Straightio Rewind: "Victoria's Secret" w/ Mitra Jouhari (3/23/21)

Summary

Podcast Summary: StraightioLab – "Straightio Rewind: Victoria's Secret w/ Mitra Jouhari"

Date: April 24, 2026 (original episode: March 23, 2021)
Hosts: George Civeris & Sam Taggart
Guest: Mitra Jouhari
Topic: The rich, strange, and revealing straight cultural icon of Victoria’s Secret

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Episode Overview

This episode of StraightioLab, featuring comedian and writer Mitra Jouhari, is a classic "Rewind" that revisits and dissects the straight cultural phenomenon that is Victoria’s Secret. In characteristically wild, digressive, and joke-packed fashion, George, Sam, and Mitra riff on everything from the tyranny of algorithmic clothing basics (Uniqlo, Everlane) to the oppressive femininity of Victoria’s Secret, all while unpacking the anxiety, absurdity, and nostalgia wrapped within lingerie culture.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Fashion, Basics, & the Homogeneity Crisis

• The “Algorithm Clothes” Crisis ([03:10–05:00])
  • The hosts and Mitra discuss their growing realization that their wardrobes are dominated by basics from Uniqlo and Everlane, reflecting on a fashion newsletter’s call to resist “algorithm clothes.”
  • Quote: George: “I open my closet and look inside and I just want to scream, Everlane.” ([04:27])
• The False Promise of Vintage Shopping ([05:16-05:53])
  • Stories of going “vintage shopping” only to end up with recent mainstream brands, highlighting how pervasive and inescapable algorithmic fashion has become.

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Book Talk & Comedian Essay Titles

• “Made for Love” by Alissa Nutting ([07:31–08:52, 15:04])
  • George is racing to finish the book before the TV adaptation.
  • Mitra loves the book, noting it's one of the few that made her genuinely laugh out loud.
  • Quote: Mitra: “But it's one of the only books that has ever made me, like, laugh out loud, actually.” ([15:31])
• Why Most Comedian Books Are Not Actually Funny ([15:35–17:19])
  • The hosts joke about formulaic titles for comedian essay collections.
  • Quote: George: “So many people do it. It's like, wait, this is like a way to get rich quick, right?” ([17:31])

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Family Announcements & The Role of the Gay Uncle

• Sam Becomes an Uncle ([08:56–14:05])
  • Sam’s sister just had a baby named Bo Love Bender, prompting riffs on anti-intellectual baby names and the cultural moment of giving babies “old man names.”
  • Quote: Sam: “My new haircut is, in many ways, my baby.” ([09:38])
• What Is a “Gay Uncle” Supposed to Do ([12:06–13:23])
  • Sam discusses the expectations and comedy market for “gay uncle” merch and identity.
  • Quote: Sam: “Being a gay uncle… you're sort of expected to be a little more performative in your uncleship.” ([12:14])

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Women’s Month, Women’s Day & Tongue-in-Cheek Feminism

• The Irony of Being Silenced During Women’s Month ([14:51–21:36])
  • Mitra jokes about being “silenced” early in the podcast (“...very painful to be silenced in that way for such a significant portion”).
  • Banter about the existence and importance of International Women’s Day and Women’s Month.

• Pandemic Jokes & the Feminist Metaphor ([22:06–22:40])

  • George: “First wave, second wave, third wave. What is this, feminism?” ([22:30])
  • Quote: Sam: "That was a genius joke." ([22:35])

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Straight Shooters: A Straight Culture Gauntlet ([23:17–29:08])

• Rapid-fire A/B cultural questions (“Patagonia fleece or Herschel backpack?”, “Julian Assange or Julianne Hough?”) to test Mitra’s intuitive grasp of straight cultural tropes.
• Return of 2000s catchphrases
  • Mitra admits to unironically saying “legendary” lately.
• Riffing on language: “Camel toe, moose knuckle, or gender neutral genital lump?” – Mitra “Camel toe.” ([27:31])
• Language evolution for ‘iconic’ – Should we go back to calling things “epic” or “chic”?

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Drag Race Lingo & Gay Linguistic Innovation ([30:46–33:40])

• “Gagatrandra” and “Wig”: New ways queers make words for excitement or impact, moving beyond “iconic.”
• • Mitra: “I want to come out of this episode with a whole new language...”

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Baby Stories & Childhood Imperfections ([33:49–36:46])

• Amusing stories about embarrassing childhood traits—Mitra’s long head, George’s “navy blue” newborn color (from meconium), and Sam’s chubbiness.

  • Quote: George: “So apparently I ate my own poop in the womb.” ([34:39])
  • Sam: “Very Avatar. Gagatrandra.” ([35:47])

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Main Topic: The Meaning and Menace of Victoria’s Secret ([36:53–63:44])

Why It Felt So Important

• Victoria’s Secret = Performative Straight Femininity ([37:08–38:51])
  • Mitra shares how, as a young woman, getting “a matching Victoria’s Secret panty set” seemed essential to being considered attractive to men.
  • Direct Quote: Mitra: "...I see like a woman in like a push up Victoria's Secret bra, matching thong...she’s in the ocean. Help her." ([38:37])
  • They discuss the odd “Women’s Month” marketing overlaying what was a toxic or unrealistic body ideal.

Corporate Maleness & The Mall

• • Sam: “Victoria's Secret always to me is like, I have no proof of this, but it's like the CEO is a man.” ([38:51])
  • The founder is Les Wexner—the same tycoon behind Abercrombie (underscoring the straight-male ownership of “feminine” brands).

The Suffocating Environment of the Store

• Passing Victoria’s Secret in the mall as a boy: obligation to perform heterosexuality, discomfort, and embarrassment.

  • Quote: George: “I just remember passing it and being like, I don't want to go in there.” ([40:54])

Misplaced Gifts & Lingerie as “Empowerment”

• • Discussion of underwear and lingerie as gifts, the discomfort and pitfalls of men choosing for women, and the new marketing of Victoria’s Secret as “empowering.”
  • Mitra: “My nightmare is, like, somebody, like, guessing my sizes like that. Like, that's hell.” ([52:59])
• The shift from “sexy for men” to “empowered for you!”... but it’s still, at root, not centered on comfort or authenticity.

The Secret Itself & Model Culture

• Riffing on the “secret”—is it underwear? Genitals? Sexiness hidden under mundane clothes?
• Reflections on the models, their homogeneity, and the surreal performances (e.g., Bieber singing to nearly-nude supermodels).

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Straight Culture as Secondhand or Performed

• • Sam: “The other straight element of it is how like, it is sex for people who don't understand sex yet.” ([62:16])
• Sam points out that, like many markers of straight culture, Victoria’s Secret symbolizes a "try-hard," performative relationship to sexuality—a fantasy of confidence that rarely matches reality.

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The End of Empowerment Marketing & What Comes Next ([63:44–64:40])

• • George: “Marketing language can change everything. But what happens when even empowerment language doesn’t work anymore?”
  • Mitra suggests, darkly but hilariously, that marketing may just swing back to “fuck women.”

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Notable Quotes and Moments

• On Silly Book Titles
  • Sam: “If this is party, then where’s all the people?” ([16:55])
• On language invention:
  • Mitra: “I want to come out of this episode with a whole new language. Like a paragraph that makes no sense to anyone who hasn’t listened.” ([32:05])
• On changing attitudes toward sexy basics:
  • George: “Now it’s uncool to try so hard.” ([50:18])

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Important Timestamps

• Algorithm Clothes & Fashion: 03:10–05:53
• Book Chat & Comedian Memoirs: 07:31–17:19
• Becoming an Uncle: 08:56–14:05
• Women’s Month / Being Silenced: 14:51–21:36
• Victoria’s Secret Deep-Dive: 36:53–63:44
• Shout-Outs Segment: 67:21–70:28
• Running “Gagatrandra” Bit: throughout, key moments at [30:46–33:40, 35:47, 47:10, 70:27]

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Final Segment: SHOUT-OUTS ([67:21–70:28])

• George: Shouts out garlic and celebrates Greek Independence Day.
  • "To me, garlic is Renée Zellweger in Cold Mountain." ([68:13])
• Sam: Shouts out newborn nephew Bo Bender: “He’s going to be a writer, performer, and he’s going to be the first rich one.” ([68:58])
• Mitra: Shouts out Post-it Notes for keeping her organized—reveals her wall covered in them.

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Episode Tone & Takeaways

• Tone: Playful, irreverent, high-energy, and self-aware, balancing cultural critique with silly tangents and personal stories.
• Takeaway: Victoria’s Secret, once a symbol of straight, heteronormative female sexuality, lives at the intersection of try-hard sexiness and secondhand empowerment. Its cultural hold is waning, but its legacy persists as a touchstone for how “straightness” performs (and polices) identity, even as language and fashion mutate.
  • Or, as Sam put it best:
    • “It is sex for people who don’t understand sex yet.” ([62:16])

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Memorable Running Bit

• GAGATRANDRA / Creating New Language:
  • A Drag Race-inspired term for anything so over-the-top, chic, epic, or impactful that “iconic” no longer suffices.

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For more: listen to StraightioLab, follow Mitra, George, and Sam online, and check out the show's Patreon and YouTube.

Transcript

[Mitra Tahari]

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[Sam Taylor Taggart]

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[Mitra Tahari]

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[Sam Taylor Taggart]

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[Public Investing Representative]

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[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Hootie Hoo. Glamour Girls. You're listening to Stratiolab. Rewind.

