Choice Words with Samantha Bee

Each week, comedians and best friends Jessica St. Clair and June Diane Raphael take a ‘deep dive’ into their real lives and discuss a wide range of topics including how to pursue joy amidst the insanity of motherhood and family, grief and loss, sh*t they put on their faces, and why they refuse to check their voicemails or unpack their suitcases.  In this episode, June and Jessica petition to bring back the return of intercoms. Plus Jessica rents some deadstock exercise equipment from the 90s, June places an extreme order of half and half, and we discover the limitations of Jessica’s calendar system.  For more episodes of The Deep Dive, follow wherever you get your podcasts or head to: https://lnk.to/thedeepdivefdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Connie Britton, creator and host of Hallmark’s new series The Motherhood, joins Sam to unpack parenting and talk about the importance of choosing community when raising kids, and how she is now helping other new single moms to do the same. They talk about why it’s hard for women to ask for help, how babies don’t respect working hours, why it’s important for kids to see a range of emotions from their parents, and even if their sons should become good at online gambling (they shouldn’t). And of course no Mother’s Day episode would be complete without them bonding over eating their kids’ food off the floor. Yum!  Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Weird Al Yankovic joins Samantha Bee to discuss their unique meet-cute, and how their interview came to be due to a scam gone right. Al tells Sam about how he’s actually happy with all the choices he’s made in life except (other than wishing he had bought Apple stock) and yet he agonizes over little decisions—especially when editing music videos. He reveals that the ultimate dig at him is when people say he’s talented enough to do “real music”, why record companies beg for Christmas albums, and turning down an opportunity to open for Duran Duran at Madison Square Garden. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Renowned restaurant critic, food writer, and magazine editor Ruth Reichl joins Sam to talk about why taking a job as the editor-in-chief of Gourmet Magazine was such a hard decision, and how it ended up changing her life. They talk about getting paid to do a job you would do for free, her new documentary “Food and Country,” thoughts on meal kits, and their recurring waitressing nightmares. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Iconic American fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi joins Sam and talks about choosing to honor a commitment to do costumes at the Kennedy Center despite its hostile conservative takeover. They talk about his Trump-induced “meat-mares”, how sometimes there’s nothing to do but “double Spanx” and learning to do female impersonations as a seven year old in Brooklyn. Isaac tells Sam about how he loves performing on stage regardless of the extreme anxiety that accompanies it, why people holiday shop at the airport, how to tune-out by tuning-in to Drag Race and why unfortunately it’s too late for him to try drag. They debate whether creativity will flourish or disappear during this administration and if Democrats will ever be able to wear red hats again. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at shopify.com/sambee.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii joins Sam to talk about what it’s like to show up to work amidst all the chaos in DC and why the best preparation for being in Congress was growing up with three brothers. They discuss why the enormous dissatisfaction with President Trump still can’t paper over the real problems with Democrats, the importance of telling different types of people that they are welcome in the Democratic party, the difference between having good conscience and being courageous, his talent for organizing other politicians and how proud he is of his Senate-BFF Cory Booker. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Comedian Matteo Lane joins Sam and reveals that there may not be a single language he doesn’t speak? They talk about his new comedy cookbook “Your Pasta Sucks,” and if you’re even allowed to write a cookbook if you’re not a writer or a chef (he proves the answer is yes). Matteo explains he makes decisions for his personal life in a completely different way than his business life (in one he’s super sensitive and in one a total asshole), and saying no to projects where he’s not allowed to say what he wants and how he knows what lines he won’t cross. They talk about what to do when venues become political but your material isn’t, the indignity of one pot pasta, and being best friends with your grandpa. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we're excited to share an episode of Pantsuit Politics. In today's episode, hosts Sarah Steward Holland and Beth Silvers are discussing the Signal controversy, in which Jeffrey Goldberg (editor-in-chief of The Atlantic) was accidentally added to a group chat discussing war plans among top US officials. They discuss the national security implications and what this tells us about the second Trump administration's approach to governance.  If you like this episode and want to hear more, search for Pantsuit Politics or head to: https://lemonada.lnk.to/pantsuitpoliticsfdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Actress and host of the podcast Squeezed, Yvette Nicole Brown, joins Sam and admits she’s better at making decisions for other people than for herself because she wants to be perfect even though she knows she never can be. Yvette shares a regret about not being able to attend her dream school Howard University and how she hopes they might give her an honorary degree someday. She also talks about taking "dumb risks" like moving to LA with only $500 to try to be a singer, and being a legal secretary in the entertainment industry just to be near it. They talk about why this country can’t find a good way to talk about death, and why they're both kind of morbid--and love it. Plus, they talk about why no one likes fellow Ohioan JD Vance, and finally get to the bottom of billionaires and the caretaking crisis.  Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tarana Burke, founder of the Me Too movement joins Sam to celebrate Women’s History Month and talks about how she’d rather be with good people in a dark place than bad people in a bright place and how Tesla cybertrucks are the only things that make them laugh these days. Sam and Tarana discuss how so many people in the administration are credibly accused of sexual violence and what to do when funding and policies for life-changing work are in jeopardy. They commiserate over the chokehold Amazon Prime has over them, what it’s like to run a global organization when the US acts like it doesn’t care about the rest of the world, and how we can do more together than apart. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.