Space Olympics

Summary

The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast: "Space Olympics" Episode Summary

Release Date: February 17, 2025

Introduction

In the "Space Olympics" episode of The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast, hosts Seth Meyers and The Lonely Island members—Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone—delve deep into the creation, reception, and lasting impact of their iconic Saturday Night Live (SNL) Digital Short, "Space Olympics." This episode serves as both a nostalgic trip down memory lane and an insightful exploration of the creative processes behind one of SNL's most beloved digital shorts.

Behind the Creation of "Space Olympics"

The conversation begins with humorous anecdotes about personal experiences, setting a relaxed and engaging tone. However, it quickly transitions to discussing "Space Olympics," a standout short from The Lonely Island's Incredibad album, which was chosen as the season premiere for SNL due to the involvement of Olympic legend Michael Phelps as the host.

Akiva Schaffer explains, “We were like, oh, shit. Space Olympics is one of our best ones that we have to lead with” (04:34), highlighting the confidence the team had in the short’s potential. The choice was strategic, aiming to leverage Phelps' star power to amplify the short's reach.

Creative Process and Challenges

The trio discusses the meticulous process of crafting "Space Olympics," emphasizing the blend of humor and musicality that defines their work. Akiva shares insights into the song's composition, noting, “I wrote, I think, a good deal of it before anyone even took a look at it, Keeven yormwise. And I think it shows the one thing, looking back on it that I really am shocked by...” (06:19), referencing the unconventional vamping vocals that add a unique flavor to the piece.

Andy Samberg expresses surprise at the digital short’s minimalistic video production: “I was shocked by what I would consider almost dead air. Yes. In the video.” (06:47) This approach, relying heavily on the song's integrity rather than elaborate visuals, underscores The Lonely Island's commitment to letting their music speak for itself.

Reception and Impact

The team reflects on the short’s initial reception and enduring legacy. Seth Meyers remarks, “Phil Lord and Chris Miller and Seth Meyer's favorite digital short” (10:43), highlighting the influential figures who hold "Space Olympics" in high regard. Despite some mixed reviews, the short remains a fan favorite, appreciated for its quirky humor and innovative blend of music and comedy.

Akiva Schaffer acknowledges, “I love that beat. It's another Drew Campbell beat. And I immediately was like, I just love the melody of this and the futurism of it.” (06:19), pointing to the musical expertise behind the project that contributed to its lasting appeal.

Technical Aspects and Production Notes

Delving into the technical side, The Lonely Island discusses the challenges of producing a sci-fi themed short on a limited budget. They describe the use of green screens and stock footage to create the illusion of outer space, with Akiva noting, “Some of the shots, to me as a sci-fi person, look fucking awesome.” (19:54). This ingenuity allowed them to craft a visually compelling short without extensive resources.

Andy Samberg adds, “It's like a split screen between that stock shot and you. Yeah, it was co. Yeah, works.” (20:18), illustrating their resourcefulness in overcoming production constraints. The discussion underscores the team's ability to blend creativity with practicality, resulting in a memorable and effective digital short.

Personal Memories and Interaction with SNL

The conversation shifts to personal stories from their time at SNL, including interactions with SNL's boss, Lauren, and the pressures of live television. Seth Meyers shares the behind-the-scenes dynamics, emphasizing Lauren's dedication: “He cares so much. He's so invested. He knows all the jokes in the sketches. He wants everyone to crush it.” (46:22). This dedication is portrayed as a driving force behind the high standards and success of their work.

The hosts also reminisce about memorable sketches and the collaborative environment, with Seth reflecting on the intense yet rewarding nature of creating content that resonates with both audiences and peers.

Concluding Reflections

As the episode wraps up, the hosts express gratitude for their time at SNL and the enduring friendships forged through their collaborative efforts. They acknowledge the evolving landscape of digital media and the pivotal role their Digital Shorts played in pioneering online comedy content, potentially even influencing platforms like YouTube.

Andy Samberg concludes, “It's just absolute perfection. Thank you, Lonely Island.” (22:26), encapsulating the mutual respect and appreciation within the team. The episode serves as a testament to their creative synergy and the lasting impact of their work on both SNL and the broader comedy landscape.

Notable Quotes

• Andy Samberg: “I was shocked by what I would consider almost dead air. Yes. In the video.” (06:47)
• Akiva Schaffer: “I love that beat. It's another Drew Campbell beat. And I immediately was like, I just love the melody of this and the futurism of it.” (06:19)
• Seth Meyers: “You want to know the best way to hold on to a man? A leash.” (26:35)
• Andy Samberg: “It's a song about the space. So you're just trying to understand what you're like, okay. Weird space guy.” (10:22)
• Akiva Schaffer: “He cares so much. He's so invested. He knows all the jokes in the sketches. He wants everyone to crush it.” (46:22)

Conclusion

The "Space Olympics" episode of The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast offers an entertaining and insightful look into one of SNL's most memorable Digital Shorts. Through candid conversations, behind-the-scenes stories, and reflective discussions, the hosts shed light on the creative genius and collaborative spirit that propelled "Space Olympics" to fame. This episode not only celebrates their past achievements but also underscores the enduring legacy of their contributions to comedy and music.

Transcript

[Seth Meyers]

Hey, everybody. I don't know if cold opens are appropriate for podcasts, but just before we all hit record, Yoram said he had a great story about medieval times.

[Andy Samberg]

I was there. I don't know if it's a great story.

[Yoram]

I think it was a good time. We. It was Andy's birthday. We all went. I think it was like, what, six of us? I don't know how many it was. We had our own little table. We've had mutton, probably. I can't remember what else we had. We really cheered our. Our hearts out for Azul. That was my favorite night. I loved Azul.

[Seth Meyers]

You remember the name of one of the nights? That's impressive.

[Yoram]

Yeah, it's amazing what I do and don't remember, guys.

[Andy Samberg]

You didn't remember if it was a birthday, how many people. But he knew. Azul.

[Yoram]

Azul. I just remember screaming, azul. At the top of my lungs and pounding on the cutlery. You could get, like, pots. Things came in pots and pounding on things, and everyone kept saying, stop. There was a lot of mead.

[Seth Meyers]

Where do you feel like this is as far as a good story, Andy?

[Yoram]

Well, I got pretty drunk, and then I stole a princess hat from the gift shop, and then I jumped on someone's car in the parking lot, as I recall.

[Seth Meyers]

Remember now? I feel like you're just making stuff up.

[Yoram]

No, that all happened.

[Andy Samberg]

I can vouch for this.

[Seth Meyers]

Oh, this is real.

[Yoram]

Yeah, that all happened.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Also.

[Yoram]

They give you a picture of your group, and then they come over at the end to make sure that you want to pay for it. And I was like, I don't have it anymore. And they were like, he stole it, sir. You clearly have the picture.

[Andy Samberg]

We were, like, 22 and broke, and we went out there and whatever, like, volume, whatever decibel level you're supposed to yell to, like, root on your knight. Azul. Yhorm pictured double all the time. We were all like, yay, Azul.

[Yoram]

And yor's like, Azul was, like, hurting.

[Andy Samberg]

That's why he's remembering people coming over to tell him to take it down enough, like, whoa, whoa, whoa.

[Yoram]

The horses are going to get scared.

[Seth Meyers]

So you were behaving as a modern human in a way that was inappropriate for medieval times.

[Andy Samberg]

That's right.

[Yoram]

You could say that.

[Seth Meyers]

Where famously, almost everything went. Everything was allowed. Yeah.

[Yoram]

No, no, no. That didn't fly at medieval times. Yeah.

[Seth Meyers]

Well, I don't know if this bodes well for the future of cold opens on the pod.