[George Severis]

Once a month, we will be re releasing an old classic Stratolab episode to refamiliarize new listeners with the lore that built the podcast. The government cannot shut down because we

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

recorded some of these long, long ago. The audio quality may be mixed, but trust the ideas are eternal and dangerous.

[George Severis]

So take out your notebook and open to page one because it's time to start taking notes about the things we've said.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Okay? Enjoy the past. Bye

[George Severis]

everyone. Shut up. It's time to start the podcast.

[Mitra Tahari]

Wait. And George, is your jacket from Uniqlo? Yeah, I have the exact same one in the exact same color.

[George Severis]

Get his. Mary Beth Barone.

[Mitra Tahari]

Wow, that's cool.

[George Severis]

Yeah, no, of course.

[Mitra Tahari]

For all three of us to have a matching thing.

[George Severis]

No, it's huge to have a matching thing. I've been. Recently, I've been actually having a huge crisis about how everything I own is from Uniqlo because I've been. I promise I'll make this short, but I've. I'm. I subscribed to an invite only fashion newsletter.

[Mitra Tahari]

Yes.

[George Severis]

One of her big. One of her big things. It's written by Rachel Tashjian. And one of her big. Who's a GQ writer. And one of her big things is like, resisting the kind of like, algorithm clothes. Like, Everlane Uniqlo, like, just algorithm clothes. And like, I had this realization where I was like, wait, like, we all are too good for algorithm clothes. Like, we should actually make an effort to, like, have our own sense of style and like, not look like, you know, Everlane ads. And I. And now I just like, open my closet and look inside and I just want to scream, everlane.

[Mitra Tahari]

This is Everlane.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Wow.

[Mitra Tahari]

I have. So, I mean, I stopped after like the moment that we were supposed to stop, but I had so much Everlane because there jeans fit me really well. And I had like, it's. I never like. It's just hard to find good jeans when you find the pants that fit. I fucking popped off on Everlane and

[George Severis]

then, yeah, it seems like their women's jeans are better than their men's jeans.

[Mitra Tahari]

Oh, shots fired. That would be the thing that takes down Everlane.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

My fashion. Well, you know, my boyfriend's old ripped T shirt. Yes. I'm so effortless and sexy.

[Mitra Tahari]

For me, it's sort of a nice maternity pants.

[George Severis]

Ooh, God. I literally. I went. I swear to God, I went. I tried to go vintage shopping in Williamsburg today. The One thing I bought, you better believe it was a Levi's denim jacket from maybe this year.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

That's vintage. That's vintage.

[George Severis]

Like, I bet you it's from 2018. And I was like, ooh, vintage.

[Mitra Tahari]

Oh, yeah. Bone chilling to go to, like, Crossroads and come out with, like, a Brandy Melville top.

[George Severis]

I swear to God, one of the things I gravitated towards was a blazer. It was like, it looked like a really cool blazer laser. Looked at the tag Zara.

[Mitra Tahari]

I was literally. But I was. I knew it was Zara. I knew it was gonna be Zara.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Oh, my God. Wait, we have to start the podcast.

[George Severis]

I know. Sorry, we're like, like. Okay, wait, we're, like, already, like, maybe

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

the podcast already started.

[Mitra Tahari]

Yeah, we already started the podcast.

[George Severis]

Okay. But now. Okay, let's do our intro, Sam, and then we'll re. Bring Mitran. Okay, cool.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

This is all going in, right? We're all gonna keep all.

[George Severis]

Yeah, why not?

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Okay, good. It's fun.

[Mitra Tahari]

Look, we're laughing.

[George Severis]

Yeah. Okay. But, Mitra, for now on, just.

[Mitra Tahari]

You're not gonna hear a word from me.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

No, Mitra, seriously, starting now.

[Mitra Tahari]

Okay, starting and now.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Seriously, this isn't funny.

[George Severis]

Okay, podcast starts now.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Okay, podcast starts now. Hey, everyone, and welcome to Stradiolab. You know, depending on how we edit this, you've probably been listening for a couple of minutes, and wow, what a blast. But I've got good news. It's just me and George now. Mitra has agreed to keep her little mouth shut.

[George Severis]

So we've heard your demands, and we told her to shut.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Oh, God. Well, marriage. How the hell are you?

[George Severis]

You know, I am good. There are so many things happening in my life off the top of my head. I'm reading a book, and I went to Williamsburg.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

You know, I saw you tweeting about reading a book maybe twice today, and I said, yeah, he's reading a book. This is gonna come up.

[George Severis]

And here's the thing. People have been talking about how I'm reading a book, and Can I say something about the book I'm reading? Please? I'm actually racing against time because the television adaptation of said book is coming out April 1st on HBO, Max and Easta.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Oh, my God, that's so soon. You have a week to finish the book.

[George Severis]

Yeah, can you believe it?

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Which book is it?

[George Severis]

The book, thank you for asking, is called Made for Love by Alyssa Nutting. And the series that's about to premiere is with. Oh, yeah, you might know it. Of me mentioning it to our group chat and asking if anyone wanted to do a book club and me being met with silence.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Fame, not silence. You said, I'm reading this book by Alyssa Nutting. And I said, nutting. Nice.

[George Severis]

And that was the only response from the eight people in the chat that I got. So that was my group. And then no one ever, like, circled back to it. And despite the fact that everyone in our chat claims to support Cristin Milioti's career and this is her show, no one wants to do a book club on the book.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

That's because they would support the TV show. They don't care about the book. Just show us the real art. The TV show.

[George Severis]

Fair. I mean, luckily, the author is involved in the making of the TV show, so you can still support her by simply watching television. That's how it should be for most authors.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

When books are TV shows, honey, it just goes down a little easier.

[George Severis]

It does. It's true. It's true. And Ray Romano is in it.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Oh, congrats.

[George Severis]

I'll say this. This book is psychotic. And I've. I'll not to brag. I've read other things by her. This one is especially psychotic. Currently, one of the characters has an. Has her arm stuck in a sex doll in the mouth of a sex doll. And another character is discovering that he has a dolphin fetish.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

This all sounds really made up and kind of.

[George Severis]

Well, yeah, it's fiction.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Need I say more? Well, I've got a story that is somewhat stranger than fiction. Whoa. Um. Yeah. My sister gave birth this weekend. What? That's right, biatch. I'm an uncle now.

[George Severis]

That's huge.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Isn't that crazy?

[George Severis]

Wait, I didn't even know you were an expectant uncle.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Yeah, that's. You know, I kind of keep it close to the chest because I don't want people to, you know, think I'm bragging or, you know, whatever.

[George Severis]

Literally me making a bar graph. And one of them is times Sam has mentioned his new haircut, and one is times Sam has mentioned the fact that his sister is pregnant. And one is really tall and the other one is zero.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Okay, to be fair, my new haircut is, in many ways my baby. And it looks incredible. And it's a huge swing for me. And it's a huge swing that paid off. The ball is out of the park. I mean, congrats to my sister and the baby, but this haircut is going to be making waves for a while.

[George Severis]

Yeah, no, for sure. I have a question.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Yeah.

[George Severis]

Well, is the name of the baby the baby's name?

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Is Beau love? Isn't that fun?

[George Severis]

That's really fun.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

It's like playful. It's like handsome. There's something about it.

[George Severis]

That's a very now baby name, I feel.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Yeah, you know, it's sort of anti. It's sort of anti intellectual.

[George Severis]

Yeah, it's sort of anti intellectual, but it's also like, I would say Beau is.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

That's the dumbest thing I've ever said.

[George Severis]

It's a really big trend right now to name your baby something anti intellectual.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

When my sister and her husband named their baby Beau, the anti intellectualism jumped at me. Wow, that is dumb as hell

[George Severis]

to me. Bo is also. It could be an older man's name, and I think it's very trendy right now to do that. Would you agree?

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Give a baby an old man's name, like Alfred, Like Harold. When a baby is Harold, I'm in heaven.

[George Severis]

I mean, that's literally Greta Gerwig's baby's name.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

See what I mean? Greta Gerwig, the anti intellectualism jumped out.

[George Severis]

I mean, with her, it really did. Just kidding. I support her career. And she really snapped when she cast Laura Dern as Mother.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Oh, right, right, right. I thought you meant in. In the film Mother. And I was like, wait, she did the casting for Mother?

[George Severis]

Yeah, she did. She was a casting director for Mother.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

That's awesome sauce for her.

[George Severis]

Yeah, that's how she started out.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I mean, she acts, she directs, she casts. So versatile.

[George Severis]

So anything else?

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I mean, honestly, it's up to you to ask follow up questions.

[George Severis]

I'm like, yes, you're right. Thank you for calling me in. Here's my follow up question. When are you gonna meet this baby?

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I think in a couple weeks. Like 3ish weeks.

[George Severis]

And what is your ideal role as an uncle?

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Okay, and here's sort of what I don't know. So being a gay uncle, there's something very specific about that role. You're sort of expected to be a little more performative in your uncleship, I think. And I think what would be hilarious, and I'm already kind of starting to lean into it, is just sort of being the funny uncle. And I think you can play with that in a huge way. For example, you know, have you seen, like, gay Uncle Merchant? The stuff that is like, so bad, like a onesie. This is like, yes, Queen.

[George Severis]

Or like, I'm sorry, that you consider gay uncle. So you consider that to be the target demographic to be gay uncles that want to gift that to their nieces?

