Jenny Slate: Throw Me a Bone (Re-Release)

27:58Like I just, uh, I just was obsessed with it for my entire life. And I'd never, I know everybody thinks this, but like there, there wasn't anyone like Gilda Radner because she was, there was so much kindness and vulnerability in her performances and just like so much crazy, crazy energy. And she just wasn't scared or, or if she was, it was irrelevant or incorporated. I guess she was, she was amazing. And then and then so then fast forward and take me to your first Saturday Night Live audition. I'm obsessed with people's Saturday Night Live auditions. I could do a podcast just on those. Yeah, I mean, and probably you should, because I bet there is not one boring story, although maybe mine will be boring right now.

28:44But I just I don't I don't even know how in how to describe facing something that is your biggest wish. that like, and that it's real, like you can be like, oh, I, you know, I, I don't know, like make wishes for the world. Like I wish we could all live in peace or whatever, but to have a specific career goal that is like so tied to your dream version of your own identity is like crazy stimulating, you know? And, and, uh, I had put on a one woman show at UCB, which was not, I wasn't like a UCB person. I was a standup randomly, but they allowed me to do my show there. And I performed it like twice.

29:31And somebody, I kind of think it was John Mulaney, but I'm not sure, told the casting person from SNL. And she came and saw the second show that I ever did of my one woman show. And the next week I had an audition at SNL. And like, you know, if you go through the Groundlings or you go through UCB, or Second City or whatever, like a lot of that is kind of conditioning you to develop these characters and you're hoping you're going to like land on, you know, SNL or maybe at the time, like Mad TV or something like something like that. But I had none of that. I just had no training in that at all. And I had done improv in college, but that was like really it.

30:16And so I had a week to put together, I think, five characters. And I just genuinely had nothing. And I could not in my mind make sense of the enormity of this huge chance and the fact that somehow after an entire life of specifically wanting this, I was unprepared. But like, it all and the other thing is that at the time my therapist was at the stop, um, one right after Rockefeller center. And I used to like go to therapy. And when we would pass through Rockefeller center on the, like, it was like the B or D train. I think I forget. Um, I would always be like, at the time I was very into the secret.

31:01I don't know if you remember that positivity. Um, very into it. Um, I was like, one day I'll get off here and I'll go to work here. And it was like, I don't know why not why not hope but so I remember being like holy fuck I'm gonna get off there I'm not I mean so I'm not gonna take a taxi from Brooklyn and like I'm going to do this and I got the characters together like I didn't ask anyone's opinion I just got them together and I remember doing an impression of Lady Gaga in like a robot voice and it was like I mean this This is when Lady Gaga was new. Like, it was just like, what a weirdo, you know, like who we love.

31:40But and I also had a character named Pamela Dogstein, who was a dog who does like schlocky stand up. And her catchphrase is throw me a bone.

31:57And it was like it was like it was terrible on purpose. And I had a dog suit with like a you know, you could see my face, but I wore like a dog head with like ears. and stuff. And, um, and it was like a girlfriend divine called me up the other day. She said, Oh my God, I've just been to the vet. I said, uh, uh, uh, spay me the details. Okay. Throw me a bone. That's what it was. That's like what I came in, came in with groaners. And, but on purpose, I can't remember like, oh, and I did an impression of Annette Bening, which is. Oh, wait, this sounds amazing. I can't even believe it. You know what else is that?

32:41I'm terrible at impressions in every single way, except for that. I wanted this job. I'm so ill suited for it. But like I did an impression of Annette Bening giving a tour at the National Holocaust Museum. Oh, delicious. us. Truly something that did not end up on television for many, many reasons. And also, you know, they were like my managers at the time. They were like, and I didn't have an agent. They were like, you're, they don't laugh at you. So don't go in there expecting to get any response because it's like, it's like a tough love environment and they're not going to laugh. and you're not going to, you're going to go there.

33:27They're going to make you wait for hours. It's like this whole thing. And I just remember going and being like, well, okay. I mean, I guess I can't like fight the system. I don't know what it is currently at the time. I mean, at the time I was like a stoner from Brooklyn and I was like, this is random. Like this is the most random thing. I feel like I made a wish and it came through and it was like so it was so huge that I felt like if I thought about it at all I would pass out I would like short out and I got to 30 Rock and I was just like telling myself like to remember to breathe in and out and I remember at one point saying to myself everybody here poops in a toilet everybody here has like poop and pee and it comes out of their body and they've had their feelings hurt and they're like hungry for their meals and you're just not different.

