Father’s Day with Seth Meyers

Summary

Detailed Summary of "Father’s Day with Seth Meyers" Episode of "Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso"

Release Date: June 15, 2025
Podcast: Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
Guest: Seth Meyers
Title: Father’s Day with Seth Meyers

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Introduction and Background

In this special Father’s Day episode, host Sam Fragoso sits down with Seth Meyers, the acclaimed comedian, writer, and host of "Late Night with Seth Meyers." The conversation spans Seth's illustrious career, his personal life, particularly his relationship with his father, and his insights into comedy and parenting.

Seth Meyers’ Journey in Comedy and Television

Early Career at SNL ([00:21] - [04:35])

Seth Meyers began his career at "Saturday Night Live" (SNL) in 2001, joining the iconic show at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York City. Starting as a young performer, Seth honed his comedic skills over 24 years, eventually becoming the head writer and later transitioning to host his own show.

Launching "Late Night" ([04:35] - [05:33])

In 2014, Seth launched "Late Night with Seth Meyers," bringing his sharp wit and unique perspective to late-night TV. Over a decade, he has remained a staple in nightly entertainment, known for his monologues and insightful commentary on current events.

Personal Anecdotes and Office Dynamics

Relationship with Producer Michael Shoemaker ([02:44] - [06:31])

Seth shares a close working relationship with his producer, Michael Shoemaker, highlighting how Michael serves as his "release valve" during stressful times. Seth humorously recounts an incident where he threw a Uniball pen in frustration:

"[05:27] Seth Meyers: And then I felt way better, and I just go back to my room."

This anecdote illustrates the depth of their professional bond and the lighter moments amidst the pressures of producing a nightly show.

Early Creative Struggles and Self-Doubt

Challenges at SNL ([26:16] - [28:17])

Seth opens up about his early years at SNL, facing significant self-doubt despite writing sketches that were selected for performance. He felt his jokes were not resonating during table reads and dress rehearsals, leading to intense feelings of inadequacy.

"[27:40] Seth Meyers: But the thing about these self doubt and to this day I feel as though I was never beating myself up. Worse than the reality actually was some people are like, oh, nobody likes my sketches."

This period of uncertainty ultimately pushed Seth to focus more on writing, where he found greater satisfaction and success.

Fatherhood and Parenting Insights

Influence of His Father ([08:12] - [10:38])

A significant portion of the conversation delves into Seth’s relationship with his father, who had high expectations and could be temperamental. Seth explains how his father's approach was more about high standards than aggression, emphasizing disappointment when expectations weren’t met.

"[09:08] Seth Meyers: I think we all see a lot of both of you in each other."

As a parent, Seth grapples with balancing firmness and affection, noting that his attempts to yell at his kids often come across as humorous rather than effective discipline.

"[10:26] Seth Meyers: I do think it's appropriate, but I have this heartbreaking thing happening, which is... My kids think it's funny when I yell."

Career Milestones and Pivotal Moments

White House Correspondents Dinner ([39:12] - [40:32])

One of Seth's career-defining moments was his performance at the White House Correspondents Dinner on April 30, 2011. This event is regarded as an inflection point, paving the way for his later success with "Late Night."

"[39:12] Sam Fragoso: ... how do you feel about that?"

Seth reflects on the night with mixed emotions, acknowledging its unexpected impact on his career trajectory and its indirect connection to Donald Trump’s presidential run.

Comedy Philosophy and Lessons

Never Repeat a Joke ([16:26] - [17:35])

Seth shares a fundamental lesson from his father: never repeat a joke. This principle has profoundly shaped his approach to comedy, ensuring that his material remains fresh and engaging.

"[16:26] Seth Meyers: ... never say a joke twice because you think people didn't hear it the first time."

He emphasizes the importance of originality and strategic delivery, comparing the planning of a joke to a meticulously planned crime.

Transition to "Late Night" and Show Development

Evolution of "Late Night" ([45:25] - [47:04])

Launching "Late Night with Seth Meyers" required Seth to redefine his role from a writer and performer to a host. He discusses the 18-month period it took to solidify the show's identity, eventually focusing on a more intimate, dinner party-style format that blends humor with substantive commentary.

"[45:32] Seth Meyers: ... it's like, we realized if the underlying information that we were doing comedy about was... more important, then it felt more like a show built for me."

Emotional Reflections and Personal Growth

Host’s Emotional Journey ([43:14] - [44:31])

Seth opens up about the emotional toll of his career, particularly when reflecting on pivotal moments like hosting the White House Correspondents Dinner. He shares poignant memories of support from his family, highlighting the profound personal connections that have sustained him through challenging times.

"[43:14] Seth Meyers: If there's a moment I could relive... it felt like the culmination of something."

Concluding Thoughts and Heartfelt Moments

Gratitude and Legacy ([56:25] - [59:55])

Towards the end of the episode, Seth expresses deep gratitude towards his father, recounting touching stories that showcase the mutual respect and admiration between them. He reflects on his father's subtle yet impactful influence on his career and personal life.

"[58:27] Seth Meyers: Happy Father's Day to Larry and all the other dads out there."

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Breaking Point Anecdote ([05:27]):

  "That was the breaking point.... And I threw it across the room and it exploded on the wall."

• Comedy Philosophy ([16:26]):

  "Never say a joke twice because you think people didn't hear it the first time. Because there's a chance they heard it the first time and just didn't think it was funny."

• Emotional Reflection ([43:14]):

  "If there's a moment I could relive... it felt like the culmination of something."

• Father’s Day Message ([58:27]):

  "Happy Father's Day to Larry and all the other dads out there."

Conclusion

The Father's Day special episode of "Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso" offers an intimate and comprehensive look into Seth Meyers' life, blending humor with heartfelt reflections. From his early struggles and professional milestones to his deep bond with his father and insights into parenting, Seth provides listeners with a multifaceted view of his journey in comedy and television. This episode not only celebrates fatherhood but also highlights the personal experiences that have shaped Seth Meyers into the beloved figure he is today.

Transcript

[Seth Meyers]

Lemonade.