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Yeah, yeah, exactly, sure. So I Think getting things like that would be absolutely hilarious for the baby shower, I got, you know, a bunch of, like, pacifiers, and I said, suck on that baby Bender. Come on. The levity.

[George Severis]

Wait, I'm sorry. The pacifiers say, suck on that baby Bender.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

The note did. The note did.

[George Severis]

Oh, oh, oh.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

You're expecting. Sort of like on your journey, I hope that you always look to God and instead they see.

[George Severis]

Is your sister's partner's last name Bender?

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Oh, yeah.

[George Severis]

So Bo Bender.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Yeah.

[George Severis]

Okay. Bo Burnham found dead in a ditch.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

That's actually true.

[George Severis]

Fascinating.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Yeah.

[George Severis]

I mean, I'm sorry to say, Bo Bender, like, it does already sounds like a celebrity name. Like, there's kind of a lot riding on this baby.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Especially, I mean, especially in the comedy sphere. I mean, if you see the name Bo Bender on a lineup, you're like, this guy's probably a little silly, but,

[George Severis]

you know, certainly funnier than Harold Baumbach.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Yeah, Harold Baumbach is only getting stuff because he's so well connected.

[George Severis]

Yeah, exactly. Whereas Mo Bender really worked his way up the UCB ladder,

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

which in the future will be relevant again.

[George Severis]

Yes.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Can't wait for the future that we can all believe in.

[George Severis]

Should we introduce our guest?

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I think we should reintroduce our guest.

[George Severis]

You might know her from ucb.

[Mitra Tahari]

Literally true.

[George Severis]

Literally true. Well, put your paws up. For Mitra Tahari

[Mitra Tahari]

to be silenced during a segment where a new baby is born. One of my favorite things in the world, and you talk about one of my favorite books, was challenging. I love Made for Love.

[George Severis]

Oh, you like Made for Love? Oh, yeah. I'm really enjoying it. I'm, like, halfway through. Are you excited about the television adaptation?

[Mitra Tahari]

I am. I don't know. I think they've announced it. If not, I'll check, but you might have to take it out of this. But Patty's in it also.

[George Severis]

Oh, my God.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Cool. Oh, okay.

[George Severis]

We'll bleep it out if they haven't announced it yet, and then people can guess which of our friends it is.

[Mitra Tahari]

But it's one of the only books that has ever made me, like, laugh out loud, actually.

[George Severis]

It truly is funny. Well, you know what? Okay. Straight or loud recommendation. Another recent book that made me laugh out loud is called the Babysitter at Rest by Jen George. And it really is. It made me think. It's so rare that a book makes you laugh out loud. And I actually think more books should make you laugh out loud.

[Mitra Tahari]

I know I don't have a lot of memories of laughing at books.

[George Severis]

Usually I Kind of dramatically sigh. Usually I'll read something, I'll be like, okay.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I'm desperately trying to think of if I've ever laughed at a book.

[Mitra Tahari]

I mean, that's the thing. It's like, when are you laughing at a book? And Made for Love is one of those books for me.

[George Severis]

You know, it's interesting. So often comedians write books. They never.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

And that's what I was. Yeah. And like, you know, the freshly graduated from college, me reading Bossypants on the train, like, was I just cracking up?

[George Severis]

Like, I'm sure Bossypants, like the Bossypants. The success of Bossypants as a memoir written by a comedian led to so many bad books.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Right, sure, sure.

[George Severis]

Otherwise he not pays. Perfect.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I'm like, oh, I'm scared.

[George Severis]

What would your celebrity book of, or, sorry, comedian book of essays be called? Mine would be called Someone Sitting There by George Severus.

[Mitra Tahari]

That's awesome.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Mine would be called if this is Party, Then where's all the People?

[Mitra Tahari]

If we're supposed to be sitting, then why am I standing there? There's always like something like that.

[George Severis]

Literally. So the other. A couple of weeks ago, I tried to come up with a joke one and then Googled it and sure enough, it was an existing book of essays by a comedian that we vaguely know.

[Mitra Tahari]

Anyway, drinking lying down,

[George Severis]

that's like, it's like the feedback on that is like too intellectual, it's too smart. People might not get

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

it does seem like, I mean, so many people do it. It's like, wait, this is like a way to like get rich quick, right? Like, this is how comedians kind of cash in, right?

[Mitra Tahari]

Oh, you know, my get rich quick one would be called Pass the Hummus.

[George Severis]

Well then in that case, you know, mine would be called it's all Greek to me.

[Mitra Tahari]

Yes. Well, really, it's nice. Demetrius, nice to meet you. Sorry about being brown in Ohio.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Yeah, like, wait, from tag to fag in 10 simple steps.

[George Severis]

There was one. Oh God. There was one that was written by like a political.

[Mitra Tahari]

Anyone can do it.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

It's self help.

[Mitra Tahari]

It's step one.

[George Severis]

Well, then it has to have a subtitle that's like stories about growing up, getting out and eggs.

[Mitra Tahari]

Wait, have you guys ever heard of the title of Swoozie Kurtz's biography, which I have read?

[George Severis]

No.

[Mitra Tahari]

Okay, so Swoozie Kurtz, a kind of older character actress, lady of the stage. Her book. Wait, hold on. I want to get it right. It's really long title, which is why I'm looking it up. Okay. It's part swan, part goose. An uncommon memoir of womanhood, work and family.

[George Severis]

Ooh, wait, I always putting in the word womanhood is a big one. I think if you're a woman and you write a book, it needs to have the word womanhood.

[Mitra Tahari]

Otherwise people may not know and come.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Wait, that's a really good one.

[George Severis]

There was one recently. Oh, okay. This is actually one of my favorite ones. You know Simone Sanders? She works for Joe Biden.

[Mitra Tahari]

Yes.

[George Severis]

Okay. This is her book title. Are you ready? It's called no, you shut up, Colon. Speaking truth to power and reclaiming America, which I love because.

[Mitra Tahari]

Yeah, it's. Yes.

[George Severis]

I was like, trying to. Someone I knew was working or like, said something about her and I was trying to remember the name, but I couldn't. And my guess was that it was called fuck you, my journey.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Oh, God. Wow.

[George Severis]

It's nice to laugh.

[Mitra Tahari]

Very giggly.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Mitra, you know, we did silence you for a little while. Do you have any follow up questions on, you know, sort of my story and how I went from tag to fag to uncle?

[Mitra Tahari]

So I love the name Beau for a baby. So cute. I'm trying to think if I had other.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Awesome, awesome.

[Mitra Tahari]

Got my little stamp of approval.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I'm texting my sister everything you say.

[Mitra Tahari]

No, nothing else.

[George Severis]

Cool, cool. Just wanted to check in.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Yeah, just wanted to check in because I didn't want to go past that.

[Mitra Tahari]

Thank you. Yeah, it is at record time. It is Woman month or whatever, so it was very painful to be silenced in that way for such a significant fortune.

[George Severis]

Is it still Woman month? My God.

[Mitra Tahari]

Don't worry, don't worry. It's almost over. So much progress has been made in this time.

[George Severis]

What's the big. Is there some kind of like, big day during International Women's Month? I guess there is a Woman Day.

[Mitra Tahari]

No, I don't know.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Wait, wasn't there. There was like a Woman's Day this year? Yeah. That sounded so condescending and toxic. But wait, there was one, right?

[Mitra Tahari]

No, there's a whole this month.

[George Severis]

It is a whole month. But I also do think there's like an International Women's Day, like a day

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

where, you know, women can really pop off.

[Mitra Tahari]

We need to like. Oh, yes, it's Monday, March 8th this year. So right past that.

[George Severis]

Whoopsies. Wait. I just want to send a belated, happy International Women's Day to all the women in my life.

[Mitra Tahari]

Thank you. And I receive. Yeah, I didn't celebrate this year, but most years I do. Most years. Yeah. Lay out the palette.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Yeah. I mean, the pandemic, you know, International Women's Day, March 8 was just like such a day to. For everybody to get together and get in the streets and just sort of like, feel alive.

[George Severis]

Yeah, it doesn't feel right. It doesn't feel right to celebrate women in the midst of a pandemic.

[Mitra Tahari]

I know. A pandemic caused by. Caused by women.

[George Severis]

Caused by women.

[Mitra Tahari]

Wait, that's why it's so toxic?

[George Severis]

Oh, yeah, yeah. That's why it's taking so long.

[Mitra Tahari]

That's why it has its period.

[George Severis]

Yeah. First wave, second wave, third wave. What is this, feminism?

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Wait, George, that was a genius joke.

[George Severis]

Thank you.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

That was smart.

[George Severis]

Thank you.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Funny, relevant. I'm all in on this joke.

[George Severis]

You never know what's gonna get. Sam.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

No, that was really good.

[George Severis]

I have a crazy idea. What if we literally go into our first segment?

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I actually think that's smart because things are, like, flowing so naturally that it's just like, maybe we should just embrace. So let's.

[Mitra Tahari]

It's like a woman's period, honey.

[George Severis]

This a heavy flow,

[Mitra Tahari]

et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

You pretty much get it here. Okay, Mitra, our first segment is called Straight Shooters. And, you know, we sort of gauge your familiarity with the tapestry of straight culture, just sort of by asking you a series of rapid fire questions, sort of an A or B. And if you ask us any follow ups, quite simply, we'll get pissed.