34:21And it doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that you like go and at least do this one thing. And you know, some years. And then somebody told you, Lorne Michaels does not poop or pee. That's right. And he has a golden toilet, but it's just a sculpture, you know? And it's just nothing has ever come out. Um, But yeah, so then anyway, I don't know. So then all I remember is - You know, the thing about my body, Jenny, is that I have no bodily functions. That's a really good lord. No need for a toilet. No need for a toilet, yeah. No need. I think, Jenny, as you get older, you find that it's best to have a toilet that's a sculpture.

35:06okay so you're there you're you never you never ran any of the characters by anybody you know like look i have this weird thing it's annette benning i don't know if people it's annette benning but it's a hollick because that would be the first one i would run by somebody but it's also the one that i'm most like i'm down to see i mean i think i must have done them for my boyfriend at the time, you know, there's no way I didn't like practice them for anyone. Um, and I, and I most likely told them to my manager, but like, I don't know. I just remember this major sense of like being alone, like of just being really, really alone.

35:46And, um, and just kind of being like, well, your main feelings about what this is just like, don't apply. It just doesn't matter. Obviously you're super scared. Obviously you're super excited. Like, um, it, it did feel like I was like in a weird tunnel of fear and excitement. I was just like, just go. And some years they, I think they do the auditions like at a comedy club or whatever, but that the year that I auditioned, they did them on the stage at SNL. Oh God. Yeah. I geez. I mean, I can't, I can't, But in a way it's good because it's like, I don't know, like sometimes in order to imagine yourself at the place where like your wildest dreams kind of converge, you might have to imagine yourself being a different person.

36:34Like you're like, well, I couldn't, it's not going to be me though, you know, when I do this. But it was just like the realness of all of it being like, I am on earth. I am in a skyscraper in New York city. I am I'm just like I'm just like standing in my shoes on a stage was weirdly calming and a really kind of cheesy but real feeling that's like well I made it this far and no one can ever tell me I didn't like stand on the stage here but then I did all the impressions and I like had a plastic bag you know like a like a like a plastic when I think about it now I'm like what But I brought my stuff and I did my stuff, my little things, my impressions and my characters.

37:20And they did laugh. And then I remember being like, oh, God, they're laughing. I think that's good. You know, like, I think that's good. And then the experience I thought would be terrifying. And it was like very, very positive. It was really positive. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. I didn't expect the story to end like that. I thought it would be. And the silence was deafening and I got back on the train and I went to the next stop, which is my therapist. I wept for a week. And I'm still in the office and she has not solved it yet. Yeah, no, I, and it was like, wow, this is good. And then I heard some feedback that was like, that was really good.

38:05They thought it was good. And I was like, this is, this seems, it seems like some other moments I've had in my life when I'm like, could it be, but all of those moments have been about love. Like they've all been, and this is also when like a major, I realized like a major tie-in between comedy and my love for performance and how I see like romantic things, um, that they just feel like huge gifts that you're just like, whoa, you're telling me that this thing that I love in myself, that's essential to me that you like it and you like find it to be useful and attractive. Like that makes me think that magic is real or just that like the world is fundamentally good or I have no idea, but then I had to wait all summer, um, to hear if I would be on the show.

38:53And then they made me audition again. And at that point I like really had nothing. And so I remember going in there and the only character I remember was like, um, she was like a fortune. I think she was a fortune teller who was some sort of GPS. Yes. I'm really unsure. Really unsure.

39:20And then I walked in that day and I saw Seth Meyers while I was walking in. And it's like, if you've been seeing Seth Meyers on TV for like 10 years or whatever, and you see him in person, it's just like it's very, very hard to be normal. um and he was like and I had of course my stupid plastic bag of like wigs and he was like can't wait to see can't wait to see what's in there and I was like and it was like really dorky and stupid and um and I remember the person who auditioned before me had like you're only supposed to do five characters so that's what I did and he had like 10 you know 45 second characters and I I remember being like, what?

