Angela Lush & TJ McDonald - The Moth

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Moth with Angela Lush & TJ McDonald Release Date: August 16, 2016

Introduction

In this episode of The Moth, host Dan Kennedy presents two captivating true stories from Angela Lush and TJ McDonald. The evening's theme revolves around "Firsts," exploring pivotal moments that mark significant beginnings in the storytellers' lives. Both narratives delve into personal experiences that blend humor, vulnerability, and insightful reflections.

Angela Lush: The First Tattoo Debacle Live in Melbourne

Angela Lush, founder and director of Lush Logic, shares her tumultuous journey of getting her first tattoo—a decision driven by her desire to subtly rebel against her conservative upbringing. Her story is a blend of youthful naivety, unexpected challenges, and enduring friendships.

Planning the Rebellion: Angela begins by recounting her move from a rural area in South Australia to the bustling metropolis of Adelaide at 18. Feeling different from her conservative family, she decides to get a tattoo as a covert act of rebellion. “I thought, what can I do to kind of rebel? But not really rebel my conservative family so that nobody would see.” [02:28]
Choosing the Masterpiece: She meticulously selects a detailed black-and-white unicorn mural, envisioning it as a lifelong symbol. “I thought, this is something that I could love for the rest of my life. What could possibly go wrong?” [02:50]
The Tattoo Experience: On her scheduled Monday afternoon, Angela faces unexpected hurdles. The tattoo artist refuses to place the tattoo on her back, citing excessive pain, and instead suggests less conventional spots like her hip or even her buttocks. “He said, you can't have tattoos on your back. So bear in mind this is 20 or so years ago... he said, what about your ass?” [03:20]
Unwanted Changes: During the session, the artist insists on adding color to her originally black-and-white design, leading to unwanted alterations. Angela describes the moment of realization: “I had discovered, much to my disgust, that my unicorn had no horn. So I had become a person with a horse on their ass.” [08:50]
Impact on Relationships: The tattoo becomes a litmus test in her personal life, influencing her romantic relationships based on others' reactions to her unexpected "horse." However, Angela cherishes a long-term friend who overlooks her tattoo, illustrating the depth of their bond. “Thank you so much for not mentioning the horse on my ass for the last seven years. Thank you.” [09:14]

Insights: Angela's story highlights the unintended consequences of impulsive decisions and underscores the value of genuine friendships that transcend superficial judgments.

TJ McDonald: The Kiwi Conundrum in America Live in London at Union Chapel, Islington

TJ McDonald, a part-time stand-up comedian from New Zealand, narrates his humorous and eye-opening experiences during his first trip to the United States. His tale navigates cultural misunderstandings, the clash between expectation and reality, and the quirky aspects of American life.

Dreaming of America: Inspired by shows like The West Wing, TJ becomes enamored with the idea of America, leading him to embark on a solo journey at 27. “I saved up a bit of money, threw on a backpack, and went to the States for three months.” [09:42]
Cultural Shock: Upon arrival, TJ is disheartened by the casual disregard for facts among Americans, finding his meticulously prepared conversation starters fall flat. “A lot of Americans do not care for facts. A lot of my conversation stars were met with blank looks.” [10:15]
New York Overwhelm: TJ contrasts the cosmopolitan nature of New Zealand with the overwhelming scale of New York City, where he feels like a "country bumpkin." “In New York, I was a country bumpkin.” [11:00]
The Great Kiwi Hunt: A standout moment occurs at the Washington D.C. zoo, where TJ fixates on spotting a kiwi—a national symbol of New Zealand. His relentless search becomes a metaphor for his longing and sense of belonging. “We were there for an hour, still no sign of the kiwi. At this point, a mum walked in with her son...” [14:30]
Realization and Acceptance: The story culminates in TJ's amusement at the American woman's stubbornness and the eventual revelation that the kiwi was temporarily unavailable. He reflects on the absurdity and similarity to life back home. “Standing in a nocturnal house for a crazy long period of time and not seeing a kiwi is like the most New Zealand thing that can ever happen to you.” [16:00]

Insights: TJ's narrative offers a humorous take on cultural dissonance and the universal search for familiar symbols in foreign landscapes, emphasizing resilience and adaptability in the face of unexpected challenges.

