Funny You Should Mention: Steph Tolev

Summary

The Gist: Funny You Should Mention – Steph Tolev

Date: October 10, 2025
Host: Mike Pesca
Guest: Steph Tolev ("Filth Queen")
Podcast Feed: Funny You Should Mention – Series Three Premiere

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Overview

In this episode, Mike Pesca kicks off the third season of his “Funny You Should Mention” comedy interview series, welcoming comedian Steph Tolev, self-styled "Filth Queen." The conversation explores the ideas behind Tolev's visceral, dirty, and personal comedy, as showcased in her new Netflix special Filth Queen. They dissect the boundary between "sex filth" and "body filth," the impact of Tolev's unique comedic voice, her Canadian roots, and how her act was shaped by a mix of upbringing, family, and years of hard work. The interplay dives into her process, her relationship with family and audience, and the realities of being a female comic in today’s climate.

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Main Discussion Points

1. Filth Queen: The Branding and Its Roots

• Steph Tolev owns her "Filth Queen" brand, but says it’s just her being herself:

  “I think dirty all the time, so I think I’m just being myself… not trying to be filthy.” (08:39)

• Her comedy is built on real-life stories:

  “Everything I say, all the stories on there are real.” (08:48)

• The difference between 'sex filth' and 'body filth' is blurry:

  “I don’t think all filth has to be sexual.” (09:35)

2. The Most Disgusting Stories—From Her Podcast “Steph Infection”

• Body-related shame and absurdity connect all people:
  • Tolev’s hit question for guests: the “most disgusting thing ever to happen to you.”
  • Story highlight: A nurse reported a woman had hidden a raw chicken inside herself, trying to convince her husband she was pregnant.

    “She put a raw chicken into her to… I don’t know what… just a raw chicken.” (10:56) “I can’t believe we’re dragging Kenny Rogers into this after all this time.” (12:19)

• Women tend to produce the grosser stories:

  “Probably the women. Women have definitely more because… we’ve heard more horror stories. Our parents always scared us with weird things.” (12:42)

• Healthcare workers have the wildest tales, e.g. Dr. Pimple Popper/Sandra Lee.

3. Real-life Ailments, Fan Diagnoses, and Eczema/Eczema/Noxzema

• Tolev’s medical misadventures form a key part of her persona, and sometimes audience members have helped diagnose her conditions:

  “I always have something wrong with me… that’s why it’s called Steph Infection.” (13:10)

  • Audience correctly diagnosed her sun-triggered eczema:

    “Some girl sent me a link — it’s very specific eczema from the sun.” (17:17)

4. The Canadian Comedian Experience

• Lack of industry support in Canada:

  “I’m the fourth Canadian ever to have an hour special… one podcast in Canada has spoken to me. They don’t give a fuck about their comedians.” (25:55-26:14)

• List of previous Canadian hour specials: Mae Martin, Sabrina Jalees, Norm Macdonald.
• Contrast with American audiences and industry opportunities.
• Influence of British comedy growing up: watched a lot of UK sitcoms, Kids in the Hall, SCTV.

5. Family as Comedy Material

• Tolev discusses the way her family stories round out her stage persona:

  “The family stories ground you as an actual person rather than this idea.” (18:29)

• Parents' reactions:
  • Dad angry about boob jokes, proud about “big dick” jokes.
  • Mom annoyed when not featured.
  • "My dad sent me as kids... he’s got the biggest dick I’ve ever seen... He came to the show in Toronto, I put it up on the big screen, and he was walking around real smug." (19:26)

6. The Bill Burr Effect and Career Breakthrough

• Bill Burr’s endorsement changed everything:

  “That completely changed my career… went from barely getting booked in LA to... completely changed everything.” (24:11-24:13)

• Her act didn’t change, but the exposure brought new opportunities.

7. Jokes, Sketches, and Dummies: Slapstick & Physicality

• Tolev’s penchant for slapstick (influence of Naked Gun, British humor).
• The use of a ragged dummy in her Filth Queen special’s Boston intro (27:37–29:10).

  “We looked into realistic looking dummies and they were very expensive… This one was like 60 bucks from the Halloween thing. If we need a second one…” (28:23)

• Philosophy:

  “I wanted to open on something so stupid and not dirty to try to get people to come in.” (29:02)

  • Start broad before getting to "filth".

8. Standup, Crowdwork, and Audience Dynamics

• Crowd work is both a brand and a formula necessity:
  • Viral crowd work/crazy audience stories (like the mother taking OnlyFans photos for her son: 34:47)
  • “I bring something out of people… they just willingly”—audiences overshare wild stories. (35:23)
  • Sometimes this leads to dangerous or threatening situations (e.g., armed landlord, stalkers). Necessity of security. (37:36)
• Audience reactions and the gender divide:

  “Men DMing me saying, ‘I wasn’t going to watch you, I hate female comedians, but I watched you and fucking loved it.’” (31:16)

• Viral crowd work can mislead about her act:

  “Someone did DM me recently being like, I watched your special hesitantly because… it looks like all you do is yell at men.” (41:29)

9. LadyStache and the Sketch Roots

• Duo with Allison Hogg, creative limitations in Canada.
• Performed for years as LadyStache, winning festival awards but couldn’t even get into the Toronto Sketch Fest (45:22).

10. Performance Physicality and Background

• Often squats and uses physicality to heighten stories. (55:33–55:36)
• Scottish dancing background: “helped with performing in front of large groups.” (56:34)
• Family’s Bulgarian heritage is only a minor influence; mainly appropriated Scottish culture for dance.

11. Dealing with Critics, Hate & Internet Trolls

• Online hate, especially targeting her appearance:

  “I have sparked something with men. They hate me so badly. I don’t think other female comics get hate this bad. I don’t know what it is.” (68:58)

• Copes with humor and the unwavering support of her family (“my dad finds me funnier than anybody else”).

12. Non-Stage Life & Golden Retriever Love

• Would run a golden retriever rescue if not for comedy.
• Stories about adopting and naming her dog Susan, and how that played in bits.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On body-related comedy:

  “I'm impulse by it. The only reason I started this podcast is because I always have something wrong with me.” — Tolev (13:10)

• On women’s gross-out stories vs. men’s:

  “Women have definitely more because… our parents always scared us with weird things…” — Tolev (12:42)

• On using real life for comedy:

  “I wish I was the kind of comedian who could make up punchlines. Everything just really happened.” — Tolev (20:35)

• About Canadian comedy’s lack of support:

  “They don’t give a fuck about their comedians.” — Tolev (26:14)

• On her “overnight” success:

  “That completely changed my career… That went from me doing, like, C clubs… to completely changed everything.” — Tolev (24:11–24:13)

• Discussing male audience reaction:

  “Men DMing me saying, ‘I wasn’t going to watch you, I hate female comedians. But I watched you and I fucking loved it.’” — Tolev (31:16)

• On why she still opens with a broad, non-filthy joke:

  “I wanted to open on something so stupid and not dirty, to try to get people to come in.” — Tolev (29:02)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• [08:31] – Introduction of Steph Tolev as “Filth Queen”
• [10:02] – Disgusting stories from her podcast (raw chicken anecdote)
• [12:42] – Why women have grosser stories
• [13:21] – The origins and impact of “Steph Infection”
• [18:29] – Family stories and grounding her act
• [24:11] – The Bill Burr breakthrough
• [27:37] – The dummy-in-Boston special segment
• [31:16] – Male audiences and DMs about “female comedians”
• [34:47] – Mother takes photos for son’s OnlyFans—wild audience stories
• [37:36] – When crowd work gets dangerous (armed landlord, security)
• [45:22] – Struggles of Canadian sketch comedy with LadyStache
• [55:33] – The signature squat and performance physicality
• [56:34] – Scottish/Bulgarian cultural influence
• [68:58] – Dealing with online critics and hate
• [69:29] – Naming her dog Susan, its comedic effect

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Tone and Approach

• Candid, self-deprecating, and unapologetic: Both host and guest are quick-witted, with Tolev not shying away from vulnerability or taboo.
• Insightful about comedy, with meta-commentary on craft, industry, and audience: Pauses to examine philosophical questions about realness, collaboration, and audience projections.
• Darkly playful: The discussions of “filth” blend gross-out humor, serious reflection, and open-hearted storytelling.

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Further Highlights

• Physical Comedy:
  Tolev loves prop and slapstick humor (motivated her over-the-top special’s opening).
• Crowdwork’s Double-Edged Sword:
  Clips go viral, but can misrepresent her as just roasting men.
• Family Influence:
  Her parents’ wild sense of humor set the tone for her act—the “blow-up doll at the party” childhood anecdote exemplifies this.
• Canadian Comedy's Discontent:
  Frustration with Canadian gatekeeping, juxtaposed with pride in being part of a small group who broke through.

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Conclusion

Funny You Should Mention: Steph Tolev is a deep-dive into the mind of a comic who refuses boundaries on stage or off. Listeners will enjoy the mix of raunch, heart, and sharp observation, with plenty of laughs—and a surprising reminder of both the dangers and the joys of total candor on stage.

Specials and Podcasts:
Filth Queen (Netflix)
Steph Infection (podcast)

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Transcript

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Series three, season three we'd call it in the US is Steph Tollev. She has a special out called Filth Queen and I have to say Steph's jokes, which are visceral and engaging and perhaps depending on your orientation, off putting. I mean I'm going to warn you, we get into weird things in the body with bad smells very early on in this episode. But the reason I mention it is you might say okay Mike Is this really why Funny you should mention exists? I thought it was more to talk to comedians who are like the new philosophers and ask them about their jokes as if they were op eds. Yes, but what we have to do. See, everyone has a thesis or a theory and their thesis might not be about the Sino Russo War. Anyway, that thing ended like over 100 years ago. You know, their theories may not be a desalinization law of the Sea treaty. I mean, that would be a great comic set. Their theories might be less stated and more about bodily functions and how we relate to them. And so therefore I will tease out these theories or theses as theses. And sometimes the theses, depending on your appetite for disgusting, are a little about feces. That's fine, because on Funny you should mention it's all funny. And I'm glad they mentioned it, but I think you will enjoy this. Our inaugural comic on season two of Funny you should mention. And I should also say that I don't know if you listen on Spotify, but the way Spotify works is they want all their podcasts to also be videos, which is great if you're a Joe Rogany type show and your entire podcast is flip on the mic, flip on the camera, we'll just tape it all and then throw it up there. I'm not denigrating Rogan. I don't mean vomited up there. We'll put it up there will be unbelievably successful and remunerative. But you have to understand how the gist doesn't work like that. Right? It's a pre produced show. We do interviews where we take some time and attention to leave in the best stuff for you. 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As many as 30 million men in the US experience ED. It's more common than a bad night's sleep. You know, if you get ed, that can also lead to a bad night's sleep, sleep and stress the next day. Just not feeling good about yourself. And you don't deserve that. What you deserve is hims. HIMS makes getting access to treatment simple so you can feel like yourself again without stress or awkwardness or paying too much attention to NIH statistics. Confidence should not be complicated, it should be earned. And through hymns you could skip the question marks and the guesswork of everything in the bedroom and dealing with the medical system and just attack the problem. Personalized prescription treatments for ed. They have hard mints or Sex Rx plus climax control if prescribed. The prescription process is very straightforward and it isn't one size fits all care that forgets you in the waiting room. It's your health and goals put first with real medical providers making sure that you get what you need to get results. Think of HIMS as the digital front door that gets you back to your old self. To get simple online access to personalized, affordable care for ED, hair loss, weight loss and more, visit hims.com the gist that's hims.com the gist for your free online visit hims. Actual price will depend on product and subscription plan. Featured products include compounded drug products which the FDA does not approve or verify for safety, effectiveness or quality. Prescription required. See website for details, restrictions and important safety information. Hi, welcome to Funny youy Should Mention, where we figure out what's going on in the heads and minds of these comedians. This comedian is Steph Tolev, who is Filth Queen. And I only say that because that's your own branding step.