40:08Like, it's a kiss up, you know, and being like, oh, this is so fucked, man. And then doing it and they laughed again. And I was like, okay, they laughed again. Like, what will this be? What the hell is going to happen to me? And then it all like really accelerated really, really quickly. And it was a real hold onto your butts situation.

40:35Yeah. I feel like I just lived it vicarious. I'm so envious. I mean, I had, for me, it was auditioning for The Outsiders, for Francis Ford Coppola. Yeah. And like, and it was, so I'm relating. So I'm like, I'm just so there with you with that story because it was the same. It was like, this will change my life. Yeah. Yeah. This is all, I've wanted to do this since I was eight years old. I'm here. this is and I don't know where it's going to lead and it's totally competitive and I'm frightened to death and I'm so excited and you know what what it's mad it is like you said it's magic it really really really is magic but the the other thing I love about what you said is that like the the things in in us that are different and weird and like like that like when you realize that there's maybe value in that is, is such a great, it's such a great moment.

41:37And then of course, the minute you, you realize that you forget it again, then you got to pay a shrink again. No, no, no. Yeah. And the other thing is like, you can get that validation that it's like, okay, they saw it. Like Lauren saw it and they saw it and you were there and whether or not you, you're like, you know, stay on that show for 10 years or you're like me and you just have one. It will always be, at least for me, that the question is like a refrain. Like, do they see it? Do they see it? Do the people see it? And that like now that I'm more into my career and more into my adulthood, I have like really learned to try to not depend on an answer to that question other than from myself.

42:28Like it's here, who you are is here. It's here. But at that time, it, you know, I think I was, I think I was 27 when I got cast on SNL. I might have been 26. I forget. But I just, I just needed validation from everywhere, you know, from all sides. And if you've never been on TV before, really, like it's not weird to want that. And it's certainly not weird to feel like a giant, like to feel like a bird that flew into a house a little bit. Yeah. You're on your path and go, go, go. Yeah.

43:13And we'll be right back after this.

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45:32Who have been your—you're not going to answer this, honestly. You can't. Here's what I was going to ask you, and I'm not going to ask you because you can't answer. You know what? I might answer it honestly. You don't know. I have like a weird compulsion to do it, but not that I should tempt that. So please go ahead. Okay. Well then, so who's your favorite like comedy cohort? Was it Seth Meyers? Was it me? He said leadingly on Parks and Recreation. Is it, you know, is it Ben? Like who are the people that you're like, oh yeah, we can make funny stuff together. there are a lot of good ones. I do think that Ben Schwartz is like the easiest fit like, like that.

46:22But I also think that about Nick Kroll, you know, like the, the work that we did together on his show on Kroll show is like, it's like the comedy I'm proud of because it is really truly original. And, and so I guess a lot of times for that type of work, like scene work where you're in character. Like, yeah, I think Kroll and I really had like a great understanding of how to be in a duo as like our characters on his show or the different ones. But but I don't know. And then there are other people that they're just so strong that it will always be easy to work with them. And like, Will Forte is one of those people, I think, you know.

47:12Those people would be in the 1927 Yankees, the baseball team that's very famous. And it was a very, very good baseball team. Right. New York, New York, the Big Apple. The Big Apple. And they would be batting first, second, third, and fourth. Right. On the Big Apple. When I hosted the show, you know, when I hosted the show, How many times? Three times, okay. Not many people. I did it three times. And it was the same for me. It was like one of the highlights and remains of my life just because of how much the show meant to me and being 12 and 13 and learning everything I knew about comedy, watching it and all that stuff.

47:51And then there I am and they're like, no, you're Don Pardo's screaming my name and the band is playing and you just can't believe your life. You just can't believe it. Yeah. Yeah. But Will – and I had been – and Lauren and I were friendly and still are. But I was with him when he went and scouted Will at Groundlings. Wow. And I remember being like, that guy's funny. And then fast forward to a few years later and I'm doing the show and Will and I – this reminds me of your Auschwitz, which I'm obsessed with. I'm goading you into doing it and so far you haven't taken the bait. I can't do it because it's not a good impression.

