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Leo Gonzalez Talks All: Hospital Visits, Only Child, Anxiety, Comedy Show, CHISME & MORE!! Thanks to my sponsors: Find exactly what you're booking for on https://Booking.com, Booking.YEAH! • Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening or by using this link: https://bit.ly/NochedePendejadasPodcast • If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be helpful! You can text, email, Tweet, or send this link to a friend: https://bit.ly/NochedePendejadasPodcast Follow Alannized on IG Follow Alannized on TikTok Follow Alannized on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In the second part of this special LIVE episode we've got STAR of Gary Tank Commander, Fresh Meat and Only Child... it's the legendary Greg McHugh! Visit https://glesgada.com/ for tickets to our next show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this special LIVE episode we've got STAR of Gary Tank Commander, Fresh Meat and Only Child... it's the legendary Greg McHugh! Visit https://glesgada.com/ for tickets to our next show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Abby & Regan Break Down the Entire Epstein File Release - what you need to know! Abby and Regan talk the dangers of taking "gentle parenting" too far, creating "soft" children (especially when raising our young men), and after both coming from being the ONLY CHILD, why they love having big families now. Abby and Regan would love to hear from you; you can email them at hello@therealdealofparenting.com and for those who leave them a positive review on Apple or Spotify and they read it on their podcast, they'll send you a personal gift! Be sure you're subscribed to Unfiltered Parenting podcast so you never miss an episode; likewise, be sure you join 693,000+ parents and follow Abby & Regan at The Real Deal of Parenting on FB, IG and X! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
"Because I Said So": Why Every Family Needs to Bring This Saying Back Abby and Regan talk the dangers of taking "gentle parenting" too far, creating "soft" children (especially when raising our young men), and after both coming from being the ONLY CHILD, why they love having big families now. Abby and Regan would love to hear from you; you can email them at hello@therealdealofparenting.com and for those who leave them a positive review on Apple or Spotify and they read it on their podcast, they'll send you a personal gift! Be sure you're subscribed to Unfiltered Parenting podcast so you never miss an episode; likewise, be sure you join 693,000+ parents and follow Abby & Regan at The Real Deal of Parenting on FB, IG and X! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
In this episode of Visual Intonation, we meet Ibrahim K. Muhammad—a director, photographer, cinematographer, and editor who's redefining the boundaries of storytelling. Based in London, Ibrahim's journey began not with a formal film education, but with the lens of a mobile phone and a childhood passion for recreating 'Lego' movies. His path took him through the BRIT School and the University of Westminster, eventually leading him to co-direct his first short film, 'SHEEP', in 2019. Fast-forward to now, Ibrahim's journey has collided with global names like John Boyega and Converse, resulting in his latest short film, 'ONLY CHILD'. But how did this all start? In a Zoom call with Converse and other emerging filmmakers, Ibrahim found himself stepping into a world where creative potential meets unparalleled resources. The rest, as they say, is history. But Ibrahim's story isn't just about cameras and editing suites; it's about the power of storytelling itself. His work is a reflection of his deep connection to history, culture, and identity—elements that are woven into every frame he captures. Inspired by figures like Gordon Parks, whose work bridged the worlds of photography and social change, Ibrahim views his craft as a tool for manipulation, not just of light and shadow, but of reality itself. For him, photography and film are more than mediums—they're vehicles for creating truths that resonate far beyond the screen. In this episode, Ibrahim shares his insights on the evolution of his artistry, how he's shaping the future of visual storytelling, and the impact he hopes to leave on the world. This episode dives deep into Ibrahim's evolution—from weekly cinema visits with his dad to the visual mastery he commands today. We explore his love for photography, his influences from legends like David Fincher and Michel Gondry, and his unique take on visual storytelling. Get ready for a conversation about making art, breaking barriers, and finding your own voice in the ever-changing world of film. Ibrahim K. Muhammad's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ikm.films/Ibrahim K. Muhammad's Website: https://ikmfilms.wixsite.com/ibrahimkmuhammadIbrahim K. Muhammad's LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/ibrahim-k-muhammad-059586209Ibrahim K. Muhammad's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ikmfilmsIbrahim K. Muhammad's IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13697171/Support the showVisual Intonation Website: https://www.visualintonations.com/Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.comVante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directedbyvante/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@directedbyvante
Options:Based on a post by FinalStand, in 13 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels. ‘Senior Deputy Sheriff Samsonov is a hell of a guy,' Brandy mused.‘Him? No; not at first. Before me, the man had the sexual techniques of a cloistered monk. His cock on the other hand; whoa Nelly!' All three women nodded. ‘I had to train him over the years and he's pretty stubborn with these peculiar ideas about propriety and what locations are acceptable for intercourse.'‘Huh?' That was Brandy.‘In my opinion, if you can escape law enforcement it isn't really a crime.'‘What?' Taliyah.Sigh; ‘is there a place you wouldn't attempt to have sex?' Gayle looked them over. The two teens exchanged looks.‘Where is the weirdest place you've had sex?' Brandy asked the senior sex fiend.‘It is a toss-up between fucking while parachuting and having two orgasms in the Seattle Space Needle.' The girls looked for the joke. ‘Bitches, I don't mind you being centerpieces at a gang bang for the entire football team because of some sort of archaic moral hang-up. I'm glad my boys picked a pair of experienced sluts; I am.'Taliyah's fist clenched. Brandy took a different approach.‘So Vlad really doesn't care that I'm; more experienced?' A K A, nowhere close to virginal.‘No; not in the least. I don't like the fact you two let yourself be used as sex slaves by fuckers you know don't respect you,' Gayle schooled them.‘So you really don't mind me hitting Mik?' Taliyah mentally regrouped.‘Not at all. Some Men need a strong spinal realignment from time to time and don't call him 'Mik'. He finds it insulting and not in a playful way.'‘Do you hit; Mr. Samsonov?'‘No. The man is immune to negative physical reinforcement. Lord knows, I've tried. With their Da, it pays to be simple and direct. I grab his cock and say 'Here! Now!' and get down to business.'Both girls were aghast at both the visual and Gayle's frank honesty.‘And he puts up with that?' Taliyah grunted. Senior Deputy Samsonov was a huge man and could have tossed Mrs. Samsonov around one-handed, or so she had believed. He'd never came across like the cunt-whipped type.‘He's my partner, Taliyah,' Gayle kept 'explaining'. ‘He knows I'm a constantly horny, little slut whose kitty needs petting and I respect his rarely doing anything else I want him to do; like getting my name tattooed on his cock, starting a bar brawl for the shits and giggles, celebrating National Nude Day, or going skinny-dipping in your pool,' aimed at Brandy.‘Have you two had sex in my house?' Brandy choked.‘Twice,' Gayle recalled fondly. ‘Once in the kitchen, bent over the center island; a trifecta; and once in your Daddy's bedroom. I hoped he enjoyed the show on the playback.'‘She really is crazy,' Taliyah looked to Brandy.‘That I am,' Gayle gleefully agreed. ‘Back to the program. Brandy, tomorrow morning before Homeroom, I want you to 'suggest' to Vlad you want double-penetration. He'll ask you if it is my idea, you'll tell him 'no' and he'll believe you are lying to him. He'll go along with it anyway to make sure I don't get angry with you.'‘Will you?' Brandy meeped. ‘Will he?'‘No and no. Your sensuality is pretty physical, Brandy. You'll learn to be a lying, manipulative whore later.'‘You want me to lie to Vlad? He'll be furious with me when he finds out!'‘No, he'll be angry with me for making you lie to him,' Gayle shook her head. ‘Vlad's clever that way.'‘But; you want us to lie to them?' Taliyah didn't believe her.‘Taliyah, any man who believes everything a woman tells him is an idiot. My boys aren't idiots, just inexperienced and hormonal.'‘So you want us to lie to them,' Taliyah confirmed.‘I want you two to use your fucking brains along with those smoking hot bodies; that is what I want,' Gayle clarified. ‘Tomorrow, arrange for the Cheer Squad to meet in the Music Room at the start of 4th period. It just so happens, the Music Room is unoccupied during the 3rd period as well; here is the key,' she handed Brandy a key.‘You have a key to the Music Room?' Taliyah muttered.‘No. I have a Master Key to the school. I took it off that fat bastard former-Principal after he attempted to rape me,' she confessed blithely. ‘I made some copies for contingencies such as this.'‘Now Brandy; you, Vlad and Mikhail are going to skip 3rd period, sneak off to the Music Room and; enjoy yourselves. Take your time. Turn it into one huge seduction. Use that body to make them lose all track of time.'‘Where am I going to be?' Taliyah frowned; her Man was going to be fucking Brandy, damn it! Her aching possessiveness was new and raw.‘You make sure you are the first one to the room at the bell between the 3rd and 4th period. Gather up the girls and sneak them into the room with your key,' Gayle handed Taliyah another key.‘Won't the period bell let them know something's up?' Taliyah wondered.‘What are they going to do? Rip their dicks out of Brandy?'‘Oh no; ‘ Brandy gasped and shook her head. She didn't like that idea at all.‘No. Brandy will tell them the Music Room is vacant for the 4th period as well; so, in theory, they could keep going for another five, or ten minutes,' Gayle said.‘And the other eleven cheerleaders are going to walk into the room, see Brandy, Vlad and Mikhail; ‘‘Perhaps less than eleven, but yes; rushing hungrily to join in; ‘ Gayle interrupted.‘Oh; ‘ Taliyah blinked. ‘They are going to see the three of us and fall magically in love with them; oh.'‘Kind of like what happened to you,' Gayle smirked to Taliyah.‘Wait! Did you have Mikhail and Vlad; or just Mikhail, do that to me on purpose; at the lodge?' Taliyah rumbled angrily.‘No. What I needed to know was written all over Brandy's face their first Saturday together. My boy 'fixed' her something good. You and Mikhail keeping your hands off one another wasn't even a possibility; he was horny, just like you.'‘I swear, if that boy had set me up,' Taliyah growled.‘I suggest scratching and biting to remind him you are unhappy with him,' Gayle provided unlooked for advice and insight. ‘If that doesn't work, try hot candle wax.' The two girls, once again, gawked at Gayle. ‘Or you can pout, whine and tell him he is a big bully,' she spoke mockingly.Taliyah glared.‘Taliyah, you both like rough sex. I am suggesting you keep going with what works,' Gayle chuckled. ‘Brandy, you keep up the pouting. Be a little less whiney. Your 'pouty' pisses him off and makes him want to punish you with some hard fucking.'Pause.‘Oh,' Brandy grinned. Pouting = primal sex. check! Taliyah play-punched her, so Brandy pouted at them both.‘That'll do,' Gayle approved.‘What do we do if Vlad and Mikhail decide they like one of the other girls more?' Brandy revisited her panic.‘Fight for them,' Gayle sighed in exasperation. ‘Just like you two should be worthy of fighting over, you should be prepared to fight for their affections as well. I don't mean debasing yourselves. I mean reminding them you are the ones who will make them happiest, inside and outside of the sexual arena.'‘If Mikhail's gaze strays too long, I'll nut him,' Taliyah declared.‘I suggest a Charlie Horse on the off chance you surprise him. Do you really want to put that nut-sack out of commission?' Gayle snorted.‘Ah, good point,' Taliyah nodded; then, ‘How do you do a good Charlie Horse?'It dawned on both girls, like a flash of lightning across a clear night sky, they had been suborned to Gayle Fonteneau Samsonov's agenda; to the point where they were asking the older woman; the hated, feared enemy-bitch; for practical advice. The World had turned upside down.What it means.For me and Mikhail it meant no sex without being privileged to know why we were being punished. Dad came home with our young English teacher, Ms. Blanchard, only to have to drive Brandy and Taliyah back to school to pick up Taliyah's car; so she could drive Brandy home, not me.Alexander didn't have sex either (as far as I could tell), yet was gifted with an attentive Ms. Andrea Blanchard who 'appreciated' his gallant nature. Stunningly, Alexander's infirmity reappeared and Ms. Blanchard felt obliged to dote on him in a confusing flirtatious-mothering style. It took me a bit to figure out there was a fearful nervousness behind her actions as well.The situation was exacerbated by Mom deciding to get naked; ugh; just as everyone else was clearing the table.‘Nik,' Mom purred.‘Huh?' from Dad.‘Here; now!'‘Huh?'‘Sex.'‘We have company, Gayle.'‘And?'‘Quick!' I jumped up. ‘Everyone grab a plate and run for it.'Isabo hurried the children from the room while the rest of us stacked up the plates and serving trays as rapidly as possible before making our own exits. Andrea was flabbergasted. To add to her surreal feelings, as soon as we made our escape, the rest of the house life returned to normalcy. Even Bebe, who had been initially (in her case; weeks ago) freaked out by Mom's eccentric sexual behavior, appeared amused. I left it to Alexander to help Andrea adjust.‘Mom's; eccentric; erratic; and free spirited,' he shrugged.‘So, this happens; ah; often?' she whispered. No one else was whispering, but we understood the impulse.‘Two, or three, times a week,' Alexander admitted.‘; a week?' Andrea gulped.‘Oh yeah,' smirked Mikhail. ‘Don't worry. We understand Mom is beyond unusual. You won't see anyone else doing that; around here.'‘Okay; ‘ she hesitated. Ms. Blanchard caught his pause.‘What my brother is referring to is an earlier, unfortunate episode up at the hunting lodge,' I punched Mikhail as I explained. He chuckled.By the look on Ms. Blanchard's face, she was unsure if she wanted further clarification. Alexander took a slightly defensive posture hovering close by. Bebe, normally so silent around us boys, miraculously came to her rescue.‘Andrea; Mrs. Samsonov is a wonderful woman. She's also off her rocker and everyone in the house knows it. What is important is her true affection for those she holds close is genuine, her dedication is fierce in all she does and her husband and sons carry that intense devotion into their own friendships.'‘Thank you, Bebe,' I nodded. ‘As an outsider looking in; well, I couldn't have possibly said it better myself; being on the inside.'Andrea nodded as well. After all, Mom's insanity translated over to a bloodily beaten, abusive former Principle, five plus beaten students who had harassed her, a school escort, new locks on all her windows and doors, and a completely unsolicited whole house-cleaning.A feminine feline purr rumbled from the dining room. The five of us exchanged awkward looks.‘Ms. Blanchard, have you seen the stables?' I intervened. Her eyes flickered to me.‘No.'‘Great.'Mom's moan faded into Dad's growl. While my Pa was generally oblivious on the uptake and slow out of the starting gate, he was the ‘Hammer of the Gods', once he got going, about 1 hour minimum. Considering we three were most likely going to grow up to be similar in stamina to him; we had high hopes for our long term sexual futures.‘Alexander, why don't you show Ms. Blanchard the stables. Bebe, why don't you make yourself and Ms. Blanchard something to drink with a kick to it while Mikhail gets himself and Alexander something legit to drink,' I took command.‘Why am I involved in any of this?' Mikhail scoffed.‘I have to do the dishes because I was elsewhere; ‘ I reminded him.‘Oh yeah,' Mikhail snorted. Off he went. Bebe gave me a tiny smile before turning and heading for the library and its bar.‘Ms. Blanchard?' Alexander offered to direct the educator outside via another, 'safer' route.‘Oh; maybe I should go?' she hedged.‘Ah; ‘ Mom.‘Your purse is; ?' Alexander asked. We knew the answer. It was in the hallway; right outside the entrance to the dining room. It would be offsetting, or so it might appear. In actuality, my brothers and I had snuck thru the 'danger zone' many times before.‘Let's go see the stables,' Andrea redirected Alexander. I had a kitchen to clean up, so I missed the detailed tour of the stables as well as Ms. Blanchard's decision to spend the night; again.Tuesday.To maintain the illusion of Ms. Blanchard not spending time with Alexander (even though there was nothing sexual going on), we triplets were sitting in her gravel driveway while she ran inside to change and got a few things. 'A few things' meant a shot of vodka. She'd take a breath mint afterwards, but come on now; we were from Russian stock and vodka was our national beverage. It still made Alexander nervous.Mom had taken a different tactic in dealing with Ms. Blanchard's alcoholism. After she and Consuela cleaned up the place, Mom had come back with vodka bottles big and small and hidden them all over her small home; a shot glass with each big bottle. She'd left sticky notes to let her know where each bottle was hidden. I imagined the sticky notes were gone now, yet;The psychology was a shot glass would mean less alcohol per desperate desire to bury her pain and misery. The 'game' would allow Andrea to indulge while not turning her domicile into a drunkard's den. In theory, she could safely have company over now. Lastly, if Ms. Blanchard got too drunk, she couldn't remember where the bottles were hidden, or so the reasoning went.At school, Alexander (with our help) would diminish the root cause of her anguish; the sexual blackmail her students inflicted on her. At 'home', Mom and Bebe were befriending Andrea Blanchard; giving her female friends to connect with outside of the school's still poisonous BBC atmosphere.I was ruminating over that when;‘Do you really believe Mom's bullshit about 'magic dicks'?' Mikhail asked me out of the blue. Alexander was out of the Mustang, sitting on Ms. Blanchard's stoop. Today, Mikhail had ridden his motorcycle over, so I had the car momentarily to myself. I hesitated.‘Fuck,' he groaned. In our triplet group, I was the 'clever' one. We didn't resent our designations;· Alexander; kind,· Vlad; clever, and· Mikhail, violent;because it allowed us leeway in our actions. See, Mikhail could react physically to problems because he knew if he was doing something exceedingly stupid, I'd stop him.If he was being 'too' brutal, Alexander would reign him in. Likewise, if Mikhail's gut instinct was to lash out, we respected it. Sometimes instinct trumped reason. If Alexander was being too sappy, we'd let him know. If I was over-thinking something, either brother could step in. By the time we hit our mid-teens, we couldn't imagine any other way of living.By our 18th birthdays we figured we'd spend the rest of our live together; we were an awesome trio and rightly proud of our co-dependence. Even if we ended up on the run with Uncle Theo, we'd all go down together. It was how we faced the family and our world. The blood-kin Samsonov's weren't the easiest people to deal with. We had Mom to thank for us not quite fitting in.We loved and admired Dad and his family. Mom's upbringing had tainted our way of thinking though. Time and again, Mom skirted, bent, or bastardized the 'ordinary' way of approaching life's pitfalls and pleasures. We three would never truly be 'Samsonovs'. I think Dad knew that as well. The one time an older cousin slipped us a catalog on the best Criminal Justice College programs in Alaska; Dad frowned. The man quietly withdrew his 'suggestion'.In a way, it was a blessing to the clan. Thanks to Mom, we were also gifted with the ability to navigate the machinations of the Samsonov brides and grooms; those folks who married into our lineage. Since they were all somewhat nutty, our ability to separate them when the lunacy set in was appreciated. That way, the rest of them didn't have to become overly confrontational; which was the way the blood-Samsonovs liked it.Being the clever one, I also clued into Mikhail's subliminal anger. He didn't want to cheat to get Taliyah's affections. He might even start trying not to be a jackass around her because of it; making them both miserable.‘Mikhail, you had her on the kitchen counter and backing that ass up against you in the recliner before any 'magic' kicked in. She likes you for reasons which defy even 'magic dicks',' I punched him in the arm.‘Thanks,' he nodded then hit me back. ‘So, what's next?'‘Gang-bang.'‘You really think we are going to pull it off?'‘Yeah. Mom sketched out the general plan to me a while ago,' I nodded.‘Cool. I've wanted to stick my cock down Alondra Lamb's throat ever since the first time I saw her lips part,' Mikhail rubbed his hands together.‘Taliyah is going to whoop up on you if she hears you talk like that,' I cautioned him.‘Yeah,' he grinned like the Heath Leger's Joker. ‘Cool, ain't it?'‘Being slapped by a girl?'‘Nah,' he cavalierly dismissed any misconceptions. ‘Making her angry with me. Then she gets this look in her eyes like she's going to own me; it is a huge fucking turn on.'‘Mom would be so proud,' I muttered.‘Then I'm going to nail Jewel Lafontanté,' Mikhail's eyes shown with relish.‘She's not on the Cheer Squad,' I pointed out.‘Yeah, but she's sexy, smart and thinks she a 'top' bitch,' he chuckled.‘Isn't she dating somebody?'‘So? I only want to borrow her; take her out for a spin,' he laughed. He was a jackass and ambitious and;‘Mikhail, both those girls are Black. Do you have a thing for Black chicks?'‘I like 'em dark,' he mused. ‘Hadn't really thought about it as a preference, but you're right. My Top Ten 'Most Fuckable List is filled with Ladies of Color. I guess that means you get the blondes and Alexander gets the red-heads and brunettes.'‘Top Ten List? You're a pig,' I chided him.‘Grunt, grunt, oink.'To put things in perspective, Alondra Lamb was a medium height, tawny skin Black lass with straight, black hair past her shoulders and a killer body with decent tits, perfect for her athletic body type, and a divine ass.She was also; to put it politely; mentally-underwhelming. Beyond her exemplary looks, she was an above-average gymnast and on most days capable of tying her own shoes; the ones with the Velcro straps. Her hazel eyes were always wide open and her lips pursed in an 'o' unless she was blathering on about something inane and off-topic, or just giggling for no understandable reason.She found simple things amusing (kind of adorable) and didn't 'date' a member of the football team; she barely could remember their names and normally got passed around like a living onahole. I felt sorry for her. Usually, she hung out with Betty Jo Starling (one of the team's other two Blondes) who shared her mentally-endearing qualities. The rest of the squad treated those two rather poorly.In contrast, Jewel Lafontanté was from a new (to Kingston) nouveau riche Black Family. Rumors say her Dad worked for the Government years ago, before setting out and founding his own IT company here in Arkansas. He and his Choctaw wife had retired here in Kingston a few years back. They bought a nice spread and became pillars of the community. Jewel was a late child. The rest of her brothers and sisters were grown, with families of their own. So she was effectively an Only Child, doted on by her aged parents.Jewel was also one of the smartest kids in school, one of the best members of the local studio's Dance troupe and possessed a crippling wit. At 5' 11', she was noticed and her curvaceous and sporty build was widely admired, although when her dark eyes danced with amusement at the suffering her 'diversions' caused, the timid backed away. Her preference for a different hairstyle, or two, every week kept the local hair stylists in business.She was bright, sassy and vicious with her own little group of Black women called the ZPP (Zulu Princess Posse, i.e. 6 rich Black girls and their one token rich White girl). They only dated 'rich' Black guys, yet consistently cheated with impoverished, or medium-income, White underclassmen. They toyed with the boys and finally let their official 'boyfriends' know of the White boy's indiscretions. If you somehow resisted their advances, they lied about what happened instead. Either way, beatings always followed.During Darius' reign, Jewel had kept a low profile from 7:15 to 2:15 pm and hadn't participated in the school's sports religion. No; she'd stayed safely away doing stuff with the other rich kids on the evenings and weekends. Darius must have decided her dad, while old, was an uncertain enough quantity to not screw around with his youngest child.Brief Segway.Beyond my understanding at the time, Jewel also represented another fabric of Kingston/Davis society; those from the post-divide i.e. higher-income families from out-of-State who moved in after the new millennia, both Black and White, who weren't invested in the bitter interracial struggle of the 1970's and took the status quo at face value.They'd moved here when Arkansas State put a satellite campus in down the road and the natural recreation industry gained a regional recognition; sports-fishing, hunting and hiking. A S U Kingston was a Medical Technical School which taught, as you might guess, various programs for technicians in the medical field as well as nursing. Not only did the graduates not normally go on to top tier careers, A S U K wasn't a research university, so the teaching staff, while well-to-do in this rural dystopia, weren't filthy rich either.A S U -K had a small campus with a faculty and student population under 2,000 and was, like the White Middle-class enclave of Sunshine Terrace, its own little microcosm in Davis County. Yep; A S U -K had its own Campus Police Force while Sunshine Terrace had a contracted private security service.Anyway, as Kingston prospered and the Middle Class Whites fled to their own segregated hamlet, these new Blacks moved into Kingston. Likewise, more 'country' Blacks moved in from Davis County as well, further segregating the races. Forty years after Taliyah's grandfather was first elected mayor, Kingston had tripled in size (2,100 to 6,400) while Davis County as a whole was roughly 60% larger (13,500 to 21,700), thus the Town being 'Black' while the County was 'White'.Inside, the town's Black community was another divide and it was best expressed in their 'womenfolk' and what was expected of them. Dominique, for all her power and influence, basically worried about her daughter dating the 'popular' Black guy because this was BBC country and women defined their positions by the masculine auras around them.In contrast, Jewel's mother didn't worry over-much about who Jewel dated, because Jewel was going to college (somewhere else). High school and high school boys were just stepping stones. BBC was still out there, but 'the Modern Black Woman' had developed a host of weaponry of their own. To the outside world, such a distinction made Jewel and her Mamma feminists.Later on Jewel was to qualify that for us; she was a Feminist with a capital 'F'. Whereas Taliyah wanted to own Mikhail's body and soul because he challenged and completed her, Jewel wanted to own us; period; all three of us Samsonov boys.Why?Excuses were for people who needed to explain themselves to their fellow losers. Winners like Jewel 'achieved' and took what rewards they wished.Apparently seeking Equal Rights was a hallmark of the unambitious, being 'just as a good as a man' was settling for less and Racial Equality implied there might be something a White Person could do that a Woman of Color couldn't do better; according to her doctrine. Had they (Jewel, her mom and our Mom) not all been Class-A Bitches, they would have gotten along famously.To be fair, had Mikhail not gone gunning for her, she would have most likely left us alone; but he did. My youngest brother is an asshole at times, as well as relentless, and after so many years having Mom controlling our social lives, he now was sexually 'off his leash'.Resume‘How about we just stick with the Cheer Squad for the rest of the week,' I tried to divert him. ‘Perhaps you might find ten other women enough for you.'