Transcript of Sarah Sherman

Hello everyone, welcome to another episode of Good Hang. We are very excited about our guest today. It is Sarah Sherman. Sarah is a current cast member on Saturday Night Live, and we could consider her a vet. She has just finished her 5th season. And I just wanna file this one under not safe for work or for kids, 'cause we do get into some fun and down and dirty topics like, Well, SNL, duh, and Psychoanalysis, and Long Island, and her insane, wildly original new special, Sarah Squirm: Live and in the Flesh, on HBO. So, um, listen for Sarah, but before we start, right, we always like to talk to somebody who knows our guest, who has spent time with them, and who can speak well and give us a question. And we're gonna talk today to Mitra Juhari. Mitra is an amazing actress, writer, writer, producer. You may know her from episodes of The Bear, from the show she created, Three Busy Debras. She's a writer on Big Mouth, and she's just incredible talent. Came up with Sarah, her good friend. We're gonna check in with Mitra, who is on her lunch break, and get a question from her.

So, hi, Mitra! It's good to see you!

Hi, Susan.

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Mitra!

She's on the set.

Mitra is on the set. Mitra, where are we talking to you from?

Netflix.

A lot of people don't know Netflix has beautiful offices. Really, really—

They give you a free hanger.

So—

Incredible. You can hang anything on that.

You can hang anything on that as long as it's not pants because the hanger is broken. I hear giggles in the back. I'm, ugh, I wish I was in there.

On top of Mitra being incredibly talented, she's also— like a real deal activist, boots on the ground person. And I was thinking about during COVID when you Zoomed with my sons to talk to them about the LA unhoused situation and what they could do about it. It was—

They were so cute and sweet. I, like, I loved talking to them. They were so thoughtful and had such good questions and were really making me laugh.

Remember that when we were all just like, in that COVID bubble of just like, "I guess we—

I guess this is how we'll learn now." I was living with Patti, and we were making some of the most fucked up cocktails imaginable. Like, actively drinking them, being like, "This is disgusting." And finishing them.

Patti Harrison, another hilarious comedian and actor. Okay, we've got Sarah coming in today.

That's why I'm sad. Another reason why I'm sad I'm not there. I want to be seeing her.

I have so many questions for Sarah. Did you watch her special?

Yes.

I have questions for her too. Her nasty ass.

Her nasty ass special. You have known Sarah for a very long time. When did you two first meet?

2015. And our mutual friend, Drennan, who knew her from Chicago, she was coming out to New York to do shows, and she guested on this show called "Holy Fuck" that I was a part of. And he was like, there's this, 'freak' coming named Sarah Sherman, and I think you guys would really like each other. And then we, like, hit it off immediately, and we went on a tour with this great comedian and writer named Jamie Loftus called the Sarah, Mitra, and Jamie Are Ugly Tour. [LAUGHTER] And just, like, she eventually wrote and appeared butt naked on Deborah.

00:04:38

Yeah.

So, we worked on a show together, Three Busy Debras, on Adult Swim that you wrote and produced and you were the star of. Along with other Debras.

Sandy and Alyssa.

That's right. And Sarah was a writer on there, which is where I first heard her. And I was introduced to her as Sarah Squirm, which is the name she was going by at the time, which I remember thinking at the time it was unusual that a comic actor had, like, what felt like almost like a rock star name.

Yes. Which, and it makes so much sense because, like, she came up in these great music venues and, like, was like— I feel like every time I would come to Chicago and do shows with her at the Hideout, It was always, like, with these really interesting bands that I would, like, I've never heard of, would never have heard of. And she's, like, such a true fan of, like, live music and worked in radio and, like, just brings all of that. So, it, like, makes sense to me that this, like, person who's working in these DIY spaces, both, like, in music and stand-up and art, would have this sort of, like, rocker character persona.

Totally. My questions today for her are really, like, when did that person start? When does that person come out? Because you know Sarah really well, and I've gotten to know her from getting to work with her, and her persona and her personality are, like, alike, but also very different.

Yeah. She's like— I feel like it makes so much sense that she landed in Chicago because she does have this, like, warmth and, like, I don't know, familiarity with people that feels very Midwestern to me, even though she's not— from there, but like, she's just very cozy. People feel very comfortable with her, which you wouldn't expect from someone whose like material is kind of exclusively about like her flapping labia.

Exactly. Like for people that are learning about Sarah here, like her stuff on SNL is, you know, in the structure of SNL, but Sarah's material is like super scatological. She calls it body horror. It's like a ton of like dysmorphia on dysmorphia. Shocking, shocking, shocking stuff. And I wanna ask Sarah, like, the cutaways to her audience during the special, I'm like, "Who is this audience?" I had the same exact thoughts. So many men. So many men laughing and being, like, ritually humiliated at the same time. It's amazing.

Perverts. Perverts.

God, my favorite word. My favorite word.

Would you say Sarah's your first pervert guest?

Oh, absolutely not. No. But I love a pervert. I don't like a creep.

There's a difference.

Big time. And it's a fine line. I mean, you know, and it's very, it happens, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying, but rarely are women creeps, but they can definitely be perverts. But if you're a perverted man, you have a high creep susceptibility, obviously.

You gotta be really careful.

You gotta be really careful. But a fun pervert, I mean, they kind of feel almost, you know, that's another thing that I wanna talk to Sarah about is like the way she, is a fun pervert and then turns on her audience and yells at them for liking it. That's so real.

Well, 'cause it's like, it's such a relief to have someone, obviously in such a heightened way, but like, talk about all these things that like, I also am like horrified by in my own body, where I'm like, "Why does it do that? Why is there hair there? What is that substance?" Like, having someone put words to it and show it in like such a nat— It is so heightened, but it's also, like, how I feel looking at, like, these parts of me. And she— like, she really brings it to life in a way that is, like, actually very inviting, I feel, where it's like, "I'm disgusting. Aren't you disgusting? We're all disgusting.

No, you're the disgusting one." That's a perfect way to sum it up. In watching her stuff, I'm like, on the surface level, it's— kind of, like, grotesque, almost performance art stuff. But then underneath it is, like, this idea of claiming the stuff that gets thrown at us all the time anyway, just kind of claiming it and, like, doubling down on it.

Yes. The horrors of being a woman and having a body.

Yes.

So, I always ask people to give my guest a question. What do you think Sarah would want to talk about, answer, small or big, any story you want to prompt her to tell, or anything you don't know about her yet?

Okay, I wrote down a few.

Oh, you're such a writer.

I really overthought it.

Why don't we give the room— Let's get the room in here, and let's just keep pitching.

Yeah, I got together about 30,000 of my favorite writers to put together a few questions for Sarah. Okay. I wanted to force her to talk about her child musical theater career because she was really, she has so many stories about like liberties she took with the characters that she was given. Amazing.

Thank you.

That's great. Um, okay. I had two like bigger questions. If you had a zillion dollars to make any disgusting practical creation, what would it be? Whoa.

Great question. We might have to ask all these questions. These are good.

And then, what is your biggest bomb and what's your favorite show that you've done? So it's like a, you know, best and worst. 'Cause I feel like Sarah's had some, like, really high highs and some really low lows. So I think either of those I would be really excited to hear about.

Great question.

And then if there's time, where does she stand on "The Real Housewives of Rhode Island"? You know, if you're on, you know, if you're like, hitting a wall conversationally.

Okay, perfect. I can't wait to ask her these questions. Really good questions, Mitra.

Thank you.

Thanks for talking to us on your lunch break.

I loved every second.

Okay, bye.

Bye.

Thanks, Mitra.

Thanks so much.

Bye. Bye, honey.

Woo-hoo-hoo!

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Woo-hoo-hoo! And this is the food hall. I should have brought, I'm gonna kill my, I should have brought a little food for the wall.