[B]

Yes, it is.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Do you think one day you're gonna say, I can't believe back in the twenty twats I was filth queen or whatever?

[B]

Absolutely not. I. Oh, I, like, I, I, I don't know. I think dirty all the time, so I think I'm just, I'm just being myself.

[A]

Oh, you can't.

[B]

Not trying to be filthy.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And like, everything. Because I said a special come out on Netflix. And like, everything I say, all the stories on there are real. Like, I'm like, I don't want to be choked out by a man in a basement, but that just happened to me. I'm like, I would wish that did not happen to me, actually, but. Right.

[A]

Although there was a moment during that exchange where you were, I wouldn't say enjoying it, but you got the better of him.

[B]

Well, yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, when you're in a situation like that, you really have to, you have to go along with it. Otherwise you think you're going to be murdered in a man's basement.

[A]

Right. That's one of those things where. That's right. You can't resist. You have to. What is it? What is the martial art where you, like, use their body momentum with you?

[B]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[A]

So you have to use a little bit of that.

[B]

I should probably just gone, like, full and just choked his dick right off. That something I don't like.

[A]

You know, in retrospect, so many things.

[B]

Yes, Everything.

[A]

You know, so of all the filth, do you think there's a sex filth and a body filth?

[B]

Yes, I kind of do, but I think it's kind of a fine line. It's like. Yeah, I don't think all filth has to be sexual.

[A]

Right. Because I know. I've been listening to your show and there's a body portion of it. Right.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Don't you say the most disgusting thing ever to happen to you.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. My podcast has, like. That's one of the questions like the roses they Come do when you're in la. Because everybody has one. Everybody has, like, some haunting story that's disgusting. That's, like, ruined them as a kid or like, even as an adult. Yeah, some people are really bad.

[A]

Do of the hundreds of episodes that you've done, does one of your guests, disgusting body thing stand out?

[B]

Gabby Lamb.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Hilarious comedian in la. Oh, this is a story from a nurse. Oh, no. A woman came in to the er. This story was told to me through by a nurse, and she was complaining about really bad abdominal pain. And she was like, there's something off. It smells really bad. I don't know what's going on. The nurse, they're like, okay, well, we'll take a look. And she had, like, really bad bloating. And she said, like, she took. You know, she takes her pants off. And the nurse was like, it smelled so bad. Like, it was. Something was so wrong inside the V. This woman. No, no. This woman wanted to.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

She was trying to convince her husband that she was pregnant. Okay. Oh, no. So she put a raw chicken into her to. I. I don't. I don't know what. Where's the thing?

[A]

Whoa.

[B]

And she left it in there. A. Like a chicken cutlet? Like a breast. What do you mean, a hole? What she said was just a raw chicken. I don't know what that means. Okay, okay. This is. Whoa, this is bad. It's really bad. It's so bad. Also, like, the idea of just a raw chicken by itself makes me. Salmonella makes me fucking sick.

[A]

Of course.

[B]

So picturing a raw. The whole thing is so wild. And, like, her friend was. Well, she had to go down there and get it out. Was like, I've never smelled anything so bad. There's been, like, probably worse. But that one, just because I guess I'm a woman, it stuck with me in a way where I'm like. Well, I mean, I'm like, I'm never gonna forget it because it's. If I touch a piece of chicken, even, like, it's on my counter, I have to bleach my counter because I'm grossed out by that.

[A]

Wouldn't she have not given birth but hatched. Wouldn't she have an egg?

[B]

There's so many questions. We would assume there was an egg. We would assume even a full chicken, like a rotisserie, would have made more sense to me because that kind of came out done. But, like, it was the whole thing that was very.

[A]

I can't believe we're dragging Kenny Rogers into this after all this time. The egg. What came first? The chicken. The egg. Her boyfriend. So many questions.

[B]

So many questions, and all of them, the answer's gross. So I don't do the.

[A]

Would you say your breakdown of guests is 50, 50 men and women?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah, I think so, too. Do the men have more disgusting body stories or the women?

[B]

Probably the women. Women have definitely more because.

[A]

Why do you think you have any theories?

[B]

I think we've heard more horror stories.

[A]

I think that's probably true.

[B]

I don't know why our parents always scared us with, like, weird things.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I don't know. But a lot of, like, the worst stories come from people who have worked in the health, like, worked in health care. So, like, nurses or like, I had Dr. Pimple Popper on.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Sandra Lee and hers. She showed me some stuff. I was like, I can't close my eyes at night without seeing these things that she showed me. Like, I. I can't explain them.

[A]

So you're both. It's. It's. You're attracted and repelled at the same time.

[B]

I'm impulse by it. I don't. The only reason I started this podcast is because I always have something wrong with me. I always have a weird ailment or rash or disease. Like, something's always going on.

[A]

This is why it's called Steph Infection.

[B]

And I want to sort of. I don't want to be like that. Yeah. But I'm something always. Literally. Before my first special day with Bill the Friends who Kill, I went to my sister's wedding in Mexico, and I ended up getting this crazy sun eczema reaction. I don't know what it was, but I had third degree burns all over my body.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That I was, like, wrapped heavily in, like, gauze, like, minutes before going on stage.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Like, just open sores that took, like, months to close.

[A]

The most painful thing.

[B]

Right.

[A]

My wife got that in Mexico in Tulum. Maybe it's the Mexico.

[B]

Really? Did she actually felt like patches and bumps everywhere?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

What the heck?

[A]

It was a meta. They don't talk. They talk about Montezuma as a revenge, but not the sun.

[B]

It's the sun. It's the sun, I think in the sun and the seas. I just got it again. I was on the Heather McMahon cruise and I. We went off one day and I came back and I was like. And I looked at my back, my whole back again. And I was. I was in the shade. So I don't even know if it's the 8. I don't know what's going on.

[A]

Do you not use SPF?

[B]

I use so much SPF, I'm covered in 70 right now.

[A]

You? I can't tell. Are you a. Are You a person of the pale or are you more of a swarthy type?

[B]

I'm swarthy. I'm like. I'm Eastern European, so I'm like. I think.

[A]

But that's. Isn't that mostly. Isn't that more. You're Bulgarian?

[B]

More like. I. Right now I have a spray tan on. If you're looking at me thinking, what's wrong with. I'm fully spray tan for this thing I have to do tomorrow. But I'm like a Hustler shoot. Casual mention, no vagina, no boobs. I have to say that very clearly.

[A]

Classy.

[B]

It is classy. It's serious. I'm dead serious.

[A]

Hustler still exist.

[B]

I'm literally in New York right now to do this Hustler shoot tomorrow.

[A]

What is Hustler? Is it.

[B]

I mean, it's.

[A]

I don't remember what it was.

[B]

Don't act like you don't know.

[A]

87.

[B]

It's.

[A]

Remember when. What's his name? Flynn. Larry Flynt owned it, right?

[B]

Oh, I don't know. You don't know.

[A]

People versus Larry Flynt. That was his magazine.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I thought it was more.

[A]

I thought you're doing it for First Amendment reasons.

[B]

I do want to become a citizen. I didn't realize it was full open and I did some looking and I'm like. I thought it was like, tasteful, like lingerie.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Not saying it's not tasteful if it's full open, but just so everyone knows, I will not be showing anything.

[A]

This is not why Hustler exists. It's the opposite.

[B]

I'm going to be the only one Cloth.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I'm just hoping all those men who like Hustler, they would probably like my comedy. So we're trying to get them to go watch my comedy.

[A]

I think if I tell you some more things about Hustler, you might not want them in the audience.

[B]

How about. Oh, no.

[A]

So. So Hustler was, from what I remember from never subscribing, but browsing at various. Larry. No, sure. So People versus Larry Flint. He did become a First Amendment icon and, you know, he was shot and crippled by a crazy anti pornography guy, I think. That's right. He was definitely shot and crippled. But they were. They always would push the envelope. And so there's First Amendment cases is why it's called People versus Larry Flynt. But so many of their covers were so offensive. And their most offensive cover was a woman, a naked body being put into a meat grinder.

[B]

Oh, my.

[A]

So that's what you're walking into stuff.

[B]

Oh, my God. I didn't know this. I don't want to.

[A]

I don't want to freak you out.

[B]

I should have done a little.

[A]

But it was a tasteful meat grinder.

[B]

And she wasn't actually putting the meat grinder. I mean, they're probably trying to get.

[A]

People motivated by the plot which was needed to eat burger of woman.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

God.

[B]

Well, mine won't be that. It'll be a nice tasteful spread.

[A]

My theory as to why. And I don't know, maybe I'm just, you know, pulling something out of the air. That sounds good. But it's probably true that women were more raised to fear their bodies or to find things disgusting about their bodies than men were. Right. I mean, maybe in my generation, 10 years.

[B]

I mean, childbirth and frigging periods alone, it's like, what is happening?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Clots are coming out of us all the time. There's already weird things happening to us. Like what comes out of your pee hole? Jizz and piss.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

We've got like, discharge and like weird shit. And we're shoving tampons in there. And there's, you know, it's like going.

[A]

Occasionally poultry, apparently.

