Podcast appearances and mentions of Ophira Eisenberg

This week's Chit Chat Wednesday is with Ophira Eisenberg! Comedian, former NPR host, and star of the new special I Used to Be Nicer. Ophira and Jared get into

In episode 2072, Jack and Miles are joined by comedian and host of Parenting Is A Joke, Ophira Eisenberg, to discuss… LA Mayoral Election The New Stop The Steal? GOP Is Too Used To Getting Away With BSing People, Guy Fieri Is An Internet Conspiracy Theory Magnet and more! JD Vance says it's "shady" for California to count all of the legally cast ballots MIKE JOHNSON: Look, some of these efforts are so diabolical and so far upstream it's impossible to prove. But I think everybody knows instinctively that something is wrong here. Kyle Clark to Victor Marx: ...Either had one of the most extraordinary lives in human history or he’s a liar and a fraud. Guy Fieri blasted over accusations he doesn’t swallow food on his show An Investigation: Does Guy Fieri Swallow? Guy Fieri Investigation Part 4: Invisible Food This Streamer Has Convinced the Internet Guy Fieri Never Swallows Food on TV Conspiracy Corner: Guy Fieri, the bloke from Smash Mouth, and Violent J are the same person Smash Mouth Prove Their Singer + Guy Fieri Aren’t the Same Person COMET PIZZA on Food Channel Pizzagate Conspiracy Theorists Think Guy Fieri Is Involved in Their Imaginary Satanic Pedophilia Cult “Pizzagate” conspiracy theorists question how no one has noticed Guy Fieri is an Illuminati wizard LISTEN: In My Face by DVYNSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Marina Franklin chats with the hilarious Ophira Eisenberg and rising star Sami Beason about Ophira's new comedy special, toxic positivity, AI hallucinations, parenting and more! Tune in now for laughs and insights!  Ophira Eisenberg is a Standup Comedian, Writer, and Podcast Host (NPR, CBS, CNN, The Moth, HBO, Comedy Central, iHeart) who headlines theaters and comedy venues across the world, tours regularly with the Moth Mainstage, and hosts the weekly parenting-comedy podcast Parenting is a Joke (Webby Finalist for Best Host). Her new comedy special, I Used to Be Nicer produced by Lewis Black/Stark Raving Black Productions, is streaming now. She also hosted NPR's trivia comedy show Ask Me Another for 9 years. Her breakout memoir Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy(Seal Press) has been optioned for a television series, and her solo show Leaving A Mark: A Comedy About Scarswon Women in the Arts & Media Award for Solo Show Scripts and just finished a successful European tour. Sami Beason is a rising comedy talent from Denver, celebrated for their quick wit, authentic storytelling, and constant giggle. In 2024, they took home the Best of Fest award at the Colorado Springs Festival and now has a special on YouTube called "First Gen" through open bar. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf. Writer for HBO's 'Divorce' and the new Tracy Morgan show on Paramount Plus: 'Crutch

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2026 Today, Todd Blanche says DOJ isn't moving forward with the $1.8B Slush Fund BUT that the “settlement” giving Trump and his family immunity from tax audits and investigations; Donald Trump is going to appoint Bill Pulte to replace Tulsi Gabbard as the Director of National Intelligence; the Pentagon bans journalists - this time by classifying the press room; the President hasn't made a public appearance in six days and the Dr. Oz press briefing didn't answer any questions; Senator Jackie Rosen catches Marco Rubio in a lie about his whereabouts during Iran talks; Oversight Democrats demand Jim Comer arrange interviews with Blanche and Patel in the Epstein matter; Trump endorses the missing republican Tom Kean in the New Jersey House primary; and Allison and Dana deliver your Good News. Thank You, DailyLook For 50% off your first order, head to DailyLook.com and use code DAILYBEANS.   Guest: Ophira EisenbergOphira Eisenberg@ophirae - IG, Ophira Eisenberg - YouTube, @OphiraE - twitter Ophira Eisenberg - Facebook Ophira Eisenberg - I Used To Be Nicer - VEEPShttps://veeps.com/ophiraeisenberg/269145c3-473e-41e8-873e-e15a0b3609e4     The Latest Breakdown:Trump's $1.8B Scheme Faces Imminent Collapse | The Breakdown StoriesTrump appoints ally Bill Pulte as acting US intelligence director | Reuters Pentagon bans journalists from press office, designating it a classified space | The Washington Post Senator blasts Rubio for attending UFC 'party' as Iran negotiations collapsed | Alternet.org Oversight Democrats demand Comer arrange interviews with Blanche, Patel in Epstein probe | ABC News Blanche says DOJ "not moving forward" with $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund | CBS News Good Trouble  Summary of Key Changes in OMB's Proposed Federal Financial Assistance Rule https://elizabethginexi.substack.com/p/summary-of-key-changes-in-ombs-proposed Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance - Open For Comments https://www.regulations.gov/document/OMB-2026-0034-0001 →Form WTAF-8647 →Recall Gov. Jeff Landry - Louisianadeservesbetter.com →STOP the deportation proceedings against Mohsen Mahdawi - Action Network →SusanRogan - how-to-help-win-the-midterms →detentionwatchnetwork.org →FieldTeam6.org →Standwithminnesota.com →Tell Congress Ice out Now | Indivisible, Defund ICE | 5Calls →Congress: Divest From ICE and CBP | ACLU →ICE List  →iceout.org Good Newshttps://www.nokings.org →Share your Good News & Good Trouble - The Daily Beans →Beans Talk audio -beans-talk.simplecast.com →Email Dana LGBTQ Owned eating establishments in your area - hello@mswmedia.com Subject: “Dana's Project” Subscribe to the MSW YouTube Channel - MSW Media - YouTube Harry Dunn is running for CongressHarry Dunn for Maryland Our Donation Links Blue Wave California - bluewavecalifornia.org/concert Donate to Public Citizen - https://citizen.org/beans/ The Daily Beans is donating $10,000 and invites you to give what you can to support their life-affirming work - Donate to It Gets Better / The Daily Beans Fundraiser Pathways to Citizenship link to MATCH Allison's Donationhttps://crm.bloomerang.co/HostedDonation?ApiKey=pub_86ff5236-dd26-11ec-b5ee-066e3d38bc77&WidgetId=6388736 Join Dana and The Daily Beans in support of Human Rights Campaign http://onecau.se/_ekes71 More Donation LinksNational Security Counselors - Donate, ActBlue.com/donate/msw-bwc, WhistleblowerAid.org/beans Dr. Allison Gill - The Breakdown | Allison Gill, Mueller, She Wrote @muellershewrote.com - Bluesky, MSW & The Daily Beans Podcast @muellershewrote - Instagram, MSW Media - YouTube →Federal workers - email AG at fedoath@pm.me and let me know what you're going to do, or just vent. I'm always here to listen.  Dana Goldberg - Dana is on Patreon! At Dana's Dugout, @dgcomedy - Bluesky, @dgcomedy - IG, Dana Goldberg - Facebook,  DanaGoldberg.com More from MSW Media - Shows - MSW Media, Cleanup On Aisle 45 pod, The Breakdown | Allison Gill Reminder - you can see the pod pics if you become a Patron. The good news pics are at the bottom of the show notes of each Patreon episode! That's just one of the perks of subscribing! patreon.com/muellershewrote Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow the Podcast on Apple:https://apple.co/3XNx7ckWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?https://patreon.com/thedailybeanshttps://dailybeans.supercast.com/https://apple.co/3UKzKt0 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jenny Hagel joins Ophira Eisenberg to talk about parenting through big feelings, awkward questions, creative careers, and the strange emotional math of raising boys while working in comedy. Jenny shares how her now-12-year-old son transformed from a tiny Brooklyn tornado she once carried out of donut shops “like a sack of potatoes” into a “fun, chill roommate,” and explains how one preschool meltdown led to the line “my mad is too big for my body,” which completely changed the way she thought about tantrums and emotional regulation. The conversation moves from Mad Libs ruined by the phrase “diarrhea juice” to surprisingly thoughtful discussions about kids' emotional language, including Jenny's son describing a crush as “a string” connecting two hearts. Ophira and Jenny also compare notes on parenting boys with huge emotions, the pressure put on working mothers, and the exhausting flood of parenting advice from strangers who assume every family has the same structure and flexibility. Jenny talks about building her live comedy show Advice Nobody Asked For during the writers strike, where audience members anonymously submit questions into buckets labeled “family,” “love,” and “job,” before a real therapist comes onstage to grade the advice — including the time Jenny recommended secretly vaccinating a relative's baby while babysitting. Along the way they talk about single parenting, Late Night with Seth Meyers, queer parenting, American work culture, and therapy as an emotional toolbox.

