Snack Attack Strikes Back with Talent Coordinator Maddie Ogden

0:12Okay, we're going to do something a little bit of the show. As you know, I run a powerful podcast company here, Thriving Concern, and we always are trying to improve things. Recently, we talked to our town coordinator, Maddie Ogden, about our snacks that we were offering the celebrity guests that come on. I thought things were getting way too healthy. And this is a bit of a follow-up to that because I've seen real positive change. One of the things she does is she treats the incoming talent, whoever it might be. All the greats come here, Cesar Romero, Rudolph Giuliani, all of our great podcast guests over the years, you know, Al Jolson, Woody the Woodpecker.

0:59All the guests that come, she writes out a nice thing on a chalkboard with colored chalk. Welcome, Woody. Welcome, former mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani, now disgraced. and she writes a nice thing. And then she provides a gift basket. And I was getting very critical of the gift basket because it used to be great. And then I noticed over time it got super healthy. Did you guys notice this too? And we talked about it. We had a segment about it. And we discussed it and it started to get filled with like, oh, it's a weird kale chip. And Blake, feel free to jump in any point. Mushroom jerky, you pointed out.

1:27Mushroom jerky. That was the big offender. Mushroom jerky broke my brain. So we called Maddie in and Maddie talked about it. And I think it was a very popular segment. people, I heard about it a lot from people out on the street, from the people on the street, because I walk the streets. Okay. I'm often seen walking the streets at night, and I'm just trying for the people to come talk to me. And people really like that segment. Since then, our show here in Larchmont has been bombarded with snacks. Every day I come in, there's new snacks. People are sending us snacks because they want to be part of our snack basket, which was never a promotional opportunity at all.

2:06This was not something that we were doing to... Maybe it should have been. Maybe it should have been. Maybe we weren't playing the game right. Yeah. Well, it is now because we have mentioned some snacks we get. That's true. I mean, no mushroom jerky. That's not allowed. No. And no like weird collagen chips. Oh. Yeah. I liked some of the stuff in there. I think you were a little harsh because I liked a lot of the stuff that was in there. But now when they're bringing like, you know, all the different popcorn and I saw Oreos, I was like, yeah, maybe this is better. Exactly. There's Almond Joys now, too?

2:40Yes. Well, if Maddie's here, we should have her come in. If she's here, let's have Maddie come in because we can talk to her and maybe she can update us on what's been sent in. This is what's called, and I happen to know this so I don't know if I recall this, it's called a follow up. Oh, OK. Oh, thank you. That's cool. And people like a follow up. Hi, Maddie. Maddie Ogden, come on in. Oh, she's carrying a box. Okay. And Maddie, this was unplanned. I didn't set this up beforehand, but would you agree that since this segment aired, we've been getting people sending us snacks. Is that true? That's the microphone right there.

3:16Are we getting snacks or are we not getting snacks? We are getting snacks. We are getting snacks sent to us, to me, Maddie, the talent coordinator and snack artist. Yeah. What is this? This actually arrived today, along with other snacks, Showstopper cookies. Yeah, that was really good. A Portland native like myself. And Michelle's granola, which Eduardo's wife is a huge fan of. I will be honest, I have yet to dig in because I am nervous to make snack fluencer videos because I don't consider myself to be an influencer. Snack fluencer. And then this is Like Air Puff Corn, which I haven't tried.

3:54Sona has tried. And my understanding is that it's like a healthier version of Pirate's Booty. Yeah, it's pretty good. Okay, so first of all, I want to make sure this is all on the level with Adam Sachs, our guru. We're just mentioning products. I am not here. I don't want to be later on charged with some kind of scam. This is just us discussing. I think we're good. This is okay? Yeah, I think we're good. Maybe it's Tanisha. Tanisha's going to come in here and she's going to say, You can't mention that puff corn because we have a side deal with Pippi Pappy's popcorn from Cincinnati. We can't stop people from sending us food.

4:30You're right. You're right. We cannot stop people from sending us like air puff corn, 50 calories per cup, better than popcorn. It says, but that must mean it's not popcorn. It's it's puff corn. What is it? It's like a healthy Cheeto. Can we try it? Let's see. But it's it's better. We did not prepare this. And this is sealed pretty well. And Maddie has no knife or anything, and now she's tearing at it like a wild animal. And Blake gave her a pen. You threw her a pen? So she can write a letter to request a knife? It's the only thing I had. Oh, there's different flavors. But I mean, I'm seeing...

5:04Pancake? Wow! Cinnamon bun? Let me try pancake. Oh, a peanut cheddar. This is pancake-flavored popcorn. I already had a bag. Did you? Was it good? I did. White cheddar. It was really good. Oh, white cheddar and pancake, I bet. Oh, my God. Yeah. That is good. It's a little alarming when you first bite into it, and then it's great. Yeah, it's good. I really like these snack segments we do, because all I do is snack here. I'm a big snacker. You don't snack as much as Matt and I do. I try not to snack as much on-air talent. I try to keep a lean body weight. How many bowls of Fruity Pebbles did you have to have?