[Akiva Schaffer]

I think yhorm panicked once it was teed up that he was going to tell a good story, and he told all of the parts out of order and not with any particular aplomb.

[Yoram]

I worry with you guys that my time is limited. So I try to give him.

[Andy Samberg]

Give me.

[Yoram]

I got 45 seconds to impress everybody with my drunkenness.

[Seth Meyers]

It was a little bit like. We were like, all right, plot of Michael Clayton. You have 30 seconds, and then we're pulling your mic.

[Yoram]

He's a lawyer. He's a lawyer. He has a briefcase.

[Seth Meyers]

Oh, boy. That's not important.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Can I take a stab at it, Yoram?

[Yoram]

Fine.

[Akiva Schaffer]

It was my 20, let's say, second birthday, and I wanted to go to Medieval Times. And we all went as a big group. And the last thing I remember is Jorma in a princess hat that he stole from the gift shop, standing in the parking lot as slow trick traffic went out of the parking lot screaming at the top of his lungs.

[Andy Samberg]

Probably aul as well.

[Seth Meyers]

A he won.

[Akiva Schaffer]

It went from us being like, let's go to evil times. That'll be a lark, to that image that I will never forget.

[Seth Meyers]

Okay, well, one of my friends once decided after a long night of drinking, we were at a restaurant that had a Neon World Cup 94 signed, and he decided he was going to steal it.

[Yoram]

He needed.

[Seth Meyers]

And we were like, don't steal it. And he put it under his coat and walked out. And I would say what he looked like to the people who work. There was a guy with a giant neon sign under his coat with a cord dragging behind him. And they. They called the cops, and he ran out of the restaurant. Then up. We were in Chicago, up the stairs to the L and was waiting for his train. And then he would have a good escape. And two cops walked up. And, like, in the history of being a cop, it was just clearly the easiest nab of all time. It's like, hey, hey, you. You're. You're under arrest. And he's like, yeah, it'd be like.

[Akiva Schaffer]

If they put him in the lineup with, like, four other guys. And they're like, okay, so who was it? And only one of them had a giant neon sign with the cord hanging off, stuffed under his jacket.

[Andy Samberg]

It's honestly just that I think you should leave Sketch.

[Seth Meyers]

He's just.

[Andy Samberg]

He's dressed like a hot dog.

[Yoram]

I don't know what you're talking about. I've been framed.

[Akiva Schaffer]

I think it was that guy. I think it was that. It was the other gu Guy asked.

[Seth Meyers]

Me to hold this neon sign podcast show. All right, so space Olympics. I don't have to tell you guys. Not historically. The biggest hit off incredibad. A lot of songs off incredibad are going to land with a great deal more fanfare when they become shorts. Yet it's the first one you decide to do for the season premiere of snl. Is it because Phelps is the host?

[Akiva Schaffer]

Yes.

[Yoram]

With a bullet.

[Andy Samberg]

Yes.

[Akiva Schaffer]

One million percent. Like, there's no part of us that was like, space Olympics is one of our best ones that we have to lead with. We were like, oh, shit.

[Yoram]

Well, season premiere, guys. We got to bring it now.

[Seth Meyers]

The best thing about this, there's so many great things. He's barely in it, right?

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah, yeah.

[Seth Meyers]

So it's not like you make it about him. Right. You almost have to, as a viewer, do the work of. Oh, I bet they did this because he was there. Even people who don't know how TV works were probably like. And then he didn't have time to do the pre tape.

[Yoram]

Yeah, it excuses it very much.

[Seth Meyers]

So.

[Andy Samberg]

It was an Olympic themed episode. And here's a song about Olympics.

[Seth Meyers]

Olympic themed episodes are interesting because you think during the Summer Olympics that it will be the biggest. It is the biggest story in the world. And then by September, when the show premieres, it's kind of already not.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Well, that's an interesting thing for you to say specifically with me around after doing our pole vaulter bit this year.

[Seth Meyers]

Well, still, we. We built in that it was late.

[Akiva Schaffer]

The whole premise was that it was too late.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah, that was.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Well, the whole premise was about his giant, Giant, Giant, giant dong.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah. Phelpsy came in hosted. And also I remember sitting in that house that we talked about at length during the Incredib episodes. You played Space Olympics for me, Andy, and I laughed so hard that I was wheezing. Now, it is a certain kind of song that I love a great deal, which is. It's a lot about logistics and big singing about small things. And again, I keep tipping. I wish it would rain. It is the same thing. Kind of.

[Yoram]

Yeah. Almost a waste of time.

[Andy Samberg]

Strained, weird singing.

[Akiva Schaffer]

I will say Space Olympics was very much a solo joint.

[Yoram]

Yeah, it was. It was.

[Akiva Schaffer]

I love that beat. It's another Drew Campbell beat. And I immediately was like, I just love the melody of this and the futurism of it. I wrote, I think, a good deal of it before anyone even took a look at it, Keeven yormwise. And I think it shows the one thing, looking back on it that I really am shocked by and shocked that people don't have more of a problem with is there's like 30 to 40 seconds of vamping vocals at the top. Like, not even words.

[Andy Samberg]

I was shocked by what I would consider almost dead air. Yes. In the video.

[Yoram]

Yeah.

[Andy Samberg]

And I'd attribute it to. You were writing the song based on the music. Everything you just said, not thinking necessarily about a video at all.

[Akiva Schaffer]

No.

[Andy Samberg]

So it was like, oh, wow. We're free of thinking about videos and thinking about the audience. We're finally alone in Encino getting to just make art and make our music. And it's gonna be, you know, our funny music. But it's for the album experience. And you really feel that when you're watching the short. Cause, boy, oh boy, there's vamping. There's even moments, though, where you're not. There's no vocal.

[Seth Meyers]

Correct.

[Andy Samberg]

There's just music playing and shots of you kind of moving around.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Yep. Just kind of grooving.

[Yoram]

I love that you're bringing this up KE Andy. Now respond to that. Was that how you felt about it? That this was just like, fucking love this beat. Let this shit ride. I'm making art. Is that.

[Akiva Schaffer]

I mean, I know we talked about it at the time. I'm sure I played it. And Akiva was like, seems like a lot of dead air at the top. And I was like, I know.

[Yoram]

And being like, I know, right?

[Andy Samberg]

I think.

[Akiva Schaffer]

I think that fact in like an anti comedy way was funny to me. I don't think it's something we didn't think of.

[Yoram]

Okay, all right. So not art, but a different kind of joke.

[Andy Samberg]

No, we knew we were like, what is going to be on screen during these long gaps between jokes?

[Akiva Schaffer]

Yes.

[Yoram]

It may have been, though, that the build just needed that build though, you know, just maybe needed that. Can I just say one thing? Because Andy brought up that he oftentimes was very late to get up. Out of the three of us, he is the late riser usually. But I feel like this one was one that I remember walking into our little shitty room that we made all our music in and he was like. I was halfway through, like one of.

[Seth Meyers]

Those, like, oh, he got this idea and Woke up at 7am that's how he's like, I gotta get it down, I gotta lay down.

[Yoram]

May have been 10, but yeah, in.

[Akiva Schaffer]

The world of music, I don't think this just applies to comedy music. Being a late riser does not make you the least productive.

[Yoram]

Oh, no.

[Akiva Schaffer]

I was on fucking fire during our making of this album. I came up with so many song ideas just Sitting in there fucking around.

[Yoram]

It could have been three in the morning too, maybe. I walked in late after doing something and been like, oh, shit, this guy's on fire.

[Akiva Schaffer]

I was so that we finally were getting to make an album.

[Yoram]

Yeah, it was good times.

[Seth Meyers]

Some of the visuals that we get in the long opening vamp, I mean, you do yell reach for the stars pretty early, Right.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Which is a hilarious joke.