John talks about the Department of Justice opening a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, claiming she perjured herself in her two civil trial victories against Donald Trump, the adjudicated rapist. He also discusses the stupidity of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin proposing withdrawing Customs and Border Protection officers from sanctuary city airports, and greatly impacting air travel to punish woke cities. Then, John interviews Jason G. Green who is the author of "Too Precious to Lose", a memoir which blends family history, civic life, and historical research to explore how communities endure. And, he jokes with standup comedian, writer, and podcast host Ophira Eisenberg. She's been headlining theaters and comedy venues across the world, has toured regularly with the Moth Mainstage, and she hosts the weekly parenting-comedy podcast Parenting is a Joke. She also hosted NPR's trivia comedy show Ask Me Another for 9 years. Her breakout memoir Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy has been optioned for a television series. They talk about her new standup special “I USED TO BE NICER”.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

My talk with Ophira begins at 19 mins Subscribe and Watch Interviews LIVE : On YOUTUBE.com/StandUpWithPete ON SubstackStandUpWithPete Stand Up is a daily podcast. I book,host,edit, post and promote new episodes with brilliant guests every day. This show is Ad free and fully supported by listeners like you! Please subscribe now for as little as 5$ and gain access to a community of over 750 awesome, curious, kind, funny, brilliant, generous souls Get Ophira's new Comedy Special "I used to be Nicer"  Ophira Eisenberg is a Canadian-born standup comedian, writer, and host. She hosted NPR's comedy trivia show Ask Me Another for 9-years, where she interviewed and played silly games with hundreds of celebrities including Sir Patrick Stewart, Awkwafina, Rosie Perez, Yo-Yo Ma, Bob The Drag Queen, Nick Kroll, Chelsea Handler, Jim Gaffigan, Michael C. Hall, and so many others. As a comic and a parent to a 6-year-old, Ophira is the host of the new comedy podcast Parenting Is A Joke co-produced by iHeart Radio and Pretty Good Friends Productions. The show launches on October 18th. She can be seen live, regularly headlining across the United States, Canada, and Europe delivering her unique blend of standup and storytelling to a loyal fan base of smart, irreverent comedy lovers. She has appeared at Montreal's Just for Laughs Festival, The New Yorker Festival, The New York Comedy Festival, Moontower Comedy Festival, Bumbershoot, The Nantucket Film Festival, Women in Comedy Festival and more. Her new comedy album at special Plant-Based Jokes is available on iTunes and is streaming now on YouTube. Lauded as "hilarious, high risk, and an inspiration," Ophira filmed her comedy special Inside Joke, when she was 8½ months pregnant. The show's material revolves around how she told everyone that she was never going to have kids, and then unexpectedly found herself expecting at "an advanced maternal age." Her other comedy albums, Bangs! and As Is She has appeared on Comedy Central, This Week at The Comedy Cellar, Kevin Hart's LOL Network, HBO's Girls, Gotham Live, The Late Late Show, The Today Show, and VH-1. The New York Times called her a skilled comedian and storyteller with "bleakly stylish" humor. She was also selected as one of New York Magazine's "Top 10 Comics that Funny People Find Funny," and hailed by Forbes.com as one of the most engaging comics working today.  Ophira is a regular host and teller with The Moth and her stories have been featured on The Moth Radio Hour and in two of The Moth's best-selling collections, including the most recent New York Times Bestseller: How To Tell A Story: The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling from The Moth.  Ophira's first book, Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy (Seal Press), is a comedic memoir about her experiments in the field as a single woman, traveling from futon to futon and flask-to-flask, gathering data, hoping to put it all together and build her own perfect Frankenmate. It was optioned for a feature film.  She is also sought after as a brilliant interviewer and moderator, and has interviewed dozens of celebrities, writers, and actors including Neil Gaiman at New York's Town Hall; Jane Curtain, Anne Beatts, Heather Gardner, Sudi Green, Alysia Reiner, Jeanne Tripplehorn, David Crane, Jeffrey Klerik at The Nantucket Film Festival; Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Daniel Levy and Annie Murphy at the 92nd Street Y; and Nell Scovell and Sloane Crosley at The Mark Twain House.  Originally from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Ophira graduated with a Cultural Anthropology and Theater degree from McGill University. She now lives in Brooklyn, NY where she is a fixture at New York City's comedy clubs including the Comedy Cellar, Gotham Comedy Club, New York Comedy Club and Carolines, as well as Brooklyn's famed performance venues The Bell House, Union Hall, and Littlefield. She resides with her husband and son where she can regularly be seen drinking a ton of coffee. Listen rate and review on Apple Podcasts Listen rate and review on Spotify Pete On Instagram Pete on Blue Sky Pete on Threads Pete on Tik Tok Pete on Twitter Pete Personal FB page Stand Up with Pete FB page Gift a Subscription https://www.patreon.com/PeteDominick/gift Send Pete $ Directly on Venmo All things Jon Carroll  Buy Ava's Art  Subscribe to Piano Tuner Paul Paul Wesley on Substack Listen to Barry and Abigail Hummel Podcast Listen to Matty C Podcast and Substack Follow and Support Pete Coe Hire DJ Monzyk to build your website or help you with Marketing

In this episode of Parenting Is a Joke, Ophira Eisenberg talks with Christine Walters—comedian, former TV development executive, and creator of Three Day Champion—about building a creative life that moves between producing, performing, and parenting a now 17-year-old son on the brink of college, while still feeling the daily pull of waiting up for him at night and resisting the urge to track his every move. Walters explains how Three Day Champion grew out of watching Jeopardy! with her family and becoming obsessed with contestants' awkward personal anecdotes, leading her to design a live storytelling format where comedians must deliver three distinct personal stories under pressure, revealing not just their material but their personality arc, all judged by rotating celebrity guests with their own criteria. She shares how her background developing shows for networks like Comedy Central and Nickelodeon shaped her instinct for structure, including her earlier parenting sketch series Other Mothered, which exaggerated the quiet competitiveness and judgment between moms—like escalating a child's science fair project from cotton-ball clouds to nuclear fusion—while also reflecting her own experiences being called out by strangers, including a Park Slope drive-by critique of her baby's exposed legs in a carrier that sent her into a spiral of self-doubt.

In this episode of Parenting Is a Joke, Ophira Eisenberg opens with a very real parenting milestone—her 10-year-old son requesting “the talk”, leading to a blunt, anatomy-first explanation that immediately kills the mystique of sex. That mix of parenting improvisation and comic timing carries into her conversation with Christine Walters, a comedian, writer, and former development executive whose career spans shows like Full Frontal with Samantha Bee and The Chris Gethard Show, and who now runs the live storytelling competition podcast Three Day Champion. Walters talks about building a creative life from both sides of the industry—pitching shows, shaping other people's stories, and then stepping back onstage herself—while balancing the logistical and emotional demands of parenting. The two get specific about what it means to produce creative work under time constraints, how live storytelling changes when your brain is split between childcare and deadlines, and why Walters structured Three Day Champion as a recurring, competitive format that forces comedians to sharpen personal stories into tight, high-stakes sets.

Johnny Mac delivers Daily Comedy News, noting Tom Segura's three-night run at Acme Comedy Club in Minneapolis (Aug. 27–29) and speculating it may be for workshopping or recording. Nikki Glaser tells Kara Swisher she avoids private jets, calling them a waste and fearing public backlash. Kevin Hart on Alex Cooper's podcast draws criticism for a Timothée Chalamet remark, jokes about Elon Musk, Nick Cannon, Bruno Mars, and Machine Gun Kelly, and promotes The Roast of Kevin Hart airing on Netflix on Mother's Day night (May 10) while discussing his brand and love of roasting. Variety highlights the Marcelo Hernandez Show as a Spanish-language comedy showcase, with Netflix's Robbie Praw describing comedy as a global export via Netflix. Bob Odenkirk predicts “manosphere comedy” will dissipate and says audiences mistake performance for sincerity. Rob Schneider and Dr. Phil discuss comedy, free speech, and costs. Jim Breuer references “I did that” gas pump stickers. Ophira Eisenberg announces her Veeps special May 15. Mac critiques a Lisa Ann Walter trailer, mentions Celebrity Traitors UK comedians, previews IKEA Wars at Sydney Comedy Festival, and lists Netflix Is A Joke festival shows including newly added Flight of the Conchords.00:19 Tom Segura Club Dates00:44 Nikki Glaser Private Flights01:21 Kevin Hart Podcast Stir02:51 Netflix Comedy Goes Global03:31 Odenkirk On Manosphere04:26 Rob Schneider Free Speech05:07 Jim Breuer Gas Stickers06:14 New Specials Announced06:45 Hulu Special Trailer Roast08:30 Celebrity Traitors And Survivor09:54 IKEA Wars In Sydney11:16 Netflix Festival Lineup Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/daily-comedy-news-with-johnny-mac-a-daily-briefing-on-comedians-and-the-comedy-industry--4522158/support.Daily Comedy News is the number one comedy news podcast, delivering daily coverage of standup comedy, late night television, comedy specials, tours, and the business of comedy.COMEDY SURVIVOR in the facebook group.Contact John at John@thesharkdeck dot com For Uninterrupted Listening, use the Apple Podcast App and click the banner that says Uninterrupted Listening.  $4.99/month John's Substack about media is free.This is the animal sanctuary mentioned in the February 10 episode.