[George Severis]

Don't ask any follow up questions. You might be very tempted to ask a very specific one, which is, wait, how do I pick? Don't ask that.

[Mitra Tahari]

I won't. No, no, I listened ahead. I know that I'll be punished. I don't know why I listened to.

[George Severis]

No one does.

[Mitra Tahari]

And then, so I listened. And then I listened to multiple episodes skipped ahead so I could try to understand what it means. But now I know. Just let it wash over me.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Yeah, yeah. You know, it's sort of an exercise in not having meaning, because everything today is you. So it's trying to be optimized. It's for profit. And this is sort of not for

[Mitra Tahari]

the sake of creation.

[George Severis]

Honestly, Sam, that's one of the themes of Made for Love.

[Mitra Tahari]

You have to read it. Before today's episode is done, you will have read the book from COVID to cover.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

You know, I do.

[George Severis]

Like, you're so right, though, Sam. Well, actually, no, I'm now remembering. Sam, your mind is here because you recently read how to Do Nothing.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I read a book, Mitra. I read a book last week. So that's Sort of where I'm coming from. It was great.

[George Severis]

Okay, Mitra's response? Everything. I read that.

[Mitra Tahari]

Sorry, I'm an avid reader.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Wow. Trying to stump her and we can't.

[Mitra Tahari]

I haven't exercised in over a year. But I have read.

[George Severis]

So would you like to start?

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Okay, Mitra, I will start. Stanning Lana Del Rey or manning an AC130J fighter jet by Lockheed Martin.

[Mitra Tahari]

This is like, not nice, I guess, standing. Lana Del Rey.

[George Severis]

Mitra. This is an easier one. Patagonia fleece or Herschel backpack?

[Mitra Tahari]

Patagonia.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Okay, Mitra the Wire, Chicago Fire or Brockmire?

[Mitra Tahari]

Brockmire. Because I don't know what it is. And it feels to me like something where you guys go like strokes beard,

[George Severis]

Julian Assange or Julianne Hough Julia.

[Mitra Tahari]

Oh, it's a tough one. Julian Assange.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Okay, Mary Had a Little Lamb or any song produced by Will. I am.

[Mitra Tahari]

Mary Had a Little Lamb.

[George Severis]

Holding Someone Accountable or Hold Me Closer, Tiny Dancer.

[Mitra Tahari]

Hold me Closer, Tiny Dancer. And I also, just circling back to the last question, listen to. I drove from LA to Seattle this week and I listened to Ella Funk from top to bottom yesterday while I was in the car. Because I remember listening, listening to it so much in like sixth grade and loving it. And it was one of those things where I was like, I just don't think I've listened to it since then. And I just made myself listen to all of it as I was driving into Seattle.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

How did it hold up?

[Mitra Tahari]

So there were some songs that were so fun. Like when I heard hey Mama. Hey Mama. Ditch that bit. Whatever. I was like, oh, yes. Like, everything else was like,

[George Severis]

yeah, it's.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I mean, I stanned the Black Eyed Peas pretty hard. I was all in on them.

[Mitra Tahari]

Me too. I was just imagining too, like, my poor mom, like in the van begging to listen to Black Eyed Peas and screaming, just wanna squeeze tits. Or just being like, what?

[George Severis]

When she goes, my lovely little lumps.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

And you know what? This is actually an amazing segue to my final straight shoot because it is camel toe, moose knuckle or gender neutral genital lump.

[Mitra Tahari]

Camel toe.

[George Severis]

Okay, and here's my final one. This is. It's kind of all been leading up to this. Okay, your choices are Joey from friends saying, how you doing? Steve Carell in the office saying, that's what she said. Or Neil Patrick Harris in How I Met yout Mother saying legend. Wait for it. Dary.

[Mitra Tahari]

No. Okay, I'm gonna go. Joey and I have been unironically saying legendary lately. Not something that I'm proud of, but I'm gonna. I'm putting it on the pod.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

You know what, Mitra? I'm gonna say you got a perfect score. The energy was incredibly high. That was.

[George Severis]

Mitra, everything you're doing, I'm loving.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

You have star power. You're here, and you know exactly who you are.

[George Severis]

Mitra, you're going to Hollywood.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I've been non unironically saying good vibes only recently.

[Mitra Tahari]

I get it. You know what? We've been inside for a year. We can say this stuff. I've also been saying epic.

[George Severis]

Well, I do think it's. Unfortunately, the word iconic is overplayed, so we are kind of backtracking to now literally talking like fourth grade boys, because the one thing we had that wasn't. That was iconic. And now that is over.

[Mitra Tahari]

I know I still find myself saying it, but I do. I am like, I'm really calling stuff epic. That is fucking epic.

[George Severis]

I'm like, what are the alternatives?

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I mean, sometimes things just are epic.

[Mitra Tahari]

Things are epic. Sometimes things are legend.

[George Severis]

Wait for it.

[Mitra Tahari]

Dairy.

[George Severis]

Yeah. I feel like, what's. Like, I'm trying to think of a more kind of gay slash queer slash feminized word. Like, should we start calling things chic again?

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Chic doesn't have enough.

[George Severis]

It's not as much. It does not have.

[Mitra Tahari]

No, it feels like more like. Like, to me, when I hear chic, I think of, like, a waifish person. Yeah. Like, she needs a wisp.

[George Severis]

She needs to know she's chic. My wife, she's chic.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Call the doctor. My wife is chic.

[Mitra Tahari]

I'm chic, and I can't get up.

[George Severis]

Oh, my God.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

We're.

[George Severis]

This is the hospital chic ward. Everyone here is chic.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

My life alone, we're underfunded. We're chic.

[George Severis]

If you're chic and you don't have health care, what do you do? Okay, sorry, that was one. It was one. One plus one too far. Like, I'm sorry.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Being chic is a fuck. I can't. I was like, what's. Guys, I'm bailing. I'm like, I'm forgetting what the word is for.

[Mitra Tahari]

Because you're fucking chic. You're chic.

[George Severis]

Sam, you're too chic to record this podcast.

[Mitra Tahari]

Should we postpone for a later date?

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I do. Yeah. Can we wrap this up actually?

[Mitra Tahari]

All right, I'm all done. I'll see you guys later. Have a rest of your day.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I do think the more gay, feminized thing that's going to be popping off more is the sort of making up words. Like, I think the, like, what we've seen in this season of Drag Race, if I'm being completely honest, is sort of the Gagatrandra. The, like, putting Idana after everything.

[George Severis]

I was just gonna say Gagatrandra is so funny.

[Mitra Tahari]

I've never heard that.

[George Severis]

Okay, so it's like, what was the context, Sam, of Gagatrandra?

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

It was like Gottmik during an untucked saying. Like, someone's look was Gagatrondra.

[George Severis]

Gagatrandra.

[Mitra Tahari]

Like, that is like language folding in on itself.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Oh, good.

[George Severis]

There was at one point I saw a tweet. Will Kellogg, in fact, tweeted it that it was like me trying to remember what Marvel villains are called. And it was got Mitch being like, gagatrondra.

[Mitra Tahari]

That is Gagatro. It is like, it's a Transformer vibe. Gagatrandra. Like, the car turns into a gun.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Absolutely. And I think that's.

[George Severis]

Please. My wife. She's very chic. She was hit by a gigatrandra.

[Mitra Tahari]

I want to come out of this episode with a whole new language. Like a paragraph that makes no sense to anyone who hasn't listened.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Oh, my God, I'm feeling so blessed and so grateful. I'm feeling. I mean, the riffs, honey, they're on today.

[Mitra Tahari]

I mean, each and every one from the riffs.

[George Severis]

You did come in with an energy that was so. That almost allowed me to be myself for the first time in my life.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Like, please unpack what that means.

[George Severis]

Well, you know, you never know. So often we're like, we're so nervous about something going well or not nervous about it going well. But, you know, it's like, it takes a lot for three different people to be on the same page.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Sure.

[George Severis]

And I think with the birth of Bo Bender, it's a new day.

[Mitra Tahari]

Bo Bender is ushering in a new era.

[George Severis]

Ushering in a new era. Gigatron dra.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

One of my podcasts.

[George Severis]

First word is Gagatrandra Gag A Chandra.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Oh, my God. I would love at least gag.

[George Severis]

Gag. Gag actually, is like, a pretty simple. Like, you could ensure his first word is gag.

[Mitra Tahari]

That could be your gay uncle thing.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Also, I mean, I think it would be even more iconic if the first. Sorry, iconic is the only word we can use still.

[Mitra Tahari]

Well, we haven't found a suitable replacement. Agatrondra, of course.

[George Severis]

But it is a bit of a

[Mitra Tahari]

problem

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

is if I could get Bo Bender's first word to be just wig.

[Mitra Tahari]

My dad. I can't. It's hard to tell if he's being completely serious. Or if there were a few words in between. But he insists that my first words were no and fuck.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I simply don't buy it.

[Mitra Tahari]

He said it was up there and that it was really upsetting.

[George Severis]

Maybe you were saying, like, no, fuck, like you were trying to censor. Like, he was like, fuck, and you were like, no, fuck.

[Mitra Tahari]

No fuck. No fuck. I also. My. My mom had a tumor went with me. So my head came out really long. You know, they give you the little caps, and they, like, roll up the caps like you do with a beanie. Mine was unrolled all the way because my head was so long. And one of the first things my dad said when he saw me was, is it gonna stay like that?

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

No.

