The Cookie Man with Jim Mulvaney

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dylan Hour with Dylan Mulvaney

Episode Title: The Cookie Man with Jim Mulvaney
Release Date: March 19, 2025
Host: Dylan Mulvaney
Guest: James Francis Mulvaney Jr. (Dylan's Father)
Produced by: Lemonada Media

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Introduction

In this heartfelt and engaging episode of The Dylan Hour, host Dylan Mulvaney sits down with her father, James Francis Mulvaney Jr., affectionately known as "the Cookie Man." The episode delves deep into their familial bond, James's journey to sobriety, their shared memories, and the unique dynamics of their relationship.

Early Beginnings and Relationship Dynamics

Dylan opens the conversation by introducing her father, highlighting her excitement to have him on the show despite not fully understanding his professional background. She humorously notes his "podcast virginity" as they share a Virgin White Russian (milk) during the episode (02:03).

Notable Quote:
Dylan Mulvaney ([02:03]): "Dad, this is a virgin White Russian."

The Cookie Man: James's Passion for Baking

James reveals his nickname, "the Cookie Man," explaining his addiction to baking approximately 500 cookies weekly, which he generously shares with clients, friends, and acquaintances. The simplistic presentation on Costco paper plates underscores the quality of his cookies.

Notable Quote:
James Francis Mulvaney Jr. ([03:01]): "I am famous for those. In San Diego, they call me the Cookie Man."

Sobriety and Personal Transformation

A pivotal moment in the conversation is James's candid admission of overcoming alcohol and drug addiction 24 years ago, motivated by the birth of Dylan. He celebrates 19 years of sobriety, attributing his transformation to his desire to be a better father.

Notable Quote:
James Francis Mulvaney Jr. ([03:59]): "I got off booze and coke drugs 24 years ago, and basically because you were born, and I wanted to be a better dad."

Shared Interests and Hobbies

James discusses his passions beyond baking, including scuba diving, snorkeling, and dancing. Dylan shares her affinity for shopping, contrasting her father's simpler tastes. They reminisce about their adventures together, such as attending Broadway musicals and holiday performances like Grinch Stole Christmas at the Old Globe.

Notable Quote:
Dylan Mulvaney ([04:19]): "Story time. Is that my dad? You."

Balancing Personal and Professional Lives

James delves into his 40-year career in insurance, emphasizing his role as a "Rain Maker" who excels in networking and building relationships. Dylan admires his ability to connect with people, a trait inherited from her grandfather.

Notable Quote:
James Francis Mulvaney Jr. ([10:03]): "That's a lot of ass."

Navigating Public Life and Media Attention

As Dylan's fame grows, James shares experiences of being recognized solely as her father, sometimes facing intrusive questions about her personal life. He expresses pride in her achievements while also confronting the challenges posed by public scrutiny.

Notable Quote:
James Francis Mulvaney Jr. ([19:21]): "When they want to tell you something, and you're just kind of. You're just like, are you paying."

Reflections on Family and Support Systems

The duo reflects on the importance of love, respect, and understanding within the family. James acknowledges his evolving relationship with Dylan, transitioning from a traditional father figure to a supportive friend and confidant.

Notable Quote:
Dylan Mulvaney ([18:32]): "You officially are. You're on best friend level here."

Anecdotes from the Past: Fun and Misadventures

Several entertaining stories highlight their past, including James's escapades with celebrities like Stevie Nicks and Tom Cruise, and humorous mishaps such as Dylan's wild birthday parties and their shared love for skiing and musicals.

Notable Quote:
James Francis Mulvaney Jr. ([40:17]): "Judge, Mike."

Support and Advocacy: The Trevor Project

Both Dylan and James emphasize their support for the Trevor Project, an organization dedicated to crisis services for queer youth. They highlight the importance of acceptance and providing safe spaces for LGBTQ+ individuals.

Notable Quote:
Dylan Mulvaney ([64:43]): "And they donate to crisis services for queer youth that don't have accepting families like mine."

Advice and Wisdom: For Youth and Families

James offers heartfelt advice to parents and young individuals, stressing the importance of slowing down, being happy, and fostering unconditional love and acceptance. He underscores his pride in Dylan and encourages embracing one's true self.

Notable Quote:
James Francis Mulvaney Jr. ([50:23]): "Just walk right up and say, I love you, Dylan."

Special Segments: Overshare, Don't Care

In the "Overshare, Don't Care" segment, James participates in a lightning round of questions, revealing personal preferences, pet peeves, and humorous insights into their daily lives.

Notable Quote:
James Francis Mulvaney Jr. ([53:44]): "Stop drinking and drugging. You're killing yourself."

Closing Reflections

The episode concludes with touching reflections on their journey together, the growth and support they've provided each other, and a mutual declaration of love. Both express gratitude for their relationship and the positive impact they've had on one another's lives.

Notable Quote:
Dylan Mulvaney ([64:32]): "I want to be your kid forever."
James Francis Mulvaney Jr. ([64:37]): "I love you."

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Key Takeaways

• Familial Support: The episode underscores the profound bond between Dylan and her father, highlighting the transformative power of love and support.
• Personal Growth: James's journey to sobriety and his evolving relationship with Dylan serve as inspiring examples of personal growth and resilience.
• Acceptance and Advocacy: Both hosts advocate for LGBTQ+ acceptance and support, emphasizing the importance of organizations like the Trevor Project.
• Shared Memories: The nostalgic anecdotes provide a glimpse into their shared history, blending humor with heartfelt moments.

Final Thoughts

The Cookie Man with Jim Mulvaney is a touching exploration of family, love, and personal transformation. Through candid conversations and shared stories, Dylan and James offer listeners an intimate look into their lives, celebrating their unique relationship and the journey they've undertaken together.

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Timestamp Reference Key:

• [MM:SS] - Minute:Second within the episode.

Transcript

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Hey there. We hope you enjoy the Dylan Hour. If you love the show, there's an easy way to support it. After you listen, take a quick moment to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. It really helps more awesome listeners like you discover the show. Thanks for your support and enjoy the episode.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Hi, everyone, I'm David Duchovny. Join me on my podcast, Fail Better, where we use failure as a lens to reflect on the past and analyze the current moment. I. I speak with makers and performers like Rob Lowe, Rosie O'Donnell and Kenya Barris, as well as thinkers like Kara Swisher and Nate Silver, to understand how both personal setbacks and larger forces impact our world. Listen to Fail Better wherever you get your podcasts.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Lemonad. In your car, in the shower, on a walk through the Dylan Hour. Feeling sweet, feeling sour? I feel nothing. The Dylan Hour. My couch is open. It's better than therapy. All you soccer moms, all your they's and thems, all your bottom boys, My bisexual femmes, come one and all disassociate with me. It's free, grab a drink or two or three. You have no friends. All good. You got me. It's the Deal Hour. Love you. Welcome back to the Dylan Hour. I'm your host, Dylan Mulvaney. And today we are really starting at the very beginning because we're sitting down with someone who quite literally helped bring me into this world. I would like to give him a proper introduction, but I still don't quite know what he does for work. Um, but I am very excited to share. My father, James Francis Mulvaney, Jr.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Good to be here. Thank you for the introduction.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You ever been on a podcast before?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I never have.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Oh, wow. Well, actually, I was gonna say you were taking your podcast virginity, and that's on theme with our very special drink for the day, which is if you'll grab your drink. Dad, this is a virgin White Russian.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh. It's also known as milk.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Yes. So this is milk. And I think this is gonna be very hot take. But I love milk. I like drinking milk. But I only like drinking milk with ice.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, me too. I wonder what that's. You must have gotten that one for me.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Apple falls from the tree on that one. Some people are really weird about drinking milk. But is it because of your cookies that you love milk, or did you always love.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, no, I always love milk.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

