Liza Treyger & Esther Povitsky are the Same Person

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Trash Tuesday Episode - Liza Treyger & Esther Povitsky are the Same Person"

Release Date: April 8, 2025

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Introduction

In this lively episode of "Trash Tuesday", hosts Khalyla Kuhn and Esther Povitsky welcome special guest Lisa Traeger, a comedian with her latest special, Night Owl on Netflix. The conversation is a nostalgic and humorous journey through high school memories, personal relationships, and the intricacies of the comedy world. The trio delves into their shared past, comedic careers, and personal anecdotes, delivering a blend of laughter and heartfelt moments.

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Reunion and High School Memories

The episode kicks off with hosts Khalyla and Esther reminiscing about their high school days, unexpectedly discovering their shared history with Lisa Traeger.

• Esther Povitsky [02:24]: "You were a... No."

• Lisa Traeger [07:16]: "I'm first grade. She was kindergarten. That's high school, right?"

As the conversation unfolds, it becomes evident that all three attended the same school, Devonshire, from kindergarten through 12th grade. They recall fond and humorous memories, highlighting their individual experiences and how their paths diverged.

• Kalila [07:05]: "We are so interchangeable."

• Esther [07:26]: "I don't even think I had a solo."

Their shared history sparks a series of nostalgic stories about school plays, crushes, and the social dynamics of their youth.

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Navigating Relationships and Personal Struggles

A significant portion of the discussion centers around Esther's past relationship with Bobby, a family friend, and the lingering effects it has had on her.

• Esther Povitsky [08:03]: "I still drive by his house."

• Lisa Traeger [09:05]: "So Bobby was family friends with the guy. I told him I had a crush on him. I had assumed that Bobby told him and that he was not interested in me."

Esther opens up about the emotional turmoil following her breakup, touching on themes of jealousy, self-worth, and the challenges of moving on.

• Esther [09:33]: "If you have a crush on someone, act like you just want to be friends and that that'll do it."

The conversation also touches on mental health, with Esther discussing her postpartum anxiety and the impact of personal loss.

• Esther [14:44]: "The first year has been a wild roller coaster... postpartum anxiety."

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Comedy Careers and Industry Insights

Lisa Traeger shares insights into her career as a comedian, revealing the behind-the-scenes challenges and triumphs of stand-up comedy.

• Lisa [16:24]: "I defer to good ideas and thinking about stuff."

• Esther [16:35]: "We're so interchangeable."

The trio discusses the importance of being coachable, taking notes, and the dynamics of performing comedy. They reflect on their educational backgrounds in theater and how it shaped their comedic styles.

• Kalila [16:47]: "We absolutely came from the same school of theater. This is crazy."

Lisa details her experiences touring for her podcast and performing in different venues, providing listeners with a glimpse into the life of a touring comedian.

• Lisa [29:03]: "We just did one in D.C. that was wild."

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Personal Lives and Family Dynamics

The hosts delve into their personal lives, discussing their relationships with their parents and the complexities of balancing family obligations with personal aspirations.

• Kalila [36:07]: "My dad was born in 1924."

• Lisa [37:10]: "My dad always had white hair... scared of him being gone."

Esther shares touching moments about her relationship with her father and the challenges of being a single parent.

• Esther [38:31]: "I have to... bring the baby for my dad to see his only grandchild."

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Pop Culture and Entertainment

The conversation naturally flows into discussions about favorite movies, TV shows, and Broadway productions. The hosts share their thoughts on various pop culture phenomena, fostering a humorous exchange of opinions.

• Esther [50:07]: "That always stuck with me."

• Kalila [50:38]: "One of the best season finales for me."

They critique and praise popular shows like Stranger Than Fiction and White Lotus, while also sharing personal anecdotes related to their favorite entertainment.

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Addressing Societal Issues and Mental Health

Towards the latter part of the episode, the conversation shifts to broader societal issues, including mental health challenges among men and women, and the impact of political climates on personal lives.

• Lisa [32:15]: "These dudes are unhappy... committing suicide in high rates."

• Esther [33:03]: "It is easy to hate women. It's just so easy."

The hosts advocate for community action and personal well-being as antidotes to widespread hopelessness, emphasizing the importance of supporting one another in turbulent times.

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Closing Remarks and Final Thoughts

As the episode winds down, Esther praises Lisa's comedic talents and encourages listeners to support her shows.

• Esther [62:12]: "Like, your standup, it's almost like if someone, when they just spoke, it was naturally stand up."

Lisa shares final thoughts on her upcoming performances and encourages the audience to attend her live shows.

• Lisa [63:36]: "Glittercheese.com or Lisa Traeger.com."

The trio wraps up the episode with a heartfelt exchange, celebrating their reconnection and the shared experiences that bind them.

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Notable Quotes:

• Esther: "If you have a crush on someone, act like you just want to be friends and that that'll do it." [09:33]

• Lisa: "We just did one in D.C. that was wild." [29:03]

• Kalila: "My dad was born in 1924." [36:07]

• Esther: "The first year has been a wild roller coaster... postpartum anxiety." [14:44]

• Lisa: "I defer to good ideas and thinking about stuff." [16:24]

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Conclusion

This episode of "Trash Tuesday" masterfully intertwines humor with deeply personal narratives, offering listeners an engaging and relatable experience. Through shared histories, candid conversations, and infectious laughter, Khalyla, Esther, and Lisa create a podcast episode that is both entertaining and meaningful, embodying the essence of "unloading their trauma, intrusive thoughts, and wild takes for all the sluggies out there to love, hate or relate."

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*For more episodes and content, follow Trash Tuesday on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Don’t forget to check out Lisa Traeger’s latest special, Night Owl, on Netflix and support her upcoming shows through her website or Glittercheese.

Transcript

[Esther Povitsky]

Hi, slugs. Great episode coming your way today with Lisa Traeger. So many laughs, so many unhinged, embarrassing moments. We have a Patreon, and if you haven't signed up yet, you can sign up [e-mail] TrashTuesdayPodcast or the link below. You'll get instant access to a ton of bonus content and we've been having a lot of fun with it. Shout out to our golden slugs, Brandon and Thomas. Also, I'll be at the Comedy store again Friday, May 9th. If you missed. The last show was so much fun. We had Whitney Cummings, Brandon Wardell, Justin Mardale. If you guys came, thank you. I had so much fun with you. The girlies really showed up and we'll be doing it again Friday, May 9th. You can get tickets in the link below. And thanks, you guys. Enjoy this episode. Guys, we're coming to you live from. Where are we, Kila?

[Kalila]

We're somewhere in la. We're in our displacement.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah, but if this was in New York, this would be a 20 million dollar apartment. This is like the nicest. This is so epic.

[Esther Povitsky]

I think it's in LA. It's $20 million. No, I don't think that much. But we are so long overdue for our guests today for a thousand million reasons. Please welcome, from her new special, Night Owl on Netflix, Lisa Traeger.

[Lisa Traeger]

Oh, my gosh, yes. I'm so happy to be here. I wear sweatpants on purple. You know, you guys really lounge. You're. I think you're like an advocate for casual wear.

[Kalila]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Esther Povitsky]

An advocate.

[Lisa Traeger]

You're the person that I would see at the store dressed casual and being like, okay, okay, this is a lot. You can make it work above all else. Yeah, Gen Z really kind of solidified that for me there. You know, I wear baggy pants and sweaters now. And I'm like, I would never do this.

[Esther Povitsky]

You know what? I can't believe my niece, who's in high school, went to homecoming. All the girls wore sneakers with their homecoming dress. I'm like, I did this on a red carpet like 10 years ago. And every. My mom was like, you're disgusting. But now it's cool and I'm the old lame.

[Lisa Traeger]

Oh, no, you were ahead of the game. You were ahead of the game.

[Kalila]

Do you remember when we saw each other for the first and last time at the premiere? Yes.

[Lisa Traeger]

Thank God for you. I went to the. I got to go to the party.

[Esther Povitsky]

What premiere?

[Lisa Traeger]

I get disrespected. I get to do cool Stuff. But I'm always just right below the line of too good. You know, I'm always in the same outfits as the extras, so I'm getting treated like even though I have one line or something. But I was in. Nope. Which was a big deal.

[Esther Povitsky]

You were a. No.

[Lisa Traeger]

I got kicked by the horse. So quick scene, quick scene. You know, I'm in and out. But that's amazing. I got to work with a stunt team and a horse.

[Kalila]

But we met at the premiere.

[Lisa Traeger]

We met at the. But even for the premiere, they were, like, one ticket, not the party. No plus one. I'm like, okay, okay. I get there. I'm not on the list. I have to, like, plead with them. I'm like, I swear I'm in this. Like, I'm in. They go, fine, but no party. I go, okay. And then you didn't want to go to the party, so you gave me your bracelet. And then Bobby drove me. Yeah. And then he ditched me immediately. I didn't. I knew nobody. And then I got bullied by someone who was there because I. I got introduced someone famous, but I knew one person there, and so I clinged to him. And then this other woman comes up, and I go, oh, hi. I'm Lisa. I'm like a comic from Chicago. She goes, oh, I've seen you. I go, oh, yeah. I think at this other friend's house. I remember being at a party with you. And she goes, no, I've seen you on stage, like, four times. You have a lot of growing to do what?

[Esther Povitsky]

Someone said that. First of all, so crazy to have seen you four times. Like, how.

[Lisa Traeger]

But also I would remember, because this person's famous, so I would have remembered.

[Esther Povitsky]

This person and tell us her name. We'll bleep it out.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah.

[Esther Povitsky]

No.

[Lisa Traeger]

And I'm just alone at a party, and I. And I just go, it's an honor. And then I walked away.

[Kalila]

Can I tell you that?

[Lisa Traeger]

And then I just circled for hours by myself at this party, trying to. And no. Yeah. No one really wanted it.

[Kalila]

I know you think that it was from the goodness of my heart that I gave you my bracelet for the after party, but I always have an movie, and I knew who you. I. Of course I know who you are. I knew who you were. I know you're very funny. In my head, I'm like, if I give Lisa this bracelet and she makes it very big one day, she better let me ride her coattails for that. Nope. After party. It was an investment. It was an investment.

[Lisa Traeger]

I just Thought you weren't a party girl. Like, you didn't want to go. That's also true.

[Esther Povitsky]

That's also true.

[Kalila]

Credits rolled. I'm like, goodbye.

[Esther Povitsky]

But that's actually so nice of you. Like, that's a.

[Lisa Traeger]

Because I wanted to go to this party.