[George Severis]

Oh, my God. Wait.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Oh, God.

[George Severis]

I had a similar thing where. So I allegedly ate my own poop in the womb. Thank you. And then when I came out. What? Any questions?

[Mitra Tahari]

When you came out, your teeth were brown.

[George Severis]

No, but according.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

So apparently, I like licking your little poopy fingers.

[Mitra Tahari]

Literally, the first word was poop.

[George Severis]

I was very, like, fat baby and fat teen and, like. And my grandma. My grandmothers were, like, very. Not about being like, george, he's fat. You know, like, it was whatever. And so the running joke was, like, george was trying to eat his own poop. That's how fat he was in the womb. And so. But my point is that apparently I came out and I was, like, really discolored. Cause I was, like, getting sick, getting chic from eating my own poo. So my dad, who, like, really exaggerates when he tells stories, every time he tells this story will point to whatever nearest him is, like, literally navy blue. He'll be like, this color. He was this color. And it was like. And it's like him explaining that I was navy blue when I came out of my mom's womb.

[Mitra Tahari]

Wow. My sister was blue, but she had the cord wrapped around her neck.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Oh, wow.

[Mitra Tahari]

Yeah.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

That's awesome. Very Avatar.

[George Severis]

Very Avatar. Gagatrondra.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Gagatrandra.

[Mitra Tahari]

That is Gagatrandra.

[George Severis]

Gagatrandra.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Avatar Realness.

[Mitra Tahari]

Zoe Saldana's. Is that.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Who's.

[George Severis]

Yeah, Zoe Saldana.

[Mitra Tahari]

Zoe Saldana's. Gagatranda.

[George Severis]

Gagatrandra. God.

[Mitra Tahari]

Anyway, how's the rhythm, Sam?

[George Severis]

What was your imperfection when you were born?

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I was pretty chubby when I was a baby. And not that. That's not an imperfection, but.

[Mitra Tahari]

Okay, go on. That's, like, good.

[George Severis]

Meanwhile, Mitra had a, like, misshapen head. I was blue. You were like. Yeah, I was like, a little Overweight.

[Mitra Tahari]

Yeah, I guess. Like, I didn't have a full head of hair right away.

[George Severis]

My nail bits suck.

[Mitra Tahari]

I couldn't, like, walk.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

But I do feel, you know, I feel like every.

[Mitra Tahari]

Yeah, it wasn't bilingual yet.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Yeah.

[George Severis]

Can we get into the topic?

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I think we actually should.

[George Severis]

Okay. Randomly. Mitra, what is the topic?

[Mitra Tahari]

Okay, so my topic that I would like to talk about is Victoria's Secret.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

And we absolutely love this. This is genius.

[George Severis]

It's genius.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

What brought you to Victoria's Secret?

[Mitra Tahari]

Well, so from my personal perspective, it definitely, like when I was like, first dating and like having sex, that was the thing where I was like, will you get Victoria's Secret? If you want to, like, be hot to a guy, you will have a matching Victoria's Secret panty set. And I looked at the website and wait, I wrote down it has the sexiest bras, panties and lingerie. Like, like still committing to the word panties. But most, most importantly, since it is Women's Month, I'm on the website, hashtag, Raise her up. It's the homepage.

[George Severis]

Oh, no.

[Mitra Tahari]

Victoria's Secret is powered and inspired by women, which is why this month we're celebrating International Women's Day by featuring all the incredible women around the world who are fighting for equality. No, it moved. Oh, but you got it. They're doing that, which is iconic because it is like it ruined my life for so long. And also just like the worst material, but is that. It just feels like it's. I don't like the material personally. And like the, like all their bra. Like so many of their bras are like just fucking rock hard push up bras and stuff. And now they have pink, which is like a little more like athletic or whatever. But anyway, it feels like to me, like performing straightness. I associate, like, I see like a woman in like a push up Victoria's Secret bra, matching thong. She's so like fucking like tight and she's like in the ocean. She's in the ocean. Help her.

[George Severis]

She's drowning. She's looking fabulous while doing it.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Yeah. I think Victoria's Secret always to me is like, I have no proof of this, but it's like the CEO is a man. Yes.

[Mitra Tahari]

Les Wexner, I believe and is named Lex.

[George Severis]

Les Lex.

[Mitra Tahari]

Let me make sure. But he. So he was in like an Ohio person who. Yeah, it's like that. And I feel like the Limited or something like that. And like a bunch of the factories were in Ohio and there were buildings at Ohio State, which is where I went to School and dropped out of. But they have buildings named after him. So he. He grew a business empire after starting the Limited, Victoria's Secret, Abercrombie and Fitch Express, Bath and Body Works. So he loves, like, sort of torture women.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I mean, he literally invented them all. Like, yeah.

[George Severis]

Limited to in Victoria's Secret were the stores.

[Mitra Tahari]

Yes. Oh, my God. Oh. So when I was younger, I used to think the slap bracelets at Limited two were free because they didn't have price tag. So I was just shoplifting slap bracelets every time I went to Limited 2 until one day my mom was like, where did you get that? I was like, from the. From the bucket where they give away Slap Breaks bracelets.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Oh, my God. I. Victoria's Secret in a mall is like such a charged thing because it was like, even as a boy, I feel like when you were walking past it, you're like, supposed to perform being turned on. Like, you're supposed to perform, like, looking at it and being like, nice or like, oh.

[George Severis]

It's like. It's also like, you know, listen, maybe this was because of that and because maybe I thought I was supposed to have that reaction and I didn't, and maybe it was something about me. But I think objectively, it's just a suffocating environment. Even if you're not the target, even if you're not, like a woman who feels oppressed by beauty stand. Like, even if you're literally a little boy, it is just. It oozes toxicity. Like, it is just not a good place to be. I just remember passing it and being like, I don't want to go in there, right?

[Mitra Tahari]

I mean, it's all like, I got an air bubble. Do you hear it? I haven't had an air bubble in so long. It is, like, so embarrassing. Even though it's not my fault, every time I get an air bubble and like, my voice comes out sounding like a frog, like, yuck. Ew. Like, fuck me, right? I'm so stupid.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Well, you know, not to, you know, not to make you self conscious or whatever, but I don't think I've ever had an air bubble. I don't really know what that means.

[Mitra Tahari]

Is that real?

[George Severis]

Wait, randomly. I don't know what an air bubble is.

[Mitra Tahari]

Oh, my God.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Like, again, not trying to make you feel like I'm the weirdest person in

[Mitra Tahari]

the world now actually, like, tearing up.

[George Severis]

Mitro. It's really okay. I just have never heard the phrase air. I've never heard someone say, why phrase something?

[Mitra Tahari]

It is so crazy. Every time you think something.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Oh, my God.

[Mitra Tahari]

Just to think something is universal, and it's not. It's so funny, you know, an air bubble.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

So I literally don't know what to do.

[Mitra Tahari]

You, like, get a little bubble in your throat. Your voice comes out.

[George Severis]

No, I can imagine. Yes, I'm. Now, I think you try to talk and the first syllable that comes out is, like, in a weird voice.

[Mitra Tahari]

It's like, until you swallow the air bubble. So it could have gone on forever.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

So you could just get stuck like that.

[Mitra Tahari]

Please. Like, eventually you swallow the air bubble, but, like, it's a little tumble. Like, but it's like you're not doing anything. It's just like the air is there, and it's, like, in your throat, and it's making your voice come out weird. But now I understand that this doesn't happen to everyone. So.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Not only does it, like, not happen to everyone, it's not like, in the culture.

[George Severis]

Wait, Sam, don't make her feel worse.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I'm just, like, really confused on your perspective.

[George Severis]

Stop.

[Mitra Tahari]

I can't believe that's what you just said. It's like me being like. Like, you know when you go to piss and you're like, what's piss? Like, I feel like that's what has happened to me.

[George Severis]

I cannot believe that. Sam, your follow up was, not only does it not happen to everyone, you're also weird in general.

[Mitra Tahari]

Oh, my God.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Wow.

[Mitra Tahari]

And I like, like, exit zoom. End the podcast. Oh, my God.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

That was a crazy realization.

[George Severis]

Wow.

[Mitra Tahari]

Wow. Okay, I have no idea what I was saying.

[George Severis]

So Victoria's Secret. To me, there are two. I think it's the perfect. It's one of the most, like. Sorry. One of the most iconic brand names.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

We need a new word.

[George Severis]

We need a new word. One of the most Gagatonic.

[Mitra Tahari]

What is a Gagatron?

[George Severis]

But I don't even mean iconic in a good way. I mean it in a little literal sense that it has, like, become iconic. Like, I. You know, the Iraq War is also iconic, but not because it's good.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

And now

[Mitra Tahari]

the only other reference you could have made in that moment.

[George Severis]

Anyway, my point is that, like, Victoria's Secret is just one of those brand names that everyone recognized, like Coca Cola and. Yeah, and to me, there are two elements of it. One is the name Victoria is such the platonic ideal of a sexual woman's name. It's almost like Victoria. Veronica is like this to Vanessa.

[Mitra Tahari]

Victoria and Veronica are so different. For me, though, Veronica, to me, there's a girl that I went to school with that I was obsessed with. Her name was Veronica. No other reason? I think just because her name was Veronica and she was, like, kind of cute. And Victoria, I feel like she's, like, very buttoned up. Like. Like, she's hot, but she's very, like. Like, I don't know. But.

[George Severis]

So Victoria, for me is Posh Spice.