‘Nope,' Mikhail shook his head and laughed.‘How about Taliyah's feelings?' I launched as a 'Hail Mary'.‘No,' he kept shaking his head. ‘I'm not boyfriend material, Vlad. Sex is too much fun. I really like Taliyah, but; no. No promises, no lies and no illusions. There is going to be no ring on my finger, or through my nose. I'll hold her hand, and hold her if she's weeping, but I'm not going to mistake sex for friendship, or vice versa. I'm 18, damn it! I want to roam.'The rest of the conversation was truncated by Ms. Blanchard's appearance. Mikhail returned to his motorcycle, Alexander got into the Mustang and she got into her battered, green 1997 Toyota Camry. Off we went. Close to the main entrance of the main building, most of the Cheer Squad was waiting for us. They were dressed in 'regular' clothes; we knew them by their faces.As soon as we rolled up, Rashaan Quinterre and a few of the football team members made an appearance. Taliyah frowned. Her frown only deepened when another cheerleader; this one White, Randi Leigh Upshaw, went into his arms. He did his best to look triumphant. Randi Leigh certainly looked pleased with herself.‘Coach is making Rashaan the new Team Captain,' she informed the crowd.‘Ha!' Mikhail laughed at the couple. ‘Anyone who thinks Rashaan Quinterre is even half the man Darius was, raise your hands.' His mockery was eviscerating. Worse, it took several seconds for several of Rashaan's teammates to raise their hands. ‘You are only Captain because your Daddy is Police Chief, not because anyone thinks you can replace Darius, you loser.'‘I'm going to kick your teeth in, Cracker,' Rashaan seethed. He had six other footballers versus Mikhail and me. How the Cheer Squad would break down was an unknown. Alexander had already deviated for the Teacher's Parking Lot. There were maybe a periphery of forty other students at that moment plus;‘Boys,' softly drawled a voice of an adult I hadn't seen before. He was a Big (as in muscular) White guy with a 'five o'clock' shadow at seven in the morning, unkempt, dark-russet hair, darting, soulless brown eyes and a weathered, sun-creased complexion.Of more critical importance he had my Samsonov Law Dog senses tingling at first sight; he was a human predator. His easy-going mannerisms were deceptive and his leadership skills were exhibited by the aura of dominion he seemed to project over the eight rednecks he had accompanying him.‘Buck!' Misty Dawn Sizemore burst forth from the Cheer Squad and ran up to the lead hillbilly. He wrapped her up in a bear hug while keeping his eyes on the rest of us. ‘I didn't think you were coming back.'‘The new nigger Principle made a deal with my wetback Parole Officer. I graduate and they cut the last three and a half years off my parole,' he replied nonchalantly.'Nigger' didn't go over well at all. It was telling to me that it took Rashaan several seconds to step up into his new leadership role. 'Wetback' on the other hand was just;‘Buck, watch your fucking mouth before you get your teeth kicked in,' Rashaan tried to sound brave, but wasn't very convincing. Buck looked him up and down, then chortled.‘Rashaan, ya ain't no Darius, Nigger,' he sneered. ‘Fuck with me and I'll gut you like the sweaty little piglet you are.' He emphasized his point by casually pushing Rashaan back a step. The light of Justice flared up against the forces of Intolerance and Intimidation.‘Taliyah, who is this latest knuckle-dragger?' Mikhail grinned at Buck.‘Your bad attitude makes you Mikhail,' Buck responded first, grinning. He'd already scouted us out; which made him even more dangerous. ‘That makes you; ,' nodding to me and since I was closer, he moved toward me for the handshake (he tried to break my phalanges and got nowhere), ‘; Vlad cause your brother Alex went hobbling off already. I'm Chester Ray Tooney, but everyone calls me Buck.'‘Hi Buck, I'm Vladimir Samsonov.'‘So, you are the guy who made Brandy's ass 'All Access',' he leered. He hadn't let go of my hand. He was about to regret that.‘Oh, so it is going to be like that then. Buck, I'll give you the same options I gave Darius on Day One. Let's settle this Man-to-Man. I'm challenging you to a duel,' I hadn't let go of his hand yet either.‘A duel?' he muttered as he pushed Misty Dawn away.‘That's a fight between two men with some semblance of rules.'‘Like an M M A bout?' he studied me.‘Sure. You dropped the insult. I issued the challenge. Now you get to pick the weapons, or lack thereof. I then pick the time and location,' I explained.‘Do this a lot?'‘You'll be the first.'‘You are really pissed over me calling Brandy a slut? Everyone knows she was Darius' hoe,' he grumbled. He'd just lost the hand-grinding war. His guys were tensing up even as I was grinding his knuckles together in my grip.‘Don't Vlad,' Taliyah spoke up. ‘Back in the day, Buck was Darius' brother Cyrus's bitch. Holding his hand might make him feel lonely.' She then taunted Buck by adding, ‘Missing Cyrus much while he's in prison?' Buck took the opportunity to sucker-punch me. To avoid the blow, I'd have had to release his hand. Instead, I took the newly proffered arm, channeled his momentum into a hip-toss and planted him on the ground.I had his wrist twisted painfully, his arm locked up and my foot was on his throat. Buck was on his back on the asphalt with a furious expression on his face.‘Motherfucker,' the closest redneck made ready to rush me.‘Take that step and I'll break his arm,' I informed them both angrily. ‘Buck, I'd appreciate it if you would apologize to Brandy now.'‘Get off me,' Buck snarled. ‘I'll fucking kill you.'‘Vlad,' Misty Dawn hesitantly reached for me.‘Vlad, let him up. He's not worth it,' Brandy intervened. When it was clear she was the one I was listening to, I backed off. I even offered Buck a hand up. Oddly, he took it; without the expected sneak attack.‘Duel, huh?' Buck scowled.‘Yeah.'‘I'll think about it.'‘I'm not hard to find,' I stepped aside as he and his group forced their way forward. His departure left Rashaan and his crew staring at me, Mikhail and the Cheer Squad once more.‘Don't worry, Misty Dawn. I wouldn't have let Vlad hurt your cousin much,' Brandy roped in her fellow cheerleader. Brandy shot me a dazzling smile in the process.‘Thanks, Vlad,' Misty smiled my way as well.What was going on? Well Brandy and Taliyah's position as leaders of the Cheer Squad
Today's episode is a continuation of my conversation with John and Carrie Guenther, whose only child Gideon went to Heaven in the fall of 2020. Today we go deeper in our discussion, including the Guenther's advice for newly bereaved parents, their response to the dreaded “How many children do you have” question, what they've discovered about God's character in their journey, and how they're learning to manage the holidays after the loss of their only son. I believe you'll be blessed by listening in! I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message!** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry. We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parentsClick HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country. Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channelClick HERE to follow our public Facebook pageClick HERE to follow us on Instagram Click HERE to follow us on Twitter Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministryContact Jill by email at: jill@whilewerewaiting.org
I am so excited today to introduce you to my friends John and Carrie Guenther. We met the Guenthers when they attended our very first While We're Waiting Weekend in Ohio back in September of 2023. As they shared the story of their son Gideon at that retreat, I was struck not just by the grace with which they expressed it, but by the profound loss parents who lose their only child endure. I'm excited to present our conversation to you over the next two weeks … I pray that it will give you a new compassion for those who have no surviving children, and if you find yourself in that group, I pray that this episode will make you feel seen and loved. I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message!** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry. We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parentsClick HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country. Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channelClick HERE to follow our public Facebook pageClick HERE to follow us on Instagram Click HERE to follow us on Twitter Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministryContact Jill by email at: jill@whilewerewaiting.org
In Episode 155 of Just Get A Real Job, Jamie is joined by Bryce Hart, the BAFTA-nominated writer and creator of the BBC One comedy series Only Child, now streaming on BBC iPlayer. Bryce's other credits include Beep and 10 Percent. It was a pleasure to hear Bryce share his practical advice and personal insights into screenwriting and his career. We discuss: The making of Only Child and how the series came to life. Why Gregor Fisher and Greg McHugh fit the roles so perfectly. His journey into Screenwriting. Becoming a father. Navigating development. Mental health and the emotional challenges of writing. His advice for aspiring writers—and much more. Stream Only Child now on BBC iPlayer, and don't miss this inspiring conversation with one of UK comedy writing's rising stars. Bryce Hart: Only Child on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m00255fp/only-child?seriesId=m00255fq Check out our website!: https://www.justgetarealjob.com Donate to our Patreon page: www.patreon.com/justgetarealjob Follow us on... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justgetarealjob/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justgetarealjob/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@just.get.a.real.job X: https://x.com/justgetarealjob Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5jhVdYlNMU8jrFUQxShMit Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/just-get-a-real-job/id1540434153 Artwork by Aimee Dinsdale: https://www.instagram.com/artbyaimeead/
Forbes Masson is playing Caliban in Jamie Lloyd's production of The Tempest.The show is the first of two Shakespeare plays presented by The Jamie Lloyd Company at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, marking the first Shakespeare plays at the venue since Peter Brook's production of The Tempest starring John Gielgud in 1957.Forbes has worked with Jamie previously, performing in his productions of Macbeth, Richard III and The Ruling Class at Trafalgar Studios and Dr Faustus at the Duke of York's. Forbes' other theatre credits include: Farm Hall (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Laughing Boy (Jermyn Street), Jekyll and Hyde (Lyceum), The Magician's Elephant, Boy in the Dress, Macbeth, Hamlet, Comedy of Errors, Twelfth Night, The Histories, As You Like It, Romeo & Juliet and Taming of the Shrew (Royal Shakespeare Company), Summer and Smoke (Almeida), Travesties (Menier Chocolate Factory) and King Lear (Liverpool Everyman).His screen credits include The Crown (Netflix), As You Like It (CBeebies), The Road Dance, Only Child, Crime, EastEnders, Red Dwarf and The High Life (BBC), Catastrophe (Avalon Television) and Young Person's Guide to Becoming a Rock Star (Channel 4).Forbes is an Associate Artist with the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre Scotland, and co-writer of Victor and Barry's Kelvinside Compendium alongside Alan Cumming (404ink).The Tempest runs at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane 7th December 2024 - 1st February 2025. Visit www.thejamielloydcompany.com for info and tickets. This podcast is hosted by Andrew Tomlins @AndrewTomlins32 Thanks for listening! Email: andrew@westendframe.co.uk Visit westendframe.co.uk for more info about our podcasts.
New BBC sitcom Only Child is about a man realising his dad isn't coping on his own, but at the same time, doesn't really want to be helped. Highly relatable content, right? Hannah chats to one of its stars, Greg McHugh, about that whole "circle of life" thing that comes with ageing parents, and working with one of his comedy idols, Gregor Fisher. They're also talking about Fresh Meat, Marvellous and Gary: Tank Commander. Because of course they are. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ian and Hannah review the biggest new films and bingeable shows on UK streaming services for the week beginning Friday 22nd November 2024, including:When Susan's idyllic new life is disturbed by a baffling unsolved murder, she must uncover the secret hidden in plain sight. Moonflower Murders, starring Lesley Manville, is on BBC iPlayer.Deep in the heart of West Texas, roughnecks and wildcat billionaires try to get rich quick in the oil business as oil rigs begin to dominate the state. Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Landman is on Paramount Plus.A retired professor (Ted Danson) gets a new lease on life when a private investigator hires him to go undercover inside a San Francisco retirement home in Netflix original A Man on the Inside.Richard's eccentric, slightly doddery dad drives him crazy. But amid the squabbles, are they really that different? Only Child is the new BBC comedy with Gregor Fisher and Greg McHugh.Follow Bingewatch on all major podcast players for your weekly rundown of the best binge-worthy shows across Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and more.Remember to leave a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts, Podchaser and Goodpods AND you can now show your support and leave a tip for Ian and Hannah.You can also stay in touch with the team via Twitter AND if you like Bingewatch but you're looking for a specific review, check out BITESIZE BINGEWATCH, our sister show making it easier to get the bits you want!If you're a brand interested in sponsorship or collabs, email hello@podcastsbyliam.com and chat to us now!
Question for the parents... are you a 'one and done' household? New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics has shown a drop in the birthrate, a trend we've seen developing in recent years. But why are people opting to call it a day after one child? Today we look at the rise of the triangle family. THE END BITS Subscribe to Mamamia Check out The Quicky Instagram here Check out our parenting podcast This Glorious Mess here Liked this episode? Listen to these: Daycare Deserts & Gaslit Parents: Is Childcare In Australia Working? 53 And Pregnant With Twins; The Boom In Ozempic Babies Why Is Every Girl Called Olivia? Baby Names Data Reveals our Favourites Skibidy Rizz Ohio? Gen Alpha Has Entered The Chat The Birth Trauma Report: Are We Finally Listening To Mothers? Want to try MOVE by Mamamia?Click here to start a seven-day free trial of our exercise app. GET IN TOUCH Share your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice note or email us at thequicky@mamamia.com.au CREDITS Host: Claire Murphy With thanks to: Mark McCrindle, Principal & Founder of McCrindle Narayne, Parent of one child Executive Producer: Taylah Strano Audio Producer: Tegan Sadler Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Should we try for another child? Can we handle all the treatments, ups and downs, and possible heartbreak that comes with trying again? Will my child be okay without a sibling? Will our family feel complete with “just” one child? Lauren Sandler, award-winning journalist and author, is joining Baby or Bust to share her thoughts and insights on parenthood and chat about her bestselling book One and Only: The Freedom of Having an Only Child, and the Joy of Being One. This is the book that ignited an international conversation about single-child families. In this conversation, Lauren Sandler shares with Dr. Lora Shahine her experience as an only child and a mother of an only child. They explore the cultural pressure surrounding family size and society's heavy expectations put on parents to have more than one. You'll hear Lauren share the importance of personal choice in parenting, debunk myths about only children, and highlight the significance of happiness and fulfillment in parenting. You'll walk away ready to embrace your unique family dynamics and make empowered choices about your lives and families. In this episode you'll hear: [2:29] Meet Lauren Sandler, author of One and Only [5:13] Getting questions about family building [8:43] 2 by 2––Society's Expectation [11:05] What does research say about single children? [17:20] Pros of being an only child [23:42] Assumptions about an only child's life and future [30:23] Lauren's life today Resources mentioned: www.laurenosandler.com/about One and Only book: www.laurenosandler.com/the-book Dr. Shahine's Weekly Newsletter on Fertility News and Recommendations Follow @drlorashahine Instagram | YouTube | Tiktok | Her Books
Lauren Sandler is an "only child" expert. She is one. She has one. And as an award-winning journalist, Lauren dug deep to answer some of the most pressing questions about singletons. Are they more lonely? Are they more selfish? Would they be better off with siblings? She answers these questions and more in her book, One and Only: The Freedom of Having an Only Child and the Joy of Being One. About the Guest Lauren Sandler is an award-winning journalist and author based in Brooklyn. She is author of multiple best-selling books including This Is All I Got: A New Mother's Search for Home, Righteous: Dispatches from the Evangelical Youth Movement, and One and Only: The Freedom of Having an Only Child, and the Joy of Being One. Her essays and features have appeared in dozens of publications including Time, The New York Times, Slate, The Atlantic, The Nation, The New Republic, The Guardian, New York Magazine, and Elle. She has been on staff at Salon and at NPR, where she worked on All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Weekend Edition, and the Cultural Desk. And there's even more! Visit laurenosandler.com/about to see what she's up to now. Complete transcript available at familyproclamations.org.
Agradece a este podcast tantas horas de entretenimiento y disfruta de episodios exclusivos como éste. ¡Apóyale en iVoox! Como cada año, el cierre de temporada lo ponemos con un viaje a través del tiempo; y en esta ocasión nos toca viajar a 1988. Un añazo melódico y jugoso. En este trayecto de dos hora: acontecimientos, terremotos, misiles, accidentes aereos, secuestros, deportes, videojuegos, algo de politiqueo internacional, guerra fría, cine (con el gran Oriol Cardó), series míticas, programas de televisión inolvidables, personajes eternos y obviamente música, mucha, mucha música. Algunos de los artistas y álbumes que recordaremos de ese fantástico 1988 son Alien, Europe, Climb, Craaft, Think Out Loud, Dare, Sangre Azul, Only Child, Winger, Bon Jovi, Vixen, Iddle Cure, 220 Volt, Romeo's Daughter, Poison, Scorpions, NIagara, Survivor, House of Lords, Boulevard, Warrant, Honeymoon Suite, Bruce Hornsby o Cannata. Programón para cerrar esta maravillosa temporada 2023/24. Volveré en septiembre con muchas ganas y energía! Sed felices y disfrutad mucho del verano! 1275Escucha este episodio completo y accede a todo el contenido exclusivo de AOR Diamonds. Descubre antes que nadie los nuevos episodios, y participa en la comunidad exclusiva de oyentes en https://go.ivoox.com/sq/75094
On this episode of the SheGeeksOut podcast, we chat with Dr. Charmain Jackman, founder of InnoPsych, a mental health platform focusing on therapists of color. Dr. Jackman shares insights on challenges in mental health support for BIPOC communities, her journey with InnoPsych, and how emotional well-being practices can translate into the workplace. Tune in for an engaging discussion on promoting diversity and inclusion in mental health services. [00:01:16] Interview with Dr. Charmain starts.[00:06:29] Entrepreneurship journey and challenges.[00:08:24] Overcoming obstacles in therapy.[00:14:47] Finding the right therapist.[00:18:04] Workplace well-being.[00:20:24] National BIPOC Mental Health Awareness.[00:26:59] Importance of cultural competency[00:30:49] Lack of cultural competency in therapy.[00:33:21] Accessibility in finding therapists.[00:35:30] Decolonized approach to therapy.[00:42:32] The role of AI in therapy.[00:44:21] Privacy concerns in therapy industry.[00:49:31] Self-care and prioritizing health.[00:53:27] Stepping out of comfort zone.[00:55:24] Stay updated on all things. Visit us at https://shegeeksout.com to stay up to date on all the ways you can make the workplace work for everyone! Check out SGOLearning.com and SheGeeksOut.com/podcast for the code to get a free mini course.
The family context we're born into plays a large part in who we become. It's the nurture part of the nature versus nurture equation. Firstborn and Only children not only have parents to themeselves for a good period of time, but they may also bear the first-time stress and doubt of new parents. They're the guinea pigs, the first drafts, and the ones who are oldest and should "know better." If you're a firstborn or only, sharing this episode with your younger siblings or spouse might explain a lot about you!
This week Captain Content challenges you to strive for your best, to be all you can be, to feel the burn, and to bring it! Get your phone out and record a video while listening to this one and create one hell of an awesome montage! Oh yeah, the Captain is bringing you the best obscure AOR music, because he's got the touch, he's got the power, and is the best around! This episode is rooted in all 3 categories of lost, forgotten, and should have beens. These bands all provide fist-pumpingly perfect sounds of AOR / Arena Rock gold from the 80s to now. Their music pairs perfectly with action and teen coming-of-age movies and was a big part of our youth! We hope we turn you on to something new!Songs this week include:Chilliwack – “My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone)” from Wanna Be A Star (1981)Nestor – “Victorious” from Teenage Rebel (2024)Only Child – “Rebel Eyes” from Only Child (1988)Crossfire – “Heart Breaker” from Dirty Games (2007)Petra – “All Fired Up” from On Fire! (1988)Brother Firetribe – “I Am Rock” from Heart Full Of Fire (2008)Van Zant – “Heart To The Flame” from Van Zant (1985)Please subscribe everywhere that you listen to podcasts!Visit us: https://inobscuria.com/https://www.facebook.com/InObscuriahttps://twitter.com/inobscuriahttps://www.instagram.com/inobscuria/Buy cool stuff with our logo on it!: https://www.redbubble.com/people/InObscuria?asc=uCheck out Robert's amazing fire sculptures and metal workings here: http://flamewerx.com/If you'd like to check out Kevin's band THE SWEAR, take a listen on all streaming services or pick up a digital copy of their latest release here: https://theswear.bandcamp.com/If you want to hear Robert and Kevin's band from the late 90s – early 00s BIG JACK PNEUMATIC, check it out here: https://bigjackpnuematic.bandcamp.com/
Robert and Linda Hall are my guests again today, as we continue our conversation about the loss of their only child John to addiction. They talk about how this experience has changed them, and how important it is to look at their grief through the lens of eternity, knowing that one day we will be free from suffering, pain, and sin, and that we will live with the Lord our children forever in Heaven. They share some of their favorite books, scriptures, and music, and talk about the While We're Waiting support group for bereaved parents they facilitate in Auburn, Alabama. Again, I believe you'll be encouraged by listening in! Click HERE to see all of Nancy Guthrie's books on Amazon.Click HERE to see a complete list of our While We're Waiting support groups for bereaved parentsI would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message!All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry. We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parentsClick HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country. Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channelClick HERE to follow our public Facebook pageClick HERE to follow us on Instagram Click HERE to follow us on Twitter Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministryContact Jill by email at: jill@whilewerewaiting.org
Episode #11: Embark with us on an inspirational odyssey as my son-in-law, JP Wallhorn, shares his transformative voyage from the heart of Germany to the bustling energy of the United States. At the tender age of 21, JP encapsulated the daring spirit of youth, uprooting his life to chase the shimmering mirage of the American Dream. Through his story, we uncover the essence of adaptability and sheer determination, as JP overcomes cultural shocks, navigates the complexities of the IT industry, and finds love, ultimately intertwining his destiny with our family. His tales are punctuated with humor and invaluable life lessons, offering a roadmap for anyone standing on the precipice of change, ready to leap into their own adventure. As we traverse the landscapes of JP's experiences, you'll be regaled with stories of his entrepreneurial grit, the pivotal moments that sculpted his professional journey, and the fortitude required to stay the course amidst adversity. The commitment to one's goals is palpable in JP's journey, from tireless nights in the office to strategic moves that shaped his career and personal life. His anecdotes shine a light on the influence of upbringing on our choices, and the conscious decisions we must make to forge a future distinct from the patterns of the past. This narrative is a testament to the power of persistence and the personal growth that emerges from steadfastly pursuing one's dreams. Our conversation with JP culminates in a reflection on the importance of creating a life that resonates with joy and purpose. We explore the challenges of uprooting to new cities, balancing the demands of a thriving career with the richness of family life, and the pursuit of a work environment that vibrates with positivity. These stories remind us that embracing open-mindedness can transform the most arduous challenges into opportunities for personal evolution. Join us as we celebrate the resilience of the human spirit, the deep bonds of family, and the infectious humor that makes the journey of life an exhilarating ride worth every twist and turn. Timestamps: (01:35 - 02:48) Inspiring Stories of Overcoming Challenges (08:07 - 09:47) Transition to Permanent Role (14:41 - 15:32) Overcoming Stagnancy and Entrepreneurial Growth (20:55 - 22:20) Personal Background and Family Relationships (24:40 - 25:16) Reaction to Early Teen Confession (28:09 - 29:05) Benefits of Being an Only Child (34:32 - 35:35) Family and Home Life (43:15 - 44:14) Personal Drive for Lifestyle and Family (52:34 - 54:30) Faith in God for World Change Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @positivetractionpodcast and WATCH us on YouTube!