Pretty big celebrity this week: the document that forms the spine of the United States. The one that members of the military pledge loyalty to instead of the President. The words that serves as a manual for law, justice, and government itself, meant to outlast any administration or trend. And we called in an avalanche of celebrities to read it to you. Peter Sagal, Paget Brewster, John Hodgman, Open Mike Eagle, Josh Gondelman, John Ross Bowie, Anna Sale, David Plotz, Ophira Eisenberg, and just a ridiculous number of Maximum Fun hosts. The idea here is to gather voices in support of that brilliant, flawed, intriguing, and persevering historical document as a foundation of our society at a time when so much of society feels awfully rickety. We hope you enjoy it and that it gives you comfort. Featuring our friends: Peter Sagal Paget Brewster John Hodgman Josh Gondelman Tamara Keith Jesse Thorn Open Mike Eagle John Ross Bowie Anna Sale Andrew Reich Janey Winterbauer Dan McCoy Rhett Miller Manolo Moreno Kirk Hamilton Allan McLeod Helen Hong J. Keith Van Straaten Jordan Morris Drea Clark Austin Taylor Katie Goldin Ophira Eisenberg Amber Nash Janet Varney John-Luke Roberts Ellen Weatherford Moujan Zolfaghari Brea Grant Alexis B. Preston Mike Cabellon Hal Lublin Brenda Snell Adam Pranica Alex Schmidt Jordan Crucchiola David Plotz Danielle Radford Seth Lind Ella Hubber Ben Partridge Mallory O'Meara Jackie Kashian Ify Nwadiwe OH AND ALSO: we are in the final days of the MaxFunDrive. To bring you shows like ours, it does cost money. These shows don't naturally occur. If we have helped you sleep, laugh, or just relax, please help us out so we can keep doing that. You can join at any level you like and enjoy thank you gifts and bonus content. https://maximumfun.org/join Or if you want to hop on for a mere $5 a month, we have an express lane: https://maximumfun.org/joinsleeping Hey Sleepy Heads, is there anyone whose voice you'd like to drift off to, or do you have suggestions on things we could do to aid your slumber? Email us at: sleepwithcelebs@maximumfun.org. Follow the Show on: Instagram @sleepwcelebs Bluesky @sleepwithcelebs TikTok @SleepWithCelebs John is on Bluesky @JohnMoe John's acclaimed, best-selling memoir, The Hilarious World of Depression, is now available in paperback. Thanks to everyone who participated in this year's MaxFunDrive! Still want to get in on the action? Follow this link to support this show (and get in on our limited-time keychain sale to benefit the Center for Constitutional Rights): https://maximumfun.org/joinsleeping

On this episode of Parenting Is a Joke, Ophira Eisenberg talks with comedian and podcaster Corey Ryan Forrester about raising a three-year-old in Chickamauga, Georgia while maintaining a demanding creative life built on touring, writing, and multiple podcasts. Corey explains how compressing four podcast recordings into a single day is the only way he can fully celebrate his son's birthday—complete with a carefully planned Build-A-Bear outing inspired by a deeply personal story about recording a message for his special-needs niece, who replayed it so often she wore the button out. The conversation moves between parenting logistics and bigger questions about values, as Corey reflects on choosing to raise his child in the same conservative Southern town where he grew up, resisting pressure to leave and arguing that becoming a parent actually intensified his progressive views rather than softening them. He shares the five-year fertility struggle he and his wife went through, his firm decision to be “one and done” at 38 after years on the road doing stand-up, and the physical reality of trying to keep up with a toddler while maintaining a comedy career. Throughout, the two compare notes on only-child dynamics, chosen family, and the subtle calculations creative parents make about what parts of their public voice might eventually affect their kids socially. The episode balances storytelling about career, community, and parenting identity, landing on the small, vivid details that define daily life—like a three-year-old's birthday plan built around Build-A-Bear, cousins two doors down, and a dad trying to schedule his entire workweek around one cold March day.

From Ophira Eisenberg: Bangs! https://www.comedydynamics.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this follow-up Parenting Is a Joke episode, Ophira Eisenberg and comedian Ahri Findling zero in on the strange overlap between parenting, comedy, and creative identity, starting with Findling's Instagram bits that splice mundane parenting tasks—like folding laundry—with explosive movie quotes that suddenly feel accurate once you have kids. Their conversation moves through watching childhood films with a new lens, as Ophira revisits E.T. and can only see the overwhelmed single mom feeding her kids junk and leaving a four-year-old home alone, while Findling reinterprets The Parent Trap as a borderline criminal act of separating twins. From there, Findling articulates his comedic approach—mining the small, uncomfortable truths of marriage and parenting, like imagining himself at his wife's casket both professing love and quietly panicking about not knowing where anything is—and connects it to a broader philosophy that nothing in family life is unique, which becomes oddly comforting for parents juggling creative careers. They get specific about the logistics of stand-up life with young kids, including missing bedtimes, reframing gigs as “work” (a tip from Chris Gethard), and the guilt of being physically absent but creatively dependent on those experiences, alongside moments like Findling's daughter hiding his shoes to stop him from leaving for a show. The episode also captures the granular negotiations of parenting style—whether to allow swearing at home, how to handle kids absorbing language from Brooklyn streets or Mormon neighbors upstairs, and the constant resetting required when a child abruptly rejects their favorite food or rewrites the rules overnight. Throughout, both comics return to the idea that parenting is improvisational and deeply humbling, whether you're observing your kid from afar at the park realizing they're becoming their own person or trying to stay consistent in a job that requires leaving the house at bedtime, all while remembering Findling's rule that some days the best strategy is simply to think like a goldfish when your kid suddenly insists they've never liked chicken nuggets in their life. Follow Ahri Findling: https://www.instagram.com/theycallmeahri See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ And stay tuned to see her NEW Comedy Special “I Used to Be Nicer” coming out exclusively on Veeps on May 15th! SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ophira Eisenberg opens this Parenting Is a Joke episode with a vivid, slightly unhinged comparison between riding Hagrid's Motorbike Adventure at Universal and the physical intensity of having her membranes stripped hours before going into labor, setting the tone for a conversation with comedian Ahri Findling that toggles between bodily reality, parenting anxiety, and the strange logic of creative life. Findling, a dad of a six-year-old and a toddler, gets specific about the social ecosystem of elementary school fundraisers—where comics donate their time while quietly wondering why parents don't just hand over $100 and skip the two-drink minimum—and the unexpected hierarchy created by a fellow parent behind Baked by Melissa. The conversation sharpens around parenting as emotional inheritance: Findling traces his instinct to be an “empath dad” back to his own father while also confronting how that sensitivity collides with raising a daughter who mirrors his anxious tendencies, including a painful playground moment where she interprets two friends arriving together as exclusion. Both comics compare notes on bullying—Findling's experience being severe enough that a hospital visit during his mother's ovarian cancer treatment became the perspective shift that helped him disengage—and how that history now complicates decisions about when to step in versus let kids build resilience. They land on the uneasy truth that many parenting “truths” (like recognizing your baby in a crowd) feel more like propaganda, while also admitting to their own quiet judgments of other parents, especially the late-night subway kids who “should be in bed.” Threaded throughout is the tension of raising kids while pursuing comedy careers that still get mistaken for hobbies, and the low-grade panic of wondering if your child's social milestones—or lack of sleepovers—mean something larger, until Findling reframes it with a kind of reluctant zen: maybe your kid just isn't ready yet, a thought that lingers alongside the image of Ophira gripping those roller coaster handlebars, trying to convince herself to let go. Follow Ahri Findling: https://www.instagram.com/theycallmeahri See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ And stay tuned to see her NEW Comedy Special “I Used to Be Nicer” coming out exclusively on Veeps on May 15th! SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode of Parenting Is a Joke revisits Ophira Eisenberg's conversation with comedian Laurie Kilmartin who recently wrote for the Academy Awards. They talk about  the realities of parenting a teenage son, sustaining a comedy career, and processing grief in real time. Kilmartin talks about raising her 16-year-old largely on her own while maintaining a relentless stand-up schedule—flying red-eyes from Los Angeles to New York to stack multiple sets in a single night—and how that work ethic shaped both her career and her parenting, from bringing her infant son into casino green rooms to relying on a hotel babysitting service while she performed. She explains her decision to keep her son's identity private despite building material around him, even as he creates his own anime-inspired webcomic universe, and reflects on how growing up with a comedian parent gives him a creative “second base” advantage. The conversation moves between sharp bits—like ranking comedy clubs based on their food because her son only cares about burgers and pretzel bites—and heavier territory, including Kilmartin's choice to live-tweet jokes during both her father's hospice care and her mother's COVID hospitalization, describing the surreal isolation of saying goodbye through iPads and gloves and how writing in real time helped her process events that didn't feel real. Along the way, she shares her long-game parenting philosophy (minimal interference, maximum observation), her lack of initial desire to become a mother, and her very specific future plan to leave the U.S. and spend a year doing open mics across Europe once her son graduates, using a hard-won Luxembourg passport. The episode lands on the strange, funny, and practical intersections of comedy, caregiving, and creative survival, ending with Kilmartin half-jokingly pitching an expat comedy club chain while asking to be booked anywhere in Europe. Follow Laurie Kilmartin: https://www.instagram.com/anylaurie16 See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Parenting Is a Joke, Ophira Eisenberg revisits a favorite conversation with actor and comedian Ashley Austin Morris recorded while Morris was four months pregnant and still adjusting to the surreal reality of becoming a parent after never planning to be one. The two comics swap very specific pregnancy experiences from the perspective of performers who work nights, including the strange logistics of building a comedy career while anticipating sleep deprivation and childcare. Morris talks openly about miscarriages, including the emotional whiplash of feeling relief after one pregnancy ended because severe hormonal changes had left her sobbing on the floor and convinced she couldn't care for the baby. She explains how an unexpected catalyst—a chaotic rescue puppy whose needs sparked a new instinct to nurture—suddenly rewired her thinking about motherhood. The conversation also gets into the uncomfortable realities of pregnancy culture: genetic testing debates with an OB-GYN, the anxiety-producing medical environment of New York prenatal care, body changes that hit faster than expected, and the strange intimacy of discussing weight and cravings with strangers. Morris reflects on recovering from a long struggle with an eating disorder, including a surprising pandemic-era scholarship that allowed her to spend 80 days in a treatment program and ultimately find a different path to recovery. Throughout the conversation, the two comedians bring their storytelling instincts to the everyday details of pregnancy life—from Morris eating jars of pasta sauce with a spoon to Eisenberg's prenatal yoga class where everyone shared their cravings.

