I love it so much.
George Severis
Although I'll tell you one thing, I tried to sell something on the realreal.
Catherine Cohen
You can't.
George Severis
It was a brand new Comme des garcons sweater and I ended up getting $40.
Catherine Cohen
Yep. It unfortunately doesn't go both ways for some reason. For some reason. Anyways, two disparate thoughts but I would be remiss if I didn't bring them both up at this during these trying times.
Sam Taggart
Yeah, of course. I mean those are the two little suitcases you're carrying both.
Catherine Cohen
I don't know why I just really change everything and I. And guess what? Just check. You know actually Roxane Gay inspired me because I feel like I would. I heard an interview with her once where she was just like always check a bag. Stop trying. Stop trying to make everything fit you. Let's just Let yourself do that.
Sam Taggart
Wow.
Catherine Cohen
What do y'all think about that?
Sam Taggart
I. I understand the reasoning, but I love to not check a bag.
George Severis
I agree. I agree. And I also think it's different. I think it's different for men and women. I think you're carrying around more.
Catherine Cohen
Different.
George Severis
You're carrying around more. Yeah. Especially in this current climate. Everything else is basically the same.
Catherine Cohen
Rock is rock and roll. No, I know. I like to wear multiple shoes, so I have to. Anyways. Yeah, I'm asleep from my own thoughts.
Sam Taggart
No, no, no. This has been amazing, Catherine. Thank you for doing this, and thanks.
Catherine Cohen
For having me on.
Sam Taggart
Where can people watch your special, by the way?
Catherine Cohen
Oh, right now, everyone's acting like it's so difficult, but it's. You just. Just. It's on a stream. It's live. Nation has a streaming platform called Veeps. If you go to veeps.com Katherine Cohen, you can either buy a ticket to just watch my special, or you can subscribe and watch all their offerings. But if you want to watch just the special, you can just go to veeps.com Katherine Cohen. It's available globally. So no matter what country. I mean, that means no matter what country you live in, you can. You're able to watch it, and I appreciate it, and thank you for watching it. Yes. And please dream. Well, I have to say, this will be perfect time because my album drops November 15th, so go to Spotify. There's some new songs, some old songs, and we're celebrating in style on Thursday.
Sam Taggart
I can't wait. At the big party.
Catherine Cohen
Yeah. Tell all your pals.
Sam Taggart
I will. But you misunderstand one thing. I also have zero friends here.
Catherine Cohen
Really? Well, I invited Nori. I invited Joe.
Sam Taggart
Oh, great. Do you know Michelle Davis?
Catherine Cohen
No, but she's welcome to come.
Sam Taggart
Well, she's there. I'll invite the room.
Catherine Cohen
Yeah, tell them they're all fun. I feel like there was someone else that I saw you in a photo with that you've been working. Working with.
Sam Taggart
Anyways, should I go Fly here.
Catherine Cohen
Fly here immediately.
George Severis
No, I meant I was making a joke about you two having a conversation about the party.
Catherine Cohen
Thank you, George, for joining us on our podcast.
Sam Taggart
Yeah, George.
Catherine Cohen
Thanks for having me.
George Severis
I will say I have been. You can ask Matthew. I've been walking around the house saying, can you send me that? Can you send me that?
Catherine Cohen
I will say I, I, I love to write a catchy hook.
George Severis
It's a catchy hook.
Catherine Cohen
Thank you.
George Severis
It's a catchy hook.
Catherine Cohen
Thank you so much.
George Severis
And you know what else is really amazing that you did is because that's a phrase you do organically say in your life, you catch yourself and then you sing it.
Sam Taggart
Because when you answer it, I think.
George Severis
What else is like that? I mean, even like a Diet Pepsi can be like. It's like it's something you do actually say in your real life and then it reminds you of the song.
Catherine Cohen
Oh, that's nice. Yeah. Yeah, that's great.
George Severis
You know what actually is like that for me is Tinashe has a song called All Hands on Deck. And every time I say all hands on deck, I have to say all hands on deck.
Catherine Cohen
And for me, I go. When I hear all eyes on me, I go, all eyes on me. At the center of my range, it's like a circus.
