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with Jesse Thorne is a

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production of maximumfun.org and is

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distributed by NPR. It's

0:41

Bullseye. I'm Jesse Thorne. So happy

0:43

to welcome my next guest back to the show,

0:45

Tig Notaro. Tig is of

0:48

course a stand-up comedian, a

0:50

Grammy and Emmy-nominated stand-up comedian.

0:53

Unlike a lot of her colleagues, she didn't really

0:56

get into stand-up until she was a full-on grown-up.

0:58

In her previous career, she had worked as a

1:00

manager for bands. She's

1:03

known for her relatively flat

1:05

delivery. Sometimes it's about things

1:07

that are personal and concrete.

1:09

Sometimes things that are very

1:12

silly. Perhaps the most famous

1:15

example of the former is

1:17

that in 2012, she got a

1:19

diagnosis of breast cancer. And when

1:22

she got that diagnosis, she went on

1:24

stage in LA and talked about it

1:26

directly, like right after she found out.

1:29

That material became a special called

1:32

Live or Live.

1:34

And a lot of you public radio

1:36

folks might have heard some of it on This

1:38

American Life. The last time I

1:40

talked to Tig, it was 2017. She

1:43

just co-created her own television show,

1:45

One Mississippi, somewhat autobiographical

1:47

dramedy, in which Tig's character

1:49

returns back home to Mississippi.

1:53

It ran for two seasons on Amazon

1:55

Prime. And among other things, it

1:57

had a storyline that directly paralleled the

2:00

sexual misconduct of a comedian whose name

2:02

she couldn't get out of the show's

2:04

production credits. Since we last talked

2:06

to her on our program,

2:08

Tig has continued to thrive. She's

2:11

been in countless movies and TV shows.

2:14

She's had three standup specials. The latest

2:16

of them is Hello Again. In

2:19

it, Tig talks about parenthood, marriage, and

2:22

about bizarre encounters with airline

2:24

employees. The clip I'm

2:26

About to Play is an example of the last

2:28

thing. Tig is talking about checking

2:30

in for a flight, and because she

2:32

is a comedian with premium

2:34

platinum super diamond membership or whatever,

2:37

she is invited to a very

2:39

special waiting area on the

2:41

fourth floor. It is called the

2:44

Make-Believe Lounge. So it's

2:47

like, really, the Make-Believe Lounge? That's a

2:49

little weird, right? Okay.

2:52

Here's the thing. I deal with

2:54

these types of people in

2:57

these jobs on a near

2:59

daily basis, and it's typically

3:02

a very straightforward exchange of

3:04

information. And with

3:06

her, I thought, I've

3:08

clearly stumbled upon a little weirdo, but

3:12

I'll play. But

3:14

she never said, I'm just kidding. So

3:18

I thought, okay, I have to go see what's

3:20

going on on the fourth floor. I

3:22

press the elevator button, go

3:25

up, the doors open, and there

3:28

is a huge sign that says,

3:31

welcome to the

3:33

Make-Believe Lounge. Hey,

3:37

welcome to Back to Bullseye. It's nice to see you again.

3:40

It's great to see you. It's been a

3:43

long time for this material. This

3:45

is stuff you've been working on for quite

3:47

a while. Were you done with it

3:49

or excited to get it loose

3:52

into the world and start over? I

3:55

mean, yeah, I Was very

3:57

excited to. The

4:00

been touring for a while you know

4:02

had the pandemic right in the middle.

4:04

Like so many comedians I had been

4:07

touring i think a year year and

4:09

a half and then the pandemic and

4:11

then got back out than the writers'

4:14

strike happen. I pushed my the recording

4:16

of may special like six months down

4:18

the road, added a European tour. It's

4:21

is except that the field goal. Kept.

4:24

Moving So I was excited to finish

4:26

my tour and tape the special and

4:28

move on to the new ideas that

4:30

I had been collecting on the side.

4:33

When you were younger in your career you

4:35

weren't like a super Road Dogg Comics aware

4:37

that some are but I think that some

4:39

com it. I was last year and a

4:41

half hour how much I were you on

4:43

the road. Ssp since I was

4:45

still in the The Classic. A

4:48

horrendous one nighters to say you

4:50

know, six nights a week. At

4:53

the and like Butte Montana others

4:56

can a little tiny stops where

4:58

I would be performing and a

5:00

saloon under a. Disco

5:02

ball with to bikers that they're back

5:04

to me this like an Alaska to

5:07

or that a lot of people seem

5:09

to go away. As done that, Yeah.

5:12

And I oddly. A

5:14

pet. My agent was. Blown

5:17

away. By it, the

5:19

turnout? I hadn't alaska. He.

