Mindschmootz's Podcast

I am very lucky; I get to engage in conversation with some pretty amazing people. The topics of conversation can range from the political world, to the entertainment world, to the wonderful world of science. Sometimes I am fortuitous enough to wrap all those conversations into one. My interview with Michelle Paradise is one such exchange. A few weeks ago, simply by happenstance, I mentioned to my partner in life (and in crime) that I saw a tweet announcing Michelle Paradise is writing for a new CW series, The Originals. Having been a vocal fan of Paradise's earlier projects, The 10 Rules, and the offspring of that award winning short, Exes & Ohs, I was intrigued by the change of creative pace from quirky, female, comedy ensemble to dark, brooding, vampire/witch drama. But as I write this, and knowing females as I do, that kind of sounds somewhat similar given the situation and the proportional need for chocolate...or wine. My better three-quarters, being the proactive, pushy type (it's ok, she knows it), says to me, "Wanna talk to her?" And the rest as they say is history and a testament to the gracious nature of this talented actor, writer, and producer. In this episode, we certainly talk about the new series, The Originals, which Vampire Diaries fans will recognize as a spinoff of that very popular CW series, and the untimely end to Exes and Ohs, but we also forage along the periphery of politics (which in the end was edited out because it's so damn depressing), nip at the intellectual titillation of science porn, and pretty much anything else that happens to come to mind. And yes, my better three-quarters makes her podcast debut...though by the end, you will see she is losing her better-than-half-fraction status. Say goodnight, Gracie So, download this conversation at your leisure. I'm sure you will enjoy it as much as I did. After all, how often do I get to mention Lucy, the humanoid Australopithecus, in the context of lesbian dating rules, and my guest not only understands, but expounds on the fact? OK, don't answer that...just listen.

There is nothing I like more than sitting down to a conversation with a smart, funny woman. Ok, add wine and maybe I would like it more. That being said, the time I spent chatting with Vivian Bang, one of the stars of the TBS comedy, Sullivan & Son, ranks right up there with some of my favorite interviews. Vivian is delightfully witty, a quick come-back, and she kept me laughing throughout the exchange. We talk about what it takes to play Susan, an Asian-Irish (yes, Irish) character on Sullivan & Son (Daughter), the dysfunctional family dynamic including mothers and daughters, and what social networks have done to/for our dating lives and relationships...and, yes, a mime(?). So, sit back and enjoy. I know I did. Oh, and grab a glass of wine; it only get better.

Yes, long before Jillian Michaels began losing it, I have been captivated with that sultry, raspy-voiced, blues siren, Beth Hart. Just look at the picture a couple of lines above this text, and the reason is obvious, right? In the most superficial of ways, yes, but what draws me to Beth is the nostalgia her music conjures. When I was fourteen, I began frequenting the underground, back-room blues clubs of my native Deep South. On any given Saturday late-night, the smoke was thick, the bourbon was flowing, and blues legends, both male and female, appeared without notice and poured out their souls to the audience. Those were gut wrenching songs of betrayal and lies, heartache and loss, and yet in momentary personal defeat, their eventual triumph. Just as in the music performed in the clubs of my youth, Beth’s inspiring journey is personified in her songs. In this episode we talk about her many recent successes, both professionally and personally, and what she had to overcome to get there. What I took personally from our conversation is that when exorcising private demons, you have to look the devil in the eye, but never lose the “spirit of God”. Yes, in singing the pain out of the blues there lies hope, and in that hope, Hart.