[Esther Povitsky]

I, like, take my invite and go with my boyfriend. Like, that's a girl's girl.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah.

[Esther Povitsky]

Like, you and True.

[Kalila]

Go with Bobby, please.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah. And he has a nice car, so it was, like, exciting. And it was the Chinatown. Like, the Chinese theater. Like, it was all. I grew up loving Hollywood, so it was, like, a huge deal to me.

[Esther Povitsky]

Okay.

[Lisa Traeger]

We have to let the people know.

[Esther Povitsky]

That we'll get to. But on this podcast, Brooke Schofield guests a lot, and she has this thing where she says, like, oh, I have a rash on my finger. I just don't believe in that. And then we're like, we want to adopt that because we're hypochondriacs. I swear, this is going somewhere. What you just said about what you did at a party where you were walking around trying to talk to people. No one was having it. I want that. Like, I want to be so confident that, like, no one's talking to me. I don't care. I'm just gonna keep trying and having fun. Like, that's how we could. You. Would you ever.

[Kalila]

Yeah, but I. I think what we are missing is that, like, true, like, sense of self. Like, you know what I mean?

[Lisa Traeger]

Like, I wasn't comfortable. Maybe if I was someone else, I could have. Maybe I would have bonded with some. But, like. But the fact that I never tried.

[Esther Povitsky]

Is the win, because I see myself there, and I'm sitting in the corner. I'm looking at my phone. I'm, like, insecure in my head, whereas you're just having fun. Like, that's way better. Fail if you have to. That's better.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah. I wanted to see everyone. At one point, it was Lil Rel, Jordan Peele, and Daniel Kaluuya taking a photo. And I wish I was ballsy enough to get in it and just be.

[Kalila]

In the side corner, because everyone was at that premiere. I remember sitting next to. Oh, my God, you were right.

[Lisa Traeger]

Bill Burr. I feel.

[Kalila]

No, I was next. Next to Ike Barinholtz, and next to me was Riz Ahmed.

[Lisa Traeger]

Oh.

[Kalila]

It was, like, my crush, because I love them.

[Lisa Traeger]

Because they put you by the celebrities. They. Of course. They gave me the ticket. They're like, get over there.

[Esther Povitsky]

Is that why you went home? Because you had to match because you were sitting Next to Riz, I had just.

[Kalila]

You know, I'm such a big fan of Riz Ahmed. And so he was next to me, and I was like, o my God, I gotta get out of here. I'm slipping and sliding off this chair.

[Lisa Traeger]

Wow.

[Kalila]

I'm sorry. I didn't see you in there.

[Lisa Traeger]

No, I was like. So I was like, 50 rows before in front of you with.

[Kalila]

I saw Michael B. Jordan. Like, everyone was there.

[Lisa Traeger]

Oh, damn.

[Esther Povitsky]

I'm like, you like. I think celebrities are so cool. Okay, so.

[Lisa Traeger]

Well, I grew up in. We went to the movies every Friday. We got Us Weekly.

[Esther Povitsky]

What theater did you go?

[Lisa Traeger]

We went to the Four Months and we watched all the award shows.

[Esther Povitsky]

How dare you say movies on Friday? And Us Weekly. That's my whole childhood.

[Lisa Traeger]

And we were like, which theater did. Did you go to?

[Esther Povitsky]

We went to the Evanston Theater.

[Kalila]

Wait, people should know that you guys are from the same.

[Lisa Traeger]

I'm first grade. She was kindergarten. That's high school, right? You were. You don't remember this, but you were my kindergarten buddy. We, like, Drew Pumpkins or something together. What? But we. I think we, like, met in high school.

[Esther Povitsky]

Wait, Okay. I just remember you on the bus. Like, we. We took the same school bus.

[Lisa Traeger]

I don't remember.

[Esther Povitsky]

To Devonshire together. So we Basically K through 12. All the same school.

[Kalila]

Oh, my God.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah, we were in God Spell together. I was the only one without a solo.

[Esther Povitsky]

Did I. I don't even think I had a solo.

[Lisa Traeger]

You had a. And you had a little dance.

[Esther Povitsky]

Oh, I definitely would have had a dance.

[Lisa Traeger]

You had a little dance.

[Esther Povitsky]

And that was when I was falling in love with.

[Lisa Traeger]

Oh, yeah. Everyone is jealous of you guys. Making out behind the curtains. Full hickeys, lavender. Uggs. I was like this.

[Esther Povitsky]

Wait.

[Kalila]

Something you told me at the premiere about Esther was that she always used to wear a ponytail.

[Lisa Traeger]

No, you always wore your hair down. And the day you had a hickey, you put your hair up.

[Kalila]

Oh, yes. That's what it was. That was.

[Lisa Traeger]

That's what it was.

[Esther Povitsky]

That's humiliating.

[Lisa Traeger]

Holy. But you were dating, like, the hottest guy in theaters.

[Esther Povitsky]

Thank you for understanding.

[Kalila]

I wonder why you loved high school. Did it seem like she was, like, the. In high school? Cause I know you want to go back and live there again.

[Esther Povitsky]

I had a crush on my boyfriend for, literally, like, a year. Up until, like, I was crushing on him. I thought he was, like, a distant fantasy. And then when I actually got him, it was like. Like I couldn't handle. That's why I'm still not over him. Still drive by his house.

[Lisa Traeger]

It he. Yeah, they were like making out and he was the lead in all the plays. Yeah, it was really.

[Kalila]

Okay. Now it all makes sense.

[Esther Povitsky]

Really.

[Kalila]

Not over him.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yes.

[Kalila]

Imagine just salivating over someone for a.

[Lisa Traeger]

Whole year and they PDA that. You guys were touchy.

[Esther Povitsky]

I don't remember that.

[Lisa Traeger]

Making out behind the curtain, which is.

[Kalila]

Like, really rare to have that long standing crush and actually getting to be like.

[Esther Povitsky]

I would sing a song about him in the cafeteria. Like, I was upset, obsessed with him. And then what happened was.

[Lisa Traeger]

Do you.

[Esther Povitsky]

Do you know Bobby?

[Lisa Traeger]

Oh, no. He stole my yearbook, drew over it, drew a beard on my face. So I. I told on that. I'm like, I need a new yearbook. So they got. They're like, you. I'm like, you can't draw a beard. And it's on my yearbook.

[Esther Povitsky]

No, that's not cool.

[Lisa Traeger]

Just a girl like that. He. I got bullied.

[Esther Povitsky]

So Bobby was family friends with the guy. This guy that I dated that I sold drive by his house. He. And I told Bobby that I had a crush on him. So I had assumed that Bobby told him and that told and that was not interested in me. And so that was why, like, when I met, I. I felt in my head, I was like, I have no chance. I'm just going to be like normal and treat him like a friend. And so to this day, like, I always tell people, if you have a crush on someone, act like you just want to be friends and that that'll do it.

[Kalila]

And it worked.

[Esther Povitsky]

It's still. I think.

[Kalila]

But then. Okay, please walk me down memory lane, because I want to know what it was actually like when you found out. Like, oh, my God, like, we're actually going to kiss. We're going to make out. This has been my crush forever.

[Esther Povitsky]

It's so.

[Kalila]

Because high school, like, your hormones are just, like, uncontrollably raging.

[Esther Povitsky]

He tried to kiss me, and then I pulled away because I was so nervous and I didn't understand what was happening. And then I quoted Paris Hilton and I said, or maybe it was Nicole Richie. And I said it. You're a hot. And then I kissed him.

[Lisa Traeger]

Oh, my God, you're up. Oh, my God. And then you also ate so much Taco Bell. I remember together, you guys were always just eating Taco Bell and making out at these parties.

[Esther Povitsky]

Wait, Bobby Lee, not from high school. Your ex.

[Kalila]

Yes.

[Esther Povitsky]

Called me and accused me of thinking Korean people are dirty.

[Kalila]

Oh, that's because you said you wouldn't go to a Korean spa because they're unsanitary, but I didn't rather go to a ball pit. That Sky Zone.

[Esther Povitsky]

I didn't say Korean spa. I said we spa. I didn't know I was implicated in calling it Korean because it's not like.

[Lisa Traeger]

You'D go to a Turkish bath or a Russian spa.

[Esther Povitsky]

Yeah, no.

[Kalila]

Oh, yeah. It's also just a little bit weird coming from you. Like, you say you sleep on, like, a crunchy, like, bed with sand all over every night.

[Esther Povitsky]

True. Wait, do you have beef with Bobby?

[Kalila]

Oh, yes, I do. Want to get to that.

[Lisa Traeger]

Bobby Lee. No. I'm in Chicago. What? I'm 25. This is 12, 13 years ago. My friend gets to host at the Improv. The Schomburg Improv. And it's. Bobby is the headliner. Yeah. Oh, so you know this story. This makes sense, this story. So Megan was.

[Kalila]

Is.

[Lisa Traeger]

You know, at that time, I had this. I love Loyal, by the way, where if you. With my. You know, it's an immature way to be, where it's like, you have to take on all these beefs. And then Jade was the feature. They bullied Megan about her outfit.

[Kalila]

They did.

[Lisa Traeger]

They were like, you shouldn't dress like that. Girls don't dress like that. You look sick. Like, she wore dresses.

[Kalila]

And Bobby was like, this is my show. Like, you can't come dress. You have to dress a certain way because it's my show. And by the way, every time he has told the story on Tiger Belly, I'm. Every time I'm like, you're a dick. You're wrong. Like, you cannot tell people what to wear.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah. And it used to be more like.

[Kalila]

And I think Jade and him piled on.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yes.

[Kalila]

Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

They were just making fun of her. No. So I'm also hearing it from one person, so I'm sure she's elevating it times three, A little bit of like. And then they said this, and she's on her. You know, so, like, I was hearing the story being like these. But then she got a text being like. She thought it was just from the sound guy going, we're all gonna hang out after they feel bad of bullying you or whatever. And she thought she was just texting with the sound guy, but she. They were. And Bobby were on the text, and she wrote like, they're uncomfortable to be around. I would never want to hang out with them. They need help. Like, she was just like, roasted them, and they were like, we're on this. And so I don't know if it was before after the show, but so that happened. And then I just never. I live in New York. He's very la. So, like, I just never talked to him or met him in my life.

[Esther Povitsky]

So you thought he was, like, this jerk? Probably.

[Lisa Traeger]

I thought he was a jerk, but I didn't act. I've just never seen him. But then at the Comedy Store, I'm a grown woman now. That's like 10 years ago. Like, I don't give a. And so. But he was acting scared of me.