My guests today are Robert and Linda Hall from Auburn, Alabama. The Halls struggled through eight years of infertility before they adopted their only son, John, at four months of age. John was a remarkable child who loved the Lord and loved people and brought great joy to his parents. When he was a young teen, however, a perfect storm of the traumatic loss of a friend, a prescription for Oxycontin due to a sports injury, and exposure to others' drug use, led to years of addiction. Over the next two episodes, the Halls share John's story, and discuss the struggles of parenting a child through addiction, the experience of losing their only child, grieving with grace as husband and wife, and the WWW support group they lead in Alabama. Click HERE to see all of Nancy Guthrie's books on Amazon.Click HERE to see a complete list of our While We're Waiting support groups for bereaved parentsI would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message!All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry. We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parentsClick HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country. Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channelClick HERE to follow our public Facebook pageClick HERE to follow us on Instagram Click HERE to follow us on Twitter Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministryContact Jill by email at: jill@whilewerewaiting.org
No matter how old we get or how old our kids get, we never STOP WORRYING ABOUT THEM! Worrying is often what mothers do best…In this heartfelt and genuine discussion, we dive into the universal experience of parental worry as their children grow older and gain independence. We explore how to cope with children leaving for college and embarking on their lives beyond the family home, offering insight to listeners navigating similar situations.The episode of Life after Kids opens with our typical light-hearted banter, but quickly transitions into a discussion about the emotional challenges faced by parents whose children are moving on to college or the working world. Key Takeaways:Parental worry evolves as children grow, highlighting the need for parents to adapt their coping mechanisms.The conversation focuses on the importance of surrendering control and trusting that adult children will make the right choices.Dr. Brooke and Dr. Lynne discuss the benefits of grounding practices like yoga, prayer, or even simple routines to manage stress.Incorporating mindfulness and the practice of being in the present moment is emphasized to reduce worry about the future.Diet, sleep, and other lifestyle factors can exacerbate worries, so managing these aspects can help maintain emotional equilibrium. Join us for the full episode of Life after Kids to hear Dr. Lynne shares a poignant moment of realization about her daughter's future departure, sparking a conversation about the inevitability of worrying and the importance of coming to terms with a lack of control. Plus, Dr. Brooke reflects on her experience with her son and the changes that come when parenting roles inevitably shift. Together, we offer practical advice and strategies for managing this worry, focusing on personal well-being, controlling what's controllable, and finding comfort in community and faith.RESOURCES:Lavender Essential OilMagnesium for better sleep and relaxation | Timestamp | Summary | 0:00 | Moms Managing Worry as Kids Grow Independent | 2:33 | Motherhood, College Goodbyes, and Emotional Realizations | 5:27 | Family Dynamics With an Only Child | 6:39 | Embracing Uncertainty and the Art of Letting Go | 10:13 | Effective Strategies for Stress Management and Better Sleep | 12:09 | Embracing Mindfulness and Letting Go of Control | 14:05 | Overcoming Anxiety and the Challenges of Air Travel | 15:04 | Finding Peace Through Faith and Practical Strategies | 16:30 | Reflections on Overcoming Seemingly Trivial Worries | 16:57 | Strategies for Managing Worry and Improving Sleep | - | Leveraging Community Support for Parenting Challenges | 20:21 | Managing Worry Through Control and Healthy Actions | 22:34 | Parental Self-Doubt and Letting Go | 24:11 | Diet's Impact on Anxiety and Worry | 25:23 | Managing Stress and Finding Purpose Beyond Parenting | 27:31 | Strategies for Reducing Parental Worry Enjoy the show, and we hope you learn a little bit more about living a fulfilling, vibrant, and meaningful Life after Kids! If you like what you hear please rate and review the podcast, hit subscribe, and pass it along to a friend. Making tomorrow even better than today, Dr. Brooke and Dr. Lynne PS... Don't forget to follow us! Instagram Facebook Tik Tok
In Ep. 167, Catherine (@GilmoreGuide) and I are circling back to 2018 in the book world with a special retrospective episode! We share big bookish highlights for that year, including book news, award winners, and what was going on in the world outside of reading. We also talk about our own 2018 reading and our favorite 2018 releases. Plus, you'll hear listener-submitted favorites! This episode is overflowing with great backlist titles to add to your TBR! This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog. Highlights The big news going on outside the book world. Book stories and trends that dominated 2018. Looking back at 2018, we couldn't help but say, “If only we knew what was coming!” The books that have had staying power. Titles that now are comps for SO MANY books! We explore the early days of this new wave of celebrity book clubs. Our personal 2018 reading stats. Listener-submitted favorites from 2018. Circling Back to 2018 in Books [2:05] The World Beyond Books Spare by Prince Harry | Amazon | Bookshop.org [5:12] A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1) by George R. R. Martin | Amazon | Bookshop.org [5:45] The Walking Dead (Compendium One) by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Tony Moore | Amazon | Bookshop.org [5:54] The Book Industry Becoming by Michelle Obama | Amazon | Bookshop.org [9:55] Magnolia Table by Joanna Gaines | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:46] The Meltdown (Diary of a Wimpy Kid Book 13) by Jeff Kinney | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:50] Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:54] Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:56] Wonder by R. J. Palacio | Amazon | Bookshop.org [11:12] Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur | Amazon | Bookshop.org [11:16] The President Is Missing by James Patterson and Bill Clinton | Amazon | Bookshop.org [11:42] Book Trends Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman | Amazon | Bookshop.org [14:30] Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman | Amazon | Bookshop.org[14:34] Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton | Amazon | Bookshop.org [14:36] Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens | Amazon | Bookshop.org [14:38] Magnolia Table by Joanna Gaines | Amazon | Bookshop.org [17:27] Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis | Amazon | Bookshop.org [17:34] You Are a Badass® by Jen Sincero | Amazon | Bookshop.org [17:59] 12 Rules for Life by Jordan B. Peterson | Amazon | Bookshop.org [18:08] The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson | Amazon | Bookshop.org[18:14] Big Books of 2018 Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan | Amazon | Bookshop.org [20:46] The Reckoning by John Grisham | Amazon | Bookshop.org [20:58] The President Is Missing by James Patterson and Bill Clinton | Amazon | Bookshop.org [21:05] Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens | Amazon | Bookshop.org [21:56] There There by Tommy Orange | Amazon | Bookshop.org [23:25] The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen | Amazon | Bookshop.org [23:27] Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering | Amazon | Bookshop.org [24:16] Normal People by Sally Rooney | Amazon | Bookshop.org [24:20] Friday Night Lights by H. G. Bissinger | Amazon | Bookshop.org [24:21] Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty | Amazon | Bookshop.org [24:33] Verity by Colleen Hoover | Amazon | Bookshop.org [25:30] Circe by Madeline Miller | Amazon | Bookshop.org [26:08] The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller | Amazon | Bookshop.org [26:32] The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah | Amazon | Bookshop.org [27:36] The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai | Amazon | Bookshop.org [28:07] I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai | Amazon | Bookshop.org[28:19] Becoming by Michelle Obama | Amazon | Bookshop.org [28:36] Spare by Prince Harry | Amazon | Bookshop.org [29:11] Educated by Tara Westover | Amazon | Bookshop.org [29:31] Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn | Amazon | Bookshop.org [30:18] Atomic Habits by James Clear | Amazon | Bookshop.org [31:11] I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara | Amazon | Bookshop.org[31:51] Wandering Stars Tommy Orange | Amazon | Bookshop.org [32:53] The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:12] The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:37] Katabasis by R. F. Kuang (expected publication: August 15, 2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:50] Less by Andrew Sean Greer | Amazon | Bookshop.org [34:54] The Friend by Sigrid Nunez | Amazon | Bookshop.org [35:02] Milkman by Anna Burns | Amazon | Bookshop.org [35:09] Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke | Amazon | Bookshop.org [35:22] The Stone Sky (The Broken Earth Book 3) by N. K. Jemisin | Amazon | Bookshop.org [36:04] Our Top Books of 2018 Circe by Madeline Miller | Amazon | Bookshop.org [42:46] An American Marriage by Tayari Jones | Amazon | Bookshop.org [42:55] The Line that Held Us by David Joy | Amazon | Bookshop.org [43:30] The Pasha of Cuisine by Saygin Ersin | Amazon | Bookshop.org [43:55] Only Child by Rhiannon Navin | Amazon | Bookshop.org [44:32] Anatomy of a Miracle by Jonathan Miles | Amazon | Bookshop.org [44:54] Song of a Captive Bird by Jasmin Darznik | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:00] There There by Tommy Orange | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:04] She Would Be King by Wayétu Moore | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:06] Tin Man by Sarah Winman | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:09] Waiting for Eden by Elliot Ackerman | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:42] A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne | Amazon | Bookshop.org [46:33] I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O'Farrell | Amazon | Bookshop.org [46:46] Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan | Amazon | Bookshop.org [47:23] The Ensemble by Aja Gabel | Amazon | Bookshop.org [47:36] The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer | Amazon | Bookshop.org [47:46] The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai | Amazon | Bookshop.org [47:55] Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens | Amazon | Bookshop.org [48:00] You Think It, I'll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld | Amazon | Bookshop.org [48:31] Listeners' Top Books of 2018 The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai | Amazon | Bookshop.org [49:09] A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza | Amazon | Bookshop.org [50:29] Educated by Tara Westover | Amazon | Bookshop.org [51:46] The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah | Amazon | Bookshop.org [51:54] An American Marriage by Tayari Jones | Amazon | Bookshop.org [51:58] Circe by Madeline Miller | Amazon | Bookshop.org [52:01] The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton | Amazon | Bookshop.org [52:04] Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson | Amazon | Bookshop.org [52:26] Other Links Time Magazine | What to Know About the Controversy Surrounding Where the Crawdads Sing by Annabel Gutterman, July 2022
This week I spoke to my close friend, chef, author, and screenwriter Phoebe Lapine. She is one of the most creative and self-aware people I know, and I deeply admire her and her work. We met years ago when I interviewed her when her book The Wellness Project came out and then again for her last book which was about SIBO. She has a new cookbook out now, called Carbivore, which I have been learning to cook from. We catch up in this episode about the topic of this new project which is, of course, carbs: we get into what led to carbs being demonized by the diet industry, what sugar and carbs actually mean for our blood sugar, food sequencing, digestion, how overthinking all of this can be damaging, and how we've both been on the extreme ends and how to navigate that. Let us know if you listen. Show notes:- Phoebe's latest book: Carbivore- Phoebe's earlier books: SIBO Made Simple | The Wellness Project | In the Small Kitchen- Connect with Phoebe on The Web | Instagram- Find me on IG: @letitouttt + @katiedalebout | Substack- A couple spots left in the Creative Clinic: book a call with me here- More on Creative Underdogs/In Process here | waitlist- Check out the Let It Out Kits | Write Kit | Talk Kit Waitlist- Jésabel's Inbox Organization course: code LETITOUT for 20% off If you liked this episode, try out from the archive:Episode 324: ((happy thank you more please)) cooking, toggling between projects, creativity, friendship, change and laughing hard with Phoebe Lapine
Ever feel like the solo act in a world of ensemble casts? That's the thread we tug at in our latest heart-to-heart, as Courtney Romanowski and I welcome the vibrant Jen (Jay) Nakhai, and new dad, Brody Clemmer, to the mix. We peel back the layers of what it means to grow up as an only child, touching on the bittersweet longing for siblings and the imaginative solutions we concocted to keep loneliness at bay. Jen's fiery passion for community meets Brody's fresh paternal insights, creating a tapestry of stories that reveal how a singular upbringing shapes everything from our therapy practices to the way we forge and nurture connections throughout our lives.Laughter mingles with earnestness as we revisit the echoes of Hungry Hungry Hippos and the significance of those we choose to call family—biological or otherwise. Our conversation weaves through the nostalgic avenues of childhood and into the complex interplay of relationships in adulthood, juxtaposing personal revelations with intriguing research on human connection. Whether you're an only child yourself or simply curious about how different family dynamics leave their mark, this episode promises a compelling look at the ties that bind us, in blood and in spirit, to the hearts we hold dear.You can reach Brody Clemmer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brodyclemmer/Here is his website: https://brodyclemmer.com/His company's website is: https://koahealth.com/You can reach Jay Nakhai's from this website: https://getaeonhelp.com/Courtney Romanowski can be reached at: https://www.anewdirectiontherapy.com/YouTube Channel For The Podcast
Anita has many close friends who defy all stereotypes about only children. But when it comes to thinking about having her own kids, she still can't shake some of those ingrained ideas. She hears three perspectives on single-kid families (including that of former U.S. poet laureate Billy Collins) and learns why the debunked mythology around only children still lingers today.Meet the guests:- Lauren Sandler, journalist and author of "One and Only: The Freedom of Having an Only Child, and the Joy of Being One,” shares her personal experience and ways to reframe the negative stereotypes about being and having only children- Corinne Lyons, a middle school teacher in Detroit, talks about how her childhood being the only child of only children has shaped how she thinks about family- Billy Collins, former U.S. poet laureate, reads his poem "Only Child" and shares the joy of being an only childRead the transcript | Review the podcast on your preferred platformBuy tickets for our live event on 4/20/24!Follow Embodied on X and Instagram Leave a message for Embodied
Michelle Ferris is my guest again today as we continue our conversation from last week. She is a single mom who tragically lost her only child, her son, Corban, on the Fourth of July in 2020. Michelle shares very openly and honestly about her experience as a single mom who lost her only child through her social media pages, and we talk about some of her postings and writings today. I believe you'll be blessed by listening in.Click HERE to connect with Michelle on Facebook. Click HERE to register for the Our Hearts Are Home conference. All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry. We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parentsClick HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country. Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channelClick HERE to follow our public Facebook pageClick HERE to follow us on Instagram Click HERE to follow us on Twitter Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministryContact Jill by email at: jill@whilewerewaiting.org
Michelle Ferris joins me on the podcast today, and I'm excited for you to meet her. Michelle is a single mom who tragically lost her only child, her beautiful son Corban, on the Fourth of July in 2020. Today she shares Corban's story with me, and we have a very open and honest discussion about her experiences as a single parent whose only child is in Heaven. I know I have learned a lot from her, and I believe you will too. All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry. We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parentsClick HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country. Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channelClick HERE to follow our public Facebook pageClick HERE to follow us on Instagram Click HERE to follow us on Twitter Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministryContact Jill by email at: jill@whilewerewaiting.org
Eric Johnson is a pastor, author, father, husband, and trivia host. He discusses the good and bad of being an only child and growing up in northern Ohio. Eric also talks about the role church and religion played in his life as a child and how his involvement with Nintendo won him a youth group award. He also discusses his relationship with Young Life and how a former romantic interest told him he would be a pastor one day. Eric then talks about his parents divorce when he was 23 and all of the jobs he bounced around in before finding his calling, having two daughters, and settling down as a pastor in Lake Orion, Michigan. Follow us on socials! @FriendRequestPod Email us your Enterprise Rent-a-Car bill summaries! JustinsFriendRequest@gmail.com
Join us for an enlightening discussion with Jared, a seasoned graphic designer, and advocate for mental health in the creative industry. Jared bravely shares his personal journey of grappling with ADHD, acute anxiety, and persistent depression while navigating the fast-paced and demanding world of design. He opens up about the challenges he's faced and the strategies he's employed to manage his mental health in a field that often prioritizes speed and innovation. From coping mechanisms to moments of triumph, Jared offers candid insights into his experiences. Moreover, he sheds light on his unique approach to creativity, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and following one's heart and mind. Rejecting conventional career paths, Jared shares how he found fulfillment by forging his own way and fostering genuine connections with his work. Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable perspectives on mental health & creativity! Guest's Bio- Jared Lebel is a multidisciplinary Graphic designer with a focus on brand identity design. With 10 years of experience in the design industry, he's been a partner at an Ottawa-based Studio called Salt (justaddsalt.ca), worked as a freelancer for a variety of agencies and companies, lead a brand team in a global tech startup called Perpetua, and most recently, began his own solo design practice Only Child (website and branding in progress but IG handle provided). As a human first, artist second, and designer third, Jared tries to blur the lines between art and design as much as possible and believes that Different Is Beautiful™ *** Guest's Website & Social Profiles *** Jared's Website- https://www.jaredlebel.ca/ Jared's LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredlebel/ Jared's Personal IG- https://www.instagram.com/lebelator/ Jared's Professional IG- https://www.instagram.com/only_child_design/ ***Resources/Information shared on this Podcast*** Calling Canadian designers—Join Jared on Thursday if you're interested in RGD certification. Jared is part of a live webinar covering portfolio presentations and certification prep with fresh insights from recently certified designers- https://rgd.ca/connecting-learning/events-training/freshly-certified-creating-effective-case-studies Jared's Talk at Ottawa Design Club- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lh0h095bU-o ***Whether you're a creative professional grappling with mental health challenges, an aspiring artist seeking unconventional career advice, or simply someone passionate about fostering authenticity in your work and life, this episode is for you. Join us for an insightful conversation with Jared, where you'll gain valuable insights into managing depression in the creative world, navigating the demands of the design industry, and embracing your unique path to fulfillment. *** Special Thanks to Today's Speakers & Contributors: Izzy & Wade Host Details: Say Hello to Jaison @ https://iamjdesigns.co/ Brand Identity Designer & Podcaster Jaison's LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaison-thomas/ Jaison's Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/iamjdesigns/ Buy Our Merch @ Check out our Latest Merch: https://iamj-merch-store.printify.me/products Ready to Elevate Your Podcast Brand with Jaison's Podcast Visual Identity Packages, inquire now @ https://iamjdesigns.co/podbrand #LinkedInAudioEvent #Podcasting #MentalHealthInDesign #CreativeWellness #DepressionAwareness #SelfCareInDesign #Mindfulness © 2022-2024 IamJ Designs Co. All rights reserved. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thedarksideofentrepreneur/message
What up, fam! Instead of writing a summary of the episode here are the timestamp/ chapters for you to see. Please like, share, subscribe, follow, etc. Thank you for your viewership. xoxo 0:00 Back to the Original Set / Plugs 5:32 Massillon, Ohio Shows 11:06 Podcast Format. Yay! 12:41 Indian Food Will Never be the Same 18:00 NYC Congestion Pricing Tolls 27:52 Wendy's Price Surging 37:10 Woman Charged $1,000 for a Subway Sandwich Questions- 43:10 When Did You Switch to English Theater Major? 49:45 Bringing Dates to Shows 52:05 Did You Worry About People Knowing You're an Only Child? Movie of the Week- 56:33 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Quote of the Week- 1:03:00 "People Come Into Your Life for a Reason. You Decide Why" - Me
Roark & Sarabeth recap season 3 episode 5: Only Child. Send in your questions to girlsgirlspod@gmail.com
Exclusive Insights with @mofokeeps and @Harmonypinkston15 - Legit Papers' "Only Child" StarsIn this episode, get an insider's look as @mofokeeps and @Harmonypinkston15, stars of Legit Papers' latest movie "Only Child," share their experiences shooting in Atlanta. Discover behind-the-scenes moments, from on-set bonding to playful pranks, providing a glimpse into the camaraderie that fueled the making of this exciting film.Follow them on IG:@mofokeeps @Harmonypinkston15Follow us: @thekingtifnetwork @tknmedia
We're back with another solo ep and I'm chatting all about my story of being a donor-conceived baby! That's right-- I've never met my dad, but I HAVE met quite a few of my half-siblings (or DIBLINGS as we call them)... spoiler alert: there are a lot of us. Learn about how I found out, how I feel about it, and what my situation looks like today. You never know... YOU just might be my half-sibling and not even know it... !! Healing The Source IG HealingTheSource.org
Thank you for listening to us all year long! In this episode, we put our favorite and your favorite moments from the year. We highly recommend that you watch this episode on our YouTube channel. To help you follow along as a listener we have the names of the episodes below. Let's get into it!Episodes (in order of being shown)4:38 How important is Lingerie5:16 Bodily Functions5:59 Answering Your Questions: Fan Q&A6:23 Making Memories with Your Partner and Family on a Budget7:17 How Trauma in Your Marriage Can Affect Your Sex Life8:18 Spouse Making New Friends of The Opposite Sex10:01 Normalize Positivity11:08 Death of a Parent or Spouse12:16 The Supernatural13:54 How You Feel When Your Child Leaves The Nest15:40 Only Child 17:52 How Important is Self-care to Men?19:16 My Daddy is Here!23:09 Lewis and Shawna Lewis25:45 Zainab Johnson27:38 Nafeesha and Alphonse Nicholson30:17 Sex Life - Catarah and Carlos Coleman33:04 How Menopause is Affecting Our Relationship34:41 Truth, Lies, and Accountability34:47 Cutting People off vs Setting Boundaries35:30 Apologizing, Forgiving and Not Forgetting39:43 The 90s Edition 39:22 Our First Trip to Dubai41:20 The 20th Anniversary Special42:29 Celebrating 100 Episodes and 1 Million SubscribersMore about the hosts:Tabitha Brown is the world's favorite mom and auntie! She is an Emmy show host, actress, a 2-time New York Times Best Selling author and a 4 time NAACP Image Award winner. Follow Tabitha Brown: https://www.instagram.com/iamtabithabrown/https://www.iamtabithabrown.com/Chance Brown is a father, mentor, retired police officer, entrepreneur, and youth basketball coach. If you ask him, he'll tell you he is a professional human! Follow Chance Brown: https://www.instagram.com/teamchancebasketball/Subscribe to the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/TabithaBrownHave you heard the news? I am going on tour for my new book "I Did a New Thing" 6 cities have already sold out. Get your tickets at https://www.iamtabithabrown.com/ Have you heard the news? I am going on tour for my new book "I Did a New Thing" 6 cities have already sold out. Get your tickets at https://www.iamtabithabrown.com/
After a year and a half, I FINALLY brought on the myth, the legend, my mother, Cindy Cheney! We cover a lot of ground in this week's in-between, from getting to know my mother and our relationship, some pretty sound parenting advice, if I say so myself, and next year being our Butterfly Year. Momma Cindy has always represented what's good in the world, and I believe I wouldn't be doing this career if it weren't for her. In this week's episode: Get to meet my mom and better understand our relationshipWhat it was like growing up with a single, handicap motherThe core pillars that defined her parenting, and her advice to other parents, soon-to-be parents, and the "one day" parents (trust me, I turned out pretty good, so she must have something right)What's a butterfly year and why 2024 is oursMy mom's big time physical transformationTapping into your light Reflecting on 2023 and what's to come This episode is very special to me, as I am so lucky that I have a mother who supports me in this wild adventure. I hope you enjoy getting to know a little more about me and my biggest rock throughout every single one of life's in-betweens. Connect with me:@in.betweenpod on Instagram@elizabethcheney_ on Instagram@theinbetweenpodcast on TikTokThe In-Between Podcast on YouTube
I know I'm not the ONLY CHILD by identity, but has siblings. Yes, you read that correctly. I am an only child with siblings, because I'm daddy's baby girl, and Mommy's only world. It's common to have these sibling dynamics. You have a plethora of them, siblings raised in the same household, siblings raised in different households, siblings raised by the system meanwhile others are raised by family. Either way, this is something that is often never discussed, but most of us have watched the renowned sitcom,'Half & Half' so let's get REAL! TAP IN!