I met Alec Mapa about ten years ago at a charity fundraiser. He performed a stand-up set that left me in pain; I laughed so hard my side hurt. Rare is the occasion that giving to charity not only exercises your heart, but also works your abdominals. As I sat down with Alec last week, I am happy to report nothing has changed. Baby Daddy is Alec's Kickstarter campaign to produce a documentary based on his latest stand-up tour of the same name. Listen as Alec reveals the journey of a loving couple's decision to adopt a child out of America's foster system. As Alec puts it, as a celebrity and a bit of a material girl, you really don't have to go out of this country to adopt a black child! Want a half an hour just to laugh? Then listen to Alec bribe your donation buck with homemade cookies (yes, he bakes them himself), a follow on social media, updates that will leave you smiling all day, and much, much more. Any one man can be a father, it's simple science, really. It takes someone special to be a daddy. Hey, we've all heard the saying before, right, but Alec is the phrase personified. Listen, and then buck it:

Katherine Bailess will premier Monday, May 27th on VH1 as Kyle Hart in the new scripted drama, Hit the Floor, about the Los Angeles Devil Girls, the dance team surrounding the city's professional basketball team. "Kyle" is the tough talking Southern girl that uses what she's got to get what she wants, and she's not afraid to kick a little dance-girl ass in the process. But don't let that tough, six-packed, exterior fool you, Kyle is not without heart and humor. The series stars Charlotte Ross and Dean Cain, and also the beautiful squad of Taylor Paige. Logan Browning, and Valery Ortiz. And if that's not enough, Kimberly Elise. Basketball team, what basketball team? Get ready for a little Southern hospitality

I have reached the point where I have to ask myself, why am I so drawn to entertainment that is dark and depraved yet decidedly humorous? At any given moment I’m yelling at my television, “Oh my God!”, and then in the next moment guffawing, “Oh, my side.” How do I justify these acts of murder and mayhem in a moral sense when applied to the dead, the undead, and the deadly? My answer, it’s simply Being Human. Being Human is the Syfy Channel series that although originated in the UK, has taken on an afterlife of its own here in the States. Three very unlikely heroes, a vampire, a ghost, and a werewolf, form a supernatural support group hell bent on protecting each other from a society dead set on exorcising them from its ranks. Forced into this other world by no choice of their own, they are now forced to “live” out their new existence all the while trying to fit in and be human...or as humanly possible as they can. The series just completed its third, and in my opinion, best season with a finale that leaves each character in limbo. No wait, limbo was the season two finale. In any case, take my word for it that the season three end is an absolute killer. As a result, I sought out one of the writing team to try and get a little insight into what makes Being Human so incredibly thought provoking and yet so darkly entertaining. The embedded podcast is a record of our conversation. Sit back, grab a snack, and get ready to laugh, yes laugh. Never has blood, black magic, and being uniquely human been quite this humorous.

As much as I make fun of social networks, I have to admit, had it not been for Twitter and my better three-quarters boasting all the time about her Tweet-ship with two insiders on the set of The Good Wife, I never would have gotten the chance to chat with Danielle and Carlton. In that I’m much more fascinated with the behind the scenes workings of the magic of television, I find the work of a series stand-in fascinating. As Danielle puts it, they are not just a hand here and a back of a head there (and a butt and a belly), they are efficiency experts that keep the cameras rolling where most needed. Hmm, that’s a good point to ponder, but if you are like me, you are probably just as interested in the interactions between what is Will and what is not. Sit back, grab a snack, and get ready to laugh. God knows, I did.

I remember in 2004 when my entertainment crack dealer hooked me up with the news that a network pilot from UPN/WB was in the works about two New Orleans police detectives who not only work together by day, but play together by night. Addicting? Hardly, until I discovered the undercover work was was done by two females played by Christina Cox and Liz Vassey. Yeah, I know. Honestly, though I was very excited to hear that an American television network was courageous enough to make this statement of inclusiveness, I knew that the climate of George W. Bush’s second-term campaign was not warming socially. The threat of a constitutional amendment protecting “traditional” marriage was prominent in the 2004 State of the Union address. Listen here: The Defense of Marriage Act Realistically, I couldn’t see this brave experiment going forward…and it didn’t. Lucky for us, as part of Wikileaks (again, I know, but prove it) the pilot mysteriously appeared on YouTube and the rest is fanfic history. Building on the momentum, creator Nancylee Myatt procured the characters and resurrected her original concept reminiscent of the light-hearted mystery/detective series of her past – Hart to Hart, Moonlighting, and recently, Castle – and is taking it to the web. As we all know, raising a web series takes a village, so an Indiegogo fundraising campaign has been set up. Go there and take a look at who is involved, season one’s expectations, and other ways you can help. No contribution is too small, whether monetarily or in kind. To get a better feel of the web series and a sample of the special chemistry it takes to pull off those bantering romantic private-eye leads historically seen in the Nick and Nora films of the 1930′s, Liz and Christina agreed to a conversation with me regarding The N & N Files.