[Kalila]

Because he was scared of you. And he came home that day.

[Lisa Traeger]

But I'm like a young woman. Like, I'm like, what am I going to do? This is your kind of teller.

[Kalila]

What? He was like. He's like, babe, babe. He's like, do you know that girl I pissed off? He's like, she's in LA now. He's like, I'm so scared of her. She hates me. And for good reason. I told him. It's like, look like, yeah, that's what you did. So either you just, like, go ahead and say, hey, I really apologize. That was bad behavior.

[Lisa Traeger]

I think he bought Megan a tv.

[Kalila]

He bought Megan everything.

[Esther Povitsky]

Like, yeah, he.

[Kalila]

We had her on our show and we bought her all these electronics from Best Buy to say sorry for that night.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah. But I didn't hold on to that, you know? And then. But he was always so scared and nervous around me, and I didn't know how to handle it. I'm like, you need to ground yourself and act normal or, like, I don't know what you expect of me. Like, I don't know how to behave. But then. Then it's been fine, I think.

[Kalila]

No, he. No, he. You guys. You guys.

[Lisa Traeger]

And then we bonded at that part, you know? Nope. And he always gives me nice intros.

[Esther Povitsky]

I saw Bobby for the first time in, like, a really long time, and he was really, like, weird. Like, he was just. It was weird. And I know that everything's fine, but, like, he almost made me feel like I chose a side.

[Kalila]

Yeah.

[Esther Povitsky]

And obviously we can cut this.

[Kalila]

But, like, you don't have to.

[Esther Povitsky]

But, like, I was like, there's Bobby. There's no sides. Like, I know for a fact there's no sides. And he just. He's like, yeah, I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. But it just didn't. You know, when someone says they're kidding.

[Lisa Traeger]

So do he want you to quit the POD in that way?

[Kalila]

No, no, no. Him and I still, like. I think it's more like she's supportive of my new relationship and that's the side he's talking about.

[Lisa Traeger]

But have you. Had you not seen him in a while?

[Esther Povitsky]

No. And in fact, he goes, oh, you lost weight. I'm like, I was pregnant last time you saw me.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah.

[Esther Povitsky]

I lost a baby.

[Lisa Traeger]

And you are thriving. It seems like you really love being in the house with your baby. Oh. Or is that just.

[Esther Povitsky]

I would say that the first year has been a wild roller coaster of, like, high highs and the lowest lows I've ever felt. Like the postpartum anxiety, but just also regular Esther anxiety. Having to go back on my meds and going through that. Like, it's been a whirlwind. And also, I completely lost myself where I was like, I'm not gonna work again. Like, I was going crazy. And I'm like, no, that's insane. Like, I want to do stand up. I love this. Like, that's, like. That energy is just coming back to me in the last, like, two weeks where I'm like, no, I want a career.

[Lisa Traeger]

Like, oh, that's beautiful.

[Esther Povitsky]

Yeah. But it's been, like a fucking journey. Wait, I want to talk to you about. I want to go back to high.

[Lisa Traeger]

School theater teacher who can. Can he just say good job to us? I'm like, why won't he give it to us?

[Esther Povitsky]

He won't.

[Lisa Traeger]

Do we have to win a Golden Globe?

[Esther Povitsky]

He retired.

[Lisa Traeger]

Oh, I know. He retired.

[Esther Povitsky]

You know?

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Esther Povitsky]

Okay.

[Kalila]

But do you feel like, what kind of coach is the best kind of coach for you? Is it someone that never gives it up? Or if. Is it someone that constantly gives you, like, encouragement along the way?

[Esther Povitsky]

Oof. What a good question.

[Lisa Traeger]

I love positive reinforcement.

[Esther Povitsky]

I love it too.

[Lisa Traeger]

I need it. But I. I have to believe it. But I worked on one set where the director called and was like, hey, what's your vibe? I go, I love a compliment.

[Kalila]

Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

And then I got up and it's like, yeah, you. I act better when everyone on the crew is like, that was great. And I'm like, oh, yeah, I like that. But I'm very good at notes because I played sports, and I actually. I didn't know that was a skill, but I'm really good at notes, and I'll get defensive if it's like, I'm working with a close friend.

[Kalila]

Coachable athlete.

[Lisa Traeger]

I'm very coachable.

[Esther Povitsky]

Well, that's a Mr. Ortman thing, is you have to be good at taking notes, and you have to be coachable. We're the same person.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah. I'm like, because I want to be better and I'm. I defer to. Except experience.

[Kalila]

Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

And I defer to good ideas and thinking about stuff. And I.

[Esther Povitsky]

We absolutely came from the same school of theater. This is crazy.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah.

[Esther Povitsky]

We're so interchangeable.

[Lisa Traeger]

Also, our art teacher in elementary school, do you remember Mrs. Smith? Like, she taught me. Both of them gave such ground educations where, like, I know the basic painters. I can go to a museum. I could pick stuff out. That's how I felt with him in the plays, like the Ipsen and like, George Marshaw, Tennessee Williams. Like, he just kind of taught us the. The basics of stuff in such a beautiful way.

[Kalila]

This is why teachers need to be paid more. Half a million dollars a year.

[Esther Povitsky]

Although at our school, they were weirdly.

[Lisa Traeger]

Starting was 89 grand. Yeah, the photography teacher told me. Oh, yeah, she did roller derby once. I became, like, older. I saw her at the roller derby and I was like, this is crazy.

[Esther Povitsky]

Okay. The weird thing is we have so much in common, but we weren't friends in high school.

[Lisa Traeger]

No, no, no.

[Kalila]

Why?

[Esther Povitsky]

I was intimidated by you.

[Lisa Traeger]

That's what everyone said. I was like, kind of like, I wasn't very cool. I was friends with Alicia.

[Esther Povitsky]

Yes. And I kind of knew her through my Spanish class. And I remember one day, did I tell you this, or you guys used to wear sunglasses?

[Lisa Traeger]

That's me. So I don't remember this. Okay.

[Esther Povitsky]

Yes. This was you. I think I asked you girls once, why do you guys wear sunglasses in school? And you said, because we're celebrities. And I thought it was the coolest thing ever.

[Lisa Traeger]

It's so funny because it's so lame, but can you imagine?

[Kalila]

Why would that. A little bit like, were you friends with them? That's a little bit of, like, a mean girl.

[Esther Povitsky]

It wasn't mean. It wasn't mean. I was. It was like, I wanted to know and I literally.

[Lisa Traeger]

But I thought you were super cool. I think I was. Like, I would sometimes eat lunch alone in the college resource center or the library. Like, I sometimes had to, like, go sit alone places because I had no one to hang out.

[Esther Povitsky]

I would always go to the mall for my hour lunch break.

[Lisa Traeger]

Why didn't I get off do off campus?

[Esther Povitsky]

I don't know. Were you bad?

[Lisa Traeger]

I had a lot of Saturday detentions, but it's because I was just like.

[Kalila]

Were you good, Esther?

[Esther Povitsky]

I was a good kid. Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

I was just late and then I started smoking weed junior year.

[Esther Povitsky]

You did?

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah.

[Esther Povitsky]

See? Okay. I was very intimidated by you. You were a year older. What? At that school, there was never. Oh, I'm gonna try to be friends with someone a year older.

[Lisa Traeger]

Like, my. My close friends were a year older. Veronica, like. And so they all went to college. So my senior year was, like, lonely.

[Esther Povitsky]

I'm so sad because we would have had so much fun together.

[Lisa Traeger]

We had so much fun, but I.

[Esther Povitsky]

Never would have thought to try.

[Lisa Traeger]

I was, like, jealous. Even when she was doing comedy and coming to town, I was like, I don't think we should book her. Like, I was being crazy.

[Esther Povitsky]

I was jealous, too.

[Lisa Traeger]

And you did another show, and I. And then people were like, she's pissed. Like, I don't give a. Like, it was. It was, like, insane. And then we met up on the set of Adam Devine's house party.

[Esther Povitsky]

That's right. And we were like.

[Lisa Traeger]

That's when we bonded.

[Esther Povitsky]

Yeah.

[Kalila]

That's so silly that you would think you would be anything but friends.

[Lisa Traeger]

And you, like, did theater at college. I remember. And I saw photos of you in the plays or doing something cool. Or maybe it was just. Just a festival. Like, you had red lipstick on.

[Esther Povitsky]

Okay. I don't remember. Oh, my God.

[Kalila]

This is blowing my mind. Esther with red lips.

[Esther Povitsky]

That's what the takeaway is. I was like. I was in a play. But also, it's called acting.

[Kalila]

Everything you're describing is like, I don't know this girl.

[Esther Povitsky]

I was so much better and cooler in high school. I peaked in high school. There you have it.

[Lisa Traeger]

You didn't peak, but I was. Once I got to know you as an adult, I was really shocked that you had never, like, drank or done drugs or didn't go out. Like, like, in my head, when I saw photos of you at the Comedy Store, I was like, gosh, she's out in Hollywood. You know, I think I was really shocked at, like, oh, you just, like to snack. Like, sober snack, you know, that was, like. That was shocking to me.

[Esther Povitsky]

Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

Because I had this vision of cool. Like, you know, your PDA life, right. Oh, like, you're, like, getting pet at the theater party, you know, like, but people. Yeah. I remember I had a crush on someone in theater, and they found out, and they were like. They were like. I think they said about me that I was, like, too stupid. Like, people weren't that nice.

[Esther Povitsky]

Who was your crush?

[Lisa Traeger]

I'm embarrassed. I don't want. I can't even say it. We'd have to believe it. Oh. And he was. They judged me. And because I smoked weed, I went to.

[Esther Povitsky]

I felt very judged by him, too. He definitely. I was, like, his best friend's dumb girlfriend. Is how I felt was my relationship with him.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah, there were dorks, but then we also. What I loved about our theater program.

[Kalila]

By our high school crushes. Yeah, don't worry, I had a.

[Lisa Traeger]

She was like. She doesn't even understand that word. Like, everyone just thought I was, like a fool. And I do like that. We're. We're the most successful from our high school theater crew. Knock on wood. I mean, it could end at any moment.

[Esther Povitsky]

Someone else could just pop up.

[Lisa Traeger]

No. Well, no. Well, there is one girl that dated Leonardo DiCaprio, so she will be above us.

[Kalila]

I heard. Who else? Who are the stars from your high school?

[Lisa Traeger]

It's us. Oh, and one of the racist people with the Greek last names that was part of Trump's first administration. Papa dapped up. Like, there's really. Yeah, there was like some Greek guy who did bad things, but he was one of the fall guys.