[Mitra Tahari]

Victoria Becky. I wasn't, like, exposed to the Spice Girls until I was, like, in my 20s or, like. Like, I, like, heard Spice Girl songs, but I didn't know about them. And I was kind of like, oh, like, what are they? Whatever. Or what are they? And then I was like, oh, they're, like, iconic. They're gigatronic.

[George Severis]

So to me, Victoria is Posh Spice, Veronica is Christina Applegate and anchorman Veronica Corning Stone.

[Mitra Tahari]

Oh, wow. So kind of the opposite. We're actually flipping. Yeah, I guess you're Veronica is my Victoria, right? The duality of man.

[George Severis]

Yeah. No, I mean, I could go on, but I won't.

[Mitra Tahari]

I'll, like, work on the essay and wait.

[George Severis]

How do you feel about Vanessa?

[Mitra Tahari]

Vanessa? It's so Vanessa Hudgens to me.

[George Severis]

Oh, for me, it's Vanessa Lachey.

[Mitra Tahari]

Wow.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Oh, yeah.

[George Severis]

Because to me, when I was watching TRL when I was younger, her name was Vanessa Minnillo before she married Nick Lachey. And I remember she was very, and still is very hot, but she was very attractive. And. And, yeah, that was, like, an early. It was very much like, oh, the perfect woman.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Well, George, does a V name exist to you that is not hot?

[Mitra Tahari]

What about Vera?

[George Severis]

Hot.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Vera.

[Mitra Tahari]

Vera.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

That's like, vampire hot.

[Mitra Tahari]

Yeah, No, I think Vera's, like, your eye color doesn't. Like. Like, your eye color is, like, surprising given your complexion.

[George Severis]

Yeah, yeah. Or like. Okay, so. So I hate to say this, but, like, Velma is not a hot name.

[Mitra Tahari]

I think you can say that.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Okay.

[Mitra Tahari]

But then again, we've got Velma Kelly from Chicago, and that's hot, but in its own way.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Vivian. That's a hot name.

[George Severis]

Vivian is hot.

[Mitra Tahari]

Vivian's hot.

[George Severis]

I had a friend in college whose name was Viviana, and I thought that was really hot.

[Mitra Tahari]

Whoa.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I mean, that sounds like a name that Gottmik made up.

[Mitra Tahari]

A hot daughter.

[George Severis]

I think she's literally now, like, a civil rights lawyer. So go off honestly, Viviana lads, Glamour girl. Imagine if you were. If your civil rights were in danger and your lawyer was named Viviana. I mean, it's over for the other people.

[Mitra Tahari]

Nice to meet you. I'm Viviana.

[George Severis]

Yeah. And it's like, oh, Fine. They can have rights.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Yeah. That is like jury found dead. Yeah. This is my impression of the jury. When Viviana shows up,

[Mitra Tahari]

he's guilty.

[George Severis]

Oh no, they have an air bubble.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Boing boy. Oing.

[Mitra Tahari]

Wow. To bring back air bubble.

[George Severis]

I'm so sor.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I'm so sorry.

[George Severis]

I'm actually so sorry.

[Mitra Tahari]

So take me back to that space that I clawed my way out of a moment

[George Severis]

and to just finish my thought and then I will stop talking. It's like so on the one hand you have Victoria, which is a hot name. On the other hand you have secret. It's like, it's so obvious, like, oh, what's her secret? It's her private parts. It's so obvious that a lingerie company would be called someone.

[Mitra Tahari]

Okay, so that's why I think it's maybe not supposed to be a sexy name because it's like anyone could have this underneath their clothes. Like anyone could be Victoria with her secret. Victoria is like, she's a businesswoman. She's like all buttoned up and then underneath all of that she has like a rock hard red bra.

[George Severis]

It's non compostable. Like you can't. It actually, it actually is like ruining the environment.

[Mitra Tahari]

If it's within like 100ft of flames, you will go up. It's like clothing you can hear.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

So wait, the secret is that she's wearing underwear.

[Mitra Tahari]

I think the secret is that there's a thong underneath.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Oh.

[George Severis]

To me the secret is like that she has genitals and the underwear is like covering up the secret.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

It's crazy because none of these things are secrets. They're all like a given. Like I would assume you have genitals. I would assume you have underwear.

[Mitra Tahari]

No, I think the secret is like underneath like your regular outfit, like you look at me, I'm in a black turtleneck today, underneath I could have on like the sexiest red bra. You would never know. You're right, that's my interpretation. You're right. And I'm sure if we googled it for one second.

[George Severis]

No, no, we can't.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

No, no, no, that would ruin it. That would ruin it.

[Mitra Tahari]

But really it's like, oh, my dog was named Victoria. I just thought it'd be funny and

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

like she would like always like hide my socks under the bed. So like that's secret.

[George Severis]

I have a really distinct memory of my mom getting a Victoria's Secret catalog and them advertising called the One. Thoughts?

[Mitra Tahari]

Sounds like it probably was. I imagine a bra I would never want, but I would have bought when I was 18 right there. Was. I definitely.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Yeah, you go. You go.

[Mitra Tahari]

I definitely, like, was buying Victoria's Secret bras until not that long ago, until I went. Like, I feel like it's very recent that, like, like, en masse, we were like, we don't, like, need to do this, right? Like, I don't think it. Like, I feel like it doesn't. Like, it feels like it's longer than it is. That. That happened at least, like, within my community. I think there was just a moment where I was like, wait, I can, like, just, like, wear Hanes? That's okay.

[George Severis]

Yeah. And not just that. It's almost like, now it's uncool to try so hard or something.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Yeah, I was gonna say something similar. I feel like it's cooler to be like. Like, in extreme, extremely basic basics and be like, I'm the one that makes them sexy. You know?

[George Severis]

I got back to Everlane, back to Everlasting. It's an Everlane complex. Yeah.

[Mitra Tahari]

I had a ton of Everlane underwear rip, but they all actually disintegrated because they were not. They were, like, the materials too thin. They all have, like, holes in them. And. But. But I. Yeah, it's either that or it's, like, get some, like, amazing, like, ethically made. Like, crazy. I have, like, either like, the ugliest, biggest underwear or, like, like, underwear that I spend a million dollars on that are, like, native silk and I wear, like, once a year to be like, she's got it.

[George Severis]

Yeah. Huh.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Huh.

[Mitra Tahari]

You know what?

[George Severis]

I recently. Sorry, go ahead.

[Mitra Tahari]

I was gonna say I bought it for my college boyfriends, and I, like. I was like, this is. This is what we'll do it. This is what will show them that I'm, like. It just felt so important. And I. Yeah, I remember I was, like, dating someone or, like, whatever. Not even dating, but, like, he lived far away. So I mailed him a set of Victoria's Secret underwear and bra and was like, this is what I will wear when I get to you. When I was.

[George Severis]

Okay, here. Okay, here's a question. Like, or. Not even a question, just a prompt. The idea of lingerie as a gift is such a huge part of this culture, and I think it can work both the way you did it is empowering and feminist than gagatrandrandra. But then the opposite side of that is, like, a man buying it for you, quote, unquote, as a gift, with the implication that you're gonna wear it for him, which, up until so recently, was like, like, such a common cultural Trope.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Yes.

[Mitra Tahari]

And we were supposed to be like, yes.

[George Severis]

Like, oh, my God, Just what I wanted.

[Mitra Tahari]

Like, get me, like, food. Get me, like, a cool hat.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

This is an interesting point, though, when it's like, when gay people do something, it's hot. And when straight people do something, it's really messed up and weird. If a man were to buy me, like, a weird underwear thing and be like, I want you to wear this, I'd be like, like, this is the hottest thing anyone has ever done.

[Mitra Tahari]

My nightmare is, like, somebody, like, guessing my sizes like that. Like, that's hell. Because either way I'm like, I feel bad and I'm not. It just feels horrible. Or just like, it's so specific. Like, what underwear a person. Or at least for me, like, I'm very particular about what underwear I wear and the material and, like, the shape of it. Like, it has to be like, has to hit high waisted. And, like, if it's gonna be, it has to be like, this kind of thong or whatever. Like, I don't want a bikini. I want a boy short. Like, all that shit where it's like, I can't even imagine being like, my boyfriend and, like, opening up a website and being like, time to get exactly what Mitra likes.

[George Severis]

Well, exactly. Because it's like, it's hard enough to buy someone a sweater.

[Mitra Tahari]

Yeah.

[George Severis]

You know what? I like the idea that you would. That you would actually try to buy

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

someone underwear, but it's not like, underwear for, like, wearing.

[George Severis]

It's like, underwear for, like. And now we said it.

[Mitra Tahari]

And now we said it.

[George Severis]

And now we said it. We're not even prioritizing women's comfort.

[Mitra Tahari]

It's for the man that's. Finally someone dares to go there with Victoria's making the subtext text just like. Yeah. I guess it's all the same. Like Sports Illustrated, too. I guess. Like, every single one of the models also sort of had the same face, which was very confusing to me.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Mitra Tahari]

Where I remember always looking at the displays and, like, trying to figure out if it was one person or many people.

[George Severis]

Wait, you're so right. Yeah. So, like, now I'm having other flashbacks to my mom's Victoria's Secret catalogs. Like, they would have, like, kind of famous. Like, they would have, like, famous models in them, right?

