Transcript of Stories from ‘Saturday Night Live’

Hello, everyone, and welcome to a very special episode of Good Hang. We have done 52 episodes. Deck of Cards, baby, and it is time to celebrate. We are going to celebrate with a few clip shows that puts together some of our finest and most fun moments. Our first one this week is all of our SNL stories. We have had cast members on here. We've had people who hosted, and we've had a lot of people talk about their time on SNL, the good and the bad. We've grabbed some of them and put them together. You're going to hear from some amazing people. You're going to hear from people like Maya Rudolf, Seth Myers, Martin Short, Andy Samberg, Tina Faye, Jack Black, Rachel Dratch, Kristen Wig, Anna Gastier. It's going to be incredible. We are going to start this episode with someone who worked behind the scenes, someone who was and is still the most incredible photographer who took all the pictures of your favorite people, and they are their favorite photographs. And just recently, her new book, The Art of the SNL Portrait, has come out. Mary Ellen Matthews is joining us, and let's get the skinny about what it takes to work at that crazy place.

Mary Ellen, hello. This episode of Good Hang is presented by Uber Eats. Big news, Aldi is now on Uber Eats, and you get 20% off your first grocery order with code, New Aldi 26. So whether your fridge is empty and you're too tired to shop Where you just ran out of essential ingredients in the middle of a meal prep, don't worry. Fill your fridge in just a few taps and get 20% off your first Aldi order on Uber Eats. For orders over $60, you can save up to $20. Ends February 28th, Terms apply. See App for details. Mary Ellen. Hi. Hi, honey. Hi, honey.

I'm so thrilled to be here. Never in my wildest dream. This is amazing.

Are you kidding me? We're doing our clip show of all the SNL peeps that have come through. So many of them are in your book. The Art of the SNL Portrait, your book.

I'm so excited to see it in your little pause.

Tell everybody what is your job consist of. What is the weekly look like?

So we find out who's going to be on the show the week before or a couple of weeks before that, hopefully. I just have to come up with them ideas and talk to the stylist, talk to whoever's team it is. Because it's collaborative. It's between you and I. It's between whoever it is and myself. I don't want to drive the vision just what I want to do. So try to include whoever it is in those decisions. And also it's not about just doing these conceptual ones. It's just about you being you in this time and space, because it's a documentary also about the time of you doing the show and what's going on in the world.

It's so true. You're right. Everyone has an era that they're in.

Yeah, for sure. For instance, there was a blizzard happening, one in 2016. It was on a Saturday. Rhonda Rousey was on the show. So grabbed her between dress and air, threw her on a sled, and just put her outside on 53. So things like that, if you can really nail it down to the actual minute that is happening is pretty special.

That's cool. You want the pictures to feel like live, like part of a live show.

I mean, I wish I could do that more often, but that's No one else wants to do that but me.

Let's talk about Tom Broker. What does he do at the show, and how do you guys work together?

Tom is the costume designer. He designs all the costumes in the wardrobe for the entire show. And for me, I work with him on the photoshoot. So if he styles the photoshoot, if the person doesn't come with their own styling team, and if I have an idea of like, I want Amy to be in a 17, 17 17th century Dutch masterpiece. Of course, that idea doesn't come till about 1: 30 when you're going to step on set. So I'm like, Tom, I'm so sorry this idea just came to me, but it happens sometimes. So he has an archive, and he's just a genius to know what to pull and know exactly how to make sense of this wacky idea.

Well, I'll give a perfect personal example of what it's like working with Mary Ellen. So Mary Ellen is like, I have this idea where you have an apple on your head. You're balancing an apple on your head, right? And I'm like, okay, cool. And then props, gets the apple. And then Tom's like, what are you thinking? And you're like, maybe something angelic. And I put this white dress on. It looks culty. And you're like, that's cool, that's cool. And we're like, that's cool, that's cool. And then the apple goes in your head and someone's behind me holding the apple on my head. And you're like, don't worry, we'll paint it out. We can paint out the hand so it looks like the apple's on the head. But then you're like, but it looks cool with the creepy hand holding the apple. Yeah. And that's a perfect example of all of these things are happening in real-time, and the creativity part is the part you're getting the most excited about.

A hundred %. And it's like, who is it? Quincy. I'm going to quote Quincy Jones right now and say, Let's leave room for God when you walk into the studio because you don't know what's going to happen.

Mary Ellen, anyone that's worked with you, your proof that if you're good at your job and you're wonderful to work with, it should be easy. It It shouldn't be hard. It shouldn't be torturous. Everyone that has worked with you comes away with their favorite pictures of themselves.