[Kalila]

Can I tell you something really sad? So I made it to my high school on Wikipedia. My high school. Like, notable celebrities, notable people. And then you click on my name. It's Bobby's picture, obviously. How rude. Right? That was really excited. I was like, oh, my God, I made it somewhere. They know who I am because I was. I was a loser in high school. And then it's Bobby's like, just happy face right there. Bobby is not in his notable celebrity of his high school.

[Esther Povitsky]

Why.

[Kalila]

But he's in mine, so it doesn't matter.

[Esther Povitsky]

Wait, do you remember someone named, like, Rashad Mendenhall?

[Lisa Traeger]

That's a. Is he football?

[Esther Povitsky]

He became a football player and then a TV writer. So he's cool. Yeah, but he might have been Niles.

[Lisa Traeger]

There's also someone on the Minnesota Vikings. I remember, but that's it. But I think we're, like, consistently working.

[Kalila]

Yeah, I think we had someone from. And Star Trek came from high high school. I think that's huge.

[Esther Povitsky]

That is huge.

[Lisa Traeger]

Our town, Skokie has a lot of history sorted. History, like the KKK marched and then there was like a hate crime murder of the Northwestern basketball coach.

[Esther Povitsky]

Wait, what was that? I don't know that one.

[Lisa Traeger]

Oh, there was like a three day racist murder spree. There was like this Nazi. We were in the. We were in elementary school because I remember being locked in because the shooting happened blocks from my home.

[Kalila]

Where were you, Esther?

[Esther Povitsky]

I don't remember this.

[Lisa Traeger]

Showing off your hickey.

[Esther Povitsky]

It was me.

[Lisa Traeger]

His name is escaping me, the coach, so I feel Birdsong. Birdstrong.

[Esther Povitsky]

But he did the killing.

[Lisa Traeger]

No, he was murdered in front of his kids. But oh my God, these people. This was like a neo Nazi situation. So the guy started at Purdue, killed a few Asian people, then he drove to Rogers park, killed orthodox Jews.

[Esther Povitsky]

That's where Jenna grew up.

[Kalila]

Oh, really?

[Esther Povitsky]

Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

Kills a black man. And then he was on his way to the University of Illinois to kill more people and he was apprehended and like on the road there. Whoa. But I think he's just serving life for some. And then he was influenced by a guy who served time too. But yeah, it was just this like racist killing spree. He was like disrespected at these colleges or didn't get in or like was rigid, you know.

[Esther Povitsky]

Have you been to our town Holocaust museum?

[Lisa Traeger]

I haven't.

[Esther Povitsky]

It's really nice. I would love to take you there on a date.

[Lisa Traeger]

I. I've been to a couple Holocaust museums.

[Esther Povitsky]

You haven't have to do any of them if you haven't been to the Skokie one.

[Lisa Traeger]

Okay.

[Esther Povitsky]

Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

And then we can go get bubble tea.

[Esther Povitsky]

Yeah. And PETA Inn.

[Lisa Traeger]

Oh, but those are. That's our Skokie floor is the kkk. The kkk?

[Kalila]

Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

And we have an award winning library.

[Kalila]

You guys do.

[Lisa Traeger]

I don't know if any more, but it's amazing.

[Kalila]

Well paid teachers and award winning library.

[Lisa Traeger]

I do like sports marketing in high school. Our. The like the. We did private school. No, we probably did eight.

[Kalila]

She's blowing my mind.

[Esther Povitsky]

Public school.

[Lisa Traeger]

I don't know why we had the musical. We. We did a Charlotte's Web where we then built a. A movable set and we traveled to different elementary schools performing Charlotte's Web. We had a black box theater.

[Esther Povitsky]

I don't really understand.

[Lisa Traeger]

Costume shop. Full stagecraft. Like I did curtain. I was like, make it was is. I can't believe it. And everyone should have this kind of education.

[Esther Povitsky]

And the teachers were so rich. Like the teachers drove in from like richer areas where they lived to like service us. I don't know why.

[Kalila]

I mean, this is how the American school system should be.

[Lisa Traeger]

We had the dark room. Like we.

[Kalila]

This is insane.

[Lisa Traeger]

I did weightlifting for pe. We had all these different electives. I was actually here. This is one of my stories I still cling to. For high school, our teacher was like, hey, we did in the other grade, if anyone can bunch the bar 211 times, that's the record. Free lift for the rest of the semester. None of the guys could do it. So I was like, I'll try it. And he goes, well, I'll give you the lower bar. So he gave me a little lighter bar and I did it and I benched it 211 times, and my arms were shaking and, And I was a hero. And we got free lift for the rest of the semester.

[Kalila]

My high school. This is so funny. My PE teacher in high school would just turn on Billy Blank's Taebo.

[Lisa Traeger]

I love Taebo.

[Kalila]

And then leave the room.

[Esther Povitsky]

And to be fair, that's really good.

[Kalila]

I know. I'm like, okay, fine.

[Lisa Traeger]

I love Taibo. I could still kick really high.

[Esther Povitsky]

Really?

[Lisa Traeger]

He actually put out a new workout this year. He did? Yeah. It was like a big deal. He dropped it on YouTube because he had surgery. You know, he's older now.

[Kalila]

He is older now.

[Lisa Traeger]

And he dropped a new workout.

[Kalila]

Is it Taebo affiliated?

[Lisa Traeger]

He owns. He created Taebo.

[Kalila]

Is it.

[Lisa Traeger]

He is Taebo.

[Kalila]

What is Taebo? Is it Taekwondo boxing?

[Esther Povitsky]

Taebo is Billy Blanks. Billy Blanks is Tae Bo. What don't you understand when we speak to you?

[Kalila]

But it has to be Taekwondo boxing, right?

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah, that makes sense. I never thought about, I never even questioned it. Never.

[Kalila]

Wait, so you can, you can kick really high because of Billy Blanks?

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah, but I, I, I love him, but I was on the swim team. I practiced before and after school.

[Kalila]

Oh, my God. I was a swimmer.

[Esther Povitsky]

You were a morning swimmer.

[Lisa Traeger]

I had to, we had practice.

[Esther Povitsky]

That does not at all fit your, like, I feel like your overall, like, slacker, cool girl vibe. That's impressive.

[Lisa Traeger]

Well, I always say, like, I would never. I don't like waking up early and I don' but unless you're on a set or a flight, it's like, if it's work or stuff, you got to do it.

[Esther Povitsky]

Yeah, but swim team, like, I, the people who I might have, like, done this and that, whatever, but the people who woke up early and got to school before school started is insane. Did you do that?

[Kalila]

Yeah, I did two a day since I was 8 years old.

[Lisa Traeger]

And I did it all summer. We swam outside at 6 in the morning.

[Kalila]

Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

And then I taught swim last. Did you wear the softy shorts that said swimming on the butt?

[Kalila]

They had those. Yeah.

[Esther Povitsky]

We had those in Viettes too.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah.

[Esther Povitsky]

You were a Viet for just the first year.

[Kalila]

Wait, just. Do you guys know how cute these shorts are? Do you love them?

[Lisa Traeger]

I love them.

[Esther Povitsky]

Of course. I love that.

[Kalila]

The relaxed lacrosse. Can I just say something about being displaced by the fires? I want to say shout out to all the smaller brands who have just, like, sent me stuff for free without even asking. One of them is Relax Lacrosse Matus wetsuits. All the bigger brands don't give a shit about fire people, of course. Like, they. They. They will give you a sock like everyone else. Like, these brands, like, they're just like, what do you need? We'll send it to.

[Esther Povitsky]

You have to buy the second sock.

[Kalila]

I know, it's been so crazy, but.

[Esther Povitsky]

I love that brand shorts, too.

[Kalila]

So cute, right?

[Esther Povitsky]

Kalila lost everything in the fires.

[Lisa Traeger]

It is, it is.

[Esther Povitsky]

But she's doing great.

[Kalila]

Yeah, we're doing great.

[Lisa Traeger]

You know, in the beginning, it's like, oh, we have too many donations turning away. But, you know, it all sizzles down onto the next.

[Kalila]

Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

And everyone is still suffering and, like, picking up the pieces.

[Kalila]

Yeah, I think that's. It's just more like the. The sentimental stuff for sure, that you can't get back.

[Lisa Traeger]

You're like, oh, well, that's why I didn't get the people that were so like, oh, la. Those rich guys. I'm like, can we mean, so Billy Crystal can't be upset that he lost his home? Like, I don't. I don't understand it. I'm sure he had cool scripts, you know, that could have been in a museum one day.

[Esther Povitsky]

Wait, okay, tell me, like, more, what's going on with you now? Like, what's your life like now? I don't know. I'm like, if we're like, let's catch up. Like, are you. You're back and you moved to la?

[Lisa Traeger]

I'm in the East Village living my Carrie Bradshaw dream. Like, I skipped down my little stoop stairs. I'm a regular at my coffee shop. It's everything I've ever wanted.

[Esther Povitsky]

Are you doing stand up, like, every night? Are you, you?

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah, but I'm pretty, like, since I can do it all the time. Like, I'm. I'm pretty adamant about taking one or two days off a week, or at least if I have late spots. Going to dinner, going to a Broadway show. Like, I. I do try to make sure I live life.

[Esther Povitsky]

Wow.

[Kalila]

Wait, does your bracelet say Luigi?

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah. They get made for me, though.

[Kalila]

Okay.

[Lisa Traeger]

My podcast listeners make me brace. This is Eat the Rich. I have Luigi Luigi forever. And then I have an SVU on Melinda's house, which is Melinda Warner, the Emmy we call the morgue Melinda's House.

[Esther Povitsky]

Wait, and what's your podcast?

[Lisa Traeger]

That's messed up. An SVU podcast.

[Esther Povitsky]

And you guys tour. Like, you guys are doing so much.

[Lisa Traeger]

We just did one in D.C. that was wild. I just did a weekend in D.C. boots on the ground. I mean, it's people that work in the Justice Department, the federal department. I mean, people lost their jobs. I, the audience was like, all federal workers. We talked to one woman after the show. She was the forensic pathologist who had to identify the plane crash victims, bodies.

[Kalila]

Oh my God.

[Lisa Traeger]

She looked like she had gone through that. It was like wild talking to her young. She was only four weeks at the job.

[Esther Povitsky]

Oh my God.

[Lisa Traeger]

People, it was, they wanted to laugh. They were all like going through it. They're like lives are unraveling in front of their eyes.