[Sam Fragoso]

This is Talk Easy. I'm Sam Fragoso. Welcome to the show today, a Father's Day special with Seth Byers. For the past 24 years, Seth has been walking into the same building just about every morning at 30 Rockefelle Plaza in New York City. It was there that he first arrived in 2001 as a young performer on Saturday Night Live and where Years later in 2014, he launched his own show, Late Night with Seth Meyers. A decade in, Seth is still behind that desk, delivering jokes, making sense in the news and offering levity in these historic times. You could hear that quick witted sensibility in Strike Force 5, the podcast he co hosted with his fellow late night host during the writers strike in 2023. Equal parts comedy and camaraderie, the 10 part podcast offered a rare, unfiltered glimpse into the people behind the Personas outside of Late Night. Seth has somehow found time to host not one, but two podcasts of his own. Family trips, co hosted by his brother, actor and comedian Josh Meyers, as well as the Lonely island and Seth Meyers podcast where he reunites with old friends Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaeffer and Jorma Decon as they reminisce about their shared history at SNL and how they managed through the absurdity of early Internet fame. I sat down with Seth at 30 Rock in the very building where it all began. As you'll hear, we walked through the routine of making a show four nights a week. His early years at snl, his brilliant White House correspondents dinner monologue, and how that evening kind of unexpectedly set him on the path to Late night. And then finally, we get some comedy lessons from everyone from his father to Amy Poehler. And so with that, I hope you enjoy our Father's Day special with Seth Meyers.

[Seth Meyers]

Seth Meyers.

Hello.

Welcome to the show.

Thank you. You came to my office.

Yeah, I was gonna say thank you for being here.

Right. But really I should say thank you for being here.

By here, I mean a place that you work and I do not.

Exactly. And I want to apologize. I think both you and I, it's very nice. You haven't said it. The chairs are bad. But I want to make sure people know if they're watching. These are chairs. You didn't bring these chairs. I own the chairs. And I'm really sorry.

Imagine if this is what I brought.

For a bunch of chairs.

Like I'm on the train and these are the chairs I've landed on.

Well, now I'm just. There's No. A pair of chairs that you want to see anybody with on the train?

No. But if one has to.

If one has to, you would hope. Well, I will say, if you. For train chairs, they're at least the right size. You wouldn't want bigger than this. And the problem is they're a little too small. But anyway, they are a little too small. I've already digressed enough on the chairs.

I read in the New York Times that when you get a little upset, your producer, Michael Shoemaker, brings you into an office that overlooks the famous Christmas tree in winter.

Yeah.

Is this the room where the two of you vent to each other in hushed tones?

Well, so we actually have. Our offices are right next to each other, and they both have a view of the Christmas tree. Very lucky. As far as office real estate, I never take for granted how cool that is, but it's really. Look, I've been working with Shoemaker since 2001. We're incredibly close. And I think when you have a show like mine, it's really important not to lose your temper in front of everybody. It's impossible to never lose your temper. So what I like to do is I like to just walk into his office, which is right next door, and then I will just sort of yell at him, usually about someone else, for about 30 seconds. And then I feel way better, and I just go back to my room.

And what's the volume of that yelling? Is it in hushed tones?

I'm aware that people can hear me through the door.

Well, you haven't soundproofed it.

We have not soundproofed it. I feel as though that would almost be worse if the staff saw just, like, big foam. Rolls of foam come in. They're like, oh, no, it's worse than we thought.

They come back from break.

Oh, wow. Oh, yeah. This is bad.

We haven't heard much from Seth.

I was really. Shoemaker had knee surgery, and he was out. He missed two weeks of shows and the last day of the second week, and it was just the smallest thing, but again, I hadn't had my, like, release valve of being able to go to his office.

What is an example of a smallest thing that you get upset about?

Okay, so it was a Thursday, and Thursday is a really busy day for me because I'm working on the show. And then we also have this thing corrections that I'm working on, and I was just fully taxed mentally. And then someone reminded me that I had to go down to wardrobe to try on a new pair of pants and that was like the breaking point.

That was the breaking point.

That was the breaking point. Because I just. That anything outside the realm of the show that's not writing, I don't really want to do.

But you seem like you're in good.

Shape, by the way. They do a very nice job of making sure my pants look good. All they need is every now and then I have to try them on. Like, I am impossible. And so that was my breakpoint. And I took a Uniball pen when I was reminded of the pants thing and I threw it across the room and it exploded on the wall. And it's a great roar shock. You couldn't asked for a better ink block.

Threw it.

I threw it. I didn't expect it to explode against the wall, but explode against the wall anyway. Shoemaker has already ordered a plaque. We're not going to clean up the ink block. We're going to leave it as a memory of what happens when Shoemaker is gone. And it's a. Literally, there's going to be a plaque. This commemorates the eight days that Seth had to work without Shoemaker.

You know, but you have sort of a history of throwing things in the office.

I'm a thrower, by the way. I want to walk way back. Like, this is. You know, I don't want anybody to think I'm about to get mean toed. I. I don't throw things at people. I just sometimes will throw. I almost most of my throwing. There's no one else around.

Yeah. I'm the same way. Cause I had heard, you know, in your early years at snl.

Yeah.

When you were a performer.

Yeah, well, I was a different cat.

We're gonna get into that person. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's the whole point of the show.

Is to get in.

I heard that one time you had a sketch that you really liked.

Loved it.

And then at the table read. Your sketch was not chosen.

Yes.

And you went into your dressing room and slammed the door and the handle went through the wall.

Yeah. Went through the wall. Flimsy again. This podcast should really be about the flimsy construction of this building everybody thinks is so beautiful. The cardboard walls of 30 Rock.

And that's why they set up this interview, is for us to dedicate.

Oh, my God. Now you're inside. Right. So I. Yeah. And then that was another thing. Same thing. Shoemakers wouldn't get the wall fixed. He was like, I want you to see the hole in the wall and remember how petulant you were. Another Shoemaker story is I like went into his office after my sketch hadn't been chosen at read through and I was just sort of moped on in there and I fell on the couch. Like just picture whatever you're thinking. Like an emo teen who just found out he wasn't allowed to go to the concert. And I just went and collapsed on his couch. And he said, what's wrong with you? And I said, I'm just upset because I really wanted to do that sketch. And he, in the most mock, mocking tone, he said, oh, I didn't know you really wanted to do it. Oh well, let's get Lauren back in the building. Oh, that's what an important piece of information for all of us that you really wanted to do it. And I was like, all right, easy buddy.

I'm so sorry. We looked at all of them and half of them were all half hearted.

He goes, you should write at the end. I really want to do this. That will really help us when we're picking because we're not picking on you.

This one matters to me.

This one matters to me.

Yeah. As opposed to all the rest of them. So I'm interested. Like when you're growing up in Bedford, New Hampshire. Yes. Uh huh. Your father was like an aggressive but very funny guy, right?

I would say he was more very funny than aggressive. Yes. He was just a very.

But you've said before he would yell and it would be scary. Would he ever throw like a ballpoint pen when he didn't like one of your bits?

No. Well, I mean there wasn't a lot of like, these are my bits back then. And no, he was never my father's. His anger with his kids was almost entirely disappointment when we weren't applying ourselves. Like he had very high hopes for us.

What would that sound like?