It's also amazing because we have a snack here at the show. Would you grab them for us?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Okay. Well, I'm James Francis Mulvaney jr.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

So he is known. You gotta talk in the mic, though, dad.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Okay. So these are my cookies.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

My dad's cookies.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I am famous for those. In San Diego, they call me the Cookie Man.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Yeah, they do.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

And I call them either crack cookies or. Let's see this kitchen sink.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

How many do you make a week?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

About 500. And I'm basically addicted to making cookies.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And you don't sell them new?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I give them away to clients and friends and anybody that I see.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And the presentation's always the Costco paper plate.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yep.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And, honey, you don't need anything more than that because the cookies are that good. Let's sit them between us. You might. I haven't eaten much today. Could I have a cookie, please? So let's do first tastes on this cookie. Yeah. That takes me back to childhood. I really can't remember a time in my life when you didn't make them.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, I. I pretty much started when you were born.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You got to talk into the mic, though.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Okay.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

It's gonna be a theme of this episode. You look at that. It's right here. Honey, though.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Hello.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Don't look at you.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Don't look at.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

There.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Okay.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Look at me.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Look at you. Yeah, that's easy. You're beautiful.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Thanks so much.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I. I got off booze and coke drugs 24 years ago, and basically because you were born, and I wanted to be a better dad.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And then you started making cookies because.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I started making cookies because of that. And I just.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

What else do you think you're addicted to in life?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Wow. Jennifer, my wife, she's in.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

My beautiful stepmom is in the room with us.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yes. I'm addicted to scuba diving and snorkeling and Bora Bora, which I'm leaving next week for another month. I love to dance. So that's an addiction.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

I would say I've gotten some different. I'm addicted to shopping, which I think you are actually allergic to, and. Story time. Is that my dad? You. What's your favorite store in the world?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Costco.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Thought so. And my dad, like, you can pretty much get anything in the Costco shopping cart if you're quick enough, because he's in and out in about four minutes. And Costco's a pretty big store.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yeah.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

But if you can. If you can make it in the basket, he'll buy it for you. But then around Christmas time. Can you explain our Christmas situation?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Well, with you, it was kind of fun because you make a list. I have everything you wanted. And you'd tell me the store to go To. And I'd walk into, you know, some.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Lush Cosmetics or Bloomingdale's or Nordstrom someplace.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

And then I would ask for one of the folks that works there, and they'd come up and they'd go, you're Dylan's dad. And I said, yes, here's everything that Dylan wanted. And, you know, I had it color corded, coordinated. Pretty fun because.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Because if I didn't do that for.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

You, you wouldn't get it.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

I would have gotten ski goggles from Costco. And I hadn't been skiing in eight years, but I still got those. He still got the goggles for me.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, come on now. That was because they were $50, and I wanted a pair. And I just got you a pair, just in case.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Matching.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Well, right. So when you wanted to snow ski, which you did do, and you're still doing, but now you've got the pink ones.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

But I feel like you've brought me into, you know, certain worlds of, you know, sports and Catholicism, and I brought you into department stores and Broadway musicals and stuff. Oh, yeah. Was that. Was that a thing in your life before?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, no, never. But once you got involved and you were in the Grinch Stole Christmas at the Old Globe, that was just so, so much fun.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Good times, right?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, every night I'd go to.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Those were the days, us going to the Grinch at the Old Globe. Dad who loves Christmas, who's love Christmas. So, dad, here at the Dylan Hour, we like to do a bitter and sweet of the week. My sweet's already very sweet because I'm eating a cookie. But what's your bitter and sweet of the week?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Ooh. Okay. Well, the bitter. And my Uncle Ray, who was 98 years old, My mother's brother, was. Is getting to the end of his life and.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

No.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yep. He's.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

We love you, Uncle Ray.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, good man. And. And then the. The sweet is I just got 19 years of sobriety.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

High five.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yeah. I want you to give me my 20 year. And that's. That's a big deal because without that, I wouldn't be here today. I wouldn't have you as my beautiful daughter.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And what's been the hardest part of sobriety, would you say?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Probably when I'm out to dinner, not having a glass of some cabernet or something of that nature that. And then it seems as though sometimes you're left out because people, they want to party hard. Yeah. They want to party harder. And you don't drink, so you.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You're just as fun, if not funner oh yeah. Except for crazy.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I can go to bed at 9:00 now.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You do be going to bed at night.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

We're going out tonight. I'm thinking, oh boy. But we'll get it figured out. And, but just life is so much easier now. And it's just really been a.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Because we still have cookies and milk.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

We still have cookies and milk. And I've got you and I'm so proud of you and the. What you've been able to do, which is just incredible. You're such a great example of somebody that loves people and loves doing what they're doing.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Thanks, dad. Well, I think my. Let's see. What my sweet of the week is that I'm about to take you tonight to our first big Hollywood premiere and we're going to see. Yeah, honey, we're going. Well, we'll see about that, honey.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, come on.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

We're going to the premiere of Will and Harper on Netflix, which is Will Ferrell. And I know you're. You're a fan of his, right?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Big. Big.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Okay, good. And I, I just. You always say you'd like to go to an event like this, so I'm down. We're going to do it. But my bidder is that I'm already preemptively a little nervous about what you're going to say to people.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, I don't blame you.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

So let's practice this.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Okay? Yes.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

When somebody says. So, Jim, what'd you think of the movie?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

It was beautiful. It was something that moved me.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Oh, good. Excellent. Oh, what's it like being Dylan's dad?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, I'm the most special dad in the world.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Yeah, you are.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I can't tell you how many times every day. I was at a meeting this morning on my way up in Escondido and I was talking to these two gals that have a business and I asked the one. Because I always ask everybody if they know you and this gal didn't know you. And that was amazing. Well, then the other nurse came in. She found out I said I was Dylan's dad. She went nuts. She just couldn't believe the fact that I was Dylan. I get people asking to take pictures with me all the time. Wow. Because I'm Dylan's dad.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Shit, I wish I was Dylan's dad. That sounds like an easier gig. But what do you. What do you do?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Well, I've been in insurance for 40 years and what I do is a little different than most insurance people. I. I'm more of just a Rain maker. I go out and get the business.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Rain on us, baby.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I do. I do do it. And I shake a lot of hands.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And you know what I say about you?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

That's a lot of ass.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

I say, you do a lot of golf, you play a lot of golf, and you go to a lot of lunches.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

A lot of Mr. A's. Yes.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

I think they're getting some ASMR right now with this cookie situation and me eating it so vibrantly. You might be. You're definitely the first insurance person on the show. Might be the only one. Depending on where we take this, maybe. I don't know, it could become an insurance podcast.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Massachusetts Mutual.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Do you recommend insurance to those of us watching or listening?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Not really. I let people know that that's what I do, and if they have interest, they ask me because nothing worse than a.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You don't want to be chasing them down.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Pesky and the worst. The worst. I've seen too many of them.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Well, I think a big thing that I learned from you is actually networking, and I think that you know how to talk to basically anyone. Where did that part of you come from?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Well, I'm kind of a chameleon. I get that from James Francis Mulvaney Sr. Who passed away about 10 years ago. Your grandfather, he was one of the great networkers. I used to watch him at the baseball park. He was president of the San Diego Padres in the Pacific Coast League.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Whoop, whoops.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

And he'd walk up and down the aisles and he'd shake hands with everybody there.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Anyone at the baseball game, Everybody.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

And I just want to sit there and go, I want to be just like my dad. And. And that's kind of where I. I've never met a stranger. I. I, look, I.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You know him already.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I. Well, I introduce myself in elevators, so people think I'm kind of weird, but, you know, that's.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

But now you hand out cookies along with.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