5:40Be honest. Didn't you have me tell everyone to remove them from the kitchen because you don't trust yourself around the Fruity Pebbles? I have an addiction issue, and I respectfully ask that Fruity Pebbles, the magical cereal that turns milk into plutonium, be taken away. How many bowls today? I don't want to talk about it. And then yesterday. Two today, four yesterday. Are we on-air talent? If this is a podcast, are we considered on-air talent? I know you are because you're on air a lot, but doesn't that make us on-air talent too? What are you getting at? Do I need to diet? Oh, no. Oh, God, no.

6:17Sona, no. No, you're beautiful. What are you talking about? Oh, that's really nice. I'm stressed eating a lot. It's fine. It's okay. Maybe I'll take another bag. Yeah, I am. I am. And no one, listen, no one's ever. Thanks, Cal. No one's watching or not watching me or listening or not listening because of how I appear, clearly. So, you know, this is. Also, can I say, Sona, growing up watching you and your presence on the Conan show. Growing up. Maddie. I'm 14. We're violating a lot of child labor laws. But I just wanted to say, no, like genuinely, like as I was, you know, three watching you and, you know, starting to become a become a toddler.

6:57I am. I'm young. I'm not that young. But I you were and I talked to my friends about this and it's true. Like you were such a healthy influence on a young woman because the truth is, I'm sorry. I know this is a comedy podcast. I'm going to be I'm going to be real for a second. But it sucks growing up as a woman. I think that that's, you know, hot take. And you were such a healthy influence that you, first of all, were never afraid to be yourself. But that you were so, I think the term body positive is kind of like, but it's true in the sense that like, you know, you are growing up like you were so open about your love of snacks and sometimes.

7:35Alcohol. Alcohol. No, I don't need to chime in. No, no, no. But you, I would say this, like Zorba the Greek, you live, you lived life. you love life and it was really healthy and it's really nice thanks guys and you're beautiful and you're just a good it's your good role model and it's still bizarre for me to work with you every day and I just wanted to say that wow I didn't see this coming at all you wouldn't have done it if you did if I had known this was going to turn out to be some sort of kind thing for Sona I would have ditched this thing a long time ago or women's empowerment but I think that's very lovely that that was said that's really nice it means a lot to me and it was very nice of you to say it and I wish I had been included in that somehow.

8:12But we'll let it go. Let the record show I've written him multiple cards. He can't. Yeah, I shred them. I'm going to dig in. Okay. These snacks are good. I would recommend these for the gift basket. But we're getting other stuff in too. Did we get Oreos? Well, I haven't put them in the basket. I gave those just to you. But I can get snack pack Oreos if that pleases thy Lord. No, I never compared myself to Jesus. That was one time. when I said I could convert water into wine. Since people are sending us snacks and clearly you have a power to influence what's being sent us, do you want to call out any sort of snack that you'd like to try or something?

8:54I don't, I feel like I shouldn't alter the course of history. Got it. Like in Star Trek, this is going to get you excited because I know you're a big Star Trek fan. You can't interfere with the civilization on the planet. The snack prime directive. Exactly. I knew you'd know the actual quote. Well, listen, I like the way the direction is going with the snacks. That's why this is called a follow-up. Okay. Didn't expect it to be this, this, the Sona turn. I didn't see it coming, but it was lovely. Oh, I had to sneak it in. Thank you, Maddie. Always keep a box cutter with you so you can open a box.

9:24You're stood. Especially around Conan. Okay. Let's take it.

9:30Good Lord.

9:42Good job with the snacks. I think they are, I think the snack game is way improved and just getting rid of the mushroom jerky, which was a total, total fail. That was unforgivable. I am sorry. A lot of people have roasted me online as a liberal fuck for doing that. And I have to say, I can't disagree. That was a valid criticism. Well, listen, I don't often agree with the far right, but when it comes to mushroom jerky, I do. Me too. Yeah. Keep America strong. All right. Well, you do something with this. Make it into something and then we'll do something. I'm just lost in popcorn right now. It's amazing.

10:22It's weird, isn't it? I will break the Prime Directive and say send more popcorn. Wow. And the pancake flavor is a hit. Yeah. And the jalapeno cheddar. You can have more of that one. Yeah. I opened it, but I'm actually feeling the white cheddar. Let me try that one. Let me try some of that cheddar. You want some of this. give me some cheddar maddie is there a snack that you're thinking of that you're pondering that would be moving us in a whole new direction that you haven't pulled the trigger on yet meaning would we ever go to um giving somebody this is gonna be just off the top of my head but like a candied ham oh god or i mean like a meat product would we ever do that would we ever do a jerky of some kind, a real jerky?