[Mitra Tahari]

Yeah. Like Giselle.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Mitra Tahari]

Or other models.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Oh, and that's like how you get like, that's like a big deal to be like, I'm a Victoria's Secret model. Like, that makes you a famous model.

[George Severis]

Yeah. Oh, My God. Victoria's Secret. What about the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show? As. As a concept.

[Mitra Tahari]

So brave. So empowering. So good. I loved it.

[George Severis]

Here's how I picture what I picture that. And I think this did happen. I'm not just imagining it. There's musical performances that happen while the models walk down the Runway. So it's like it'll be literally Giselle walking down in lingerie, and I swear to God, Justin Bieber.

[Mitra Tahari]

I'm pretty sure that happened.

[George Severis]

Literally going around her and being like, you, baby, I am 18.

[Mitra Tahari]

Yeah.

[George Severis]

So bad.

[Mitra Tahari]

I want to perform my old comedy at the serious secret fashion show. That's what they need to do is have me come on and be like, my name's Gretchen and I'm 13.

[George Severis]

They should have literally, Janine Garofalo do stand up comedy.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Oh, my God. And she rolls up, like, with the Notebook and is just kind of, like, talking.

[Mitra Tahari]

That was.

[George Severis]

I have to say, we will not have full progress until Janine Garofalo performs stand up comedy at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

[Mitra Tahari]

Finally. There we go.

[George Severis]

Is that Women's History Month?

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Fourth wave starts now.

[Mitra Tahari]

If I ever marry a trillionaire or something, I'm gonna self finance my own Victoria's Secret show. That'll be my first act as trillionaire.

[George Severis]

Mitra, let me stop you right there. You mean if you ever become a trillionaire.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Happy Women's Month.

[Mitra Tahari]

I have not one skill that could make me rich.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Ever heard of writer performer? That's a skill.

[George Severis]

Writer, performer, casting director, Greta Gerwig.

[Mitra Tahari]

I'm gonna make such an epic short film on Instagram that I become a trillionaire.

[George Severis]

The first Instagram reels. Trillionaire.

[Mitra Tahari]

Collecting billions from adults.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I will say, it took me until I was about 30 years old to find out that actually writer performers don't make the big books. I was like, oh, no. This whole time I thought, no, you

[George Severis]

have to get into producing.

[Mitra Tahari]

Yeah.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Or you have to be a psychotic little agent.

[George Severis]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Mitra Tahari]

For them. Good for them. Yeah, good for them.

[George Severis]

Isn't it shocking when you talk to someone who you think of as being, like, way, way, way more successful than you, and then you realize they're also not making any.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I know. And they're, like, renting my room, and I'm like, what? You don't have a house?

[George Severis]

It's absolutely crazy.

[Mitra Tahari]

I feel that way when, like. Because I just don't understand how the music industry works. I'm just starting to know. So, like, every successful musician is like. Like, I feel like that's like the one that I'm always like, wait, oh,

[George Severis]

no, they make no money. It's crazy.

[Mitra Tahari]

Shouldn't you have, like, a plane?

[George Severis]

No, it's like. Or especially, like, successful, quote unquote, like, indie musicians, where you're like, you're the epitome of cool. Like, you've performed at Bonnaroo three years running. Like, surely something must be coming out of this. And they're like, I have six rooms, roommates, nightmare.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Guys, Phoebe Bridgers listens to this. Like, she's gonna be really offended that we called her poor.

[George Severis]

I do think Phoebe Bridgers is rich in my mind.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

See, and that's what we're talking about.

[Mitra Tahari]

That makes it true.

[George Severis]

You know what's sad? She probably isn't. That's really sad.

[Mitra Tahari]

I think she is.

[George Severis]

Okay, she is. It's canon that Phoebe Bridgers is rich.

[Mitra Tahari]

And I just want to say, like, never met her, know nothing about her, enjoy her music, have no right to say that she's rich. But I want that for her.

[George Severis]

Me, too. I think she deserves it.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I think she deserves it. I think anyone that's been on TV even once deserves to be rich. I think it really ruins the illusion when I think that they could be worried about paying rent. That really bums me out.

[George Severis]

Even darker is like writing a book and publishing. It also doesn't make you rich.

[Mitra Tahari]

Yeah. What?

[George Severis]

Imagine how much effort it would take. Oh, no. Oh, no. Me too.

[Mitra Tahari]

No. Okay, so this is what I. I got another air bubble, I think, because I'm laughing so much and that.

[George Severis]

And it's okay.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

And that's okay.

[Mitra Tahari]

You know, I actually feel so Feeling something. I'm just kidding. I think it's funny, but because I like, it feels the same thing to me as realizing that, like, the restaurant that was so popular in my hometown isn't a chain restaurant. Like, that's what is happening to me over and over again today.

[George Severis]

Totally. I actually had. Well, I had something. I can't even remember what it was. Recently, I had that with a word I've been mispronouncing wrong my whole life. And I was so humiliated.

[Mitra Tahari]

I thought it was the Honduras until I was like, 20. Yeah, I thought it.

[George Severis]

I mean, I certainly. When I was younger, like, before I knew kind of like what the etymology of certain brands were, I would be like, before I knew Givenchy, I'd be like, Givenchy.

[Mitra Tahari]

Of course. I don't know how to say any of them now.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Mitra Tahari]

Being asked to say anything nice out loud, it's the same, like, anytime I'm in, like, a fancy place. I assume that I stink. Like, that's, like, sort of the. Like.

[George Severis]

I know exactly what you mean.

[Mitra Tahari]

Yeah.

[George Severis]

Or suddenly my skin is really oily. I will enter a place like that, and suddenly it's like, oh, do you not have a skincare regimen?

[Mitra Tahari]

Yeah. Every time I'm in, like, a really nice, like, a room full of, like, really, like, fancy people, I'm like, my po. I know I have, like, my body stinks. I know my body, and there's like, nothing actually, like, crazy happening. But I'm just like, everyone here. I know they all smell amazing, and I stink like shit.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Mitra Tahari]

What's that? What's that mean?

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I thought of a word that I never know how to say. Right.

[George Severis]

Okay, What?

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Julia Louis Dreyfus.

[George Severis]

Louis Dreyfus.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

But, like, I think many times in my life I've said Julia Louise Dreyfus.

[Mitra Tahari]

That's fine. I mean.

[George Severis]

Yeah, that's fine, Sam.

[Mitra Tahari]

I'm not a big deal. I'm saying so much and forgiving so much shit that I have nothing to do with. Oh, my God. That's fine.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Well, to your stink point, you know, when we could go places, I love to lean into the stink, you know, get ahead of it. Sort of proudly not wear deodorant, and then say, you know what? This is good.

[George Severis]

This is a good thing, Sam. You're famous for being a stink.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Yeah, I'm a little stinker. Stinker mafia, rise up.

[Mitra Tahari]

Okay. Empowering.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Yeah. Yeah. You know, and I just don't really feel like wearing deodorant, quite frankly. But honestly, when I am working a job, I do wear deodorant because I don't want people to dislike me.

[George Severis]

Yeah, and yet you don't have that courtesy with your closest friends.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

They should love me for who I am.

[George Severis]

Oh, good call.

[Mitra Tahari]

I have, like, no, actually interesting revelations on Victoria's Secret. Just felt like straight culture.

[George Severis]

No, it's the perfect. It's the perfect topic for a podcast. Sam, do you have.

[Mitra Tahari]

Perfect topic for a podcast?

[George Severis]

For our podcast.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Specifically this one.

[George Severis]

I mean, if you're. If you were going to go on, like, Fresh Air and be like, yeah, my topic is Victoria's Secret. I don't think that would fly. But for our purposes.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Any final thoughts on Victoria's Secret? The other straight. Okay, the other straight element of it is how like, it is sex for people who don't understand sex yet. It is people who want to appear like they know but actually have no idea. So they're, like, grasping at Straws. It's like when a like young boy talks about like, what girls are hot. It's, it's that. And so it's, it's like elementary school sexy.

[Mitra Tahari]

Like, I'm sure there are still like tons of people who love it. I think it's just realizing that like we like the real thing. The real question is like, like the people who don't know yet that they don't have to do it. Like, like I can certainly, like, I get that it's fun to put on a push up bra and look like I have bigger tits than I do. Like, that's awesome. I love that.

[George Severis]

That's really fucking cool.

[Mitra Tahari]

I, as someone who like doesn't really have tits, I love putting on, putting on a push up bra. A, to me, I is like so funny as someone who like never wears any kind of bra really ever. Like, to put on a pushup bra is. You have to laugh. But also I'm like, this rocks. This is awesome. I could be convinced to be like this forever. Well, now it's like even more sinister because they're adding the layer of empowerment. Like, empower yourself, sweetie. Get the same product. But now it's empowering.

[George Severis]

Much can change with just literally marketing language.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

It's a good lesson.

[Mitra Tahari]

This pussy grabs back on a Victoria's Secret thong.

[George Severis]

I have a question. Obviously we're now heading towards everyone calling bullshit on all on that kind of marketing, empowering marketing language. Like, what's going to happen after that's after People can no longer get away with that. Like, the world's going to implode. We've been, that's been the crux of everything for so long.

[Mitra Tahari]

Everything has been like, you are brave.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Buy this.

[George Severis]

Like, that's no longer gonna fly within like a year.

[Mitra Tahari]

Yeah, yeah. Girl boss. Get Cheerios. Like, yeah, I don't know, maybe it'll go back to being like, fuck women.