On this episode of Parenting Is a Joke, Ophira Eisenberg talks with author and humor writer Johanna Gohmann about her new book, All Toddlers Are Scorpios, an astrological guide that reframes toddler behavior—revenge plotting, emotional volatility, public nudity-adjacent costume choices—as pure Scorpio energy. Johanna shares how the idea struck while she was standing in the humor section at Barnes & Noble when her agent called with the concept, and how illustrator Emily Flake helped bring the tiny terrors to life. The conversation moves from toddlers wearing oven mitts on errands to rediscovered photos of her son teething on a copy of Screw Everyone, and the time he mistook a vibrator for a “soldering iron,” thanks to his dad's gadget-building hobby. They trade stories about explaining menstruation on vacation (including an “orange pumpkin” misunderstanding in a Greek airport bathroom) and giving “the talk” to boys who immediately regret asking for it. Johanna also reflects on the creative life of writing comedy from a Brooklyn apartment before the 3:30 school-bus reset, researching astrology with a stack of books that initially included only Sex Astrology, and parenting a 13-year-old who loves Rocky training montages while being raised to name and feel his emotions. The episode captures the constant recalibration of raising boys in a culture obsessed with masculinity, managing YouTube boundaries, and finding humor in the raw, unregulated intensity of early childhood.

(Content note: child sexual abuse) In 2016, Ed G. got on stage at RISK! and told a story he'd never told anyone. Now, ten years later, Ophira Eisenberg sits down with him to go places that story couldn't: the FBI, the Pope, the survivors who found each other decades later, and the hard-won question of where shame really belongs. Ed's story begins in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where a boy abandoned by his violent father and drowning in poverty finds an unlikely lifeline in the local Catholic church. What the bishop who runs it asks for in return will take Ed the better part of a lifetime to fully reckon with.

On this episode of Parenting Is a Joke, Ophira Eisenberg sits down with humor writer Johanna Gohmann to talk about raising a teenage son while building a comedy writing career that includes pieces in The New Yorker, McSweeney's, and The Wall Street Journal—and the release of her new parenting book, All Toddlers Are Scorpios (out April 7). Gohmann, a self-described astrology skeptic, explains how she researched zodiac lore to frame toddlers as tiny tyrants written in the stars—while admitting she's a Sagittarius married to one and still not convinced any of it tracks. She shares what it's like parenting her 13-year-old son, who is on the autism spectrum and currently obsessed with writing fake obituaries, navigating middle school graduation photos that made her cry, and growing up as an only child with two hovering creative parents. The conversation veers into her years living in Dublin after a one-night-stand-turned-marriage to her Northern Irish husband, how not being legally allowed to work unexpectedly jumpstarted her writing life, and why gray Irish summers require fires in August. Gohmann revisits the Moth StorySLAM win where she told the now-legendary story of mistaking postpartum diarrhea for a life-threatening hemorrhage—only to realize that once you've defecated on the delivery room floor, embarrassment loses its power—and reflects on parenting through grief, explaining death to a four-year-old who decided heaven might be an Arby's. The episode moves easily between comedy and real-life stakes—misplaced lunches, replaced fish, helicopter parenting guilt, Catholic relatives in Indiana, and the strange Brooklyn playground hierarchy—capturing what it actually looks like to balance creative work, storytelling, marriage, and raising a kid who prefers writing obituaries to small talk.

On this episode of Parenting Is a Joke, writer and podcaster Gideon Evans joins Ophira Eisenberg to talk about raising subway-riding kids in New York while building a creative life that has required real-time pivots from television to podcasting. He explains the surprisingly durable concept behind his history podcast Bad Elizabeth—born out of a pilot recorded with a former Daily Show colleague and eventually profiled in The Guardian—where he and his co-host explore notorious (and occasionally “badass”) Elizabeths, from Elizabeth Holmes to a Hungarian countess who allegedly bathed in blood. The conversation moves between career recalibration in a shrinking TV industry, the financial realities of podcasting (“the margins are thin”), and his complicated relationship with cable news, including why PBS NewsHour and Germany's DW have become more tolerable household options than the sensory overload of Morning Joe. As a dad, he reflects on raising kids who take the subway alone, volunteer at food insecurity programs, and prefer Dungeons & Dragons at Brooklyn Game Lab over cable news debates, and he's honest about masking his own nerves on train platforms so his son won't absorb them. There's nostalgia too—introducing his son to The Naked Gun, watching The Mandalorian together, and discovering that D&D's gelatinous cube is both a metaphor and a legitimate threat—ending on the hard-earned parenting truth that sometimes you get swallowed, and sometimes you roll a fireball spell.

On this episode of Parenting Is a Joke, Ophira Eisenberg talks with writer and producer Gideon Evans about raising two teenagers while building a career in comedy that's ricocheted from scrappy theater internships to six years at The Daily Show. Gideon shares the surreal early days of hustling in Manhattan—once driving Frank Langella around in his parents' station wagon to pick up a giant painted portrait of the actor—before landing staff jobs with health insurance just in time for a grueling two-to-three-year IVF process that included being dropped by a clinic worried about its “numbers” and producing a sample in his endocrinologist father-in-law's office. The conversation moves easily between the practical math of raising kids in Brooklyn, the relief of finally getting dental insurance in middle age, and college tours at McGill University and Concordia University as his son explores art and coding. Gideon also revisits his formative years working for Michael Moore on TV Nation, including the time he snuck into Walt Disney World dressed as an eight-foot “corporate crime fighting” chicken to confront executives about labor conditions—only to be detained, photographed as both man and poultry, and officially banned for “chicken in the park.” The episode closes with the origin story of his meticulously researched podcast Bad Elizabeth, where each installment profiles a notorious Elizabeth—from Lizzie Borden to Elizabeth Holmes—proving that even after being hauled into Disney jail, he still has the trespass notice that literally lists his offense as “chicken in the park.”