5:22

Said he can't he cannot figure

5:24

out who were that's X. I

5:26

feel like everyone I've talked to

5:28

that has gone and there's like

5:30

promoters or a promoter. I don't

5:32

offer more than one who book

5:35

like go book like a. Shows

5:37

in a row in Alaska for comic

5:39

so you go up there for ten

5:42

days or whatever and while those and.

5:44

Everyone. I've ever talked to. that's done.

5:46

it. Just had a great time because. I.

5:49

Guess just. You.

5:51

Know, maybe even in Juno or

5:54

whatever. People. Are just

5:56

passed his citizens. Now that's.

5:58

When when people out there. towns

6:00

or cities where people are like, I can't

6:02

believe you came here and, you

6:04

know, or they'll try and beat me to

6:06

the punch and knock down their town. And

6:09

I'm like, you're talking to

6:11

the wrong person. I love

6:13

small towns. I love like

6:16

any of those areas where

6:18

people might think, oh, it's

6:21

too conservative for your style

6:23

or the town's too small.

6:25

I'm like, that's ripe. You know,

6:27

that's the place to be because

6:30

people are so excited to see

6:32

somebody come through

6:34

that maybe wouldn't normally

6:36

or other tours pass by. And

6:40

I also want to just acknowledge that when I

6:42

said, oh, I was a road

6:45

dog, I certainly,

6:48

there are much bigger

6:50

road dogs out there. But man,

6:52

have I, I've been doing this almost

6:54

30 years and I

6:56

got on the road, I think a year

6:58

into my career when

7:01

I think I could have hung around

7:03

the open mics a little longer. What

7:05

was it like to not be on the road

7:08

at all and not be doing shows at

7:10

all when everything was shut down? I

7:14

oddly enjoyed it. And

7:16

it made me kind of question, am I in the

7:20

wrong career? Why am I

7:23

enjoying being home? But I think it might have

7:25

been because I have

7:28

been doing it for so long. I

7:30

used to look at comedians that would

7:32

retire from stand up. And

7:35

I didn't understand. I thought I

7:37

was looking at an alien. And

7:39

not that I'm retired, but I, you get

7:42

older, you have a family, you

7:46

get to stay home during a pandemic and you go, oh,

7:48

this is what it feels like to be home. I

7:51

mean, it does seem like it would be different

7:54

to be in that situation, you know, With

7:56

a wife and kids than it is

7:58

to be in the. That situation,

8:00

it's you know, an apartment

8:02

with you and comedian freezer

8:04

bags. And they

8:06

have an on certain and you have a spare. Yeah,

8:09

it was. It was definitely a

8:12

different experience, but. The

8:14

Yeah I I I. L when

8:17

I say enjoyed it. Obviously

8:19

it was not a good

8:21

time. For. Anybody but. I

8:24

enjoyed specifically I think

8:26

just taking. Some. Time

8:28

off from. The Grind

8:30

of the Road which it really is.

8:34

You mention loving small towns you? you

8:36

were out as a small child, lived

8:38

in Mississippi. a man in Texas rooms

8:40

you. Did you always loved small towns?

8:42

Like when you were a kid or when you

8:44

are an adolescent? Where did you want to get

8:46

out of dodge? Or were you like? This is

8:49

the place for me. Well,

8:51

my small town in Mississippi. I think

8:53

I was too young to relieve and

8:55

understand that I was in a small

8:58

town. I just loves my town and

9:00

my family in all of our good.

9:02

Crazy times and then I think

9:05

when I was in Texas. And

9:08

me we lived outside it a Houston we

9:10

weren't like in. You

9:12

know, the city? I. Did

9:15

feel like I couldn't wait to

9:17

get out of there and that's

9:19

not any bass against anyone or

9:21

anything. I just felt like. There

9:25

was something more for me, and

9:27

something wasn't quite. Connecting

9:31

and I'm a as to

9:33

securing myself out. and I'm.

9:36

A. As crazy as this

9:38

may sound. Did not gay. I

9:42

wasn't I, I wasn't good and

9:44

school assailed three grades and dropped

9:47

out and I just was. Yeah,

9:50

I wasn't quite sure. What

9:52

I was gonna do: When you say

9:54

you feel three grades do you mean

9:57

that like when you were fifteen? your

9:59

his. Seventh or eighth grade.

10:02

I failed eighth grade. And

10:05

then they kept me in a thread.

10:07

Say. Did eighth grade two times

10:09

assailed that a second time. They.