[Seth Meyers]

We see you and there is a moment where the audience laughs at your look.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Yep.

[Seth Meyers]

You have white hair. It's a very good wig.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Very good.

[Seth Meyers]

You're sashed. Good outfit. You're out by City Field, right?

[Yoram]

Yeah, we're at the old Men in Black stomping grounds.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah. So you're having fun on the set, but, like, there's a laugh and then it's so much vamping that, by the way, by the time you actually start singing, people have become completely used to you and they don't think there's anything funny about your look anymore.

[Akiva Schaffer]

No, they're just now in the world. It's world building. Really?

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah.

[Andy Samberg]

Is it twice as funny in the last minute when jokes are coming fast and that it had a slow burn because you kind of. You don't give up on the sketch. I wouldn't say that. No, no, no. You're kind of lulled into something. And then it ends so strong in the last minute with all the twists and turns and rapid fire of what's canceled and all the logistics that it is. Maybe there's some magic to the fact that it's kind of spongy at the beginning, let's say. I don't know.

[Seth Meyers]

It's pretty spongy. It is a very inspirational song about the Space Olympics. Andy yells out, skyline of red plateaus.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Strange air and vegetation.

[Seth Meyers]

You're a winner.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Welcome to the space.

[Andy Samberg]

He yells out, you're a winner. Before he said that. It's a song about the space.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah.

[Andy Samberg]

So you're just trying to understand what you're like, okay. Weird space guy.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah. Skyline of red plateaus. That's a very Andy line.

[Andy Samberg]

And then he's just like, you're a winner. And you're like, okay. Then he goes, welcome to the Space Olympics.

[Seth Meyers]

He's got one of those really nice. Andy, your name echoes in the halls of the universe. Feels like it's a couple syllables too long, but you make it work. I love that. Oh, yeah.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Had to. I mean, if it's so bad, Keith, how come it's Phil Lord and Chris Miller and Seth Meyer's favorite digital short?

[Andy Samberg]

I'm not even saying it's bad. I'm saying maybe there's a magic to it.

[Akiva Schaffer]

You're just saying you hate it.

[Seth Meyers]

And I should say I laughed when I heard it. I liked it less when I saw it.

[Andy Samberg]

Exactly. I made slightly uncomfortable in moments where I'm like, we're not fully in control necessarily. What Seth just said, I think is it because when you are just listening on an album experience, you can just vibe out on the cool music and on where's this going? There's something about having to stare you in the eyes while you're waiting for a tap. And that is more uncomfortable.

[Yoram]

Well, I think that that's a testament to like in watching it. I'm like, oh, I forgot how many stupid like fire and like shocking like what lightning comes out of his fingertips and you're just like. Because nothing's happening. We just like put a bunch of extra shit in there. Be like, maybe this is entertaining.

[Akiva Schaffer]

I was impressed with how many extra visual things you added. Like the shot that is just emoting and performing that you made into a shot of him blocking tons of missiles that have nothing to do with the story.

[Yoram]

I feel like I did a lot of that stuff.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah, that might be.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Oh, you did.

[Seth Meyers]

All right.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Well then I love that.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah, I did a lot of that.

[Yoram]

Yeah.

[Seth Meyers]

I would say first verse establishes there's a space Olympics.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Yeah.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah.

[Seth Meyers]

And that it's the year 3022. You second verse is the rules of the space Olympics and it is immediately. They are not grand at all. Every single galactic athlete needs a coded ID badge. Drug tests are mandatory. Carolina, the athletes village. His arms are gone.

[Akiva Schaffer]

You all get a junior suite. We don't cover incidentals, so keep your ass up the baby boy.

[Yoram]

I liked the cutaways to the junior suite so much. I was really surprised we didn't get one of the mini bar because I thought that would have been.

[Seth Meyers]

That's very, very. Details. A normal looking junior suite. I believe one shot of Phelps is you screaming in his ear. It's the space Olympics.

[Andy Samberg]

Yep, that sounds right.

[Seth Meyers]

One shot, one shot. Then third versus now. At first it was just kind of bad. Now stuff's going wrong. Me of day.

[Akiva Schaffer]

There was a bit of a budget snafu and food funding is insufficient.

[Seth Meyers]

We can't really enfor a curfew as.

[Akiva Schaffer]

There is no light or sound.

[Seth Meyers]

Just one of the many problems with hosting a sporting event.

[Akiva Schaffer]

This.

[Yoram]

That's my favorite line.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah.

[Yoram]

I just like the details of.

[Seth Meyers]

Well, then they start canceling events.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Space disc is totally Cancelled.

[Seth Meyers]

Space Swords is totally cancelled.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Space Lo is also cancelled and all.

[Seth Meyers]

Over a bit of landings.

[Akiva Schaffer]

I mean, there's a premise there. I think Kee would like it if it was twice as fast.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah, I don't dislike it. It's just a little middling to me. But I think that that gives it anarchy and that's why maybe Phil and Chris. Maybe what's appealing to them about it is that there's a sense of anarchy to it, I think.

[Yoram]

I'm sorry, this is Phil and Chris's favorite.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Why don't you just admit that you hate it and that you hate me?

[Yoram]

Hold on, is that true? For real?

[Akiva Schaffer]

Just admit to me finally that you.

[Andy Samberg]

Hate me and you hate this other.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Just admit both.

[Seth Meyers]

All I know is Phil and Chris better be getting a phone call about a voice note.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah.

[Seth Meyers]

This is even more shocking than the call for Punch me in the Jeans. So they're running out of oxygen. All the oxygen has run out. And someone who will not be me accidentally himself Destruct as you file to your escape pods I'll distract the alien hordes and as I tear dance in the face I know my sins will.

[Andy Samberg]

Take me to hell. Do you think he's talking about his sins in relation to what he did by creating Olympics in space or other sins that have been not named in the song?

[Seth Meyers]

I was reading it that what he has done to sort of throw the space Olympics into chaos.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Those were his sins and hitting the self destruct.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah. And also he had made the accounting errors.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Right.

[Seth Meyers]

And you did the most Andy face of like, all of a sudden you were definitely Andy and not that dude.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Yeah, maybe. Maybe Messed up the books.

[Andy Samberg]

Got it.

[Seth Meyers]

The last couplet though, is shocking and resonates more than anything. Do you remember the end of it? It's the craziest left turn.

[Yoram]

Oh, you mean that it goes into a Justin Timberlake song?

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Oh, yeah.

[Yoram]

And then he realized as he was writing it, I remember just being like, you know what this melody sounds a lot like? Just.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Yeah.

[Seth Meyers]

All of a sudden that this has been a love song to someone.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Seth Meyers]

I guess Space Olympic song about just all about logistics of space Olympics. But it turned out that you had written it to a woman and you wanted to let them know that no one could take.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Yoram]

And luckily we knew Justin and it wasn't a problem to say that.

[Andy Samberg]

I mean, we never cleared it or asked. We just did.

[Yoram]

Oh, fuck, we're get fucked if he listens to this.

[Seth Meyers]

Very funny. To me, he's not going to listen to this support for the Lonely island and Seth Meyers podcast comes from Airbnb. I want to tell you about my brother's wedding. You're well aware that he got married.

[Andy Samberg]

I was there. Yeah, I witnessed.

[Seth Meyers]

You were there. You stayed at a hotel like a sucker.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah, Yeah, I did.

[Seth Meyers]

Well, you know, I had my kids with me and we did an Airbnb in an A frame. My kids loved it so much. The adventure of being in a home, especially a home shaped like a letter. One of the ones they knew, you know, A. That's kind of the.

[Andy Samberg]

It's the first one they learned.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Yeah.