11:06Would we ever do, I don't know. It's very carb heavy, I think. Yes. A little more protein maybe. Yes. Thank you, Blay. Thank you. That's what I think I was going for is that it's all very chippy and very crunchy and salty. Those are all delicious things. Yes. But a snack can also be a piece of, a slice of sirloin steak. Like a roasted pig on a spit or something? Like going at all times? Chunks of ham, you wouldn't, I mean obviously you're being silly when you say a whole roasted pig, but if we got a roasted pig and we hacked off chunks of it and we threw it in the basket, that would fill 15 baskets.

11:51That's nice. You know? And then whoever's been on the show, whether it's Idris Elba, or former mayor of New York, Rudolph Giuliani, they leave with a chunk of roasted Hawaiian suckling pig. That sounds like a snack basket for dogs. Should we just take it to a shelter? No, I mean, again, you're doing your quips and your joker-oos. That's your generation. No, and you're entitled to those, but I think I was making a real point, which is that protein would be a good idea. Yeah, protein. Yes, and lean into a micro. We'll get to your own mic at some point if we can afford it. Just one thought is, you know, We have this big platform.

12:25It would be good to have our own products to push. You know what? Goddamn. Adam, yes. No, no, no, Brian, mushroom jerky. Yay. Can I just say that's why we pay him the big bucks. I'm saying, no, he actually doesn't. His money's all from skimming. He took... He doesn't even work here. He doesn't work here. He hasn't worked here in years. We don't know what he's doing here. But he drives a Bentley. Bentley that's a good idea for the snack basket What do we do We should have a snack That has the Conan O 'Brien name And which represents what I represent A sweetness A lightness Something I think it's more acid-y I don't know why I thought of tempura And I don't know why I think it's because it starts off really hard And then it softens when it's in the package longer So maybe your softened tempura snack.

13:24Something. We've got to get a snack that has, I want to stand behind a food product and I want to have a big piece of it so that I never work again. And I think there's a lot of people out there listening that would love it if I just stopped talking and just shut the fuck up. So if I had a food product that was a big seller, it's like Newman's own. I'm gone. That goes to charity, right? Yeah, there's the obvious choice. That was the flaw with Newman's Own. The obvious choice is like Conan's potatoes. Beet chips. Or like a little individually wrapped carrot cake, you know? You think a carrot cake?

14:02I don't know. What comes to my mind is not so much a snack, but just maybe more of like a kazoo. Like if I was to, I think, boil you down to one product. Well, I think it's possible to make a snack that also makes a sound. It should be a snack that makes a sound. And if there was a snack that you could blow into and it made a sound, but it had a little bit of protein, you can add protein to anything. Protein powder. It can, especially nowadays. So, I mean. They used to make little candy whistles. Yeah. A candy whistle. What's that? Like pop rocks. Like pop rocks. You put them in your mouth. Or you just take, you know, like one of those beef sticks and hollow it out so it's a flute.

14:39Like a beef flute. Yeah. A meat flute. A meat flute. Conan's meat flute. Conan's meat flute. Should I not have said that? I think you did and we're going to have to go forward with it. I think it's Conan's meat flute. I'm sorry. It's Conan's meat flute. Conan's own meat flute. All proceeds go to him. Yeah. And you can be surprised how cheap it is. So, and my big smiling face and my meat flute. Okay. You're idiots. All of you. I thought I was the biggest idiot in the room. We learned it by watching you, Dad. Yeah. Well, watch for it soon. I doubt it's going to be at Whole Foods or Erewhon or any credible.

15:14It's exclusive to our snack basket. You don't think meat flute's going to take off? You know what we're going to have to do? We're going to have to start our own supermarket chain because they're the only... This, like, 7-Eleven won't take this. No. Gas stations, independently owned gas stations won't take Conan's Meat Flute. But we're getting it out there. Conan's Meat Flute. Look for it. Not really cleared by the federal government. By the FDA? Bam. Actually, no, maybe now, yes. Yeah. Anyway, watch for it. Conan's Meat Flute coming soon to an alley near you. I had four bags of popcorn. Conan O 'Brien Needs a Fan, with Conan O 'Brien, Sonam Ovcesian, and Matt Gourley.

15:54Produced by me, Matt Gourley. Executive produced by Adam Sachs, Jeff Ross, and Nick Leow. Incidental music by Jimmy Vivino. Take it away, Jimmy. Supervising producer Aaron Blair. Associate talent producer Jennifer Samples. Associate producers Sean Doherty and Lisa Berm. Engineering by Eduardo Perez. Get three free months of Sirius XM when you sign up at SiriusXM.com slash Conan. Please rate, review, and subscribe to Conan O 'Brien Needs a Fan wherever fine podcasts are down.