Happy Friday the 13th! Join us as we head over to Video Shop to pick out a frightastic flick! That's right, we are going to rent some tapes and we're prepared for blood n' gore n' frights! Did you ever hear about rock bands selling their souls to the devil, and if you listen to their music or play their albums backward you will turn into a demonic zombie??? The 70s, 80s, and 90s were full of films about horrific demons and metal n' punk bands either having their songs featured in the movie or were themselves featured as the subject of the film. Grab your Reeses Pieces, large Coke, a severed limb, and hum along.What is it we do here at InObscuria? Every show Kevin opens the crypt to exhume and dissect from his personal collection; an artist, album, or collection of tunes from the broad spectrum of rock, punk, and metal. This week Robert gets a glimpse into another collection of lost and forgotten songs from the silver screen SCREAM! Our hope is that we turn you on to something new… and that you make it to the end of the movie!Songs this week include:Dee Snider – “Inconclusion” from Dee Snider's Strangeland (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)(1998)Dangerous Toys – “Demon Bell (The Ballad Of Horace Pinker” from Shocker - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1989) Lion – “Love Is A Lie” from Friday The 13th – The Final Chapter – Songs From The Original Motion Picture (1984)Sorcery – “I'm Back” from Rocktober Blood (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1984)Anvil – “Straight Between The Eyes” from Sleepaway Camp II – Unhappy Campers – Songs From The Original Motion Picture (1988)Paul Sabu – “Street Angel (Mark Of The Devil)” from Hard Rock Zombies (1985)Type O Negative – “[We Were] Electrocute” from Freddy VS Jason – The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2003)Please subscribe everywhere that you listen to podcasts!Visit us: https://inobscuria.com/https://www.facebook.com/InObscuriahttps://twitter.com/inobscuriahttps://www.instagram.com/inobscuria/Buy cool stuff with our logo on it!: https://www.redbubble.com/people/InObscuria?asc=uIf you'd like to check out Kevin's band THE SWEAR, take a listen on all streaming services or pick up a digital copy of their latest release here: https://theswear.bandcamp.com/If you want to hear Robert and Kevin's band from the late 90s – early 00s BIG JACK PNEUMATIC, check it out here: https://bigjackpnuematic.bandcamp.com/Check out Robert's amazing fire sculptures and metal workings here: http://flamewerx.com/
Standup Comedians Erik Scott and Mario Adrion talk about being an Only Child, Gay roommates and having babies one day...
Join us for another exciting episode of HBO Girls Rewatch! Hosted by Amelia Ritthaler and Evan Lazarus, this week we're thrilled to welcome the queen of memes herself, Bianca Perez, aka Yung Nihilist, as our special guest. Together, we're diving into the tumultuous waters of Season 3 Episode 5, "Only Child." Expect a wild ride as we unpack Marnie and Ray's unexpected hookup, Hannah's double book deal disaster, and the epic sibling brawl between Adam and Caroline. As we dissect the laughter, tears, and cringe-worthy moments that define this episode, you won't want to miss this engaging conversation about the lives and loves of the "Girls" gang. Tune in, laugh along, and reminisce with us on HBO Girls Rewatch! Watch the podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hbogirlsrewatch/videos Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening or by using this link: https://bit.ly/HBOGirlsRewatch If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be amazing! You can text, email, Tweet, or send this link to a friend: https://bit.ly/HBOGirlsRewatch Follow the podcast on Instagram: @hbogirlsrewatch Follow our guest on Instagram: @yung_nihilist Follow the hosts on Instagram: @ameliaplease @elazie For advertising opportunities please email HBOGirlsRewatchPodcast@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fun fact: I once had a classmate give a 5-minute speech about how I'm actually not that big of an asshole despite being an only child — pretty cool right! Ray and I take to the podcast to bond over our "only child syndrome," debate over Drake's silly little habit of adopting new accents, and share our love/hate relationship with self-promotion in the pursuit of our individual creative endeavors. Join in!Get silly with us on social:FOLLOW THE PODCASTInstagram: @pessimisticatbestFacebook: @pessimisticatbestWebsite: pessimisticatbest.comFOLLOW SAMANTHAInstagram: @samgeorgsonTikTok: @samgeorgsonTwitter: @samgeorgsonYouTube: @samgeorgsonWebsite: samanthageorgson.comFOLLOW RAYInstagram: @thisisbabyreyTikTok: @thisisbabyreyTwitter: @thisisbabyreyYouTube: @babyreySupport the show
by Sheila Fawcett (C.M.C) The Parents' Review, 1957, pp. 71-73 Even in childhood I looked forward to the time when I should have children of my own. At first I thought six sons would be an ideal family, but later I reduced my aspirations to two sons and one daughter. Things turned out otherwise, and … The post The Only Child first appeared on Charlotte Mason Poetry.
Lauren Sandler is an award-winning journalist and author based in Brooklyn. Her most recent book is the bestselling This Is All I Got: A New Mother's Search for Home, a work narrative nonfiction about a young homeless mother in New York. It was named a Notable book of 2020 by the New York Times. Lauren is the author of two previous books, the bestselling One and Only: The Freedom of Having an Only Child, and the Joy of Being One and Righteous: Dispatches from the Evangelical Youth Movement. Lauren's essays and features have appeared in dozens of publications including Time, The New York Times, Slate, The Atlantic, The Nation, The New Republic, The Guardian, New York Magazine, and Elle. She has been on staff at Salon and at NPR, where she worked on All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Weekend Edition, and the Cultural Desk. In addition to her journalism, Lauren has lead the OpEd Project's Public Voices Fellowships at Yale, Columbia, UVA, and Dartmouth, and has taught in the graduate journalism program at NYU, where she has also been Visiting Scholar. She was a regular commentator for the BBC and has been interviewed nationally and internationally on many networks including CNN, PBS, CBS, NBC, and throughout public radio. Support the podcastDo you get the newsletter? A Correction Podcast Episodes RSS
It's episode 165 of The Cavalry! Andrew needs backup that "giving your one kid a buddy" is a flimsy reason for having a second kid. Johnny needs backup on not wanting the bands to hold out the mic at concerts so the audience sings the song. Join the Patreon for post-show banter and bonus episodes!
Emily Cutler is a writer/producer known for Community, A.P. Bio, Fresh off the Boat, and The Michael J. Fox Show. Join Michael Jamin and Emily Cutler as they dive into her history as a stand-up comedian, improv actor, writer, and Co-Executive Producer.Show NotesEmily Cutler on IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0193915/Emily Cutler on Twitter - https://twitter.com/cutleremilyFree Writing Webinar - https://michaeljamin.com/op/webinar-registration/Michael's Online Screenwriting Course - https://michaeljamin.com/courseFree Screenwriting Lesson - https://michaeljamin.com/freeJoin My Watchlist - https://michaeljamin.com/watchlistAutomated TranscriptsEmily Cutler (00:00:00):You have to start from a place of, I'm really passionate about this. You know, a lot of times before a season when you go to sell something, you'll say, what are they looking for? Well, this network is looking for family, and this one wants workplace, and this one wants, you know, and so you try to go, okay, well, what do I ha? But you still have to come from some seed of something that makes you giggle or something that inspires you, or it's just gonna be flat, it's not gonna be good or original.Michael Jamin (00:00:25):You're listening to Screenwriters. Need to Hear This with Michael Jamin.Michael Jamin (00:00:33):Hello everyone, it's Michael Jamin. Welcome to another episode of Screenwriters. Need to hear this. I got another fantastic guest today. I'm starting to think that my listeners don't deserve me because I have so many great people on this podcast. And my next guest is no exception. Emily Cutler, all Bribery. Welcome. So let me go through your,Emily Cutler (00:00:52):Hello,Michael Jamin (00:00:53):Let me go through you from your credit so people know who you are. Just to refresh their me my memory. Okay. As well as you know, the people listening. So Emily has written for, I'm gonna just blow through some of your credits. They're really pretty impressive. Zoe. we we're gonna start with the start with the beginning. Zoe Duncan, Jack and Jane. Rude Awakening. Good Girls. Don't, I don't know how you got that one. Less than Perfect. That's a pretty good, pretty good show. Love Inc. Blue Collar tv, far Poolers, community Free Agents, atory, how to Live with Your Parents. The Michael J. Fox Show growing up, Fisher The Odd Couple. This is the one with Jack Klugman. No, not that one.Emily Cutler (00:01:35):? No. Tony Randall. It was, yeah. Yes, it wasMichael Jamin (00:01:39):AP Bio Bio and Fresh Off the Boat. You have a lot of, do you take your jobs based on the location of, you have a lot of jobs at with locations in them?Emily Cutler (00:01:49):No. And Oh, I thought you meant the location of where you're actually doing the writing in thatMichael Jamin (00:01:54):Case. Oh, no, we all do that. Emily Cutler (00:01:56):Closer to my house. Yeah.Michael Jamin (00:01:58):Yeah. Close to your house. So, man, thank you so much, Emily. Let's just start at the beginning, because you started as actually as an actor and you were, you were a local celebrity in la That's when I first found out about you. You were the host of Nine LineEmily Cutler (00:02:12):.Michael Jamin (00:02:13):You were started as aEmily Cutler (00:02:14):Comic Nine Line, which was a, a tiny ridiculous little show, interstitial show that came on between the Mory PO Show and the Jerry Springer show. I popped in and did a little terrible comedy,Michael Jamin (00:02:25):But we all knew about you. And you, so you started as a standup, right?Emily Cutler (00:02:29):A little bit. I was a very, I dated a lot of standups, so I did a tiny bit of standup, but I spent a lot of time in the clubs watching standups. Yes.Michael Jamin (00:02:38):But then how would you,Emily Cutler (00:02:39):About myself,Michael Jamin (00:02:40):So that, what was your goal then? Like when you moved out to la what was your goal? Did be a writer, an actor, or what? Standup No,Emily Cutler (00:02:46):Acting. Acting. I was an actor. I was on a, you may have seen me as the driving instructor on Beverly Hills. 9 0 2 10, the firstMichael Jamin (00:02:54):One. Now I, now I know the first one of those. The first one, . And then what made you decide to transition to, to writing?Emily Cutler (00:03:02):Well, it was really one of those things where I've, I've written all my life, I've written little books and songs and movies, just constantly writing. And so I decided I'll just write in my downtime from acting mm-hmm. . And as you know, you have an enormous amount of downtime from acting. So it, it, the writing just sort of took off and the acting was kind of, you know, it was not as fun. So I kept with the writing. Oh,Michael Jamin (00:03:26):Because the, the acting wasn't as fun in terms of waiting to get a job, you mean, or no. Did you Yes. What was notEmily Cutler (00:03:32):Fun? Going years without a job? Yes.Michael Jamin (00:03:34):Or, or was it just like being, like, is, was the acting not fun or like, the process of getting jobs not fun?Emily Cutler (00:03:41):The process of getting jobs. Right. The acting is great. I mean, it's just the, the business of acting is, you know, not for the faint of heart. And I was writing and it seemed to be taking off, and I enjoyed it so much. I figured why not do that? And then I don't have to lose, you know, 30 pounds and go to auditions in horrible heat andMichael Jamin (00:04:03):All that kinda stuff. Yeah. Came the ass. And then how did you, so how did you transition to getting your first gig? Like how did that work?Emily Cutler (00:04:09):I was doing a show, an improv show called The Dysfunctional Show at a little theater in Hollywood. AndMichael Jamin (00:04:17):Producers with aEmily Cutler (00:04:17):Comedy show and asked me and one other person Yeah. Okay. In, in in Hollywood and, and produced a lot of people came to see it. It was a very funny show. And they, they said, would you and one other guy who was the friend of mine in the show, like to write a pilot Oh, wow. For Brandon Tartikoff. Years and years ago, it was a, a funny pilot spoofing spoofing. It, it's about a, a network news host that, like a, a Ted Bull who falls on hard times and winds up getting a job in a small town. It's the only job he can get. And so and, and the lead in that actually was Matthew Perry's father, John Bennett Perry.Michael Jamin (00:04:59):Wait, so a little bit, I'm sorry. So they actually produced thisEmily Cutler (00:05:01):Pilot? Yeah, they made the pilot. It was a lot of comedians. It was very it wasn't like a, like a, it was more, it was a comedy sketch sort of show. It wasn't a sitcom or anything like that. And then from there, I wrote a movie for Jason Alexander, who I had met in the Dysfunctional show, which didn't end up getting made, but I got an agent from that. So it was a lot of sort of acting moments. This is pretty impressive. That led me into,Michael Jamin (00:05:34):So even, how did you get these industry types to sh I think so to show up to your, to your, you know, show your little, what was like a, it was like a 99 se seaEmily Cutler (00:05:41):Theater. It was a, it was a really tiny show, but all the people in it, it was Improvd, it was basically on a huge show. But Improvd and we were making fun of talk shows. And so a lot of comedians who were in the clubs would just stop by because it's, you know, for an hour and play a character on a panel. And you know, let's see. It was Bob Odenkirk, David Cross, Warren Hutcherson, Brian Regan. I mean, there was a, just a ton of comics who showed up to do this. Wow. And I think Jason Alexander knew someone in the show, and he was, he was a guest in the show. It was different every week cuz it was like a talk show. So different subject every week. And then you'd kind of get a character and then it was just improvd from there.Michael Jamin (00:06:22):See, you just made a really good case.Emily Cutler (00:06:24):It was just good exposure.Michael Jamin (00:06:26):It's because people ask me all the time, all, and I mean this, I know it sounds like I'm saying this, but like, like, do I have to move to Hollywood to make it in Hollywood? And like, you just made a really good case for like Yeah. Because this is where it is. You know, you have to put yourself out there. Or do you disagree now?Emily Cutler (00:06:42):And I think that as a, as a writer, no, I completely agree. I think you have to be, it doesn't mean if you're a film writer and you wanna write a film in some other part of the country, eventually you will have to come here to have meetings or, I mean, now with Zoom, maybe it's not as difficult, but you just wanna be around people. You wanna meet people that can either help you or advise you or influence you in some positive way. And so I would say if you're really serious about writing for TV and film, you should think about coming to LA for a while. Maybe not forever, but for a while.Michael Jamin (00:07:15):Right. For sure. And yeah. And you, now you, so you've been here, you've been here, what, when you right after college, you moved, you moved here, right? Or did you do something before?Emily Cutler (00:07:22):Oh my God, I, no, I went to New York first. I went to New York cuz I was gonna be a serious theater actress. Really? And then I quickly gave that up and, and came toMichael Jamin (00:07:30):LA Yeah. But why, what was that like?Emily Cutler (00:07:32):Well, I came to act, I was kind of like theaters, tons of people in LA and I wound up getting an agent, a musical agent. I had to sting for them. And they said, come out to la we need funny women. Yeah. And so I came out and then just never left.Michael Jamin (00:07:50):And funny women are in demand. I'mEmily Cutler (00:07:51):Contemplating leaving there, there are funny women. I heard there weren't any Yes.Michael Jamin (00:07:57):No, but I'm saying they're, they're in demand. Sar I mean, like, if you're a funny woman, you'll work, you'll, you know, show yourself.Emily Cutler (00:08:03):There are a lot of fu funny women. There are a lot of funny women who don't work. They're funny women who do work, but they're an enormous amount of funny women. Yes.Michael Jamin (00:08:11):Yeah. And so, wait, did you, at some point, were you joking? Did you want to turn around and and leave LAEmily Cutler (00:08:16):No, I'm, I'm thinking about that now because A, we have a strike coming and b I wanna live in an enormous house with just a staff of people to wait on me hand in foot. So I figure I'll go to a small town and just buy a small town. AndMichael Jamin (00:08:31):Where would you go, how that goes? I know you're, I know you're, I know you're being facetious, but where, I don'tEmily Cutler (00:08:36):Know. That's why I never go anywhere. I, you don't, I do, I think, you know, after my kids to college, where could I settle down that wouldn't be as, you know, wouldn't be a big city. And I'd have my neighbors and I would be close friends and we'd all get together at barbecue and walk down to a beach and there'd be no crime and all of this. And then I realized there isn't that place. Or if there is, I don't know what it is.Michael Jamin (00:09:03):So that's lazy. You're not going any further than that. You're not really isEmily Cutler (00:09:06):Too lazy. Cause then I'd have to move. I'd have to call people.Michael Jamin (00:09:09):I'm, I'm trying to figure out. No,Emily Cutler (00:09:11):I, I I, I, I, I don't need, I don't think I'm leaving my house. Oh, okay. No, I'm not serious. I, I, I could leave Uhhuh , but it would require paperwork and phone calls and faxing and, you know, does your husband,Michael Jamin (00:09:25):Does your husband feel the sameEmily Cutler (00:09:26):Way talking to others? And I just can't do any of that.Michael Jamin (00:09:29):Does your husband feel the same way? MyEmily Cutler (00:09:30):Husband was born and Ray will never, never leave.Michael Jamin (00:09:35):He'll never leave forever. Right. So he loves it here. Okay. Okay. Now, but you're in Angelo now you're saying I,Emily Cutler (00:09:40):I'm seriously doubting itMichael Jamin (00:09:42):Now. I wanna know I guess of all your credits, maybe the, maybe the highest, you've had some high profile shows, but maybe the most beloved one is community. What do you think is that the one people wanna know about?Emily Cutler (00:09:52):Probably tell us. People are obsessed with that show and they're still obsessed much. I mean, I know it's airing now. It was on Netflix for a while. I wonder if it's still on Netflix. I and it's on the planes. It's on people are, are very we have great fans for community. Yeah. AndMichael Jamin (00:10:09):What was it like working on that show? Because it seems really hard. So it's a hard show to write for. It seems.Emily Cutler (00:10:14):It was a wonderful and nightmarish pool of madness and joy. It was Why the best of times and the worst of times. Well, the show creatively was absolutely wonderful. There was a lot of freedom. The characters were great, the actors were great. The writers were great. Dan Harmon, who was running the show was incredibly brilliant and interesting and strange. The hours were insane. And I had two young, young children at the time, and I was often there overnight. You know, I had my toothbrush and blankets in an office. So that wasn't ideal. if you're a parent or if you have a, a life outside of the show.Michael Jamin (00:10:58):But why was it, what, what was, was he taught? Who was someone tossing on scripts? Were they, what was, why was it so late?Emily Cutler (00:11:05):Have you been on, have you not been on a show where you've had hours like that?Michael Jamin (00:11:09):It's notEmily Cutler (00:11:10):YourMichael Jamin (00:11:11):Not real, like just shoot me. We would work. We had a couple nights where we worked till four in the morning. But that's only cuz like, there was something blew up. There was a script was, you know, thrown out. Right? OfEmily Cutler (00:11:19):Course. OfMichael Jamin (00:11:20):Course. But it wasn't a regular day and it'sEmily Cutler (00:11:21):Normal to stay late sometimes. This was, I think that not all artists are good at running a show are good at time management and managing. I think that's a different skillset. And Dan Harmon was really brilliant at writing and creating and everything except time management and not overthinking things and really understanding to respect other people's time. I think you would say that as well. Yes. SeeMichael Jamin (00:11:55):That's the thing.Emily Cutler (00:11:56):You're kinda in his mind. You're in the showrunner's mind when you're on a show. And if it's really messy in there and disorganized Yeah. The show will be too.Michael Jamin (00:12:05):People don't realize that is that no one becomes a, a commentator cuz they want go into management. They become comment commenters so they don't have to go into management. Yes. Then they get a job where they're running, they're managing people and it's a different skillset. AndEmily Cutler (00:12:18):Yes. And a lot of people, I have talked to writers when I say, do you want your own show? They say, I wanna write my own show and I wanna see it happen. But the thought of having to do that massive amount of work mm-hmm. in meetings and executives and storyboards. It's just, it's can be really overwhelming. It's not the writing part that you signed up for. It's a whole different thing.Michael Jamin (00:12:39):Even the writing part is a i people say I wanna be a show winner. You're saying that only cuz you don't know what a show winner does. Right. You know? Yeah. It's it's funny, I had Steven Kel on a while ago. He kind of said the same thing. He was like, you know, it's, you're, it's tankless comes the show. It's, and yeah. Yeah. I we were, same thing when we were running shows before we started running shows. It's like, I could do this and then you do it like, oh my god, what did I sign up for?Emily Cutler (00:13:04):And why do I want to do this? The fun part is being in the writer's room and creating things. And I don't wanna be, you knowMichael Jamin (00:13:10):Yeah. FiguringEmily Cutler (00:13:10):Out what type of ice cube you're gonna use in this scene. I mean, there's, you know, some people love that, but it is a different, I wouldn't say that writers necessarily naturally have that skillset.Michael Jamin (00:13:22):Yeah. And, and so, okay. So that's a good enough reason to be, that's bad for morale too. Yes. Especially when you got two kids. You wanna be home, you don't wanna live there.Emily Cutler (00:13:32):But also, if it's a show I created, I'm much more likely to wanna get into the minutiae of things and do that job. I, I never understand what a showrunner takes over a show that they didn't create. Mm-Hmm. , maybe they don't even love the show, but they take the job and just do such a massive amount of work for something that's not reallyMichael Jamin (00:13:50):Yeah.Emily Cutler (00:13:51):Giving them the joy or satisfaction of their own creation.Michael Jamin (00:13:55):And then what then was like maybe your favorite show that you just loved every second of being on and often it's not the most often, it's not the show, the people we even heard of.Emily Cutler (00:14:05):No, I I had a phenomenal time writing for Blue Collar tv, which was a sketch comedy show for Jeff Foxworthy and Bill Engal and Larry the cable guy. Right. all whose politics I do not agree with. However writing for it, it was just hilarious. I mean, it's wonderful if you, if you enjoy writing sketches, greatest group of people. We were all starting out and never done anything before. And we, we got to go down to Atlanta and produce it and see what people responded to and what they didn't. Different kinds of comedy. And it was just fun and silly. It was silly. We got to be silly, you know, all day.Michael Jamin (00:14:44):But then tell me about writing than sketches because you need a whole separate packet you didn't make. Yes. It's a whole different skillset. Like,Emily Cutler (00:14:51):It's completely different. But I came up doing that as an actor with friends. We did a lot of sketch comedy and we wrote for sketch comedy groups. So that was in my wheelhouse. And also, it's not as, it's not as daunting. It's not 30 pages, it's not 50 pages. It's like, Hey, I just have to write three funny pages that have a beginning, middle, and an end. I can do that. You know, but it's,Michael Jamin (00:15:13):When you're, it's all premise. You have to come up with a premise that's funny on its own. The, the one liner has to be, and, and then you have to establish these characters in 30, not even, whatever, 15 seconds and then go, you know. And alsoEmily Cutler (00:15:26):I'm kind of picky. Like, I don't like sketches that just ramble. Like when you have a funny character that has some kind of catchphrase mm-hmm. , it's not enough of a sketch for me to just have that funny character say that catchphrase over and over and everyone like, like I really do believe in building a little story and having it end in a satisfying way. So that, that is challenging. DoMichael Jamin (00:15:45):You do any sketch writing still?Emily Cutler (00:15:48):Oh God, I haven't done it in years.Michael Jamin (00:15:50):No, I haven't done it in years. So what is, is it your main Yeah. Narrative sitcoms. Are you, are you doing dramas as well? What are you doing?Emily Cutler (00:15:57):No, mostly sitcoms. A lot of single camera half hours. Mm-Hmm. .Michael Jamin (00:16:03):Do you prefer that for any reason?Emily Cutler (00:16:06):I always multi camera. I, I always prefer the one. I'm not doing . Yes. Whichever one I'm doing. I say, well, it's just cuz I'm doing this kind. I should go back to multi cams cuz I love them. And then I work on Multicam and go, why am I doing this? I