I remember using expressions like, I would be so disappointed if you threw this all away. And I think my dad to this day, and by the way, this is a two way street. I think he sees a lot of me in him. I see a lot of him in me.

I think we all see a lot of both of you in each other.

Right.

For context, he is a recurring.

He's a recurring character in the show on the podcast.

Yes, 100% every Thanksgiving. Yes, you have late on the show.

He and my mom both. So like, you know, it's a. And I can see it now, like when you have your kids, like, I think in particular, when you see that maybe they have a similar skill set to you, you want to make sure they apply Themselves to using it. You know, my dad worked really hard in school. You know, he got a scholarship to go to the same college that he then paid my tuition for.

So, like, he went to Northwestern, then he got his mast at Carnegie Mellon.

Yeah. So he's a really smart guy. And then he had, you know, a couple of kids who, you know, were, thanks to his hard work, you know, they were living a more privileged life than he was. And I can tell, like, that is you can get really frustrated with your kids if you feel like they're just going to mail it in. So, by the way, I would say temperamental more than aggressive. It's funny now, being a parent and remembering one, I don't want to scream at my kids. And the two my dad screamed at me, I think it was super effective. So it's like this weird balance. Like, sometimes my wife will be like, you can't lose your temper with the kids. And I'm like, yes.

With that said, are there occasions where you think it's appropriate to yell your kids?

I do think it's appropriate, but I have this heartbreaking thing happening, which is, like, when my dad yelled, like, it was no. It was no laughing matter. And there's something. I don't know what it is. My kids think it's funny when I yell.

There's a bit in dad Men Walking where you talk about this, and I think I have figured it out.

Oh, good.

Do you know the episode of Seinfeld where Elaine says, like, jerry, no matter how much or how loud you yell, it always sounds funny?

Yeah.

I think this may be true for you.

It's really emasculating when you try. Like, here, I'm about to blow. I was driving in the car. My son was in the backseat with his friend.

In no way did I mean to emasculate.

No, I think, look, my kids get in line way behind my kids and my wife. But. So I was driving and my son was in the backseat with his friend. And, like, there was a culmination of things. It was like, traffic, and then they weren't listening. And I just think from historical precedent, my son knew it was about to happen based on how I was behaving. And I heard him say to his friend, oh, my God, my dad's about to lose it. You gotta watch it. So funny. I was like, oh, man. Like, there's just. And that's where, you know. Cause I think there was. The way my dad yelled was effective because it was. It's good. Every now and then I think As a kid to be afraid of your parents. But the way I yell at my kids is not effective because it's just a clown show.

When you were a kid in middle school, were you more back of the class funny or front of the class funny?

Hardcore back of the class. I think it took me a long time to have the nerve for front of the class stuff.

Okay. Do you remember an early bit that did well in school?

I always. I describe my sense of humor as that the class clown would be in the front of the class and I'd be in the back of the class with like, three other maybe brainier kids saying, like, this isn't that funny. But the threshold I crossed where I think I first got the bug for wanting to do this was some other kids. And again, I've been really lucky over the course of my career of knowing go getters who are willing to organize things and that really hard sort of point of entry where two friends of ours were like, hey, we should do a comedy night at our high school, and we're going to get the auditorium and we're going to invite everybody and we'll do, you know, we'll like, act out Monty Python sketches and we'll do SNL sketches. And the one thing we did that really, truly crushed was we all did a sketch, like in the teacher's lounge where we all did impressions of teachers. And I had this really good impression of our most beloved teacher. And I remember when I started talking like him, I maybe have killed that hard twice since. You know, that was like, whatever, 16 years old.

And what did the teacher sound like?

You know, his name was Mr. Lebelzik, and he was your teacher, Christopher Walken. He. Now, I think maybe he taught Christopher Walken. He was. I was describing recently as one of those. He had that great New England quality where he pretended he wasn't arrogant. You know what I mean?

Do you have that.

You know, I grew out of the Midwestern ground, didn't find my way to New England until I was like 10, 11 years old.

Maybe you were humbled by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

No, I don't think that you get humbled by City of Champions. I think, if anything, you walk around pretty proud when you have the most. The most Lombardi trophies. You know, I will say I, you know, I was talking to somebody recently. I'm a Celtics fan. They're not like my break my heart team. Right. But as we're talking, the Celtics are down 3, 2 to the Knicks. I'm aware, but I will say, like I will be because the. And again, it helps that the Celtics won last year. Part of me thinks it should be spread around. And it's been a long time since the Knicks have won anything. And so I would be okay if the Knicks won.

So you're kind of like a socialist, like, sports fan.

I'm a hundred. I have a real socialist bent to my sports fandom, save for the NFL, where I think the Steelers should win every year.

Does your socialism begin and end in sports?

I think that they're everything from championships to wealth should be redistributed a little bit more than it is right now.

When you did perform in high school and you killed doing the Christopher Walken teacher one time.

Yeah. For the listeners, I want you to know we did comedy one time, but that was fun.

By the way, it's kind of reassuring to know that someone who killed once got head writer on snl.

Well, I mean, I killed a few more times between head writer.

But when you went home and you would talk about bits, how did you relay them to your father?

So I did this thing that. This feels like a memory that has come back to me recently, which is I would say funny things at school, and my dad, again, was the funniest person I knew. And I would come home and at dinner, because we always had dinner together, our family, I would tell him the funny things I said, but I would always say that another kid had said it and I would say, oh, this kid said. And it was almost like I didn't. There were a couple things. One, I don't think my dad was the kind of dad who would love you to be like, oh, my God, I was so funny. I said this, this, and this. And by the way, he eventually came to fully appreciate that. One of my favorite things to do is like, you know, I'll host a, you know, I'll host a charity event and I'll call my dad the next day and be like, I did this bit. This bit, like. So I'm. We're fully past where I was, but I think I had this. I just was maybe.

Sounds foundational, though.

It was, I think, a little foundational. It was a little of like, I'm not quite sure yet. This is my path. So let me just sort of do this weird thing where I sort of am bouncing the jokes I told and with a level of anonymity so I can get a true reaction from my dad.

Did you feel like he would not think the jokes were funny if they knew. If he knew they were coming from You.

I think I knew that he would just give the most. At least what I was thinking at the time, the truest reaction if he thought it was coming from someone else.

Okay. As a writer.

As a writer.

That's what you were looking for?

Yeah. I was like, these are blind submissions. I don't want them. I don't wanna. I don't want any nepotiz.

Right.

You know what I mean? You know the other thing my dad said, which I carried with me, Talk about foundational saying something I thought was funny and nobody thinking, nobody heard it and then saying it again. And my dad said, never say a joke twice because you think people didn't hear it the first time. Cause there's a chance they heard it the first time and just didn't think it was funny. And nothing is worse than saying a bad joke twice. And so I think that, to this day, is my first rule of comedy. I mean, I think about how to deliver a bon mot at a dinner party the way a cat burglar plans a crime.