Sam Taggart
Well, thank you so much for doing this. This has been a treat.
Catherine Cohen
Love you, xoxo.
Sam Taggart
Bye. Gua Marie Podcast ends now.
George Severis
Want more? Subscribe to our Patreon for two extra episodes of month Discord Access and more by heading to patreon.com Stradiolab and for.
Sam Taggart
All our visual learners. Free full length video episodes are available on our YouTube.
George Severis
Now get back to work.
Sam Taggart
Stradiolab is a production by Will Ferrell's Big Money players network and iHeart podcasts.
George Severis
Created and hosted by George Severis and Sam Taggart.
Sam Taggart
Executive produced by Will Ferrell Hansani and.
George Severis
Olivia Aguilar co produced by Bay Wang.
Sam Taggart
Edited and engineered by Adam Avila.
George Severis
Artwork by Michael Fails and Matt Grubb.
Sam Taggart
Theme music by Ben Kling.
George Severis
You wake up, put on your Ray Ban meta glasses. You're living all in. You realize you need coffee so you.
Catherine Cohen
Say, hey Meta, how do I make.
George Severis
A latte brew two shots of espresso?
Catherine Cohen
After Meta AI gets you caffeinated, you're ready for some beats. Hey meta. Play hip hop music.
Ryan Seacrest
You head to meet some friends but.
Catherine Cohen
Can'T remember the place. Hey Meta.
George Severis
Call Eva Ray Ban Meta glasses, the next generation of AI glasses.
Catherine Cohen
Just say hey Meta. To harness the power of Meta AI, shop now at meta.com smartglasses hey comedy fans. The funniest comedians in the world are on tour and you can get tickets to see them live near you. Laugh at the biggest names in comedy like Atsuko Katsuka, Chelsea, Hannah Chandler, Jimmy Carr, Kathy Griffin, Matt Matthews, Matt Rife, Sarah Silverman, Sebastian Maniscalco, Stavros Helkias, Wanda Sykes, and so many more. All kinds of shows, all kinds of venues, all kinds of funny. Head to livenation.comcomedy to get your tickets today. That's livenation.com comedy hate has been winning for too long.
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It's at an all time high and too many people are facing too much hate all over this country. To turn the tide, we have to stand together as a united team. We can change the momentum. It's time to take a timeout Against Hate. Visit standuptoallhate.org to help. Join us in calling for a hashtag timeout against hate. By following OTs upwithhate or posting the Blue square emoji at Ameca Insurance, we know it's more than just a house.
George Severis
It's your your home.
Ryan Seacrest
The place that's filled with memories. The early days of figuring it out to the later years of still figuring.
George Severis
It out.
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StraightioLab Episode Summary: "Movies" with Cat Cohen
Release Date: November 19, 2024
Hosts: George Severis and Sam Taggart
Guest: Catherine Cohen
I. Introduction to the Episode [03:31 - 07:00]
The episode kicks off with George Severis and Sam Taggart warmly welcoming their guest, Catherine Cohen, to "StraightioLab." The trio immediately delves into a light-hearted discussion about their previous episode, where George expressed hesitancy to address the emotional aftermath of the election:
George Severis [04:10]: "I just don't feel ready yet. I feel like I have not processed it..."
Sam encourages George to confront the topic, leading to an engaging conversation about the ethics of addressing sensitive societal issues on their intellectually-driven comedy podcast.
II. Navigating the Podcast During Lockdown [05:20 - 07:30]
George reminisces about the transition to remote recordings during the lockdown, sharing humorous yet poignant anecdotes:
George Severis [06:08]: "My bit was that I was wearing a face mask and a towel... had to be in the tub, wrinkly, for an hour and a half, waiting..."
Catherine reflects on the audience's appreciation for their efforts to bring humor during challenging times:
Catherine Cohen [06:44]: "People actually like your pot and want to laugh, laugh, laugh."
This segment underscores the importance of comedy as a coping mechanism during crises.
III. Personal Lives and Relationship Dynamics [16:00 - 25:00]
The conversation shifts to the hosts' personal lives, discussing the strains of maintaining friendships and relationships amidst their busy careers:
Sam Taggart [19:03]: "I'm starting to be like, wait, who am I?"