[Esther Povitsky]

Wow. That is wow.

[Lisa Traeger]

And there's no hope. If you were wondering. I asked them.

[Esther Povitsky]

There's no hope.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah, I was talking to the people that are in like just the Justice Department and like government ethics and all these things. And yeah, we're pretty screwed.

[Esther Povitsky]

Oh God.

[Lisa Traeger]

I'm like, is there can, is there anyone in the FBI that might revolt? And they were like, no, but at.

[Esther Povitsky]

Least it's only four years, right?

[Lisa Traeger]

Like, oh, we're never voting again.

[Kalila]

Yeah, Esther, it's so cute that you think we're ever voting.

[Lisa Traeger]

You come from like Holocaust people. You, you don't have it in your bones that you know what's happening.

[Esther Povitsky]

Oh, you're giving me the chills. I. Oh, what, what's your plan?

[Lisa Traeger]

My plans, I'm going to Australia, New Zealand, hopefully in July. My passports is born in Ukraine. And so I'm a little nervous. I'm scared when I come back they're going to put me in like a holding in Panama or something.

[Kalila]

I have a pitch. It is not that difficult. I'm from the Philippines. It is not that difficult to. We accept everyone. So if you guys, they don't smoke weed. But, but no, you're.

[Lisa Traeger]

I do want to go to the Philippines and.

[Kalila]

But our, our dollar goes a long way, guys. Comedy is just sort of like finally coming around there. People are so funny. It's. It's just the place to be. And it's an English speaking country, so everyone understands your comedy.

[Esther Povitsky]

Maybe you can start a comedy club in the Philippines.

[Kalila]

Well, here's the thing. If you guys wanted to play, not a small comedy club, but like an actual, like big, big, big 5,000 seater. All my friends book the shows there, so seats. But no, but you could do it. I'm telling you. Because the, the. It stand up comedy is so new there that they're like, oh, that's stand up comedy. We all go. So it's like they don't necessarily like who sold out there.

[Esther Povitsky]

So I could be the Andrew Schultz of The Philippines, you really could be.

[Kalila]

Because they're just like, yeah, they're. They. They're in big support of comedy right now. Asia is growing in that way. We're all moving. Yay.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah, we gotta go. I. I mean, a part of me wants to fight. Like, my internal. Like, who I want to be is Alphabet. Right. Like, I want to fight.

[Kalila]

Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

But I'm scared, and I'm pretty soft.

[Esther Povitsky]

I don't want to leave. I'm not leaving.

[Lisa Traeger]

I don't want to leave, but I'm terrified, and I don't know.

[Kalila]

Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

I don't know what's gonna happen. They come for, like, women that talk pretty early.

[Esther Povitsky]

Pretty early.

[Lisa Traeger]

They want traditional gender roles. Like, it's all gone up. Like, these guys don't like that. They don't have, like, just a wife at home and they can skate by. I think it's what's enraging them the most.

[Kalila]

What's enraging them the most, too, is that, as Professor Scott Galloway puts it, women are eclipsing boys in everything.

[Lisa Traeger]

Everything. And they should join us. I. I'm passionate about this because the one thing is, like, these dudes are unhappy, right? It's like, oh, we're taking. They're committing suicide in high rates. Like, all this stuff. And it's like, yeah, you have to be more like, women in. Yeah, lean in. Like, if you guys just leaned in to your feminine a little bit, your lives could be so much better in.

[Kalila]

The way that we lean into our masculine. No problem. We're just like, okay.

[Lisa Traeger]

But they just don't. They don't revere. They hate us. They don't think we're cool. We're like losers to them. So they don't want to be like, oh, maybe that's a good idea.

[Kalila]

Right?

[Lisa Traeger]

Maybe I should. You know, I don't know. It's really. We don't have to do this. Let's talk about.

[Esther Povitsky]

I love how easy it is, though, to hate women. It's just so easy. We make it so easy for them.

[Lisa Traeger]

Do we?

[Esther Povitsky]

No.

[Lisa Traeger]

Oh, wait, what's this? Banana. What's happening? Is this for your pornographic viewers?

[Kalila]

It's not. Believe it or not, it's for your potassium levels.

[Lisa Traeger]

You just care about potassium.

[Kalila]

We started talking about politics, sweat, sweating, stress, hopelessness, and then we offer backup.

[Lisa Traeger]

I did meet someone that's like an executive director at the Kevin Bacon Foundation. Six degrees of Kevin Bacon. He's actually very philanthropic. I didn't know that. But do you hate him?

[Kalila]

No.

[Esther Povitsky]

We're friends with sosie Bacon.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Esther Povitsky]

You guys would love each other, by the way.

[Kalila]

You would actually love each other.

[Esther Povitsky]

So that makes you guys be good friends.

[Lisa Traeger]

Oh, my God. Fawn know her dad, like, so I met this woman Stacy.

[Kalila]

They're the greatest family ever, by the way.

[Lisa Traeger]

I saw him and Kira Sedgwick canoodling at a restaurant in the Upper west side, and it was. Was glorious.

[Esther Povitsky]

Did it remind you of me in high school?

[Lisa Traeger]

Well, no, but my sister was with me. She's like, can I ask for a photo? I'm like, honey, we're in New York. What the are you doing? Sit down. No, you can't interrupt their dinner. But she said the antidote to hopelessness is just like small community action. And it's like the only kind of way to settle from the macro hugeness of everything that's going on. Because it's easy to spiral because it's so many. Ever so many people are affected from so many places and it's. It is hopelessness.

[Esther Povitsky]

But also, what about the fact that California, New York, like, we're in, like, aren't we safe here?

[Lisa Traeger]

What are you talking about?

[Esther Povitsky]

Like, blue stage.

[Lisa Traeger]

I hope so. I mean, I hope the governor's fight, like, the main people. Like, we'll see what happens. Yeah, but there could be a federal abortion ban. Like, I'm. I'm not. Yeah.

[Esther Povitsky]

Okay, let's go back to comedy questions.

[Lisa Traeger]

But that's what. That's what life is now. It's like, the small is so good. Like, I'm enjoying my life so much. And then. Oh, yeah, you just. It all started because of Luigi.

[Kalila]

Let me know how you feel after that banana. If the Hopelessness.

[Lisa Traeger]

Bananas are my favorite fruit, people get.

[Kalila]

A little bit more hopeful. Oh, yes, I know. Bananas are the greatest.

[Esther Povitsky]

Do you have the bracelet version of my necklace?

[Lisa Traeger]

I do. You.

[Esther Povitsky]

That's.

[Lisa Traeger]

We're skokie, baby.

[Kalila]

You guys.

[Esther Povitsky]

Is it from high school?

[Lisa Traeger]

It's from high school.

[Kalila]

Oh, my God.

[Esther Povitsky]

We're the exact same person. It's so creepy.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah. Wait, I went to the. Oh, so to the movie theater. I went to. We went to Morton Grove. To the movie theater was a dollar fifty. And it was like older movies, like three months old, four months old.

[Esther Povitsky]

Oh, because we were just Crown.

[Lisa Traeger]

No, it wasn't Crown. It's the shoe carnival now.

[Esther Povitsky]

Okay. But we went to the Evanston Theater, which was chic. Was it? Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

I only went when my friend's parents took me. We only. We only went to the poor ones.

[Esther Povitsky]

We went to the Pickwick, which was the poor one. A different poor one.

[Lisa Traeger]

The display one.

[Esther Povitsky]

Okay. Also, you were raised by really old parents.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah, my parents are 87, and then my mom's gonna be 80 this year.

[Kalila]

Wow. There's something about old sperm. Truly. I think I. So my dad was born in 1924.

[Lisa Traeger]

Wow. You're the only person I've ever met with an older dad.

[Kalila]

It's. I think it's just me. The only person who beats me by, like, a year is the obon. But my dad was born in 1924, so he would be 101 now this year. Yeah, well, Esther knows my dad. Yeah, he would be 101 now. And so he had me in his 60s. But, I mean, you just met my mom that's. She's, you know, just young. But.

[Esther Povitsky]

But he passed away when you were younger.

[Kalila]

He passed away in high school. When I was. Right after high school. Yeah, but. But, yeah, there is something about old sperm and weird girls like us.

[Lisa Traeger]

I think my dad's kind of a chauvinist. I don't know what life is here. And the older they get, the more like, what's he gonna do? Like, I don't know. I think there's perspective to age, hopefully. And so I think older parents, they leave you alone more. They know you'll resent that. Like, they kind of.

[Kalila]

Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

I don't know.

[Esther Povitsky]

Wait, say more. Because I. I'm sort of getting it, but I want to get it.

[Lisa Traeger]

My mom just always said. She goes, we just always let you do whatever because you'd resent. Like, they just had life lessons of, like, how things work.

[Esther Povitsky]

My parents let me do whatever, too. Like, they were not strict at all. And I. I can't believe that here you were in my neighborhood with an older dad than me because I thought that I had the oldest dad. And when I. Did your mom ever do this where. When I was little, she'd be like, just so you know, your dad is old, so he's gonna die early. And so then I was always scared of my dad dying.

[Lisa Traeger]

Well, my dad always had white hair, so I was. I've been scared of him being gone this whole time.

[Esther Povitsky]

Yes, this whole time. Oh, my God.

[Kalila]

That's.

[Lisa Traeger]

I'm gonna say just.

[Kalila]

They should talk about this more because I know. I don't know my dad, other than being an old man and always having silver hair, gray hair.

[Lisa Traeger]

So I always thought, how was that your grandpa?

[Kalila]

Yes, exactly.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah.

[Kalila]

And I would lie and say yes because I was embarrassed. And I feel bad being embarrassed now, but I Was a young kid, and I just didn't understand. I was embarrassed about having an old dad because everyone else was younger.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah. They just were kind of chill and they had to work. They were also just tired, too.

[Kalila]

They were tired, probably.

[Lisa Traeger]

They were tired in a new country, but that's it.

[Kalila]

That's its own little micro trauma right there. Like thinking that you're. You're just counting the days you have with your own parents.

[Lisa Traeger]

Oh, the guilt is real. I go home all the time. Like, it's just. Yeah, the guilt is real.

[Esther Povitsky]

What guilt? Of leaving Skokie.

[Lisa Traeger]

Of not taking every chance I have with them.

[Esther Povitsky]

Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

I feel that I. Yeah, I'll just get like a ping and be like, I have to go home and then I go. I mean, but it's good. And I can take a trip whenever I want.

[Kalila]

Want.

[Esther Povitsky]

Yeah. It's nice. New York is closer.