That's part of the deal. That's my cookies.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And I sometimes feel weird when we're, like, on a beach and he walks up to, like, a hot mom with a kid and just offers the kid a cookie, and she's like, what the fuck are you trying to offer my kid right now? Is it. You know, because they kind of do look like potatoes.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Strangers.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

They give pot vibes.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, God. I've. I've had to tell people I went to Betty Ford, so.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

But I will say, if people still indulge, they can do that and then eat them, and they'll still really Enjoy them.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, yeah. The world's greatest chocolate chip cookie. And.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

But you spend a lot on macadamia nuts.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Every year I spend over. I write off over $10,000 a year in cookie material.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And a lot of those are macadamia nuts. Those prices are just being gouged. For those of us at the Dylan Hour who aren't aware. Justice for macadamia nut prices.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, it's great.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And what you do something very special with the cookies, which is you put your own kind of ingredient into it that you make.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I go to Bora Bora, I was saying, twice a year, and I bring home my own vanilla beans. Then I stuff them in spiced rum, which is Captain Morgan's. And it's funny because every time I leave Costco with one of those, I usually run into somebody in my program and they're like, jim, what's the Captain Morgan's going home with you for? But then I have to explain. Well, I make my own vanilla. And it's.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

That's one of the secrets of the.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Secret ingredients and people.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You've written that you kind of just eyeball it every time. Right.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, I. You know, you were. We talked about giving out my recipe, but I'd be glad to. But it's all right up in here. So anybody would like. They'd have to come over to the house and watch me make them sometimes.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Well, I'm. That's a. That's a big invite because who knows when and how many are going to show up?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

You know who wanted to see it was your friend that the. Wilson.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Oh, Carney Wilson from the Wilson and.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Phillips band when we met.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

She wants it.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yep. She wants to.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Well, Carney Wilson, you and the Internet have been invited to my house. Well, not my house, my dad's house.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Because Alpine, California.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Honey, you live far away.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I know. It's where you were born. You gotta come back.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Let's go. Let's go back. Back to the origin.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Okay.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

We're from San Diego, California.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Correct.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

How would you explain San Diego?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Well, it's a beach town. I grew up in Pacific Beach, La Jolla. And then I just got around San Diego because of, you know, I. I was a messenger for a company when I was very young. But how would I explain San Diego? Kick back, kick back. The waves are good. You know, the football and baseball team don't attract anybody.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

The conservative la. Like, it's like a. The farther away from the beach you get, the more that they don't like gay people. But that you're a Testament to the fact that that's not true because you moved really far from the beach. You do like gay people now. If you just stop calling me every time you meet a gay person and say, hey, do you know this person? I say, no, dad, no, that's not. And now we shifted now from that. Now it's. If you do meet a trans person, it's hey, you know this trans person.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I'm sorry.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

But you know, I love it.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I just think it's something that I'm proud of and I. And it's never going to go away. And I'm just blessed that I have you in my life. You're such a good, good influence on so many people. And you're full of joy. What bothers me sometime is when the person asks me, she's not real, is she? This is fake, isn't it?

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You're like, yeah, she's a bitch. She gave me the middle finger when she was six and I've been mad at her ever since.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, when you were five, we'd go to the pool and I'd throw you up and you just.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Speaking of. On a little blast from the past. I have some pictures of us.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Then you take bows to the crowd and. And you know, everybody was like, she's going to be so famous.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Here's at Disneyland.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I think you got stung by.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Got stung by a bee that day. Well, that was probably the before be sting. Here's you. That looks like a pool throw, but that was pre pool. And then I think there's some sort of saint. Where do you think that is?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I think it's up. Maybe in. Up in. Is that you in there?

[Dylan Mulvaney]

That's me.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Wow. I think it might have been up in Eureka. Not Eureka, but Redding, California, with your mother's father's mom and dad's place. But I've seen that one.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

But. So I grew up in a very tiny town of San Diego called Alpine.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Outside.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

I mean, it's very small, right?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

It's getting a little bigger, but not much.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And you know, you would sing in the choir. We'd go to church at Queen of Angels.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Comfort me, O God.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Beyond my wants, beyond my fears. That was great. And you just. So I do think maybe I got the singing from you a little bit. And as far as, like, you grew up very Catholic.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yeah, but, you know, I'd rather surf than go to church. So we ditched a lot. And you know, I.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Big family.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Big family. There's seven of us. I'm number five and I don't Try at all. That's my line. But I got Jim Jr. Which was a real, real pleasure.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

They saved that one for you.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

He said no, no. Melinda was first. The Tom and Bob, the twins, Larry third. My brother, my father's brother had a son named that. He named Jim after my father. So my father was obligated to name his next son Larry. And then along came Jimmy and then David and Brian.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You got a song for everything. My favorite thing. My best friend Lily, who will be on the pod, is. Is she walks into a room and you go, do it, Lily. Do it.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Do the zampoo ooji.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And I refuse to believe that this is a real song that exists.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

It's an old, old song.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You can give this man, like anything, and he will find a song for it.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

You tell Lily I'm not happy with her. She's not returning my phone calls.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Same girl. Same you do. But it is. What I've loved too is you've now developed friendships with my friends. You know, they're like your kids.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh yeah. They love my. We just were in Scotland and it was so fun to be with them all. And.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Well, I gotta tell you that you came to visit. And sometimes I think because growing up, you know, queer and trans especially, you know, coming out to you all, I felt really guilty about making you, you know, call me your daughter or call me a woman or she. And I think that there was part of me that wanted to pull away a little bit from the family because it just. I felt like I would start to shut down. And sometimes I get. I think I get anxiety sometimes having family around just. Cause I feel like I have to, you know, I wanna make sure you're taken care of. And I got. You know, I was at work, but you came to visit and it was so funny. Cause like the first day you came and I'm like doing this one woman show, getting her. And I'm a little anxious, but excited to see you. And then by the. I remember the last day we went to Glasgow, I had a fitting for a TV show. And then we went to this musical together. And by the end I was like, oh, my God, this is my best friend. And so I did want to tell you that you. You've been calling me your best friend for a long time.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

But you.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You officially are. You're on best friend level here. And I do think it's really cool when you as a kid then finally see a parent as, like, as a friend and as a human, because I think for a long time, you Know you. Like, the dynamics are tricky. Cause, you know, you're the. Well, you never really reprimanded me that much, but I think that I had trouble seeing you as an equal human being. And because you were always this father figure. And now I'm like, oh, this is the coolest person in the world.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Well, you're much brighter than me. I've got a as good, if not a better personality sometimes, but.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Yeah. Yep. Drag me, bitch. Drag me. Jimmy.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, you're the best. But I. What I don't understand is with a lot of these haters out there.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Oh, speak on it.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

When they. When they want to tell you something, and you're just kind of. You're just like, are you paying. Are you paying their bills or are you. Why. Why did. Why do they have to give a shit about, you know, what you're.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Well, you are on. You only have Instagram to follow me, correct?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yeah.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Okay, so you've got like one follower.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

That's it.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

That's it.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Now, if I ever went on it, I'd have thousands, but I'm not.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Well, this would be your opportunity, but I don't know if we want to really open.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

No, you don't.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Not a chance. And what is. What's it been like for you to watch me kind of get blown up in this? You know, like, the positives of it and the negatives.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

The positives is. I've never been prouder in my life about anybody. And anybody that I've been around. The negatives are having the assholes coming up to me and asking me, you know, has she had a sex change or is she this and that? And I. What my comment is. Well, it's none of my business, so it's obviously none of your business.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

How crazy to think that people feel comfortable enough to walk up to someone's parent and be like, so what's going on down there? You know, that's like, actually really disgusting.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