On this episode of Parenting Is a Joke, Ophira Eisenberg continues her conversation with Annabelle Gurwitch, focusing on community, money, anxiety, and what parenting looks like when your child is grown and the ground keeps shifting. Gurwitch talks about creating stability through “Stammtisch”–style standing lunches and Sunday meetups, describing how scheduled friendships became a lifeline after COVID and as creative communities fractured under self-tapes, remote work, and rising costs. She shares a formative early-career story from the Chelsea Hotel, where waiting hours to audition opposite Gary Oldman led not to a movie role but to a decades-long friendship, underscoring how creative life is often built sideways. The conversation turns to parenting adult children in an unstable economy—worrying about what you can't give them, negotiating money without trust funds, and finding dignity in simply taking turns paying for lunch. Gurwitch revisits the pandemic moment that reshaped her family, recounting how a routine COVID test turned into a lung cancer diagnosis delivered by phone while stranded in a broken-down car with her son, forcing her to manage terror, logistics, and motherhood at the same time. She reflects on anxiety as a finite resource, the necessity of compartmentalizing fear, and her concept of “durable gladness”—small, survivable joys that replace impossible expectations of constant fulfillment—before the episode veers into comic relief with a riff about monetizing the phrase as luxury adult diapers, complete with branding ideas and a mock sponsorship fantasy.

On this episode of Parenting Is a Joke, Ophira Eisenberg talks with writer, performer, and memoirist Annabelle Gurwitch about parenting an adult child while still actively shaping a creative life that refuses to behave. Gurwitch reflects on writing The End of My Life Is Killing Me while navigating stage-four lung cancer treatment, explaining why she frames the book as a “second life” rather than a comeback story, and why she deliberately avoids language like resilience and mindfulness after watching those words get hollowed out by marketing. The conversation moves between parenting, storytelling, and art with surgical specificity: Gurwitch recounts negotiating with her 27-year-old son Ezra over what stories about him can appear on the page, describes him hiding under a hoodie at her Joe's Pub show before offering a perfectly therapy-informed compliment, and shares how their relationship shifted during COVID when he moved home from Bard. She tells Ophira about being inundated with juicers after her diagnosis, her disastrous visit to a Malibu “healer” later revealed to be a litigious fraud, and the line Ezra delivers at a juice bar—“Eternal life sucks ass, Mom”—that she fought to keep in the book. Gurwitch also walks through her love of contrarian thinking, her anti–Eat, Pray, Love travel story involving a European heavy-metal band and a hotel with bleach stains and toenail clippings, and the surreal moment she opened her book-cover email in Barcelona expecting a Bernini sculpture and instead saw a chicken doing yoga, prompting Ezra to ask if there was “a story about chicken” inside.

In this second conversation with Jon Fisch, Ophira Eisenberg and Jon settle into the daily mechanics of parenting two young kids while maintaining a working stand-up career, from navigating December birthdays, redshirting anxiety, and Malcolm Gladwell math, to the quiet shock of realizing your kid suddenly wants to walk to school alone. Fisch talks through the practical negotiations of comedy life now that bedtime matters—calling clubs to ask when he actually needs to arrive, setting a firm four-figure holiday minimum for skipping Passover, and learning how to sneak out of the house mid-Hot Wheels race without triggering tears. They compare notes on sibling dynamics as Fisch describes his daughter's recent 180 into devoted big-sister mode, reading books to her brother for an hour while grandparents watched football, and reflect on the strange intimacy of bringing a child to shows where she colors on the floor, doesn't look up once, and later proudly announces, “You were talking about me.” The episode threads through modern parenting pressure points—YouTube shorts bans, grocery store toy ambushes, American Girl's Hot Wheels crossover, and the slow realization that kids' programming is one story told with dogs, trucks, or monsters—before circling back to the moment Fisch explains why leaving for a gig feels hardest when his son suddenly has “a thousand things to say” as he's reaching for his coat.

In this episode of Parenting Is a Joke, Ophira Eisenberg sits down with longtime friend and comedian Jon Fisch to talk about becoming the parent he always knew he wanted to be—just not in the order he expected—starting with the moment he learned his girlfriend was pregnant while sitting across from his mother at a Cheesecake Factory in the Natick Mall. They trade stories about raising young kids during COVID, from how lockdown accidentally turned Jon's son into an early, voracious reader thanks to curbside bookstore recommendations, to navigating a preemie birth amid constantly shifting hospital rules that changed by the nursing shift. The conversation drifts easily between creative life and parenting logic, including Jon's observation that stand-up used to provide “purpose” at night until kids rewired the entire day, and how slowing down during the pandemic made comedy feel more enjoyable again. The heart of the episode lands on a darkly funny family legend involving his niece's beloved owl lovey—one of many identical backups—which Jon confirms his brother once decapitated in a moment of exhausted bedtime brinkmanship, a parenting move so extreme it later came full circle when that same niece gifted her remaining owls to Jon's newborn daughter.

In this episode, Ophira Eisenberg reconnects with author, dad, and tattoo artist Phuc Tran for a conversation that zigzags from Star Wars as a childhood lifeline to parenting philosophies shaped by motorcycles, rotary phones, and letting kids touch the metaphorical hot pipe. Tran talks about growing up Vietnamese in a town where missing one TV network meant missing cultural shorthand, and how Star Wars became a rare common language that let him belong, a feeling he's intentionally recreating with his own daughters by showing them the films before they develop a critical eye. They get into raising kids amid microlabeling culture, with Tran explaining why he wrote “labels are for jars” on the family chalkboard, as well as his years teaching Latin, Greek, and German, arguing that Latin slows kids down in a way modern life rarely does. The conversation moves easily between creative work and parenting ethics, from why he stopped talking tattoo clients out of bad ideas after becoming a parent to how children's books often serve adult anxieties more than kids' curiosity. Throughout, Tran frames creativity as something lived rather than branded—whether it's daughters trading sketchbooks at restaurants instead of phones, apprenticing at the tattoo shop, or his own belief that punk rock shouldn't be a lifelong personality—before landing on the story of calmly watching his toddler pick herself up in public while a stranger yelled, a moment that neatly captures his faith in letting kids learn by standing back.

Dat bos in Slovenië: Eef Prins krijgt het er nog warm van. Op uitnodiging van Echt Gebeurd komt Ophira Eisenberg van The Moth dit voorjaar naar de Nederlandse theaters met haar voorstelling Leaving a mark: a comedy show about scars. Op 28 april speelt ze in De Landing in Amstelveen, op 29 april in Amsterdam, op 1 mei in Groningen, op 4 mei in Diligentia in Den Haag en op 5 mei in De Vereeniging in Nijmegen. Wil jij ook een keer een verhaal komen vertellen bij Echt Gebeurd, meld je dan bij ons via het formulier op echtgebeurd.net. De thema's voor alle verhalenmiddagen in dit seizoen vind je hier. Echt Gebeurd is te volgen op Instagram, Facebook, Threads, BlueSky en LinkedIn. Voor mensen die het missen kunnen is er Vriend van de Show. Wil je donateur worden voor € 2,50 per maand of een eenmalige donatie doen, dan kan dat via deze link.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ophira Eisenberg sits down with author, tattoo artist, and Maine-based dad Phuc Tran for a wide-ranging, grounded conversation that moves from frantic school drop-offs and topping off windshield wiper fluid before a storm to the deeper anxieties of becoming a parent after trauma, bullying, and immigration. Tran talks candidly about growing up as a Vietnamese refugee in small-town America, finding safety in classrooms when home wasn't safe, and how punk rock, tattoos, and books became both armor and language. The two bond over raising kids while making creative work that pays unevenly, advocating half-jokingly for plumbing and electrical careers, and embracing Maine's culture of the multi-hyphenate as a survival skill rather than a branding exercise He also reflects on fearing he'd be a bad father, how therapy reframed imperfection as necessary, and why parenting teenage daughters now feels like his area of expertise after decades teaching middle and high school. They also get into luck versus merit in publishing, how his memoir Sigh, Gone led—almost accidentally—to a bestselling children's book series about big feelings, and why emotional batteries, not discipline charts, determine household peace. The episode circles back to physical objects as emotional anchors, landing on Tran's red rotary phone—kept for Maine power outages and the unmatched satisfaction of slamming down a receiver when a conversation is truly over.