Episode 13 of the ‘Schmootz On podcast is part two of my conversation with Ali Liebert and Charlotte Hegele of the award winning WWII drama series, Bomb Girls. In Part 2 of the podcast, Ali and Charlotte expound on the complicated, war-time relationship that is Betty and Kate, what we can expect from their characters in Season 2, the very special soundtrack and Charlotte's role in song, and what we can expect from the two of them in other projects. Enjoy, and then check out Bomb Girls. A catch-up marathon of season one will air in the US on REELZ channel (check your local listings) Wednesday, March 27, starting at 12:00 PM EDT/9:00 AM PDT. Season 2 will premier March 27 with two new shows starting at 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT. On Canada's Global TV, Season 2 resumes March 25 at 9:00 PM E/PT

*The conversation with Ali and Charlotte is so informative, that I couldn’t bring myself to edit any more than what I did. Lucky for us all, I have divided the pod into parts 1 and 2. Episode 12 of the ‘Schmootz On podcast is with Ali Liebert and Charlotte Hegele of the award winning drama series, Bomb Girls, about the Canadian women who risked their lives in a munitions factory building bombs for the Allied Forces during WWII. Long before there was Rosie the Riveter, the women of Canada stepped up to serve their country in factories such as the fictional Victory Munitions by providing a crucial workforce. They played their own necessary part in winning the war against the legitimate Axis of evil. War is hell on the home front, too, as the trials of these women reveal deep, personal strengths that push past their inner insecurities. All are running from something both literal and figurative, in that they run into each other, gives this diverse band of sisters an unlikely solidarity in Victory. Ali portrays Betty, the tough-talking girl from the rural prairie with a hard cynical skin honed from years of hiding her personal truths. Closeted in more ways than the obvious, Betty dons her protective battle dress in the form of a barbed, impatient tongue that keeps strangers at a safe distance…until she meets Kate. Kate (Marion), played by Charlotte, is on the run from an abusive, fanatical father that utilizes the evangelical cloth as a ligature to keep his family bound to him and his street ministry. The Canadian selective service and the associated work in the bomb factory provide a timely escape from a life of violence and persecution. Through Betty, she finds her champion, and through her singing, her voice. Ali and Charlotte (Ali calls her Charlie, which is so damn cute) were gracious enough to speak with me about their characters, what we can expect from season two, and about what is so special about Bomb Girls as a whole. Enjoy, and then check out Bomb Girls. A catch-up marathon of season one will air on REELZ channel (check your local listings) Wednesday, March 27, starting at 12:00 PM EDT/9:00 AM PDT.