[B]

Yeah. Raw chickens sometimes flopping out. How to get in there.

[A]

Like, stuff's always coming out from your stuff. Infection show. And I'm not going to say complaining, but describing the things you have. Have you ever gotten good diagnoses from listeners?

[B]

Yeah, that the. I was calling that something Toad hands. I had on my hands mostly. But then this one girl sent me a link. It's very specific. Eczema from the sun. So I didn't know what it was. I went to three doctors that popped my blisters.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

They sampled it because they tried to figure out what it was.

[A]

Oh, for the medical journal.

[B]

Because that's exactly so that I would say. I think I know the people have been like, weirdly diagnosed from it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So you can learn some things.

[A]

And is. I never know this with Canadians. And we haven't established the fact yet. I mean, you and I have, but I have. I must tell the audience. You are Canadian. Is it eczema or eczema in Canada? I never know.

[B]

Did I say eczema?

[A]

I think you said eczema. But I don't want to jump on you. I don't know. In America I said eczema.

[B]

Maybe that's how I say it.

[A]

Maybe it's like nox.

[B]

Is it eczema? I don't know what it is.

[A]

Maybe use noxzema. For eczema.

[B]

I think we do. Maybe we do. That's a good cream.

[A]

So. Yeah. Oh, one of the top five.

[B]

It definitely gets in there.

[A]

It does everything. Yeah. So the Filth Queen is some sex stories and some body stories, but also a lot of family stories. So, yes, I think that, you know, as a viewer, I liked you immediately. I'll get to the dummy and establishing yourself in Boston. But I do think the family stories ground you as. Okay, an actual person rather than this idea.

[B]

I remember I first got, you know, if you get dice and they hang them from the windows. I found these two fuzzy. They were so funny. I put them in the car. So I was rolling around.

[A]

16 year old girl with.

[B]

I thought it was so funny. My dad had to move the car once. My friend Alexis, because she lived on the corner, she walked, she goes, why is one of your hanging down the street? What do you mean? My dad got so mad, he ripped them out of the car and threw them down the street. And then I went back and I bought the exact same pair the next.

[A]

Day if I got in my car. My 16 year old daughter had these hats.

[B]

It's hilarious. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. There. I used to talk way more about my dad when I first started.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But I kind of went off that because he was getting annoyed by it.

[A]

Yeah. So different comedians have different rules and some say, oh, they never listen. And some, some will tell me that they're never upset. And then they get upset at the weirdest thing, like a thing that you. Of the 30 insults, the 31st, which is benign, they get mad at Rachel Feinstein told me that. Well, what about your dad? He get upset with something weird?

[B]

Yeah. Because I would joke that we have the same boobs and it really pissed them off. Even though he does have the same boobs as me. He has like, he's not a big man, but he has like weird Bulgarian tits. And he got like pissed about that joke. Which is insane now because I close on a joke on the road. I have a photo that my dad sent me from us as kids. And he's like, he's got the biggest dick I've ever seen my entire life. And it's like these sweatpants. And he sent it to me as like a cute family photo. And I'm like, are you fucking demented? But he came to my show in Toronto and I put it up on like the big screen and he was walking around real smug after that show.

[A]

Smug.

[B]

Oh, he was like, that photo's funny, huh? And like all these women were like, oh, my God, that's Steph's dad. And I was like, you love this. So now all of a sudden, he's saying nothing, that I'm making fun of his big dick. But before, when it was his big tits, that was an issue.

[A]

What does your mom think of all this?

[B]

She. I mean, I don't know. I think she's mad that I'm not talking about her. Probably because I know my aunt, the special. I mentioned that gingerbread house, which is funny. My aunt, yesterday on Facebook, posted a photo of the gingerbread house to be, like, proof she really did eat it.

[A]

Oh. I knew as soon it wasn't just because it was on the album before. Like, that was one. That was a holdover. Right. Because I could tell that really happened. First of all, I know that you have said, I wish I was the kind of comedian who could make up punchlines. Everything just really happened.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And you don't actually make up punchlines.

[B]

No.

[A]

So you figure out what would be the funniest thing to end on. But it's not an invention.

[B]

That's what the problem with the frigging choking story, that's an old story. Yeah, but every time I would do it, the ending, everyone was like, okay, because the ending is I left. The ending is I saw the edge of sketch. I wanted to say something, and I walked out. And people would be like. I'm like, well, that's the ending, right? I can't make up something like I killed the man as hell or something. I'm like, that's. Every time I, like, I would try to, like, make up an ending. It didn't feel natural anymore, and I felt like a phony. I'm like, this didn't happen.

[A]

But you could. So this is what great nonfiction writers do. When you read a great nonfiction book, you know, you can't really. There's no discerning that it's nonfiction or fiction. You're never saying to yourself if it's a great nonfiction book, that this is something less than a good, compelling story. I guess the decision is where to end, what to emphasize more than what happened.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah, I guess.

[A]

So what did you decide? How'd you decide on the ending for that?

[B]

I really leaned into the Etch A Sketch. And, like, I got some. I got one of my friends, actually, Pat Berger, if you know him.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

He gave me the tagline of, you can't rush art. So that. I'm like, that really made it a bit nicer. And then I. Then I Went into, like, another joke about, like, stinky dicks or whatever.

[A]

Where are you with. So some comedians don't love to have friends suggest a tagline. Some do. Some. It's open and collaborate.

[B]

I. I don't get a lot of them because it's. Again, it's a real story. But Pat Bertrand and Alex Pavone as well.

[A]

He was on your show. I heard him on.

[B]

Yeah, Her. Alex. Oh, Alex.

[A]

Is there another Alex who's on your show? Girl named Alex.

[B]

Anyway, there's probably Alex Pavone. I'm staying with him out here too. He opens me all the time. They. I was like. They saw me every fucking night for, like, three years. So I'm like, any. Any kind of taglines. I'm definitely open to it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Well, that's.

[A]

Did you open for Bill Burr? Is that how he got to know you?

[B]

I did, but he got to know me through this. Literally, a video I posted on Instagram.

[A]

Really?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

He just sought you out.

[B]

He. So I. I did this thing called Friends the Ringers. I'm Canadian. You're welcome. That's fun. I like to scare all the boys in LA and tell them that this is what every woman from Canada sounds like. Like we've been foraging through the woods our whole lives. I've survived off of only rainwater and bark. It's very hard for me to swallow. Lined with wood chips. It is hard. It is very warm. Woman being Canadian, Very hot all the time. Very large glands. That's the only way I cool off is if I head down to the ocean. I just. Just dip my lips in the water. Just a light kiss of the sea, if you will. Light smooch in the ocean. Get a bit of salt in there, ladies. Feels good, huh? Cleans her out. It's refreshing. It's nice. It's just weird. I have to ask two strangers from the beach to come hold my arms and legs up. I don't know why they agree. I do kiss them on the tip. Just the tip. Like, mother said. Nothing to be weird about it. We are polite. I'm like, mwah. Thank you. Thank you, sir. So nice. Just the tip. I never looked down. Scares me. Okay. On Comedy Central, like, years ago.

[A]

Oh, I remember that shit.

[B]

Yeah. But there were so many comics, and we all kind of met him in one day, and it was, like, so much. And then nothing happened. And Covid hit, and of course everyone's gone. And then he saw this video I did, making fun of New Yorkers, where I'm like, I'm Walking here and he, like, loved it. And then he, like, DM me and I was like, what the fuck is going on? And then from there, that's.

[A]

And he's just been a champion of your career?

[B]

Yeah, he's just been, like, super nice and he's not like, you know, up my ass or anything, but all things. His podcast is on his company's. His company's podcast network. So that's how that kind of got into play.

[A]

Do you think him. He's listed as an executive producer of this special, right? Yeah, yeah. And he does the intro. And how much do you think that helps you get credibility or viewers or anything else?

[B]

It helped. It completely changed my career.

[A]

Tell me.

[B]

Oh, yeah. When he. That first time, when he shared that video, when I opened for him, and then he put me on his Friends who Kill. That went from me doing, like, C clubs, like barely getting booked in LA to completely. That completely changed everything.

[A]

Did your act change at all?

[B]

No, it's been the exact same for years. I have never changed. I have been this exact. That's what you put my whole albums. Like, some of the stuff on the special is old stuff, but I was like, this is my big break. So say my first Netflix special. I'm gonna put on the hits. Yeah, I'm gonna put on old stuff.

[A]

Is that okay? Is that affirming or frustrating? That one lucky break that you deserved, but for it, you'd maybe still be doing, I don't know, C plus clubs. And then you get it. And now you're the classic example of the overnight success who took years and years and years. But it could be frustrating. Like, you could ask yourself, what am I doing wrong? The answer was nothing.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, I'm. I'm lucky. And I'll never. I mean, I. I did get pass on at the store on my own, so I'm like, I still had that. So I still. I think it slowly would have happened. I'm not sure if an FX special would have happened this quickly, but I think down the line it might have. But it. I am very thankful because it's like, you know, some people, but it's also like, I've worked so fucking hard for so long. It's not like I just did this like, you know, I was a Canadian headliner to come here, start again. The whole, like, I don't just do standup, I do sketch, I do podcasts. Like, I act like it's like, I'm not screwing around here. I'm like, I'm doing it all now.

[A]

As far as the Canadian thing, I heard a very old interview you did with Ian Bagg. Is it? Yes, I love Ian Bagg. So he's a great Canadian comedian. And both of you guys agreed in different ways that Canada is not just the minor leagues of comedy. It's more like if you had never left Canada, you both said you'd be out of comedy. Like, you'd give it up.

[B]

Yes. I will say this special. I'm the fourth Canadian ever to have an hour special.

[A]

Is that right?

[B]

1. One podcast in Canada has spoken to me. They don't give a fuck about their comedians. It's like infuriating to the point that I was like, literally the COVID of the LA Times, LA Times entertainment section, like last week. I can't even get the Toronto Star to talk to my PR people. They won't even answer an email. And I'm like, I'm such a proud.

[A]

The Edmonton sun, the cowboy stampede.

[B]

I'm from Toronto. It doesn't make any sense. Like, it's like, it's actually making me insane at this point how much they don't give a fuck about their own talent. So it's like everyone there's maybe right now I could list four, five comedians I know who are making a good living.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

The rest of them are still working part time jobs.

[A]

Who are the other three? Canadians? Do you remember? Did they tell you who got enough?

[B]

Oh, you know, I googled it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Mae Martin, Sabrina Jolie's and Norm MacDonald. Wow. Of course I was on Wikipedia, baby. I. If I'm wrong, fact check me. But I. Like, I did.