Carole Montgomery and Ophira Eisenberg zoom out from early parenting to talk about what happens after the kid grows up, moves out, and then… moves back in. Carole describes her son's room as a frozen time capsule—albums, toys, and CDs untouched—while explaining how his first attempt at college lasted six months before the classic millennial boomerang returned him home, a pattern she sums up as “they leave, they come back; I moved—he found me.” She reflects on the anxiety that followed him into adulthood, her belief that anxiety is practically the baseline setting now, and the emotional whiplash of touring for weeks before constant phone contact existed, including the moment her six-year-old calmly told her she was “solid” and could go back on the road. The conversation weaves through parenting philosophies shaped by Vegas cul-de-sacs and open-door houses, her resistance to overscheduled childhoods, the reality that almost no kids actually go pro despite intense sports pressure, and the great trophy purge that left only signed baseballs and, somehow, her husband's awards. Carole also digs into the creation of Funny Women of a Certain Age, venting about theaters that expect comics to sell tickets, sweep floors, and manage social media while still questioning whether women-led comedy events can sell, all before landing on the oddly satisfying moment she told a woman in her mid-30s she was simply too young for the show.

In this New Year's episode of Parenting Is a Joke, Ophira Eisenberg talks with mystic, Reiki practitioner, and parent Jennifer Wai about raising kids while trusting intuition in a culture obsessed with rules, experts, and productivity. Jennifer explains what it actually means to be a mystic—describing herself as a human antenna fine-tuning static—and traces that sensitivity back to a childhood marked by literal thinking, bullying, and parents who didn't quite know what to do with a kid who felt everything. They compare notes on parenting highly perceptive children, including how Jennifer's early ability to anticipate her kids' needs sometimes backfired by discouraging them from speaking up, and how her own children have been “socialized out” of mystical thinking, even as they casually tolerate card pulls and energy talk. The conversation moves easily from Reiki as “gentle jumper cables” for the nervous system to the emotional labor of rejecting people-pleasing while doing psychic readings, before landing on practical parenting ideas for the year ahead—like offering kids a “third option” instead of a hard no, or sitting through Fortnite matches just to stay connected. The episode closes on Jennifer's big theme of grace—grace around self-care that looks like binge-watching, grace around messiness, and grace delivered with a laugh as Ophira admits she's now calling “grace” her personal Pantone color.

Happy New Year listeners! This week on Fake the Nation, comedian and host Negin Farsad is joined by Ophira Eisenberg and Mary Houlihan to talk about the trend of senior citizens who go back to college. She's also joined by Nayeema Raza and Pete Dominick to talk about how to elegantly get out of doing things. It's exactly what you need to start the new year right! Follow Everyone! @NeginFarsad@OphiraE@MaryHouli@nayeemaraza@petedominickSupport the show at Patreon.com/neginfarsad Rate Fake The Nation 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review!Follow Negin Farsad on TwitterEmail Negin fakethenationpodcast@gmail.comSupport the show Patreon Host - Negin FarsadProducer - Rob HeathTheme Music - Gaby AlterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In our 2026 edition of "A New Year's Episode," host Jason Farr reflects on the highlights and memorable moments of the podcast in 2025. Jason discusses the amazing guests we've had, including some of Jason's friends as well as new friends of the pod like Ophira Eisenberg, Beth Newell, Sydney Duncan, and Brooke White! He also celebrates our 400th episode milestone and special episodes from Ireland and California. Jason shares his insights on personal growth, how great it feels to complete a big personal projects, and encourages listeners to keep pursuing goals. We look forward to 2026 and hope that our reflections here help you find inspiration! Instagram: @ThereItIsPod, @JasonFarrPics  Threads: @ThereItIsPod, @JasonFarrPics Facebook: @ThereItIsPod  Subscribe to our comedy newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/e22defd4dee2/thereitis

Comedian Carole Montgomery joins Parenting Is a Joke to talk with Ophira Eisenberg about raising a kid while building a stand-up career that never paused, even when everyone told her it should. Carole traces her path from starting comedy at 21 in male-dominated Brooklyn clubs to touring relentlessly as a new mom, pumping breast milk backstage and leaving her six-month-old with a six-foot-five tattooed bouncer who didn't know how to remove a baby from a car seat. She reflects on the blunt warning from a manager who said pregnancy would ruin her career—followed almost immediately by a Showtime taping—and the practical choices that shaped her parenting, like stopping road trips only when her son needed his own airline seat. The conversation moves through her years hosting a topless revue in Vegas while serving as PTA vice president, her zero-nonsense style as team mom who swore at line-cutting kids, and the strange mix of guilt, stamina, and pride that comes from doing school drop-offs after midnight shows. Throughout, Carole and Ophira trade observations about creative work, class differences in parenting, and how kids remember presence more than perfection, circling back to the image of a tiny Lane being rocked by a nervous nightclub bouncer—an early sign he'd grow up completely at home backstage.

This episode originally aired on December 16th, 2014. If you've been moved by a story this year, text 'GIVE25' to 78679 to make a donation to The Moth today. A special holiday edition of The Moth Radio Hour: Simon Doonan encounters challenges when called on to decorate the White House for Christmas, a man is hesitant to work with a ‘Hollywood' style church in his neighborhood, a Jewish girl meets Santa, and a boy thinks his dreams have finally come true when he gets an exotic pet. This hour is hosted by Catherine Burns. The Moth Radio Hour is produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Storytellers: Simon Doonan stirs up controversy with small details on his Christmas ball decorations. Mark Redmond works with a homeless shelter in Vermont.  Ophira Eisenberg wanted to meet Santa Claus.  Taylor Negron grows up “California Gothic” and must balance the joy of owning a monkey with his fear of Charles Manson. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Comedian Mike Feeney joins Ophira Eisenberg in the thick of brand-new fatherhood, talking through life with his 15-month-old son Leo while juggling touring, illness roulette from daycare, and a self-imposed creative gauntlet that included shooting, directing, and editing a high-concept Comedy Cellar special when his baby was just ten weeks old. Feeney gets specific about the early months—the shock of sleep deprivation, the grim honesty of telling each other “we made a terrible mistake,” and the strange relief when sleep training worked so fast it felt suspicious, complete with his mom stepping in while he and his wife hid out at a nearby hotel. The conversation moves through IVF logistics, postpartum preeclampsia that sent his wife back to the hospital days after delivery, and the whiplash of supporting a partner's health while hopping on the subway to make stage time. Feeney's comic brain shines in granular parenting moments: the deep-crib back pain of sliding an arm out from under a sleeping baby, screen-recording bedtime attempts like wildlife footage, and the quiet dread of being turned away from daycare because of “a little gunk” that turned out to be pink eye. He reflects on how parenting has narrowed his creative window in a way that sharpened his writing, forced clearer priorities, and made him ruthless about which projects survive, all while admitting that FaceTiming from the road thrills Leo for ten minutes before it completely backfires. The episode lands on a perfectly lived-in note with Feeney describing that heart-stopping morning scream when his bedroom door opens and Leo charges in “like a bat out of hell,” a wake-up call that's both terrifying and somehow the best part of the day.

In this episode of Parenting Is a Joke, comedian Emily Walsh talks to Ophira Eisenberg about becoming a parent later in life and being labeled “advanced maternal age” by New York doctors while taking “nightly little baby aspirin” she was told “sometimes works” for reasons no one could explain. She describes meeting her tiny five-pound newborn who arrived a month early with “newborn fuzz” on her ears and back and a full head of hair that proved her pregnancy heartburn was accurate karma for marrying a very “hairy man.” Parenting for the first time at 40 means learning everything on the fly — sometimes quoting TikToks as if they were books — while hoarding three different “booger-sucking robots,” including a hospital-grade model she gleefully uses every morning. She shares postpartum rage (“Don't kill your husband” turned out to be wise advice), frustration with breastfeeding (“barbaric,” she says), and the absurdity of pumping in Times Square between comedy sets because the manager can't comprehend her need to schedule pumping. A broken ankle took away her baby-calming outdoor walks, she hasn't made a “mom friend” yet, and her social circle is still figuring out she's “not dead,” even as she continues podcasting, stand-up, and raising a baby who dressed as Jeff Goldblum from Jurassic Park with her bassinet converted into the Jeep and her husband in an inflatable T-Rex suit.

Today's interview kept us laughing nearly the entire time, and yet was deeply poignant as our guest shared her story of scars.  Ophira is a stand-up comedian, author, and story ...