It's okay, you don't need to bring it. I don't want that to be—

I forgot to bring food for the wall.

I didn't want people to feel like they needed a break.

No, I would've, I could, not to brag, I could've contributed to this, like crazy.

Oh, I can only imagine what you would've contributed to this.

So amazing.

I actually, before we started, I wore these on behalf of you because I feel like you would like them. I wore cheeseburger sneakers.

That should be on the food wall.

All right, we'll put one on the wall.

What is, let me touch it.

It's a cheeseburger sneaker from—

It's Dolls Kill.

It's Dolls Kill.

And I feel like, I'm not gonna lift my foot up 'cause I don't want any of you Perverts.

Perverts.

Seeing our feet for free. Those screenshots would sell for a lot of money.

Yep.

And I'm wearing ice cream. Oh, you're wearing ice cream!

Oh, great.

Okay. I feel good now. Okay. I'm not stressed. I was stressed that I didn't bring food, but I came as food. You came as food. I came as food.

Sarah Sherman is here.

Do you feel weird now that you're wearing one shoe?

That's such a good question. Let me think. Let me take that in. Yeah, I'm gonna take the other shoe off.

Yeah, right.

But now perverts are gonna know that I'm barefoot the whole time. Can they see the feet? No, God, I would never let anyone see my feet. Oh no.

Have you seen?

For free? No.

Lord.

Honey, for free?

What do I look like? Take me out to dinner first, hello. Take me out to a plastic dinner first. Have you seen your wiki feet?

Yeah.

And what are we talking?

I'm happy about it.

Oh good, all right.

You know, I feel like with body parts, no one knows this more than you, like you have to, some you make peace with, some you feel neutral about, some you have big thoughts about. I like my feet.

How about you? I have like a— I got anxious recently. Well, as you know, on the show, we have to wear many different shoes, many different hats, many different shoes, many different wigs. I'm always put in sort of— I think everyone's doing a practical joke on me by putting me in these big heels to the point where one of the writers, Asha Ward, shout out.

Asha.

Asha. She puts like in the stage directions, like Sarah exits like tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, 'cause that's my heel shuffle. Like tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, click, clack, clack, click, click, click, clack, 'cause I can't walk in heels. Heel. I'm like, clacking around. And so something happened to my feet where I think one of my toes— I have no medical basis for this. I did not go to a doctor. I did not look this up.

Interesting.

I think that one of my toes is like— it's a toe.

I love that we're talking about body stuff right away. I love it.

You asked for it!

I know I did. I asked for it.

I don't know if— I should look this up. In my head, one of my toes is just— the bones are loose, but inside of the toe sack.

Well, I have a the whole thing about, you know, like, your feet.

Oh my gosh, you haven't told me about that.

But your feet, now we're really giving it for the pervs who love feet. But your feet, your feet health are very important. Like now, 'cause I'm getting to the age where I'm starting to read like—

Barely 21. You're getting to the age of barely 21.

Barely legal, always. That what do you, what needs to stay healthy for you to like survive the next—

Is your feet?

And feet is a big one. Like meaning you gotta be able, take care of your feet, have good balance. Do you have good balance? Can you balance on one leg?

I'm saying this, like, so cockily. I feel like, yeah.

Yeah, right on. You did it.

And I don't have— I'm gonna say something great. Again, this is more feet thing. I have a huge arch.

That's very— so do I.

It's crazy.

And it's good to have it.

Okay.

Because not only does it make your feet look nice when you wanna eventually sell your feet pics, which, of course— We're all gonna be there.

Well, I have tried, actually, and I have failed.

Okay, we're gonna get into that. Sarah Sherman is here. She is our first SNL— current SNL cast member on the show. Oh my God!

What if I have all the scoop? Do I have all the scoop?

Well, you're a vet.

Eh.

Like, how many years have you been on the show?

Uh, 5.

5! But you just wrapped SNL, you have a comedy special out. It's incredible. I cannot wait to talk about it. It's insane.

It's quite insane, yes.

It's quite insane. Right now, you are in that, like, School's out, summertime.

Yes.

Like you just finished your last show last week. How are you feeling? How's your energy level? Where you at?

I feel like I had so, when you hosted this season.

That was at the very beginning, right?

And not to suck your butt, but everybody goes, who's your favorite host? I go, everyone goes, Amy Poehler, like immediately.

That's such a good sign.

And I had a lot of questions for you. I was like, what?

I know. I wish like, like every, it's so funny. As a cast member, you have such an experience. And then when you're a host, you have the experience, which is like, you just wish you could immediately do it again. Yes.

Immediately.

And I was just saying to someone, my favorite times are always the in-between times.

Interesting.

I love the joking around between scenes. I like the beginning of the week.

Yes.

The show is the event, but I tend to remember and like the weird, Middletimes. And I have such a fond memory of me, you, and Bowen sitting—

Oh!

I know!

Sitting on a couch and really, like, getting to know you in a way that I don't think I had in a fast amount of time.

Yes. Laughing nonstop.

I know. And a lot of giggles.

A lot of giggling and laughing.

Thank you for saying that. Okay, so I was your favorite host. Great. I appreciate that.

You've been my favorite. Like, I wish people saw the table read. Like, that is when I am laughing. I'm like— And that was my favorite part of your week because— Listen, okay, I'm gonna— The butt sucking is gonna commence.

I'm usually doing that.

Okay, good. Well, this is gonna be a good hangout show.

I'm gonna try to receive.

I— You, like, obvious— Ugh, so— It's like, obviously, you're good at SNL. Like, obviously. But seeing, you know, how many sketches are at table read, like 40, you have a different funny thing. You were doing, like, fun, new character voices for every sketch out of the 40. And it's like, how many of those were cold reads? And you were just like, "The doll with the eye." Oh, yeah, that was a good sketch.

Seth wrote that.

Laughing.

He submitted a sketch for us, and we didn't do it.

I try to watch so that I can organically laugh if I'm not in a sketch. I try not to read those sketches ahead of time.

Oh, interesting. Okay, yeah.

So I watch the whole table read.

But that's very generous of you because you're actually providing an audience, which people don't usually do. Like, you know, everyone's in their own— world at those read-throughs, and everyone's tired, and everyone's waiting for their stuff to get on. And so, the fact that you could even do that means that you're trying to actually stay present. Like, you're a generous person.

Well, I think it's also a percent—

Sucking butt right back at you.

I'll take it. We'll Human Centipede ourselves all the way into rubrics. Oh my gosh, Human Centipede. I mean, come on. That's a good trilogy. There's three.

I cannot believe that movie was made.

The movies.

There's 3. I know there's 3.

There are 3. And do you need me to talk about the differences between them?

And for some reason, because I am so aghast at that movie, I get it constantly on my TikTok.

Is it having a resurgence?

Yeah, there's like a lot of clips about, or like I just keep watching.

Right.

Because I'm horrified by it. Okay, sorry, I digress.

You are making it happen. I'm gonna use your podcast platform to do something. Tom Six. No.

If you are doing a human centipede porn. No, do not.

Hello. We do not need a human centipede porn.

I got an idea.

No. I'll do it.

I will show— She won't. She will not. Full frontal. I will not allow that. Full back.

Absolutely not. I'll do it. Black and white, full color, bed over, all around.

Absolutely not. We don't need it.

Not now. Some of the best, most important cinema that's been made.

It's fucking disgusting. And Tom, you are a freak. Okay, but you're on your summer break.

Yeah.

So you like, what do you do for your summer? What are you doing?

So I'm experimenting with something this summer. I don't understand how anyone can do anything while SNL is happening.

Right.

I feel like— were you doing this? No. Well, I even said—

It was all-consuming.