Say that again.

Well, you know, like, sometimes I think I have something really funny to say.

[Sam Fragoso]

What?

[Seth Meyers]

Bon mo.

A bon mo. It's the French word for the good.

Word, you know, look, not all of us had a mom who taught French.

I don't know. But, like, you've got a giant microphone, you're in a suit. I feel like if anybody knew bon mo, a guy who has Talk Easy Podcast. So. Yeah, so I would. If I have something funny to say, I really wait until I know that people are going to hear it, because if I. If I say it and someone talks over me and I know I'm not going to ever say the same thing twice.

Does that make you a really fun dinner guest?

I think I'm a good dinner guest. You know why else I'm a good dinner guest is if somebody else says something really funny, and I don't think anybody heard it, I will repeat on their behalf.

I've heard this about you.

I love giving. Making sure everybody gets their credit.

We're gonna come back to that at the end.

Oh, wonderful.

All of this. All of, like, when you're smiling at me as I'm about to ask something.

Yeah.

Why are you smiling?

I don't know. You have a posture of, like. I don't know. I feel like you're about to make a really. What's the word? Bummo. You're about to make a salient. That's what you're about to make a very salient point. And so I'M probably grinning out of trepidation.

The salient point I was going to make. I don't know if it was that salient. But your childhood does sound like the makings of a writer.

Yes.

And yet for the better part of your college years and into your early 20s, you seemed pretty determined to perform. You were in an improv troupe in Northwestern.

Yeah.

You performed locally at Chicago's Improv Olympics. Then you went abroad to Amsterdam with your brother and did improv. Then back to Chicago for a two person show called Pickups and Hiccups. When you land an audition at snl, do you remember the run of show for your audition?

100%.

And will you act that out beat by beat for us?

That I will not do. You know? Yes. I wanted to be a performer. I will say everything I did that was the most elevated had an element of writing to it. I did a lot of writing at Boom Chicago in Amsterdam. Pickups and hiccups. There were as. There was a ton of sketch writing in that and I knew how to write to my strengths. And an SNL audition and you know, I think over the years people know this more and more, but you write your own audition. You know, it's obviously not a situation where you're auditioning for a show and they give you a script when you walk in, so you bring your bag of tricks with you. And I think I wrote a really good audition. They had said this wonderful woman, Ayla Cohen, who was working the talent department and she was the one sort of talking me through the whole process, said, you know, look, you want to do about five minutes, three characters, three impressions, or however you want to mix it up. But I liked, I really wanted to have rules that I could like live by. So I was like, no, I got it. Five minutes, three and three. Done. And, and again, it's 01. So my three impressions were Hugh Grant, Russell Crowe and David Arquette. And then my three characters were a drunk Boston guy who'd been arrested for crashing the marathon. The Boston Marathon. And then there was, I did a grown up Harry Potter and then did a former fashion photographer who is now working at Sears taking family portraits.

Which of those do you still enjoy doing?

Well, here's the thing as far as, like, why I don't enjoy doing them. To even like go back to that moment at all is sort of skin crawling anxiety.

Let me just phrase it like this. How much of your approach to the job of talk show host is inspired by your impression of Russell Crowe hosting a talk show?

Yeah, that was what the impression was, I would say very little. This is like post Gladiator, Russell Crowe.

Yeah.

And so the bit was Russell Crowe hosting a talk show, and the jokes would bomb, and then he would just scream, are you not entertained? This is not why you were here. I mean, again, already pretty bad. And then I tried it as a sketch, and once again, the. The same shoemaker who just obviously, hopefully you all see him now, is the dream crusher. He is his note afterwards, because I said, I think I know where. If we try it again, I think I know how to fix it. And he said, you can't ever look like Russell Crowe. Your neck is half the size of his neck. And so, I mean, that's the nicest way when you make it a math problem instead of just saying, you've got a pencil neck. But, yeah, so that was a failure. But look, it got me hired, and then it also, unfortunately, sort of elevated. A lot of people over the years have auditioned, and Lauren has said about their audition, I could see them as a writer on the show. And because, you know, he appreciates that people wrote it, I'm very lucky that he didn't come to that conclusion about me, because that would have been a perfectly fine conclusion to come to of like, oh, my God, we should hire this guy as a writer. And instead, he hired me as a cast member. And obviously, over the course of a few years, he very, you know, kindly sort of shunted me over to the writing staff, where I was a lot happier, too.

But why is that skin cracking crawling? To go back to that time, I.

Think it's not skin crawling. Look, I'm really proud of it. What was the word you use?

I was using your word.

Yeah, yeah. No, it's more like, I don't want to. When you say, which one of them do you enjoy doing now? Look, the best they ever went was the time they got me hired for snl, so I enjoyed it. Well, thank you. I mean, you got me to do the one you wanted, so just be happy. Obviously, everybody's listening knows you wanted me to do the Russell Crowe, and you got me to do it. So just take your victory lap. I mean, mostly I'm just gonna go home tonight and be like, oh, my God, was it Christopher Walken? Was my Wally Labelzyk this whole time, just Christopher Walken?

I really hope I leave you with more than that.

[Sam Fragoso]

After the break, more from Seth Meyer.

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[Sam Fragoso]

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[Seth Meyers]

Stick to the staples.

[Sam Fragoso]

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[Seth Meyers]

When you land the job in 2001, you're on as a performer with Amy Poehler in the same class. Now, I've heard you describe those early years as being filled with self doubt. I turned every micro into a macro. So after you stayed up all night on Tuesday writing a sketch and then you went to the table read on Wednesday and it wouldn't go your way, as we talked about earlier afterward when you and Amy would go to a bar called Dublin 6 in the west Village, what would your self doubt sound like?

So a couple things. One, it was actually a little bit worse than even that I described getting. Yeah, it was the worst thing you described because I actually, because I was writing good sketches. So they were getting picked. So I was actually doing fine at the table. I was just getting killed at dress rehearsal, which is worse because if Lauren doesn't pick your sketches on Wednesday, you have one person to blame. And you can just walk around saying, Lauren doesn't get it. You know, he doesn't understand my sense of humor. Lauren actually believed in me. And then it was the audience week in and week out was like, we don't like him. So that, you know, it's better in life if you have one, you know, villain. But if like, if the villain is like public opinion. God, especially when you know, again, it's not like they're a bad crowd tonight. Like it was dress rehearsals where like my colleagues are crushing and then people just go like dead quiet. I mean again, I'm exaggerating, but that was what I felt like.

So that's, that's what it feels like though.