It is disgusting. It's only. It's usually just the macho male that does that. No female is. I think. I can't remember a female doing it, but, you know, I'm sorry.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Wow. Who'd a thunk a woman, you know, not wanting to objectify another woman. Yeah, but have you found that your friends and community and family have kind of been supportive of me?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Very much so. And if they're not, then they're going to have the wrath of Jimmy here. And that's not a pretty thing, but. Yeah. No, My Rotarians, the women in my Rotary want to Know what you're doing all the time. They want to know what they can do to support.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

What is Rotary?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Rotary is a group that started back in the early 1900s in Chicago. Mine is in downtown San Diego.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

It's giving, Rich.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

No, it's not. It's giving back to the community.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Okay.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Good work and helping others that aren't as blessed as we are. And you do breakfasts every Wednesday. We. I just had the chief of police, who's my good friend in San Diego, Scott Wall, speak to us this week. And I got to introduce him. So I introduced him. I started off by saying, hi, I'm Jim. I'm a Gemini. Got a little laugh, but more so I said, this is Scott or my probation officer. And I got a good laugh, too.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Was he actually.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

No, he's the chief of police.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Well, let's. Let's go back to. Because here's the real deal. You used to be a bad boy.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, I did my 20s at 30. Oh, bad, bad boy.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Is that still in you or like, definitely.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I'm, you know, I'm blessed now that I'm clean and sober.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You didn't go to college, but.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Greatest woman in my, my life there.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You. But. So you were. I feel like at the time where you, you didn't go to college, but you still killed it in the game.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Done real well in the business world and insurance, but kind of the last.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Of the era for like, you could.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Probably get away with probably, you know, most people have to go business at least a lot of interviews. And I never had to do an interview and got that personality. Babes work for them and. Yeah, no, I've. I've always been a hard worker, just like you are, but. But more importantly, I've done, you know, I feel as though I've done things properly. I always think about my client. Instead of thinking about what's best for me, I think about what's best for you. And that still scares me a lot. It's one of those worries in my life that, you know, some haters going to do something that I'm going to have to do something about. And so that scares me.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Well, we've made it this far. You also used to be kind of a ladies man back in the day and yeah, I'm trying to make this a good podcast.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Bitch. Sex sells baby.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Sex sells baby. Do you have like. It's sort of interesting now I'm dating straight men. Like, what did you. What were your qualities of a woman that you really enjoyed back in the day?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, wow. Ah, it's tough because when I was drinking and drugging, I didn't give a shit. I just wanted to get in their pants. And I think with you, one of the things I learned later on was I would walk up to a pretty woman, and I'd hand him a business card, and I'd say, would you like to have lunch with me sometime? I'd love the opportunity to meet you. And out of the five business cards, I'd get one or two calling me back.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Well, lunch is a nice touch because it doesn't seem. Assuming it's like, oh, this. This man just wants to go out at a reasonable hour of daytime. I see right through there.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

And then when they. Now. But now I'm like, I've told you, I'm. I'm in love, and I'm very, very blessed. I'm done. And. But I. In the past, it's been, you know, I. I was. It was a. I just was not the good person that I am today because I. I learned that you're still.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Friends with a lot of your exes, which isn't.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, really? Your. Your mother's one of my favorite people and my first wife Tracy's.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

What's the secret to that?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Just being kind and thoughtful and understanding. Listening. And as you know, I used to always just want to hear myself talk, and now I'm getting better with the.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Now you can. You can listen back to this episode. And there you are.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, boy.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

How about, like, oh, as far as, like, qualities, like, say, that I'm trying to, you know, I'm seeing a guy, and he's kind of like, maybe like you were back in the day, kind of a player. What's. Some things that a woman can do to really, like, grab your attention?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I think it's probably personality. It's, you know, not being a doormat, you know, not being somebody that they can, you know.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Have you ever heard gay son or thought daughter?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

No.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Okay, so, dad, gay center. Thought daughter is now sort of the question on everyone's lips here in the industry, because when you get on a red carpet. This is actually a really good question for tonight. Would you rather have a gay son or do you know what a thought daughter is?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

No.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

What does thought mean? It's. Megan, can you Google the definition of thought? So, dad, dad, gay son or thought daughter? Gay son. You know what that is? Thought daughter is a daughter who likes to be promiscuous and get around town.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Get around the gay son.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Wow. And now you've had both. So that's Pretty cool. I will say you're welcome. And you only have one kid.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yeah. No, and I've got. I've got.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And you kind of got the greatest.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Boy and now the greatest girl.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

That's pretty crazy too, as you can see. Say. Okay, let's go. Let's go back to the gay. Now.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I got a question for you. Am I going to have to pay for the wedding if it ever comes up?

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You do. And I'm nervous about that because my taste has gone up and. Well, let's talk about when you created a monster. Because we were in San Francisco on a trip and we were going shopping at the mall. This is when I was just wearing, like, hand me downs Gap. Like, you could throw me an Old Navy or Costco. I didn't give a. What happened, though. I was probably about 8 or 9. And we're walking by Abercrombie kids in the mall up in San Francisco, and I. And you're like. I was like, oh, I heard about this through my friends. And you're like, let's go in. We look and there was like a sweatshirt that was like $120. And I go, oh, my God, we can't get this. It's too much. And you said, you know what? Let's get it, dil. You can do it. And in that moment, a fucking fashion demon was born. Because I then became addicted to Abercrombie. And then it just kept spiraling. But I. I do think we had so much fun when I was young.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Kind of like blueberry Burberry.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Oh, honey. The amount, like, my. I'll never forget, my dad, like, got me a scarf. He couldn't believe that he spent 500 on a scarf. This was like maybe two years ago. And he's like, I got her the damn blueberry scarf. I'm like, what the fuck is blueberry? And he's like, brewberry?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

And I'm like, yeah, whatever it was.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You'Re the new, like, face. I can't book a campaign with them. And they instantly make you the face of Blueberry.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I hope so.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You are the face. That's so good. This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. And therapy can feel like a big investment, but the state of your mind is just as important as your physical health. Now let's talk numbers. Traditional in person therapy can cost anywhere from 100 to $250 per session, which adds up fast. But with BetterHelp online therapy, you can save on average, up to 50% per session. And with BetterHelp, you pay a flat fee for weekly sessions, saving you big on cost and on time. Therapy should feel accessible, not like a luxury. With online therapy, you get quality care at a price that makes sense and can help you with anything from anxiety to everyday stress. Your mental health is worth it, and now it's within reach. I have always been a queen of therapy. I even asked my parents if I could start therapy when I was just a little kid and it's still one of my favorite hours of the week. But I know that it's not as easy for everyone to jump into, so I feel like BetterHelp really is an awesome option. With over 30,000 therapists, BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform, having served over 5 million people globally. It's convenient too. You just join a session with the click of a button, helping you fit therapy into your busy life. Plus, you can switch therapists at any time at no extra cost. Your well being is worth it, so visit betterhelp.comdylanour to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp. H E L p.comdylanhour Love ya.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Hi there, it's Julia Louis Dreyfus. This fall, my podcast Wiser Than Me is back for season three with even.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

More wisdom straight from some legendary old ladies.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

These chickadees have a lot to teach us. Every word is a lesson in living.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Unapologetically and focusing on the stuff that really matters. From Lemonada Media Wiser Than Me Season 3 out now. Find it wherever you get your podcasts.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Subscribe to Lemonada Premium in the Apple.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Podcast app and listen to every episode of season three A.D. free. It's the dealing hour. Growing up like, you obviously, I feel like, had a very specific. Like when you were told you were having a son, which you didn't, did you know you wanted kids?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

No, it was a. It was. Your mother surprised me on my 40th birthday saying she was pregnant. And I'm like, you got to be kidding. So, greatest day of my life was the day you were born though. But I, I, yes, I, I went and cleaned the baseball fields thinking that you were going to be a baseball star.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