When I even said to you, 'cause you did "Work Birth," and it was about you being— the sketch when you hosted about you being pregnant and giving birth at work.

Right.

And I was like, "Okay, so this actually was your life." Yeah. The fact that you were pregnant there— I can't even work there, like, if my contact is too dry.

I don't know what your life is and if you ever wanna carry a child, but pregnancy is wild and funny and fun because you have to— You are a completely different body, and you love body stuff. And you scare a lot of people by walking around.

And it scares me.

Yeah, it's scary.

And I'm like, "What do you mean they're moving my organs around inside me?

They have to stay where they are." So sci-fi that there's a body inside of you. That's what it is. You're never alone.

I can't even imagine, like, my body can't even take being at the job regular. Not that pregnant isn't regular. New normal.

New normal.

Hey, watch it.

Watch it.

Like if I have like a bad burrito and I'm like bloated, I'm like, I can't write.

Well, this is what I mean is like the idea of like everyone knowing when someone has a stomachache, that's new.

That is new.

That's new.

You know what I don't like? And I'll say it, I'll stand on my two feet, buckle my shoe and say I don't like it. It's like Hot Girls with IBS. It's like I'm not proud of the diarrhea that I have every single day chronically.

And we're about 7 minutes in, we got to diarrhea. I was hoping we wouldn't.

Well, it's the morning.

I just think that, like, more and more, there's an acceptance that everyone has a different way to work within the system.

Yeah, yeah.

And I would say that you being on the show is also, I think, another example of, like, how the show has smartly remembered that it is a variety show with a million different voices and different styles. And so, there just was, I think, a little bit more— It was just, like, more homogenous. Same way to do it, same people writing it, same people on it, and it just keeps changing.

I actually think about this a lot because I'm like— This is not even to say it self-deprecatingly. Said that with an accent. I don't think I would've gotten on the show during your era because— No. Yeah.

No. That's not controversial.

But I would have— I would like to be a more talented sketch performer.

Okay, let's discuss this. I find myself to be quite limited.

Limited. Oh, okay. And I would, do you know what I'm saying?

Well, okay.

Let's, so I'm thinking lucky stars. I was not born. I, I, you know, I was born when I was born. Okay.

Sarah Sherman, let's go back.

No, we're going back.

We're going back to Long Island.

We're all, we're going back 18 years. Well, if I'm, I'm 18 now.

So just turned 18. Okay.

Carry the one.

You're 21. So you're in Long Island as a little.

Yeah. As a little.

Yeah.

As a little. Your mom is a public school teacher.

Yeah.

So was mine.

Oh.

And, um, your dad runs a children's clothing company. Uh-huh.

Fascinating.

I mean— Fab. Like, of course you love clothes. Of course you dress.

I know, but I'm like addicted.

Okay.

And it is his fault.

Yeah. So he's— so he has like a— he's like a garmento.

Yeah, he is like old-school Jewish schmatta business. So it's like everyone saw Uncut Gems was like the Diamond District in Manhattan. It's all those Jewish guys running around. Two blocks over is the Garment District. And schmatta is Yiddish for rags. So it's like all the same kind of Jewish guys running around with rags. With clothes. Right.

Long Island seems like it has produced some really complicated, interesting characters.

Well, I saw Uncut Gems, and I go, "Huh, that's about my dad." Just the vibe, right? So I stalked the writer, and I was like, "You wrote a movie about my dad." And he goes, "Well, this is actually quite interesting 'cause I'm from your neighborhood. I went to a high school near your high school, and my dad is in Schmata. So yeah, I did." Whoa. I know! Long Island.

Wait, what does fifth grade Sarah look like?

So annoying.

Why annoying?

Because I was like, the clothes thing. Like, my dad was in schmatta. I grew up around clothes. So like, I was addicted to The Nanny, Golden Girls. And like, my big thing, in middle school, when I started doing middle school plays, Ms. Orange, who ran the costume department, would let me kind of raid the costume closet in the school.

Okay, this makes sense. And you were into that.

Yeah.

Okay, we always speak to people who know our guests really well. We get a question from them and we talk to Mitra.

Oh, okay, yeah.

So Mitra gave us a— she's the best.

What did you do, girl? Girl.

And she gave us a couple really good questions.

Oh, okay.

So throughout this interview, I'm gonna pepper them in.

Okay.

'Cause of course Mitra, good girl, giving us so many good questions.

Oh, I'm sure. I'm sure the list is long.

And this Miss Orange reminds me of one of those questions, which is— You did a lot of musical theater as a kid.

I did.

And you took liberty with some parts.

I did. And Mitra, you know what you have done. Mitra knows what she has done. Okay.

She's helping out her friend.

I just— I— Let me explain myself. I'm gonna defend myself here. I always wanted to be a comedian. Like, grew up watching it.

Why? Why do you think? Funny Family?

Funny Family. Really Funny Family. Funny Girl. Funny dad, funny, like, you know, love expression was like mean bullying.

Funny.

Yes, got it. Was addicted to, like, Seinfeld.

Yeah.

SNL.

Brothers and sisters?

Younger brother, also funny. But I was kind of like a bully, but it was funny. Yeah. So, you know. That's when bullies were funny. I know, right? And I had a big science room skeleton in my room. My parents were always like, why'd you end up like this? You're normal. And I'm like, you got me a giant science room skeleton when I was like 8. Like, you know, my brother was like 3 on April Fool's. I loved April Fool's Day cuz that also felt like the comedian's day to shine. It's like clown's Christmas. He was like 3 and I put this giant life-size science room skeleton in his bed and he woke up crying, you know? Right. So it's like stuff like that. I loved April. My, my bat mitzvah was on April Fool's Day.

Whoa.

Yes.

What was the theme?

Did you have a theme?

It was April Fool's. It was April Fool's.

It was the theme.

Yeah. And the invitation was snakes in a can that I hand delivered to everyone's house.

You learn so much about people when they talk about their bar and bat mitzvah.

You really do.

You really do. Like, Ike Barinholtz was in here and his was like, "I like Ike." Like, he was running. He was like running for, you know, president or whatever. You learn so much about what their hopes and dreams are. Okay, snakes in a can, incredible.

With cushions on every seat. And like, you know, you're on, in a bat mitzvah, you're like on the bima, the stage at the synagogue. And I had a rapt audience of like 80-year-old people. Ball Jewish guys, I was going off. That was my first, like, I crushed at my bat mitzvah.

Oh my God. Do you remember any of your material?

Of course I do. Of course. It's like, 'cause it was my first, you know, I was, I've been, what is it, chasing the dragon or whatever too ever since. Like the high.

Yeah.

Was I went to a very conservative synagogue.

Okay.

And it's like the service is like 8 hours intense Hebrew. I didn't know a word I was saying. And they go like, and now the sisterhood of the temple would like to present you with your gift. And like these two 2 conservative women came up with candlesticks. I go, "Great, just what I always wanted." And my mom was in the front going— And then, not to brag, it was kind of the talk of the town for like a second.

I bet.

It was kind of like, everyone was like, "Oh, kill 'em." Great, what I always wanted.

Turning to a camera that's not there. No one knew. Okay, so what liberties did you take as a musical theater kid? What— How did you interpret the parts?

Mitra, you're so evil.

Is this a non-PC story?

So, I just wanted to be a comedian.

I wanted to be a performer.

So, it's like, I would do any play. Like, I would do, like— I couldn't sing or dance, but I'd do the musicals 'cause I just wanted to do it. And I could never get a part because I wasn't good. But I was like, "I'm gonna do it." I was like in with the costume closet. Ms. Orange would let me, like, that's— I got addicted to like '80s little, like, sequin jackets. 'Cause like Grandma Yetta on The Nanny would wear them. And that's— she let— and Ms. Orange let me keep the jacket.