But the thing about these self doubt and to this day I feel as though I was never beating myself up. Worse than the reality actually was some people are like, oh, nobody likes my sketches. And you could be like, you're being hard on yourself. It's doing really well. Like I was like, my sketches are bombing at dress. And I was saying that because my sketches were bombing at dress. So that's what I mean. Like my self doubt was being pulled from reality. I was not right. I wasn't imagining it to be worse than it was. It was exactly as bad as I thought it was.

You had a lived experience and you were reacting to it.

I've been pretty clear eyed about reality when Fred Forte, Sandberg hater, Andy Samberg, Kenan Thompson, they all were hired after me. Listen, they were all better at being in sketches than I was. And that's not me being like hoping somebody will be like, no, you're being crazy. Like, that's the hard truth. And, you know, part of the problem is, like, you know, look, when you know that to be true, the good news is, you realize, all right, so I gotta figure out something else, right, which is what I did.

Was it painful to get to that point?

I mean, that's the way. And it was. The most painful part about it was how much I respected those people, how much I wanted those people as friends, and then also that their very existence was causing me so much pain.

Did that make it hard to be friends? Well, so you.

To bring it back to you saying, like, what did it feel like when you and Amy went to a bar? And, like, look, Amy and Shoemaker were the people who I think I was most willing to share my floundering feelings with. Most everybody else, I think didn't know.

You kept it tight.

I think I kept it pretty tight. And, you know, talking to, you know, especially, you know, doing this podcast with my lonely island friends, you know, Andy, Akiva and Jorma, you know, I talk about these years with them, and it's. I actually think it is nice to hear them say, oh, we never would have known. Because you don't want people to know one. Because you don't want your burden to be their burden.

Of course.

And also, I think it's the. It's not good for anybody at SNL to be seen as in peril.

Do you remember a conversation with Amy? Like, there's a one that's still plays in your head where you're like, God, I don't know if this is gonna work like this. I gotta find something else.

I don't know. I mean, I think I had way more of those conversations with Shoemaker. I definitely remember, like, being one of those really, like, sad taxi rides home from an after. After party where it's like. It's like Dawn.

Yeah.

You know, and you feel you're both, like, inebriated. And it just. It was the first time that it felt like it was. I was gonna lose it. Because even. Look, even when it was really bad, there was so much about it. I loved it. I. You know, being around that, those people, like, I didn't want that to go away. I held on for dear life. It's really. I mean, it's. You know, it's so surreal to work in a building, to still work in the physical building, where you sort of also went through your hardest times. And, like, sometimes I think to myself, God, I wish there was a second hallway to get where I needed to be, because it's like, the same hallway.

Of course.

And you're just like, in the same hallway and you're like, oh, my God. Like, at some point, I do think, like, you have so many memories that, like, you have no memories of Pylon.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, there are streets that I will just not go down. Cause I'm like, I broke up with someone. I don't want to do that.

Isn't it crazy?

Why would I want to do that?

How long have you lived in Europe for a long time.

I don't live here. I live in Los Angeles.

Okay, but I.

But I.

So you can just go crazy in this town, basically walk around. You haven't broken up?

My eyes are wide open for the first time.

Literally not a single dump corner towards the end.

Right before you got Weekend update.

Yeah.

In 2004.

Yeah.

Speaking of fathers, you were in a sketch called Fathers and Sons.

I don't remember the host you played. I do remember the host.

You were playing the son of Donald Trump.

I was, yeah.

Who was the host? Guest host that week.

Yeah. He had a very popular show called the Apprentice.

Yeah, no, I've heard about that one.

Yeah.

Before we play a clip of it.

You're going to play a clip. It's all been leading up. And here I thought you were going to take down my dad. All right, what do you got?

My question was a complete joke question, but now you've set it up, too. Well, I said, I read somewhere that this sketch was directly inspired by your relationship with your father.

It was. It's a little unfair, I think, that I always play out my dad's sort of how hard he was on me. But then the reality, especially now, is I have kids. I'm like, my dad is the most affectionate father in the world.

He seems amazing.

He seems amazing. He has a very. Look, he held me to a very high standard, to which I have a great amount of gratitude towards him. But I remember even, like in 2001, so first year on SNL, I remember I was dating a girl at the time. It was the first time she. And she told me someone this later. And it got back to me where she said she went to. I brought her and my parents to a Yankees game, and she told somebody. I remember I went to put my arm around Seth at the game, and his dad's arm was already around him. And I was like, oh, there you go. And she was like. And that's when I realized he's, like, way too close to his parents with that.

[Sam Fragoso]

Why don't we play a little bit from that sketch.

[Seth Meyers]

Hi, welcome to Fathers and Sons, the show that teaches and discusses how positive communication between fathers and sons can make this special relationship between two men even better. I'm Peter Fleck and this is my dad, Gary. There's no reason why sensitivity and warmth can't be key ingredients between fathers and sons. That's why we're here today on Fathers and Sons. Isn't that right, dad? You could really cut that intro in half. Well, it's way, way too long. Okay, here we go again. All right, it's a bit long. You're right. You don't have to tell me when I'm right. I know when I'm right. Now let's do it. Come on. This is just a miserable way to spend a Sunday.

Obviously, based on what we just heard, doesn't sound a lot like your dad.

No, it's nothing like my dad.

What is your memory of doing that sketch with Donald?

You know, I will say, like, back then, my memory of anything that worked was relief. And it as a sketch worked pretty well. Jimmy and Horatio were really funny in it and the host did their job. Like they. I sort of wrote to what I thought they could do and they executed.

You thought he could play a negligent, mean spirited father.

[Sam Fragoso]

Yeah.

[Seth Meyers]

And then the other thing I remember, and other people will attest to it, who worked there that week is he carried around in his breast pocket the, like Variety in Hollywood Reporter used to print like the TV ratings like mag in a magazine. And he had cut it out with scissors or had an assistant, but either way he had it folded up. And he would sort of. Every exchange with him was sort of three questions which was like, how long have you worked here? Do you like it? Did you see the ratings of the Apprentices week? And then he would take it out and he'd show it to you and you'd have to look and sort of be like, that's really, you know, that's great.

When you look at that now, do you go like, oh, I may be the writer getting Weekend Update. And like being on the writing side is, I'm. I'm better at that.

Oh, yeah. First of all, there is that thing sometimes where someone said, how do you get over, you know, your anxiety and your depression? And the answer is like, oh, just things just started going better. Like, that's really kind of what the solution was. Like, I got, you know, I got Weekend Update. I got to do with Polar. I felt the most comfortable with Polar. And then I also now had my thing. So I just was like, I wasn't trying to, like, write myself into the show. Every week I was in the show every week. I'd been spending so much energy trying to write sketches for the most limited cast member in the show.