10:12

Move me up to ninth grade. They

10:14

move me up to high school. I

10:16

think truly so wouldn't like hurl myself

10:19

off a building And and then I

10:21

got the ninth grade nestled that and

10:23

I said now. I'm and

10:25

ahead out. You

10:28

are like having a classic.

10:30

I read I read somewhere

10:33

vet says for odds you

10:35

huckleberry it ah my goddess

10:37

cel truth or thrilling for

10:40

injuries that well. A I

10:42

started smoking at such a young

10:44

age. Where are the rage are we

10:47

talking about? Oh my gosh. I started

10:49

experimenting with smoking. Probably when

10:51

I was. Eight.

10:55

But everybody in my family smokes and

10:57

so it was that I had barely

10:59

than had a high because the whole

11:01

the whole house smell. Of smoke

11:04

so I can. Hang out

11:06

my room and smoke cigarettes the whole the

11:08

whole house. Is burning and there was cigarettes

11:10

around all the time. Yeah, it's not like you

11:12

had to go steal the room that vineyards. I

11:15

didn't have to go anywhere to

11:17

get Sarah. Sarah's that is. Everybody

11:19

smoked in my family and I

11:21

was already smoking even if I

11:23

wasn't putting a cigarette to my

11:25

mouth. I was smoking. Know house

11:27

freak of smoke. So I'm the

11:30

yard smoke in my room, right?

11:32

You know? my. My

11:34

friends and I used to hang out on this. Bridge

11:37

that was over those

11:40

some. And even know if

11:42

it was like them by you or of

11:44

like the i a ditch I even know

11:46

what it was that there's this this a

11:48

bridge cynwyd to hang out there after school

11:50

and smoke cigarettes and. Yeah.

11:54

Naya. I started early, been acquitted.

11:57

Twenty five. Relaxing with stick.

12:01

The great I tell people about A and

12:03

I had to check with my brother to

12:06

make sure I wasn't making this up because

12:08

he for like there is no world added

12:10

that happened but. I used

12:12

to water ski in the

12:14

swamps. as a kid

12:16

and nobody believes that and I call my

12:19

brother said. Please. To Water Ski

12:21

and the sponsor I in a as I guess.

12:23

The Guessing smells. Woody Allen L. A.

12:25

believes that that was going on. That.

12:28

Does feel like a senior cartoon

12:30

character or so. That's why I called

12:32

myself Huckleberry to. I mean I was.

12:35

You know, I'd I'd love sailing as

12:37

sneaking out I was driving had to

12:39

pick my friends up. When.

12:41

We were like twelve thirteen years old and.

12:44

Get the car out and. Grab

12:46

a sack of cigarettes and drive around them.

12:49

You know, with your parents

12:51

modes? No. Absolutely not.

12:54

By you say the whole house smelled like

12:56

smoke. The whole house smell was stolen cars.

12:59

Or Sox. If they smelled a

13:01

little deeper, they would have smelled

13:03

a stolen car. That, yeah, But

13:05

why were you feeling in school? I.

13:10

Don't know. I mean I think it

13:12

was of nexus of many things. As

13:15

I said it, it took me a

13:17

while the figure myself out and I'm.

13:20

I. Think there is a lot of chaos going

13:22

on in my house. I think at in

13:25

know I was gay I I was just.

13:28

Nothing made sense to me

13:30

until I left home and.

13:33

Fell in love and got into

13:35

comedy and as like ah. Oh

13:38

this is. This

13:41

is who I am. We've.

13:43

Got so much more to get into. Would

13:45

take material after a quick break. Stay with

13:47

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member FDIC. Welcome

15:20

back to Bullseye. I'm Jesse Thorne. I'm

15:22

talking with Tig Notaro. She's an Emmy

15:24

and Grammy nominated standup comic. You might

15:26

have seen her on her show One

15:28

Mississippi, which ran for two seasons. She's

15:30

also appeared on Star Trek Discovery and

15:32

has a new standup special, Hello Again.