That's so nice to hear. It's true. It's a collaborative thing. I've got so many great people working with me, and the styling goes into it in our prop department. I'll tell a funny story if you have time. Yes, please.

Of course. Okay.

So Paul Rudd was on Paul McCartney, and I thought of this at the very end. We were all like, he's watching the rehearsal. I'm like, you got to come over here. We got to get this done. And at the very end, I was like, we should make you into a '60s version of Paul McCartney, the Mop Top. And so he's got to go on and do his rehearsals and whatnot. Speedy or Sir Speedy, who is the wonderful guy, the gentleman who takes care of all the band's equipment and all the logistics, he goes running down to Chelsea guitar, gets It's like the left-handed base for the Paul McCartney. Jody's doing the wig, and Tom's pulling together this, and we put it together during meal break, and he nails this.

I could show you. Yes.

He nails this. I'm a mop top Paul McCartney. And it's one of my favorite.

Oh, my God. I remember that picture. So, listeners, it's a black and white picture of Rudd looking like Paul McCartney. And It's Mary Ellen in a nutshell, which is like, I have an idea, and then everybody steps to it. It's a complete collaboration, like you said, and it looks incredible.

And you can't ask that get from people unless you know it's a good idea.

Well, you took an amazing picture of Tina and I when we hosted where we were, Simon and Garfunkel.

There's a great behind-the-scenes picture in there, by the way, at the very end of you two laughing when we were doing that.

Well, everyone should check out the art of the SNL Portrait, Mary Ellen Matthews who's the best photographer around Mary Ellen. Everyone that has worked with you adores you, and you are aging in reverse. Love you, Mary Ellen. Thank you so much for doing this, and congrats again on your book.

Yeah, I hope to see you soon, honey bunny.

Okay, honey bunny. I'll see you soon. Thanks again. Bye. This episode is brought to you by Visible. This year is already in full swing, which means you're likely being pulled in a million different directions. Keep the New Year, new me momentum going by switching to a new wireless plan from Visible. It's one-line wireless with unlimited data and hotspot for $25 a month, taxes and fees included. You heard that right, $25 a month. Same cost every month, all in Verizon's 5G network. It's the ultimate wireless hack to save money and still get great coverage and a reliable connection. Switch today to Visible Today and cross wireless savings off your to-do list. Terms apply. See visible. Com for plan features and network management details. Thank you, Mary Ellen. Thanks for getting on. It's so good to see you. And let's get started with our show. Let's hear first from Maya Rudolf. One thing I wanted to bring up in that office was there was a cleaning lady, Rosa, that worked on the 17th floor. Tiny, tiny lady. Very teeny. And she had been there for a very long time. She had seen some shit. Yeah. And There was a moment when...

Would you tell the moment when we were in that office and Rosa came in?

I think it was probably... Usually, if we were in that office during the day, because we were there so much at night, we weren't keeping regular office hours. So there weren't great times for people to come in and clean and change the trash cans out and stuff. And so it was probably a read-through day, maybe like a Wednesday, and we were in there waiting for a table read to start, and someone was definitely crying. I think Emily might have been crying because her desk in that office was close to the door, and so she had her back to the door, and she was talking to us about something that was really hard, and we were also sleep-deprived. And I just remember Rosa coming in, and she didn't speak very much English, but she saw what she always saw, which was she came in and she saw a few of us just sitting around talking to each other deep in conversation. And Emily was crying, and she put her hand Emily's shoulder, and she goes, Oh, don't cry sexy. Do you remember that? I love it so much. It was like it was yesterday.

Don't cry sexy. Don't cry sexy. I highly recommend you say that to your friend when they're sad. It's reallyJust a little. Don't cry sexy.

Don't cry sexy.

Do you want to tell everyone the first time you met Barack Obama Obama and who you were dressed as?

Yes, I would love to. The first time I met Barack Obama when he was running for office, I was dressed as Shirley McLean. And then the second time you saw him, you were dressed as? Barack Obama. Yeah. It was a sketch that you and Darryl were Hillary and Bill Clinton at a Halloween party. It was one of... And I I remember Barack was new on the scene, looking smooth. And at that time, I think Barack Obama masks were popular because it was like, The new I ended it. And so the joke was going to be that I come in like, I'm Barack Obama. And then he taps me on the shoulder with his mask and takes my mask off. And I'm going to be like, Oh, my God, it's the real Barack Obama. So we did that address, and that was it. Yeah, he didn't do it at air. We did not do it at air. Thank God. Why?

Do we know why?

I do. I did not have a take on Barack Obama at all.

I didn't have- Also, I just remember you were-The way I was dressed? You were a teeny tiny.

He's a very tall man.

Very tall, handsome man.

It's very fun and stressful to be dressed exactly like the person you're standing next to.