That was you.

Yes. And now all of a sudden, you know, oh, my God, I can write for Bill, I can write for Maya, I can write for everybody. And like. And I can take esteem when it goes well.

You mean you could write for the kids at school who said the funny.

Things Finally, I could write for the class clowns because, let's be honest, before I showed up, their material was bad.

Is anxiety and depression what it felt like to you? Like, do you still have that now?

No, I think it was like. I just think. And I'm not the first and I won't be the last person to feel this, which is. You get SNL and it's very publicly a dream come true. And everybody who is watching from the outside says, oh, my God, it's a dream come true. Everybody knows you are on SNL now. People from college, people from high school, you know, your improv friends, everybody you've crossed paths with. And then when you feel it, when I sort of felt it slipping away, it was just. It felt like, yeah, it was just a. And I couldn't stop. You know what I felt like the fall was. I mean, eventually it stopped, but I just, at the time didn't think. I couldn't conceive how it would get better.

I've been watching the show and I've been following, obviously.

Yeah.

Been interested in your work for a long time. And I can feel that version of you so painfully right now.

You just. The hardest. You just like. Because the only play right is like, you know what I'm gonna do this week? Be funnier. Like, we're all just as funny as we can be. Like, nobody. It was because, again, work harder. You can do. Be funnier. Like what? How? You know what I mean?

It's pressing.

Yeah.

Pressing comedically.

Yeah. Oh, my God. Nobody.

You can't get more shots. I mean, you can get more shots up in the gym, but like, it's.

It's. Yeah, it's so hard and it's so, you know, also, it's not like I'm going to just do. I'm going to go do. Go to small clubs, do five minutes here, five minutes there. You know, it's every. The only place you got to perform was at the read through table in front of, you know, both Your colleagues and, you know, certainly in the early times of the show, like Heroes, and you need last from the table. And of course, nobody. What people who are about to hear a sketch don't want to feel is, this guy needs this one desperation, you know, desperate. So it's a trippy time, and I'm glad that it's over. But, you know, I always have, you know, like I said, because.

Feels like you can tap back into.

It pretty well, you know, because you then, you know, it's still, you know, every week it's happening for somebody there. Right. So I have a deep well of empathy for, you know, people who are at that show. And, you know, I have a deep.

Well of empathy for people trying to find their way.

And I, you know, I wasn't. It was. I happened to other people and I was there, and I. It was nice to be in the head writer slot and to at least be in a position to try to help people when you could feel that happening. But I wouldn't say that I. It was always successful, but it was nice to be in a position to have the power to try.

We've talked about a few different inflection points, but I feel like the biggest one is April 30, 2011, which was when you hosted the White House Correspondence dinner.

Donald Trump has been saying that he will run for president as a Republican, which is surprising since I just assumed he was running as a joke. Donald Trump owns the Miss USA pageant, which is great for. For Republicans because it will streamline their search for a vice president. Donald Trump said recently he has a great relationship with the blacks, though, unless the blacks are a family of white people. I bet he's mistaken.

Hearing that now. Do you think that's the night he decided to run for president? Cause you said once. It's not the outcome I wanted, but that's history. I got a man elected president. I want my points.

Oh, boy. I don't know when I said that one.

You said, it's Fallon.

Oh, yeah. Okay, so tongue in cheek, everybody. Right.

But how many points would you like?

I would like. You can start deducting them now.

And how would you like to redeem your prize?

I think at this point, the second term is when all your points get deducted. Okay.

You feel responsible for the first term, but not the second term.

Yeah, I think everybody has to own. I think the voting public has to own this term. Yeah. I mean, you know, it's such a weird outcome for a night that I am so proud of, and I can't look, if you told me, like, we'd go back in time and if you didn't do it, he wouldn't be. I would say, of course, with that said, you know, the other thing is why I don't, you know, beat myself up over it is like, you know, it wasn't like anyone in the room said, all right, they're really funny jokes, just FYI, a likely outcome. So, you know, because certainly, you know, even at our show today, like, there are jokes all the time that we decide not to tell for certain reasons. So, like, I am. I very much exist in a world where you weigh the pros and cons of material. But, you know, that was. I don't think I'd ever put more work into anything than I put into that. And for me, personally, I think when you mentioned inflection points, I do think that maybe put me more on the radar for the path that I'm currently on now, which is having my own thing that night.

It goes really well. You work really hard on the set. When they bring you back. Back to your hotel room.

Yeah.

And you're sitting in there waiting for your wife and your friends to show up and your family. Like, what's going through your head in that moment?

First of all, it was really funny. I think the first. I had talked to Al Franken beforehand because he'd hosted it a couple of times in the 90s, and he had been really helpful with advice and the kind of helpful advice of, like, what the room's like, what kind of jokes work better. And he was the first person he called as I was walking off stage. And I remember he was like, if you see Donald Trump at the party, don't talk to him.

Good impression.

Thank you. You know, I had to win you back after the walk in. It would be great if I was like. And then Alfred called. He was like, you did a great job. Everybody was laughing, and you're like, are they all walking? I think all his impressions are walking. So he. But then I went back to my hotel room, and look, I felt like it had gone well. But, you know, and this is everybody like you, you know, you still want to hear from other people. Of course I would say that both. You know, she was just my girlfriend at the time, but she and my dad, I think, are the truest to this day. Like, they are the ones who I know well. Look, my mom, I could eat full shit, and my mom would be like, you were great. Those monsters just didn't understand how special you are.

Yeah.

My Little baby boy.

But they walk through the door.

Yeah.

Do you like, can you see their faces now?

If there's a moment I could relive. It was really. My. My wife was like. I felt like she was so excited. It felt like there was like electricity coming through her. And it was so great to hug her in that moment. And then I got. I just got like a little fist pump from my dad. That was. Yeah, I always get a little. I get a little teary eyed when I think about it. It felt like the real. I don't know, like it felt like the end of that movie, you know, that was the culmination of something where.

The one we've been kind of telling this one.

Yeah, but it was. And like everything after that in a really healthy way was a little bit different.

Why does it make you emotional?

I guess because it was maybe just. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's what I. That's exactly what I wanted it to look like. I know exactly what that is. And that's exactly what, like, it was like a key in a lock. You know what I mean? Like, okay. And then like he did it and I felt a click and then things were different.

If you're lucky, it happens a couple times.

You know, look, we talk about that, like comedy night. Like, I remember it the way you, like, remember a dream. I feel like I could draw the picture of my. Like, it's still crystal clear. I think those moments, that's how you know when it just prints itself on you.

Without that night, I think it's safe to say you maybe would have not got this job that you have now.