Conclusion

This episode of The Moth masterfully captures the essence of "Firsts" through Angela Lush's ill-fated tattoo adventure and TJ McDonald's cultural escapade in America. Both storytellers illuminate the complexities of personal growth, the unpredictability of life's choices, and the enduring impact of first experiences. Their stories resonate with listeners, offering laughter, empathy, and introspection.

Notable Quotes:

Angela Lush on Tattoo Planning: “I thought, what can I do to kind of rebel? But not really rebel my conservative family so that nobody would see.” [02:28]
Angela Lush on Facing the Tattoo Artist's Decisions: “This happens all the time. Just be mature. You're an adult. This is all going to be fine.” [07:10]
TJ McDonald on American Absurdity: “Only in America could you meet someone who's gone to the moon.” [12:05]
TJ McDonald on the Kiwi at the Zoo: “Standing in a nocturnal house for a crazy long period of time and not seeing a kiwi is like the most New Zealand thing that can ever happen to you.” [16:00]

About the Storytellers:

Angela Lush: Founder and director of Lush Logic, Angela specializes in science communication and copywriting, leveraging her experiences to foster meaningful connections through storytelling.
TJ McDonald: Born and raised in New Zealand, TJ now resides in Crystal Palace with his fiancée. Balancing part-time stand-up comedy with a passion for karaoke and friendships, he brings humor and relatability to his narratives.

Thank you for tuning into this episode of The Moth. We hope these stories inspire you to embrace your own firsts with courage and humor.

Transcript

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Dan Kennedy (2:10)

Welcome to the Moth podcast. I'm Dan Kennedy. We have two great stories for you on the show this week. The first one is from Angela Lush, and she told this story live in Melbourne. The theme of the night was Firsts. Here's Angela.

Angela Lush (2:28)