48:32But that's, I understand. I get that. When you have an impression for a minute and then it's gone, you just can't do it. Yeah, can't get it back. Yeah. But my version of it was Will and I had this thing where we played oncologists. Again, Auschwitz, not funny. No. Oncology, not funny. No. But we thought we would be oncologists, really good ones. but we had really bad, bad bedside manners. And we would be giving people the news that they had terminal cancer while eating with our mouths full. Yeah. That was the whole predicate of the sketchy. It's chilly. I'm so sorry. It's very hot. We have stage four.

49:16I'm so sorry. Yeah. Ooh, spicy. Stage four domestic. Not surprisingly, for a lot of reasons, that never made it. It didn't make it on. Yeah. But I mean, that is the stuff that is like now. Well, and I also think now it's kind of at least for me, it's like it's so much harder to do comedy about stuff that feels like a little dark, dark or irreverent just because because maybe the line has been completely obliterated between satire and real life in our current world. but I felt that way for a while. Like I felt that way for, I would say, I don't know, like I felt very acutely for like the last four years, which is just like, I don't know, like there would be times when, when Gabe and I were in a duo, for example, we would use language that was like slurs against us as Jewish people or slurs against gay people, like, or slurs against women as a way to take that back, which is like a pretty, you know, It's like a thing that people do is they use hurtful language and they turn it into something else.

50:28They take back the power. But over the last few years, I've thought like, oh, man, I just don't want to hear it at all. I don't want to hear it. I don't want to see it. I just want to see new stuff that's funny. And I sort of have an allergy to cynicism anyway. But but I like I really miss in a way like I really miss those times when, at least to me, the world didn't feel so tempted to tip into darkness that you had to be like extra, extra careful, which is also actually the reason why I don't know. I don't know if you saw the movie Jojo Rabbit, which came out last year, but I was like so impressed with it because I was like, you know, it's a scary world.

51:18Like we don't want to show footage of Nazis. We don't want to see swastikas and we don't want to have any characters that are Nazis that are like human or sympathetic in any ways, because at this point we just don't. it seems like culture doesn't trust part of culture or whatever to not just be neo-Nazis because they see, because like they'll feel encouraged by it. And I was like watching that movie and I was like, this movie trusts us with really scary imagery and it trusts us with complexity. And it brought it like, it was like so rejuvenating to me. I was like, this is what comedy used to be.

51:54You know, like I wonder like, when did you and Will think of that idea? Like Oh, God. It was in the early, like, I'm going to say it was like 2002. Yeah. I mean, that's such a different time. I just really want something different. I really want to be able to try to make people happy. This has been great. You've been so much fun. I'm glad we did this. This might actually have been the first time we've ever said more than five things to each other. because it's like we show up in a van, we say hi, and then we're under pressure to get out of Tom Haverford's, you know, clothing sales set, and we got to, like, actually have a conversation.

52:38It was awesome. Well, I will say I really loved it, and I remember you as a very kind person and a wonderful conversationalist, and I remember there was a day that we were waiting for something, and they had, like, a trailer for the cast to hang out in, And it was like you, me, and Aziz. And we were hanging out and we were like, we were watching local news or something and just like spent 30 minutes talking about somebody's sweater. But I, again, to tie it kind of back to our initial conversation, I remember being like, wow, Rob is so nice. Like, you know, he doesn't have to be this nice, but he is.

53:14And it was like a very like positive experience for me, a very nice day. and then when you just see your face now it's like oh I remember Rob is so nice right he's like a chatty he's like a fun chatter he's gonna chat oh thank you I like that that was people don't really realize that about on Parks and Rec we all shared trailers together when we'd be on location and it's really unusual you don't most shows don't do that the actors are in their own little nooks and crannies and whatever on Parks we would have the moho as we called it We can meet you at the Mojo. And we would all be in the Mojo.

53:53And, like, somebody was in the bathroom. You had to knock on the door, get out of the bathroom. And somebody would be eating disgusting food and stinking up the plate. It was like you wouldn't expect the 1927 Yankees, the baseball team, to be. It was just like the 1927 baseball Yankees. The baseball Yankees. Not the soccer Yankees. Not the football Yankees. Right. And not the Brooklyn Dodgers. I get it. You're from Brooklyn. That's why you don't like the Yankees. I get it. I get it. Enough already. Move on. Throw me a bone. Dog head. Throw me a bone. Throw me a bone. With a dog head. The best.