Sweet.

I know. The one that looked exactly like Grandma Yetta's sequin jacket. And so she let me kind of— I didn't have a part. I was in the chorus in Into the Woods.

Oh yeah.

Which was behind a screen. You were in the woods. I was in the woods in silhouette.

Sure.

So, I was just basically a little outline.

Yeah.

But I was in the costume closet. I found a red and black lace gown with a fur hand muff.

Oh, yeah.

And I went to the director and I said, "So, this is my costume. I am— My character is the Russian tsarina." And so, I'm just— I didn't really think I even knew what that was. I didn't have any words. I didn't have an accent, nothing. And so, in the playbill, it would be like all the leads listed, and then, And then the chorus, a whole list of all the faceless people behind the scrim, and then Sarah Sherman will be playing the Russian tsarina.

That's incredible. You created a—

With personality disorder. What?

But it's such a— I mean, that is the thing about you, Sarah, is— And we'll get to it with SNL, but there is an innate confidence about you that— And I say that because I want you to know, to me, that's what distinguishes people on SNL right away.

Sure.

Whether— the content doesn't matter. It's like, are we worried about you when we're watching you? Right. I'm never worried about you any time you're ever performing.

It's so funny.

And it's not like cocky, 'cause you're super self-deprecating all the time. You're very honest. You're very like— your feelings are right up front and center. But there is a confidence that I feel like you just were born with. This idea of grabbing things and wanting them.

I think I am so used to bombing, even though it sounds like Sounds like I crushed my first time at bat. I'm so— it's like, and everything that has— every bad thing that could happen to me on stage has already happened, kind of thing. So it's like, I don't even know if it's like confidence. It's like, I'm gonna fucking crush this shit right now. It's like, what more could happen? I'm going to Madison Square Garden. What more could happen?

But ambivalence is confidence too.

Yeah, sure.

It is like this idea of like, I'm just gonna— I'm gonna float a little bit. A little dissociation too. But like, I'm gonna float above this moment so that you're gonna have to come find me. I'm not gonna like be like, like me, like me, like me.

Right.

That's the difference. But you went to Northwestern.

Yeah.

And oh, this is what I find so interesting when you talk about like, I wanna have more experience in sketch and improv. You try out for like the sketch group, don't get in.

Yep. Yep. Which was like, I was, is devastating.

That's devastating.

And I had tried standup, like I dabbled a little bit when I was like 16. I like going to doing an open mic at like a barbecue restaurant 'cause, you know, I couldn't do a bar yet. Like I dabbled a little, but that was my first big, like, you know, all I wanted to do was be a comedian. And it, when someone was like, my peers were like, no, I was like, are you kidding me?

Yeah.

And so I'm full of, I could be motivated by spite.

But then you start a comedy show in Chicago called Hell Trap Nightmare.

Yeah.

How would you describe that show?

Like, the first two—

I like that you rolled your eyes.

'Cause it's like, how could I even begin to— Okay. This is the first show.

Yeah.

It was my friend's basement. We were, of course, it was— Chicago has like an amazing DIY electronic noise, crazy performance art comedy scene. And like, you know, there was like comedy at, like, there's all this improv in Chicago and whatever, but it's like the funniest people to me were these, like freaks. Yeah. So like my friend Mike Sugarman was performing as under this noise moniker, Shug. And the first Hell Trap Nightment, Nightment, I had a stroke. The first Hell Trap Nightmare was in my friend's basement. The poster was like a woman's face was see-through and you could see her teeth and brains.

Sure.

'Cause I was like, you know, that's the trigger warning.

Yeah.

And you know, I hosted, I did like 10 bad minutes of standup. And then my friend Shug came out in a trench coat, in a wig, sunglasses, flashed everyone, and he had chorizo taped to his dick.

Yeah.

And was, you know, smashing light bulbs, but that was music, of course.

Yeah.

And I think I did a, uh, I don't even know what the— these bits were like, it was like a stretch to call it comedy.

Like, well, it was like performance art, right? Yeah.

But with, but with like, the intent was to be funny, but when I, I chugged a can can of room temperature clam chowder. I think the joke was literally like, "Oh, you like a woman who's a tall drink of water? I'm a tall can of clam chowder." And then chugged the whole thing and everyone's like, "Cool. What?

Okay." You know, we don't need to look back on our bits and explain them. They were just like moments.

No, they were what they were.

They were moments, babe.

You were experimenting.

Of course.

But you were like, I mean, I think it's one of the things that you've brought to the show, like just your— your esthetic, not only outside, but like your influences. Like, you are very, very interested in all types of media and art.

I am.

We talk about in your special, like, Paula Poundstone fucked SpongeBob. You also talk about like—

Yeah, like, it really makes sense, by the way. And gave birth to what? Huh? Sometimes I just say stuff and I'm like, eh, it's going in.

But also Ren Stimpy and, like, Pee-wee.

Yeah.

Like, what were your, like, what kind of stuff were you, like, when you think about all that stuff that jammed in your head when you were younger, what jammed, what got in there?

I think, like, I always, I loved doing art and making stuff. And I also loved performing comedy. And for some reason, I didn't know that you could do both at the same time, like, when I had started. So it was like 2015, like, you know, there's not, like, the internet in the way it is now. Like, I didn't really know I realized I could blend art. Like, I was doing all the posters for my show, 'cause it was very raunchy, blue, horrific comedy. So I'd make the posters be like lungs with nipples on it and be like, "You know what the show's gonna be, whatever." Right. The letters are like a tampon with poop on it. It's all right, whatever. I wasn't that creative. But I was like, "Oh, that was like a trigger warning for the show. Awesome." My mom, by the way, to my special taping, wore my old "Hell Trap Nightmare" shirt, which was a uterus uterus with ovary eyeballs and a severed finger shoved up into the— and a smiling, like, open gashed vagina with like a butthole. Would you guys do insert picture here?

How does— what do your parents think of you?

Like, how do they—

it is so intense.

It's intense. It's intense.

And, and I, I don't mean to be misogynistic because like if it's a And then it's, they get a different pass. But like your stuff, as a parent, because your parents love you and they love that you're, they love the work. How did they like, do they invite their friends to your show? They, they're down.

It is, it's literally like Paul Schrader hardcore. The, the, "No, my daughter, no, turn it off!" When he has to watch his daughter doing porn. It is that. But, "No, turn it off!" But they love it.

They love it.

They are really supportive. And I do think I have to say, I think that's what the confidence is a little—

Okay, I think that that's true. I didn't wanna say it, but I'm learning about loving parents privilege.

Oh yeah.

If you have parents who are like, "You are great," that really creates a scaffolding for the rest of your life, obviously, when you try things where you're like, "Well, I guess my parents will still love me." No, there's not a threat of losing my family.

Yeah.

—maybe this is TMI, but I did a bit. I've done a lot of updates where I'm in a big animal costume, and that is Loren's idea.

Yeah.

Because I think I'm like— he's like, "What am I gonna do with her? She's crazy. She's like a wild animal. I don't know, I'll just make her be a wild animal." I don't think people know that he pitches bits. He was like, "You're gonna play a squirrel." I'm like, "Okay, cool. Whatever you want. You're my boss." "Okay, boss." He said after I did, I think, a squirrel or some fucking animal, he said, 'You did that. I could tell you were loved as a child.' And I was like, 'Oh!' Clocked.

Clocked. Clocked.

He has very—

Oh, yeah. Deep.

Oh, yeah. I remember being like—

Oh, yeah.

Yeah. He, as the kids would say, he can read you really fast.

Oh, for Phil!

For Phil.

Phil! Sehr gut, sehr gut, sehr gut.

Sehr gut?

WISO Steuer ist sehr gut.