[Lisa Traeger]

Do your parents come here now? More now.

[Esther Povitsky]

My dad think is like, sort of. I. I would not be surprised if my dad never comes back. He's like, I think he's getting a little too old to travel. And he will not board Pepper, their dog. Like, this is the last few times he boarded Pepper. Pepper wouldn't eat. He had to be taken to the vet. I get that he was, like, faking his own death, like, doing all this drama at the. At the pet hotel. And so I have to. To go home for. And bring the baby for my dad to see his only grandchild.

[Kalila]

I don't board my dogs ever anymore.

[Esther Povitsky]

What do you do?

[Kalila]

I have someone live with them, but.

[Esther Povitsky]

My dad won't let anyone in the house.

[Kalila]

Oh, okay. That's its own. Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

And he won't fly with Pepper.

[Esther Povitsky]

No. I'm gonna call and ask and say that you suggested that.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah.

[Kalila]

Because that's the easiest solution. Pepper is in. Is familiar with home, will probably not go on a starvation, you know.

[D]

Hello?

[Esther Povitsky]

Dad? Yeah, I'm with Kalila. Do you remember Lisa Traeger, the one who lives. She's from Skokie.

[D]

Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

So.

[Esther Povitsky]

Okay, well, I'm with them, but we were just talking about if you'll ever come visit. Would you. Will you board Pepper?

[D]

Will I board Pepper? Yeah, I guess I could, yeah.

[Esther Povitsky]

Oh, you're lying.

[D]

Okay, so am I.

[Esther Povitsky]

What about. Would you ever let someone stay at the house and take care of him?

[D]

Who would stay at the house? Who?

[Esther Povitsky]

I don't know.

[Kalila]

Like a trusted dog.

[Esther Povitsky]

You have a trusted dog sitter that you're like a friend.

[D]

Yes. You. You.

[Esther Povitsky]

Okay, you're just being fake because you don't want to be your real self.

[D]

I'm okay.

[Esther Povitsky]

Okay. All right, I'll talk to you later.

[D]

Wait a minute.

[Esther Povitsky]

What?

[D]

What. What is this for?

[Esther Povitsky]

They were just asking me if my dad was ever going to come visit again.

[D]

Yeah, you know how I feel about the dog.

[Esther Povitsky]

What?

[D]

You can't remember when we went to Palm Springs?

[Esther Povitsky]

Yeah.

[D]

They called us. They called up and they said that he's not eating or going to the bathroom.

[Esther Povitsky]

Yeah.

[D]

And I was very worried I ruined my trip.

[Esther Povitsky]

Okay, so then you'll just never see your grandchild again.

[D]

Well, no, that's not true.

[Esther Povitsky]

Okay.

[D]

I mean, the only way I could come out is if mom stays here. Just I come by myself.

[Esther Povitsky]

Okay. All right, we'll plan this later.

[D]

All right, Say hi to everybody.

[Esther Povitsky]

Okay.

[Lisa Traeger]

Love you.

[Esther Povitsky]

Bye.

[Kalila]

Wait, no, I get your dad.

[Esther Povitsky]

If.

[Kalila]

If my dog was not eating or just doing really poorly in boarding, like, I could never leave the house.

[Esther Povitsky]

What if you had a grandchild?

[Lisa Traeger]

I was thinking maybe if they could find like a teen dork enthusiast, like animal enthusiast, who wants to be a vet or something.

[Kalila]

Yeah, something like that.

[Lisa Traeger]

There must be some neighborhood or some.

[Kalila]

Senior dog, like, but on Rover they have like, like really good, like senior dog, like, specific type of care. But I will say this. I have a problematic dog named Julio. He bites everyone. No new friends. Wants to rip everyone's dicks off their bodies. I have lived an existence of never having people over ever. Because I love Julio more than anything and I would rather just. I'm like, cater to his world. You don't want friends? Baby, I don't need friends. We don't need to bring people over. No one's invited. So that's just how I live my life. So I do understand what your dad is saying.

[Esther Povitsky]

Do you let any ridiculous things get in the way of you living your life?

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah. My own personal struggles, they really stop me from achieving.

[Esther Povitsky]

Like what?

[Lisa Traeger]

I don't know. I want to like meet someone and date and I feel like I'm really bad at that.

[Kalila]

When was the last time when was.

[Lisa Traeger]

Maybe cons like taking care of myself better in terms of consistency and like.

[Kalila]

Like in what way?

[Lisa Traeger]

I don't know. Washing my face, like taking it like clean, like self care.

[Kalila]

Yeah, yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

Lotioning.

[Kalila]

Lotioning. Lotioning is very processed foods. Maybe Esther doesn't lotion at all.

[Esther Povitsky]

I don't lotion at all. And I also.

[Lisa Traeger]

I've watched this.

[Esther Povitsky]

I don't wash my face either.

[Lisa Traeger]

I can't believe we have so much in common. The world wouldn't be able to handle if we became friends in high school. It would be too powerful.

[Esther Povitsky]

Like, no. We'd be dead by now.

[Lisa Traeger]

Well, there were, like, jappy, jappy girls. Yeah.

[Esther Povitsky]

That was not us.

[Lisa Traeger]

And so we weren't, like, at that level. Yeah. But. Yeah. So I don't know what. Yeah. Down to earth Midwest girls. Close enough to the city.

[Esther Povitsky]

We were like, the poor Jewish girls.

[Lisa Traeger]

Poor Jewish girls. That's what. That's what it was with old parents.

[Esther Povitsky]

Yeah. Nobody wants anything to do with poor Jewish girls.

[Lisa Traeger]

No. I had reduced lunch. No one likes that.

[Kalila]

Wait, I had free lunch.

[Lisa Traeger]

We had free lunch. Elementary. And then I feel like I got reduced or something.

[Esther Povitsky]

Do you remember that my mom worked in the cafeteria? Did I ask you this?

[Lisa Traeger]

I do.

[Esther Povitsky]

You do.

[Lisa Traeger]

I remember her face, but maybe that's just because I know her, but I.

[Esther Povitsky]

Feel like she worked at Devonshire in the cafeteria.

[Kalila]

Did that make you really happy or.

[Esther Povitsky]

I loved it.

[Kalila]

Yeah.

[Esther Povitsky]

I literally walked in the cafeteria, so proud to see my mom there.

[Kalila]

And you would tell everyone that was your mom?

[Esther Povitsky]

I don't think I. I think it's like, people had to know, you know? But I was so excited about it, and I did. When I told my therapist that my mom worked in the lunchroom at my school, she laughed in my face because she was like. Because I was so codependent with my mom. Like, it's like, of course. Yeah. She. Yeah. It's like, a crazy thing to do if you're someone's mother.

[Lisa Traeger]

Is. It seems nice.

[Kalila]

It's really sweet. Like, I remember having this moment with my mom when I was 12 years old. My mom used to beat me, like, brutally. She looks nice now. But she wasn't then, like, like, to a pulp. Like, she would punch me in the mouth. She'll tell you. She'll get on the mic and be like, yep, I did that. Like, I was in a different state of mind. Sorry, that won't happen again.

[Esther Povitsky]

Can we get her on the mic now?

[Kalila]

No.

[Esther Povitsky]

Okay.

[Kalila]

But I remember having been a beat child and telling my mom, like. Like, basically saying, like, I wanted her to give me a promise ring because I never wanted to leave her side. And, like, I still loved her like a puppy dog. I wanted to be like, ma, like, we can please never leave me. And I was beat regularly, so I know that feeling of, like, being a young girl and a mom. Sometimes it's, like, just overly attached. Like, through thick. Thick or thin. And thin. Or thin.

[Esther Povitsky]

Do you have any, like, sad attachments?

[Lisa Traeger]

No. Nothing made me happier than Being home alone, still to this day, it's my comfort. Like when my parents had plans to have a blockbuster movie, a snack that's placed to myself. Peace. I mean, that was everything, really. Yeah. I just. I loved being home alone. I mean, we had adventures when we did stuff. But no, I don't think I had, like, full connection with. I mean.

[Esther Povitsky]

Did you watch TRL after school?

[Lisa Traeger]

I have, like, a famous story that not only did I watch Cheryl, the Backstreet Boy video, the one was premiering. I'll Be the One. And I ran home from junior high to get to the house, realized I don't have my keys. And I broke down our back door. The. What's the handle and the wood around it? I broke it fully off.

[Kalila]

There was, like, a hole.

[Lisa Traeger]

I needed to watch that video. And then I broke in and watched the video. And then my parents were like, what the. And we had to get a new door.

[Esther Povitsky]

Oh, my God.

[Lisa Traeger]

I love Daro. I love pop culture.

[Kalila]

I mean, that was a sweet time in pop culture. So you remember when Tara Reid was dating Carson Daly?

[Esther Povitsky]

Yes.

[Kalila]

And she would come on and you would sort of, like, feel their lover's energy. That was so huge for me.

[Esther Povitsky]

They were like our Prince Harry and Megan Marcel.

[Kalila]

They really were.

[Lisa Traeger]

No, there must have been someone better. Who was the cool couple at that time?

[Esther Povitsky]

Brittany and Justin.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah.

[Esther Povitsky]

I mean, but I was such a.

[Lisa Traeger]

Backstreet Boy girl that I couldn't.

[Esther Povitsky]

I can't believe that's actually. That's why we weren't friends. You were a Backstreet Boy girl? That's crazy.

[Kalila]

It was Posh and Beck.

[Lisa Traeger]

I had a Spice Girl's birthday party in fifth grade.

[Esther Povitsky]

Who was. What? What?

[Lisa Traeger]

Listen, Ginger was my favorite, but we had a redheaded friend, so I was scary.

[Kalila]

That's. That's. That's both.

[Lisa Traeger]

My own birthday. I couldn't even. And then I loved Baby. But our friend, the youngest of all of us, so she had to be Baby.

[Esther Povitsky]

Who was the redheaded friend? Oh, I. Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

And then it was. Was Posh. And then Adidas. Oh, no. She was sporty.

[Esther Povitsky]

You have to believe these names I beef with.

[Lisa Traeger]

Which one? She was mean.

[Esther Povitsky]

She was really mean. And then she had sex with college.

[Lisa Traeger]

I bet that was her dream.

[Esther Povitsky]

I know. I bet it was, too.

[Lisa Traeger]

Well, because I had a crush on someone in sixth grade, and I ended up having sex with them when I was like, maybe 19. And it was exciting. And then years later, I had sex with him again. And then I was like, I'm like, better than you.