[Seth Meyers]

Even my 3 year old was excited that the house was shaped like an A. Yeah.

[Andy Samberg]

It wasn't like a W house. No, thanks.

[Seth Meyers]

And it was nice too, because, you know, obviously wedding. I feel like the hotel. And again, you weren't a sucker. The hotel was a great place to be. It was banging. The party was going on all night long.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah. But you showed up refreshed.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah, I showed up refreshed.

[Andy Samberg]

I was hearing stuff through the walls all night long.

[Seth Meyers]

Well, that's the thing, right? There were people there who were really partying. We were not that.

[Andy Samberg]

This was a lot of adults away from their kids for the weekend, so they were making the best of it.

[Seth Meyers]

So the Airbnb was nice because one, I had a place where my kids were not disturbed. Two, I had a place to put my kids so that no one else had to be worried about disturbing them. And also, it was just. It was a lovely. I think sometimes it's stressful to have your kids in a hotel. I could not speak highly enough about our A shaped Airbnb. So thank you to Airbnb. Support comes from Thrive Market. Keith.

[Andy Samberg]

Yes. I showed up just for Thrive. You know, I do ad reads sometimes, but I just hopped on because I was excited you were gonna do Thrive Market. Sorry. Sorry for the spoiler. Go ahead.

[Seth Meyers]

You care about eating healthy and your family eating healthy.

[Andy Samberg]

We've talked about on this podcast about the Odos and the Grape Nuts and the healthy cereals that we reluctantly. But now, you know, we respect our parents for the hustle, for trying you, Berkeley.

[Seth Meyers]

Three, you were ahead of the curve on healthy eating thanks to your parents.

[Andy Samberg]

That's true. And I was actually just thinking about this the other day because I wanted a Gatorade that I remembered when I was a kid that didn't have all those red number 40s and stuff in it.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah.

[Andy Samberg]

And I remembered there was something called Recharge. And I remembered when I was a kid, there was a grocery delivery, no joke, that we would get to our house. I don't know how it was ordered, probably over the phone. And it would have all these really healthy kind of things.

[Seth Meyers]

Well, here's the thing. I have really good news for you because Thrive Market, who we're talking about here, has this thing called Healthy Swaps. And basically you tell them you're looking for a Gatorade and they'll be like, hey, here you go. This is the better version. And you can put stuff in yourself and your children that you trust more. So here's the thing. Thrive Market wants you to get the junk food out of your pantry and out of your bellies. They're trying very hard. They've thought it out. Smart Cart takes the guesswork out of Healthy Shopping. You create account. They ask about your family's needs. They build a cart full of cleaner versions of your favorite brands. You could tweak it before checking out, but it's a great way to get started. If you're ready for a junk free start to 2025, head to thrivemarket.com island and get 30% off your first order plus a free $60 gift. That's T H R I V E market.com island thrivemarket.com island I'd like to.

[Andy Samberg]

Remembering that we didn't build a single set. That we made an entire short set in outer space and didn't do anything.

[Akiva Schaffer]

We did build one set.

[Andy Samberg]

Which one?

[Akiva Schaffer]

The very end spaceship is. Is a flat in front of a green screen.

[Andy Samberg]

Ah, let me pull that.

[Yoram]

Really?

[Akiva Schaffer]

Yeah. Wow. We had some money with the aliens and everything, Keith.

[Andy Samberg]

Oh, oh, oh, yeah, you're right. All right, take it back. We built one set but like all the stuff of like everyone wandering around through the catacombs of the spaceship with all the wires. That's just the floor of 30 Rock that we did nothing to.

[Yoram]

It was just under construction.

[Andy Samberg]

It was just a construction. That's all. Just like the ethernet and stuff of them trying to figure out how to build a new floor at 30 Rock.

[Yoram]

It was perfect for this guy's version of the Space Olympics. Like, it's like everything's not good.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah. It looks like a falling apart spaceship. And then all the other things. Yes. Is just in the Bronx at that place where they did the World's Fair. And then we just. Did we put blue screen behind Andy when he's standing in the ones where it is stuff or did we just put sky behind him and roto out the sky?

[Yoram]

I bet we did blue Screen there.

[Andy Samberg]

Right.

[Yoram]

Just like knocked it all out. I mean, it doesn't look like we spent a shitload of time.

[Akiva Schaffer]

The thing that's interesting about it to me is, and I remember thinking of this at the time is some of the shots, to me as a sci fi person, look fucking awesome.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Like the one of me that I'm on, like some metal planet thing and there's like a really legit stock footage spaceship above me.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah.

[Akiva Schaffer]

You do it for like two seconds twice. But the comping on it to me looks totally good and legit for what we were doing.

[Andy Samberg]

Right. But it's because there's a straight line. I'm looking at that shot right now, and it's that that thing just exists. That giant old fountain. You're in a fountain.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Yes.

[Andy Samberg]

And it's empty. And so there was a straight line on the edge of the fountain. So we just shot it locked off. And then we could just draw a line at the top of the fountain. And so it's just a split screen between that stock shot and you. Yeah, it was co. Yeah, works.

[Akiva Schaffer]

And I thought all the World's Fair stuff looked really cool too.

[Andy Samberg]

That's true. The World's Fair stuff just looks cool. Cause that's just real shots with that stuff in the background. It's cool.

[Yoram]

Is that just Rosie? Were we just shooting with Rosie on that one by that point?

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah. Yeah. We had not graduated to outside of snl. People, really.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Anyway, I thought everyone did a great job.

[Andy Samberg]

I was surprised when there were people. I didn't think it sucked. I think it's good. But I was surprised when some people were like. It was also two other writers not from snl, Pete Hike and Alex Gregory. But I remember Pete Hike being like, if that's what your Elms, like, sign me up. Like, as if it was sticking a box around on a boat or something. So there is a certain type of person that. Again, I think it's the anarchy of it. And this may be the slow burn into all the jokes at the end.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah.

[Yoram]

I do not just, like, disagree with you, Andy, but I do want to have everyone hear that Andy said, I thought some of it looked really great. And then have people go watch it. Just go watch Space Olympics and then see if you thought it looked really great.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Well, some of it looks really bad. I mean, the completion of the thought is. And then some of the shots look very, very clearly, like lo fi, shitty green screen and takes you out of it. If it all looked incredible, maybe that would be a joke unto itself. That we spent all of that time and energy on making it look like a real sci fi movie. And the song is so fucking meandering.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah, maybe. But also the homemade feeling. Tim Narek y kind of vibe is not bad for it either.

[Akiva Schaffer]

No, I think it protects us.

[Seth Meyers]

So we will say it's not criterion, but it's best of Sci Fi Olympics.

[Andy Samberg]

Oh, that's a category. We've got Kim's video Sci Fi olympics on the YouTube clip. There's a lot of interesting ones. Sam Jones. Something something says this is top five. The lack of an audience reaction actually makes it better because they are in shock. I remember watching live with my mouth agape, enjoying every single second. It's just absolute perfection. Thank you, Lonely Island.

[Yoram]

Oh, my God. Thank you, Sam Jones.

[Andy Samberg]

I think Andy did okay, considering the fact he was one man trying to host an intergalactic sporting event that's got 1800 likes.

[Akiva Schaffer]

I mean, I tend to agree.

[Andy Samberg]

There's another one from five years ago. I love that they just kind of let Andy Samberg do whatever he wanted and then aired it.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah.

[Andy Samberg]

So there is a feeling. That's the anarchy I'm getting at. They can tell. They know there's no oversight.

[Yoram]

Yes.

[Seth Meyers]

It is so funny to think. Think of you having to go to Lauren's office and be like, it's the space Olympics approved.

[Andy Samberg]

That's what I mean. Like, the fact that you can sense you're getting something that's been unfiltered, I think is part of what makes it good.