Das sagen ganz viele. Cool, wer sagt das? Stiftung Warentest, Computerbild, Fokus Money, Chip, Finanztipp. Such dir was aus.

Mega, aber das ist doch bestimmt kompliziert.

Nö, einfach Foto von der Lohnsteuerbescheinigung machen und fertig. Klingt sehr gut.

Ist sehr gut. Hol dir dein Geld zurück mit WISO Steuer.

Kaffee in seiner besten Form mit der neuen Qubo One Kapselmaschine von Shiba. Cubo. In jeder Cubo-Kapsel steckt Spitzenkaffee aus besonderen Anbaugebieten. Für Espresso, Kaffee-Crema oder Kaffee-Grande auf Knopfdruck. Die neue Cubo One überzeugt mit Premium-Design, kompakter Größe und kleinem Einstiegspreis ab 29 €. Dank innovativer PressBrew-Technologie wird jede Tasse besonders aromatisch mitsamt dicker Crema. Entdecke jetzt die Cubo-Kapselmaschinen in deiner Cibo-Fiale und auf cibo.de. Okay, so you have this way of performing, and then you audition for SNL first when you're really young.

Mm-hmm.

Don't get in.

Mm-hmm.

What was that like?

Well—

Like, was it a real audition? Did you go into the studio? Yeah. Okay.

It was Sharna Halpern from IO. Shout out, girl!

Shout out, Sharna! Let's talk about Sharna for one second. Sharna Halpern ran Improv Alliance. Theater in Chicago now called IO, 'cause the Olympics sued and made them change their name.

The Olympics.

The Olympics. That's right. And Sharna was the director who, in my case, just, like, put me on an improv team, said, "Hey, there's a woman named Tina. You're gonna really like her." That's so— Sharna arranged that marriage. And Sharna was in charge of so many of us and, like, launched so many careers.

Oh my God, I didn't know that.

So Halpern, Sharna, Shawna got you in front of the— Shawna, she's always had an eye.

She knows. That's great because I just wanted to do comedy. I couldn't get into the fucking college thing. And so I was like, oh, I'll go do it in Chicago, stuff in Chicago. And I was kind of a bad fit. And I'm like, not again. I feel self-conscious about my limited range. It's like you kind of need a little bit of range for improv. And I was kind of not a good fit there. And I would also Or like, they would be like, I'd have to get takings too. It's like, hey, you're wearing a big shirt with a brain on it. It's a little distracting. And I'm like, fair, fair. I was like, I'm kind of a bad fit there.

Yeah.

But she was like, you're gonna do the SNL audition. And at that time I was like, I was 22 and I was like, that's a bad idea. 'Cause I was doing these things with the Teresa penis, whatever. Right. And I was like, I just didn't. And she was like, you're gonna do that. She's like, you're gonna be great. Like if you need help with it. I was like, well, everyone tells you, I didn't know anything. And everyone's like, oh, your 5 minutes has to be like characters and impressions or whatever. So I did that and it was obviously terrible. Like, it was just like I was trying to do what I thought the assignment was.

Sure.

And I bombed really badly. I wore like my, I remember what I wore. I wore, I know, we're actually finding out I'm a clothes addict. All my memories are marked by my outfit.

Well, I would say that you work from the outside in. Yeah, I do. So, yeah.

And actually, this is a problem at SNL.

All right, well, now it's time— Now for season 6. Inside out. Work from the inside out.

I've been trying. It's really hard.

I would love to see you just in a— I would love to see you in a neutral dress, a slip dress, hair natural, no makeup.

Yes. Leaves blowing.

Leave is blowing.

Hello, children. Your homework's late. Big smile. "Your homework's late." Can I think? Can somebody write that down? It's amazing. But this is Loren's big thing with me. He's like, "Just, let's just get it to—" And I'm like, "For Cy, ugh!" Okay, it's okay.

It's okay. Don't beat yourself up. I mean, it's a lot to ask.

It's a lot. It's hard!

It is. It's hard. It's hard to show any— Especially when you're— It's like playing with— It's like practicing with your backhand. Like, your forehand's really strong, and you're like, "I can score." And someone's like, "Now hit it with your backhand." And you're like, "Now?" I know!

Season 6? I'm 33! You don't think I was trying?

Yes, okay.

And I try, like, you know, Ashley Padilla started 2 years ago, and I'm like, "Oh my God, the character." And like, every character she has is like an internal world. And like, the jokes come kind of easy to her because she has like inside, she like knows what the character wants. And there's like, there's a motivation there. And I feel like I've been doing it all wrong for like 6 fucking years. 'Cause I'm like, "Well, what if the wig is weird?" And then you have to cut it. Come writing the joke, 'cause it's so much harder 'cause you're forcing it from the other way around. It's outside in, so it's a little harder.

I'm gonna say something right now. I think you're not afraid of the failure. I think you're afraid of the success, 'cause I actually think you can do it. I actually think you are a good actor and you can do it. You're afraid of being successful at it. So, like—

Everyone wants to cast me. I'm not afraid of being an actor. I am free! People say that thing where they're like, "Oh my God, you're a stand-up. That's so brave." I'm like, it's cowardly. Cowardice. It is true.

That's great.

Yes, it is true cowardice. Like, I, you know, so many things even in my special are like, people are like, "Oh my God, you're like loose and riffing." That's all written down. You think I would riff during my HBO comedy special? No, I have a pre-planned bit. I'm like, I'm gonna find someone in the crowd wearing glasses. And I go, "Why do you wear glasses to the show?" So you can wear your prepubescent glasses. Said it wrong?

It's okay, we'll edit it. Here we go. And edit.

Don't edit it. Show my failure. I'm actually vulnerable standing up.

My God, you should make your own bloopers, vulnerable blooper reel.

I'm showing my armpits with, hey guys. Why did you wear your glasses to the show? So you could see my prepubescent body better, you pervert. Everyone goes, oh. Oh, you think I thought of that on the spot? No! I wrote it down 8 years ago and I've been saying it every day since.

Sucks. I feel like once you get the confidence of knowing that you're not gonna get fired from the show, basically, which is true, you're at that point. Congrats, babe, you're at that point.

I was crazy this season a little bit.

Well, you might get fired from something you say for sure, but not for lack of like, we don't need you.

Right.

But yes, you might get fired. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Of course.

"Yeah, HR did want me to talk to you." "And I'm sorry for what I did and who I touched." Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. I have to say, like, what I find so impressive about you is you have managed to maintain yourself, your POV, and your sense of what you think is funny. And you worked within the system. I.e., like, you coming at Colin in "Update" is a perfect example where you're like, "Okay, I'm gonna use this." I'm gonna use this structure. I'm gonna hit Colin, who's like the ultimate, like, alpha, straight, white punching bag, successful punching bag. And he can handle it.

Yes.

And why it's so satisfying to watch, because to me, it also— And you do this a lot in your comedy, especially in your special, where you, like, play around with what I like to call, like, the millennial threat. Like this idea that, like, someone's gonna get something wrong.

Yes.

But people are very scared to screw up.

Yes. And I have. Of course, we all have.

Yes.

But you are pressuring the powers that be that they might fuck up. It's very exhilarating to watch, 'cause obviously it's also talking about Cancer Culture, misogyny, and patriarchy, and all that stuff. But it's not. It's just funny.

Right. And it's like, as mean as I'd be to Colin, calling him a pedophile, whatever, whatever, I'm really mean to myself.

Yeah.