How did that go?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Well, for me, it was fine. I was, you know, doing something on a Saturday that with these men and yeah, it was good. But then, and then.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

But I didn't know you didn't want.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

To be a baseball player. You wanted to sing and dance on the coffee table. Well, wherever you want. You know, you, you wore mommy's high heels around and played with dolls and Then you got the. The Easy Bake Oven. When you were a kid, I would take you to different functions where you'd try out for plays, and every time, the director would come up to me and say that you were the best person, the best actor, the best kid.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Honey, I wish they. They'd start doing that today. Maybe I got to start bringing you to the auditions.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, no, come on. They're going to. You're doing whatever you want, but.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

So you obviously thought that, you know, life was gonna be one way. What do you, like. Do you have any advice for someone who is, you know, maybe struggling that, like, has what they thought their kid was gonna be like and then turns out some kind of other way? What would you say to them? Yeah, what.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I do get a lot of that, especially in one of the programs I'm in. And my advice is just, love, respect, listen. Things I do, I try to do with you, and I know sometimes I don't. And you accept me for some of the shortcomings that I have, but, yeah, I just tell people it's love. You just have to deal with some of your thoughts that are not the thoughts that you should have and be proud and. Yeah, and I'm. You've never. I've. There's nobody prouder than your father is of you, so. And I always will be.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Thank you. I think that, you know, what you've done such a great job of is, like, turn. You know, you've had opinions about certain things and been able to, you know, shift those based on how life, you know, goes. And I think we've always tried to hold a good respect for each other when we do differ on opinions.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I'm conservative and you're liberal, but, yeah.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

We'Re working on that on you, too.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I'm more down the middle of the street now because I know what the right wants to do.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Well, what was it like to see the people that your television programs then talk about your kid? What was that like?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, Fox. And, yeah, it was brutal. And I wanted to call those guys up and tell them that they don't know my daughter and, you know, get off of it, because you're. You're barking up the wrong tree. And.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Well, I think it's really sad, like, when, you know, like, what. What that made me realize, too, because I kind of was watching almost through your eyes was how clearly people can paint someone almost to be like a character on a T. Like when I watched myself during that time when, you know, was being attacked by people that you maybe used to respect. It felt like they were talking about a character. Because it didn't sound like me.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

No, it didn't. And it wasn't you. And they just didn't know you. And I think that's so true about all of the CNNs and the foxes. I just can't watch any of it anymore. That's why I'm going to Bora Bora for the month of October, so I don't have to listen to the Bora Bora. Oh, I do. And so do you.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

I do. Love me some Bora. I. I'll take Mora.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Bora Bora Bora. They have the. The ray rays there that.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Oh, there's a large trans community.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

It's beautiful.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

It's kind of iconic.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

It is.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

I got there, it was like nothing. I was like, wow, they've really got. They've got something figured out over here.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Way ahead of us.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And the dance. I would take the dance classes.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

That was classic. I've got the video of you dancing with those. With all of them. And they. They just loved you.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Having a gay son. What, like, what was that like? Me growing up was. I. I was a pretty good kid. And then I got kind of, like, angsty over the years. Right?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yeah. I don't. I remember you and Lily going at it up there in the room. And maybe you had a bunch of other people up there, but can you.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Like, not going at it? Going at it Sounds very presumptive.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, no. Okay. You were. It was like the two of you were fighting, and you would be.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

So me and my best friend like to wrestle. Okay.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

And it was like cats and dogs and people would be there most of the time. A girl with me would be going, what's going on up there? And I'm like, you know, can I.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Can I. Can we have some confessions here? I turned your house into a fucking brothel. Did I? Well, I mean, sometimes, you know, if you're out of town. You went out of town a lot of it.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yes.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Did you remember that? Do you remember when you. For my birthday present for my 18th birthday was you let me have the house for the night and then you left.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yeah.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

But then you came back too early in the morning because the party was still kind of going and you couldn't get into your bedroom.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, that.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And my friend was sleeping with a guy in your bed.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Didn't go big.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

I see. This red carpet is very warranted tonight. You deserve the world, sir. Yeah. And it was just. It was fun, though, because I feel like, in a way, I think Because I wasn't super confi. Like, I kind of moved through the world as I wanted to. I felt. I didn't feel like ever. Like I wanted to lash out at you in like, really negative ways. Because I was being like. It was almost good to have that kind of environment where I, you know, could be who I wanted to be most of the time.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

And I was who I wanted to be. And that's what we were. We had a good time. I love traveling with you too. So that's. That's what so fun it was.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And you got me into scuba diving, which.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, gosh, that was.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

What's the next on the bucket list for a place? This is also. You're kind of a man of habit. Are you like to, you know, you like one or two things.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I just went to Scotland.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Oh, honey, you went to Scotland? Yes. That was great. But usually you wouldn't. You wouldn't have gone if I hadn't been there doing something.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Probably not, but I'll do anything with you.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Where would you like to go? If somebody was just like.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Greece would be probably a good one. Greece, the Mediterranean. We did that when you were 14 or 13. I took Dylan to the Rolling Stones concert in Rome. And we sat in the second row and we got to have dinner where Charlie Watts, the drummer, walked past me. And you didn't have a clue who any of these guys were.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Still don't.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

You do like the Stones, though?

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Yeah, okay, sure.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

But they're the greatest rock and roll band in the world and. But just things that we were able.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

To do out there.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yeah, I'll get it out there. Yeah, we've seen them a whole bunch, but just. Just playing, you know, being with you different. And Bora Bora is a fun one. But I do understand what you're saying, that I don't travel to different places enough. No, but it's Ireland.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

I think a creature of habit is not necessarily a bad thing. And if it helps keep you sober and you've got your, you know, you get in your rhythms. What are your. What? Your. Walk us through your day. What is it? It starts early.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, 4:30. I get to the gym at 5 every day.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Damn, man.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

You know, then I. I hit a meeting at seven for a program I'm in. And then I go to a 10 o'clock business lunch or usually an appointment. And I've got a 12 o'clock lunch at some place. Most of the time, Mr. A's in San Diego, a nice spot. And then I try to be home by Two or so.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You love the beach.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Do love the beach. During the summer, I'm always down at a place called horseshoe or 22nd street in front of Trevor's house.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Now. Now you. Now everybody knows where Jimmy Mulvaney hangs out.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

It's okay. I don't care. Let them come at me if they want to. And if anybody does come at me.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

That'S where it's diverting them from my home to yours.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yeah, well, that's all right. But I'll know. What I'm going to tell them, basically, is if they want to know what Dylan Mulvaney thinks and wants and acts, and I'll say, talk to Dylan.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Oh, good.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

You know, I can't. I can't.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

I'll talk to them.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I know you will. I know you will.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And what has been your favorite year of your life so far?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Wow, that's a crazy, crazy question. I think this year, because, you know, I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm healthy, I'm happy, I'm married to the most beautiful woman in the world. That's keeping me in a much better place than I used to be. I'm getting to be more thoughtful and more understanding. I'm getting more patience because of you and your help. You've given me all over these years of, of slowing down because I'm adhd, I'm dyslexic. I got a lot of guys today. I just was looking at a green light down there on a meter and. And Jen's like, you got to be kidding me. That's as red as blood. And I'm like, oh, it looks green to me.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

I'm color. I'm colorblind, too.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, yeah.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Wow. I got a lot of things from you. Damn.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yeah, that. You got your mommy, too. She's a crazy one, but yeah.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Two Geminis. Double Gemini parents. That's wild.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

God, she a Gemini. I forgot that.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

But you. And then you used to party with fun people back in the day.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Party.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You know what story I love?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Tom Cruise.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

No, Stevie.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

The Fleetwood Mac.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Do you know that one?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

The one at Fleetwood where I. I ran into Nick Fleetwood at the Costco?