[Yoram]

Yeah, I agree with that. Sure.

[Akiva Schaffer]

I mean, it's also hilarious. This was the first one where we were like, we had the whole summer to make stuff and polish it and make sure it was really good. Not like those things we had to do on the fly like Lazy Sunday and Dick in a Box. And this was the first one. Everyone must have been like, like, huh?

[Seth Meyers]

Hey, you know that long Runway we were building for those guys?

[Akiva Schaffer]

Turns out it maybe is a curse.

[Andy Samberg]

All right, here's another. These are all positive ones that have a little bit of negativity built in. But I think it's getting at what I'm getting at. This is From Diana Martins, 31. Literally my favorite digital short ever. Instant classic. I can't wait till they cover this one on the podcast. I love how it basically says nothing for a whole minute, then jumps right in, and you're expected to be on board.

[Akiva Schaffer]

That's what they love.

[Andy Samberg]

Could be just said as an insult, but that is actually getting exactly what I'm saying. That the slow burn and then twist of it, I think is satisfying on some level.

[Akiva Schaffer]

What it's telling me also is that we had people's trust. You know what I mean?

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah.

[Akiva Schaffer]

And I think somewhere it's earned and intentional. Like I was saying before, like, we were like, on this one, we're just going to let that bitch breathe.

[Seth Meyers]

You know what I mean? Nobody would accuse it of being mailed in or lazy.

[Yoram]

No, no. There's clear effort there. I'll say this. Hearing these comments, I definitely just love humans.

[Andy Samberg]

I do think the people who like this sketch are maybe good people that I like. Here's one from Ashley here. It says masterpiece. Either it's Criterion Collection or they're wrong.

[Seth Meyers]

Oh, wow.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Yeah. Another winner.

[Seth Meyers]

I do want to jump ahead. Not to Rice away from Space Olympics, but this was kind of a perfect Andy episode because we had all of your skills on display in the short. And then we had live Andy in update. Andy, do you remember who you were in update?

[Akiva Schaffer]

I'm gonna maybe be right because I'm remembering that the host was Phelps. Is it Mark Spitz?

[Seth Meyers]

It was not Mark Spitz.

[Yoram]

Oh, I know you have Alzheimer's.

[Seth Meyers]

You're.

[Yoram]

You are so forgetful. Yes.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Oh, my gosh.

[Seth Meyers]

I won't even say a full word. And you'll get it.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Okay.

[Seth Meyers]

Ack.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Oh, Kathy.

[Seth Meyers]

Kathy.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Was that my first Kathy?

[Seth Meyers]

It maybe is. I mean, the fact that you played Kathy, it is crazier than the fact that you wrote a song about the space Olympics. Right.

[Yoram]

Explain who Kathy even is.

[Andy Samberg]

Was Kathy in the news?

[Seth Meyers]

Here was the setup to Kathy. Kathy was a comic strip character. Probably still. They're probably still making Kathy's. I don't know.

[Yoram]

Probably. It's like Garfield.

[Seth Meyers]

Kathy was just a woman of the world who was just dealing with the many pressures of being a working woman. Is that.

[Yoram]

Yeah, she had a lot of stuff in her purse.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Yeah.

[Andy Samberg]

She had a lot of dating problems.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah. That just, you know, she was a modern woman. Here's the setup. To answer your question, Keev, was Kathy in the news? Well, summer's officially over, and as kids return to school, so must vacationing adults return to work. Here to talk about back to work blues is funny section favorite Kathy from the comic strip Kathy.

[Akiva Schaffer]

There have been thinner intros.

[Seth Meyers]

There have been thinner intros, probably. And a lot of them. A lot of those thin intros ended with you rolling out in a different color.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Well, when allowed, we want to get into it.

[Seth Meyers]

Here's a few Kathy's. So I take it you're not excited.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Then being at work is like being asleep. Seth, wake me up when I'm a size 5.

[Seth Meyers]

I really appreciate how you could find my voice in your features, Andy. Here was my reaction to that. Okay.

[Andy Samberg]

That's your voice as written by Andy.

[Akiva Schaffer]

I was always trying to keep in mind. I was trying to give you something good to do, you know?

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah. You want to know the best way to hold on to a man? A leash. My mom drives me crazy. I'm not doing them justice by reading it flatly, but.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Akiva Schaffer]

A leash. My mom. It's like a tag. Yeah.

[Andy Samberg]

There's timing.

[Seth Meyers]

Shockingly now, I think it might not be the maiden voyage, based on my reaction to this line.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Finding a good man is like trying to find something in my purse. Impossible. Chocolate ass.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah. I was waiting for chocolate. That makes me think I've interacted with Kathy before.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Yeah, exactly. We all know Kathy.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah.

[Andy Samberg]

Andy, did the woman who created Kathy at some point write you a nice little note? I feel like I remember that.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Yes. I still have it up on my wall in my home. Cause it was very meaningful to me. She sent me a framed original three cell Kathy strip where Kathy and Irving are talking about watching me playing Kathy on snl. And it's. And it meant a lot to me. And I sent her flowers back and I hope she got them because she didn't have to do that.

[Seth Meyers]

It's really lovely. It was not judgmental of Kathy. It was more a celebratory character for you to play.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Yes. The joke was much more that I was doing Kathy. Not anything about Kathy. I grew up and still. But I just love the funny pages. It just makes me so happy. I love just seeing a whole thing of just a bunch of little cartoons and getting to read them just is a wonderful thing. Big.

[Seth Meyers]

I mean, I feel the same way. It was a big deal. Yeah.

[Andy Samberg]

It's one of actually the sadder parts of print media. Dying.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah.

[Yoram]

Is it dying?

[Andy Samberg]

Oh, boy.

[Seth Meyers]

His limitless pill wore off.

[Yoram]

I get the New York Times. I actually get it delivered to my house. To me, in this household, it isn't dying.

[Seth Meyers]

Oh, hey. I have another podcast. You know, Josh and I interviewed Bill Gates.

[Andy Samberg]

Whoa.

[Seth Meyers]

And somehow wordle came up. And then I said, do you do the spelling bee? And he said, yeah, I do the spelling bee. And I said, do you stop at genius? And he's like, no, I. I go to queen bee. And I thought there was. It made me laugh so hard that the two people I know who go to queen bee are Sandberg and Bill Gates.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Are you stopping the story and saying you didn't tell him that I also get Queen be.

[Seth Meyers]

I didn't tell him mostly because I real confident. I do not take this the wrong way. I wasn't getting the sort of cultural literacy from him that he would have any idea who you were.

[Akiva Schaffer]

He wasn't going to know who you were talking about.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah, yeah.

[Andy Samberg]

Maybe not where he's spending his time.

[Akiva Schaffer]

So what? So you got him on because what.

[Seth Meyers]

He'S seen your show, he's been on my show.

[Akiva Schaffer]

So that's how he knows who you are. But not me.

[Seth Meyers]

Well, if you want to have him on your show, a little bit of.

[Andy Samberg]

Trivia on the woman who created Kathy. Her first name, Kathy.

[Seth Meyers]

Look at that.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah. And Irving, the husband was later played by Timberlake on the show with you.

[Akiva Schaffer]

That's right.

[Andy Samberg]

And I have that fresh in my brain because they showed a picture of it during the 50 years in music Questlove and Oz doc that we watched.

[Akiva Schaffer]

That's right. And Jessica Biel came out as Jessica Rabbit.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah.

[Akiva Schaffer]

But now that you've breached the subject, Keev, has everyone on this watched the Questlove document?

[Seth Meyers]

I have not. I've watched the opening and I have not watched the full doc. And the opening is one of the best things I've ever seen.