[George Severis]

I think literally that, I mean, unfortunately, I think it might.

[Mitra Tahari]

The two genders aren't good enough.

[George Severis]

The two genders are literally girl, boss, Yas, queen and fuckwin.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Oh God, it's dark.

[Mitra Tahari]

It's dark.

[George Severis]

It's bad.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Well, fascinating.

[George Severis]

Well, I'll say this. I really think we got, I think we got to the bottom of a lot of stuff.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I think we really got to the bottom of a lot of stuff.

[George Severis]

A lot of stuff. I'm stalling because I don't know what I'm going to do for our final segment, but really good work.

[Mitra Tahari]

Well, I just want to say for me, like this podcast Experienced so much. I was silenced at the beginning, and then I was bullied for a bodily function, and then, yeah, I guess. Thanks for everything.

[George Severis]

Thanks for coming.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Well, I mean, you've done an amazing job raising awareness for bubbles or whatever that was. Stop, Sam, you're so mean.

[George Severis]

I just want it on record because often I'm accidentally mean. Sam was more mean about the bubbles.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Okay. I literally wasn't mean. I was just being investigative. I was trying to learn more about.

[George Severis]

Oh. Being investigative is one of the tenets of. Of our ethos, of our podcast. Yeah. Well, I don't meet. I don't know if you. If one of the episodes you listen to is with Nori Reid, because that's where we defined a concept known as glamour girl as someone who is wounded, glamorous, and seeking truth.

[Mitra Tahari]

I have not heard that episode.

[George Severis]

Well, it's a big one. In terms of the myth making of Straight Hair Lab, it's huge. And I would just. I want to say I'm gonna. I would go so far to say is glamor Girls don't shop at Victoria's Secret.

[Mitra Tahari]

It's certainly the last resort.

[George Severis]

Last resort.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Yeah, they do when they're on a job.

[Mitra Tahari]

They'll go there. They'll go there, like, undercover.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Like, undercover. A big job. Like, they'll. They'll go to Victoria's Secret and, like, get stuff.

[George Severis]

A huge part of being a glamour girl is going undercover.

[Mitra Tahari]

It's like being undercover. Like. Like, of course you're not gonna dress how you would normally dress, and there's so much seduction that goes into being undercover. So, like, you're constantly finding. We're talking about being undercover.

[George Severis]

We're talking about being undercover as though it's like a kind of classic part of life. Like, you know that feel when you're undercover.

[Mitra Tahari]

A glamour girl has to get the secrets, and to do that, she has to go undercover.

[George Severis]

Right.

[Mitra Tahari]

And to really get the secret, she has to seduce often.

[George Severis]

Okay, you're right, you're right, you're right.

[Mitra Tahari]

Just part of the job.

[George Severis]

It's part of the job. It's part of the job, and I take it back. Glamour girls can go to Victoria's Secret, but every time they go, they also donate money to a cause.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

And it's tax deductible.

[Mitra Tahari]

Yes, and yes, exactly. They write it off as a work expense.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Our final segment is called Shout Outs, and we give a shout out to something that we like, sort of in the style of a 2001 TRL. You're shouting out to your squad back Home free.

[Mitra Tahari]

Hugs, vibes.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Absolutely. And George, do you want to go first?

[George Severis]

Sure, why not?

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Okay.

[Mitra Tahari]

I love it. Okay.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I'm like, you're furious, but what's up?

[George Severis]

What's up? My dear and beloved listeners, I want to give a quick shout out to garlic.

[Mitra Tahari]

Yes.

[George Severis]

I love garlic. Oprah voice.

[Mitra Tahari]

I love garlic.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

He went there. Okay.

[Mitra Tahari]

Okay, Fearless.

[George Severis]

This morning I got a text from my mom and she said, this Thursday is the 200th anniversary of Greece's independence. And I say, I thought you were

[Mitra Tahari]

gonna say the 200th anniversary of garlic.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I know. I'm like, is this still about garlic?

[George Severis]

She told me that the that and I had forgotten this, that one of the traditional things you make on Greek independence Day is fried cod and skordala, which is a garlic kind of dip. And it made me think, what a great opportunity to use one of my favorite ingredients, garlic, which so often gets overshadowed by other things in a dish and in fact, make a dish that is just garlic dip. Can you imagine something so powerful? It's that feel when Kelly Rowland has a solo career. It's that feel when the supporting actress gets the nomination and wins. It's Renee Zellweger in Cold Mountain. To me, garlic is Renee Zellweger and that's. Oh.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Woo. Woo.

[Mitra Tahari]

Wow. I love that.

[George Severis]

Thank you.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Okay, mine's obvious. What's up? What's up, my listener losers out there? I want to give a huge shout out to Bo Bender. That's right. I'm shouting out a child. This is his first shout out of all time. Bo is going to look back on this moment and be like, damn, I got a straight up shout out. That explains why I have such a head start in the entertainment industry. He is going to be a writer, performer, and he's going to be the first rich one. I cannot wait for you, Bo vendor to be an industry insider, writer, performer, wealthy, and agent slash casting director. So you've got star power, baby, and I love you for that. Keep it up. X.O.X.O. sam.

[Mitra Tahari]

Woo. Wow.

[George Severis]

Cute.

[Mitra Tahari]

Really good.

[George Severis]

So so far we have garlic and Sam's newborn nephew.

[Mitra Tahari]

Okay, so I'm going to give a huge shout out to post it Notes. They come in so many colors. Help me keep track of everything. I love post it notes. My walls are covered in post it notes. Check it out.

[George Severis]

Oh, my God. They really are.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

I see them.

[Mitra Tahari]

Yes. Slay, slay, slay, slay. They come in so many sizes, so many shapes.

[George Severis]

I mean, not that many shapes, but yeah.

[Mitra Tahari]

Some more than you would think.

[George Severis]

More than you would think more than

[Mitra Tahari]

you would think you think of the square. But there's actually so much more than that.

[George Severis]

There's so many more. Okay, well,

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

beautiful.

[Mitra Tahari]

That is Gorgotrandra and Gagatrandra.

[George Severis]

Gagatrandra.

[Mitra Tahari]

Wow. That's what I should have, really. Gagatrandra. To have a. It really is like. It also makes me think of, like, a woman wielding a scepter in a tundra.

[George Severis]

Yes.

[Mitra Tahari]

Because of the obvious Trundra, but, like,

[George Severis]

because of the ride.

[Mitra Tahari]

Right, exactly. It makes me think of. Oh, fuck. What's the character from Avatar? There's one that, like, whatever. It doesn't. It does not matter. And I'm talking about Avatar the Last Airbender.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Okay.

[George Severis]

So. Okay. Because weirdly enough, we've actually discussed James King Cameron's avatar on this podcast multiple times.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

It's a running theme, apparently.

[Mitra Tahari]

I've seen that, but I really, like. I've spent a lot of time with the Last Airbender. It's a show that I also want to rewatch, but it was huge for me.

[George Severis]

Interesting. Anyway, I recently went on a podcast that was about Dragon Ball Z, a show I've never watched.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Did you crush or.

[George Severis]

Yeah, I think I did pretty well. At one point, I said something. I was trying to be funny, and I was like, one of my biggest insecurities is not understanding a cultural product because I feel stupid or something. And I was trying to be funny, but they were like, oh, it's okay if you don't get it.

[Mitra Tahari]

Like, kind, sweet.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

They sound nice.

[Mitra Tahari]

Oh, thanks. That's the worst feeling in the world is being like, oh, thanks. I was actually being a bitch that I used to post, like, long, rambling Facebook statuses where I was, like, so excited. I got a call back. It will be under a Bridge at 3am it's for a play that will be 17 hours long about Come and piss. And then my mom was. I'd be like, so proud of you. I'd be like, no, I was being a bitch. Nothing good is actually happening to me.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Mom. It was a takedown of my peers.

[Mitra Tahari]

Mom. This joke was for three people. Back off.

[George Severis]

Back off. This isn't for you. You to your mom about your Facebook status.

[Mitra Tahari]

This public thing that I posted is actually incredibly ironic and meant for an audience of three.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

And then your dad comments with the image. That's like, let people enjoy things.

[George Severis]

But it's, like, about your mom enjoying your Facebook status.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Ye. Wow.

[George Severis]

Another incredible riff.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Mitra, this has been an absolute delight. Thank you so much for doing our pod.

[George Severis]

I mean, Mitra I'm literally gonna like sign off and then cry tears of joy for two hours.

[Mitra Tahari]

I had such a blast feeling so punchy I'm gonna fall asleep immediately.

[George Severis]

Wow. Well, spring is here and Gagatranzo.

[Mitra Tahari]

Gagatranzo.

[George Severis]

Happy Happy New Year. Woo.

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Happy New Year.

[Mitra Tahari]

Woo.

[George Severis]

Podcast ends now for our visual learners. You can watch full video episodes on our YouTube channel and subscribe to our

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

Patreon for two extra episodes a month

[George Severis]

at patreon.com Stradiolab Stradiolab is a production

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

by Will Ferrell's Big Money Players Network

[George Severis]

and iHeart Podcasts, created and hosted by me, George Severis and Sam Taylor Taggart,

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

executive produced by Jenna Cagle, co produced

[George Severis]

by Becca Ramos, edited by Lauren Stumpf and mixed and mastered by Doug Behm

[Sam Taylor Taggart]

artwork by Michael Fales and Matt Grubb theme music by Ben Kling.