15:34

You can stream it now on Amazon

15:37

Prime. Let's get back into the rest

15:39

of our conversation. When you

15:42

grew up, like when you were 19 or 21 or whatever,

15:44

did you just think like, oh,

15:51

I'm just a free-spirited

15:54

badass? You're

15:56

like, I'm just a rock and roll adventure person. I

16:01

like that title. Rock and

16:04

Roll Adventure Person. Yeah, I

16:07

couldn't think too much about it other than

16:09

I would look at friends

16:13

and the trajectory that they seem to

16:15

be on and the

16:19

expectations my parents

16:22

or teachers had and

16:24

nothing really looked quite

16:26

right to me and

16:29

I didn't know why that

16:31

was appealing to anybody. And

16:34

what's funny is to

16:36

find myself and fall in love

16:38

and have success and joy

16:41

in my career and life. Now I have

16:44

the most normal

16:47

life. I'm married with two

16:49

kids and just coming back

16:51

from spring break and loving

16:55

the world and life that Stephanie and

16:57

I have created and protecting

17:00

it at all costs. And

17:04

sometimes I can't believe how normal

17:07

my life is even

17:09

more so than the people I grew up with. And

17:13

they, the people that

17:15

I grew up with or I knew years

17:17

ago might have certain ideas of

17:19

what my life is and I think

17:22

they probably are wrong. Even though I

17:24

am on tour and I'm a comedian

17:26

and I act and do whatever, I

17:29

am home in

17:32

a family environment and it's

17:36

pretty normal. So who did

17:38

you fall in love with when you

17:41

fell in love after you moved to Los Angeles? No,

17:43

I moved to Colorado

17:46

and I met my first

17:48

girlfriend at like a

17:51

dive. You want to talk about a

17:53

room full of smoke. This bar

17:55

was such a dive and she was

17:57

on stage in a band. And

18:01

I don't even, they were like experimental

18:04

punk, I

18:07

can't even describe, like vacuuming

18:09

on stage, smashing guitars,

18:13

it was really something. And you were into

18:15

it, you were like promoting shows and tour managing

18:17

and stuff like that. Well I had just

18:19

moved and I hadn't quite gotten into that.

18:22

I was always going to bars

18:24

and actually I snuck

18:27

into that bar because I was only 18 or

18:29

19 at the time. And

18:32

I couldn't get in the front door.

18:35

And then my friend who got in the

18:37

bar, he was old enough, he said, come

18:40

around back and I'll let

18:42

you in through the back door. And

18:45

my girlfriend, the

18:47

girl who ended up becoming my girlfriend, she smashed

18:50

her guitar that night. And

18:52

that guitar that

18:55

she smashed from the night I met her,

18:58

went up on the wall at Cricket on the Hill.

19:01

From the night I met her, it's

19:03

insane. To go back into that

19:05

bar decades later and

19:08

her guitar was hanging on the wall,

19:10

just smashed. Did you

19:12

think of yourself as a lesbian before you

19:14

met this girl? No, I didn't,

19:16

no, nope. I

19:20

was just like, oh wow, this is weird, I really

19:23

like her. Yeah,

19:26

didn't cross my mind. It must

19:29

have been like exciting

19:31

to figure out that

19:35

piece of yourself. Yeah,

19:37

it was. I

19:40

always tell people, I think I

19:42

had more excitement when I figured out I

19:45

was a comedian. It

19:48

was a whole other, I no doubt

19:50

was thrilled to

19:53

figure out that piece of myself. But there

19:57

was something about being in the world of.

20:00

Comedians. And. It was.

20:02

All. Different kinds of people. That.

20:07

Can. Connected through Comedy. Rather,

20:10

Than who we were attracted to. Cause.

20:12

That brought me a little closer

20:15

to understanding myself. But the comedy

20:17

aspect really? Really

20:19

was clarity for me.

20:22

And it was about that. Social.

20:24

Context like it was

20:27

about back. Room

20:29

full of people are.

20:32

All. My arms.

20:35

A little bit weird in the world

20:38

in some way tied together by. Who

20:42

and what is funny? Yeah, it

20:44

was. That

20:46

land of misfit toys kind of

20:48

vibe where you. Were.

20:52

A You know, So many people moved

20:54

to Los Angeles because they're beautiful. And

20:57

then and then you've got comedians

20:59

that are just like L. E I

21:01

was. I was weird to. And.

21:07

Ah yes, I hadn't. I

21:09

hadn't ever. I had certainly always

21:11

attracted sunny, interesting people in my

21:13

life wherever I want that. Was

21:16

so. Concentrated.

21:19

In. The comedy world obviously. I

21:22

wanna play another clip from my

21:25

desk dignitaries new special Hello Again!

21:27

This is. A

21:29

Tig Talking about Her or wife Stephanie

21:31

Allen who also directed the special End

21:33

There to. Actually

21:36

see is by far out

21:38

of the two of us,

21:40

the most popular and our

21:42

families and possibly elsewhere. As

21:46

says, wonderful but we work

21:48

together often times and ah,

21:52

Will. Leave and come home at

21:55

the same time. And one

21:57

day I came home by

21:59

myself. And when I

22:01

walked in the alarm said

22:03

side door open. As

22:06

son started yelling. Mommy's.

22:12

This is a call Stephanie. And

22:17

then I came around the corner and

22:19

our son San looks back at me.

22:22

And and looked and his

22:24

brother and said it's just.