[Yoram]

Yeah, that's very true.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Well, we'll talk about it again when you've seen it then. Seth. It's so fun.

[Andy Samberg]

But the doc is very, very good for anybody at home that has not watched. It's on Peacock and it's Questlove and Oz Rodriguez, who is a director at SNL who did a bunch of shorts after we left. And it's like a two and a half hour music documentary about the 50 years of music at SNL. And it's truly just a great documentary in general.

[Seth Meyers]

I've heard great things about all the SNL docs that they've. There's one on auditioning in the writers room, but that is the one that I think has left people absolutely in awe.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah, those other ones are really good, but they feel a little more like for the super SNL fan, which anybody listening to this probably is. So I would watch all those, but the music one feels almost bigger than the show. It feels like it's putting some other context on everything in a really cool way. And we have a nice little section in it.

[Seth Meyers]

I'm very excited to watch it and we'll talk about it once I watch it. I probably did not do my homework but once I watch it, we will talk about it. A few quick memories about the Phelps show. There was definitely a sketch. Do you remember? He started a sketch and he was just lovely and he was, you know, obviously legendary athlete, fantastic representative of this country. He started a sketch fully coughing. Do you remember that, Andy?

[Akiva Schaffer]

That I didn't remember the Seth's Corner one. I was there for. I was standing right there.

[Andy Samberg]

He's known for enjoying marijuana publicly.

[Seth Meyers]

This was before any of us knew that about him.

[Yoram]

True.

[Andy Samberg]

But people who are known for marijuana sometimes enter rooms coughing.

[Seth Meyers]

That wasn't even that. It was more, I think that you just remembered Land as his second best surface.

[Akiva Schaffer]

He is aquatic. There's just no way around it. Yeah, yeah, Lovely, by the way. Super nice.

[Seth Meyers]

Yes.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Down to clown.

[Seth Meyers]

It is so funny the way he's built. You just realize, oh, you could swim every day and still be a thousand yards behind this guy because he's just like, yeah.

[Akiva Schaffer]

He was born to win gold medals in swimming events at the Olympics. Yes. And worked hard.

[Seth Meyers]

Support comes from Rince. What's up, Keev?

[Andy Samberg]

What's going on?

[Seth Meyers]

You know, you were just telling me before we started recording, you can do everything on your phone these days. Yeah.

[Andy Samberg]

Oh my God, these things are amazing. Have you used the phone yet?

[Seth Meyers]

I have. I just got the phone and you know, book a vacation, buy and trade stocks. But did you know thanks to Rinse Keev, you can also make your dirty laundry disappear and then reappear? Keev, like magic.

[Andy Samberg]

That's key. I got scared. I got scared for a second. I was like, why would. I was like, I picked out all that clothes and I paid money for it.

[Seth Meyers]

But good news, perfectly washed and folded. Thanks to Rinse.

[Andy Samberg]

I remember back in my New York days, you know, at the times of this podcast, I did have the like, how do you do laundry? And there was a machine and I had. I was in a five floor walk up. I had to walk up and down five floors to get to the machine. And then you're like, is someone gonna steal my stuff? And this seems better.

[Seth Meyers]

It's a lot better. Your laundry dry cleaning is clean and folded. You feel happier. I know when I see my laundry folded courtesy of the good people at rents. I don't know, I feel like a life hack has been accomplished. You know what I mean?

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah. That's the kind of thing that makes you happy, Seth.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah. Just folded clothes.

[Andy Samberg]

Keith, it's so nice that we can know each other for this long and then I kind of learn one of your little. I Don't know. Picadillos. I don't know what you call it. One of your little. Just something that makes you. Puts a smile on your face. It's nice. Cause I know I can, you know, maybe tell your wife, like, hey, Valentine's Day's coming up. I know something that puts a smile on Seth's face.

[Seth Meyers]

Fold it up. Hey, I have bad news, Keev, though. They don't do dry cleaning. Okay. No, that was a bit. I was pulling the rug out for money. They do do dry cleaning.

[Andy Samberg]

Oh my gosh. I was just being polite. I said okay, but I was like, geez, what are we sp. Yeah, I was gutted. Oh, this one is a roller coaster. I gotta tell you. First, I think that the stuff's all gonna disappear. Now I'm worried about no dry cleaning.

[Seth Meyers]

Oh, now it's all good news. No more back and forth. No more zigging and zagging. You can sign [e-mail], get $20 off your first order. That is R I N S E.com.

[Yoram]

Support comes from Aurora Frames. Okay, you guys, I think we all know people who like taking pictures. That seems to be a big thing these days with us all having cameras in our pockets 24 hours a day.

[Andy Samberg]

But guess what?

[Yoram]

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[Seth Meyers]

About.

[Yoram]

And for good reason. It's easy to set up and they have different frame options, which are amazing. You know what I like to do, guys, is I like to go around the world and buy shot glasses. Commemorative shot glasses. Got one in Finland recently and took a photo of myself buying it because my wife really hates them. What better way to commemorate the moment? By framing it with Aurora and putting it in my house. She hated that. That as well. Don't take my idea, guys. But you know, you can do your own fun things. Best part is that it comes with unlimited storage. All you need is the free Aurora app with a WI FI connection and you can upload as many photos and videos as you want year round. Right now you can save on the perfect gift that keeps on given by visiting auroraframes.com for a limited time, listeners can get 20 off their best selling Carver Mat frame with Code Island. That's a frames.com promo. Code Island. Don't forget to mention that we sent you to show your support for the show. Terms and conditions apply.

[Seth Meyers]

You want to go to Seth's Corner real quick?

[Akiva Schaffer]

Seth's Corner.

[Yoram]

You're all invited. Seth's Corner. It's happening right now.

[Seth Meyers]

Take it away, Seth. Yeah, it was the cold open. It was the Tina Fey as Palin, Amy Poehler, Sally Clinton. Cold open.

[Andy Samberg]

Oh, wow.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah.

[Akiva Schaffer]

All time classic.

[Seth Meyers]

It's an all time classic. But tonight we are crossing party lines.

[Akiva Schaffer]

To address the now very ugly role.

[Seth Meyers]

That sexism is playing in the campaign. An issue which I am frankly surprised to hear people suddenly care about. You know, Hillary and I don't agree on everything. I believe that diplomacy should be the cornerstone of any foreign policy.

[Akiva Schaffer]

And I can see Russia from my house.

[Seth Meyers]

I think there's maybe five times you maybe had more than I did, but I think five times where I had something in 10 plus years where I was so confident. And by the way, this confidence was based more on Tina and Amy than anything I'd put on the page. I was so confident it was gonna crush that I actually, like, watched it on the floor as opposed to behind a bleacher through. Through webbed fingers.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Dude. There was no question it was about to be a moment.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah.

[Akiva Schaffer]

And the writing was so funny and, like, everyone in the country was watching.

[Seth Meyers]

Everybody wanted it.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Everyone wanted it. It was a supercharged moment when, like, the show met the moment. And when that happens, that's when SNL is the most powerful.

[Andy Samberg]

Was this the first Palin?

[Seth Meyers]

It was the first Palin.

[Andy Samberg]

So we had had all summer.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah, a couple of months where there.

[Andy Samberg]

Had been, like, primaries and stuff. And America and the world had gotten to know Palin. And there was all the talk of, like, oh, is this gonna be Tina?

[Seth Meyers]

Yes.

[Andy Samberg]

Who's gonna play her? She clearly had the glasses and the brown hair. It seemed like it was gonna happen. And this is the payoff moment where everybody's tuning in to see what the take is gonna be. And this is the start of a run for you, Seth.

[Seth Meyers]

Yes.

[Andy Samberg]

Because you were the one in charge of those. And this was a huge thing for the show.