Last week, after months of "you shoulds" from friends and other web series professionals, I found a quiet corner in my favorite Greek Cafe and watched Season One of the award winning web series, Out With Dad, in its entirety. I then took a glance at my uneaten pita and watched Season Two of the web series up through its winter hiatus. I sat there thinking, remembering, and wanting more. Out With Dad is a coming of self story of finding your peace and your place in this thing we call life. Rose is a teen age girl struggling with the realism of her sexuality, having the courage to come out to her dad, and sorting out her feelings for her best friend, Vanessa. Dad is doing the best he can with his suspicions of the inevitable conversation to come…and his best is pretty damn good. I wanted to know what motivated this man to create this series, so I contacted Jason Leaver and we had a most pleasant conversation about just that…and many other discoveries like an irreverent project (my favorite kind) in the works called, The Gate. Sit back, listen at your leisure, and see why I call Jason Leaver one of the biggest "tools" I know… http://www.outwithdad.com/ Donate for an Out With Dad Season Three here: http://www.outwithdad.com/contribute Contact your local US PFLAG organization here: http://community.pflag.org/page.aspx?pid=803. PFLAG Canada here: http://www.pflagcanada.ca/en/index-e.php PFLAG international here: http://community.pflag.org/page.aspx?pid=752

A few months ago, a mutual friend introduced me to hand and body-part model, Adele Uddo. I was immediately smitten. Now, I know what you are thinking, it’s the “parts” that captured my attention, but that’s not true. Well, it is true to a certain extent, holy hell, I have a pulse, don’t I? But Adele is much more that just the sum of those beautiful parts. Not only is she not too hard on the eyes, she is intelligent, witty, quirky, and lovable…a few of my favorite things. Adele’s relatively new blog, Hand Jobs: Tale of a Hand Model, is a source of great personal joy and insight. It’s my opinion that Southerners are great storytellers, and Adele is no exception to my rule. Chronicling her journey from a child of great culinary (among other) privilege in New Orleans to being uprooted and transplanted on a raw-vegetable, hippie commune in California. Adele expounds upon the remarkable tales of traveling cross country in a bus named the Mars Hotel; the pleasures and paranoia of adult prescribed, prepubescent drug use (she is NOT a Native American), the heart break of trying to fit into a “normal” school life without ingesting preservatives and meat-byproducts, and the interaction of real-life characters most likely experienced by most of us only through the scripts of a sitcom. I invite you to sit in on our conversation about parts…Adele’s, and the ones that run a little more than skin deep.

In light of the recent ruling regarding the unconstitutionality of Don't Ask Don't Tell, the military's ban on gays serving openly in the military, I was honored to sit down and chat with retired Navy Captain, Joan Darrah and her partner of over 20 years, Lynne Kennedy. Joan had an illustrious 30 year career as a Navy intelligence officer, but with her extremely high security clearance, came the personally classified nature of her sexuality. As a result of DADT, and the things you do for love, Joan and Lynne both served their country in a mandated silence. The events of September 11, 2001, brought a realization that personal truth and the commitment to family are far too important to keep quiet. Captain Dannah began early retirement proceedings and began to serve not only her country, but her community. As an advocate of SLDN, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, Captain Darrah testified before Congress to the adverse affects on military readiness of their compromise legislation of 1993, DADT. Joan and Lynne continue to speak out in these uncertain days after Judge Phillips decision. With a possible appeal pending from the Department of Justice, military members are advised to be cautiously optimistic...but not open and truthful, yet. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.

A few days ago, I had the distinct privilege of sitting down and chatting with the incomparable Tina Sloan, daytime drama legend...and now author. Tina has chronicled her life as an actress, mother, and daughter in a wonderfully charming, humorous, and poignant memoir entitled Changing Shoes. Changing Shoes is a primer of sorts for growing old gracefully and meeting aging head on. Tina utilizes footwear as a metaphor for the different stages of life; when you are ready for a change, it's simple, just change your shoes. From the innocence of pink Capezios to the sophistication silhouette of a pair of black Chanel pumps, Changing Shoes takes us on a sentimental journey of youth, career, motherhood, and the decline of aging...our own and our parents. So, enjoy the conversation with two women who really love shoes...and the changing stories beneath the sole.