It is so much fun. I remember the first time we saw each other when we were about to walk out on stage. So at dress rehearsal, there was a little flag there and door that's supposed to open, and I'm there waiting in my little Brooks Brothers suit, and I think we bound my boobs. I used to play Scott Joplin, and so I had my Scott Joplin wig on. And I was standing there.

People don't know, Maya has the cuteest, little tiniest little legs. From knee down... Just the knee down. Knee down, it's like a little... Little toothpick. Tiny, tiny Look at those little legs from knee down. So cute.

I want to kick, stretch, kick. Little...

5 to 3.

Tiny Tiny. Tiny tiny, tiny tiny.

Just from the knee down. They're breakable, I think.

I know. They're so little. So you had your little suit on.

My little suit on, and it was Tiny Tiny, and then he came over. And here's the thing. It was written then. I didn't have a good impression. I was like, I'm Barack Obama. I was standing there, and then he came over and I said, Well, what do you think? And all he said to me was, I don't wear a three-button suit.

Damn.

I still don't know what that means. That's like a guy knowledge thing.

Sounds like flirting to me. Just kidding.

No, I'm not. I will take that. I've gotten two tonight, and I'm taking them home with me. I'm taking them into the spank bank tonight.

And you have a lot of female friends. I do. A great number. I count myself as one of them. Women in your life who are your friend, who you're deeply tender to and you really take care of us and you care about us. You and Shoemaker are the only men they're ever allowed, even close to, a lot of the SNL women we gather together as a group. And just recently, we let you sit with us for 30 minutes. And then we said, I think it might have been... Maybe it was Tina.

Tina said, Thank you for coming, and also, thank you for leaving.

Yeah. Well, on the way there, I said, Seth, heads up, we're meeting, and I think you have about a half an hour window. And you said, Fine, I'll take that. And then we sat down at the steakhouse, and you hung. And then Tina said, And now it's time to go.

Can I point out my favorite observations about you guys as a group? Yes. You needed a second table for all your jackets, and every one of you had two totes. And most of the meal... Again, I think if people saw the seven women that were there, they would be like, Oh, my God, how funny was it? And I would say, Most they were looking through their totes. At no point were less than two people looking through a tote for something.

Yeah, because we had put it in the other tote.

Just comedy legends, rustling through totes.

It was a lot of, hand me my tote. It was like, is this my tote?

A lot of matching totes.

Yeah, I think we had gotten some totes.

Matching totes and puffy coats is how I would describe it. It was the SNL 50th week, and it was very cold.

It was. Also, we We were all dealing with a lot of temperature. Our bodies, we're of a certain age. We get hot and cold really fast. It was a lot of putting on coats, taking off coats. It was a lot. A lot of like, Oh, my. I'm so hot. And then taking the coat off and then handing it to you to put at the table.

Every coat was louder than the next coat. When you moved the coat, it was like the sail of a schooner.

It was just like...

Very hard to hear any conversation due to the rustling.

Which is weird because we were shouting at each other. We do shout at each other across the table very loudly.

Also, Paula Pell, within five seconds, had set up a home office at a third table.

You're right. She got a third table because she had to do some rewrites. It was during the show week.

Real-time She writes on SNOW 50th. She immediately had a laptop and also a TV monitor hooked up.

There's also when we all go out, there's a ton of food panic. When are we going to get our food? Who ordered? What should we order? And we all fall into very specific categories about how fast we should order.

There was a lot of talk about what you guys were going to get. And as soon as the server came over, the minute they spoke, everybody forgot everything that had been agreed upon.

Yeah.

Because it went right back to square one.

Yeah. And don't forget, I'm a woman of a certain age. I need 85 grams of protein a day. So we were just like, how many steaks do we need to get? Like 40 steaks?

They put us in A private room where you could have a wedding.

That's how big it was. Yeah, they knew what they were dealing with.

And yet within 10 minutes, I thought we might need a second room.

The sprawl. Well, luckily, in 10 minutes, we asked you to leave because it was enough time.

It was so much. Putting on and take it off code, sometimes I think of an SNL sketch just at the table that for whatever reason stays with me forever. Do you remember if Fred did a sketch where he was someone at a dinner party who kept taking off and putting on his scarf? A scarf? Yes.

The longest scarf.

It was a really long scarf, and he kept being like, Oh, my God, it's so hot. And he would take it off. And it was like, he had to loop it around his head, and he had a practical scarf, and he'd loop it around his head 10 times while everybody waited. And then he'd start telling a story. He's like, Oh, my God, that kid's so chilly. And then just looping. I think about it all the time.

Did it make it on air? No.