So, it's, you know— But even that, it's like, I got lucky on the show because he— I had joined the show as a complete ac— I was shocked that I was there. All my friends, like, the inside joke was like, "Okay, Sarah's gonna show up as a waiter in a scene and go, 'Want some water, ma'am?' And then get fired." You know, that was the big joke with all my friends, who apparently, like, love me and are nice to me or whatever. But so, it was like— So, I was just happy to be there. Yeah. And I was like, I wasn't expecting anything to happen. Like, I was writing sketches, but I didn't really know. I didn't even have Final Draft until midnight on writing night. Like, I didn't know about any of this. And then, um, so I wasn't getting any sketches on the show, but I didn't really care. But then Colin was like, why don't you come on Update and do, like, your— yourself? And I didn't even know that you could do that.

Mm-hmm. There is some version of getting known on the show, but it doesn't stamp you forever, but, like, where people see you as a person to face.

But I wouldn't have done that if he didn't say so, 'cause it felt presumptuous or something. I really was there to be a good sport and just do whatever the job was.

Okay, but I just wanna gently say to you that you should just take credit for that success, because even though it wasn't your original idea, perhaps, we all know that we're collaborating.

You are.

We're all collaborating, working together, but you have to deliver. One other thing I'm gonna ask you about, and then we'll jump off SNL, but Louis—

Ah, stupid question.

Let's talk about Louis Zakarian.

What is there to say?

Louis runs the makeup department, and he is incredible.

It's crazy.

Like, let's talk about him for a second and what he's made for you.

What hasn't he? He does— Prosthetics and makeup takes time.

Yeah.

And I think I've seen people describe the SNL makeup experience as a pit crew. There's like 8 people putting on a bald cap at once. I've moderated Comic-Con panels for him where it'll be a guy in a Grogu suit or whatever being like, "Sir, what's your fastest bald cap application?" And he goes, "2 minutes." And you hear the crowd go, "Ooh!" Yeah. You see every X-Men character in a blue makeup room.

They should make a TV show like The Pit. Yes, yes! And they should make it in the makeup room of Louis' room because the way that they—

Yes, yes!

Like in The Pit, the way that they do it the way they, like, save people by, like, stabbing them in the heart and, like, you know, like, that's how Louis has to do makeup.

Yeah, he's ripping a bird beak off and putting googly eyes on my eyes and he's, "Get out there!" But by the way, he's having so much fun. Like, he never says no. He's having so much fun. He films the whole thing. And it's like, we could have, like, 45 seconds to get me looking from Jessica Rabbit into, like, Ms. Grinch or whatever. And he still is like, one second. Shelby. And it's like hilarious. He like gets off on the thrill of it. He, he— like, my favorite, we did a thing where it was like, it was supposed to look like me and Michael B. Jordan got stuck on a roller coaster, and it like blew our like hair and mouth open. And I was like, I was like, can you make it look like I have a speculum in my mouth, like blowing my mouth out, but you don't see any pla— like, it just has to look like it's naturally like that? And he doesn't say Right.

Well, that's what an emergency room doctor is like, "We'll see what we can do." Yeah, "Will the baby die?

I don't think so." And it's the same stakes for a comedy show.

It's the same stakes.

It's the same stakes.

And that's, if there's any takeaway, it's that what you do is as important as people that work in the ER.

No one banged their pots and pans for me. Notice?

Exactly.

This is another Mietra question. If you had unlimited funds and you could make any disgusting creation, what would it be? I don't know if I wanna ask you this question. Oh my God, no. Yeah, maybe let's say on SNL. So we have to say that it passes, like you have, like—

'Cause there have been, that isn't, this is another reason why I, working outside in. I love that. I'm taking that. I'm gonna write my book about that. Okay. So you have fun with your book. I'm taking outside in. It's like, it's such, it can be such a hindrance because like me and Dan Bulla had like this idea for like maybe a sketch that's like at like a facial spa or something. Mm-hmm. When we take our sheet masks off, it just pulls the whole front of our face off. And for years, I— me and Louis have been like, "Well, how are we gonna do that?" 'Cause, like, when I first started the show, I was in, like, one sketch every 6.5 months. So, like, was it— but now it's like, maybe I'll be playing Trump right beforehand. Who knows, James? I'm coming for your breakfast nachos or whatever. So, it's like, if I had unlimited funds, ones, it would be like, I would be able to do something like that really fast with, like, I just want to take my whole face off.

Why? Why do you want to?

I don't know. It's really weird. And it's not normal.

It is. It is. Like, when you say that, my brain pictures it and I'm like, "Oh, Sarah." Sarah, you just made your life so much harder. But I know I'm— but that is just— it also is like, there is There is such an incredible performance art artist. Like, you have a Cindy Sherman vibe. Ah, my mother. You have a— like, you have a— like, a dance with the grotesque that's super interesting. And it's always like, what level is, like, gross? Like, what grosses you? Does anything gross you out?

The other day, literally, I, like— you know how people, like, chew on their sleeves or, like—

Oh, yeah.

Like wet, wet fabric on my teeth. Like I got grazed on, on the train on the tooth with my own sleeve and it like gave you a chill. It, that's like my nails on a chalkboard is like stuff like that.

Like, okay. But any kind of like your face peeling off, you're down.

All good. All good. All good.

And, and then my last question in that SNL space is, cuz we all have them, what does your SNL stress dreams look like?

Oh, I actually wrote a sketch about this.

Okay, incredible.

It is, oh my God, I wish I could remember the sketch 'cause it was like, you know when you stay up all night and you're like, I'm getting a Nobel Peace Prize for what I just wrote?

Classic sketch.

Classic sketch. Yeah. They always win the Nobel Peace Prize. I'm like, if I read, I wrote it 2 years ago, I'm sure if I read it today, I'd be like, what? You know what I mean?

Yes.

My stress dream is always writing night.

Okay.

And it's always— I get to— I'm at writing night, and I'm— the clock says it's like midnight or 1 in the morning, and I don't have anything yet. And I'm going from room to room with, like, my tin can being like, "Will you write with me?" And everyone's like, "No, I'm already busy. I already have my thing for the week." And I'm going door to door down the hallway, and the hallway gets longer. Very— okay, Christopher Nolan, don't steal this for one of your little projects.

For your Odyssey 2. Oh, yeah. Odyssey 2. Um, The Human Centipede.

Don't tempt me with a good time, Amy Poehler. And the hallway just gets longer and longer, and I'm like, "Does anyone want to write with me?" And that's like— that's what I'm the most anxious about all the time. It's like bombing on live TV is one thing. Bombing trying to get someone to write a sketch with you is a fate worse than death. I have one more stress dream that was my first year.

Okay.

Which was— there's a prop toilet on the floor of 8A. 8H. This— I have this dream 2 times. There's a prop toilet on the floor of 8H. I know it's not hooked up to any pipes. I know it's a prop, and I shit in it anyway. And everybody's looking at me like the last shot in Murder on the Orient Express. There's, like, a shot where they're, like, all looking down at this dead body, and you see the POV of the dead body looking back at everyone. And I see everyone looking at me going, "The toilet's not hooked up to anything. Why'd you do that?" And I'm going, "I know. I have no idea what happened." happen. And my Jungian dream analyst at the time said that when you poop in a dream— gross— it's, it's like you're putting work out there and you're embarrassed.

I worked hard. Yeah. And also, do you have a Jungian, um, dream analyst? Do you do a lot of therapy?

I do, many times a week. Woo, fun! Doesn't seem to be working.

Online or in person?

I'm I'm on the— You're on the couch. Yep. I'm lying down on the couch and—

The whole time? Yep.

Whoa. I'm doing like analysis. I'm doing analysis.

That's old school.

Yeah. And I just noticed recently, 'cause I don't look at my therapist and sometimes I'll be like this.

Male or female therapist?

Of course it's a man. It's not fair. "Fix it! It's a man! It's not working! A woman would fix it!" Like this. And I said something, and I heard his laugh behind me, and I went— Like he wasn't— he forgot he was there! Yeah. And I was like, "Stop." I don't know why. That was so— I immediately, I was like— I never looked at him. And I was like, "Get it together." Oh my God!