Las Aparicio fans will be happy to know that writer, Natassja Ybarra, is very forthcoming about the endgame of the Mariana/Julia story of the very popular telenovela. Will there be a wedding? Yes. Are the gay nuptials the last we will see of the couple? Not at all. Marriage maybe be the declared victory of this revolution, but life is just beginning for these two characters. No denying, this is evolution. Natassja and I talk about the entirety of Las Aparicio and its highly anticipated journey to Telemundo.com, the collaboration of writers as it pertains to all the characters, and what the future holds for other programming. And of course, we talk about Mariana/Julia/Armando and "polyamor". Enjoy.

Last week I was lucky enough to engage in conversation with the lovely Eréndira Ibarra who portrays Mariana, half of the smoldering same-sex super-couple of Julia and Mariana on the telenovela, Las Aparicio. As you will hear, Erendira is extremely gracious to this uni-lingual, English-only, American blogger. We chat about the Mexican soap opera, the truthful, yet controversial storyline of “Juliana”, and the extreme commitment of bilingual fans who take it upon themselves to subtitle the LGBT themed love story. I blogged about the fact you should be watching, and now it’s verbalized. This is no fairy tale, this is a soap opera, and there is plenty of drama. There is no platitude of patronizing head bumping or finger caressing; there is honest passion...and a love triangle that is agonizingly frustrating. But I can’t stop watching over and over again. Listen, and enjoy. I know I did.

Last week my funny bone and I were fortunate enough to Shoot the 'Schmootz with comedienne and community caregiver, Gloria Bigelow. We sat down for a late night snack of humor, politics, and the occasional reminiscence of nostalgic TV. Going into the interview, I was quite familiar with Gloria's comedic timing, but I soon discovered that it is her passionate work with inner city youth that is no joke. Please join me Wednesday night at 9:00 PM EDT as Gloria and I spend a humorous and high-spirited hour of conversation. How often can you actually have fun...and learn something as well? Enjoy. I know I did.

April was Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and honestly, I was not aware of that fact until doing research for this interview. It is opportune in reference to my conversation with Joanna, though I believe a thirty day designation is something she would find interesting and worthy of comment. For Joanna Katz, every day is awareness day. On June, 17, 1988, Joanna and a female friend were abducted at gunpoint, beaten, tortured, and gang raped repeatedly by five men. Bloodied and dazed, Joanna was able to escape her attackers, find help, save her friend from imminent death, and fight for the conviction of her assailants. It would be enough to end the story here, but thanks to a South Carolina justice system that, at the time, continued to emotionally brutalize victims of sexual crimes, Joanna’s story was only beginning. Joanna’s inspiring account of survival, both physically and emotionally, is chronicled in the PBS documentary, Sentencing the Victim. As a compliment to this podcast, I encourage you to watch the documentary. I will warn you, this is a brutal film in it’s subject matter. It is dark, disturbing, and infuriating at times, but it also encapsulates hope, support, and courage in its purest form. In our conversation, I ask Joanna about life post-documentary, where her advocacy has taken her, and what has changed, if anything, socially and/or politically, where victim’s rights are concerned. I believe this conversation is enlightening and inspirational. And this is the Schmootzcast after all, so Joanna is delightfully humorous, so entertaining as well.

In episode 3 of the Schmootzcast, I sit down for an hour-long "girlfriend" chat with Queens of the World writer/producer/director, Mel Robertson and lead actress, Nicole Pacent. We talk about the film, the sport, social networking, and extras like Nicole's first Dinah and a hint or two about Anyone But Me.

Welcome to the "Schmootz on" podcast. Episode 2 of the Schmootzcast dishes with Anyone But Me star and Streamy Award winner for Best Actress in a drama web series, Rachael Hip-Flores. Tune in to hear Rachael wax hypothetically on ABM Season 2, what it means to be a teaching artist, Altoids or tic tacs when kissing her co-star, and much more.

Welcome to the premiere of the "Schmootz On" podcasts, where we dish the dirt with absorbing individuals, and we don't bother to clean it up. I am fortunate to begin this next chapter in media with Orlagh Cassidy, star of the long running daytime serial drama, Guiding Light, stage, prime time, and voice-overs.