should be writing a single cam.Michael Jamin (00:16:18):Yeah. Yeah. I think it's so funny. I mean, I feel the same exact way and I think we all do. I think it's like, eh, you know, when I, same thing with animation, I'd rather do live action. Whatever you're not doing is what you .Emily Cutler (00:16:29):I've never done animation though. I'm almost scared of it because it's so you can do so much. There's no, not as much structure. You can kind of just think outside the box, which I think is wonderful. But I'm also terrified.Michael Jamin (00:16:41):Take comfort knowing that it's not Writer's Guild. So , it's never covered by the Writer's Guild. So you'll make less money.Emily Cutler (00:16:48):So, so Simpsons and Family Guy, those shows must be, wellMichael Jamin (00:16:52):Simpsons and King of the Hill are, but the King of Hill didn't start as an writer's guild. But now whenever you sign, we've sold a bunch of animated shows and it's never writer. They, it's like it's a deal breaker. Nope. It's Aii. And so that'sEmily Cutler (00:17:07):So crazy because it's so much writing and so much work mm-hmm. Michael Jamin (00:17:10):Because,Emily Cutler (00:17:11):And so much thought goes into itMichael Jamin (00:17:12):Seems illegal to me because they can, the studios get to choose which guild, which you can be covered by Aii or Writers Guild. And you always choose writers guild, but they say II cuz you, they can pay you left. It's like, well how is that legal? I don't understand what,Emily Cutler (00:17:24):That doesn't seem fair. Yeah. You know what we should do Michael? We should go on strike.Michael Jamin (00:17:28):When, how about May 1st? What when you are you, I guess you're doing a lot of development now. Is that what you're, is that what your focus is on? What are you Yes. What are you up to? Yeah,Emily Cutler (00:17:37):I'm doing a some pilots. I have a pilot that I wrote with another person that's floating around. I have a pilot I just finished that's floating around. I have a pilot I'm supposed to do for that I haven't even pitched yet. And we're supposed to go on strike soon, soMichael Jamin (00:17:53):Sit backwards. Really. But when you say floating around, you mean you've written the script first and you're trying to sell it or what?Emily Cutler (00:17:58):Yes.Michael Jamin (00:17:59):Yes. And you like, you like doing that because usually we don'tEmily Cutler (00:18:01):Do that. Oh, the two that are floating around, then I have some that I'm supervising. No, I don't like doing that. It depends on if I have a, an idea that I feel I need to execute for someone to really get what it is, then I'll write it myself. But I'd much rather gee, I don't know, be paid to write it.Michael Jamin (00:18:20):So write to pitch it. Yes. And then you're supervis cuz even supervising. I'm not crazy about doing, but you're doing. ItEmily Cutler (00:18:25):Depends. I only supervise if it's a project that comes to me that I really, really love and can't say no to. Other than that I don't, I get offered a lot of jobs of, well you supervise this show about a young, you know, Chinese woman who has a dumpling factory and whatever crazy thing I get. Unless it's something that I go, that's hilarious, I wanna be a part of it. I just don't do it.Michael Jamin (00:18:51):And who, how are these coming to you through your agent?Emily Cutler (00:18:54):Random ways. Yeah. They kind of float to me through my agent or, or a writer will call me and say, I'm working on something. Would you be willing to supervise? You know, stuff like that.Michael Jamin (00:19:02):Oh, like a writer that you've, a young writer you've worked with in the past, you mean? Mm-Hmm. . Yeah. Interesting, interesting. Yeah, because yeah, that's the thing. Go taking an idea out rather take the idea out than than, yeah. It's hard. It's hard out there.Emily Cutler (00:19:17):It is hard. And the thing is, and I it's, it's hard for writers who are, you know, a a lot are very introverted, is you have to sell something in a room to people mm-hmm. , which means you have to kind of come out of your shell a little bit and do a performance, a stale. And again, that's another skillset that I imagine as a lot of writers have to learn, you know. ButMichael Jamin (00:19:43):I imagine as an actor, that part probably comes easy to you.Emily Cutler (00:19:45):That is easy to me. And it's fun. I I like doing it. I don't mind doing it. Even when you get a very bad audience of people just not laughing and staring at you as if you've offended them and they hate you. Uhhuh I don't mind doing that. But there are a lot of writers who just, it's terrifying and they don't like it. And it's a whole new skill they have to learn, you know? Yeah. And be be warned before you move out to LA that if you wanna sell ideas to people, you will become a, a bit of a salesman and have to do a sales pitch. Mm-Hmm. .Michael Jamin (00:20:16):Now I'm skipping around here a little bit cause I have a lot of questions when I ask you, but when you, when you did the odd couple, you were briefing, is that the right word? A a show that's been on, there's been multiple variations of that show. Yes. And so what was that like? You know, actually he worked with yeah. What was that? Gary Marshall with Gary Marshall. He was in the room a lot, a little,Emily Cutler (00:20:36):He came to every taping. He came to the room for a while and then, I mean, he would just show up whenever he felt like it. But I think he came to every taping. He was wonderful. It was fascinating to sit with him and, and hear about his experiences because he's, well, so he would sit Hollywood, he would sitMichael Jamin (00:20:53):In the writer'sEmily Cutler (00:20:53):Room. Yeah. Yeah. And every time I saw him I would give him a kiss on the cheek. But I gave him a kiss every time I felt it was something I had to do.Michael Jamin (00:21:01):I mean, we grew up with all those shows. I mean, yes. I mean, was that, I mean, that's just such an honor, but did he give notes or was he just like, ah, holding courtEmily Cutler (00:21:10):A little bit of giving? No, he took it seriously. He wasn't there just for the hell of it. He, he took it seriously and he listened to all the jokes and he commented on things. But he didn't he didn't get in the way of anything. He wasn't in the writer's room that much. But he would send in jokes sometimes for scripts that he'd read, he'd sendMichael Jamin (00:21:29):In his pictures. Oh, really? Yeah. What's, what kind of story do you remember? Like what kind of stories? What was it like when he was in the room?Emily Cutler (00:21:36):His stories were a little more broad. They were of a different time. Sometimes it would be like a monkey gets loose in the apartment and both guys have to go and find who's gonna take the monkey. And you're like, well, maybe not that.Michael Jamin (00:21:49):But how do you say no to him? How do you say no to Gary Marshall? When did he,Emily Cutler (00:21:52):I don't think you do. I think you just say That's interesting. Yeah. We were thinking about this and he was very collaborative. Uhhuh . I mean, he didn't, there was no ego there that I saw. He was just happy to be there and be around writers and have the odd couple coming alive yet again.Michael Jamin (00:22:07):But, but I actually, what I really meant was like, did he, he must have told stories from his past, like, you know, working with I dunno, the Fonz or whatever.Emily Cutler (00:22:15):. Yes. And he also gave, this was a lesson I took from him that I will never forget. He said, don't make your work your life. Have a life uhhuh and work. And don't just work. Don't just, did you read,Michael Jamin (00:22:29):Did you read his book? Wake Me When It's funny.Emily Cutler (00:22:32):I remember. No, I never did. I never did. Oh,Michael Jamin (00:22:34):I remember reading that just before I was breaking into the business and it was just so, it was like, ah, I wanna work in that business. Like, it makes you wanna work in Hollywood. So, so it's like lovely. Yeah. But he tells a story, I think it was on the, the odd couple. They couldn't make a scene funny. Like he was like, it is missing something. So like, they give, like, I think the solution I'm getting, I'm sure I'm getting this, the character wrong, but it was like they, they gave Felix a big spoon or something, . He was like, give him a big spoon. And then it was funny.Emily Cutler (00:23:01):And, and also well yes, I think he told that story in the room too. give someone a prop. And often I think we did maybe give Matthew Perry a prop here and there to Uhhuh give him something to do. , didMichael Jamin (00:23:13):You guys watch, I mean we all saw the odd couple, but did you go back through old episodes and go, you know what, we can,Emily Cutler (00:23:19):We can do this again. I'd seen a lot of them. I'd seen a lot of them. I mean the premise is really about the two guys. About two mis mismatched roommates and how they get along in the world. So yeah, you can do that a variety of different ways. I was surprised, you know, when Matthew Perry wanted to play Oscar because I had sort of seen him in ay way. Yeah. But he wanted to playMichael Jamin (00:23:40):Oscar. Maybe that's why. And so what was it like working with him off of friends when he was at this biggest star in the, in the world?Emily Cutler (00:23:46):No, he wasn't right off of friends. Many, many years had gone by.Michael Jamin (00:23:50):Oh, was it?Emily Cutler (00:23:51):It was a learning experience. Oh. you know I've also worked with Chevy Chase. Yes. And these wereMichael Jamin (00:24:03):Difficult to have actors, , what were the subjects?Emily Cutler (00:24:07):These are guys who have super, super talented, amazing comic timing. Mm-Hmm. But maybe have not taken the best care of themselves so they're not able to do what they once were able to do. So that is always sad when you see that happen. And it was just challenging to work with Matthew cuz he was not in the best at his best. He, I mean at hisMichael Jamin (00:24:30):Best he would probably, he's probably come out and said that a million times over since then. He saidEmily Cutler (00:24:34):That in his book. He apologized to the odd couple writers in his book.Michael Jamin (00:24:37):Oh, did he? HeEmily Cutler (00:24:38):Did interest. Wow. Because it was kind of, it was a little bit weekend at Bernie's.Michael Jamin (00:24:42):Yeah.Emily Cutler (00:24:43):So .Michael Jamin (00:24:44):Oh wow. JustEmily Cutler (00:24:45):Keeping him, him going.Michael Jamin (00:24:47):And he was an executive producer on the show.Emily Cutler (00:24:49):He was.Michael Jamin (00:24:50):Yes. A lot of people don't understand and that, and I, and I think you can count me as one of them. Like what more control, when an actor is an executive producer, they have more control, but to be honest, they have the same amount of control. Even when they're not, you can't force them to say something.Emily Cutler (00:25:05):Right.Michael Jamin (00:25:07):So you, you explain it to me.Emily Cutler (00:25:09):I also don't, when a, when an actor is an executive producer, it means they can see the cuts. Right. And they can say, cut, cut this joke or put this in and Right. Again, I don't know. That's that their strongest skillset. Right. Their, so I never think it's super helpful. There are some that are very smart and that mm-hmm. But I generally would leave that to the people who know more about that and leave the acting to the actors. Yeah. Generally would be my preference.Michael Jamin (00:25:35):Have you done, have you directed or have you, do you aspire to direct at all?Emily Cutler (00:25:39):Not at all. It's the strangest thing. Cuz I think I'm a bossy person. Uhhuh. . And I do, when I'm on set, know exactly what I want, but I'm not I don't think I'm visual enough to know exactly what a shot should look like. And then this, I just like the acting. I like working with the actors. That's what I like to do. So camera stuff is not myMichael Jamin (00:26:01):So you do that a lot. Are you often the writer on set?Emily Cutler (00:26:04):Yes. I enjoy being the writer on set. I feel like I can speak the language of an actor. So it's yes, and it's fun. And there's just a great sense of camaraderie and it's nice to get out of the writer's room and be on a set.Michael Jamin (00:26:18):But are you doing that for shows that that, are you doing that for shows that even that you don't write, you know, you're not the, the writer of that show? Or are you usually assigned? No,Emily Cutler (00:26:26):No, no. I have been assigned to set and I have mentored younger writers who've never been on a set before mm-hmm. . which is a really good thing to do because you don't wanna throw a younger writer on a set when they have no idea what they're doing. But you also wanna make sure that that younger writer is on a set so that they are learning and can move up the ladder really knowing what they'reMichael Jamin (00:26:44):Doing. And that brings us to the writer's strike, because that's not really happening. It's from where I'm sitting, it's not really happening anymore because these ri young writers for the mo well, I don't know, I haven't done a network show in so long, but on, on these cable, these low budget shows that I'm on, often you're just working on pre-production and then you, you're done. And so the writers aren't coming to set at all. There's, you know, no one's.Emily Cutler (00:27:06):And what's happening is writers are moving up. In my day you had to be a staff writer for a very long time. Mm-Hmm. before you got bumped up. I don't know if people know, but on a staff there are different levels. And each level has different job requirements. And what's happening is a staff writer will come in and write for a season and then move up so quickly. Mm-Hmm. maybe bump up a few levels to a producer, and then they're put on a set without having any idea what to do or what each person on the set does or what their role is. Yeah. and it's really important to teach people at the early stages every aspect of a television show. And no, that is not happening very often.Michael Jamin (00:27:50):Hey, it's Michael Jamin. If you like my videos and you want me to email them to you for free, join my watch list. Every Friday I send out my top three videos. These are for writers, actors, creative types. You can unsubscribe whenever you want. I'm not gonna spam you and it's absolutely free. Just go to michaeljamin.com/watchlist.Michael Jamin (00:28:14):I see that as being really bad. Maybe you'll feel, I wonder how you feel for, for like, I don't know if there'll be multi-camera shows in the future because you, there's so much learning that you have to do and like, who, who's gonna be, there's no, you know, who, how are they learning this? There are no multi-camera shows anymore. Where, where's the, the pool of talent, you know? Yeah.Emily Cutler (00:28:35):I, I don't, I mean, I do a lot of mentoring through the Guild. You might do that too, where you work with writers. It's a good thing to do. You should do it. Yeah. you mentor younger writers who are new in the Guild, maybe they've had their first job, but that's about it. And you, they can ask you questions. Like, when I started, I didn't have anybody really to ask, what does this mean? Should, what, what does this person do on set? Where am I supposed to be? What, you know, what is the blow to a scene? I didn't know any of that stuff. Yeah. So I, I I kind of help them and give them a safe place to ask these questions, which is a, a it's great. It reminds me of all this stuff. Yeah. And and I get to be around fresh young hopefuls. So it's, it's a great thing to do. You know,Michael Jamin (00:29:21):You know, I remember one of the first times on set, you know, they give you the big director chair to sit and your name's in it. And then I remember like dragging it to the next shot and I got such dirty looks. Yes. Like, you don't touch that chair. That's a union job. . Yes. Like, that's a, all you do isEmily Cutler (00:29:36):To think, you feel like I don't belong here. What am I doing? I don't understand anything. You just nod lot and hope that no one will ask anything of you. But yeah, it's much kinder to send people to set feeling prepared and feeling like they have something to contribute instead of them just being terrified the entire time.Michael Jamin (00:29:52):So you may have already answered this question then. Like, how do you see the, how has the industry changed from your point of view since you've been in it?Emily Cutler (00:30:02):Well, it's changed a lot in, I mean, we're striking for certain reasons. Rooms are getting much smaller mm-hmm. it seems like there's more product out there, but for some reason jobs are hard to get mm-hmm. and there are sort of mandates on shows and mm-hmm. and there are fewer writers and there's shorter production time. Writers move up faster. That is something that happens. You don't have to be a staff writer for a long time before you move up the ladder. And I think that's, butMichael Jamin (00:30:33):I don't think that's a good thing, to be honest.Emily Cutler (00:30:34):I don't think that's a good thing. Okay. I, I don't, I don't know that you ha I don't believe in staff writers not getting paid for a script. Right. I think that's silly because they are writing and creating a product. They should be paid for it. Mm-Hmm. . But I do think that before you're bumped up another level, you should really have a lot of experience and know what's gonna be required at that second level and be able to deliver that.Michael Jamin (00:30:56):I actually think that that writers, I believe that was the guild's idea to protect young writers. And I think it failed actually. Like, I think the intention was if you don't have to pay 'em that way, that way they get to write a script and they learn. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. And soEmily Cutler (00:31:11):That was, but they are still writing and some staff writers are just fantastic and write a perfectly terrific script and don't get paid for it. And I always found that. Yeah.Michael Jamin (00:31:19):Odd. Yeah. I I think that was like one of those things that backfired well meaning I could be wrong about that, but anyway, but, so yeah. That's how it's, that's how it's changed. What about selling shows, do you think? How's that changed for you?Emily Cutler (00:31:31):Well now they have, and I've never used one pitch decks where you're doing a whole visual presentation with your pitch. And I don't, I, I don't feel that's necessary. But a lot of studios like that mm-hmm. , it gives them an image in, in their mind of what you're going for. That's not,Michael Jamin (00:31:51):I always felt that was more for drama than spend comedy.Emily Cutler (00:31:56):I I think nowadays people will do it. They'll do it for comedy, they'll do it for drama. They'll, you know, show pictures of actors that they think would be good in the roles. And I don't find it necessary. But,Michael Jamin (00:32:10):And certainly whatever works, working with pods is probably a bigger thing now. Do you than it was like, there was a time you as a writer, you could just sell a TV show. You didn't have to have all these people attached to it to sell a show.Emily Cutler (00:32:22):Yes. And a lot of times when you do that, you, you get a lot of cooks in the kitchen. Mm-Hmm. . So the work that you start out with just starts to morph into something completely different than when you started. And I like, you know, for better or worse, I like a clear vision to a show. Mm-Hmm. where, you know, and I'm sure you've been working a lot in streaming and stuff like that, where it's someone's voice like a Mark Marinn or something, and it actually comes through onto the screen. You don't have to like it. Maybe it's terrible, but it's a clear perspective. And what happens when you have so many cooks in the kitchen is the perspective starts to get watered down. That's one thing that Dan Harmon simply didn't allow on community. He was very ballsy and was just like, this is what we're going to do. And the studio would say, no, no, you can't do that. And he would be like, yeah, okay. This is what we're going to do. So like it or hate it, it made it onto the screen as a singular vision of what that show shouldMichael Jamin (00:33:13):Be. And it shows. But that's so ballsy because there's two things. I think you kind of have to be kind of like a genius level to pull that off,Emily Cutler (00:33:22):Which I think Yes. Which he, which he is,Michael Jamin (00:33:23):He was, but also you have to have this no fucks given. Like, I I, I don't know many writers who would do that. YouEmily Cutler (00:33:29):Have to be a little crazy. Yeah. And he's a lot crazy. So it worked out well for him. He must also kind of, you know, felt like he was smarter than everyone in the room and probably was. Right. Which there are, there are many who think that, who aren't. And he just would talk them in circles and finally they just couldn't take talking anymore. So they let him do his thing. Then they fired him . Right. And they brought him back, which was absolutely insane. I've rarely heard of that happening. Yeah. And, and he just really held firm because he knew what the show was and said, this is what we wanna do, and if you don't wanna do it, let's just not do it. But this is how it's gonna go. And he just doubled down and did it.Michael Jamin (00:34:12):Where did he, what would you, you must know, what was his first job in the business that he, where did he learn from?Emily Cutler (00:34:18):He did a streaming, I think he had a channel, I can't remember what it, what it's called. Oh, people will know. Like Channel 24 or channel something that did a lot of a lot of internet stuff. And then I think his first job was on the Sarah Silverman show back when she, I think it was Comedy Central. I could be more about allMichael Jamin (00:34:37):Of this. Yeah. Sam Sterling did that.Emily Cutler (00:34:39):And they had, they did not get along. I don't think they were the right fit.Michael Jamin (00:34:43):Oh my God.Emily Cutler (00:34:44):And then I, he, I don't know, I think he went, actually went to community college and that community was based on his experienceMichael Jamin (00:34:52):Because I, I think that showrunners kind of, they, they learn how they're gonna do this kind of, they, from the first job they take, their first showrunner is the kind of the person they emulate, you know, and mm-hmm. , that's kinda the school you come out of. And if your first boss was organized, you'll be organized. And, you know,Emily Cutler (00:35:09):Not for me, my first real boss on a sitcom was absolutely out of his mind. And an just, just a, a, a monster human who did everything. I, I just sat there going, this can't be right. This can't be Hollywood. All writers cannot be doing what we were doing, which is sitting on the floor and being screamed out about paint colors for his bathroom. And he was just insane. So I was like, this can't, if this is how everything is run Hollywood, it was on a show called Movie Stars, which was Harry Hamlin's comedic opus and,Michael Jamin (00:35:47):And Wait, do you wanna say who the, who the writer is?Emily Cutler (00:35:49):Yes, I do. His name was We, Wayne Lemon, which already sounds kind of like a serial killer name. It's like a great character name Wayne Lemon. And he, I think he was the son of a Baptist preacher and had no sense of humor and told us that on the first day. He's like, I'm not funny. That's not what I do. I'm not funny. I was like, well, it's great that you're running a comedy then. Oh my God. And we, there were only two writers. He, he didn't want a staff, he wanted two baby writers. We and another writer named Bick Scahill, we had never done it before. And so we sat on the floor and we listened to him fight with his wife. He was really abusive. It was, it was a hilariously weird experience. But I remember thinking, this can't be how every show in Hollywood is run. So I did not learn how to run a show from him. I learned very much what I don't wanna do, which you can also learn from your showrunner.Michael Jamin (00:36:38):But I would've, I'm not joking, I probably would've thought this must be Hollywood. Like, I, I, I, I probably would've felt differently from you. Like, that might've scared me from ever working in Hollywood continuing. Well,Emily Cutler (00:36:49):I was terrified to say anything or ask anyone because you're always afraid when you start out that you're gonna be either discovered as a phony and fired. Yeah. Or you're, you just don't make waves. You don't stand up for yourself at all. Cuz you're like, if I say anything, I'll never work again. So we just sucked it up. But it wasn't until later when I got on a normal staff where people were saying that, I went, oh, okay. . That was not a normal experience.Michael Jamin (00:37:18):At what point, and I really mean this, like at what point in your career did you finally feel like, all right, I know how to do this job because it's not on day one. It's not.Emily Cutler (00:37:28):I'm not, I'm not sure. I I'm not sure I feel that way now. It it, it depends. There are shows that I go in and I feel like I got this. I know exactly what I'm doing. I'm fantastic. And then on the very next show, I feel the complete opposite. Why am I doing this? There's no point. I have no talent I should give up. I think all creative people maybe ride that rollercoaster a little bit of feeling like I've got something to offer. I have nothing to offer really. I mean, I, I bounce back. It depends on the show and it depends on if I really think I can capture the voice of something and do it justice. Like if I went to write on succession tomorrow, I'd probably be a little nervous. I'd be excited to do it. But I might go, God, I hope I live up to this thing. Or I hope I can get into the voices of these characters. And then there are some that it's just natural toMichael Jamin (00:38:18):You, but even in terms of like knowing how to break a story or when you go off on script and you look at that blank page, like, or you're turning in your writing your outline. Like there, there must have been a moment where you're like, okay, I think I know how to do this. Right. I mean, cuz like in the, honestly, it took me, it took years and years for me to have, okay, I think I know how to do that.Emily Cutler (00:38:37): Yes. I, I think it took years and years and I think I knew