[Esther Povitsky]

Now, who was it? He was so high.

[Lisa Traeger]

I know.

[Esther Povitsky]

Wait a second.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Esther Povitsky]

That's crazy.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah, because I remember he came from Canada in sixth grade and he looked like Leonardo DiCaprio.

[Esther Povitsky]

Probably the hottest guy in our school. But on the low key end where it's like kind of the weird hot, like.

[Kalila]

Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

But also smoke. Got in trouble for smoking weed, like, in Junior Hotter. Yeah.

[Kalila]

Yeah.

[Esther Povitsky]

Wait, you're giving me, like a secondhand crush on him right now. I never even really. I've never spoken to him. He was your grade, right?

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah. But then I got in a fight with one of my friends. We were like 19, eight, whatever. It was post high school. But then to get back at me, she. Him.

[Esther Povitsky]

Wow.

[Lisa Traeger]

Knowing that I would care, but it's not like I would date him. And then he was like, engaged. And then he ended up being at a bar I was at when we were like, in our twenties. And so we. Again. But I was like, I've advanced. He just wasn't.

[Esther Povitsky]

What about the first time? Was it that fun?

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was like a dream. Yeah. Oh, my God. But I'm. Yeah.

[Esther Povitsky]

Wait, that's so cool.

[Lisa Traeger]

It was. We would party. We went to, like, see DJs from Incubus.

[Kalila]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I had a. I had a crush on a Puerto Rican guy named Gary all of high school.

[Lisa Traeger]

How do you get the socks not to do this?

[Kalila]

Let me see.

[Lisa Traeger]

Like, I. I clean myself. Like. Like, why does that happen? And I pay my. This woman does my laundry. Like, what the. How do I get rid of this?

[Esther Povitsky]

Are they because these are nice socks?

[Lisa Traeger]

These are Dua Lipa socks. I don't want to get rid of.

[Esther Povitsky]

Them, but that wouldn't mean that they're nice.

[Kalila]

Yeah, they're just merch socks. They're not Dua Lipa branded socks.

[Esther Povitsky]

It's so funny that you said that. These are nice socks. I got them at a Dua Lipa concert, you sicko.

[Lisa Traeger]

The Casey Musgrave socks are really nice too.

[Esther Povitsky]

Oh, my God, I want them. Them.

[Lisa Traeger]

They're really cute.

[Kalila]

Are they just merch socks yet again? Yeah, I thought maybe she came out.

[Esther Povitsky]

With a sock line or she saw that Kardashian. Wait, are you into the Kardashian? What's your card? Are you watching?

[Lisa Traeger]

No.

[Esther Povitsky]

Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

From a dis. I mean, I'm not like, you know, burn them, but I'm not into them. I. I go through phases. At a hotel maybe, but, like, where.

[Esther Povitsky]

Are you currently obsessed with celebrity wise, story wise pop music?

[Lisa Traeger]

I'm always Bravo. Bravo. Bravo. Forever and always.

[Esther Povitsky]

Okay.

[Lisa Traeger]

I'm watching all the time. I just watched Escape at Dan Moore, and I loved. I'm watching White Lotus, and then I love Luigi right now.

[Kalila]

How do you feel about Luigi?

[Esther Povitsky]

Is your answer.

[Lisa Traeger]

I just watched Escape at Dan Mora. That came out in 2018, but it's Ben Stiller's directorial thing.

[Esther Povitsky]

Oh, I didn't know that.

[Lisa Traeger]

Blew my mind. I've never seen acting like this. This is the best acting I've ever seen in my life, so it makes me want to watch that.

[Kalila]

Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

Have you watched Escape A demo.

[Kalila]

No, but I did hear it was incredible.

[Lisa Traeger]

Incredible.

[Kalila]

But Severance is one of those, for me, was my favorite show. I haven't watched a second season yet because I need full concentration because the payoff was so big at the end. It kind of just started. Like, I'm like, what is this? What is this? What is this? When you realize. And it hits you and then the final episode, like, chills.

[Esther Povitsky]

It's one of the best season finales, I think.

[Kalila]

One of. I think the best season finale for me.

[Esther Povitsky]

Yeah. If you haven't watched the first. First season, like.

[Lisa Traeger]

No, I've not watched anything on Apple tv. Not one thing. I'm too overwhelmed with all the apps, so I've kind of just not given.

[Kalila]

I think Apple TV actually, like, curates. Like, they actually pick wisely. They have really great shows.

[Lisa Traeger]

I know. But once I dive in, it's like I'm running out of, like, Lifetime.

[Esther Povitsky]

Have you watched the Baldwins?

[Lisa Traeger]

I. That I don't refuse. You refuse sickens me.

[Esther Povitsky]

Why?

[Lisa Traeger]

I'm not looking at that man.

[Esther Povitsky]

Wait, why do you refuse?

[Lisa Traeger]

I think he's an. Like, they're jerks. She's a fraud, and he did murder a woman. And I think. I don't care if it was involuntary like, you. You're not a victim of this. And go serve some time.

[Kalila]

Really?

[Lisa Traeger]

That's murdered a woman.

[Esther Povitsky]

I literally.

[Lisa Traeger]

And I know I love Luigi, and it's very complicated. Okay.

[Esther Povitsky]

I just want to. I know nothing. And this is. I'm just curious to have this conversation. Like, don't you feel. And I might be wrong, like, as an actor, like, if someone from props hands you a gun, that court and.

[Lisa Traeger]

I think the purse. The props person got convicted, I believe.

[Esther Povitsky]

I would think. Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

But I would be distraught in a way that, I mean, I hope. Like, I don't think I'd immediately try to frame it as how hard it was for me.

[Esther Povitsky]

Well, no, but. But do you think you would be guilty of Murder.

[Lisa Traeger]

I mean, you're right. You should fight the charges against Joe there. He's just like a jerk work.

[Kalila]

I. I don't think that you're right.

[Lisa Traeger]

I don't think.

[Kalila]

I don't know if I feel that.

[Esther Povitsky]

Yeah.

[Kalila]

Because I. I feel like that's like crazy. Like, for instance, if when you were on set for. Nope. And let's say the horse kicked me. Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

Was like, oh, you know, there was a stunt horse. Two horses.

[Kalila]

Really?

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah. There's the acting horse and then the athletic horse.

[Kalila]

They would have a stunt horse.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah.

[Kalila]

But I'm saying, like, I don't think he should have served time. But I think about it.

[Lisa Traeger]

I'm being crazy.

[Esther Povitsky]

I like the hot take, though.

[Lisa Traeger]

He just. That I. He like that voicemail he left his daughter. Like, I know it's kind of not.

[Kalila]

Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

I mean, I love the voicemail.

[Kalila]

Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

I love Beetlejuice. But we were a Kim Basinger family.

[Kalila]

Oh, same we did as. My mom calls her Kim Basinger.

[Lisa Traeger]

Well, that's why I didn't know how to say it, because we call her Kim Basinger. So like. But I know that's not right.

[Kalila]

I don't think Basinger is correct either.

[Lisa Traeger]

I know. Yeah. I got nervous.

[Kalila]

No. My mom is Basinger. She's. Loves her.

[Lisa Traeger]

We the real McCoy.

[Esther Povitsky]

Like, she's amazing.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah. So we. I just took her side.

[Kalila]

What a. What a legend.

[Esther Povitsky]

And apparently I took your side with Versus Bobby. Even though you guys are friends and talk every day, but I'm somehow in the breakout thing. I'm the one in trouble.

[Lisa Traeger]

That's why I brought up Bravo. Like, there's a show, Summer House, and it's about, like sexy young people that live in New York and then they get a house for the summer in the Hamptons. And it's like, about their party weekends.

[Kalila]

This is the one that Hannah was on, correct? Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

And so there was these long term friends, Lindsay and Carl. They ended up dating, getting engaged, and then a few weeks before the wedding, he dumped her on. He brought the cameras in and broke up.

[Kalila]

Oh, my God.

[Lisa Traeger]

So she's distraught. But then they're. The girls are all sitting and Paige, one of the girls, is like, who knows what's gonna happen? This could be the start of your story. You can meet someone, be in love, and be pregnant within a year. Guess what? That happened.

[Esther Povitsky]

Happened.

[Lisa Traeger]

So Summer House is starting. She's pregnant. And then Carl, her ex, is still coming to the house this summer. That's the season we're watching right now that just premiered. And all the guys are like, well, I wonder how Carl feels about. He dumped her weeks before the wedding. Why does she have to care about Carl? Like, what? And then she wasn't gonna stay for a party. Goes good. Because I wanted to flirt. And it's weird. It's like, she's pregnant and he was just on watch what happens live this week, talking again. Like, I didn't think she'd move on so fast. Like, no one even care. And it's like, you. I don't. What do you mean? Like, you dumped someone, they get to move on whether you still want them to be pressed for you or not. Like, it's weird.

[Esther Povitsky]

That's so true. I'm so on your side with this.

[Lisa Traeger]

Like, and so that's why it's so in my head. Because it's just like, yeah, people get to move on.

[Kalila]

People get to move on.

[Esther Povitsky]

If you dump someone, you're. It's over for you.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah.

[Esther Povitsky]

I, as someone who's only ever been.

[Lisa Traeger]

Dumped up to the bridal shower, like, with flowers, and then 11 days later, like, dumped her.

[Kalila]

That's insane.

[Esther Povitsky]

Did he say why?

[Lisa Traeger]

They're not meant for each other. It was bad. But he also tried to frame the whole season to make it seem like she sucked, but she didn't. And so then we see him trying to, like, be Mr. Producer. It not working too. He didn't want to be. I mean, I. There's theories in the fandom, but I.

[Kalila]

Do think that that's a pretty regular thing with men and women. Because I think women, when we get broken up with or we go through a breakup, we suffer in real time time. Like, we're not doing distracting behaviors, like we're going to wallow and, you know, just die for three months. Men, they'll go around, have fun, blah, blah, blah. They won't come back to their pain until a year later when the girl has already moved on and is thriving. And now they're like, I didn't think she'd move on so fast. Well, she dealt with her feelings in real time while you went to go around and distract and have all the fun in the world. And now look at you. You're lonely. It's lonely.

[Esther Povitsky]

I also, when once I was dumped and I could not get this guy on the phone, I could not get in, respond to text. He was just done with me. But the second he hears I have a new boyfriend, he's calling, he's texting. I bet it's just. It's. Why is it. And the same thing happened recently with my sister, like, they just. They're on top of the world until they think that you can get someone else.

[Lisa Traeger]

And that was like years of sex in the city too. Like, Big just kept showing up every time Carrie was, like, feeling good.

