The Daily Beans – "Refried Beans | South of Nashville (feat. Laurie Kilmartin)"
Episode Date: February 12, 2024
Host(s): Allison Gill (“AG”), Dana Goldberg
Guest: Laurie Kilmartin (comedian)
Episode Overview
This episode of The Daily Beans delivers their signature blend of progressive political news with sharp wit, covering a rapid-fire array of headlines. Central to the episode: alarming escalations in Trump’s anti-NATO rhetoric, the FCC’s crackdown on AI robocalls, January 6th updates, fentanyl trafficking realities, and campaign finance drama involving RFK Jr. The latter half features a lively, darkly comic interview with standup legend Laurie Kilmartin about her new special CIS Woke Grief Slut, exploring grief, gender, and comedy’s role in processing trauma.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Super Bowl Banter, Taylor Swift & Pop Culture (02:08–03:03)
- The hosts open with light-hearted pre-Super Bowl talk, revealing allegiances and the broader social impact of Taylor Swift’s public presence, especially for father-daughter bonding during sports events.
- Dana Goldberg (02:42): “I’m excited about the commercials and I want both teams to stay healthy… Taylor Swift has brought fathers and daughters together… which is a really beautiful thing.”
2. Election Warnings: Fake Democrats & Voter Suppression (03:11–04:18)
- Dana shares a serious alert about candidates running as “Democrats” with the intent to later switch parties and hand legislatures to Republicans – a tactic already seen in North Carolina, now occurring in California.
- Dana Goldberg (03:11): “People are running as Democrats… planning to switch parties. I know that sounds very conspiracy theory. It’s not… so please, please, please be vigilant in this election.”
3. Quick News Hits ("Hot Notes") (05:12–20:47)
FCC Cracks Down on AI Robocalls (05:12–05:46)
- The FCC ruled AI-generated voices in robocalls are now illegal, empowering state attorneys general to prosecute bad actors.
- Allison Gill (05:14): “The ruling… makes voice cloning technology… illegal.”
Judicial Violence: Nevada Courtroom Attack (05:46–06:25)
- Viral courtroom video led to a nine-count indictment (including attempted murder) for the man launching a physical attack on a judge in Nevada.
Trump Endorses NATO Invasions (06:25–10:43)
- Trump told a South Carolina crowd he would “encourage [Russia] to do whatever the hell they want” to NATO countries not meeting spending targets.
- Allison Gill (09:09): “In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay.”
- White House condemned this as “appalling and unhinged.”
- Allison Gill (09:51): “Trump wants to dismantle NATO…”
Tucker Carlson Mocked by Putin (10:24–10:43)
- Putin publicly ridicules Tucker for not getting into the CIA in a high-profile interview.
- Allison Gill (10:34): “He’s like, well… you didn’t get into the CIA, but that makes sense…”
January 6th: Evidence of Rioters with Guns (10:43–14:53)
- Newly released footage shows a rioter firing a gun on Capitol grounds, contradicting the narrative that the mob was unarmed.
- Dana Goldberg (11:57): “Despite false claims … defendants were armed with deadly or dangerous weapons.”
- Trump himself knew the crowd was armed, and Cassidy Hutchinson’s 2022 testimony is quoted.
RFK Jr. Super PAC Campaign Finance Allegations (14:57–16:35)
- The DNC accuses RFK Jr. of illegal coordination with a Super PAC to secure ballot access in 15 states; his campaign denies direct involvement.
Fentanyl Trafficking Realities (16:35–20:47)
- Three U.S. citizens—NOT migrants—caught smuggling fentanyl at a Texas border crossing, debunking right-wing narratives.
- Dana Goldberg (17:44): “Nearly 90% of those arrested for trafficking in fentanyl are Americans.”
- Discussion includes policy suggestions and political hypocrisy (Republican killing of bipartisan border bill).
4. Interview: Laurie Kilmartin on CIS Woke Grief Slut (22:14–40:15)
Comedy as Grief & Social Commentary
- AG and Dana interview Laurie Kilmartin, exploring how her comedy special weaves together dark humor, personal loss, abortion rights, and gender issues.
- Lori Kilmartin (22:43): “To me, it’s upbeat to be really dark about awful stuff… That’s how I get through it.”
- The title’s origin combines the slurs and labels hurled at Laurie by critics (“CIS,” “woke,” “slut”) and references deep grief after losing her mother to COVID.
- Lori Kilmartin (36:18): “After Elon Musk called [‘cis’] a slur… I wanted it to be about CIS me… ‘woke’ because I get called that in comments… grief because of my mom… and ‘slut’ was from a church in Florida that emailed me.”
- Her experience getting doxxed and receiving death threats after an abortion joke went viral is recounted with both horror and humor.