You're making me think about, like, my stress dreams for SNL were less about, about, like, "Will you guys, you know, like, where can I get in here and write with people?" Or like, "Oh, no, my— the shit in my toilet, you guys don't like." Of course. Which is your work, your work.

Of course, of course, of course.

But mine was disappointing. Mine was about disappointing, like, powerful figures. It's a very Gen X-y stress dream. So mine was always about, like, I would often have it, which is I'd hear Jenna Russitano, as we talked about, the great AD, calling me, and I would realize, "Oh my God, I'm not on stage. Like, I'm missing my cue." Yeah. And I had it more than once where I'd be running down from 9 to 8.

Where else throw up?

And I'd pass everybody whose opinion I cared about.

And they look at you and—

And they would go like this.

Ah! And it was everyone you could imagine. It was people from my past, it was people working on the show, it was always someone. Of course, Lauren, and everyone was just like, "Wow, you really let us down." Oh!

And I would wake up and cry. It's like, "Amy Poehler, you are late for hot dog bar mitzvah! Where is your prosthetic butt? Your funny wig?" It's so crazy what gives us literal anxiety trauma is you running to go do Mr. Butt and the hot dog hospital. And Lauren going, "You're a disappointment to your father." And you're like, "Wait! I got to go be Captain Crunch: The Musical!" It's so stupid!

So stupid.

So stupid.

Okay, and the last question that Mitra wanted me to ask you, she had so many good ones, was, What was the— and you've talked about it a little bit, but the biggest bomb and the best and the favorite show you've ever done? Because we talk about, you must have bombed big time. And I'm kind of fascinated about your time opening with Adam Sandler, who— talk about what a terrific, lovely person and nicest person probably to be around and open for. But the audience might not have been. That ready for you.

He is so—

Is that a good way to say it?

And thank you. I'll take it away from here. Okay. Exactly. It is, okay, butt sucking initiation. Computer enhanced butt sucking right now. You and Adam, and there have been other cats, like Fred, you guys are so minchy that it's like, I'm thinking of people who have, like, how could anyone do SNL without the Menches? Like, I have Adam being like, "You're doing great, kid." Like, I would have blown my brains out from here to the Western Seaboard if I didn't have him being like, "You got it, dude." Yeah. He's so, every time you see him, "How's your mother? How's your father? How's Hanukkah? What's going on? I love you. Mwah. How are you?" So Menchie. And like, opening for him, I have bombed a lot.

Yeah.

Because people have paid good money to be there.

They have hired babysitters.

Drove all the way from Hackensack. They are 6 drinks in. They are there to see Adam Sandler, not Long Island Presents Sarah Sherman, someone they don't know who's sweating up there. They have paid good money to see The Wedding Singer.

Well, honestly, when I was watching your special, I was fascinated by the audience. Oh yeah. 'Cause I was like, this audience. So your special, Sarah Squirm, live in the flesh. Live and in the flesh. Live plus in the flesh.

Thank you. That was a big thing.

Live plus in the flesh. And first of all, why is it Sarah Squirm?

That was how I, like when I was doing these basement shows with the Tree Zone stuff, it was just like the poster was like, you know, I wrote written in guts. It was like a kid. Also it was like performing with bands like Piss, Piss, Piss, Moan, Moan, Moan. Rest in peace Alejandro, he has passed. That's a crazy thing to say. But like, I was like, so I was like, I don't wanna just be like, and Sarah. And then there's Sarah. So like, I was kinda like, you know.

Yeah, it was like your punk persona. It was like X-Ray Spex or like Alice Cooper or something. Yeah. And I like— It's very music.

It's very music. But that's like the show. That's what like, it was the shows that I was doing. 'Cause I was like, I just, you know, it was the vibe.

Yeah.

And—

Did you get pressure to, or like, did people say it should be Sarah Sherman?

So then when I got, so like I auditioned for, when I auditioned for SNL, SNL doing, you know, they— or no, I was doing— I was just performing Sarah Squirm at the time, and I wasn't really like thinking about it. And then when I got— so that, that's on all of my SNL paperwork, is just they found me at a show as Sarah Squirm. So that's still on my paperwork.

So technically you've never been paid. I've never been paid. I don't work there.

Yeah. My alter ego works there. Point to another ghost over here. My alter ego works there. And Lauren, when I got the job, Lauren called me and was like, you know, they're like, oh, Sarah, like Lauren's calling you. And I was like, hello. And he's like, "We think Squirm is a little distracting." And I go, "Say no more.

You can have all the anger you want." And you know who liked that? Your parents.

Yeah. My mom is still to this day, it's like, people will be like, "Hi, Mrs. Squirm." And she's like, "No, that— don't call me that." Yeah.

They wanna hear Sherman up there.

They wanna hear Sherman.

Yeah.

And so, when I was doing the special, like, not, you know, people don't know me from standup really, 'cause I know, No, the ticket sales show. Pittsburgh! Wah! They're like— You know, everyone's like, "It should be like Sarah Sherman, live and in the flesh." But I'm like, "But that's not the character." Yeah, I get it.

And it really helps set the table, like you said. You set the table really fast. In fact, the table is set—

It's set. It's got the forks, the knives.

The special starts with something I've never seen in a comedy special, which is like, It's like, there's like a warning of graphic violence.

There is.

And it's like, there's a warning of graphic— Like, there's so many warnings.

There is, yeah.

And, um—

I know.

You also start with John Waters.

I know, which is the ultimate trigger warning.

Yes, you're so right. If he's like, gonna kind of put a stamp on something, you know that like, there's gonna be so much poop talked about, for sure.

So much. Yes.

And also, John Waters, And he's like, "This—" I mean, he's— What does he mean to you, John Waters?

Everything!

How did you get him? How do you— I wrote him a letter! You wrote him a letter!

I wrote him a letter that was like, I drew everything. What's so helpful with visual art, or all this, it's like you can provide your own trigger warning always. So I wrote a— For the posters for Hell Trap, it's like, "There's a butthole that's bleeding with an eyeball." You know what you're getting into. Oh my God. Sarah, enough! Enough!

Okay.

So I wrote him a letter and there was intestines all over it. And I was like, do you wanna like, you know, there's this, do you wanna play the stage manager in my standup special? And I was like, your scene partner will be this. And then I drew a little picture of me as like the bones and guts on the floor. And I'm like, this is who you're gonna be talking to. And then I put my number at the bottom of the letter and I was like, if you're interested, call me or whatever. And then I was getting out of therapy on a particularly devastating read of a day. I had just bought a loaf of sourdough bread, and I was literally walking down my block ripping off pieces of bread and eating it like an animal or a raccoon. Good job, Lauren, you knew. And I got a call from an unknown number, Baltimore area code. "Hey, Sarah, it's John Waters. I'll see you on set." What? Yeah. And I said to my producers, 'cause I had written this stage manager character—

What a cool way to say it.

"I'll see you on set." I was like, I—

That's an old school fun way to say it. I'll see you on set.

I'll see you on set. And I was like, do you want me to, is there anything you wanna say? Like, and he is like, I'm not writing it. You wrote it. I'm saying what you wrote. And I go, that's professional.

Yeah. Yeah.

He doesn't have punch up.

He's like, I'll be on scene. And I bet he had about like a 2-hour door to door, right? Like he was like, we gotta hard out and we gotta be outta here in an hour and a half.

He was being hilarious and he was pitching jokes.

Yeah.

'Cause he couldn't, he couldn't have set. And guess what? They made it in. Yes. Okay. You want some Visine 'cause my eyeball's out? That was a John Waters original riff. Yeah. It's like I'm the luckiest girl in the world. That's the crazy thing. I keep going back to SNL, but you're bringing it out of me, girl. I, if I didn't have SNL, I would be a random crazy person.