[A]

Mae Martin was Canadian. Yeah. Well, do you even mention being Canadian in this special? I googled it.

[B]

Don't think I do.

[A]

I was, I was saying to myself, I don't think she's actually from Boston. She definitely has some Bostonian type attitude, but not an accent. And then I looked into you and it cracked wide open.

[B]

Yes, I was. I wanted to film in Toronto, but I did a huge theater there last year. So I was like, I knew I wouldn't be able to get the crowds I wanted. And Boston was the craziest show I did in the last two years. Yeah, like, the audience was insane. I was like, as soon as I got off stage, like, this is where I'm feeling special.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Like, they were just unhinged. And I'm like, this is how. This is the energy. I want to be brought to a taping.

[A]

So in the beginning of the special, you show up in Fenway park and you get thrown, I think, out of a bleachers and then you wind up in the Charles River. And I don't want to give. I don't want to give the magic away, but it's a dummy.

[B]

No, it's a dummy. I mean, I just posted the whole thing today. It's. I'm. I'm heavily influenced by like British comedy and I watch the Naked Guns over and over and over. Like, I love slapstick, stupid stuff.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And I. All my whole. As soon as we started this, I'm like, I want a dummy. I want a dummy looks exactly like me.

[A]

This is my question. Did you put a lot. Are you such a taskmaster? Like, no, the dummy needs that. The hair has to be over here. Because the dummy did not look lifelike or like you.

[B]

No, no, no. At all.

[A]

It was a. Reminded me of. You ever see Escape from Alcatraz?

[B]

Yes, yes, yes.

[A]

When. When they gather the hair clippings from working in the barbershop and they have this crude dummy and sneak out the tunnel, I'm like, that's the kind of dummy that is exactly it.

[B]

Well, we looked into realistic looking dummies and they were very expensive.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Because it started because I really wanted to crowd surf off and turn that into a dummy.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So that's where that idea came from.

[A]

Oh, so the last thing we see, the last dummy is the inspiration for all the dummies.

[B]

Yeah. And I really wanted to do the long fall across because that's like a video I've been doing for a while on my Instagram. So I'm like, I wanted to open on something so stupid and not dirty to try to get people to come in, whatever. So that was how that started. And then I'm like, oh, if we have the dummy. But like we looked into realistic ones, they were like thousands of dollars.

[A]

Right. And also they. I don't know if it hurts the comedy. Like, if it looks too real, you're like, is that.

[B]

And it's also. This one was like 60 bucks from the Halloween thing. So if we need a second one, it was by the end of it, the dummy was crazy.

[A]

The dummy needs a dummy.

[B]

There's no head. The face. Because the first shot we did was throwing it over Fenway.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And the face completely smashed.

[A]

Yeah. And so you kept using the same dummy.

[B]

Yeah. Because we were going to go out. We had one day because we shot the special the day before and then we had like three wars next day to film the opening. And we are rushing to get. That's why the dummy gets thrown face first because it has no face.

[A]

Wait, is that why your boyfriend Jefferson plays a fisherman? Because you needed him?

[B]

And actually that's my best friend Al, the other fisherman. Everybody in the opening is my friend.

[A]

And it's not like to throw a cameo their way. It's like that's just.

[B]

I needed them. I literally, I was like Al was in Boston and Jefferson was there and I needed them. And Jefferson also wrote the theme song.

[A]

Oh really?

[B]

The opening? That song you hear playing? Yeah, him and like four musicians from Nashville wrote it. It's very cool.

[A]

I didn't even pick up on the country flavor. But now that you say that. So, okay, philosophically that's interesting that the whole thing is filth queen and you're wearing a jacket. I guess that's discernible. Lee saying filth queen. But you did want to start with something a little less than totally filthy. Why? What was the philosophy?

[B]

I did get people to watch it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And you think if you hit them with the filth, like aren't the clips online filth forward.

[B]

But they're not that filthy. Like I don't think anything I say is that filthy. I don't think hemorrhoids are filthy. I don't in myself is. I don't think like being weighing $2,000 worth of tuna is filthy. Like, I don't. Maybe it's cuz I swear it sounds.

[A]

Filthy or what would be filthy then? What's your definition of filthy?

[B]

I guess the choking I think is filthy.

[A]

So when someone gets hurt, it's filthy.

[B]

That or like that just seems a bit more. That's more nasty in the bedroom like a choke than like you know, a funny date where like I'm dating a small guy or like I guess farting on the guy's dick and balls. That's probably filthy to some people that that might be considered. I can.

[A]

I don't know. Do you know the comedian Caitlin Palufa?

[B]

Yes, I do.

[A]

She talks a lot about dating the small.

[B]

Yes, yes. We both, we both bonded over that for quite some time.

[A]

This is true. The small guys. Yeah. She has a joke about eating soup that you might like also. Anyway, it was. Well, it's about her boyfriend eats soup because she eats soup and then the way his delivery mechanism. Anyway, I'm not going to get into it, but I was wondering if with all this filth talk and filthiness, do you think that there is some audience who would like you but not is put off, but thinks that that's all.

[B]

You are probably what I'm getting the most, which is really wild. And I'm not surprised. It's men DMing me saying, I. I wasn't going to watch you. I hate female comedians. That's great.

[A]

You want that.

[B]

The amount of these messages I've gotten is so up, it's like, making me crazy. I hate female comedians. But I watched you and I fucking loved it. Maybe you'd like more female comedians if you didn't fucking judge us for no goddamn reason. Yeah, so I'm getting a lot of those. So it's like. And it's like any woman who was watching has been like, yes, we fart and bad. We, like, have all these things. I don't think I'm. I'm not saying anything out of the ordinary. It's like I'm saying stuff that's never happened to any of us.

[A]

Yeah. Steph, if you think the Hustler crowd's going to be totally different, I am sorry.

[B]

But at least those men like women.

[A]

Women in. In a way.

[B]

In a way, they're at least supporting them by buying these magazines.

[A]

The Etch A Sketch Choke guy would say he likes women.

[B]

I was waiting to see if any of those guys from the special would message me, and none have yet.

[A]

Yeah. You know who they are?

[B]

I don't. I couldn't get in contact. A couple of them I probably could. Yeah, like Choke Guy. That was off Tinder probably 12 years ago. I could not tell you that guy's name. If you put a gun in my ass right now, I have no idea.

[A]

Gun to the ass. Quick. Gun to the ass.

[B]

But he could not give you his first, last, or middle name? I don't know. I barely know he looks like anymore.

[A]

Do you find yourself having experiences or maybe if you're on the fence, should I do this or not saying I'm going to do it, because it could always be a comedy bit, a story. I could turn it into something.

[B]

No, I always go. I would go into every date hoping it would be good.

[A]

No, I'm not even talking about date. I'm talking about anything in life. This kind of crazy. But if it goes bad, could be good comedy.

[B]

No, I think I live my life normally and then just things just.

[A]

Well, I've heard a little bit out your life. I don't know. But normally.

[B]

I hosted the ABN Awards this year.

[A]

Really?

[B]

Yeah. And that was great. Actually. That was the most supportive group of people I've ever seen my entire life.

[A]

What were some of the. The highlights categories?

[B]

Oh, like, best blowjob. That's, I guess, was best. Like, I don't even remember. Best milf threesome, maybe. There was, like, some pretty wacky.

[A]

Does that mean all three are milfs or. Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Is there, like, a quota? Like, at least you need 2 mils to qualify.

[B]

I don't. I don't. To be honest, I was so focused on hosting that I was like, really? It was so funny that I was, like, backstage, like, getting ready to say these people's names, and then behind me was just this, like, girl deep throating some guy's ass. And I'm like, anyways, coming up next, like, it was, you know, it was like a regular job for me, people. The craziest part about the awards were women flashing me after. Huh? They're like, yeah, you rocked. And I was like, whoa, my God. Like, and their vaginas. Yeah, go flash me down there. I was like, this is crazy.

[A]

But you get in your to it after a while.

[B]

I mean. No, no, no. That was the craziest thing I've ever seen. I've never been flashed like a. Sometimes people make me sign their tits and they show me. They're like, how's that? And I'm like, this isn't for me. I'm straight.

[A]

Yeah. Do you have a big lesbian audience?

[B]

Kind of. I think. Because I think deep down they all think I am gay.

[A]

When people come. When people come to your show. Not a show in a club, but when people come to a show where you're on the bill and you do crowd work, everyone is eager to give you stories about how they take pictures of themselves, their penises, et cetera.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Yeah. No one's shy.

[B]

It's very strange. I don't. I bring something out of people. There was this one, the rally improv a couple years ago, and they. The guy didn't press record. And I'll never get over it because there's a mother and her son in the front row.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And the mother takes photos of her son's asshole for his onlyfans. And I was like, excuse me. And they went into full detail of how she, like, helps him open it up and gets the lighting. And I was like. And as it was happening, I'm like, this clip's gonna go viral. And then after the guy's like, I forgot to press record. And I'm like, But, like, people just. I. I didn't ask. I go, oh, what do you do? And then immediately the mom's like, I help him. And I was like, I would Never have asked. I never would have been like, hey, mom, do you help your son prime his asshole for his photos? Like, that's never something that would come out. People just feel very open. Even, like, I'll be at a show and I'll be like.

[A]

But in many ways, I'll literally be.

[B]

Like, hey, you guys together? Yeah, he fudgeing. Cheated on me last week. Fucking get him. And I'm like, what? Like, insane things happen like that. But I don't. I'm not trying to get these things out of people. They just willingly.

[A]

So when you're doing crowd work with a mother who photographs her son's ass, do you think your comebacks and jokes are funny or just trying to keep up with the craziness of what's being laid down?

[B]

I think at that point, I'm trying to keep up. If I can get something clever in there, here and there. I think, yeah, I. Luckily, I think I. You might have seen one on my Instagram that was one of the crazier ones where this landlord told me he had two guns, and he was, like, kind of threatening me. Oh, it was pretty wild. It went, like, crazy viral. And then he waited for me outside the club. What do you do for work, sir?

[A]

I'm an inner city landlord. You.

[B]

The most hated man in here right now. You guys are looking good right now. You give off big landlord energy, too.

[A]

You know what? I go to work every day with a.45 on my hip.