But I think about it all the time. Also, Fred, I think Anilda was his... Do you remember his stenographer, Quartz stenographer character? Oh, yeah. And it was...

That had a name? His Quartz stenographer had a name?

I think Anilda. Anilda?

I think. I'm not sure. Okay. Typed like this.

Kind of a little bit like this.

It was a lot like that. But also pause the trial a lot to look through her bag and just would say over and over, I can't find my chapstick. I can't find my chapstick. I would say I don't see a scarf without thinking about the first one or hear somebody say chapstick without thinking about the second.

Fred Armisen is like, and we talk about him all the time on here, he is truly the funniest of the funny people, I think. Fred can do these physical things, the slightest.

There is no one funny than Fred.

Ii agree.

This is what Fred said to me at the end of the-Fred arms him for everybody listening. This is what... First of all, this is visual, but his dressing room is beside me. I would pass his room and he'd be on his phone. I'd say, Hey, Fred, and he'd go, See, Fred, you're not really asleep. Oh, hi. How long have you been here? Fred, I just saw you on the...

And the other thing he did, which he completely convinced me was true, was when I left the stage after the Good Nights, he said, Why did you call Paul McCartney, Tony McCartney?

I said, What? Yeah. I mean, you said, Oh, Tony McCartney. Because I didn't know Paul was standing beside me, I thought, Did I? That's a funny joke. Then I told Bill Hater this, and Bill told Fred, and then Fred sent me a text like a couple of days ago. Sorry, I thought you knew that was a joke. I literally thought I said Tony McCartney.

That would have been great. The stupidest thing in the world. Tony McCartney.

Tony McCartney. I wish I said it, of course.

Not knowing Paul's name. Fred used to send me a long text about his flight schedule, like when he was arriving, what airport, what time to get picked up as if I was picking him up from the airport? Yeah, I know. He is so deeply funny. He also does a bit that I love where if you haven't seen him for a long time at a party and you, Hey, Fred. He goes, Hi, how are you? He pretends you're just a fan bothering him. He's so funny. He loves a bit.

He does a million of them, too, and everyone's funny. Yeah.

I mean, that's what's so funny about the stuff that we do is nobody remembers the 10 to 1 versions of things that were just stinkers. Always.

Crazy stuff. Stuff where I was mad that it would get cut, and then I would go back and be like, Oh, my God, there's nothing here. I was just running on fumes. Why was I so mad? It was just because it was literally as much as like, I exist, too.

I want to be on the show, too. Emily Spivey and I wrote a scene one night that we thought was so funny, and it was just about these two giant truck drivers who would come up next to each other and keep telling the other one to hunk it. Yes. And it was like, Honk it, honk it, and just telling the other one to honk it. And we were like, Oh, we were dying. And we turned it in 8: 45 AM. And Shoemaker was like, We're not doing hunk it. And we were like, What?

We already made T-shirts.

He was like, We can't produce hunk it. We can't get two giant... We can't get two cabs. And also, guys, we were like 35 sketches over, and you turned this in at 8: 45, and we were like, Justice for Honket. We were still... We were so mad.

So just to be clear, you're not going to let us read Honket? Okay. Okay. Noted.

Looking forward to having an employer that supports Honket. Fucking noted. Looking forward in the future to working with someone who understands Honkett and what it means to us.

Oh, Oh, my God.

The thing that made me laugh the hardest most recently, was this clip of Bobby Moynihan from... They did these really great SNL documentaries, and it was a documentary about auditioning for SNL. It was people, and you were in it, you were great in it. They talked to people about the process of auditioning, and then they show them their audition back. People get emotional. They've never seen it or they're like, Oh, my gosh, this is from 50 years ago or whatever. And they made Bobby watch his audition back. And he's doing a character in his audition that's just beyond inappropriate. And he's watching it, and he goes, Oh, no. And then he just goes, Oh, Bobby. And the way he says, Oh, Bobby, the way he calls himself by name is so gentle. And so it made me laugh so hard. And I think it should be the TikTok sound that people play. You have to see a piece of comedy that you're like, Okay, we realized now that that's not okay. You just show the content and just hear the voice of Bobby going, Oh, Bobby. And that's how you apologize for problematic content in the past.

You just put the Oh, Bobby sound over it, and it means, I see it. I'm sorry. Let's all move forward. I know better now. I know better now. I do better now. I'm an ally who makes mistakes. Oh, Bobby. Oh, Bobby. Oh, Bobby. That really made me... I couldn't stop watching it. You can make that... Get that audio. You should trademark that audio and make merch. Well, you could have been a cast member. No, I don't think I could. I don't think I could handle it week in and week out. 100% disagree. Once every 20 years is more my speed for that gig. But you could have... I mean, did you ever audition or want to audition? Because you were in. I didn't want to audition, but then I didn't audition. I had an idea in mind that I never went and followed through with. What do you mean you had an idea? Well, I I don't want to repeat it because now it really sounds stupid in my mind. But my audition was going to be basically...