[Dylan Mulvaney]

No, Stevie Nicks.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, Stevie Nicks was puffing a joint. We were going down the freeway, and Stevie Nicks is in a limo and she pulls. She rolls down her window.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You're smoking a doobie in a. On like a convertible or something in.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

An old beat up VW right on i5. And you were headed to this Fleetwood Mac concert, but I had no idea who they were. And they said, pull over. So we pulled over in this parking lot, we puffed this joint with these two pretty women. And then I said, we're going to the Fleetwood Mac concert. And they said, oh, so we just follow us. So we follow them down. We go into the backstage. They let us in because the girls in the limo said, let them in. And then we go in and we're standing there, and all of a sudden, Stevie nicks and Steph McVie walk up on the stage and start singing. You know.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You got the Fleetwood Mac stone before the show?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, yeah, I got the girl stone.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Epic.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yeah. Got a lot of great stories like that, but that's just because, you know, hanging out.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Any others that you love?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Well, the Tom Cruise story was good. I met Tom at the. At George's when he was doing a restaurant bar in La Jolla, when he was doing the. Oh, the first Top Gun. Yeah. And I said. Walked over. I said, tom, I loved you in Risky Business when you slid across the floor. And he said, yeah, that was fun. And I was there with my harem and a bunch of peeps, and I. He says to me, what are you doing tonight? And I said, I'm gonna go to Diego's down in pb. And he goes, hey, do you mind if I hang out with you?

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Do you mind?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yeah, exactly.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Like, not at all, Tom.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, yeah. No, but he was fun and he just was a nice man. And he had to go back to his hotel probably around 11, and I was probably out till 6 in the morning. So, you know.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Damn.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yeah.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Do you remember the day that I came? You were leaving for work and I was walking in and we kind of high fived on the way on the stairs.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Didn't bother me.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You did have an idea for Transparent.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Transparent, yes.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

What is that?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Well, it would be a situation where people could. I would interview, like you're doing to me right now.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You would. Who would you interview?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Parents that have trans children.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

If that's not the most beautiful thing you've heard today?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Well, I just think it would be great because that way they. They can all. We can talk about, you know, what we deal with and how things are, you know, going and.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Okay, well, it's practice. What would you. What would you ask me right now? Just as an interviewer, what would you ask me?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I would say, what's the toughest part of having a trans daughter?

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Well, having a trans daughter. For me, that was good, dad. Okay, we've got a show. Scoot over, Dylan. We got Jim coming In no, James.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Francis, I'm gonna leave it up to you because I'm just happy being your. Your pop.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

But, and as far as like, did you kind of, like, you saw that I was a very feminine kid? Yeah.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yeah.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And. And so was it like a super surprise to you when I came out?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

No, not at all. I tell people I pretty much knew you were gay at 5 or 6. And then you saying to your mother and I, you know, mom, dad, and I think you said it to her, and she mentioned it to me that I think God made a mistake and put a girl in a boy's body. And, you know, that was. You just have to embrace it. You have to understand, you know, there's these things called chromosomes. And, you know, these in the world don't quite understand that. And, and like you said to me, Dill the other day a while back is, dad, what I'm doing right now is just like the gays 20 years ago, 30 years ago. And in 20, 30 years, it's going to be just the same.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Hopefully, if we don't get our rights.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Taken away, they won't be taken away. I'll kill somebody before that.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

So you ever watched the Handmaid's Tale?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

What?

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Did you watch the show the Handmaid's Tale?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

No.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Oh, that's a good one.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I don't want to if it.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You love tv.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yeah, I do. I do watch a lot at Netflix. Netflix. And they had the second. The second season of Sylvester Stallone's Tulsa King came. Came on last night.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Yeah, I don't know that one. We have different tastes, but it was. I. I will say that after. During COVID I moved back to your house for. I mean, I was there for a year.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

And the best year ever.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Best year.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, that' by the way, I've taught you a lot of these little. These, you know, this love you.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

No.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yes, that's me. Yeah.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Not a straight white man trying to claim a trans woman's tagline.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

It's me all the way. Ask anybody. Oh, and then recently I've been asking you, where you at on the happy scale?

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Oh, I go to. Now I go. But you know who I go up to? Like Academy Awards winners. And I go, where you at on the happy scale.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Good. That's good stuff.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

A lot of unhappy people.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, isn't that suck? You know, I'm usually an 8. And now lately you've been a 9. I was a little jealous.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

I will. I'm getting up there, babe. And back to Covid times with Jen also. Well, Jen was. Thank God. Because. And then. But the funny. So we moved back to this house. There was a whole top floor of this home. That was. The entire thing was just one room.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Like a bowling alley.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

It was a bowling alley. And that was my bedroom because it didn't have a bathroom in it.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

And so I go three times a night. So.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Yeah. You tell them. And. But I had. I had your old California king bed or something. It looked like a pillow in this like blank room. And I would sit up there and I would just eat popsicles all day long and watch like Twilight and Gilmore Girls. And then I come down for dinner. I would. I would sleep till like two. And then I'd walk down in their.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Nose before it's dark. He'd have every picnic basket. That's in Yellowstone Park. That's Yogi Bear. Okay. Go ahead.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Where did we get yo. Where did we get Yogi?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Two o'clock. That. You know when you walk it at two.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And there's the connection. But that was such a funny time because I never thought I was gonna ever live with you again like that. And. But we watched. We. We re. Watched Game of Thrones.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

That was my first. That was yours. And every night. We didn't want to go. Should we watch another one? Should we watch. It's 10:30 and I got to get up at 4. Let's watch another one.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Oh my God. And we love Mrs. Maisel.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh. She's the.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And now Rachel's a friend of mine. And we just. Oh, we. That was a good. That was a connecting time. We get so excited about takeout. And I would go on long runs. That never happens anymore.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

No. You did a walk where you walked out of the swords.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Didn't that take like 14 miles or something?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I thought you were gonna die.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

I had nothing to live for. But I started transitioning. That's what you didn't really know.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yeah.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Was that upstairs? What was happening was a. A trans woman was cooking. You know. The hair was growing. The. You know. I started estrogen shortly after and it was just. It was a good thing.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

You also got your insurance license during that time.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And that's. And now we're back on the insurance pod. Mulvaney and Mulvaney.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yeah. That'd be hot.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Was once Mulvaney and Son.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Who's going to do the.in the I's and crossing the T's?

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Neither of us. But yeah. I got. Because isn't it. If you ever pass away then I take your start.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

My commission.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Dark as. That's so America. That is so like.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Well, now Jen's gonna do the same.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Okay, so now we're. Me and Jen are splitting it is what everybody in the pod knows. Me and Jen are splitting the wheel 50.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

That's it.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Oh, that's good. How about. Do you.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

When are you gonna buy me the house in Del Mar?

[Dylan Mulvaney]

When am I gonna buy the house in Del Mar?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

That's right.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

But what about as far as like, we. We've always talked about, like, if one of us is on life supporter ever, we're going to pull the cord.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Done. We talked. I talked about that all the time. But what we're going to do is give each other like a hundred.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

A lot of drugs.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yes.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

What kind do you want?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Xanax. Who work. Maybe five.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

I'd like oxy.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, wow. At the end, that's a. That's a little more.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Hopefully we never have to do that for each other.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

We won't.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

But I don't think I talk. Why am I talking about this on every podcast? I want to be buried in a tree.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Really?

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Where do you want your ashes?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Bora Bora, Horseshoe, Maybe a little Del Mar. What other spots?