Host Meg Wolitzer presents three stories about people inserting themselves into the lives of others—in their own best interests. In Simon Rich's “Relapse,” friends rally 'round when one of their numbers heeds the call of the muse. It's read by Ophira Eisenberg. In Langston Hughes' “Thank You, M'am,” read by Pauletta Washington, a fierce old lady sets a young man straight. And a young woman finds an ingenious way to cheer up retirees—and herself—in Miranda July's “The Swim Team,” read by Parker Posey. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Comedian/writer/NPR host Ophira Eisenberg (@ophirae) joins Andy, Jesse and Matt to talk about her podcast Parenting Is a Joke, her upcoming special produced by Lewis Black, the effect of venting on anger, a rage room show Andy worked on, why you should leave uncontacted tribes alone, the wombat-thief influencer and why you should speak up to seagulls.

This week on Fake the Nation, comedian and host Negin Farsad is joined by comedian/writer Benari Lee Poulton and host of NPR's On Point, Meghna Chakrabarti. Together, they wonder why billionaires love owning sports teams and a psychology professor who can tell you which are the best years of your life. They look at the very ongoing Epstein Files and the strange bedfellows it has wrought. And finally, they pour one out for the recently deceased penny.If you're in Washington DC come see Negin and Fake the Nation regulars Corey Ryan Forrester and Ophira Eisenberg on Dec 12 for a very fun night of standup. Get your tickets here:https://www.atlasarts.org/events/the-muslims-are-coming/Follow Everyone!@BenariLee for all things Benari@onpointwbur to follow Meghna's excellent show@NeginFarsad for all things Negin——Rate Fake The Nation 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review!Follow Negin Farsad on TwitterEmail Negin fakethenationpodcast@gmail.comSupport her Patreon ——Host - Negin Farsad——Producer - Rob Heath——Theme Music - Gaby AlterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this snack-sized conversation, Ophira Eisenberg talks with author and newly certified parenting coach Kerri Smith-Maher about how years of teaching writing, her daughter's struggles, her own sobriety journey, and a crash course in perimenopause all pushed her toward parent coaching. Kerri explains how a psychologist friend steered her away from graduate school and toward certification at the Jai Institute, where she dove into nervous system science, attachment theory, and the iceberg model of behavior. She shares why Dr. Becky Kennedy's Good Inside is her go-to recommendation, how a family DBT course helped them decode behavior “under the surface,” and why the real breakthrough in her house came when she learned to regulate herself instead of rushing to fix her daughter's reactions. Kerri also describes how Tara Brach's Radical Acceptance finally taught her to “pause” by practicing it during calm moments—helped along by an iPhone alarm labeled “pause” three times a day. The episode ends with Kerri revealing that her best creative work happens only after caffeine, dog-walking, and a strict morning writing window, a habit she built during her daughter's three-morning-a-week nursery school era.

In this episode, Ophira Eisenberg talks with author and parent coach Kerri Maher (aka. Kerri Smith–Maher and also Kerri Majors) about the many names she has published under, the publishing-industry lunch where her team rejected both “Smith” and “Pasqualetti” for SEO reasons, and why she ultimately adopted her grandmother's maiden name as her pen name. Kerri recalls handwriting her first unfinished novel on her dad's yellow legal pads—an early story about a girl and her blind best friend—before sharing how childhood surgeries and months of immobility pushed her toward reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and imagining her way into writing. She and Ophira compare their kids' school experiences, including Kerri's daughter moving to an all-girls high school after a discussion about the “confidence gap,” and they trade notes on raising book-loving but highly specific readers. Kerri also explains how she discovered the Jane Collective through an NPR segment, pitched “the Jane novel” long before Dobbs, and watched the publishing world suddenly accelerate its enthusiasm for a feminist protest story. The conversation wraps with Kerri admitting her daughter refuses to read her novels and Ophira celebrating that Kerri's kid once described Spirit Airlines as an airline that “steals your spirit.”

Comedian Julia Scotti joins Ophira Eisenberg to talk about the long, winding path that brought her back to stand-up after transitioning and a decade away from comedy. Julia reflects on raising three children amid multiple marriages and constant touring, her fear of repeating her own fractured childhood, and the painful 14-year estrangement from her kids after she came out as transgender. She recalls coming out mid-set at a blue-collar Pennsylvania club and later to 13 million people on America's Got Talent, joking that she wanted to be judged “on the act, not the anatomy.” Julia also describes how teaching special education students during that period filled the hole left by her kids' absence—including a harrowing day during 9/11 when she nearly took her own life. The conversation touches on old stand-up footage where she mocked trans people before understanding her identity, her love of Louis Prima singalongs with her son, and the two corny jokes she first told him from his crib. The episode ends on a warm note as Julia admits she “unleashed the Kraken” by raising another comedy lover.

In this episode of Parenting Is a Joke, Andy Richter joins Ophira Eisenberg to talk about raising three kids across two generations—his 23-year-old son, 18-year-old daughter, and a four-year-old he's helping raise with his new wife. Andy reflects on how parenting feels different now that he's happier, newly remarried, and out of a long stretch of depression. He shares how his youngest daughter “runs the household,” including her silent-scream protest when he put her to bed, and how he navigates parenting alongside a Disney-obsessed extended family where his sister-in-law once played Jasmine at Disneyland. Andy contrasts his own self-reliant, latchkey childhood with the more protected upbringing of his older kids and admits he sometimes overcorrected by doing too much for them. He describes the uneasy balance of using personal material in comedy—recalling the “divorced dad” jokes he deleted from Twitter—and the line between honesty and oversharing, both online and in family life. Through it all, his warmth and humor shine, whether he's talking about his son's Uber Eats job, his daughter's bedtime negotiations, or his hope that one day his kids will want to work with him the way Robert Altman's children did—with love strong enough to last sixteen hours on set.

In this Parenting Is a Joke snack episode, Ophira Eisenberg chats again with Kate Auletta, Editor-in-Chief of Scary Mommy and Romper, about her years as a journalist and the surprising turns that led her from travel writing to parenting media. Kate recalls running HuffPost's “How to Raise a Kid” conference in 2017—pulling together experts to talk about money, race, sex, and digital literacy right as the Trump era began—and how it felt like a bright moment of optimism and connection before online discourse hardened. She and Ophira laugh about trolls who argue over sunscreen recipes and how parenting pieces, no matter how harmless, seem to ignite fury. Kate shares that her most viral post, written during the early pandemic, was simply a plea for parents to “give yourself grace,” while health content still draws the fiercest backlash. The conversation shifts to travel—her love for St. Barts (despite how un–kid-friendly it proved), the Costa Rican jungle cot that scarred her for life, and a vomit-filled night at a roadside hotel near the Basketball Hall of Fame. She swears by headphone adapters as her most vital travel gear, while her husband lugs an entire backpack of snacks. The episode ends, fittingly, with her dog Franklin barking in the background, signaling that even editors-in-chief can't escape the soundscape of parenting.