Catherine shares her struggles with connectivity and the pressures of constant touring, while George and Sam reflect on their own experiences balancing work and personal life. The dialogue highlights the universal challenges of modern life, especially within the entertainment industry.
IV. The Rise of TikTok and Changing Media Landscapes [51:11 - 53:52]
A significant portion of the discussion centers on TikTok's impact on media and comedy. Catherine passionately advocates for the platform's ability to bring joy:
Catherine Cohen [52:36]: "I've been spending a lot of time alone and... there'll be times I'm alone in bed, I'm in tears, laughing at a TikTok. It's brought me joy."
Conversely, George and Sam express skepticism about the platform's quality and its effects on traditional media:
Sam Taggart [53:56]: "It's like, these people are sick. The world is disgusting."
This debate explores the dichotomy between TikTok as a source of entertainment and its perceived decline in substantive content.
V. Movies vs. Films: Cultural and Political Ramifications [61:26 - 67:00]
George introduces a thought-provoking segment analyzing the distinction between "movies" and "films" and their respective roles in culture and politics:
George Severis [61:26]: "Movies traditionally are the more privileged form. It's like they're the big blockbusters... films, because they were already this small enterprise, have actually been able to weather the storm."
He argues that while mainstream movies are struggling with declining multiplex attendance and over-reliance on franchises, independent films maintain artistic viability and cultural significance.
Catherine and Sam engage with George's perspective, debating the future of cinematic arts and the influence of political climates on creative expressions. This segment underscores the cyclical nature of cultural trends and their intersection with political movements.
VI. Shout Outs: Celebrating Favorites [77:58 - 85:00]
In the final segment, "Shout Outs," the hosts and Catherine share their personal endorsements of various artists, products, and ideas:
Sam Taggart [80:07]: "Shout out to Addison Rae's Aquamarine... It's fun, fresh, and completely new."
George Severis [82:02]: "Shout out to purchasing a nice silver picture frame from nationsphotolab.com."
Catherine Cohen [84:34]: "Shout out to carrying two small suitcases instead of one big one... and shout out to Calpak for their amazing bags."
These acknowledgments not only promote positivity but also highlight the hosts' diverse interests and appreciation for quality in various forms.
VII. Conclusion and Final Thoughts [85:00 - 87:00]
As the episode winds down, the trio reflects on the importance of genuine conversation and maintaining fun amidst the chaos of modern life:
Catherine Cohen [87:42]: "Love you, xoxo."
Sam Taggart [87:40]: "No, this has been amazing, Catherine. Thank you for doing this."
The episode concludes with light-hearted banter and a sense of camaraderie, reinforcing the podcast's commitment to blending intellectual discourse with comedy.
Notable Quotes:
George Severis [04:10]: "I just don't feel ready yet. I feel like I have not processed it..."
Catherine Cohen [06:44]: "People actually like your pot and want to laugh, laugh, laugh."
Sam Taggart [19:03]: "I'm starting to be like, wait, who am I?"
Catherine Cohen [52:36]: "I've been spending a lot of time alone and... there'll be times I'm alone in bed, I'm in tears, laughing at a TikTok. It's brought me joy."
George Severis [61:26]: "Movies traditionally are the more privileged form. It's like they're the big blockbusters..."
Sam Taggart [80:07]: "Shout out to Addison Rae's Aquamarine... It's fun, fresh, and completely new."
Conclusion:
In this episode of "StraightioLab," George Severis and Sam Taggart engage in a multifaceted conversation with guest Catherine Cohen, exploring the intersections of personal life, media evolution, and cultural dynamics. From reflecting on the challenges of remote podcasting during lockdown to dissecting the nuanced differences between movies and films, the episode offers listeners a blend of humor, insight, and thoughtful dialogue. The inclusion of "Shout Outs" adds a personal touch, celebrating the hosts' favorites and reinforcing the podcast's community-centric ethos. For those interested in the rich tapestry of straight culture examined through the lens of intelligent comedy, this episode provides both entertainment and enlightenment.