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Are you scared of death?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

No. Matter of fact, no. It's something that.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Maybe that's the Mulvini thing.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

None of us are going to get out of here alive, that's for sure.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

But we had a good time while we were here.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

We've showed them how to do it. Do you ever get hit with a cringy memory of your 13 year old self out of nowhere and suddenly you're panic sweating and laughing at the same time? Don't, don't worry, don't worry. We all get that. It's because being an adolescent is one of the most visceral, shared experiences we have as people and we want to talk about it. Join me, Penn Badgley, and my two friends Nava and Sophie on podcrust as we interview celebrity guests about the joys and horror horrors of being a teenager and how those moments made them who they are today. New episodes of Podcrust are out now, wherever you get your podcasts. DC versus Marvel, Android versus iPhone.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

John Williams versus Hans Zimmer.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

You may have had these pop culture debates with your friends, but I know you didn't have me weighing in with a verdict. I'm Ronald Young Jr. And as the host of Pop Culture Debate Club, I'm.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Here to listen to the arguments, ask some questions, and ultimately pick a winner. Listen to Pop Culture Debate Club wherever.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

You get your podcasts. From Lemonada Media and the BBC.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

It's the Dealing Hour. If you were to give anyone, like a young person, a piece of advice, what would you tell them?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

That, like, slow down.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You crazy.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Don't worry. Be happy.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Okay, that's a song by Hooting the Blowfish.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I'm gonna get ready to do it, but I won't. I just. The things that took me a long time, that I'm finally getting there now at, you know, later in life and. Where am I? I guess I'm on the seventh floor, 10 floors, 10th floor building. I. You know, I don't know of what, as far as life's concerned.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Oh. Oh, that's.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

You're still way down on the bottom.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Really?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yeah.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

I feel like I've lived a lot of life, man.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yeah. Well, I'm.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

I'm happy, though.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

You do things.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And now. And I've exposed you to the musicals, Broadway musicals. What's your favorite?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

You know, that's a great one. I think it's. It's got to be up there with the Wicked.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Yep.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

That's one of your faves. I can tell you a story about that, but we don't have the time.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

I remember my first trip to New York with you. We traded. We'd get. We'd go to a Yankee game during the day, we went to three Yankee Padre games, and then we'd go to a Broadway show at night.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

We went and saw Avenue Q.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Avenue Q, which was the naked ladies.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Think I was the worst dad in the world.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And then you also.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I tried to lick.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You were gonna take me to Menopause the musical. And my mom, she got so pissed, she was like, what the fuck are you.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

You can't take him to that. You can't take her to that one.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And honestly, I think that would have been kind of educational for us both.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

But definitely for me. Yeah, but you were much more mature than I was. And, you know, I was the old guy and you were the young kid, and the ladies would be looking at me like, Damn Yankees, I think we saw at the Old Globe.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Oh, no, the wait was there. There was a naked one. Yeah, that's not Damn Yankees. That's Take. Take Me out was a play with.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

The showering in the bathroom.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And you know what? I probably knew going in, and I just sat there, devilish grin like, you have no idea what you took me to.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, I was. You know, I. I didn't care. I. I thought it was great. It was an education for me. And that's what's really been great about our lives together is you have helped educate me, to help me to be the man I am today, which is a much better man than was 26, 28 years ago before you showed up on this earth.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And thank you.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, it's a fact. I just, you know, I'm. I wouldn't be with this beautiful woman any long, you know, I wouldn't have what I have.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

I. Now, we've done a lot of oversharing today, but we have a segment called Overshare, Don't Care on the Dylan Hour. And we're going to do a lightning round of questions for you. Are you ready?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I'm ready.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Okay, two minutes on the clock. Dream golf foursome.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Jack Nicholson, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Great favorite part of sobriety?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, the fact I wake up every morning without a hangover and I'm not shaking like I used to.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Favorite part about being a dad?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Watching you grow and turning into the woman you've turned into.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Least favorite part about being a dad?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Keep putting out those thousand dollars a month, the 2000amonth that I needed to back when you were at in your college days.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Best advice you've ever gotten.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Stop drinking and drugging. You're killing yourself.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Beach or mountains?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Huh?

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Beach or mountain? What would you exclaim if you stubbed your toe?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Other.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Early riser or night owl?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Early. I used to be in the night owl and I'd be watching the sun come up, but now I'm an early riser.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Go to dance. Move.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Ooh.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Yay.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

The roof is the roof. Raise the roof.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Do you have a pet peeve?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Assholes in this world that don't understand drivers. Thank you.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You're right there and we'll. No, that's the last question and we think we should get into it.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Honey, I can't drive. I drive great, but I just drive like my father.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

So mad.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Dear. I do. I get. And I. I'm getting better. Put on your turn indicator. Oh, yeah, I know. Just, you know, it's just one thing after another, but it's just like my pop did. You know, my mother would have fits driving with Jim. Jim, don't get so close to that car. But you know, I'm just, you know.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

That'S part of us.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I'm not going to say that I haven't been in an accident because it really happened.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You accept my transness? I accept your driving. Okay, wow. How about. And you love skiing.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Do you remember snow skiing?

[Dylan Mulvaney]

I've gotten hurt a few times with you up there.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, man, that was terrible. One of the one that we. Late in the day I took her down a black diamond. This way's. This way's quicker. Back to the.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

I'm sure it was. Yes, it was straight up and it was a 90 degree angle.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

You know, we're going down the bobsled. And then. Then when she hit her head on a. Getting off of a tramp. We didn't wear. Back then, pussies only wore helmets. Now they all wear helmets. But I haven't been in a. I.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Was wearing a helmet that day.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Were you?

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Yeah.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, thank God.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And smacked it good. Well, because you and uncle were pushing off and sent me back into the lift. And so by the time I jumped off, it threw me into the building.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

That was a toughie. And that was on the cornice of Mammoth.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

I will say, tobogganing down a mountain is a good time.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yeah, I bet it was the. No, I think skiing's great. It's just when you get older. I just don't like the cold anymore. I don't like the cold fingers, the cold toes.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

We gotta get a Jacuzzi.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yeah.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

I always say that's when you made. Is when you have a Jacuzzi.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, we neither of us have that house. We have one out at the. In the.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

It's a communal one.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yeah, that's kind of yucky, but yeah, it's a You.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Does the pool still look like. Used to.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, it's nicer.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Were you stoned? When you'd throw me up in the.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Air all the time.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

That's so.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

You can count on it.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

We used to go.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

We used to go wake and bake. Jimmy.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Jimmy. We'd go to the pool and he'd toss me up in the air and we'd do flips for all the people watching at the community pool. And then we'd go to the mall and go watch kids movies.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yeah, but. Oh, that's a bummer about not having a kid around anymore because I. I have to rent a kid to go see. You know, I love the Minions and.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You know, he just wants to be able to go to the movie to see a kid's movie and the movie theater without being judged.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

What's the old guy doing in here? You're like, yeah, no, this is.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

That's your reading level.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Pretty much.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Yeah.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yeah. I didn't.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Hooby Doo. We loved it.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I think third grade was the three worst years of my life. That was a joke, guys.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

That's good.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Thank you.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

That's great.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yeah, my dad would say, I'd come home with three Fs and a D. And I'd say, dad, maybe I tried a little too hard in that one subject.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Well, now we've got a last call confessional. A caller from the Dylan Hour, one of our followers is going to say a little message to us, and we'll respond.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Cool. Do we know them?

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Not yet. Well, we don't know any strangers, do we?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Not too many.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Hello, honey, this is my confession. The other day, I was in the West Village, and I was eating dinner, and you were sitting at the bar next to me with your friend. And I was too afraid to say hi because I didn't want to bother you at dinner. But I have to say, it was the most exciting moment of my life. I don't even know the name of the restaurant. It was the Italian place. You were with your friend. We got the same pasta. You looked very beautiful. You had a black, sparkly dress on. I was very excited. Was sitting right next to you with my friend at the bar. Most exciting moment of my whole life. And I wish I would have said hi, but you looked wonderful and beautiful. Thank you, friend. You had a lovely day. Did you hear that? Yeah.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

What kind of pasta?