certain things. Well, I can craft a joke, but I don't know, can I, am I really good at story? You know, in meetings people always ask and people ask your agents, are you good at story? Right. Or are you good at jokes and you seem to have to be in one camp or the other. Right. I think is absolutely stupid. But I go back and forth. I mean, I still look at a blank page and, and feel a sense of, you know, excitement and fear at the same time. And am I gonna do this? Am I gonna blow this? And I do a little of both. Right. I've written some scripts and I'm like, wow, this really, I crapped the bed on this one. And Right. Some that I'm like, all right, this is pretty good.Michael Jamin (00:39:21):Do you do any writing that is not for for sale? Like just for yourself or a book or something on the side or anything?Emily Cutler (00:39:28):I draw a lot. So I do that on the side. I used to write songs. I've written some poems. Uhhuh . I'm trying to think of what else I've written. You know, I have a friend who does game shows and I, I help him with game shows a lot cuz that's super fun. And I have no, it's not my job so I don't have to panic and interesting worry about it. Right. Because that's a whole other that's a whole other, you know, crazy world. But that's really fun to doMichael Jamin (00:39:58):Because the minute you put, the minute you're doing it, it's your profession. Things change, you know, likeEmily Cutler (00:40:04):Absolutely.Michael Jamin (00:40:05):Right. Well what's your take on that?Emily Cutler (00:40:06):Well, I mean that's why I write some pilots myself that I'm not gonna sell is cuz I come up with an idea that brings me some level of joy or that I feel I have a handle on. Mm-Hmm. and have that feeling like you're talking about I can do this. Well if I can really do this, I should sit down and do it. And you know, it, it turns out well or it doesn't. But I do that for myself. Yes. Do I hope I'll sell it. Sure. Why, why wouldn't I? But I just get it out of myself. Right. Because it's a, an idea in my head. Just get it on paper if youMichael Jamin (00:40:36):Can, just to remind yourself why you like writing.Emily Cutler (00:40:40):Yes.Michael Jamin (00:40:40):Right. Have you saw Adam? Don't, I'm trying to remember. We've, we've written a, a handful of pilots on spec. I don't think we've sold any. I think the ones we've sold are always saw on pitches. Are you able to sell specs or are they just writing samples?Emily Cutler (00:40:55):No, it's always, it's always been really pitches. I can't think of a script I've sold, I sold a movie but never never on spec. On spec. Yeah.Michael Jamin (00:41:06):Sold them. How'd that go? What was that?Emily Cutler (00:41:09):, it was called Suddenly Yours. It was a test to see if I could write a romantic, a cheesy romantic comedy back when they made them like those great kind of formulaic mm-hmm romantic comedies that you see, you know, two of a year. And it got bought and then just nothing happened to it. It died because then Jennifer Lopez had a movie called Maiden Manhattan that was basically the same thing. And so, so funny that got made.Michael Jamin (00:41:32):That's so, cuz we did, we sold a movie on spec though. It was called Only Child. And then that got killed because they had a movie in development called Middle Child . And I dunnoEmily Cutler (00:41:43):If they had anything, that's all it changed. OfMichael Jamin (00:41:44):Course not. Other than the word child.Emily Cutler (00:41:46):Yes. My god. It's a, another movie with child in the title. We must only have one.Michael Jamin (00:41:51):But you must have had to do some rewrites on, but after you sold it, they probably wanted rewrites from you now.Emily Cutler (00:41:56):Yes. And I got rewritten by another writer too, Uhhuh, who changed it into something totally different. It was, it was like a fascinating thing to see. It became this different creature, this completely different entity with like little bits of my script in it.Michael Jamin (00:42:10):But because sometimes I hear more often than that people are like, I wanna, I wanna write movies. I'm like, what you YouTube superhero movies? Yeah. What what? Yeah. TvEmily Cutler (00:42:19):TV is movies now. There are no more movies for the most part. It's, you know, big blockbuster superhero movies. There are few little ones and a few ones like, you know, maybe a Matt Damon movie that will squeeze in, but really television's where it, where it's at. Right. With streaming and everything.Michael Jamin (00:42:36):Did you, but did you even, did you even enjoy the process of writing movies?Emily Cutler (00:42:41):I did.Michael Jamin (00:42:42):You did? I did. I did.Emily Cutler (00:42:43):But I was, I was younger and didn't know anything. It's great when you don't know anything and when you don't know what, how the business is structured and you just come from a creative place and put something on paper that brings you joy. Right. That's great. And as soon as you start getting paid for it and other people get involved, you can still have joy but it's a different kind. It's, it's not pure, you know, it's,Michael Jamin (00:43:08):Well the reason why I see it, cuz like when you, when you get a note on a TV script, all right. Even if it's a giant rewrite, it's still, it's, it's 30 minutes of television or whatever. 22 minutes of television. Yeah. If you could do a note on a, on a movie and maybe it's a free rewrite that you have to do, talk about 90 minute movie. That's a, like that that's a lot ofEmily Cutler (00:43:25):Work. Yes. That's a lot. And a string will, a string will get pulled. That seems like nothing to the person giving the note. But that to you completely unravels theMichael Jamin (00:43:33):Entire thing. Everything right? Yes. I was like, I don't know why, I don't know. I dunno why people wanna write movies so badly. I think it like be just an ego thing.Emily Cutler (00:43:41):Yes. There are a lot of pages to a movie so it is daunting. But again, if you have an idea inside of you and you can see where it's going and it just sort of comes out of you, it doesn't feel like work. It just feels great.Michael Jamin (00:43:54):No, obviously you mentor people, writers and the writers, young writers in the guild. So that means they've already sold something. They've already steered a a hurdle. Yeah.Emily Cutler (00:44:02):Some of them are doing much better than I am. .Michael Jamin (00:44:04):Oh really? They'reEmily Cutler (00:44:06):Skyrocketing. I'm like, I hope you gimme a job.Michael Jamin (00:44:08):Wow. but so what advice do you have for people who haven't even done gotten into the guild yet?Emily Cutler (00:44:15):Just keep, keep writing and keep, have an original voice and put stuff on paper.Michael Jamin (00:44:20):And where are you getting, where are you looking for your ideas? Where are you getting your ideas from?Emily Cutler (00:44:24):I try and get my ideas from my life or you know, a great way to get ideas. If you have a funny group of friends or a group of friends you hang out with and you're just sitting and shooting the shit with them and making each other laugh. A lot of ideas, great ideas come out of that. A lot of ideas come outta my marriage. I get a lot of ideas from my marriage, from my kids. I never wrote family shows. I was never interested in that kind of stuff. And now that I have a family that sort of inspires me. So look to your life. Look to your extended family. Look to your friends. I have a friend, my current pilot is about an open marriage cuz I have friends who are having an open marriage and I think it's just so hilarious and, and mortifying and ridiculous. And so I'm, I wrote a pilot about it,Michael Jamin (00:45:08):But no, but selling it, they always want to hear like, how are you the only writer who can write this? And so I see that's why I understand you're stealing from your family, but from your friends with the open marriage, even though it'd be fi are you at the mean, are you, are you prepared to answer that question? How are youEmily Cutler (00:45:23):Gonna answer? Yes, I am. How? Well I think you do have to personalize it because I think them having the open marriage caused my husband and I to have a discussion about could we ever, what would it look like? Were this just, you know, middle-aged suburban couple, like what is that gonna look like? So that pilot became about this really unlikely like coupled to do this kind of thing and what transpires because they choose to do it. So it would kind of be like, my husband and I made this decision to do this thing. Here's what happened and how it went wrong.Michael Jamin (00:45:56):Where, so that's interesting because you're prepared. So that's, you're smart. Cuz you knew going into a meeting, that's the question they're gonna ans ask you. And so Yeah. Yes.Emily Cutler (00:46:04):They want something from your personal experience. And the truth is, you can make it from your personal experience however you like. You can, it doesn't have to be, this is exactly my experience. I lived it, it can be, this is how watching somebody else experience else's experience affected me and made me think of this. And I, you can kind of weave your own tail.Michael Jamin (00:46:30):But are you, are you going into, when you come up with your ideas to pitch, are you, is your target to sell it? Are you always thinking like, well what are they buying? What's, what's my version? Or are you just like, this is what I got in the tank.Emily Cutler (00:46:41):I used to be, that's why I wrote that romantic comedy. I wanted to see if I can just, you know, churn out a pile of crap for someone who says we want a pile of crap. Right. And I could, but nothing great comes out of that. And I, I do do that because I panic about money and go, I have to sell this. And they wanna show about a, a flying dog, so I'll stick a flying dog in there. You do sometimes compromise, but nothing great is ever gonna come out of that. You have to start from a place of, I'm really passionate about this. You know, a lot of times before a season when you go to sell something, you'll say, what are they looking for? Mm-Hmm. , well, this network is looking for family and this one wants workplace, and this one wants, you know, and so you try to go, okay, well, what do I ha? But you still have to come from some seed of something that makes you giggle or something that inspires you, or it's just gonna be flat. It's gonna be good or original, IMichael Jamin (00:47:31):Think. And, and how much, when you're not on staff of a show, how, what is your, what does your writing schedule look like?Emily Cutler (00:47:37):Oh, you said writing schedule? Yeah. that, that implies that I'm an organizedMichael Jamin (00:47:43):Or So you don't have one healthyEmily Cutler (00:47:44):Human? No, I'm the worst I'm supposed to be writing. You'll always know when I'm supposed to be writing. My house will be clean. Yeah. I'll be cook cooking something. Maybe I learned to bake bread, you know, I buy a new mascara and I put it like, I just procrastinate. Yeah. Forever. I'm the least organized writer. Again. That is another skillset. Like my friends who went to really tough colleges who are writers, learned how to study, and in learning how to study, they also know how to write and budget their time. I think you're one of them. Didn't you go to some didn't. I went to some fancy some. You went to a fancy school. Okay. Well, I assume if you go to a fancy school like that, or, or grow up learning those skills from your parents or something, you know, how to manage time. I'm the worst at it, so don't be me. Right. Learn how to give yourself a schedule. Be the kind of person who does that. You know, I guess it's like going to the gym. I'm also the person who's like, what's your schedule for working out? Well, sometimes I go for a walk. Sometimes I sit on my ass. I just don't, I'm not as disciplined as I should be.Michael Jamin (00:48:50):Well, it's, I mean, it's easier for me. I have a writing partner, so it's like, we agree, you know? All right. We're, we're agreeing to meet today at 10 o'clock, but, so, andEmily Cutler (00:48:57):You and one pushes the other and goes, come on, we gotta, yeah. No, that would be great. I need to get, I need to get me one of those.Michael Jamin (00:49:04):Well have you written, but you've written projects with people. You have one right now? IEmily Cutler (00:49:06):Have. I've written, yes. And the one that I wrote the right now, one, she was great. She was super disciplined and would let me kind of, you know, I could just be funny and amusing and she'd be the workhorse. Mm-Hmm. . But then I had a partner we wrote some movies together where he was more dysfunctional than I was. Uhhuh . So we just, I'd say, let's not work. Let's go to Starbucks and get lattes instead. And he'd go, great. , . Instead of saying, no, we need to work. We need to, yeah. We were, we were not a good influence.Michael Jamin (00:49:36):And do you have a, what, what's your spot? Do you have a spot that you like to work in? Or are you wherever you take your laptop, wherever.Emily Cutler (00:49:43):It's much better. It's great. When I'm staffed on a show, when I'm staffed on a show, when I'm in the mindset, I like to work in my office there. Even if it's on something else. Cuz it just gets me in the mindset. My house where I have two children who are now teenagers, is like a war zone. It's really hard. I have an open house. There's, it's almost lofty in a way. So there's nowhere to go to hide. Oh. Or, or to work. So I really try and go out or I wait till they're at school and, you know, sneak in a room somewhere. But it's, it's, again, it's not, it's not orderly. I'm not in one place. I'm moving around andMichael Jamin (00:50:20):Interesting.Emily Cutler (00:50:21):Yes. Discipline. Discipline. Disciplined. Get some discipline.Michael Jamin (00:50:26):Then let me ask you one final question. I don't know if, I don't know if you can have an answer to this, but like, what gets you outta bed then? What, what is makes you excited to, for your, I don't know, toEmily Cutler (00:50:35):Run career or in life? Well,Michael Jamin (00:50:37):Let's, let's do both. Let's do both.Emily Cutler (00:50:41):What gets me outta my bed is my children. Mm-Hmm. , because they need to be taken places andMichael Jamin (00:50:48):You're the Uber driver.Emily Cutler (00:50:50):What makes me excited to write again is, and I mean this might just be me because I know a lot of writers like to sit alone in a cabin and write a book. To me that's deathly. For comedy, it's to be around people. Like even just talking to you now, it will spark something and, or make me feel like, you know, it's why people go to the gym because you're surrounded by other people doing the thing that you're supposed to be doing. Mm-Hmm. . And it helps you. So when I'm not on a staff, which is a very collaborative thing where you're in a room with a lot of funny people and I'm on my own, it's not as much fun. It's much harder to get out of bed and motivate. So talking to you is helpful. My husband's really funny, so I'll run ideas around with him. I'll call friends. For me, it helps me to be around other people who are doing what I'm doing, who are funny people. That's what helps me.Michael Jamin (00:51:44):DidEmily Cutler (00:51:44):That get inspired?Michael Jamin (00:51:45):So now that you mentioned it, did, did you find that intimidating in the, in your beginning of your c
Katie sits down with actress, writer, and stand-up comedian Natasha Leggero as she opens up about her first (and last lol) book, The World Deserves My Children. Natasha discusses how stress and anxiety has impacted her throughout her journey of motherhood. She also envisions what she sees in her child's future as she grows up. The comedian even goes into how she escaped the common mommy-rut of feeling like you are living the same “beige” mother life. Plus, why is hiring a bad nanny a bad idea? And wait, Katie used to be hired as a nanny… does that mean she was an ugly one? Tune in for all the details and laughs! Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Alex Alcheh, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle CollinsProducer & Editor: Casby BiasAssociate Producer: Akiya McKnight See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do you watch The Daily Show? If so, don't miss this awesome podcast episode featuring Vance DeGeneres!Show NotesVance on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vance_DeGeneresVance's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vancenotvance/?hl=enVance on IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0214699/Michael's Online Screenwriting Course - https://michaeljamin.com/courseFree Screenwriting Lesson - https://michaeljamin.com/freeJoin My Watchlist - https://michaeljamin.com/watchlistAutomated TranscriptMichael Jamin (00:00:00):To me, I'm guessing the goal of it was just to be creative and make music. That's still, that's it. But do you have, are there, are, is there, are there other future ambitions? Is there more ambitions there more you hope to get outta this though?Vance DeGeneres (00:00:13):Just, just the enjoyment of, of being musically creative. Right. And and that, that's it. I mean, I, I'm under no illusions that I'm going to get another record deal. Right. You know, capital Records is not gonna call and offer me a deal again. Right. but that's fi that's fine. You know, the, it's, you know, it's a fun band. It's, it's a good band. And we play lo we play live gigs, you know, like two or three times a year. Right. and we make, we make our records. And that's, that's enough, right? I mean, it's just fun.Michael Jamin (00:00:49):You're listening to Screenwriters Need to hear this with Michael Jamin.Michael Jamin (00:00:56):Hey everyone, it's Michael Jamin. Welcome back to Screenwriters. Need to hear this. I got another good guest for you. This is another reason to sit through me talking because my guest is actually an old friend of mine. And his name is Vance DeGeneres, comedy writer, TV producer, film producer, film executive musician. And I met Vance many years ago and can tell Quick story, Vance. And then I'll let you chime in for the rest of the interview. Please. First of all, I first please. I gonna just get the elephant outta the room. Yes. Vance. His, his little sister is someone you may have heard of Ellen. Ellen Generous, but we're not talking about her now. We're talking about you Vance. So stop bringing her up. Vance DeGeneres (00:01:34):Yeah, yeah, please,Michael Jamin (00:01:35):Please. So, I'm met Vance many years ago. I'm a first job as a, as a comedy writer. I was a comedy writer and show on the Mike and Maddie show. It was a morning TV show. I was very nervous, very excited, didn't know anything about the business. And Vance was the other guy, the other comedy writer. And we shared an office. And I just did. I was like, Vance, I, I don't really know what I'm doing here. And Vance was like, it's okay. We'll be okay. I'm not sure if Vance knew what he was doing, but I did everything. You did Vance. I wore shoes to the set. I wore a a jacket to the set. I did whatever you told me to do. Whatever you did, I just copied. And you were, andVance DeGeneres (00:02:12):It, and look, look where you are today,Michael Jamin (00:02:14):. I'm sitting in front of my computer screen in my garage.Vance DeGeneres (00:02:18):, can I, can I, can I just say I I do have to to thank you because we're not for you. I wouldn't be able to do this.Michael Jamin (00:02:30):That's right. We did a lot of that. And you got, you got a nice lot of,Vance DeGeneres (00:02:33):You taught me toMichael Jamin (00:02:34):Juggle. I taught you that. I didn't, what else You taught me to juggle. Didn't I teach you how to love as well?Vance DeGeneres (00:02:40):Well, I was gonna say, yeah, I was gonna say that, but since you brought it up Yes,Michael Jamin (00:02:45):Vance has, go ahead.Vance DeGeneres (00:02:48):No, I was just gonna say, you know, we I think we laughed a lot in that, in that office. It, it was it was an interesting job.Michael Jamin (00:02:57):Did we make anyone laugh? , I'mVance DeGeneres (00:03:00):Six monthsMichael Jamin (00:03:02):. We made each other laugh and then on six month time they showed, they showed me to the door .Vance DeGeneres (00:03:10):Yeah. And yeah. And I didn't last a lot longer.Michael Jamin (00:03:13):You didn't, I don't remember. But you've had such an amazing career event cuz you have done something. Like you are truly a very creative person and you've made a career out of being creative, but not pigeonholed in any one category. Like, I'm gonna start, I'm gonna start by telling, refreshing your memory, how you've, how much you've worked in the business. I guess you first started, you were a musician, you in a, in a band called House of Shock, which was Gina Shock, who was in the Go-Go's. You formed a band with her, right? Was that your first band? IVance DeGeneres (00:03:43):No, no, no. I, no, I, well, very quickly, I, I had, I had been in bands since seventh grade. I had my first garage band. Right. and then I was in a s a really successful band in New Orleans called The Cold in the early eighties.Michael Jamin (00:04:01):Right.Vance DeGeneres (00:04:02):And and then I moved out to Los Angeles in 85. And the Gogos had broken up and a friend introduced me to Gina and we put together house of Shock. And so she and I were partners on that.Michael Jamin (00:04:17):And you toured a lot of with her?Vance DeGeneres (00:04:19):No, we didn't tour a lot, but we rec we Gina and I wrote, wrote the album and it came out, we were on Capital Records, Uhhuh . And and that came out in 88.Michael Jamin (00:04:30):Now, when you moved to LA was it to become, I mean, it's weird, you know, you're very, very funny, very talented comedy writer. But was it, is music really your first love and look at your background there?Vance DeGeneres (00:04:42):My first love is music. But I had done bef Okay. . I, I've got such a, such a a checkered a career path. Originally I had done, oh boy. Yeah, this is, it's too much to get into. But I, I was the original Mr. Hans with the Mr. Bill Show, and IMichael Jamin (00:05:04):Wanna talk about that. Okay. So that came firstVance DeGeneres (00:05:07):That Yeah. After yes, when I was 18, I guess I, I met this guy Walter Williams, and we, we got an apartment together and we started doing, we were both Big Bob and Ray fans. Right. you know Bob and Ray,Michael Jamin (00:05:25):Right? Yeah. Ellis dad . That's how I think about it. Yeah,Vance DeGeneres (00:05:28):Exactly. Exactly. but they used to do this improv improvisational comedy. And so we thought, yeah, we can probably take a crack at that. So we started doing little comedy bits and then started shooting little tiny movies. And Mr. Bill was one of the movies. And anyways, so, you know, what happened then?Michael Jamin (00:05:49):Well, for many people who, who don't, I wanted to tell them, so Mr. Like, Mr. Bill was a, a little claymation character on Saturday Live, A little sketch they did on Saturday Live, or in the early years of sa And this Mr. Bill was like, before the internet, it went viral before the internet virality was a thing. And it was like this, I remember everyone was talking about Mr. Bill, Mr. Oh, no, Mr. Bill. And it was Mr. Hand was the char, another character. And like everyone talked about Mr. Bill cuz it was like this sketch on Saturday. It was recurring sketch that everyone talked about. And so yeah. Go into that. That's a, that was when I found out you were Mr. Hand. I was like, you're Mr. Hand.Vance DeGeneres (00:06:26):Yeah. Well, oh yeah. Well, it's, it's a, it's a a very long and a very frustrating story actually. But I, I'll just tell you that we started it in New Orleans and we did these, you know, we, we started doing nightclubs in New Orleans there. This was before there was even a a comedy club in New Orleans. This was in 73 45 Uhhuh six. And so we would do these kind of live shows where we did comedy and we showed, we showed our eight millimeter films. We'd set up a screen, Uhhuh, and then when Sarah I live came on we sent in a reel of our shorts and they liked Mr. Bill and they put that on.Michael Jamin (00:07:11):How did you know, you just sent it to like, what do you mean you sent it? Vance DeGeneres (00:07:15):Because, because they they had a thing, Lauren, Michael said, Hey, if if, if you have some funny short films, send them to us and if we like it, we might put it on. Right. So we we sent 'em a, a reel of our, our shorts and they liked that particular one. So Lauren aired it and it was during Mardi Gras in New Orleans when it first aired. And, and Saturday Night Live was preempted for one of the parades, Uhhuh . So nobody in New Orleans got got to see it. But they invited us down to the N B C affiliate to watch it in the control room. Uhhuh . So we got to see speed.Michael Jamin (00:07:58):How, but how, but did you do several of them? There's We did,Vance DeGeneres (00:08:02):Yeah. Right. We did. And then we, we well we had a weekly radio show in New Orleans called the Mr. Bill Show, and where we did little sketches, and then we even did eight local TV show few episodes.Michael Jamin (00:08:17):Like 18 when you were doing this.Vance DeGeneres (00:08:20):In 19, yeah. 18, 19, 20, kind of a big. And and then once it was on Saturday Live, we we picked up a third, a third member named David Derickson. And we moved to, we got a, we got a loan for $3,000 and moved to New York and got a, a one bedroom sublet. And we did the the improv once a week on Monday nights, we would do our standup. And then we we made a couple of other Mr. Bills. And after the second season, I, I decided to, to leave the act. And I moved back to New Orleans. And then my friend Dave, who, who was a third member, took over as Mr. Hands.Michael Jamin (00:09:08):What, when you left what to go back to New Orleans, what, what were you, what was it to pursue at this point? What did you wanna do?Vance DeGeneres (00:09:15):Well, comedy, comedy, I, I went back to New Orleans and I, I wrote a a half hour, another comedy show, a full half hour like sketch comedy show and and cast it. And I got Loyola University gave me their TV station to shoot the thing in. But they said You got 12 hours because 6:00 AM tomorrow morning, we're tearing up the, the, the studio to redo it for the, for next semester. After we shot the first sketch, there was