[Seth Meyers]

It was incredibly helpful, obviously, to have somebody like Tina involved who has, you know, brought a lot of both performingwriting skills. People forget she was not on the cast at the time. She would come back to do these. While she was also doing 30 back. One could argue that her sort of de facto joining the cast for a couple of months really lends to and golden era status.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Yeah, agree.

[Seth Meyers]

But, yeah, it was thrilling because we had, you know, we'll keep talking about Them as they go. But it was the. Maybe the most I felt like you guys felt, which is that, oh, now we got to do one better than that one.

[Yoram]

Right?

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah. Pressure was on after that.

[Yoram]

Yeah. You can tell because we did space Olympics.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah, Right.

[Yoram]

Needed to top ourselves.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Seth, this might not be our story to tell, but I believe you're aware of it, too. That summer, after Palin joined the race and got added to the ticket, Lauren would always tell the story that for, like, a week, everywhere he went, people kept saying to him, it's a gift. Yeah, It's a gift. Mr. Michaels, like his doorman. And people, like, everywhere he went, all over town, they were like, she's perfect. She looks exactly like her.

[Yoram]

It's a gift.

[Akiva Schaffer]

And he took that with him and was like, all right.

[Andy Samberg]

Like.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Like, Tina, you kind of.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah.

[Akiva Schaffer]

It seems like the universe is just saying this is supposed to happen.

[Yoram]

Yeah. If my doorman needs.

[Seth Meyers]

The way Lauren tells it is both Robert De Niro and his doorman told him on the same day.

[Akiva Schaffer]

That's better. Yeah.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah, that's right. And it's just at that point, that's.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Probably why I was doing that voice.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah.

[Akiva Schaffer]

You were my spot on De Niro.

[Seth Meyers]

And, oh, I will say there's another thing that happens. I don't quite understand which part of this it is that makes Lauren do this, but people were, again, frothing for it before it even started, which is a nice way to start with a cold open. Right. And then it started crushing. And I remember that was one of those times where Lauren, under the bleachers said, get Keith because he was upset where the flags were in the sketch. And again, there's so. It's so rare where you have written something and you're standing next to Lauren and it's just destroying. And in your head, it's the day he turns and just gives you a firm handshake and says, I knew you could do it. And instead, he's like, the flags.

[Andy Samberg]

I know. That exact thing.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah. It's such a funny move because the amount you want to say, I'm positive we can move them between dress and air. I'm positive we can move the flag.

[Andy Samberg]

You're also desperate to not have him miss a joke.

[Seth Meyers]

A hundred percent.

[Andy Samberg]

You're down there like, you're talking about the flags. He's doing. They're doing the setup for the next joke.

[Akiva Schaffer]

You're going to miss the next joke.

[Seth Meyers]

If you said that, though, to Lauren. If you said you're going to miss the joke. And this Is a. Again, one of his. I think part of it is, I'm not gonna let people get too low. I'm not gonna let people get too high. And if you said you just missed a joke, he would say, I know there's good jokes. You know, he'd make you feel silly for being needy.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah.

[Seth Meyers]

Almost like, I know I pay you to write good jokes, and I know you can do it.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Yes. And it's in the show because of the jokes now. It needs to be the right version of the sketch.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah. You have to play it real cool.

[Yoram]

He's good at what he does.

[Akiva Schaffer]

But, Seth, this is so. I mean, I love talking about all this, but I wasn't even thinking this was gonna be Seth's corner. I thought it was gonna be the thing you had that got cut.

[Seth Meyers]

Was that Justice League?

[Andy Samberg]

Yes.

[Seth Meyers]

Tell me about. I can't really remember.

[Yoram]

Oh, my God, you have such a bad memory.

[Andy Samberg]

Yorms ripped all of us today.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Yeah.

[Yoram]

All three of you guys are a fucking mess.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Seth wrote a Justice League sketch with Phelps as Aquaman. I was in it. I don't remember who I was. I might not have been in it, though.

[Andy Samberg]

Yhorm.

[Yoram]

You were in it.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Great. Lockbox. That's an SNL reference. And at dread. And by the way, this is not the only reason it got cut. Michael Phelps, who is not an actor in the middle of a line, just couldn't get his line. Just was like. That's right. That's. Just went like that. And then started the line over, and we were all just like, oh, no.

[Seth Meyers]

We'Re not supposed to do that. Yeah.

[Akiva Schaffer]

I mean, it didn't matter as much, especially because it was dragged. Guess. But he went, they ought to shake that out. We're like, we're doing the show.

[Seth Meyers]

All I will say is, now, again, sometimes it takes a full, like, 17 years. I definitely should have written a Justice League sketch where every time Aquaman talked, he was super bad at talking. He was, like, quiet and, like, bubbles in his mouth. And it was just a lot of Superman being like, look, guys, he's not up here a lot. He shouldn't be up here.

[Yoram]

Can I go back down?

[Akiva Schaffer]

You know, like, air tastes weird, right, guys? Just.

[Seth Meyers]

Just chugging waters.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Well, anyhow, it was wonderful. That sketch didn't play great.

[Andy Samberg]

That sketch is a Kenward Myers joint.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah, Kenward Myers. Who did Andy play in it?

[Andy Samberg]

Bill, as Superman, presides over a meeting of the Justice League. So I've got some bad news, gang. We all know that the economy hasn't been so hot lately. And not to bore you with the details, but it looks like we're going to have to let one of you go. That's the premise.

[Akiva Schaffer]

It's a surf meeting.

[Andy Samberg]

Andy, you have the next line, but it doesn't say who you are. Your next line is, it's me, right? Oh, no. Flash, you're the fastest man on earth. You're essential to the team. Then Will says, great, I'll go clean out my locker. No, Hawkman, you're a hawk and a man. That's like two for the price of one. Then Will, who amongst the Justice League is less than essential? Michael enters as Aquaman. He's wearing an open Hawaiian shirt over his costume. He's carrying a couple of fishing poles. Wow. What's up? Are we having a meeting?

[Yoram]

It's full on surf meeting.

[Seth Meyers]

It's full on surf meeting. We went back to Lavell.

[Yoram]

Hey, what's up? What are we talking about?

[Seth Meyers]

Oh, my gosh. Will you guys do something for me?

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah, yeah.

[Seth Meyers]

Go to dress. It's Don's script. Don Roy King, the director. And if you page down after all the things, there's a blank piece after the time codes of the cold open. And clearly someone has done a drawing of where Tina and Amy are. And the purpose of the drawing is where the flag should be.

[Andy Samberg]

Wait, what page?

[Seth Meyers]

Page 10.

[Andy Samberg]

Oh, yeah. Tina, Amy, four flags.

[Seth Meyers]

It's a remedial drawing of four flags.

[Andy Samberg]

It's like a reminder, and it's got the camera. It's like. Yeah, it's going to be pointed at the podium, and then there's going to be flags behind.

[Seth Meyers]

We're going to put this in the show notes just so you can see. This is while. While that famous sketch was crushing. Somebody had to make this tiny drawing.

[Yoram]

It's all about the details, guys.

[Seth Meyers]

There's a really funny game show called Quiz bowl that Lutz, Jost, and Rich wrote. Simon. It was a, like, a public school kid, three kids. Casey Wilson, Bobby Moynihan, who are new to the cast. Kena Thompson. And then on the other side, it was Forte Poehler and Michael Phelps. And they were homeschool, and they were just some, like, weird, homeschooled weirdo. And Wig was their mom. And she kept wandering out to complain about answers that she thought were actually right. 10 points.

[Akiva Schaffer]

What substance in human blood transports oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body?

[Seth Meyers]

Jasper family. Tiny gremlins.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Wow. No.

[Andy Samberg]

Yes, it is.