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Ooh, the chicacho pepe. I remember it now. It was Saint Ambrosius in the West Village in New York. And I remember seeing some eyes across the bar that maybe wanted to say hello. But you being the network king that you are, what would be your advice for someone to, like, to be able to feel like they can say hello to people?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Just walk right up and say, I love you, Dylan. You just have to remember that everybody's just a person. We all put on our clothes the same way. We all. But that is so nice. That's so sweet of what you just said, because I run into that all the time when I'm out with Dylan, where somebody will be like, oh, my God, we were in Bora Bora. And across the pool, this young girl about 14 comes over and goes, mom, mom, it's Dylan. Dylan Mulvaney. And I'm like, yeah, how about dad?

[Dylan Mulvaney]

This is. Well, this is your moment, honey. Get ready.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I want you just to have it. And I don't need it. I've had a. My moment has been many, many, many times. But getting to watch you and the people, you know, that are so proud of you and what you're doing for the. The trans community and helping, you know, the. Them realize that it's okay to be somebody that's, you know, because a lot of people want to just shut their doors and hide and. And not you. You're. You're out there. And don't ever change because you know if you do, you won't be the Dylan Mulvaney that the world wants and needs and. Yeah, just keep doing what you're doing.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You don't change either.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, I'm not gonna.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Not too much.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I'm working on it.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

You've. Really. I'm telling you, you've. I've watched you evolve so much over these last few years, and you're. You're calmer, you're kinder, you're thoughtful. You shop at other places than Costco.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I think I got these, but Jen gets me everything.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Wild socks, honey.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I love wild socks.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

I know it. And now we're gonna go hit the carpet and we're gonna hopefully have a great time tonight. Yeah, I know you love la.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, yeah.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And you would love to just live here and sit in traffic as much as you can.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, God, I hate it. But yes, that is some.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

The. I feel like, your condition in San Diego to, like, immediately hate la. Like, like, you just. Everyone's conditioned that way.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

That's because when I was a little kid, my mom and dad sent me up to Pasadena to stay with my aunt. And back when in the 70s and in the 60s, there was so much smog, you couldn't breathe and your eyes would water and you'd be, like, miserable. And I really, literally thought my parents were torturing me when they sent me to la. And, yeah, that pretty much started it, but the traffic is. It's tough. And I'm sure there's people that have helicopters or something that don't worry about it.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

But I'm not one of those.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

No, but you do take a lot of those, you know, Ubers and stuff.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

I do love an Uber. I do be loving an Uber.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yeah, well, that's the way to do it, especially if you're ever drinking. And I know you don't drink too much, but, yeah, make sure you. Anybody listening? If there's ever a drop of alcohol in them, Uber it, because it isn't worth it any. Any other way. And I'll pay the bill if I have to.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Oh, so now we got them coming to your house for cookies. They're sitting on the beach.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I make a great chicken parmesan too. Oh, no.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Would you ever do a vegan one for me? I don't think you could.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

What would vegan tofu? I would try it, but it would not. I don't think it'd be all that good.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Oh, my God.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Maybe some. Some I do a good spaghetti squash and stuff.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Oh, you know, I don't like vegetables. Was that. Oh, this is a good way to wrap up. Did I always fucking hate healthy food growing up?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yes, you did. You were terrible. Oh, shit.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Tell me.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I remember when you. I remember when you ate your first salad. I was so proud.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

How old was I, like 11?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

No, we were in Rome or someplace.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

I had to go to Caesar. The place to eat a Caesar salad.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

We got you to eat that salad. That was great.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And then still the only salad I've eaten then.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

You like shrimp, too?

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Shrimp now and lobster.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Well, but the shrimp. These shrimp they brought out had the head still on them and the crow claws.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Oh, man, the eyes.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

It was like, immediately, get it away from me. Get it away from me.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And I'm like, I couldn't believe that that was. You ordered shrimp and that's how they came.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

We didn't know they were going to come that way, but, yeah, you have always eaten. I just went to Scotland. Jen and I just went to Scotland to see Dylan in an incredible play called Fag Hag. And you were incredible. That's going to Broadway, no doubt. And I, we. The one thing she asked us to bring her were Cheez its and my cookies, but Cheez its. And I'm like, oh, boy.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And you brought them.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, yeah. Big family box.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

I love Cheez.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

It was in my suitcase.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Now I've got a few snacks over there that I have. People bringing them, bringing me back things. Percy. Pigs.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yeah, I saw that.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Ate a lot of Domino's while I was there. But I think you just took me to McDonald's a lot when I was young. Do you remember? That was kind of the trade off.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I hated it, you know, but you.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Could stick me up in the. You know, I'd run in.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I could probably go out and get stoned.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Yeah. And then. You like McDonald's a little bit?

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

No, I actually stopped that when you were probably about four or so. So, you know, I had to grow up. And that's what you've helped me with, is growing up and getting me more.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

We're still kind of.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, I'm still just. Yeah. Peter Pan. All of our lives, baby. You know, I'll never grow up. I don't want to go to school.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And everyone watching the Dylan Hour. This has been. I was gonna say Chum Mulvaney. Where can they find you? They can't.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

No.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

That is my favorite part of this episode is the Fact that you don't want them to.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

No, thank you. But I want to be your dad forever and ever.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

I want to be your kid forever.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I just. I'm so proud of you. It's great.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

I love you.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I love you.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Okay, everyone. And, oh, also, an amazing organization that we both love is called the Trevor Project.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Amen.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And they donate to crisis services for queer youth that don't have accepting families like mine. So think about supporting them. We'll try to put a link in one of these bios Dylan did.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Day365.65 in New York City was one of the great days of my life. I got to walk up, and it wasn't even rehearsed. I walked up on stage when she was giving a talk about the Trevor Project, and I just went up crying, and I told her how proud I was.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

And at first I go, what the fuck is he doing up here? We've been rehearsing this for weeks, and we got a rogue dad. And then you hugged me, and I really needed a hug. And I don't think you knew this, but that went really viral on TikTok.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Oh, yeah, I'm sure it did. But it was mostly my back of my head, and people were saying, why didn't you turn around? And I kept just saying, because I was crying so bad. I didn't want everybody to see it. But I don't mind crying. You may.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Well, the back of your head looked Great, Dad.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I cried. 3.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Still got a good head of hair.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

You got that now, that's something in.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

The Mulvaney family that's really working. But I did. I got mine. You know, mine started up here once upon a time, and it's. We got it taken down here now.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Yeah, well, so one of my best friends says, we got Kennedy hair.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Okay.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

I love you.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Love you.

[James Francis Mulvaney Jr.]

Okay.

[Dylan Mulvaney]

Want even more of the Dylan Hour? Now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You'll get bonus content, outtakes and more from conversations with fabulous guests like Joe Locke and Dylan's dad, Jim Mulvaney. Just hit the subscribe button on Apple Podcasts. Or for all other podcast apps, head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe. That's lemonadapremium.com. the Dylan Hour is a production of Lemonada Media. Our supervising producer is Jess Kryncic. Producers are Carmen Laurent, Keegan Zema, and Aria Bracci. Audio and video production and engineering by Jordan Lin, Ivan Koraev, and Brian Castillo. Our SVP of weekly programming is Steve Nelson. Our theme song was composed by Daniel Mertzluff and arranged by Aaron Kaufman. Special thanks to Megan Strickland executive producers Stephanie Whittles Wax, Jessica Cordova Kramer, Katherine Law and Dylan Mulvaney. You can find us online at Lemonada Media and you can find Dylan on TikTok and Instagram. Ylan Mulvaney Follow the Dylan Hour wherever you get your podcasts or listen. Ad free on Amazon Music with your prime membership.