a power brown out on campus. And and that was it. I I, we were done. So I, I, I had no show. Right. I, I got, I was really depressed. It's like, Jesus, this is, you know what, I spent months putting this together and I just thought, you know, God show business kind of sucks. , whatMichael Jamin (00:10:12):AmVance DeGeneres (00:10:15):Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So, so I mean, what, what, what would you do if if you were in that position? I thought I'll join the Marines.Michael Jamin (00:10:27):Right. I forgot you were Marines, which is what I did. Yeah. Which is, that'll be easier than showbiz. . .Vance DeGeneres (00:10:36):You know, it, it's, I I'm not sure which is tougher.Michael Jamin (00:10:39):Yeah. . And so you, you were, I forgot you're a Marine. Like, oh my God, I got all the branches that I'll, I'll gimme the one that's the hardest to do.Vance DeGeneres (00:10:50):That's exactly what I wanted. I, I, I wanted, I wanted a real challenge. And and, and honestly, I wouldn't, I wouldn't trade you for anything. I'm glad I'm not still in it. Uhhuh . But boy, does it give you discipline?Michael Jamin (00:11:06):? Yeah. I'm so surprised. Cause you're not exactly you know, as a comment writer, you're like, anti-establishment. It's like, it's odd to say, well, I'll just join the establishment where, where I can't mouth off and I can't be a wise ass. I'll do that for three years. . So you got outta that andVance DeGeneres (00:11:22):. So, and, and, and so I came back, I came back to New Orleans in 79 and with the intent of continuing in, in tv, radio, comedy. And I, I got a job as a as the morning guy at a local fm radio station. And in the meantime, some friends started a, a new wave band. There were a couple of, there were just a couple of writers. They were journalists and could play guitar a little bit, but the whole new wave thing happening. And they said, Hey, you know you're a good musician. Why don't you, why don't you, you know, join? And so I did. And it was just gonna be a little side project, and it turned into something like really, really big in, in new Orleans and in the South. We put out a bunch of records. We had some hits. And and by 85, I couldn't go any further there. So my, my sister who you mentioned Yeah. Was living in LA and she said, you know, you should really come to live in Los Angeles. So I, I made the move and it was to continue in music at that point. So that's when I met Gina Shock. And we, we formed House of Shock. We did the record on Capital and by and by 89 that had that was ended at that point. Michael Jamin (00:12:52):Yeah.Vance DeGeneres (00:12:52):And that's, that's when I transitioned back into being a writer.Michael Jamin (00:12:57):And then, yeah. And how did, okay. What came, how did you do that? , everything, history, everything you've done sounds like a mystery. How did you do that? .Vance DeGeneres (00:13:06):It, it it's, it's crazy. I was I, I was actually, I was paying, I'm also a painter a little bit. And I, I did, I did a bunch of paintings. This couple came over to, to see some of my paintings that they were interested in buying. One, the guy happened to be a, a showrunner named Carl Schaffer. And he Carl Schaffer had a show on CBS b s called TV 1 0 1.Michael Jamin (00:13:39):Okay.Vance DeGeneres (00:13:40):And, and he had a place called the Fourth Floor on on Hollywood Boulevard on the corner of Kanga and Hollywood. What's that?Michael Jamin (00:13:49):Above the Pizza store, right? Yeah. Right. Yeah. Yeah.Vance DeGeneres (00:13:52):Right. And he, he had a deal with Hurst Entertainment, and they subsidized this whole floor and parted the second. And Carl rented it out to writers that he liked. Okay. and Carl, Carl knew that I had done Mr. Bill. We talked about that. And he said you know, you should really come take an office up on the fourth floor and just start writing again, Uhhuh. And it's like, yeah, okay, why not? Yeah, sure. Yeah. So, and he, he rented out for 125 bucks a month. Right. You got, you got an office. And and so I, I, I got an office. I, I had no computer. I didn't even have a typewriter. I said, I, I, you know, what should I write ? He said he said write a pilot. There's a there's a guy, a comedian. I like, let's create a show for him. I'll, I'll tell you the format. So I, so I started writing by hand. Right. and anyway so I went through this process with Carl wrote this, this pilot. And it, nothing happened with that. But Carl then got a show called, called Erie, Indiana Right. On nbc.(00:15:12):And he, he gave me my first job in 91 as a staff writer on Erie, Indiana. And I wrote, he gave me two episodes to write of that. And that that was my real start in tv.Michael Jamin (00:15:25):Yeah. Man, that's amazing. And then, and then what happened after that? You, cause you've bounced around you. I wanna say, you've done a lot of stuff, including, we'll get to all this, you we'll get to all this, but I want, just for people who are listening, like to know what to expect. You were also a daily show correspondent, like the first, this is the first season, right? When, when it was just starting?Vance DeGeneres (00:15:45):Well, it was, no, it had been when John Stewart took over, when John took over. But yeah. Skipping stuff.Michael Jamin (00:15:53):Is there stuff I should, I should talk about stuff in between. I don't wanna, but I wanna mention that. So, cuz I we're gonna talk about that. But what happened next?Vance DeGeneres (00:16:02):Well then after Erie, Indiana, Carl got a a blind pilot deal at a B, C, and he asked me to create a show with him for that. So he and I created a show. We wrote the pilot Uhhuh called Lost Angels for a abc. And it didn't go, never do. And then yeah. Yeah. and then my my agent called and said, Hey you like Dick Van Dyke, you wanna write a for Dick Van Dyke? Said, I love Dick Van Dyke. And it was diagnosis murder.Michael Jamin (00:16:35):All right. You always wanted to be a doctor, so if it fit right in. Yeah.Vance DeGeneres (00:16:39):Yeah. . Exactly. Anyway, so I, I wrote I wrote a couple episodes of Diagnosis Murder, and and then I think right after that was Mike and Matt was there right where, where weMichael Jamin (00:16:56):Met, we met, and that was, man, that was a trip. I really did. I really, I'm so grateful for You took me under your wing. It really was. What do I do? Vance . And we would sit in the morning, we'd come up with bits. A lot of them weren't used. I don't, I don't remember many of them make you there. .Vance DeGeneres (00:17:16):Well, well, well, here, well, here's the thing. There was absolutely no reason to have comedy writers on on that show. I mean, it was, it was a morning show. And although, although Mike you know, was a, he was a standup. He had been a standup and done, done warmup for sitcoms. There, just, there really, there shouldn't have been comedy on there. Yeah.Michael Jamin (00:17:42):But we didn't wanna, we didn't wanna bring it up that to anybody. Hey, you know, why are, you shouldn't be any . You don't need comedy in this show. But I remember when I took the job, there was Tamara Rawitz, she was a producer, and she produced Living Color. And her goal was, and I was so exci, I I was excited. This was my first job. She hired me and I was like, fantastic. And but her goal was like, she wanted to turn it into the Morning to Letterman show. Cause like, basically Letterman show in the morning. And I remember thinking about Letterman had a show in the morning and it didn't work.Vance DeGeneres (00:18:12):It didn't work.Michael Jamin (00:18:13):Don't say a word, but Yeah.Vance DeGeneres (00:18:15):Yeah. Now yeah, you're right. I mean, that was, that was the thing. Yeah. she, I mean, she sold me on the idea that this could be, you know, a really cool, you know, comedy show in the morning. And it, it just was not built for that.Michael Jamin (00:18:28):No.Vance DeGeneres (00:18:29):That particular show. So, butMichael Jamin (00:18:33):Recipe. But,Vance DeGeneres (00:18:34):But we, we met there and and went went on to bigger and better thingsMichael Jamin (00:18:40):We did. And so yeah, I was, but yeah, that was the first job. And I was, I felt rich for the first time. I wasn't rich, but I felt it because I felt like at the first time I had pride in myself. I was a comedy writer, and I, I was, I think I was making like 50,000 a year or something felt really good for me. And then, and then the back, the hammer came. Yeah. and then what happened? You, what did you do after that? I, I remember I went home crying. Vance DeGeneres (00:19:05):Well, it, well, in the in the meantime I was, I was shooting little episodes of a, a mock talk show called The Fourth Floor Show Right at the fourth at the record, which you, you rememberMichael Jamin (00:19:18):I was a part of it. I remember you had friends Help out, and some of your friends included George Clooney , and he was in it. Yep. and that was really, that was a really, I'm always fa like, I'm sorry that never went further than it did because it was such an interesting show, and it was so, what's the word I'm looking for? It was like, it is edgy, but it was like, also like anti, it was kind of counterculture. It was really interesting show. It was a talk show that took place in your office. That was the premise.Vance DeGeneres (00:19:45):Yeah. And a tiny office where it was me and Alex Hirschlag, my sidekick mm-hmm. Who who had to share his microphone with the guest. When the guest came in this, we had that one mic.Michael Jamin (00:19:59):The guest sat on the couch opposite you, . I mean, the,Vance DeGeneres (00:20:03):Well, the, the audience. There were five audience members who sat on the couch directly in front of us. So the whole, the whole concept was take away all the niceties of of a regular talk show. Yeah. And and then we actually, I don't know if you remember, but we actually e wanted to do it as their five night, a week late night show.Michael Jamin (00:20:27):What happened?Vance DeGeneres (00:20:27):And we, we, we shot, we shot the pilot and it aired, but it didn't, it didn't go to series.Michael Jamin (00:20:34):Oh, so you re reshot a pilot for e for Not the one I was in You Reshot something. Oh, wow.Vance DeGeneres (00:20:40):Re yeah, we re reshot it. Yeah. With Rob Robert Town. Robert Townson was the guest on that one.Michael Jamin (00:20:46):And so you basically rebuilt your office on a sound stage.Vance DeGeneres (00:20:49):Yeah.Michael Jamin (00:20:51):. Yeah. How fun. . Wow. Yeah. That's cool. And so right when that didn't go, you were obviously bummed out. Like e e everything's a matter of, everything's always a strikeout in Hollywood. You getVance DeGeneres (00:21:04):Closer. Well, you know, it's, I mean, it's, it's, it's all timing. If the internet had been around, that would've been the perfect thing to, you know, to go viral. Yeah. You know, these, these short episodes of this ridiculous talk show.Michael Jamin (00:21:19):Yeah, you'reVance DeGeneres (00:21:19):Right. But it was not around. SoMichael Jamin (00:21:22):Do you ever think of dusting it off and doing it again for the internet? Or why bother?Vance DeGeneres (00:21:26):You know, we had talked about it David Steinberg. Yes. You know, loved the show. And, and and we, we did talk about, you know resurrecting it years ago. But it, it just, it didn't happen.Michael Jamin (00:21:45):You gotta, it takes momentum. It just takes momentum, you know? Yeah. And so, okay, so then what happened after that? You,Vance DeGeneres (00:21:54):Well, let's let's say I then I wrote for a couple of sitcoms. I wrote I wrote for the, the coming out season of my sister's sitcom. Yeah.Michael Jamin (00:22:05):Your, your, your, it's funny, your comedy voice is, you know, is very similar to hers. And I remember you pitched jokes and you go, yeah, yeah, that's exactly something your sister would say. That's, that's the right tone. Like, you seem like you're the perfect writer for your sister.Vance DeGeneres (00:22:18):I'd like to think so. . But but so I, I wrote for that. And then I, I wrote for a couple of, when she hosted the Emmys, I, I wrote for a couple of notes. I wrote for a couple of Grammy awards and a couple of Oscars when she did those.Michael Jamin (00:22:35):So what is that like you're, you know, do they bring you in? Do you get an office and you're like, is there a small staff ofri joke writers coming up with bits? How does that work? I've never done an award show.Vance DeGeneres (00:22:46):Yeah. It's, it's a, well, yeah, it's a small staff. Well, she would, she would choose who she wanted to write, you know, it would be maybe five or six, seven people and months ahead of time. She would have us start writing bits and jokes and send them to her weekly. Right. And she would go through 'em and like this, I don't like that. And start honing in a little tighter on, on what she wanted to do. And then as it got closer the week of, then you go down to Kodak and and you have a meeting room where, you know, you're, you're all sitting around writing jokes and coming up with bits and and the tension gets more and more as you get closer to mm-hmm. to the day. And and I, I, I was lucky enough to besides writing, I wrote the opening song for the first Ox Oscars that she hosted where we had a gospel group come out Uhhuh on stage. Wow. And I wrote that song. So I, I had to deal with that as well as the other stuff. And that was that was a lot of pressure for that. ButMichael Jamin (00:24:13):Global audience is there, the part of my dr like, in my mind, the moment, like my fantasy, because when you, sometimes you're on a show and you pitch a lot story or a joke, and the actor goes, I'm not doing that. Right. And you're like, and my, my, in my fantasy, like some people think, well, can, can, can the writer just make the actor say it? Like, not unless they're a puppet. You can't make 'em say it, you can't put the words in their mouth. But my mind, like, because she's your sister, is there any of like, eh, pulling her aside and pressuring her? Did that ever work?Vance DeGeneres (00:24:42):No, no, no. You know, I tried, when I, when I write for Ellen, I, I, I always tried to make myself just one of the writers. I, I never wanted to have any kind of special influence. So that was, that was important that the other writers felt like I wasn't getting preferential treatment.Michael Jamin (00:25:01):I see. I would think that to the opposite. I, I would think that they say, come on, Vance, we like, we all like this joke. Like, you know, but no, you,Vance DeGeneres (00:25:08):Yeah. Yeah. No, no. I, I, I really, I thought it was important to yeah. To make that clear.Michael Jamin (00:25:15):Right, right. And so, okay, so you did the, you did all that, all that joke writing, which to me, I think I, it's a shame. Like I never got a chance to do that, cuz I, I feel like that would be really fun and excitingVance DeGeneres (00:25:26):And Yeah. You, I mean, you'd be good at that. So if, if you get the chance, do it.Michael Jamin (00:25:30):Never called my, the phone won't ring for that. I do know some writers, like, I knew writers that wrote for, like, I don't even if they have 'em anymore, the sbs, like the p n awards, I'm like, let me get me to do that show. I'll do that. No, no one's interested. Yeah. No. Like, isn't there, isn't there a court no one's ever heard of that they can get me? They can ask me to write for? No. all right. And so then was it after that that you did the Daily Show?Vance DeGeneres (00:25:57):Yeah. So this I then I, I, I, I wrote for another city com and then my agent called me and said Hey John Stewart is taking over the Daily Show, and they wanna know if you're interested in, in being a correspondent. They wannaMichael Jamin (00:26:17):How do they even, what do you mean they wanna know if you, how at this point you're just a comedy writer?Vance DeGeneres (00:26:23):Well, okay, well, I, I, I mean, I skipped over stuff. I, okay, so the fourth floor show was seen by some other people. They, they, they cast me to host a show called The Beef which was a show about it was almost like a daily show in a way where correspondents would go out and, and talk interview neighbors who had beats with other neighbors. And it was, it was comedy. Right. and, and I I was cast as the host of that. We, we did the pilot we went to Vegas to theMichael Jamin (00:27:03):Oh, you cast as the host of that. Did you audition? I mean, you auditioned for it, because that's a big jump from behind the camera to in front of the camera,Vance DeGeneres (00:27:10):Because they saw the fourth floor show and they, they loved the fourth floor show. And they, they asked me to do a, a story for the beef. Okay. So I went out as correspondent and shot a piece. And then when it came time to, to cast a host, they asked if, if I wanted to to audition to be the host. And so I said Sure.Michael Jamin (00:27:34):Did,Vance DeGeneres (00:27:35):Did no, no, not really. No. I, I just, I I thought it would be fun. Yeah. And because it, it, I was doing a character that I had established with the, with the fourth floor show.Michael Jamin (00:27:50):He was very lemme see if I can describe him. What, how would you describe him? He was very earnest, very he didn't, he almost, like, he didn't have much of a sense of humor. Right,Vance DeGeneres (00:27:59):Exactly. He, you know, very earnest a good guy. But the last guy you would, you would want hosting a talk show,Michael Jamin (00:28:06):, he's the Alaska . Right. That'sVance DeGeneres (00:28:10):Enough. So that was my character.Michael Jamin (00:28:12):Right, right.Vance DeGeneres (00:28:13):Yeah. And so, and so, I, I just did, when, when I did my audition to host, I, I just did my, my Ernest guy. Right. And they liked it, and I got the job. And anyway, so we went through all this stuff and it looked like it was gonna go, and then it didn't. And then when the original Daily Show was going on the air, they brought me in. They were looking for a host for that. They brought me in to, to interview me for, for that. I didn't get that right. But then when John Stewart took over, they've remembered me from bringing me in originally. Right. And so they gave me a story to, to go shoot a couple of months before John took over. So I flew up to to Saskatchewan, Canada, Uhhuh , and met one of the producers up there and shot shot a story. Was he, and then yourMichael Jamin (00:29:19):Idea was the story, like how does that work with your correspondent?Vance DeGeneres (00:29:24):No, that they they had a story and they just, they as they assigned it to me, they, who I guess they hadMichael Jamin (00:29:33):Who did they figure out? I mean, you have to figure out what's funny about it or you're just, I had loving on camera.Vance DeGeneres (00:29:37):Well, the way this worked was basically you're gonna go up to Canada and you're gonna interview this, this guy, he's a, a, a farmer, and he he's in the Farmer's Alman act for forecasting the weather by Licking Pig SpleensMichael Jamin (00:29:56):. Okay. All right. So that wasVance DeGeneres (00:29:58):Funny that that was it. That was, that's it. I mean, that's, that's the basis of the story. So so I met the producer. We drove four hours into the middle of nowhere and shot this story with this guy. I flew back to Los Angeles, they called a couple of weeks later and said Hey we, we love the story. Can you, can you come here in once it a week or two weeks? Right. so I, I flew to New York. It was the Monday John started and I worked with an editor and a producer editing the piece, putting it together. And then they, they aired it on, on the Thursday show of John's first week. And then the next morning they called me into the executive producer's office and said, how soon can you move here? And I said I guess I can be here in about a week. Ah, and I flew home put my stuff in storage and moved, moved to New York.Michael Jamin (00:31:05):How, and how, how long was your contract? Do you remember?Vance DeGeneres (00:31:09):Well, I was there. I don't remember how I, how, how long the contract was, but I was there for two and a half years.Michael Jamin (00:31:15):Right. And when you were coming, working as a correspondent, are you looking for storage? Are you coming up with the edge and what the angle, what makes it funny? Or you're working with other writers or what?Vance DeGeneres (00:31:25):Yeah, they ha well, you know, they've got writers, they've got field producers. So the field producers, that's their job is to scour, you know wherever looking for these, these stories. And so they would, they would assign different stories to different correspondence. And then you'd be assigned this producer or that field producer, and then you'd meet with them and you talk about the angle you want to take with the story. Then you fly out and you spend, you know, a whole day with these people shooting the story and come back and then spend a few days cutting it together. And then,Michael Jamin (00:32:04):But you're doing on the spot. You're ad you, I mean, you must be ad-libbing. A lot of, you know that you have to Right. That's just you thinking, oh,Vance DeGeneres (00:32:11):Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, well, well, I mean, you know, I would go in, I would, I would write, I would write the opening standup. Right. we'd shoot that. And then I had, I would write, you know, a list of questions along with the, the field producer. You know, we'd have this list of questions, and so I knew what I wanted to ask. Right. but that everything else is just ad lib.Michael Jamin (00:32:33):Yeah. Is there any sense of your hope questions that you're hoping are, are you leading them at all? Are you hoping to get a certain answer? Are, are you hoping to corner them with an answer, a question, rather? Well,Vance DeGeneres (00:32:42):Sure. I mean, you, you, I mean, you're hoping that you hear something that you'll be able to you know, get in, you know, some, some kind of a a line. Because you, you, you never, you never knew you know, what, what was gonna happen or what they were gonna say. So, I mean, you're, you're just kind of bouncing around.Michael Jamin (00:33:03):And at this point, did the, did the audience, were they, whoever your interview, the guests rather I, are they aware that they're gonna be spoofed or no?Vance DeGeneres (00:33:13):Well, ba you gotta remember this, this was early on in the Daily Show. So we were lucky in that most of the people that, that I did stories on just thought we were this daily show that did, you know, stories of interest.Michael Jamin (00:33:28):Right.Vance DeGeneres (00:33:29):And because if they're in on the joke, it's not as funny.Michael Jamin (00:33:36):Hey, it's Michael Jamin. If you like my videos and you want me to email them to you for free, join my watch list. Every Friday I send out my top three videos. These are for writers, actors, creative types. You can unsubscribe whenever you want. I'm not gonna spam you and it's absolutely free. Just go to michaeljamin.com/watchlist.Michael Jamin (00:34:00):It's, and you make them, you're done. You get to sign that release, and then you put it on , put it on the air. Is there any ? Is there any blowback? And like, wait a minute. I didn't, I'm not supposed to look like an idiot. ,Vance DeGeneres (00:34:10):You, we, you know, I'm, I'm proud to say I never had, I never had one complaint. I mean, some, some of the stories that other, other people did, people did complain, but I always tried with all my stories, I tried to make myself look like the idiot. Right. as opposed to, I mean, it's, it's not fun to, to like, you know, poke, poke a finger at, look, look what an idiot this guy is. Of course. You know? Of course. Because for the most part, they were just, they were just very nice people who had an interesting or, you know, weird story.Michael Jamin (00:34:45):Yeah. Right. Right. Now, who were the other, let's talk about this. Who were the other correspondence that you, that two seasons that you were there?Vance DeGeneres (00:34:54):Yeah, probably nobody that you've heard of. Steve Corll. Yeah. Michael Jamin (00:34:59):Go on. I never heard Stephen.Vance DeGeneres (00:35:01):Stephen ColbertMichael Jamin (00:35:02):Doesn't ring a bell.Vance DeGeneres (00:35:04):Yeah. Nancy Corll moka.Michael Jamin (00:35:09):Right.Vance DeGeneres (00:35:10):Beth Littleford.Michael Jamin (00:35:12):Right. And so you were in good company. It really was a great ensemble. You were, you know, and that show was Yeah.Vance DeGeneres (00:35:20):Oh, they were, they were amazing. Yeah. They were all just so great. And all, all the writers and field producers were all super talented and funny. Yeah. And just made it a a a a great working environment.Michael Jamin (00:35:36):Did you get a sense that there are writers or producers on the show that wanted to get in front of the cameraVance DeGeneres (00:35:41):There? Yeah, there were a few.Michael Jamin (00:35:43):Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Were they able to at some point? Or is it, are you not?Vance DeGeneres (00:35:48):I think, yeah, I think, yeah, a couple of couple of them did. And I, one friend of mine did a couple of stories and then kind of realized that he, he'd rather be back behind the camera.Michael Jamin (00:36:01):Why? What was the, what, what was let you know, what did he discover in front of the camera?Vance DeGeneres (00:36:08):I, I, I, I don't know. He just, I, I, I guess he just wasn't as comfortable right. In front. Right. But very funny. Right. You know, very funny writer.Michael Jamin (00:36:18):And so, and that was how you met, obviously, among one, you became close with Steve Corral and then Yeah. I, I imagine then, cuz after, after, and at some point you, you ran his production company.Vance DeGeneres (00:36:30):Yeah. This, I mean, if, yeah. If you want to jump I, let's see. Well, I, I started, I started it in the end of 98 on the Daily Show, and I left in the middle of 2001. Yeah. and then if you wanna jump ahead to,Michael Jamin (00:36:46):To when I, well, let's just talk about even leaving. Was, was it hard to lea anytime you leave a job or any kind of security in Hollywood, anything at all? It's scary.Vance DeGeneres (00:36:54):Well, well, here now, I, boy I decided that, first of all, I was not, I was not really a, a New Yorker. I didn't care for the cold winters. And I had I had broken up with my girlfriend of a year and a half. And my agent was