[Kalila]

Why is everyone. Why is everyone turned on Carrie?

[Lisa Traeger]

It pisses me off, and I'm thankful that you said that.

[Esther Povitsky]

Oh, why?

[Lisa Traeger]

I think it's because people are scared how much of themselves they see in her, so they want to make her an enemy instead of realizing you're the dumb.

[Esther Povitsky]

Why don't. Why don't they like her?

[Kalila]

They say, basically, she makes everything about herself is what it is. Carrie's like. She's a Carrie know.

[Lisa Traeger]

She's like an artist.

[Esther Povitsky]

She's the main. Literally the main character friend.

[Lisa Traeger]

She's clingy. She doesn't communicate, like, all these flaws. And it's like. Yeah, you mean a person that's trying their best.

[Esther Povitsky]

Yes, I always. That's my new thing. Because I keep thinking about, like, oh, how am I gonna not mess my kid up the way I was messed up? And then I go, oops, my kid's gonna be human. And do you know a perfect human.

[Lisa Traeger]

Have you seen the movie Spanglish?

[Esther Povitsky]

No, why?

[Kalila]

One of my favorites.

[Lisa Traeger]

One of my favorites.

[Kalila]

Oh, my God. Pas Vega.

[Esther Povitsky]

Do you think it's Hilaria Baldwin favorite, too? Wait, why do you bring it up?

[Lisa Traeger]

Cloris Leachman plays the grandma, and then what's her name? Pause.

[Kalila]

Las Vega.

[Esther Povitsky]

Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

Is like the nanny housekeeper. And they're talking and Cloris Leachman's the grandma and says to the woman, and she has her own daughter. Pause. And she goes, I live my life for myself. You live your life for your daughter. And they both blame us for everything anyways. Yeah, that always stuck with me.

[Esther Povitsky]

That's really. Oh, I got the chance.

[Kalila]

And I love that movie because she did not stay.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah.

[Kalila]

She chose her daughter and she moved on. And I'm like, oh, people say I.

[Lisa Traeger]

Look like the daughter in that. Spanglish is.

[Kalila]

Oh, yeah, I see that.

[Lisa Traeger]

Adam Sandler's daughter.

[Kalila]

So cute. Revisit it. It's a great movie. I mean, I don't like that, you know, you know, Spanish woman made. You know, we've. We've grown since. Yeah, those times. But still a really, really cute movie.

[Lisa Traeger]

And she is kind of the. Here. It's kind of one of those classics where it's like the people that hire her are fools. And she, like, is the one that helps the daughter of a self esteem and is like, changing the family for the better.

[Kalila]

And is it TE Leone who plays the. Oh, yeah, she's cringe. Super cringe.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah, yeah.

[Kalila]

Great movie.

[Lisa Traeger]

I like Adam Sandler in sincere roles. And there's a sandwich that's amazing. And in the DVD menu of that movie, there was a recipe for the sandwich.

[Kalila]

Oh, yeah. Because they make it in the kitchen. Oh, another one that I revisited the other day that I watched. I was like, oh, this is by far my favorite Will Ferrell movie is Stranger than Fiction.

[Lisa Traeger]

I have not revisited in a while. But I loved it. I remember liking it.

[Kalila]

I. It's still so great, you guys. Please see it again.

[Esther Povitsky]

Wait, were you in. When you were in high school, did you watch that show Rich Girls on mtv?

[Lisa Traeger]

Of course I could quote it. I know where they went to. Like, I remember it. Okay.

[Esther Povitsky]

I just had to make sure that was also like my body bible too. Did you watch the Osbornes?

[Lisa Traeger]

Yes.

[Esther Povitsky]

Oh, okay. Wow. We really are the same.

[Lisa Traeger]

Sixteen. All of it.

[Esther Povitsky]

Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah.

[Esther Povitsky]

I feel like the Osbornes and Rich Girls in particular was like, if you took those two shows, like, that's my personality.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah. Because it was a simple life. We were older.

[Esther Povitsky]

We were a little older, but still, that was high school rich girls.

[Lisa Traeger]

I remember they were all sitting and they were like. I mean, we wear cargo pants for fashion. Like people in the Midwest, they wear them because they need pockets in the fields.

[Esther Povitsky]

Do you remember that?

[Lisa Traeger]

Because that was so funny to me. I just remember being like, she thinks we, like, are need pockets in the Midwest.

[Kalila]

Like, so funny.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah. But you know what I did that didn't grab me, but it grabbed a lot of my friends. Was Harry Potter.

[Esther Povitsky]

No, I didn't like it either.

[Kalila]

Yeah, My sister got swept by that whole thing. I watched all the movies in bits and pieces. Yeah. But. Yeah.

[Esther Povitsky]

Did you see Sunset Boulevard on Broadway?

[Lisa Traeger]

No, I don't think I'm going to. I think I'm gonna do gypsy with Audra McDonald.

[Esther Povitsky]

I really want to see that. I can't believe I didn't.

[Lisa Traeger]

But I've seen oh Mary twice. I went to Death Becomes Her. And I saw Cabaret with Adam Lambert and the girl from a while.

[Kalila]

Wait, that's become serious on Broadway.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah.

[Esther Povitsky]

It's a musical now.

[Kalila]

It's awesome.

[Esther Povitsky]

Megan Hilton.

[Kalila]

Favorite movie?

[Lisa Traeger]

Oh, same. The merch is also amazing. The pin set has the sempervira like.

[Kalila]

S. Maybe there are socks. Don't.

[Esther Povitsky]

Yeah. Did you see it yet? Death Becomes Her.

[Lisa Traeger]

The. The Broadway show.

[Esther Povitsky]

Yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah.

[Esther Povitsky]

How was it?

[Lisa Traeger]

It was so funny. And the changes they make. Like make sense for the stage.

[Kalila]

Okay.

[Lisa Traeger]

But the songs are great, and it's actually funny. And the dancers are so sexy. And then the set is so grand. And it's cool to see effects, like.

[Kalila]

So on a stage.

[Lisa Traeger]

I've never seen such effects. Like, I was curious how they were gonna make it.

[Esther Povitsky]

I want to see it.

[Lisa Traeger]

It was really cool, and everyone's really talented. It was awesome.

[Esther Povitsky]

Wow.

[Lisa Traeger]

Oh, Mary's funnier if you're. But it's not a musical either. If you're looking to just, like, lose your mind. Oh, Mary was, like, not just theater. Funny, like, funny. The funniest thing I've ever seen.

[Esther Povitsky]

But are you gonna see Nicole Scherzinger in Sunset?

[Lisa Traeger]

No.

[Kalila]

Is it Nicole Scherzinger?

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Esther Povitsky]

Where have you been? What? You don't know that?

[Lisa Traeger]

With the blood.

[Kalila]

Why didn't I not. Why did. How did I miss this?

[Esther Povitsky]

She. Because she played the role in London and, like, won all the London Tony Awards, whatever they're called. And then now she's doing it on Broadway. But you're not into it.

[Lisa Traeger]

It.

[Esther Povitsky]

What's going on?

[Lisa Traeger]

I didn't like the movie. I guess I would see. I. I just. I would rather see.

[Kalila]

You are not the same people after all.

[Lisa Traeger]

It's just too slow. I only like one black and white.

[Esther Povitsky]

Movie, so I'm like, boys and Sunset Boulevard is where. That's where we just go our separate ways.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah. I just don't care. And I'd rather. Yeah. Just see Gypsy.

[Esther Povitsky]

But I do like something like Mary again. There's the hotel where Some Like It Hot was filmed. Yeah, it's. It's here. It's in Southern California.

[Lisa Traeger]

Expensive.

[Esther Povitsky]

It's so expensive. It's out in San Diego. It's.

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah, it's really nice, but it's expensive. I've looked into it. Oh, you have? Because I wanted to take my mom. That was like, her movie in the. Like in Russia. She liked to watch, like, it just. What? We grew up on that movie. But I was like, I'm not taking them here.

[Esther Povitsky]

But you could go to San Diego and then drive there for the day and just.

[Lisa Traeger]

It's.

[Esther Povitsky]

It's worth seeing.

[Lisa Traeger]

I don't think they're ever gonna fly again, to be honest. Yeah. I'm shocked that you're not. Yeah.

[Esther Povitsky]

You guys, we could talk forever. Thank you so much. Much to Lisa Trager.

[Lisa Traeger]

I've wanted to come do this forever. I'm so glad you have to come back. That's why I did the trip. Truly, it was.

[Esther Povitsky]

That's so Nice of you.

[Lisa Traeger]

I built up the whole thing around coming to do this.

[Esther Povitsky]

I mean, her special Night Owl on Netflix is so funny and good. She's literally one of the best female comedians. Like, if you ever get the chance to see her live. There is no one like her when she walks on that stage. Like your standup, it's almost like if someone, when they just spoke, it was naturally stand up. Like, it's just. You just get on stage and you just talk and it's funny with punchlines, but I'm like, what? It's just. It's just falling out. I don't understand. Like, you're the kind of stand up.

[Lisa Traeger]

We're so different. This is another thing. We were different. We were both variety. Like 10 comics to watch one year.

[Esther Povitsky]

Oh, yeah.

[Lisa Traeger]

Do you remember this? And we got to do this showcase, but a bunch of the people were too famous to come. Like, so. So then they. The producers came to the back and they're like, hey, everyone, there's less people here, so we can actually do more time if you want. And Esther goes, I don't want to do that. I. I've planned my set and I'll stick to my time. And she said. I stared at her in a way that, like, she'd never been. I was like, what the. Like, I just didn't get it.

[Esther Povitsky]

You cuz you wanted more time?

[Lisa Traeger]

Yeah, I would always do more time.

[Esther Povitsky]

That's a normal comedian.

[Lisa Traeger]

But you being like, I'm fine with six actually was just so mind boggling.

[Esther Povitsky]

That's really funny. That is the thing. I always. I'm like the only store comic that will like do 1420. Yeah, I do a little less. Yeah, I make up for people who run the light. Well, Lisa, and what's your podcast?

[Lisa Traeger]

That's messed up in SVU pod. And then I'm on the road. Yeah. Night Owl.

[Esther Povitsky]

I'm not kidding. See her live. Where are your tickets?

[Lisa Traeger]

Glittercheese.com or Lisa Traeger.com or I have a link tree on my Instagram, which is glitter cheese.

[Esther Povitsky]

One of my actual favorite comedians. And we'll see you guys next week with a brand new episode.