[B]

Oh, Kelloggi is right. Oh, my God. You're a day late. You just wake up to a barrel. What did I say? It's the 2nd of January. So scary. 2 guns, one landlord. That's like, that's gonna be the next. And we had to call security. I had to, like, hide in the green room. We'd, like, lock the doors of the club. He's, like, pacing outside the club. He was. So where was the club? In Milwaukee, Outside Milwaukee. It was like the Brookside comedy, the Brookfield, whatever it's called. Outside of. It was really insane because. Just because he was, like, going. Because I got the whole crowd to boo him because they all. He said he was a landlord, an inner city landlord. And I was like, boo. Yeah. And he's two guns. And I was like, two guns, one landlord. And I just was, like, saying stupid shit. And he was like, like, getting so mad. And then his girlfriend's like, you better fucking watch yourself. And I was like, okay. And at that point, I, like, looked at the clock, and it was like, 45 do an hour and I was like, I'm getting off. Like, I don't know what you have. There was no, like, wand for this guy to get in. I'm like, I'm actually gonna leave now.

[A]

And sometimes clubs don't have security. Security is who's ever the bartender that night.

[B]

Sometimes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But, like, now there's like, wands.

[A]

Right, right, right.

[B]

So I had a. Where was I recently? And I was, like, kind of freaked out. Oh. I had this really creepy guy in Arizona that we were trying to keep away from. And I was like, we gotta make sure we have a wand in case he comes because he's been saying some pretty violent stuff to me. So I'm like, this guy can't come in. And if he sneaks in somehow, we need to make sure. So they had, like, crazy security, which is insane.

[A]

Yeah. Was this one of the. I don't like other female comedians. No.

[B]

This guy just kept saying he wanted to rape me over and over, which is nice. We love that. So I guess he doesn't like women.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Because that's. I don't think that's something you say to a woman that you really like.

[A]

Also, he's not one where you try to convince to like other female.

[B]

I don't want him to like me.

[A]

I wish he didn't like.

[B]

And he kept being like, you're so funny, but I like you. You. Yeah, like me. I'm like, please don't like me. Get the hell out of here.

[A]

When you tear into a guy and he's there with his girlfriend, well, the girlfriend usually defend him or. No, loves it. Loves it. Right.

[B]

The amount of women I get that message me before show saying, I'm sitting here about vip. Here's my husband. Make fun of him.

[A]

And will you seek them out?

[B]

No, I don't ever seek people out. Like, unless a guy's, like, not enjoying himself or he's a crossed arms or he's like, heckling me, then I'll go off on somebody. I don't just, like, go on stage and go, this guy's an idiot. Like, I. Sometimes it looks like that my clips, but I'm like, I'm not doing that.

[A]

Sometimes when there's someone who's very good at crowd work or just, you know, very intuitive with the audience, they do that. But you also have a very. A very polished set. So are you kind of taking in information as you're also. As you're also doing your act? Are you kind of seeing everything and scanning the room? Does that come naturally? Or have you had to work on that?

[B]

It does come naturally, but I think sometimes it's a curse. I know a lot of comedians can relate to this. If you're, like, killing and you find one person out of the corner eye that hates you, it'll ruin my whole fucking set. And I'll try to ignore it and then I'll go to it, and obviously I'm not gonna get anything from this person. They hate me. But I started in improv, so I think because of that, my improv troupe, we were called the Dumb Cunts with a K. With a K. So it was nice. It was cute. And our first how we would open up a show is we would all get, like, a word and we'd all do, like, full monologues.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And then those would go into the thing and we'd end a monologue. And so I think I was just used to, like, getting, I don't know, suggestions, I guess.

[A]

And when. When you're doing your act, some comedians say they're like in a Zen set and they can't really see anything else. But you are also aware of all your surroundings.

[B]

Oh, yeah. Not.

[A]

Not just for safety sake and these. And these stalker types. But you, I think, are also looking at potential, you know, next victims, next people to riff with, that sort of thing.

[B]

Yeah, I'm looking. Especially the new hours, especially when I'm on the road.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I'm doing, like. I try doing like 20 to 30 minutes of crowd work every time.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Because people, like. And if I don't do crowd now, people are like, what the heck? And I'm like. Like, sometimes I'm tired. Crowd work's hard.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Sometimes I'm like, I'm exhausted. I could just easily phone in and do my jokes. But especially if anyone sees me in la, like when I'm at the store, I pretty much do crowd work there. Especially the. Or the original room. It's like such a good room for it because there's so, like, you can see everybody in there. So anybody talk to. And there's always. There's always something going on.

[A]

The plus side of crowd work, too, is it could go viral. You put it out as a clip and you're not burning your sets that you've worked on so much. The downside of that is everyone thinks. I've heard other comedians complaining. People think this is what comedy is. It's an aspect of comedy and it shouldn't be looked down upon. But it's not all that comedy is. And people think that you come to a comedy club. And it's all just someone making fun of you. And I've also talked to Chris Gethard, made a really good point that he's more of these monologists. I don't know if he'd use the word. But he's a storyteller. There are jokes in there and he's not. He's definitely. He's also a great improviser and he'll interact with an audience. But the kind of crowd that's conditioned to think, I'm gonna go to a comedy club and I'm gonna see someone get destroyed, that's not. Not his crowd. That's not a great crowd.

[B]

No, no, no, no, no. It is really. That is a really good point. The issue is the algorithm. We have to fucking feed it so much that even if I did put out all these jokes.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I would still need more.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Because we're posting, what, four or five, six clips a week? Who the fuck has that kind of material? No one does. So it's like, I have to. And it's funny, actually, because someone did DM me recently being like, I watched your special hesitantly because I've only seen your clips online and it looks like all you do is yell at men. And I'm like, obviously, I wouldn't do a special. I'm just yelling at men for a.

[A]

Special, by the way.

[B]

Now no man would really watch it. I'm like, obviously, I'm not just doing that. Like, people don't realize. Like, also, if you follow a comedian, you'll see that I do post jokes and I do post, like, I post a lot of sketch on my. On my.

[A]

Right. Because you're a background.

[B]

Yeah, but I do way more. I prefer posting sketch than anything else.

[A]

And in a minute, we'll be back with more of Steph while we'll talk about sketch, Canadianness, Canadian lady stash, all of it. As the weather cools and I try to stay cool, I'm swapping in the pieces that get the job done, which are the warm, durable, built to last, quintessentially quince pieces. Quince delivers wardrobe staples every time that carry me through the season. Oh, I've got my eye on a suede trucker jacket. I am suave, if not suede. And though not a trucker, it is perfect for layering and just looks really casual and put together. But, you know, a lot of craftsmanship goes into it. As with all the Quint's clothing, it's really a go to across the board betting band, cookware Travel accessories. I say layer up this fall with pieces that feel as good as they look. Go to quince.com the gist for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q-U-I-N c e.com the gist free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com the gist Morning Zoe. Got donuts.

[B]

Jeff Bridges, why are you still living above our garage? Well, I dig the mattress and I.

[A]

Want to be in a T mobile commercial like you. Teach me.

[B]

So, Dana. Oh no, I'm not really prepared. I couldn't possibly at t mobile get the new iPhone 17 Pro on them. It's designed to be the most powerful iPhone yet and has the ultimate pro camera system. Wow.

[A]

Impressive.

[B]

Let me turn. T Mobile is the best place to.

[A]

Get iPhone 17 Pro because they've got the best network.

[B]

Nice. Jeffrey, you heard them. T Mobile is the best place to.

[A]

Get the new iPhone 17 Pro on us with eligible traded in any condition. So what are we having for lunch?

[B]

Dude, my work here is done.

[A]

The 24 month bill credits on experience beyond for well qualified customers. Plus tax and $35 device connection charge credit send and balance due if you pay off earlier. Cancel Finance agreement. IPhone 17 Pro 256 gigs $1099.99 and new line minimum $100 plus a month plan with auto pay plus taxes and fees required. Best mobile network in the US based on analysis by O Speed Test Intelligence data 1H 2025 visit t mobile.com so we're back with Steph Tolaev. Hello. This is funny you should mention, you know that you were just with us. So you were in a group. It was you and Stephanie Hogg.

[B]

No, Allison Hogg.

[A]

Allison Hogg in Ladies Dash.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And before we were talking about how unsupportive Canada is with its standups, but I think you tell me that when you're in a group like that and you're winning Juno awards for a very specific like best women comedy group. Was that it?

[B]

We won an award just for laughs years ago.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, okay.

[B]

Just laughs award at the Montreal.

[A]

But I think there is a nurturing, maybe up to the point of being able to fly the nest that Canada wants to celebrate its its own sons and daughters to some extent.

[B]

I mean. No, we. The two of us, we were a sketch duo. We still are a sketch duo. We just wrote a TV show together. We. She's my best friend. I was in her wedding party.

[A]

Is that where you got the sun poisoning in Mexico.

[B]

No, no, that was my sister's wedding. A lot of weddings have been getting poisoned at. But we. We couldn't get into the Toronto Sketch Fest where we're from. We submitted six years straight and we couldn't get in. We had to go to the Chicago Sketch Fest, the Women's Funny Fest. We had to go to every other festival around us because we couldn't get into our own fucking. So it's like they really. I don't understand because I find so many Canadians so funny.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I'm like, you guys are not helping us at all. The clubs out there keep booking the same people. They're like, barely booking women still to this day. Like two of the main clubs in. In Canada. But there's a really good place called the Comedy Bar. It's got Gary Wright outside. He was a sketch performer and he. That's like one of the main places in Canada. Most comics from here go out there. That's. That's the place they do when they go to Toronto now because it's like, it's well run and it's like he'll put improv. All these different people can come in and play. Not. He's not just like a weird gate because there's like, gatekeepers, like three main gatekeepers, and they're like. Like, it's bizarre. Like Pat Bircher hilarious. He's. I think he's only on Just For Laughs once. He should have been doing it for years. Like, it's. It's bizarre the way they. I don't know.

[A]

But Just For Laughs is very open and has broken a lot of American US Comedians. They just don't do it with the Canadians.

[B]

It's a Canadian festival and two years ago, three years ago, when I did it, I did like the Canadian State of the Union, and I was like, I don't think you should let me do this because I'm not going to be nice about it. Like, no, no, no, no. There was, I think, 20 Canadian comedians and like 200Americans. Yeah, we live there.

[A]

I know.

[B]

We're in Canada.

[A]

I know.

[B]

So it's like they're just real. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know what it is.

[A]

You guys not picking up the lessons of Trump and trade wars and protectionism. You got to protect your own.

[B]

We're trying. I'm trying to get the war on.

[A]

All these Americans coming over.