- Lori Kilmartin (24:00): “It was three intense days of me thinking I was going to be shocked to death. And then it just went away.”
- She highlights a favorite bit about why trans women are among her favorite women, purposefully tackling trans issues from a supportive, empathic angle.
- Lori Kilmartin (28:35): “I wanted to come at it from a CIS woman point of view—let’s walk arm in arm… there’s just a bunch of jokes on top of that intention.”
- Discussion of the persistent misogyny in comedy, the double standard for women, and the complications of working in male-dominated scenes.
- Lori Kilmartin (31:13): “So few female comics even feel safe enough to act like a male comic [with audience members]… You’re always just trying to not piss off the booker… it’s just extra stuff to navigate.”
- AG talks about the paradox of being underestimated as a woman on stage (“I liked being underestimated before anything comes out of your mouth” – 33:04).
- Laurie promotes her podcast, The Jackie and Laurie Show—born from the lack of visibility for women comics.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “History is messy. It’s weird, wild, and anything but boring.”
— Laurie Kilmartin (00:00) [promo for her own podcast, but a thematic fit for episode] - On party switching subterfuge:
“People are running as Democrats because they know they’ll get elected in California, planning to switch parties.”
— Dana Goldberg (03:11) - On Trump's NATO remarks:
“Encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and unhinged.”
— White House spox Andrew Bates (09:51, paraphrased by AG) - On January 6th armed rioters:
“Trump also knew the crowd was armed… he yelled, ‘They’re not here to hurt me, okay?’”
— Dana Goldberg, quoting January 6th testimony (13:53) - On fentanyl, migrants, and political lies:
“Nearly 90% of those arrested for trafficking in fentanyl are Americans.”
— Dana Goldberg (17:44)
“Americans are poisoning Americans...”
— RAND researcher (18:59) - On comedy, grief, and survival:
“To me, it’s upbeat to be really dark about awful stuff. Like, that’s how I get through it. So, to me, that’s being positive.”
— Laurie Kilmartin (22:43) - On doxxing and right-wing outrage cycles:
“It was like three intense days of me thinking I was going to be shocked to death. And then it just went away. It was a very strange phenomenon.”
— Laurie Kilmartin (25:00) - On supporting trans women:
“Let’s walk arm in arm and try to make the world better. So that was like the intention, and then there’s just a bunch of jokes on top of that intention.”
— Laurie Kilmartin (29:05) - On double standards for female comics:
“So few female comics even feel safe enough to like act like a male comic does… always just trying to… not piss off the booker… It’s just extra stuff you have to constantly navigate.”
— Laurie Kilmartin (31:13) - On the title CIS Woke Grief Slut:
“Even though I was doing trans jokes, I wanted it to be about CIS me… grief because of my mom… ‘Slut’ was what I was called repeatedly by a church in Florida.”
— Laurie Kilmartin (36:18)
Noteworthy Timestamps
- 02:08 — AG & Dana Super Bowl pop culture banter
- 03:11 — Warning about fake Democratic candidates, voter suppression
- 05:14 — News begins: FCC bans AI robocalls
- 06:25 — Trump/Pence NATO controversy analyzed in depth
- 10:43 — January 6th gun footage discussion
- 14:57 — DNC vs. RFK Jr. Super PAC allegations
- 16:35 — Fentanyl trafficking busted myths
- 22:14 — Interview with Laurie Kilmartin begins
- 24:00 — Laurie recounts being doxxed after an abortion joke
- 28:35 — Laurie discusses writing about trans women and comedy
- 36:18 — Laurie explains the title CIS Woke Grief Slut
- 40:15 — Interview ends, hosts move to “Good News” segment
Tone & Style
- Fast-paced, witty, and unfiltered, balancing sharp political critique with pop culture relevance and punchy comedic riffing.
- The interview segment leans into gallows humor with warmth and emotional candor, blending social commentary with standup sensibility.
- Hosts keep energy high, alternating between deep dives and quick asides, frequently breaking for inside jokes and callbacks.
Summary Takeaways
This episode exemplifies The Daily Beans' blend of incisive progressive commentary with unapologetic snark. The hosts dissect the chilling implications of Trump’s foreign policy chest-thumping, expose disinformation about opioids and migrants, highlight the stakes of election manipulation, and then transition seamlessly to the healing power (and cathartic punch) of dark comedy in the age of relentless outrage. Laurie Kilmartin’s interview shines as a testament to the role of humor in survival and the importance of feminist voices in comedy.
For more from Laurie Kilmartin, listen to “The Jackie and Laurie Show” wherever podcasts are found, and don’t miss her special CIS Woke Grief Slut.
Podcast Link: Daily Beans Podcast
Guest Info: Laurie Kilmartin – Twitter | Comedy Special