I was going to be a superhero that I created. I don't remember what it was called, but it was like a combination of the Hulk, and maybe it was just the Hulk.

I was going to come in as the Hulk and just jump around and do this weird slow motion performance art dance where I would crush things with my foot and then do a mimed, the Earth is cracking.

I was not going to get in, and I knew that. But I had practiced it in the mirror in my living room a few times, but I never pulled the trigger. You didn't? No. How come? Did you get an audition and you just didn't do it? I'm fascinated by because also I'm interested in that story because that is a little bit of sabotage. Maybe there was a party that didn't want to be on it. Well, that's the constant battle is the fear of failure. Totally.

Sometimes you're up for the battle, and sometimes you're just like, pass.

Okay, do you remember Boys Night Out?

Yes.

Do you remember the sketch that didn't make it on SNL when I was there with you. Yes. Emily Spivey and I wrote a sketch called Boys Night Out, and it was Jack waiting for the boys to arrive. And they never showed up and just kept ordering more wings. But there was a song. Do you remember the song to it? Boys Night Out. Boys Night Out. Now really rocking and the chicks are all us rockin' cause I'm talking about a Boys Night Out. You never forget a song like that. Thank you so much. That's all I needed to hear. Do you remember the first scene on SNL that you were getting laughs and you thought like, It's working. That felt like, No.

Gosh, I don't remember the first... Because I remember the first few times I got on, I wasn't even... I left my body. So I don't remember like, This is going really well. I was just like, I'm on. That thing. Well, the very first show, I wasn't in, like the season premiere, whatever. And you've told all your friends, I'm on us. And everyone's watching it. Your scene gets cut like it does. And then the next week, the same thing happened. The scene got cut. So it was like the third week.

Who was the host? Do you remember?

The one that I got on was... I should know this. Oh, my God. Well, I know the first one was Jerry Seinfeld. Then it was Norm McDonald. And then it was does not compute. Oh, my God. I don't remember.

It's funny. The brain remembers trauma. You remember the two shows that you weren't on?

Dana Carvie? I'm going to have to go look.

They're going to do those three guys in a row. Look on your computer. What year was it, Dratchy?

It was 1999, third episode.

Okay, this will be a fun game.

Dana Carvie?

Okay, I'm going to have you guess the musical guest because that's always fun, too. Oh my God. See? I don't know this. So 1999. I don't remember anything. No. 1999 SNL hosts. And don't worry, we're going to keep all this in.

Let me Let me tell you one cool thing, though. I just heard that. Wait, let me tell you one cool thing, though. Please. The very first musical guest was David Bowie. And when I I've told this before, but when I was getting my photo taken for the very first opening credits, it was on the stage in 8H. And David Bowie, it was Thursday, he was rehearsing with the band. So I'm getting my picture taken, and he's right over there singing Rebel Rebel. I mean, I have chills every time I think about that because that was just like... I mean, I don't even have words for the surrealness.

That's a very... That's a very... To have a soundtrack of that moment for your life, and it's David Bowie playing life.

It's David Bowie, Icon, yeah. So I remember that.

Should we tell the Black Crow story?

Okay, so one time... So I don't do drugs at all. Then one time, the Black Crows were the musical guests, and someone on the Instagram came out to me and was like, Hey, do you want... That's my drug off her voice. Hey, Do you want whatever you call it? Joint? Not a joint, but just a hit off a joint. I see. I don't know. I could try it a couple of times. It's never really worked. I've never really dug it. Then I was like, Okay, sure. I took one puff off of this Black Crow's... Am I going to get sued? The Black Crow's pot. You took a hit off the Black Crow's pot. I took a hit off the Black Crow's pot, and my cousin was visiting me, my cousin Zack, and I came back to the table and I was like, Oh, I guess I'm really high right now. I was so embarrassed because it was my little cousin. I never, ever, ever- I didn't know you were your cousin. Get high. Then I came back and I was like, I don't really remember if I told him or not. He didn't. He might not even know.

I don't even know. But that was my one.

I remember you telling me you couldn't get up from your chair.

Oh, I don't remember that. But it's possible.

That you were stuck.

I was just like, really? Anyway, and that's why I don't do drugs. I mean, you know. No, I'm just not into that feeling, I guess. No, you're not into that feeling. Only if it's from the Black Crows. And then, yes, Chris, Chris Robinson, call me.

Then when you were at SNL, I feel like we got I was thinking today about all the stuff we got to do together, and we got to do a lot of dumb- So fun.