My conversation with Ophira starts at about 41 minutes after headlines and clips Subscribe and Watch Interviews LIVE : On YOUTUBE.com/StandUpWithPete ON SubstackStandUpWithPete Stand Up is a daily podcast. I book,host,edit, post and promote new episodes with brilliant guests every day. This show is Ad free and fully supported by listeners like you! Please subscribe now for as little as 5$ and gain access to a community of over 750 awesome, curious, kind, funny, brilliant, generous soul Ophira Eisenberg is a Canadian-born standup comedian, writer, and host. She hosted NPR's comedy trivia show Ask Me Another for 9-years, where she interviewed and played silly games with hundreds of celebrities including Sir Patrick Stewart, Awkwafina, Rosie Perez, Yo-Yo Ma, Bob The Drag Queen, Nick Kroll, Chelsea Handler, Jim Gaffigan, Michael C. Hall, and so many others. As a comic and a parent to a 6-year-old, Ophira is the host of the new comedy podcast Parenting Is A Joke co-produced by iHeart Radio and Pretty Good Friends Productions. The show launches on October 18th. She can be seen live, regularly headlining across the United States, Canada, and Europe delivering her unique blend of standup and storytelling to a loyal fan base of smart, irreverent comedy lovers. She has appeared at Montreal's Just for Laughs Festival, The New Yorker Festival, The New York Comedy Festival, Moontower Comedy Festival, Bumbershoot, The Nantucket Film Festival, Women in Comedy Festival and more. Her new comedy album at special Plant-Based Jokes is available on iTunes and is streaming now on YouTube. Lauded as "hilarious, high risk, and an inspiration," Ophira filmed her comedy special Inside Joke, when she was 8½ months pregnant. The show's material revolves around how she told everyone that she was never going to have kids, and then unexpectedly found herself expecting at "an advanced maternal age." Her other comedy albums, Bangs! and As Is She has appeared on Comedy Central, This Week at The Comedy Cellar, Kevin Hart's LOL Network, HBO's Girls, Gotham Live, The Late Late Show, The Today Show, and VH-1. The New York Times called her a skilled comedian and storyteller with "bleakly stylish" humor. She was also selected as one of New York Magazine's "Top 10 Comics that Funny People Find Funny," and hailed by Forbes.com as one of the most engaging comics working today. Ophira is a regular host and teller with The Moth and her stories have been featured on The Moth Radio Hour and in two of The Moth's best-selling collections, including the most recent New York Times Bestseller: How To Tell A Story: The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling from The Moth. Ophira's first book, Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy (Seal Press), is a comedic memoir about her experiments in the field as a single woman, traveling from futon to futon and flask-to-flask, gathering data, hoping to put it all together and build her own perfect Frankenmate. It was optioned for a feature film. She is also sought after as a brilliant interviewer and moderator, and has interviewed dozens of celebrities, writers, and actors including Neil Gaiman at New York's Town Hall; Jane Curtain, Anne Beatts, Heather Gardner, Sudi Green, Alysia Reiner, Jeanne Tripplehorn, David Crane, Jeffrey Klerik at The Nantucket Film Festival; Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Daniel Levy and Annie Murphy at the 92nd Street Y; and Nell Scovell and Sloane Crosley at The Mark Twain House. Originally from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Ophira graduated with a Cultural Anthropology and Theater degree from McGill University. She now lives in Brooklyn, NY where she is a fixture at New York City's comedy clubs including the Comedy Cellar, Gotham Comedy Club, New York Comedy Club and Carolines, as well as Brooklyn's famed performance venues The Bell House, Union Hall, and Littlefield. She resides with her husband and son where she can regularly be seen drinking a ton of coffee. Pete on Blue Sky Pete on Threads Pete on Tik Tok Pete on YouTube Pete on Twitter Pete On Instagram Pete Personal FB page Stand Up with Pete FB page Gift a Subscription https://www.patreon.com/PeteDominick/gift Send Pete $ Directly on Venmo All things Jon Carroll Buy Ava's Art Subscribe to Piano Tuner Paul Paul Wesley on Substack Listen to Barry and Abigail Hummel Podcast Listen to Matty C Podcast and Substack Follow and Support Pete Coe Hire DJ Monzyk to build your website or help you with Marketing

My conversation with Ophira starts at about 41 minutes after headlines and clips Subscribe and Watch Interviews LIVE : On YOUTUBE.com/StandUpWithPete ON SubstackStandUpWithPete Stand Up is a daily podcast. I book,host,edit, post and promote new episodes with brilliant guests every day. This show is Ad free and fully supported by listeners like you! Please subscribe now for as little as 5$ and gain access to a community of over 750 awesome, curious, kind, funny, brilliant, generous soul Ophira Eisenberg is a Canadian-born standup comedian, writer, and host. She hosted NPR's comedy trivia show Ask Me Another for 9-years, where she interviewed and played silly games with hundreds of celebrities including Sir Patrick Stewart, Awkwafina, Rosie Perez, Yo-Yo Ma, Bob The Drag Queen, Nick Kroll, Chelsea Handler, Jim Gaffigan, Michael C. Hall, and so many others. As a comic and a parent to a 6-year-old, Ophira is the host of the new comedy podcast Parenting Is A Joke co-produced by iHeart Radio and Pretty Good Friends Productions. The show launches on October 18th. She can be seen live, regularly headlining across the United States, Canada, and Europe delivering her unique blend of standup and storytelling to a loyal fan base of smart, irreverent comedy lovers. She has appeared at Montreal's Just for Laughs Festival, The New Yorker Festival, The New York Comedy Festival, Moontower Comedy Festival, Bumbershoot, The Nantucket Film Festival, Women in Comedy Festival and more. Her new comedy album at special Plant-Based Jokes is available on iTunes and is streaming now on YouTube. Lauded as "hilarious, high risk, and an inspiration," Ophira filmed her comedy special Inside Joke, when she was 8½ months pregnant. The show's material revolves around how she told everyone that she was never going to have kids, and then unexpectedly found herself expecting at "an advanced maternal age." Her other comedy albums, Bangs! and As Is She has appeared on Comedy Central, This Week at The Comedy Cellar, Kevin Hart's LOL Network, HBO's Girls, Gotham Live, The Late Late Show, The Today Show, and VH-1. The New York Times called her a skilled comedian and storyteller with "bleakly stylish" humor. She was also selected as one of New York Magazine's "Top 10 Comics that Funny People Find Funny," and hailed by Forbes.com as one of the most engaging comics working today. Ophira is a regular host and teller with The Moth and her stories have been featured on The Moth Radio Hour and in two of The Moth's best-selling collections, including the most recent New York Times Bestseller: How To Tell A Story: The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling from The Moth. Ophira's first book, Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy (Seal Press), is a comedic memoir about her experiments in the field as a single woman, traveling from futon to futon and flask-to-flask, gathering data, hoping to put it all together and build her own perfect Frankenmate. It was optioned for a feature film. She is also sought after as a brilliant interviewer and moderator, and has interviewed dozens of celebrities, writers, and actors including Neil Gaiman at New York's Town Hall; Jane Curtain, Anne Beatts, Heather Gardner, Sudi Green, Alysia Reiner, Jeanne Tripplehorn, David Crane, Jeffrey Klerik at The Nantucket Film Festival; Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Daniel Levy and Annie Murphy at the 92nd Street Y; and Nell Scovell and Sloane Crosley at The Mark Twain House. Originally from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Ophira graduated with a Cultural Anthropology and Theater degree from McGill University. She now lives in Brooklyn, NY where she is a fixture at New York City's comedy clubs including the Comedy Cellar, Gotham Comedy Club, New York Comedy Club and Carolines, as well as Brooklyn's famed performance venues The Bell House, Union Hall, and Littlefield. She resides with her husband and son where she can regularly be seen drinking a ton of coffee. Pete on Blue Sky Pete on Threads Pete on Tik Tok Pete on YouTube Pete on Twitter Pete On Instagram Pete Personal FB page Stand Up with Pete FB page Gift a Subscription https://www.patreon.com/PeteDominick/gift Send Pete $ Directly on Venmo All things Jon Carroll Buy Ava's Art Subscribe to Piano Tuner Paul Paul Wesley on Substack Listen to Barry and Abigail Hummel Podcast Listen to Matty C Podcast and Substack Follow and Support Pete Coe Hire DJ Monzyk to build your website or help you with Marketing

In this Halloween “snack” episode, Ophira Eisenberg reconnects with horror writer and fellow Brooklyn parent Brooke Mackenzie to dig deeper into her psychic and supernatural experiences. Brooke explains that she once asked “the powers that be” to remove her ability to see ghosts through deep meditation—but kept one lingering gift: premonition dreams that sometimes predict people's deaths, a trait she says runs in her family. She recalls her one-year-old daughter giggling at an empty rocking chair and saying “Papa,” suggesting that the connection might continue in the next generation. The two trade stories about Halloween costumes and stolen stoop decorations before diving into Brooke's past involvement with Wicca, her vast crystal collection (so large her husband gives her a “quota”), and how she uses crystals for rituals—including fertility and protection rituals aided by quartz, selenite, and Herkimer diamonds. Brooke describes working as a tutor, balancing motherhood with writing horror, and how she still fears demons, exorcisms, and her own mortality. She swears she'll never touch a Ouija board again after one terrifying encounter that ended with a shop owner insisting it be stored in a freezer. The conversation wraps on a lighter note about pillowcase trick-or-treating and Brooke's hopes to publish children's books someday—just maybe with a crystal or two close by for good juju.

This week on Fake the Nation, comedian and host Negin Farsad, is joined by comedian Ophira Eisenberg (Parenting is a Joke podcast) AND the comedian/podcaster Mary Houlihan (The Mary Houlihan Show). They discuss a school in Maine that punishes kids with hikes instead of detention. They also talk about how Gen Z is refusing to fall in line on "work emergencies" - "This is PR, not ER," as they might say. They look into the George Santos affair - his incredible lies and incredible pardon - as well as the opposite of all that, the No Kings protest and what it means for resistance to look and feel like a costume party. And finally, Instagram's teen controls are not working according to a new report, so what gives?Check out Negin's new TEDDemocracy series here:https://www.ted.com/series/ted_talks_on_democracyFollow Everyone! @NeginFarsad@OphiraE@MaryHouliToday's show is sponsored by Schedule35You can see Negin's upcoming performance schedule at: NeginFarsad.com——Rate Fake The Nation 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review!Follow Negin Farsad on TwitterEmail Negin fakethenationpodcast@gmail.comSupport her Patreon ——Host - Negin Farsad——Producer - Rob Heath——Theme Music - Gaby AlterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.