54:30I want that character to breathe new life. I want that character to live again. Me too. And you know what? The last thing I'll say is that there was one show where John Mulaney and I wrote an update, like an update piece for Pamela Dogstein and it made it to dress and she was like giving Seth some report or whatever and uh we were rehearsing it and she was she was kind of in this oh she she did do a lot of like what's the deal what's the deal with this or that and um it was kind of Seinfeldian but not really but um but that kind of it sort of seemed like that and I was doing it and really having, I thought, a good time.

55:14And then like, you know, at SNL, people just walk. They just walk in sometimes. They just walk right in. Like one time I saw Leonardo DiCaprio standing underneath the bleachers and I was like, like I had no idea. I truly thought I was going to die. I was so excited. But anyway, I was doing my bit and Jerry Seinfeld walked in. And I was like, oh, no. Oh, no, no, no, no. Like I'm not making fun of Jerry Seinfeld. I don't want to do this. but it's like you have to rehearse your thing right now. And I just remember being like, like phoning it in so hard and just being so embarrassed that I'm in a dog suit being like, what's the deal?

55:52And then seeing Jerry Seinfeld and it did not make it to air. It did not make it. And I was just like, this is in my nightmare. It's that Jerry, you know, goes to Lauren and is like, that really hurt my feelings. But I don't think that happened. Hey, Lauren, that dog suit thing, not cool. Hey. Not cool. That Jewish girl in the dog suit, that was rude. Okay? That wasn't good.

56:18Doesn't he get the call from my agent? She's like, Jen, you're not coming back. I'm like, I know. No, that's fine. It lives on in my dreams, though. It's so good. That is the deal. Oh, man. Well, thank you so much. This was great. Thanks for taking your time out to talk to me. You make me laugh. You're funny as hell and smart and great and so many good things. Thanks for being on it with us. Hey, thanks for having me. And all of those nice compliments right back at you. And I hope that you stay well and safe out here. Thank you. See you soon. Cool. Okay. Thank you, Jenny Slate. You lived up to my wildest expectations and they were wild.

57:02They were wild. and that was really fun I love that and she is just such a funny, chill she's the best and I hope you liked it as much as I did I always love walking down memory lane of my years on Parks and Rec it's always fun anyway, tune in next week we have somebody very special coming your way and by the way, don't forget to subscribe hit the subscribe button on this endeavor of mine if you haven't. So every Thursday when you wake up, you automatically have hijinks from me. All right, thank you. See you soon. You have been listening to Literally with Rob Lowe. Produced and engineered by me, Devin Torrey-Briatt.

57:54Executive produced by Rob Lowe for Low Profile. Adam Sachs and Jeff Ross at Team Coco. and Colin Anderson and Chris Bannon at Stitcher. The supervising producer is Aaron Blair. Talent producer, Jennifer Samus. Please rate and review this show on Apple Podcasts and remember to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

58:23This has been a Team Coco production in association with Stitcher.

58:35This podcast is supported by NERTECH ODT. Remedipant. We know you didn't ask for an interruption, but migraine doesn't wait for the right moment to interrupt either. It just barges in, takes your time, and throws everything off. So when migraine takes your time, take NERTECH. It's for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults. NERTECH can provide pain relief in two hours, which can last up to two days. Ask your healthcare provider if NERTEK is right for you because your time is for you, not migraine. Don't take if allergic to NERTEK ODT. Allergic reactions can occur even days after use.

59:10Get help right away for trouble breathing, rash, swelling of face, mouth, tongue, or throat. High blood pressure and Raynaud syndrome can occur. Get help for high blood pressure, numbness, coolness, pain, or color changes in fingers and toes. Common side effect is nausea. For full prescribing information, call 1-833-4-NERTEC or visit nerdtech.com. All right, back to your podcast, playlist, or whatever's keeping you going today. Finding the music you love shouldn't be hard. That's why Pandora makes it easy to explore all your favorites and discover new artists and genres you'll love. Enjoy a personalized listening experience simply by selecting any song or album, and we'll make a station crafted just for you.

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