So fun stuff. Oh, my gosh.

But I was thinking, it was like, I mean, in many ways, I wish we had more time together when I was more experienced there because I was new and stressed, and I felt like I loosened up more and figured out how to just have more fun as I got older there. But we did get to do some fun stuff together.

First of all, you were in the original Debbie Downer, and that was so fun. I mean, just to be laughing there with you.

Well, you bring this up, and I ask this question to people on this podcast, and I truly feel like it is because of Debbie Downer that I asked this question. Again, I owe you a lot of money. Thank you for building this podcast with me. But Debbie Downer, I've said it many times before, was and is the thing that I go to, also maybe now replaced by the clip. The clip. The clip of this podcast.

I watched the clip a lot of times. I just wanted to clarify. I don't go watch my work. I don't go watch a movie I did because I just like to have it in my head. But that, it's like I said, it was like seeing your biggest crack up. I have to laugh every time I watch it. Me too.

Debbie Downer was like that for me during very dark times because it was the combination of us all having fun, your Or the way in which you were physically trying to hold it together, the way the laugh was like something you were trying to hold in, combined with the zooming- The zooming. And the sound effect.

We've watched it so many times. Emily Spivey knows every single. She's like, This is the part where your lip starts quivering. Because there's one part where at the very beginning, I'm going, And then there's the part where something falls backstage. I look away. My eyes dart over there. We know every single moment. It is.

It's like the Zapruder film, frame by frame. It got me... It's such a serotonin boost. Before we move on, talk to us about who did you write Debbie Downer with and how did it start?

Like the origin of the- Yes, the origin of.

Okay. People will want to know.

Well, it really started because I went on a vacation by myself. That had been suggested to me by a therapist. I have to leave that detail out. But since I'm on this one-on-one Amy interview... No, I said it once or twice, but usually I leave that part out for the masses. But no, not like this. This number one podcast, Masses. But no, she kept saying, take a trip by yourself. I was like, why? I don't want to do that. I could go with friends. I don't want... I just took it as doctor's orders. I'm doing this. I self-propelled myself to the jungles of Costa Rica. No, but I wanted to pick somewhere that it wasn't going to be like, Honeyooners. I wanted to pick somewhere that was just, I don't know, somewhere remote, I guess. It was very remote. It was in the Osa Peninsula. You had to take the big plane, then you take the smaller plane, then you take the two-hour Jeep drive. I was going deep out of society.

Each time, it was like, Barbara Partia One. Well, no.

So I picked this. It was like this eco-lodge thing. So I went there, and then it was just like a... So there was like these commun... It wasn't like a lot of people there. And it was actually really cool. And I did meet really cool people. And I met these two sisters that they were older, but they're like my age right now. I mean, the age I'm now. And they were like... They told me the fundamentals of what is later known as the secret. Did I tell you?

When I was on this trip- People should know Dratch knew the secret before anyone knew the secret.

And I learned it from the jungles of Costa Rica, from two white ladies that were from Colorado. But anyway, they were just weird because you're chatting. And I got to say, hats off to the suggestion because I never would have talked to strangers if I was with a friend. Right. So I'm having this conversation and these These women were telling me about basically what's the law of attraction, I guess. But they put it like, if you think on positive things, positive. And if you're focusing on lack, you'll attract lack, basically. But then it almost the the whole thing got sealed because then we were on this... You could do nature walks or whatever. And we were on this walk on the beach with the little... It wasn't a group. It was like, whoever's here and wants to go on this thing. And this woman was saying there were these beautiful birds overhead these scarlet macaws, and it was way up in the sky. And this woman goes, I want a feather to bring home for my daughter. And I swear, 20 seconds later from way way up high. This feather starts to just go... It falls down.

We all see it like... And it lands right at her feet. Amy doesn't believe in any of this stuff. I do. That's cool. That's cool.

I believe in manifesting.

That was cool, though. So then I was just like, Sold. I'll join your cult. No. But then... Okay, this isn't anything about Debbie Downer. This is just other stuff on that trip. But anyway, but then the Debbie Downer story is that when later, it was sitting at dinner with Randos that are there, and people just making chit chat. And someone said, Where are you from? And I said, New York. And then they said, Oh, were you there for 9/11? And it was three years after 9/11. It wasn't like three It was like, it just happened. It was like... And then I was like, Yeah. And then it's just like in Debbie Down, you had to get the conversation back because it was like, Vacation times. Right. And then about a week later, after I got home, I was out listening to some band, which isn't something I usually do. But I think that's interesting because doing something you don't usually do, and then your brain is like, I don't know, you're not on your usual channels, I guess. But then I just had that idea of this based on that, like a Debbie Downer popped into my head.