[B]

Ian Begg, he. He won't go back to this for laughs because there's a bunch of shit that happened there. But, like, Ian Begg's one of the, like, the funniest people at the Comedy Store now. Like, you can't follow him.

[A]

Is the CBC part of this problem?

[B]

No, they're just like. They're so clean.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That, like, I can't really do anything with it.

[A]

When you talk to Legends of Canadian Comedy, as you have on your show, maybe they're older, but when you talk to. You've had members of Kids in the hall. When you've had SCTV people, do they say it was like that in the old days or has become. Yeah, yeah.

[B]

They all had to come out here.

[A]

They did all have to come out.

[B]

They did. Like Jim Carrey. Like Jim Carrey. Well, one the famous stories about him is that Yuk Yuk's one of the main clubs in Canada that also won't work. Me, the guy who owns it, keeps claiming that Jim. He's the first Jim Carrey up. He told Jim Carrey to get the fuck out of his club. And there's a picture of him on the wall. I'm like, he's never worked here. You told him he sucks and to get the fuck out. So it's like, insane. They're trying to take ownership of people they've told that were shit.

[A]

Now, one of the theories about why Canadians are so funny is that they're in the culture, but not of the culture. So they're observing America a little like an anthropologist taking notes culture. And they could come here and tell us what's funny about ourselves.

[B]

That. And I think we're. We are heavily influenced by British comedy.

[A]

Of course, because we want.

[B]

That's all I had on. On tv, like, we had. I never got, like, American channels as a kid. It was all British stuff. So I watched, like, Faulty Towers, Keeping Up Appearances. I don't know if you've ever seen. That's a fair show. Ever seen that show, Keeping Appearances? Oh, my God. It's like. It's bizarre. But that was so funny. What was the one with this gay man? It was like one of the first openly gay men characters I saw on.

[A]

It was like, they called Robin's Nest, which was what, Three's Company.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Robin's Nest was the inspiration. Yeah.

[B]

But they were just like. I watched so much of that stuff, and I think a lot of us just watched. And then kids in the hall like, that. That's so wacky for us all to be brought up on that. And sctv, like, that was such bizarre stuff. I think a Lot of, especially a lot of Canadian comics. That's, that's, that's what we watched.

[A]

I think that, I think that what you're putting your finger on and you know very well with stand up comedy, I can see what you're saying. With sitcoms, I know the CBC has their own thing, but I always watch shows like Kim's Convenience and Schitt's Creek and you'll see the, not the background players, but people who come in for a scene, non ringers, you know, non people who are not already famous. So people who are actors and actresses in Canadian comedy and they're just as good as the Americans. They're probably better, but so many of them don't make, don't even try, from what I understand, to come here and translate. I don't know, maybe there's a safety too.

[B]

It's, well, there's a city too. It's also, it's hard, it's hard to pick up your whole, whole fucking life and leave everything you know and love and come out here, like knowing nobody, knowing nothing. Having, getting a green card is so hard.

[A]

Yeah, it was.

[B]

Oh, it's insane.

[A]

Do you have to, do you have that special kind of H1B visa where you're a special talent?

[B]

I have a full green card.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So I'm applying for my citizenship right now. I'm supposed to take the test last week, but there were riots in la, so they can't heard about it. They canceled my test.

[A]

Yeah, I know when we started you're talking about how muggy New York was, but LA's got the riots, so I.

[B]

Never even, I know, it's, it's, I don't go downtown ever. So I like, I, I, I miss.

[A]

The whole thing out of ice reasons.

[B]

Well, I'm like that and I just, I don't, I can't be. Yeah, I, I'm like, I'm still on my green card here. I can't be, I can't be a stance on my knees. I'm like, people are like, why are you supporting? I'm like, I can't. Yeah, I, I, I'm not a citizen. I can't fucking say shit. I had to like delete a bunch of stuff on my Instagram, my Twitter, because apparently when you cross the border in Canada and come back, you can get pulled, I'm gonna get pulled in a secondary because my green card, they'll.

[A]

Ask you about it.

[B]

They're gonna go through my social media.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So sorry, sorry. Get out of my DMs lady who keeps yelling at me for not supporting. I'm like, I can't. If I was a citizen, I would fucking say something. But I'm like, as of right now.

[A]

I read that story about the Canadian student at Columbia University who basically got kicked out of America for covering what was going on at the university for the university newspaper.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

So it's real.

[B]

It's real. It is real. There's a lot of things happening.

[A]

So I'm like, the day, the day you become a citizen, is it game on?

[B]

Maybe.

[A]

Are we getting a special about that?

[B]

Be political now. No more Phil.

[A]

Is it Uncle Sam going in orifices that we never talked about?

[B]

I never do politics. I don't know much about them. And I'm just like, you know, I let people who are smart do that. So I do the fart jokes.

[A]

So what was the idea behind beside you and your friend having this great relationship? What did you want to say with Lady Stache? What were you doing that was different? Because it's weird, it's funny and wacky and personal.

[B]

Yeah, we were just kind of doing like, just stuff that was like, just be funny to anybody. Like, it wasn't like gender specific comedy. It was just like two girls just doing stupid stuff. Like just dumb scenarios. Like we all.

[A]

We play stashes.

[B]

We also, we would play men a lot. And then we would kiss at the end of every scene. We did that. And people were so annoyed by it. But we loved it because it was so funny. Two women with mustaches kissing on stage was like so confusing to people. But we. Yeah, we have a couple. We have. What do we have two albums out now? We just. We just wanted to be just like goofy. Yeah, just goofy. And that's it.

[A]

Do you think the standup is the star that the wagon is hitched to? Other things are happening to you for you because of the stand up.

[B]

I guess. I don't know what else is happening.

[A]

So when you came out, I wrote this note. I just wanted to. I'm taking notes on. I'm taking notes on Filth Queen. And what I wrote to myself was, okay, tell me of this, what you think of this. But you know who she reminds me of? Dave Attell. Combined with Rizzo from Greece, that's the.

[B]

Nicest compliment anyone's ever gave me in my entire life. I love that. I don't see that, but I love that because I think David tells the.

[A]

Funniest person in the Plan Planet the Dave Attel intonation. Right. The day, the way you have this. It's like a character within a character a certain way. Sometimes I don't want to hear, but.

[B]

Like a little whisper. Yes.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And then I go, like, kind of deeper and. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

I think so.

[B]

Okay. I like it. I want to see.

[A]

It's a Dave Attell punchline. You're like, yeah. What is she up to?

[B]

I do like that. And I like the. I've heard the Grease thing a lot. I usually get compared to Chris Farley. That's like the main.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Physicality wise.

[A]

But I think it has to be. Oh, yeah. A little bit around the stage. But I think it has to specifically be the stalker. Channing Rizzo from Greece. I don't know. I've never seen any on Broadway.

[B]

Yeah, no, I haven't either.

[A]

But she's also was playing a high school student when she was, like, 32, in fact.

[B]

Yeah. And it kind of.

[A]

It reads, you know.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Like, when you're a little kid, you don't realize what's going on, but then you're like, yeah. She was kind of 32, wasn't she? Yeah.

[B]

Is that. Was that Grease 2 or 1?

[A]

That was. That was the only Grease. That was Greece 1. Grease 2 was one of these weird sequences.

[B]

I never saw it because my. My boyfriend's uncle's in it.

[A]

What?

[B]

Christopher McDonald. He's like, apparently the bad guy in.

[A]

It in Greece Two. Two.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Interesting. Your boyfriend's uncle is. Christopher McDonald was the bad guy in Greece, too.

[B]

And he also is Shooter McGavin from Happy Gilmore.

[A]

Right, okay.

[B]

But I don't know. Greece 2 is, like, the one that people always remember him from. And I'm like, I've never seen it.

[A]

Wait, gre. He gets. He gets remembered from grease 2 more than the older.

[B]

Like, my parents know him from that and, like, my aunt and stuff. But, like, I think, like, the normal.

[A]

Michelle Pfeiffer sang a song called Dream Rider. That's the only thing I know about Grease, too.

[B]

I know nothing about it.

[A]

But he was in the movie, you said. I've never seen it because he was in it.

[B]

No, no, no, I know. I just didn't. I've never seen it.

[A]

Yeah, Grease 1's a good watch.

[B]

No, Grease 1. I've seen Greece 1.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Yeah. I'm not crazy. I've seen Greece 1. Yeah. I've just. No, I'm not watching not. Because I just haven't seen it.

[A]

When you do that voice or that Persona, is it. Well, you tell me. What do you think's going on.

[B]

I don't. Now that you've mentioned it, I actually don't. I. When I. When I'm. Maybe it's for emphasis reasons, but, like, I feel like when I just get into some things, I guess I just go down to that, like, gravelly voice, but I'm like. I don't even. I don't think a lot while I'm up there.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

To be honest, I kind of, like, zone out.

[A]

So is that the kind of thing you'd be doing in real life to friends if you were?

[B]

Yeah, I think so. Yeah. Because a lot of those stories I did on stage, because I was telling them, my friends, they were, like, dying laughing. So I'm like, okay, these translate just in conversation. So I feel like they translate on screen.

[A]

Because at first I was saying to myself, is it like, you know how Jim Gaffigan has this high voice where he's commenting on the Jim Gaffigan joke that he just said? And then you have this. It seems like you're almost my interpretation. You're saying to the audience, all right, you're in it with me now.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Torial.

[B]

Yeah. And I think I just, you know.

[A]

We whisper in conspiracy, and I just.

[B]

I like the way it changed. I like to change the tone a little bit, even for myself, if I'm telling a story to make it look a bit more intense. Interesting.

[A]

Right, Right. And you squat also, when you say it.

[B]

I squat a lot.

[A]

You do squat.

[B]

I don't realize.

[A]

Tell me about the squatting.

[B]

I don't know what the squatting is. I think I just feel powerful. The lower and the firmer I am down there. I don't know what it is.

[A]

It's very earthy.

[B]

It is a lot of, like, a.

[A]

Lot of your bodily content. It's very, you know, of the earth.

[B]

It's.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I've also never thought like that. Yeah. I don't. I don't think a lot about, like, my. Like, sometimes I'll watch my. Myself. Like, if I'm editing clips and I'm like, what? Like, I don't even. What am I doing? Like, I'm like, no wonder my back hurts. Uhhuh. Because I normally dated when I'm telling a story, I'm like, I'm handsy, but I'm not going to be bending over backwards and flipping my arm around like I am on stage.

[A]

You are bending over.

[B]

It's crazy. My sciatica is out of whack. I couldn't even walk this morning, it was so bad.

[A]

Oh, wait a minute. Don't you have training as a Scottish dancer?