Okay, so contrary to what you see here, I actually grew up as a very shy person. I grew up in a country, South Australia, which is a thriving metropolis. And when I was about 18 or 19, I moved to Adelaide, which completely blew my mind. So that gives you some idea of the scale that we're talking about here. And I grew up in quite a conservative family as well. So I always knew that I was different from them, but I didn't quite know how. So I thought, what can I do to kind of rebel? But not really rebel my conservative family so that nobody would see. So I decided in my 18, 19 year old naive wisdom to get a tattoo. My first tattoo. Nobody would see it. It would be fine, it would be beautiful, it would be amazing. So this story is also about the first time that I thought that I knew what I was doing and clearly didn't. So I thought, okay, I'm not going to be like the stereotypical drunken idiot on Saturday night getting a tattoo. I'm going to plan it. So I went into a tattoo parlour. My friend Kaylee with a green fairy on her hip had highly recommended. And I picked out my masterpiece. It was beautiful. It was like a 4 size. I thought I to get a back piece, you know, go hard or go home. Beautiful mural. It's very Amazonian. There was like leaves and lilies and cliffs and waterfalls with a pool. And the moon was setting in the background and the piece de resistance was like on the little cliff jutting out was a unicorn. I thought, this is something that I could love for the rest of my life. What could possibly go wrong? So I picked up this tattoo. I thought, right, okay, no alcohol, no late nights. So Monday afternoon I thought, this is the perfect time. Clearly tattooists are gonna be at their peak after the weekend. So on a Monday afternoon. Oh, sorry. So on a Monday afternoon, I took some time off uni went to the tattooist on my own. Cause I was very independent and mature and I spoke to him about what I wanted. I thought, okay, I'm just gonna get the unicorn and then I'm gonna put everything else in around it when I have some more money. And essentially, so I'm kind of bent over the table and the tattooist is behind me and I've lifted up my shirt. And he said, oh, I'm not going to do it on your back. And I said, what do you mean you're not going to do it on my back? He said, it's going to hurt too much. You can't have tattoos on your back. So bear in mind this is 20 or so years ago or 30 years ago. And so I thought, okay, well, you know, maybe he's right, maybe it's going to be too painful. So I thought, maybe, what about on my hip? He said, no, no, I'm not going to tattoo it on your hip. I thought, really? Okay. He said, what about your ass? I thought, there's Plenty to work with, the mural. It'll be fine. So I thought, okay, nobody will see it in the bathers. It'll be okay. So my pants are down. Andy's down, he's putting a stencil on. He's tattooing. And what I forgot to mention at this stage is because I was clearly very artistic. Classic. It was in black and white, the tattoo. And so he says to me, oh, and I can't do it in black and white and grayscale. It has to be in color. And I said, I'm sorry. And he said, I can't do the black and white. It has to be in color. And he said, what about brown? And I'm thinking in my head, I'm thinking, a brown unicorn. I was like, clearly, he's a trained professional. And at this moment, I hear a bell, and it's the bell of the door on the tattoo shop opening. I look to my right and I realised that actually there are no screens up. So I'm in Heinle street and professional. I can see people walking down the street if they casually glance to the left, can see me bent over with my pants down and a man behind me. But that actually wasn't the most disturbing part. Three or four guys walked in and they were clearly friends of the tattooist. So they stepped up and were chatting with the tattooist and making jokes about what I had for breakfast and the size of my ass and that tattooist, which is quite disturbing. And I felt a little bit paralyzed. And the tattooist turns to one of them and says, so I'm thinking about doing this brown. What do you think? He's like, I think that's a great idea. And I'm on the table. It's like, angela, just. This happens all the time. Just be mature. You're an adult. This is all going to be fine. And so the tattoo progresses. And he's like, how are we going to do the moon? It's like, well, now it's like the sun. And we can't really do it up here, so I'm just going to put it down there. Of course, I can't see anything because I'm bent over on the table. And the guys. And so I was like, okay, let's just go with that. And he's like, you know how there's like the grassy cliff? And he said, we can't really do that. So we're just going to do some tufts underneath each hoof and they're going to be bright green. It's like, okay, so by this time, I am completely at his mercy. So I was like, okay, the tattoo's done. I go out. I haven't seen it because clearly mirrors were not invented at that time. So I haven't seen the tattoo. And I thought, okay, it's going to take a little while to heal. So I couldn't really recognize what was happening at first, you know, a couple of days later at home, I'm looking, it's like, oh, I'm not quite sure, but with the cream on, it'll be fine. So eventually I got a good look at that tattoo and it wasn't so much the angry eyebrows or the pooh brown shading or the bright green tufts of grass or the orange circle like a religious icon behind its head. I had discovered, much to my disgust, that my unicorn had no horn. And so I had become a person with a horse on their ass. And I could not understand how this had happened. So I thought about going back and getting the horn put on. I thought I really couldn't quite do that. So I thought my best strategy is to ignore this, which is fine because, you know, I can't really see it. Occasionally, a glance in the mirror, I think it's a spider. It's all fine. But this obviously becomes a problem when you are sleeping with someone for the first time. And as a young 18 year old from the country, I hadn't really thought that through. I hadn't slept with that many people, so it quickly actually became a judge of character. So people that made na noises or My Little Pony did not last very long. But I have a one special friend who I've known for six or seven years. And one of the things that I love about him is that he has never, ever mentioned my tattoo. And you guys might remember, it was a beautiful time. A year or so ago, England were thrown out of the World Cup. He's British, by the way. He lives in Adelaide. And he sent me a text a couple of weeks later after this had happened, and he said, thank you so much for not mentioning the cricket. And all I wanted to do was reply and say, thank you so much for not mentioning the horse on my ass for the last seven years. Thank you.