Yes. And then, which this is just talking creativity, I found at SNL, you couldn't just go in there and like, Okay, let's think of a scene. It had to be moments like that. To me, that only happened once or twice a year, which is why you might sit there at home and be like, Why isn't there SNL, man? But it's like thinking of really original characters that hit on something. It's not something you can steer the ship on. To me, it has to vibe out with you. I don't know. Yes.

To your point, you have to keep the channel open and find the muse and let it find you. It just can't be turned out. Exactly.

Then I took it to Paula Pell, who we wrote with often and is hilarious. Everyone knows Paula now because I love Paula's out there more in front of the camera. But But anyway, and then on writing night, we were trying to write it. We set it in an office, and it just wasn't really flowing. It just wasn't really jiving. And then we were like, maybe we need to put her somewhere really happy. So then we thought of Disney World, of course, happiest place on Earth. And then while we were writing it, of course, Paula was cracking me up with these one-liners and everything. And then we started just going like, just for ourselves. And then we were like, what if we put that in the scene with the actual trombone sound? So then for read through, we had, I don't remember if we had the live person or someone just had done it. But then it read through like it killed. But then you never know because sometimes something can kill at the table. And then when we were in dress rehearsal, Jimmy and Horacio were laughing. I was thinking, you guys, I feel like this could work.

Keep it together, guys. And then on air, I just flubbed one of the lines. And then I don't even know. I guess I was so nervous. Sure. And then we all started laughing.

But thankfully, you just the good Pisces fish. You went along for the... It's so joyous watching it because it is just the... It's like what real live TV is supposed to feel like. Okay, well, you've talked about this, and I've heard you talk about it and it really made me laugh. For the first sketch you were in at SNL was when you, right? Yeah. We're pregnant in the butt. My character was pregnant. Your character. But it's funny because back it up even to my first pitch, because that was J. B. Smooth.

The great writer and performer, J.

B. Smooth. The great everything with the best pitcher. Incredible. And he pitched this thing where you were pregnant in the butt and everyone was laughing. And I didn't know that he just does funny pitches. And he wrote it? I think- And it got on. He often... J. B, I think you often pitch stuff that maybe you weren't going to write. Yes. You know what I mean? I always pitch stuff. I I wasn't going to write. Same. That was the thing. On Monday night, you would be like, and you just bullshit your way to get a laugh. And then you'd be like, Okay, now I really have to buckle down. But I think because the response was so funny, J. B. Was like, I got to write this. That's the other thing. And you're like, I wasn't really going to write that thing. It was my very first sketch. Jason Lee. Jason Lee was those. Foo fighters. Yes. Foo fighters. Foo fighters. I did say that. I'm so happy That was my first sketch. That was your first sketch. And do you remember the first... I mean, the first character, you have so many, but do you remember the first one that was a recurring that you thought...

Was it Target Lady? Where you felt like, Oh, I'm going to get to do this again. I have some... I don't know. I know. Was it A-Holes with Sudeckis? It was either A-Holes or Target Lady. Yeah. I mean, for people who don't remember, Kristen has done so many characters. I mean, we could talk about them all day. But there There was Target Lady who was, of course, very, very excited about things getting improved. Yes. And had an incredible haircut. Great wig. Thank you. Incredible wig. And then another great wig and another character was A-Holes, which is Sudeckis, Jason Sudeckis. And you guys were just the worst people to show up anywhere. Yeah. Yeah. And you did a great move where you would play with your hair and chew gum. Real simple. There's so many funny characters that I want to talk about, but I won't embarrass you by going through them. But I've said this to you before, my favorite character is the surprise lady. That's one of my favorites. I love her. I love her for a million reasons. I love her because the way you play her is so funny. I love her wig.

Fantastic wig. Oh, always in a turtleneck. Always. Well, she had died in it. She had died in it. That's right. That's right. Did you write it? I think that was in the script that we We pulled it over. Yes. When I say that was one of my favorites, that comes from doing it. I like being in a sketch where There's a lot of people, and there are moments where everyone is looking around, like what is going on? I love that moment. I love a cut to Keenan. Just... We got to get out of here. This lady is nuts. We got to get out of here. That's my favorite thing. That actually would be a really good way to sum up a lot of your characters. Oh, yeah. Most of my sketches, if you go back and look, you got to cut to people being weirded out by me to remind the audience that. But why I love the surprise lady so much is because there's a lot of wig in it, I think, because she is nervous but excited, and she loves a party, and she cannot wait to deliver that good news. She She can't wait.