Maybe not. I think that there was a real sense after that of people who worked at this network who sort of knew me as the Weekend Update guy, saying, oh, you know. Cause that was, you know, that's certainly a bigger room and a less friendly room than the SNL studio.

When you got late night in 2014, you said it took you 18 months to figure out what the show was about.

Yeah.

What did you think it was about when you started and what did you think it was about 18 months in?

Well, I. I think one of the problems is I don't know if I knew what it was about when I started. Like, I think you have to kind of figure it out by doing. And looking back, obviously it wasn't the worst plan, but I think it maybe wasn't the most riveting thing to watch, which is I felt like I was just aiming for competence early on, like, be good enough that it doesn't look like a mistake, but we were not in the wild swings era of the show. Now, part of that is I'm not anyone's favorite wild swings comedian. Like, there are a lot of people who have that, and you are just in very safe hands with them. But remember you were saying how great I am at a dinner party, but I kind of feel like that same thing is true of my show. Like, there's. Do you want Seth at your party? Nah, he's fine. But, like, do you want him at your dinner party? Oh, 100%. So it had to become sort of a dinner party show. Like, it's a little bit quieter. And we realized if the underlying information that we were doing comedy about was. Had more weight to it and was more important and it was, you know, day's events, then it felt more like a show built for me. So that's ultimately what you do. And I think it takes everybody that amount of time, but. And, you know, it's just even little things. You know, it was certainly talked about at the time, but it's so crazy how when I just said, okay, I'm going to actually start sitting, because I don't think anybody wants to watch me do this sort of standing monologue. And that was just, I think, centered the show in a nice way.

I'm glad you brought it back to the dinner party. And. And the words I definitely used to.

Describe you, I said, we can go back and play that clip. While you're playing all these clips of me making Donald Trump run for president, play the one where you're like, you. You know, who's good at dinner party? You.

You do a segment on the show called A Closer Look.

I do.

Which is very popular.

Yeah.

So I thought we could do a segment I came up with called An Even Closer Look.

Great. Very novel.

So speaking of dinner parties, Stephen Colbert had a birthday.

Yep.

The five of you got together, the five hosts that made up the Strike Force 5 podcast. Here's that photo.

Very nice photo. Yeah. Okay.

Just hold it just to really see. It's really beautiful. So I have some even closer look questions for you.

Okay, great.

First. Okay, which of the five hosts would be best on day drinking? That's a series you do where you day drink your way into oblivion.

I mean, I think all four of those guys certainly based on that, and I can get after it.

Who do you think would do it?

I'm gonna say all four of them would say yes.

Really?

I think all. Oh, no. Oliver has always said that when he watches it he doesn't know how I'm still upright. But I think the other three would be a. I think you could flip a. A three sided coin.

Okay. For the other three, when the five of you are at dinner.

Yep.

Who plays host?

Oh, it's a good question. The first time he said that, now it's a little bit like my dad, you know, I meant it. So I think I'm gonna say something. I think it would be Steven, but because we threw the party for Steven, I think it was Kimmel.

And how was he?

Oh, fantastic. I will say it was one of those nights where, if anything, it was over too soon. You know, again, the five of us haven't been in the same room together since last two.

Since it's a birthday dinner for Steven.

Yeah.

Did you split the bill evenly among you?

I knew this was coming and I. In my head, you knew that I was gonna ask. I knew you were gonna ask who paid. Oh, yeah. Not my first rodeo.

How do you know I was gonna ask that?

I just. Based on the first two, I knew it was going that way.

Oh, okay.

I think we split it. I think the four of us split it. But I can't remember.

Can't remember. Yeah, but you remember someone paid, like.

Did we walk out? But do you know the story about when we walked in? The best thing that happened was when we walked in, but. Yes.

No, no, tell it, please. My next question was gonna be about tib coordination, but it feels like you don't remember that.

I will say sometimes I feel bad when I split a check with, like, you know, like, if we're out with, like, two other couples and we split it three ways, I almost want to, like, hide how much I tip.

Because it's so little.

No, it's. Yeah, it's so little. And I usually, I'm like, somewhere between 10 and 12%. And then I feel like it is incumbent upon me to write in little letters what I thought they did wrong.

For some reason I heard reason that you did a tip and you just wrote the tariffs.

I did. I was like, sorry, tariffs? And then I did a little shrug. I drew the shrugging emoji. I mean, look, I think I'm a very generous tipper. You know, I would hope that's.

This is this. This is also your version of doing corrections on your show.

I. Yes. But I also think I'm. I will say I think my. My tip threshold is not just being, like, recognizable. It's also having worked in the restaurant.

By the way, the more you talk about how good of a tipper you are.

That's the worst.

Yeah, I'm just kind of like.

I'm like, what?

I'm gonna help you out here.

Like. Like. I mean, like, we're talking, like, 21%, right? No. So, wait, where were we when you got there? Oh, we got there. It was me and Oliver and Kimmel, and a British guy came over with his girlfriend, and they were literally, oh.

My God, Jimmy Kimmel, you're the best.

Talk show host in the world. No recognition of me, no recognition of Oliver. Asked Oliver to take a picture of him and his girlfriend and Kimmel. And Oliver and I were so happy. And then Fallon came in, and the guy was like, jimmy Fallon. It was just, we still nothing. The best.

How did he take it?

I mean, John and I were over the moon. And, I mean, I think Jimmy and Jimmy were, you know, accurately had been recognized for their good work.

Before we go, you have done a lot of, I would say, good work about the Middle East. Everything that's been happening since October 7, Trump second term, like, the Closer look segment, I think, has become the most popular one, and in part because you and your team work really hard on those.

Yes, we do. And I want to shout out by name Sal Gentile, Emily Aradis, who work on that every day. And what they pull off is, I think, unlike anything else.

I was rewatching stuff all week in preparation, and the amount of material you do on Trump, I woke up this morning and I thought, are you all right?

It's a very fair question. I think I'd be worse without the catharsis of working through it. Look, on election night, did I maybe in the back of my head, wish that I had profession where I could just sort of step away from it? And obviously, I knew that was not a path forward, but at the same time, you go back to work and you just sort of start grinding away at it. And, you know, we don't have a lot of time to talk about stuff like tone because we're just constantly, you know, working on the next day's script. But we did decide sort of early on, like, this can't be a repeat of 2016.

Like, what do you think repeat would be?

I think 2016 was a little bit like, this isn't us. You know, we have to organize and make sure this never happens again. And then, you know, then the next time, you're like, okay, so this is us. Certainly, for right now, this is us. And how do you feel about that? Not great. Don't love it. Don't care for it at all. So our thing was like, look, we have to. This show is joyful to do, and we have to make it joyful to watch. And we're not going to ignore what's happening in the world, but we have to. If anything, we have to present like, there is still a place for joy. There's still a place to be with people who you love, respect, and care for, and you begin to find joy in things. And so I always say, like, we hope it's cathartic to watch because it's incredibly cathartic to do.