saying, Hey, aren't you gonna come back here at some point and create your own show? And, and we were kind of hearing some rumors that maybe John might might move over to a, b, c with a late night show. And I just thought that, you know, this might be a good time to, to leave and go back to LA and try to create a show. So. Right. So that's why I did, if, look, in hindsight, I, I should have stayed another couple of years probably. But I, so I left and I I created a show with with a guy named Andy Lassner who had a deal at Fox. Okay. Do you know Andy?Michael Jamin (00:38:00):No, I don't.Vance DeGeneres (00:38:03):He had a deal over at Fox and he'd been a, a fan of mine on the Daily Show and said, Hey, I've got this deal. Let's create a show together. So we, we created a show called Your, your Local News that, that he and I wrote and I, I hosted, and we shot a pilot half hour pilot. And that didn't goMichael Jamin (00:38:25):Right.Vance DeGeneres (00:38:27):So yet another show that didn't, thisMichael Jamin (00:38:29):Is par for the court. It's not a knock on you or any, it's just this, this is how the business is, you know? Yeah. You get an at bat and you can, you can hit it outta the park and they go, you know what? We think someone else will hit it at the park further. , you know, this is how it'sVance DeGeneres (00:38:44):Exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I've got, I've got so many of those shows that Yeah. That that didn't go, but like a lot of people. And so so then I, I produced a, a few other, other shows not, not really even worth mentioning. And then Steve got offered a, a production deal at Warner Brothers and he said, Hey, would you, would you be interested in, in running my production company?Michael Jamin (00:39:19):But what did you know about running a production company?Vance DeGeneres (00:39:24):What do you, what do you have to know, Michael? I don'tMichael Jamin (00:39:25):Know. , I, I often ask that people sitting desk, what do you know, , I mean, tell, tell people what, what it means to run a production company? Vance DeGeneres (00:39:35):Well, I, I think for Steve, he wanted, he wanted somebody to run it who, who he trusted and who he knew had the same kind of sense of humor that, that he did, because we, we would be, we'd be the comedy shingle at Warner Brothers. Right. and that's, that's why he decide to sign with Warner Brothers. So he, he asked me and a another friend of his, a writer actor named Charlie Hartsock. And so we became co-presidents of he named the Carousel Productions. Right. So we we had a deal for six years at Warner Brothers. And we produced crazy Stupid Love and What's thatMichael Jamin (00:40:25):Good movie. And so, but how does it, and, and Go, yeah, go on. What are the other projects?Vance DeGeneres (00:40:31):We did another movie called the Incredible Burt Wonderstone. Right. and then we did produced three seasons of Inside Comedy. I showed that David Steinberg hosted that we interviewed with all these comedians.Michael Jamin (00:40:45):Oh, it's funny. So that's how that came back. So, and so all this time though, Steve is doing other projects, so, you know, they're acting in other projects, but basically what it means, you're, you're running his studios, like you're looking, you're looking for scripts based. I'm, tell me if I'm wrong, you're looking for scripts that you think that he would be good in, but, but he wasn't. Yes. Did you, did you produce any think projects that he was Wait, that he wasn't involved the inside? Yeah. Yeah. That one you didn't, of course. But you're looking for script for him, and he's deciding whether he likes it or not. And then if he likes it, you take it to the studio and you see if the studio likes it. Right.Vance DeGeneres (00:41:22):Yeah. Yeah. That's, that's how it works. We would I mean, we took lots of meetings with with writers that, that their agents would submit scripts, would read 'em if we liked him, the writers would come in, would meet with him, and and then we'd, if we liked it enough, we'd we'd send it to, to Steve to read, to see if he was interested enough that we would we'd produce it.Michael Jamin (00:41:46):But was it would, so they would sometimes bring s scripts here, but sometimes you'd just, it was a general meeting and they, and they, they, they'd pitch you ideas too, right?Vance DeGeneres (00:41:55):Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely.Michael Jamin (00:41:57):Yeah. And then you, if they like it, and if Steve likes it, may, then you bring it to the studio, and then the studio's, like, now, whether they wanna put money on it or not, sometimes did you, you could, I'm sure you had a deal where you could bring it to Warner Brothers, and if they don't, it's a first look. If they don't like it, then you could bring it somewhere else.Vance DeGeneres (00:42:14):Yeah. Yeah. And that happened a lot. You know, Warner Brothers, you know, not every project was right for them. So we, you know, we'd wind up taking something over to Universal and, you know, we wound up developing a movie over there. And then a mo we Charlie and I sold a an idea for Movie two Lionsgate. And we wound up hiring David Jabba to write that. Do you know DJ Jabba? No. He was a, an executive producer on The Daily Show and Okay. Really funny writer. And it was, it was a movie that had a, at, at start a North Korean uhhuh. And we don't need to go into the whole story, but you know what happened with the thing at Sony withMichael Jamin (00:43:11):Yeah. My friend Dan Sterling wrote that mo that movie the what was it called? The what was it called? The North Korean movie? What was it called? TheVance DeGeneres (00:43:21):I can't, I can't remember.Michael Jamin (00:43:24):But it was him with, it was James Franco was in it. Right. And they go to North Korea. Yes. Yeah. And so, yeah, Kim Jong Gill took issue with it, and hacked Sony and Kim released everyone's private information, and that was the end of that. Froze.Vance DeGeneres (00:43:39):And, and then that was the end of, of our movie. Right.Michael Jamin (00:43:44):Right. Cause that could kill your movie. Right.Vance DeGeneres (00:43:46):It, it totally, there's like, they're like, Lionsgate was like, there's no way we can touch this right now. Yeah.Michael Jamin (00:43:53):So forever again. And so the, and that's not, has nothing to do with you. We saw the movie to 20th century Fox called Only Child, and everyone loved it until suddenly there was another movie in the works called Middle Child, and I'm not sure they had anything in common other than the world child , and suddenly ours was dead. It's like, we'll rename it. Nope. Sorry. Vance DeGeneres (00:44:16):God. Yeah. Yeah. It, it, it's, yeah. Projects die for so many different reasons. Yeah. But, but that was, that was a pretty insane reason to have a movie killed. Yeah. but, and we, we developed so many movies with so many different writers over, over the years and it's, it's just, it's tough to get a movie made. You know, even if you have a deal with a studio, it's, it's still toughMichael Jamin (00:44:46):With, with a major star attached to it. A major star willing to do this project. Major star an alien. Yeah. Yeah. And it's hard, it's hard to get something made. And so, and you ton of scripts I'm sure, which is hard, it's hard to go home and read a script, right? I mean, you know. Yes. Especially if it's bad. What are you, what, what do you see, I don't know, what were you looking for? I imagine some of these scripts were almost, I'm gonna say something and put words in your mouth, were almost written in crayon, right? I mean, some of them were kind of bad, or, no,Vance DeGeneres (00:45:19):I wouldn't mind a script written in crayonMichael Jamin (00:45:21):As a, as a, as a lark. I mean, there's a lot of, like, you read a lot of scripts that were, I'm sure were not good. Right.Vance DeGeneres (00:45:28):A lot. Yes. A lot. Yeah. It's, it's, it's, it's kind of shocking actually. How many scripts you get that we got submitted that just weren't just, were not good. Certainly we're not what we were looking for. Michael Jamin (00:45:41):And how far would you go into the script before tossing it? How many pages would you give it?Vance DeGeneres (00:45:48):I'm, I'm, I'll would give a script at at least, at least 20 or 30 pages.Michael Jamin (00:45:53):Generous estimate. I mean,Vance DeGeneres (00:45:54):If it, if, if it was really awful you know, maybe, maybe a few less than that. But I would, I would, I would tend to give it 20 or 30 at least.Michael Jamin (00:46:05):Right. But you're not gonna finish it if it's, there's no point. If you're, if you're not hooked in 2030, you're, why, why would you bother when you have a stack? Yeah. You know, youVance DeGeneres (00:46:15):Know, and, and, and, you know, we, we knew the kind of stuff we were looking for, you know, that the right tone of comedy you know, there's a lot of different, different tones of comedy and you know, maybe some of them were, were right for somebody else, but not for what we were looking for. Right. and in the, in the beginning we were really just looking for, for comedies and I guess four years into our deal the head of the, the, the studio came to our office and said Hey we need you guys to to really concentrate on on looking for tent poles, which was not what we were looking for in the beginning.Michael Jamin (00:47:02):Which, what is a tent pole? A big, a big giant blockbuster.Vance DeGeneres (00:47:07):A big, a big blockbuster.Michael Jamin (00:47:08):Yeah. As opposed to, it's hard to think of a big blockbuster comedy. I mean, there really aren't, you know, are there comedy zone? We're not talking about like, we're like a tent pole. You think it was like a Marvel movie or, you know, something like that. Or an action thriller, not a comedy. Right.Vance DeGeneres (00:47:26):Yeah. Yeah. No, that's, that's exactly right. I, I guess you, you could look at a film like The Hangover when that came out. Right. You know, that, that, that it was a little movie that just happened to do really well.Michael Jamin (00:47:39):Yeah. I, but I know, I can't imagine conceiving that, Ooh, wait, here's a tent pole. Like, no, here's a, here's a crapshoot that just worked, you know?Vance DeGeneres (00:47:46):Yeah. Yeah. So, but any, anyways, so we you know, we had to kind of turn the boat around a little bit and start looking for, you know movies that had the potential to be more international, I guess. Right. You know, and Right. They were very concerned.Michael Jamin (00:48:04):And that is hard because it, comedy is hard for, so you're talking for international means, I, I'm guessing means broader, more physical comedy, less reliant on joke, le less reliant on, well, maybe dumb, maybe, maybe dumber, maybe dumb dumb, maybe kind of dumbing it down a little. I mean, kind. Is that what that means? Broader?Vance DeGeneres (00:48:24):I don't, I don't know. I mean well, well, here's an example of, of something that, that we found that we, that we developed as, as a comedy, and that that could have been Big Acme mm-hmm. , you know, Acme the, the cartoons with Yeah. You know, the Road Runner and Right. We we developed a live, a live version, Uhhuh of of Acme. And the guys that directed crazy Stupid Love wrote the script for it. And it was, it was really good. It was really, it was funny and, and big. ButMichael Jamin (00:49:06):But Acme is basically, it was people running into walls and, and boxes. Right. That crates that say acne on it, that explode. Yes. That kind of thing. So it was very physical.Vance DeGeneres (00:49:17):Yeah. Yeah. And it actually would've made a, a really funny and, and a very big movie as well. Right. but but we didn't get to make that either.Michael Jamin (00:49:29):Right. Like, I mean,Vance DeGeneres (00:49:30):But that's just an example of, of how it's like, maybe we can take this and maybe this could be something that would be, you know, appealing internationally.Michael Jamin (00:49:40):Right. As opposed to like Little Miss Sunshine, which he was in, which is a small film, small little character study that blew up somehow, you know? Yeah,Vance DeGeneres (00:49:48):Exactly. And, and nobody, nobody knows what's gonna work and, and what's not.Michael Jamin (00:49:53):Was it hard for you to make the leap to executive? I mean, it's a whole different, you're, you're doing a lot of, you're, you're making the rounds, you're pitching more, you're, you're getting in that you have to get your lay of the land, you have to schmooze with other executives. I mean, it's kind of a, was that hard for you? That hard jump for you?Vance DeGeneres (00:50:11):Yeah. Yeah. It's, yeah. It was, it was, it was a little, little tough. I, I don't like being a salesman. Yeah. and there were times when, of course we had to, we had to go out and sell him. The, the o the other part of it, I did enjoy, I did enjoy meeting with, with writers and actors who would come in and and we, you know, we'd have great meetings and, you know, we, we would be pitching their projects, you know and that was, and that was, that was fun when we found projects that we'd liked and we would develop it with the, with the writer Uhhuh. So that, that, that part was, it was very creative and great. And that was, and that was a lot of fun. And it was, and it was also so great you know, getting to run Steve's company. Cuz you know, Steve's, he's one of my closest friends, and he is just, you know, he's such a great guy and he is so hilarious. Yeah. so I, you know, if I was to run anybody's company, I'm glad it I got to run his,Michael Jamin (00:51:17):See, that's another thing. So when a writer comp, so many people, you know, say I post a lot on social media and so many people are like I have a script I wanna sell, and, but I, I don't wanna change a word. I'm like, you have, what are you talking about? You come in, you with an idea, you picture show if someone else is interested, you play ball. You. It's a very collaborative, if you stay home, if you are not willing to take a note, you know, it, it's like,Vance DeGeneres (00:51:39):Yeah. That, I mean, that's, yeah. You gotta, you know. Yeah. If you don't, if you don't want to change a word you better have enough money to finance it yourself. Yeah.Michael Jamin (00:51:49):Right, right. You have to get people attached and it's, it's all about, yeah. So what, what advice do you have for people trying to break in the indu industry today? I mean, it's, it's changed even since you've left.Vance DeGeneres (00:52:04):There'sMichael Jamin (00:52:05):Former production of Shrugs, I don't know, , I don't know.Vance DeGeneres (00:52:10):God, it, I mean, it's, it's just so, it's just so scattershot now. I mean, I, I, I think, but at, at the, at the very base, I think it comes down to you have to wanna do something. If you want, if you wanna write, then you just have to write, just, you know, you know, get a, get a book on, on, on writing scripts and teach yourself and just write, write, write. And you know, it's not easy because it helps if you, if you know somebody to send it to, because you can't just send in scripts unsolicited generally. Right. but, you know, but a lot of, a lot of people get into it through doing improv and then, and then shooting little bits and, and you know, putting 'em, if they go viral,Michael Jamin (00:53:00):But, and that's basically what you did. I mean, you're, you're vi it's like you did long before Vi Viral was a thing, was you just did it. And, and I, I used to tell everyone, stop asking for permission. Just do it. You know,Vance DeGeneres (00:53:12):John, that, that's, no, that's, that's exactly right. W because we did the fourth floor show, because it, it entertained us. It was something that if we could do any show, this would be the show that we would do, so we just did it.Michael Jamin (00:53:27):Yeah. Yeah. Right. You get a bunch of people that kind of want the same thing and you do it. Yeah. Yeah. And then now, now you have this, you're basically back to your first love, your first love music. I'm not talking. Yeah,Vance DeGeneres (00:53:41):Yeah. Pretty, pretty much. I mean, af after, well, after Carousel, after we lost our deal I had a deal for God, another nine or 10 years at, at Warner Brothers at tele Pictures. Yeah. At tele Pictures at Warner.Michael Jamin (00:53:58):What are you doing there?Vance DeGeneres (00:53:59):I was developing TV shows.Michael Jamin (00:54:01):I didn't know that. I didn't know. Yeah,Vance DeGeneres (00:54:05):Yeah, yeah. My, my, my deal just ended in October.Michael Jamin (00:54:08):Oh, wow. I had no idea. And so you were, okay, you were for Warner Brothers, but not on a pro, not on a production shingle, but actually just for Warner Brothers doing the same.Vance DeGeneres (00:54:18):Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, I, my, I mean, all told I was there at for 15 years,Michael Jamin (00:54:24):But at this point, you're more of a buyer as opposed to a seller if you're working on Warner Brothers. Right.Vance DeGeneres (00:54:29):Well, n no. No, I, no, I, I had a deal to, to develop shows. So that's what I was doing.Michael Jamin (00:54:36):You had Oh, your own deal. Okay. Yeah. It's your, wow. Good for you. That's unusual. Okay. You were Okay. You got a shingle, basically. Yeah. You, that's what you were Yeah. We weren't in studios. Exactly. Yeah. You're okay. Wow.Vance DeGeneres (00:54:48):Yeah, exactly. No, exactly. Exactly. And then, so, so now that my deal is done I'm, I'm still gonna take, I've g I got a couple of shows that that I'm gonna try to sell, but in the meantime, I'm, I'm doing a lot of music again. Right,Michael Jamin (00:55:05):Right. And let's, let's talk about that. You now, who's your band? Who and who are these people in your band?Vance DeGeneres (00:55:11):The band is called The Light Jackets. And it's been my, my project on the side for the last 10 years with the other Bandmates or Eddie Jemison, who's who's a great actor. You know 'em if you saw 'em. Okay. Tim Ford is the drummer Dermot Kieran is the keyboard player. And bill Angola is the lead guitar player. And, and GoMichael Jamin (00:55:39):Ahead. How often and how often do you guys meet and get together and jam and write and perform?Vance DeGeneres (00:55:45):Well, we've, we, we just released our fourth record about a week ago. Right. And we've, so we've got, yeah, we've got four, we've got three eps and one album that we've released over the past 10 years.Michael Jamin (00:55:58):Right.Vance DeGeneres (00:55:59):And so, you know, it's just, I mean, it's always been a passion. So I've, I've never really stopped playing music. I've always managed to do it, you know in my spare time.Michael Jamin (00:56:14):And so what ha, what happened was you posted this really cute video that you guys shot, and it was, you did with all the puppets, and it was wonderful and saw it. And I, I go, let's talk about this. Tell me, tell me how that came up together. And the song was great. And you know what? That's what, this is a perfect time. We're gonna play a clip from that song. We're gonna play it. We'll come back and you'll everyone have a listen, and then we'll talk about itSong Clip (00:56:40):All. Cause it's a better way. The outside world would never know that we were here. We have known interfere A Little Nation will be our salvation. I know. It's gone. Well get, join. We can leave right now.Michael Jamin (00:57:15):So yes, the song, I love that song you wrote that song? Yeah, yeah.Vance DeGeneres (00:57:19):One that you wrote. It's called, yeah, it's called Our Little Revolution. And it's, it's one of the five songs on our new ep. The EP is called fall So Far, if you look for it on iTunes or whatever.Michael Jamin (00:57:32):Yeah. Where, where should we look on iTunes, Spotify, everywhere.Vance DeGeneres (00:57:37):Yeah. All the usual places.Michael Jamin (00:57:38):Right. The light jackets stand.Vance DeGeneres (00:57:41):So I, I I decided that because of the theme of the song, which the theme, the theme of the song is really kind of about where we are in society right now, about how, how polarized we are. Yeah.(00:57:55): and I didn't want to do a video with depicting real people in the, in these, you know, angry situations. Yeah. but I've got, I've got some friends that have a puppet production company. They do these, they do these videos. They're called rag, mop and Goose. And it's my friend's Gus Renard and Jesse Cabalero they're married and they do these amazing little puppets. So I asked them if they would do a video for the song. And and they, they did such a great job. They did. Yeah. Really happy with it.Michael Jamin (00:58:37):How, how long of a shoot was that?Vance DeGeneres (00:58:41):It, it didn't take 'em long. We got together, I, I gave them, I gave them a very loose outline, and then they came up with the rest, and then they went off and shot it and cut it together. In, so youMichael Jamin (00:58:53):Weren't even involved in the shoot, you said, Hey, good run with this.Vance DeGeneres (00:58:57):No, I, I, I was very happy to farm it out. It's like, you know, this is this is what I'd like to, you know, to see. And then they went off and shot it, and they, and I have to say, it's probably the first time my, in my entire career where I was sent a project back where I didn't give them one note.Michael Jamin (00:59:16):Really? Wow. Yeah. You did a great job. And so, to me, I'm guessing the goal of it was just to be creative and make music. That's all. That's it. But do you have, are there, are, is there, are there other future ambitions? Is there more ambitions there more you hope to get outta this though?Vance DeGeneres (00:59:33):Just, just the enjoyment of, of being musically creative. Right. And and that, that's it. I mean, I, I'm under no illusions that I'm gonna get another record deal. Right. You know, capital Records is not gonna call and offer me a deal again. Right. but that's fi that's fine. You know, the, it's, you know, it's a fun band. It's, it's a good band. And we play lo we play live gigs, you know, like two or three times a year. Right. and we make, we make our records. And that's, that's enough. Right. I mean, it's just fun.Michael Jamin (01:00:09):That's it. That's it. And that's what I'm always telling people, just do it if, and there's so much in Holly, like, there's so much where you don't get paid in Hollywood. There's a lot of work that you do that you don't get paid. And if you're not enjoying the work, well, this is not for you then. I mean, you have to be , you know, whatever it is. Whether it's music or writing or acting. Like if you're not enjoying, you shouldn't be chasing the paycheck. You do it cause you enjoy it. Right.Vance DeGeneres (01:00:32):Yeah. No, that, and that, that's a good point. And that, you know, that's, that's also good advice for people who are looking to get into this business, is if, if you get asked, you know, to do a favor for somebody, just do it.Michael Jamin (01:00:45):Yeah. You don't know.Vance DeGeneres (01:00:48):Yeah. You don't know what it's gonna lead to and Right. You know, plus you're gonna be getting experience.Michael Jamin (01:00:54):Yep. Yep. What's so other than, so what's next for you? You're, you, you have a couple show ideas, you'll take 'em out, these ideas that you developed. Yeah, yeah,Vance DeGeneres (01:01:04):Yeah. Yeah. Michael Jamin (01:01:06):Warner Brothers must have really liked it. Yeah.Vance DeGeneres (01:01:08):It was it was, yeah. It, my my time was spent well over there. I, I like the people over there and yeah. It, it was, it was a, it was a good experience. And I've got, I, we may or may not still have one, one movie with Steve Corll over at Disney. It might be dead at this point. Charlie and I sold an idea for an updated Swiss family, Robinson to Disney. Right. Called called Brooklyn Family RobinsonMichael Jamin (01:01:39):.Vance DeGeneres (01:01:41):And oh, well, it was just a modern day version of the Family comes from Brooklyn. And and we, God, we probably have gone through four sets of writers over the years because we, we sold it while, while we still had Carousel open.Michael Jamin (01:02:02):But then why so many writers, like, what, what hap how does that work? Because youVance DeGeneres (01:02:09):You, you, you write, you the writer writes the draft, you bring it to Disney. They say, Hey, this is fantastic. Right. Let's bring in another writer to do to it even better. Yes. right.(01:02:22): and then the writer, you, you hire, you, you interview other writers. They give you different pitches on how we could make it even more fantastic. Right. you decide with Disney, okay, we'll, we'll, we'll pay this, this writer X amount to go off and write this new version. Right. they, they do that. In the meantime, this exec at Disney has been fired or left on their own. Yep. A new exec comes in that didn't know anything about this project. Right. You turn the script in and they say, this is really a fantastic script. Yeah. But why don't, why don't we bring in a different writer to, to let's try a little different,Michael Jamin (01:03:03):That way they can, the executive put their own stamp on it, basically.Vance DeGeneres (01:03:07):Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. And that happened you know, several times with, with this project. And it's unfortunate it would've, it would've been a fun project, but I think at this point, it's probably probably not gonna happen.Michael Jamin (01:03:22):The maddening thing is, most executives, they tend to take a stay the jobb two or three years and, you know, and then it's a shop price somewhere else when their deals up. And that's not a lot of time to, you got e
For y'all that don't know, Chance is an only child. He's been called spoiled, a mama's boy, and more. We talk about his childhood and his opinion on the blessings and challenges that come with being an only child and raised by a single mother. Lets get into it! About the hosts:Tabitha Brown is the world's favorite mom and auntie! She is an Emmy Nominated actress and show host, a 2 time New York Times Best Selling author and a 2 time NAACP Image Award winner. Follow Tabitha Brown: https://www.instagram.com/iamtabithabrown/https://www.iamtabithabrown.com/Chance Brown is a father, mentor, entrepreneur, and youth basketball coach. If you ask him, he'll tell you he is a professional human! Follow Chance Brown: https://www.instagram.com/teamchancebasketball/