And the physicality of her and the way… It's so funny. God, I just watch clips of it all the time. Really? Yes. I love it so much. I love it so much. It's so funny and stupid. Funny and stupid, yes. Which is the best. Which we know is the highest praise in comedy. Agree. The more people go, Oh. Oh, that's so dumb. That's so dumb.

And you're like, Yay, I did it.

For people that didn't see the SNL 50th music special, which was amazing, there was sketches in between acts and a lot of musical sketches. Bobby and Marty came out and crushed. That was not an easy audience. It was an audience of truly every single person was either performing or a performer, or it was a cynical audience. You guys crushed. What was that feeling to do that that night?

It was so fun, for lack of a better word. It was so... There was something... As you go back to these reunions and you bring all of your history and baggage and whatever with you. Again, speaking to your point of the fact that this is all just so embarrassing, because first of all, it's a radio sitting music hall. It's 6,000 seats. I mean, it's a huge, epic space. We followed Lauryn Hill.

Sure. That's who you want to follow.

You have to understand that in the wings, there are thousands of cool music people. I mean, my dressing room was next to Jack White and his band, and I'm dressed as Bobby Mohan cult, okay? I've got the giant glasses and my striped dress, and Will got his bald paint and his... We were rehearsing in the keyboard. So already, we're like the losers in the wings.

Do you know what I mean? I mean, the winners for me, but yes.

It was fantastic.

I mean, actually, you're like, you got the violin and you've got the eye patch.

100 %. And so we're already just like, what is happening? What is happening? Why are we here? And who invited us? And then we just started to giggle because it was so cute because doing the sketch and doing that, it was very easy to imagine how excited Bobby and Marty would have been. The people would have been to be at Radio City.

And what was it like back then? What was it like back then? Did you see Jack White? Who else are you seeing?

Mayhem. I mean, mayhem, like posses and people with music people.

So they got like- Yeah, they're so cool. Big, cool hair and glasses and Lauren Hills, a fur coat and an afro.

Everybody's got floral pants that come up to here. There's posses and weed everywhere. Chris Martin's in the corner. Cool people. Cool people. Actual cool people who just looked right past us. They did not know that we used to be on Saturday at Rye. They were just like, Who brought granny and gramps? Just right past us.

That actually probably was fun. It was so fun.

That's fun. Then we like, going out there and all that stuff just suddenly worked.

You're right. Now that I'm remembering, Lauren Hill had a surprise, incredible performance. Insane. And the food chips.

There's like smoke.

And then it was like, test, test, test. And you guys cry. And that's what I mean.

You know what I did? I knew it was streaming, and I also knew... I mean, it was really funny because we were like... And all of their stuff was about how they'd come to New York for an ophthalmology appointment. They were just lucky to slip in. And just everything about it was so fun. And so we're sitting there and... It's so funny. Yeah. I did have the feeling, I was like, this is streaming, because one thing about SNL for me, again, I don't know if you ever had this, but it's a little bit of an A student nerd girl thing. My greatest regret about this show, not that you would go back in time, is that I never settled into it and enjoyed it because I was always so aware of the time and of running down the clock, somebody else's sketch is going to get cut. When we were there, it was such an explosive surfeight of talent that There were always three sketches a night that might not make it. I always felt like I had to keep it moving, keep it moving. I was suddenly very aware that it was streaming and that I was not going to be rushed.

I was like, I'm going to be Bobby Mouth. The funniest thing in the the world to me is this woman and this man, these choir teachers, getting people to settle. Because there's just nothing funnier. So that's what they did. That high school teachers just settled.

They just kept telling people to settle.

I need you to settle. I need quiet in the back. Hand goes up, mouth goes shut. Hand goes up, mouth goes shut. I was like, I'm going to keep going until they settle. I'm not going to worry about it. And if I had been at 8: 00, we never would have done that.

Right. Very good point.

But we took a full, probably 45 seconds to I'll get people to pipe it. David Spade, pipe down.

That's right. You guys called him out by name.

I don't want to hear it, pierce Brosnan. So stupid.

You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weis-Burman, and me, Amy Poehler. The show is produced by The Ringer and Paperkite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Kat Spillane, Kaya MacMullen, and Elea Zanaris. For Paperkite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell, and Jenna Weis-Burman. Original music by Amy Miles. Say mal, hast du bei der Steuer auch diesen Schulflashback? Einfach irgendwas raten und dann hoffen, dass es stimmt? Boah, nee, gar nicht. Wieso Steuer ist so mein safe space? Du meinst, damit ist alles sicher? Ja, genau. Wieso Steuer ist so die Steuer-App, die dich einfach versteht. Egal ob Studium, Job oder Umzug. Fühlt sich gar nicht wie Steuern an. Steuern erledigt? Safe. Mit Wieso Steuer.