But yet on election night, you were like, oh, yeah, wouldn't mind another job.

Wouldn't mind another gig.

People for years have said, when Lorne retires.

Yeah.

That you and maybe Tina Fey would go and take over the program. The two of you. You auditioned to share a Weekend Update with tina back in 2004.

Yes.

Would you audition to share the show with Tina if and when Lauren left?

I just think it'd be really funny, whatever that audition process is. I like that you'd have to go on Home Base and just walk around trying to do your best.

Lauren, he would want you to do the Russell Crowe bit.

No, I think Lauren. The one thing is, Lauren definitely wants whoever replaces him to do an impression the whole time. I just. I'm gonna tell you the thing that is the true thing.

Are you gonna start yelling at me?

No. You tried your best. It's so. Again, it's so flattering, especially when you think of, like. And again, we've hit on it plenty. The place I was at that show to have anybody say, you should do it. And I don't think anyone is right, nor do I think anyone can replace Lauren. But I'm also. I don't want people to think that I don't feel esteem when I hear it.

He did call you the happiest head writer we've maybe ever had on snl.

I don't know if I've ever seen that. That makes me so happy.

I will happily send it to you.

Great.

But isn't it. You know, Lauren likes to have conversations as if you've already had a previous conversation. Is it possible he's already had a conversation with himself about how you will be taking over the show when he retires?

It's certainly possible. I will say this. I do believe he has already talked to himself about who it's gonna be, and that person doesn't know him. That was you're referencing. This is my. When I got late Night he called me. And again, it was like, I remember getting off the phone and thinking, was that a follow up question? It was a follow up conversation to a conversation we hadn't had, where he immediately was like, so, look, I think you'll be good at it. It'll take time. And I was like, what's going on? It was the opposite of my dad's fist pump. It wasn't like the sound of a key in a lock. It was like a janitor, like, just with a giant, like, shaking, rattling around. Yeah. I was like, what's going on here? What door are these even for?

But all worked out to bring it full circle. My last question for us, since this is airing on Father's Day.

Oh, wonderful.

I know a lot of people have gotten to know your father through the podcast. As you said, your whole family comes on around Thanksgiving on late night, and I thought, if you're open to it, we could end with a story about you and him. And this was around, I think, your earliest creative ambition, which was to become a comic book artist.

Yes.

And while you didn't tell your dad the jokes you made at school.

Yeah.

You did show him some of your early drawings.

It wasn't even like anything I showed him. It was like a school assignment.

Yeah.

Like, you know, it was like Christmas paintings. And you like, you know, I just brought it home and you put it in the fridge and then it was. Now I want to yell at you. Why? Because this was just. This is another one that always just chokes me up a little bit. I know what you're doing here. Talk easy, he says, hard feelings. Talk easy. It was like, hey, we're gonna go to Sears around Christmas, right? Or something. Some department store. And the department store had had an art contest where they had, like, local art. And unbeknownst to me, he had. Yeah, he'd submitted my painting. And it was very. I remember, you know, seeing something I'd done, you know, with a. With a ribbon, by the way. It's not a good painting, but it's still up in a hallway. But it was. Yeah, it was really cool and it was a very cool thing for a dad to do. And, Yeah, I mean, since it's coming out on Father's Day, I'll just say that, like, if he's listening, which he likely is because he's so. He's always been so engaged with what we do, my brother and I, I would just say that, yeah, like, making him proud has been a real driving force. Very angry with you. I'm gonna yell. I'll yell at you off camera. God, I'm just a mess recently, guys. I don't know what happened. I think I'm gonna blame this all on SNL50. I just haven't been emotionally in a stable place. It's a lot of gratitude, though.

You're welcome to yell.

Like I said, I feel like we had a nice emotional ending and I feel like I would undercut it if I just started telling you what a. What a piece of I think you are. Oh, yeah. All right. So. But like, that's the thing. Like, I sometimes, like, who would I do. Would I have done any of this if I didn't want to make him proud? So there you go.

Yeah.

Happy Father's Day to Larry and all the other dads out there. And also, I'm just so lucky to have him because, you know, my mom didn't lift a finger. You have so many. I can't believe I haven't busted you for like, you have a spray, a throat spray. Tissues. You see, I love you're like, I'm at the end of being sick. And then there's multiple things in medicine out here.

He's coming after me now. After we had a nice emotional, tender moment.

I didn't want to have a nice, emotional, tender moment.

It's good with two parents who had and have high standards. It's good for people who love you to expect a lot out of you.

I think so, too. I think so, too.

It does. As we've talked about in this episode, sometimes it's going to lead to a ballpoint pen being thrown at a wall.

Like if one wall somewhere has got one ink spot, is that so bad?

It's not so bad.

Especially since we've established this building has terrible walls that nobody put any money into.

So I am so glad, like, that happened and I so appreciate you.

Thank you.

Sitting with me all the time.

Thank you. Talk easy, everybody. Take it easy. We talked easy. Now you take it easy. That's your sign off, right?

Not at all.

We talked easy, so now you can take it easy. I'm deflecting Seth Meyers. Yes.

Thank you.

You're welcome. Appreciate Sam.

[Sam Fragoso]

And that's our show. If you enjoyed today's episode with Seth Meyers, be sure to share it on social media. Leave five stars on Spotify. You can even leave a review on Apple if you use Apple. All of this really does help us continue making the program each and every Sunday. I want to give a special thanks this week to Lauren Manasevitt. The team at NBC, Liz Berger, Kiki Giorgio, and of course our guest Seth Meyers. To find episodes of Late Night, his specials and his podcasts, visit our show [e-mail] for more talks with other very funny people, I'd recommend Bill Hader, Natasha Lyonne, Julia Louis Dry to hear those and more Lemonada podcasts, listen on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen. You can also subscribe to Lemonada Premium. For bonus content, just hit the subscribe button on Apple Podcasts or head to lemonadapremium.com Talk Easy is produced by Caroline Reebok. Our executive producer is Janikza Bravo. Today's Talk was edited by Matt Sasaki and Chris Hines and mixed by Andrew Vastola. It was recorded out of 30 rock in New York City. Engineering assistance comes from Noah Smith. Our music is by Dylan Pack. Our illustrations are by Krisha Shanili. Photographs Sarah Schneider. Research assistance comes from Ben Eisen. This episode was made in partnership with the good people at Lemonada Media and I'm Sam Fragoso. Thank you for listening to Talk Easy. I'll see you back here next Sunday with a brand new episode. Until then, happy Father's Day, Stay safe and so long.