But I wanna say something. I don't find you crazy.

Right.

I don't think you're crazy. Right. That's true. That's why you're interesting.

Right.

Because if you were truly detached in like, in a way, not to name names, but like, other sometimes performers who are kind of in your milieu or vibe are, then it's hard. I know, me too. Then it's kind of hard to attach.

Sure, yes.

It is hard. It's like, okay, they're in their own creative world, but I don't know, we're just gonna kind of watch it from afar. But you aren't. So it's very interesting because you're in command of what you're doing in a way that's—

Right, there is something. But I'm like, without SNL, would I have been able to do this crazy comedy special where there's a clay butt that farts out a ghost? No. Would John Waters have agreed? Like, I don't know. Probably not. Thank God.

And for people that have listened all the way to the end, I mean, there is a clay butt that—

Happens right in the beginning. If you don't like it, turn it off. Turn it off!

Speaking of comedy, as we end, who are you listening to laughing? 'Cause you know, you do comedy all day for a job. What do you watch to laugh? Like, what is your checkout? Like, is it a video? Are you watching old movies? What's making you laugh?

Most recent, always Real Housewives. I'm watching.

The last question Mitra had for you is, are you enjoying Real Housewives Rhode Island? Listeners, Sarah's just like—

What is she saying?

She's just, she's aghast at the obvious yes.

Did you grow up watching soaps? Yeah, I watched General Hospital, which was my favorite show of all time.

Wait, weren't you on a soap?

I begged to be on a soap. General Hospital so I could bring my mom. And we met Sonny Corinthos and sobbed for days. Yeah.

Okay. I just talked to Paula Pell, who also loves soaps and has not been on one. And I feel like Paula should definitely be on one.

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I think they were like, "Are you kidding?" And I was like, "Uh, no." No.

Who did you play on the soap?

A woman.

A Russian, uh—

Yeah, the Russians are in it.

The Russians are in it.

Yeah.

I love talking about what makes me laugh. I was watching Home Movies the other day. Hysterical laughing.

Like, "Hahaha!" Of your family?

No, I wish, actually. That would be nicer. The cartoon. Oh, Home Movies! Oh, yeah, yeah.

Home Movies, okay. I don't know Home Movies.

It's fucking funny. And it's very crude animation.

My kids love it. And it's like, "Aww!" Yeah.

It's so funny.

Okay, who?

Dying laughing.

Oh, we've got some friends in there, right?

We've got some friends in there.

H. John Benjamin. Yeah. Okay, got it. So it's—

Laughing.

And it's animated sitcom created by Brendan Small and Laura Bouchard, who made Bob's Burgers. Got it, got it, got it. Home movies.

Laughing.

So are you a big animation girl?

No.

You're not?

No.

'Cause I bet people are like, "You're like animation." Yeah.

Like, "You look like a cartoon, you fucking bug-eyed bitch." Jesus. Sarah, apologize. Sarah, you said that to yourself? I know. Apologize, Sarah. Sarah's my friend Sarah. Bad.

I patted myself on the back. But you're not a cartoon person.

No, 'cause they can't emote or anything. Like, I love Ren Stimpy. I'm not, like, laughing out loud. Yes. So I don't know why.

You're loving it.

Just get in my ass.

Yeah, that's good.

Get in my ass. And then—

That's really funny.

I just did— Do you know Hollywood Handbook, the podcast?

I love Hollywood Handbook.

I was sobbing.

Okay, shout out to Hollywood Handbook. Those guys are amazing. Those guys are hysterical. I saw them recently in a restaurant and asked if I could be on their pod. And I watched— They were like, "No." And they were like, "No." They were like, "We're booked." And also, I watched you on Hollywood Handbook, and that bit went on forever.

It was so— it was 45 minutes.

Yeah, it's just one long bit.

Just one long fat joke.

And it—

Sorry.

It was so— I love a bit that goes on that long.

I love it. And they were acting like they hated it. I loved it. They say— Sean will say one word. I can't— Like I was laughing like a baby last. Like I was going like— Sweating, laughing so hard sweating through my pants, sweating through my hat and my pants.

I know, I think there's some delight and it's kind of, I'm gonna bring us back. There is some kinda delight that you have that I share which is if you get to be around like-minded and safe people and you go, when you guys are like playing, like, and going, like, just on the corner and edges of things, but it's with people that are like, not just like nice people that you like, basically. There's no greater joy because it feels like you're actually like, I guess I imagine it would be like entering dangerous terrain with people who are really skilled that will take care of you. That's the closest. I mean, we're not athletes. My body is relaxed.

That the thought.

But I love that too. I love, I love a family that teases each other That to me is a sign of intimacy.

Yes.

And it's a sign of safety if you're with— it obviously has to be the right people in the right way. But when that happens, it feels like a special kind of magic.

Yeah. And like, yeah, we are making fat jokes. Is that amazing? No, but it's safe. You can be a little scary when it's safe.

Yes.

Ugh, you're so right.

Well, congratulations on being a vet.

Shh.

Was that an abrupt goodbye? What should we do? I'm gonna put my shoe back on.

Oh! Oh, I forgot!

Can you believe that I've had my shoes off the entire time?

How did it feel? Did you feel grounded?

It didn't feel bad. I don't mind it.

It didn't feel bad?

It didn't feel— I didn't, yeah, I know what you mean. Like, was I grounding during that time?

Like, did you, or were the whole time you were talking to me, were you like—

Are you a shoes-off person in your house? Do people have to take their shoes off?

I have my shoes on and I like Frankenstein Einstein boots all day.

Yeah.

I'm not even wearing them right now, so you think I'm a fucking liar. I'm wearing little shoes.

Little cuties, though. But let's not show them for free. Yeah.

Let's not show them for free. No, man.

No, no, you gotta pay for that.

Yeah. That's correct. A lot! 'Cause we're on TV, so—

Yeah. And AI's gonna take everybody's jobs. So we're gonna— The only thing robots don't have, human feet.

And when they show them, they have an extra toe. And that's kind of interesting.

And if you were listening at the very beginning, the beginning, Sarah has a weird condition where her big toe is just a sack of bones.

Right.

So if that's your kink, then you gotta go to her toe channel.

Right. And if you are only listening to the end of this podcast, weird, why didn't you listen to the beginning? Did you just like scrub through?

And if that's your kink, then we're not kink shaming you, but you might wanna think about listening a podcast entire way through, 'cause it also might be satisfying.

Right. Or I like to kink shame. I think it's weird when people like stuff that's weird. Sorry.

Sarah, thank you for doing this.

Oh my God, thanks for having me.

Thank you for coming.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, Sarah Squirm. Sarah Sherman. It was so fun to talk to you, and you're so fast and funny. And yeah, what a delight. And, you know, Sarah and I talked about a lot of people that we've had the pleasure to work with, but I just wanna give a little shout out out again to a woman in my life who really shaped my career. And I know a lot of people in Chicago could say the same, and that is Sharna Halpern. Sharna was the creator and the person who started a theater called IO in Chicago with Del Close. And Sharna was just one of those people that if she saw something in you, she put you in front of important people, and she put you on stage. And in my case, she changed my life. So thank you, Sharna, for helping me meet most of the people who I still work with today. And for those of you that are in Chicago, go see Improv and go see it in any city. Support it today and every day and support the arts. Okay, thanks, bye. You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss-Berman, and me, Amy Poehler.

The show is produced by The Ringer and Paperkite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Kat Spillane, Kaya McMullen, and Alea Xeneres. For Paperkite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell, and Jenna Weiss-Berman. Original music by Amy Miles. I like other women with some really good hair.