[Seth Meyers]

Yes, they are.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Yes.

[Andy Samberg]

Wow. Tiny gremlins.

[Seth Meyers]

There's tiny Gremlins in our bodies.

[Andy Samberg]

I've seen them in my microscope.

[Yoram]

Okay, Mrs. Jasper, we've asked you to.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Stay with the other parents and please not interfere with the game, please. Okay.

[Seth Meyers]

Also, Sudeikis is the host and he's getting very frustrated that the Richmond High kids aren't buzzing in what triggered the World War I.

[Yoram]

Yes, Jasper.

[Andy Samberg]

Boys and girls swimming together.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Wrong.

[Andy Samberg]

No.

[Akiva Schaffer]

It was the assassination of Arch Duke Ferdinand Richmond. You guys can jump in anytime here. All right, if you don't mind. All right, here we go.

[Andy Samberg]

Here, guys.

[Akiva Schaffer]

What ingredient causes bread to rise?

[Yoram]

Swear words.

[Seth Meyers]

What's that? Swear words.

[Akiva Schaffer]

No, no, you're wrong. No, it's Yeast Richmond. Guys, come on.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeast.

[Yoram]

Doesn't ring a bell.

[Akiva Schaffer]

All right.

[Seth Meyers]

No.

[Andy Samberg]

Seth.

[Seth Meyers]

Yes.

[Andy Samberg]

As head writer, though, you would sometimes get those nice moments with Lauren, right?

[Seth Meyers]

Definitely.

[Andy Samberg]

I feel like there's so many people whose stories are just never getting that nice moment. And I'll say for me, just personally, for as hard as the show is and as much as sometimes you are mad at it and mad at the bot bosses and stuff Lauren did often after a short. Be like, it played. Nice work.

[Seth Meyers]

Yes.

[Andy Samberg]

You know, like, he actually would give me nice handshake. Or at the after party, be like, good one tonight.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Yep.

[Seth Meyers]

Whatever sort of iciness was under the bleachers at the party, I think that was all in the past.

[Andy Samberg]

Yes.

[Seth Meyers]

He had a real good job vibe at the party.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Yep. For sure.

[Andy Samberg]

And I think there might be writers, maybe less so now, but people who didn't bother going over to him at the after party because you just don't want to bother him. And he's the boss and they never got that side of it. So they just the. No nonsense. Time is money. You know, it's between dress and air. There's no time for niceties. We just gotta get it done. Side of the bosses.

[Seth Meyers]

Yes.

[Andy Samberg]

As opposed to ever getting the like. And now I've had a glass of wine and the pressure's off. And hey, nice piece tonight. You know what? It could have been a little better like this, but I liked it. You know, just the nice version of it. And I think we were all lucky that we got to the level or whatever at the show or comfortableness to.

[Seth Meyers]

Right. I don't blame any young writer who makes the choice not to go over, but if you did sort of push through that, that the most encouraging and warmest version for sure.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Something I learned over time and that I've learned even more even just in going back this year, this past season is like the Notion that he maybe is checked out or doesn't care is insanity.

[Seth Meyers]

Oh, yeah.

[Akiva Schaffer]

He cares so much. He's so invested. He knows all the jokes in the sketches. He wants them all to work. He wants everyone to crush it. Like, he is the manager of the sports team and he wants everyone to hit a home run. And he's thinking about it all day the time.

[Yoram]

He wants the flags in the right place too, you know?

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah. Seriously, details, Honestly, by the way, the flags in the right places is because he does care about it.

[Yoram]

Yeah, yeah.

[Andy Samberg]

Down to that detail.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah.

[Akiva Schaffer]

No, a lot of people will always be like, it's crazy how Lauren always has a note on a thing that's really working. And it took me a while to be like, it's because he knows it's good and so he wants it to be perfect.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah, yeah.

[Andy Samberg]

And he knows it's going to be on tv. He's like, that's in. So let's get it right.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Right, Exactly.

[Seth Meyers]

The last time I saw him, I remember one of the first things he said was some version of how funny was this cast member in that sketch. And it had been the last show that it aired. And I thought, oh, that's really nice.

[Yoram]

Yeah, he still cares, man.

[Seth Meyers]

And then I felt like I maybe played it wrong because I was like, what was when I was funny.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Oh, is that what you did?

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah, I was like, they're not here right now. I am.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Yeah.

[Seth Meyers]

What was I funny in? Dad, the waiter was there. And so the waiters heard it.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Yeah, the waiter was like, jesus Christ.

[Seth Meyers]

Because I think it happens a lot.

[Yoram]

This conversation Again, easy to be funny once a week.

[Andy Samberg]

Try four nights a week.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Like, do you watch my show every night?

[Seth Meyers]

It's funny.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Last I checked, you were a producer.

[Yoram]

Yeah.

[Andy Samberg]

Your name's on it. I had flags all over the place. You didn't have any notes.

[Seth Meyers]

I put a flag everywhere. That's what I should. You know what? Because he would a lorno. It was always like, it looks like the flag's coming out of their head. Which, you know, I think I don't have to tell everybody here what it looks like. There's a flag behind somebody. Looks like it's coming out of their head. I should start doing my monologue with a flag coming out of my head. And that'll be the way to know if he's watching.

[Yoram]

Just to know if he loves you watching.

[Andy Samberg]

He.

[Seth Meyers]

This walks in mid monologue. It's like, very funny. Get the flag out of there.

[Yoram]

We should get him on this pod just to See, if he says I love you at the end to us, he will. All right, I love you guys.

[Seth Meyers]

All right, so here's what's coming up. Hey. Is coming up. Extreme Challenge is coming up. Ross Trent is coming up. And everyone's a critic. Is coming up.

[Andy Samberg]

Did you say Jam the Vote?

[Seth Meyers]

I didn't.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Jam the Vote was an election special on a Thursday.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah, but that should count.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah, we should do Jam the Vote.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah, we should talk about the Thursday things because that was a big thing for you, Seth.

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah.

[Yoram]

Made everything easier to do a Thursday show as well as a Saturday show.

[Andy Samberg]

And it was a little bit unprecedented in my mind, even though maybe they'd say, oh, we did in the 80s or something.

[Seth Meyers]

Well, this was the Gauntlet. We had T shirts printed up that said the Gauntlet. Because we did ten in a row.

[Yoram]

Right?

[Seth Meyers]

Ten shows in eight weeks.

[Yoram]

Yes.

[Akiva Schaffer]

Yeah. Because there were multiple shows.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah.

[Akiva Schaffer]

On some of those weeks.

[Andy Samberg]

Doing a Thursday show in the middle of a show week is so crazy.

[Yoram]

Yeah. You guys, can I just say something before we end? I was just texting with wig and she sent me a voice note. I haven't heard this. I'm just going to play this for you guys.

[Seth Meyers]

Oh, great. Oh, that's exciting. I thought of a new theme for you guys.

[Andy Samberg]

The Lonely Island Served. That's beautiful.

[Seth Meyers]

That's great.

[Yoram]

I also like that she sounds like she's at a park, right?

[Seth Meyers]

Yeah, I do. It's she was at a park and then had to get it on tape before she forgot it. Hey, also, I will have seen you guys all in person because this is airing after the 50th, and obviously we're going to to talk about the 50th.

[Yoram]

Oh, wow.

[Seth Meyers]

But it hasn't happened yet. If you're listening to this, the 50th has happened, but we don't know how it went.

[Yoram]

I bet it was great.

[Seth Meyers]

I think so. All right. I can't wait to see you guys there. Which is in our future and our listeners past. And also, I love you.

[Yoram]

Love you all you guys.

[Andy Samberg]

Love you. Bye, guys.

[Yoram]

Bye.