[B]

I do. That's probably why that. That all happens.

[A]

How did that happen? Was your mom secretly Scottish?

[B]

No. No one Scottish. Scottish. Made no sense. My mom just started teaching it when she was, I think, 17.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And then.

[A]

So she got you and your sister into it. Did it help you in any way, performing performance wise?

[B]

Yes, because I would perform in front of, like, huge groups. Like when I was really young, like, some competitions had, like, 800 people.

[A]

Right.

[B]

So I was never, like, nervous going on stage. Like, I always.

[A]

Even when you ate, like, a full baked potato beforehand?

[B]

Yeah, I heard that story. Yeah. I did love to eat. I still do. Yeah. I've never been. I've never been nervous on stage.

[A]

And your mom apparently had a dancer who's like, the greatest in the history of the world.

[B]

Yes. Yeah, she's still, like, number one. She's still, I think.

[A]

What kind of rankings are they? I don't know anything about this subculture.

[B]

It's just like, they have one huge competition every year called the. The World Championships, and it's held in Scotland.

[A]

That would. That makes sense.

[B]

That's. So that's the biggest one.

[A]

Hibernia.

[B]

Yes. So there's three age groups. It's like. I think it's like 9 to 12, 12 to 16, and then 16 over.

[A]

Right.

[B]

So all three. That's it. You have to do a competition the day before to qualify to even get into the world. I never even qualified. I was so bad.

[A]

Did you dance in a group or by yourself?

[B]

It's all by yourself. Oh, it's all by yourself. It's all individual. Just my mom's dancing school.

[A]

There's like a bunch of choreography involved. Or is it all, like, the same? What do they call it?

[B]

Four dances that you do the exact same. So everyone dances in the exact same way, the exact same steps, and then they judge you on that.

[A]

I guess that's fair for judging, but it doesn't seem that creative. Creative.

[B]

It's not that creative.

[A]

And also, it's very. The half your body's not moving right.

[B]

It's just. It's just the arms are moving and your legs are moving like crazy. But it's the sound of the bagpipes. Like, I'll hear it now and go like. I hate it. Because it's like the same song over and over and over and over. So the piper will play the exact same song the exact same way at all. It's so. It's daunting. If you don't like bagpipes. It's very hard.

[A]

And no one really likes bagpipes unless they have to. No one's ever sought out a bagpipe. No other culture invented a bagpipe pipe.

[B]

It's when they're in a pipe band, it's cool.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

When they have the drums and everything.

[A]

All the other instruments to get over the sound of the bad.

[B]

Because the bagpipes, the bag vibes as a whole sound fun, but by themselves, it's just singeing in your ear. It's not a great sound.

[A]

And for me, it always reminds me of funerals.

[B]

It's very funerally. Yeah. Someone's dying for sure. That's.

[A]

It's a weird. It doesn't seem to be the sport or activity that I would guess would lead to the stuff that we see today.

[B]

No.

[A]

And I was so stifling in a way.

[B]

It is rigorous.

[A]

Not that, you know, you don't have rigor what you do, but it does seem like very non creative and very compulsory.

[B]

Yeah, I guess. Yeah. I don't know. I. I played a lot of sports too in school, but that still is like. Would make me stiffer. So I don't really know.

[A]

And did you do any actual Bulgarian cultural things or did you just appropriate Scottish culture?

[B]

That's exactly what we did my whole life. Yes. Nothing Bulgarian at all.

[A]

What would a Bulgarian.

[B]

There is Bulgarian dancing.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

There's like specific. They have like this whole cool white outfit on. They're all like with the red and. Yeah, yeah. They're like bedding, whatever it is. Yeah. It looks. We. I mean, at like weddings we would do the thing. We'd all jump around, like throw plates and shit. But that we never. That's all we did. Nothing at all.

[A]

The Greeks say opa. What are the Bulgarians?

[B]

Yeah, I think we say opa. We have like a little like a cloth thing that the person at the end has to wave around. I really don't know and I really should know.

[A]

It's so interesting.

[B]

It is. And I should know something, but I.

[A]

Do not how into your Bulgarian heritage you are.

[B]

Clear.

[A]

Dad and mom are Bulgarian?

[B]

No, my dad. Dad. But my dad's born in Canada. My grandparents.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Born in Bulgaria.

[A]

Is there a big Bulgarian population in Canada?

[B]

There weirdly kind of is. Yeah. I don't know what that was. I guess a lot of them just fled Bulgaria and came to Canada years ago.

[A]

Yeah, Ukrainians too.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

There's like.

[B]

We have a huge like Greek town in. In Toronto. Like it's.

[A]

I've been there. Yes. And the Greeks and the Bulgarians aren't that different, though. They probably, you know, hate each other going back years. Not like the Turks and the Greeks. Everyone. Everyone is beef back from the old country.

[B]

Everyone is beef the new country. Everyone's always fighting for no different reason. We're all gonna die. Can we just watch my special and get over it?

[A]

And that comforts you? That's there for comfort.

[B]

Thank God. Same.

[A]

Yeah. Do you think that? Wow. So we've got to this Scottish dancing. The immobility. I can't get over the immobility of the torso. It seems like if someone just introduced a little gyration or a pivot.

[B]

Well, there is a pivot. You haven't seen enough of it. There is one dance called the Highland Reel where you.

[A]

I know the Highland Reel.

[B]

You dance with somebody else and you pivot around with them.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I don't know what it is. I don't know why there's. So. There's gonna be some Scottish folklore as to why their body was, like, up straight and they're like, I don't know. Maybe if you watch Braveheart, you'll figure it out.

[A]

Yeah. Or a lot of Lord of the Dance. Michael. Michael.

[B]

But that's. That's not the same as Highland.

[A]

That's not.

[B]

So they really don't move their upper body. We at least have our movements right. So arms are up, arms down, arms are in fist.

[A]

You tell yourself that you have that to hang.

[B]

Well, they only have. Their arms are straight. Our arms are never straight.

[A]

All the Scottish people do is make fun of the Lord of the Dance people. Their arms.

[B]

We have to. Their arms are very straigh. Arms are. Ours are moving.

[A]

So if you're doing on stage what comes naturally or you're not even sure of what you're doing, are you taking note of. This motion gets a laugh and this motion doesn't.

[B]

Sometimes if a big act out gets like a big laugh, obviously I'll do that again.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But if I'm just like.

[A]

You don't know why you do it the first time you're saying yes.

[B]

And then I'll. If I. Especially now because we watch all our clips back, I'll be like, oh, that's funny. I should do that again.

[A]

Do you have more variation with the physicality or with the language of Jerry jokes?

[B]

Probably physicality, yeah. Yeah. I think physicality is like a punchline sometimes for half my stuff.

[A]

But will you change up how? Most comedians, once they get the perfect rhythm for the joke, they like, to hit it in that rhythm. But what about you with act outs and motions?

[B]

I mean, sometimes I have to change it because literally my back is seizing up, so.

[A]

Oh, my God.

[B]

I know when I was a younger, I'm like, God, this is so much easier. But now I have, like, fully stretched.

[A]

It's all the squatting and the voices, dummies in the crowd.

[B]

If I could have a dummy every show, I would be obsessed with that. If it wasn't, like, a pain in the ass to lug a dummy through tsa, I would have one in every show. Just because it's funny to end my set by throwing a dummy in the crowd is, like, absurd.

[A]

Does it count as prop comedy?

[B]

Yeah, for sure. I love prop comedy.

[A]

Oh, really?

[B]

Oh, I think prop comedy's hilarious. If you ever see Lady Sash, we. I would always. One of our biggest sketches we ever had was that I. I had a penis as an arm, and I was.

[A]

But that's a sketch that's.

[B]

That's still prop, and it's hilarious having a dick as an arm. And then we did, like, later down the road, we did, like, a sequel where I got. I finally got the search surgery, and then I just got a bigger dick.

[A]

I got the surgery.

[B]

I got. I got a huge dick. I got the old Pete Tolev. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got the biggest stick you have. Oh, yeah, my dad's. That's what I want.

[A]

My dad.

[B]

I love my dad's dick. Thank you so much.

[A]

Do you think he was upset he didn't have boys?

[B]

I do. I literally. That's part of my joke where I'm like, now I. My dad, like, can't break, so I'm sure, like, I don't know if other guys look at their dicks. Well, I actually. My God, the Laugh Factory last week. I hope they freaking filmed it. This guy in the front was the two sons. And I go, I don't know why I asked, but I go, who's got the biggest dick in the family? And. And the boy. The sons were kind of, like, taken aback. And the dad goes, when he was a kid, he had the biggest dick I've ever seen. And I was like, jesus Christ. And the son was like, what? He goes, I never told you your dick was huge when you were a baby. And I was like, oh, my God. And his son was, like, so upset. The crowd loved it, though.

[A]

I will say, can you imagine, though, the big dick dad having them, you know, just small dick songs?

[B]

Oh, the big. The dad said he didn't have A big dick. He said a Sunday.

[A]

No, that's fine. That works out. That's a source of pride.

[B]

Oh, I say. Oh, yeah.

[A]

Let's say there was a Stephen Toll.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, No, I know he's pissed off because that's why I end the joke by saying, now I know where I got my labia from. And I don't think he loves that. I don't think he loves that.

[A]

And your cousins, your, Your gingerbread house making cousins.

[B]

They're Canadian. They're not Bulgarian.

[A]

Okay. Yeah, but I mean, are they well endowed?

[B]

I don't know, I haven't.

[A]

You don't know?

[B]

I haven't looked at my cousin's penis. No, sorry. Just my dad's. I wouldn't ask. Only look at my dad's dick.

[A]

You didn't even mean to. It was just there in the sweatpants.

[B]

It was there in the sweatpants because he wears shorts all year round, so.

[A]

Oh, really?

[B]

Yeah, Winter, he shovels snow in his cutoff sweatpants shorts. It's very bizarre, man.

[A]

You should, You're. I could tell you thank him for all the comedy I do.

[B]

And he, he, the problem is he finds it hilarious. Uhhuh. Like, my dad finds me funnier than anybody else. Like, it's almost gross, actually. How funny he finds me.

[A]

Did he encourage you to be. Well, really, parts of it. Did he encourage that?

[B]

Not really, but my parents act like. It's like at first they were like kind of embarrassed. And I remember like one of my earliest memories as a kid was walking to my parents. They had a party one night and I couldn't sleep. They're screaming and I came down and my mom and dad were both fake fucking a blow up doll. And I was like, well, you wonder why I'm like this. I didn't want to be like this. Like, I come down to that. They're like, did you. What did you see? I'm like, you guys fucking have blow up doll. What do you think I saw? Like, and they swore around me all the time. Like, I all remember was my parents swearing. That's why I don't even like realize what I.

[A]

What you've done is you've just said a thing. That's on a scale of 1 to 10. A 2. The swearing but preceded out of 13.

[B]

Yes, they were.

[A]

Wait, wait, they weren't the blow up doll to shock you or is a.

[B]

Bit for your benefit they were doing at a party. Like they were being funny.

[A]

I see, I see.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like everyone was laughing and I walked in on that, I was like, well.

[A]

See, a lot of. A lot of kids, a lot of comedians will say, you know, I would remember staying at the top of the stairs and listening to these droll, adroit, adult conversations. But your version of that is much different. Yes. Your parent fucking the blow up doll.

[B]

Yes. And being silly. Like, they were goofy and they were always.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, their friends always found them funny.

[A]

So if you weren't a comedian and a writer and a sketch performer, what would you be?

[B]

I. I mean, I always say, like, radio, but now I'm like, I think I would just be somebody who, like, maybe just had a bunch of golden retrievers, and I, like, just made golden retriever. I know people get mad. I'm not fostering my dog. I don't care. I love my golden retriever so much.

[A]

Susan.

[B]

Huh? I love Susan. I would just. I'd live in the woods or I'd fall or take in a bunch of dogs. Have you seen those? Like, like, where is it? Is it in Cuba or something? Costa Rica, I think, where there's this huge farm, and they bring all these dogs that are, like, strays.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And have you seen this? And they feed them all. And there's like, hundreds of dogs. Like, I'd run that.

[A]

Do you think?

[B]

All these dogs, I'd feed them every day. I'd pet them all.

[A]

I used to love everybody. I used to love golden retrievers. And I had an ex wife who claimed that golden retrievers. And this is why she's an ex wife. She claimed that golden retrievers were sort of the basic bitch of dogs. Anyone could, like, a golden retriever. They're very friendly. I'm like, yeah, these are good things.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So, like, you don't need to. You. You don't need to defend the golden. You defend it in terms of. Well, it's a purebred, but the breed is this golden retriever which always wants affection, which is always happy to see you. I say, there's nothing wrong with that.

[B]

Well, they're also very good with kids.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And my sister has a niece. And, like, when. When she's around it, she my dog. Any kid she sees, doesn't matter on the street, immediately gets down on her back and rolls over and, like, strangers come up and pet her. And I'm like, I want. I want her to be around kids. I want to be good because I tried to get. Actually, when I first got my dog, people were up my ass about not fucking fost. And I tried to go to, like, I live right by the Ronald McDonald House and these old age homes. I tried to take her to be like, because, you know, they see therapy dogs go. And it needs like three, four years of schooling to get in there. I'm like, let my dog just get pet by some sick kids. Yeah, she's not gonna do anything from, like, I'll. I'll. I'll sign something and say, I'll do whatever. I'm like, even old age homes, they wouldn't let her come in. I'm like, she loves people. These people are dying.

[A]

From the day dogs were domesticated without four years of training, they would let people pass.

[B]

No, I can't go into these places that you need, like, this crazy documentation. I was like, okay, I don't know.

[A]

I mean, they say it's charity, but it's not. It seems like it's not like Ivy League school where you have to get four years.

[B]

It's crazy. How much money am I spending to get my daughter to go in for one minute and get pet by a kid? Like, I'm like, I just wanted to go in.

[A]

What's it really going to do for the kid, too?

[B]

I would. They love it. I see all those, like, you know, the dog gets on the kids who have cancer. My whole algorithm is hell. I'm like, watching these kids bawling my.

[A]

I feel bad that you were so affected by the crap criticism. So people say you should get a.

[B]

People very, very mad.

[A]

People. You know, people. Yeah, people.

[B]

I don't know people. I know I had, like, oh, yeah, I've had, like. I've had, like, almost more hate over that than my nose, which really upsets. Upsets, man. I don't know what. If you guys saw yesterday on Facebook, I had to actually. I had to find the privacy thing on Facebook where you put in words that guys can't say about you. If anyone saw what I put in there, you'd actually cry. It's so hurtful. I. I cried on the plane. I. Yesterday, it was so bad. I have this video that I just posted me, my boyfriend where he's like, grabbing my tits. Was like my Netflix party. This crazy party. I was so happy. Every comment is men being like, grew the penguin. She can't even suck her boyfriend's dick. Her nose is too big. That's not her boyfriend. That's a man. Man, man, man. And I'm like, like, hell, I have. I have sparked something with men. They hate me so badly. I'm like, I don't think other female comics get hate this bad. I don't know what it is is wow. Because I guess I see I come across like confident and like. I don't know. It's so strange.

[A]

It's. Well, I wouldn't think that I have. There are many, many more female comedians who really try to mock men and put men down and.

[B]

Yeah, maybe Lisa Li. I should ask her if she got hate that bad. I don't know.

[A]

She's. She's gone soft. She's not like a born again Christian and doesn't do roast stuff. I think so. Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

Born again Christian.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. God.

[A]

So the whole. I understand that you write jokes based on what really happened in life. You yelling for Susan to come back at the dog park. That happened.

[B]

That happened. Yeah.

[A]

You didn't realize how it would play until it played.

[B]

Yeah. I mean that I knew that was crazy because that's. She also when you name like honestly naming a dog a human name, like she really doesn't listen to me at all. Maybe this is my training. That was my training. It's not my training. She's so cute. I can't get mad at her. But she's. Her recall is so bad. Always screaming Susan.

[A]

Tell me about specifically the name Susan. It's a little bit of an outdated name. Most Susans now are something like Sarah's or you know, if you look at the charts on popularity of names it's little on the older generation. Meet too many Susans.

[B]

Did you ever play the game Guess who?

[A]

No.

[B]

No. Okay. That's a very specific game that I. How old are you? Are you around my age? Maybe not. Then you may have played it. It was like you would. Does your person have. And you would like pick the name, right?

[A]

I know this game.

[B]

Yeah. So Susan is one of the women on it. There' only five women on that board game. Anyways, Susan was the one of five and she had blonde white hair.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Same color hair. Susan.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And I played that game religiously as a child.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

But like a fun way. I'd be like, oh, who lives in their parents basement? And like molest women. Alfred. And if you know the game, you know it's Alfred with the long red hair and the long red mustache. I could go through every person right now in the game. I'm psycho. But yeah, that's. I named after that.

[A]

Do you call Susan Sue? Susie.

[B]

Susie Tutu. PP Head. Yeah. She's got. She's got the.

[A]

All she does. She equally doesn't answer.

[B]

Doesn't answer anything I ever say unless there's a Cookie in my hand.

[A]

Do you think maybe we should keep her out of the Ronald McDonald House, given all this?

[B]

She would know. She's good around children. I swear to God, when she's around kids, it's a different dog.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I want. You wouldn't be off leash.

[A]

Just when she's.

[B]

When she's off leash, she's. She's not listening to me. I'm gonna have off leash roaming around the sick kids hospital. There you go, Susan. See you later. Have fun with that.

[A]

It's. I have noticed that more people names go towards female dogs and male dogs. Male dogs. It's like, game on. And you can get a guy name for a male dog, but I would say the majority of female dogs are named for humans.

[B]

I know. I know a little guy. I know a Bruce. It's a cat and I love that. Bruce is a good. Bruce is a good cat name.

[A]

Yeah. Letterman had a dog named Bob. That was a good choice.

[B]

Bob's good. Yeah.

[A]

We had cats named Oliver and Layla.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Yeah. So now we have cats named Noki and Matzah. So we went.

[B]

Those are you and Foley. Foodie and la. Yeah.

[A]

Susan.

[B]

It's just.

[A]

It's strangely formal.

[B]

It's also funny, like, when you look at her, she. She kind of looks like a Susan when you see her.

[A]

Yeah, but if she were a human, what would she do for a living?

[B]

Oh, HR she'd be such a bitch about it. She's so. She's such a sulk. It's crazy. She's sulking right now. I leave the house, she, like, acts like I've just molested her. Like you have. I have the best fucking sitter. She's alone for maybe 20 minutes a day. Like, she's never alone. She sleeps in bed. I pet her all the time. Time. So annoying right there.

[A]

Do you think having a golden retriever, the most American seeming of dogs, is going to help you get your green. Get your citizenship?

[B]

Maybe. I'm going to wrap myself in an American flag and show up with a Make America great again hat that's ready to sign the Declaration of Independence. I have to do.

[A]

Do you think you're going to be able to ace your citizenship quiz? You know, all the stuff.

[B]

I was practicing and then I stopped.

[A]

How many amendments does the Constitution have?

[B]

20, 27.

[A]

All right, that's it.

[B]

See, that's. I knew that one. See that? I knew that one so well. That one I've cemented in my head. Any other question you asked me, I.

[A]

Wouldn'T know that's the only one besides Puerto Rico. Name a territory.

[B]

Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Gulf of what is it now?

[A]

You're just trying to.

[B]

Guam. Guam. You're just.

[A]

You're just trying to give a sop to the Trump administration by using their Gulf of America. Whatever it is, whatever say God, that for Doe. Obliterated. It was obliterated. Just let me be a citizen.

[B]

Like, just let me. Otherwise it's a force a boyfriend to marry me so.

[A]

Well, Steph Tolaev's new special is Filth Queen. She is plausibly arguably the filth queen. It's on Netflix and her very funny podcast is called Steph Infection. It's a pun and it works on a couple levels.

[B]

Truly. Yes.

[A]

Great to meet you.

[B]

Thank you. Thanks very much.

[A]

And that's it for today's show. Cory War is the producer of the gist. Ashley Khan does our coordination of production, which is one way to say it. Jeff Craig runs our socials. Kathleen Sykes helps me with the Gist list. Michelle Pesca helps more than helps, really orchestrates it all from a above pulling the strings. Sort of a Svengali in robes. When she wears a robe, a bathrobe, sometimes it's white. It's not black. Peru De Peru. And thanks for listening. Marketing is hard, but I'll tell you a little secret. It doesn't have to be.

[B]

Let me point something out.

[A]

You're listening to a podcast right now and it's great.

[B]

You love the host.

[A]

You seek it out and download it. You listen to it while driving, working.

[B]

Out, cooking, even going to the bed.

[A]

Bathroom. Podcasts are a pretty close companion. And this is a podcast ad.

[B]

Did I get your attention?

[A]

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