22:26

Her. You.

22:32

Know you, you have had

22:34

these huge life inflection points

22:36

that has been deeply intertwined

22:38

with your career. You know,

22:41

you got really, really sick,

22:43

had a series of calamitous

22:45

for health situations, and in

22:48

your mother died all sort

22:50

of in one window. Your.

22:53

Material about that ended up service

22:56

launching you to a new level

22:58

in your career. I'm sure unexpectedly

23:00

I would be the last thing

23:03

anyone should expect via. You.

23:05

Know you got. And. You

23:08

know, relatively autobiographical television

23:10

show Pretty autobiographical television

23:13

show that you were

23:15

running, and you know?

23:17

Executive Producer of that show.

23:19

One of the executive producers

23:21

that show turned out to

23:23

be doing really awful stuff

23:25

professionally in a professional context

23:27

and it really. Like.

23:30

I remember when. The

23:32

show was ending and that stuff was

23:35

happening and was all a big nasty

23:37

tied together mass issue. And I

23:39

thought like. Well. Here's. Tags

23:42

Who getting hurt?

23:45

Awesome! Break making this great Tv

23:47

show! And. This

23:50

jerk is. He

23:52

now. Making so

23:54

much of it feel bad? Who?

23:56

Who? I'm grateful to you,

23:58

by the way, for. Telling

24:01

me about his behavior when you did have.

24:04

Learned. About It largely from. I'm

24:07

and. I

24:10

thought like. What? Is saying to

24:12

what a weird thing to fight back

24:14

from And then. You

24:16

also have this monumental change which

24:19

was. You

24:21

know you sell in love and gotten

24:23

married? To have a

24:25

printer. A pretty formally straight

24:28

identified ladies and had kids.

24:30

and like all of us

24:32

have the slight you know

24:34

nineteen fifties lies. In

24:37

my sister is in your this is like

24:40

all these really weird changes and that's besides

24:42

the fact that you know you started comedy

24:44

as a grown up in a way that

24:46

a lot of comedians done in whom only

24:49

a few years older than most comedians who

24:51

started comedy but like much more a grown

24:53

up. Having been through

24:55

much more in your life and

24:58

does that make you feel more.

25:01

More. Stable or less. In

25:04

your work? Like do you feel

25:06

like having gone through these giant

25:08

upheavals. Makes. You

25:10

feel like everything could fall apart and a moment or

25:12

makes you feel like, well, as there's a giant upheaval,

25:15

it seems like it works out okay. I

25:19

I think I have to. Assume

25:23

anything can happen because and

25:25

lice and in my last

25:27

anything has happened. But.

25:31

I have. A sound

25:34

that. When I

25:36

do, What?

25:39

Seals. Most. Just

25:43

right for me and. And

25:47

follow through or take a risk am

25:49

I will say it when I was

25:51

seen as Huckleberry Target is taking. Crazy.

25:57

Unnecessary risks. As.

26:00

They. Got.

26:02

To know myself better. I

26:04

was it and became more

26:06

confident I can soak as

26:08

my risks. The. Risk taking in

26:11

a more positive way. And.

26:17

I just I guess say it. I

26:19

feel. Like I

26:21

trust. Lies and

26:24

I. I don't even necessarily

26:26

know what I mean by

26:28

that, but I I trust

26:30

whatever decisions I'm making or

26:32

what happens around me is

26:34

is what is going to

26:36

be. And I knew that

26:38

when I spoke out. During

26:41

the Me Too movement. I

26:43

knew a lot of people. Ah,

26:47

Cel. Like. I

26:49

was taking. Too

26:52

much of a risk. And

26:54

i my responses that

26:56

if if I'm so.

27:00

Weekly tethered to my. Career.

27:03

Than I don't. Even.

27:07

Really belong here, I guess. So I'm

27:09

happy to take this risk and lives

27:12

at all because. Area

27:16

I don't know, I just. I

27:21

don't even know what I'm saying

27:23

this for have is also you

27:25

when the Me Too movement was

27:27

happening I personally. Was

27:31

really grateful for

27:33

you. And.

27:35

Your clarity in that

27:37

moment. Because.

27:41

You know, because I'm a dude. And

27:44

of straight dude especially moon.

27:49

I. Know about a lot of those

27:52

things only second hand and three and friends

27:54

and you know know me and my mom

27:56

haven't asked about them and heard about them

27:58

not to having is. Syrian them. And

28:03

are not even having really

28:05

intimate relationships with on crow

28:07

experience of necessarily frequently Anyway,

28:09

you. And.

28:12

Your arms. I

28:15

guess Clarity? you're sort of. Righteousness

28:19

sounds like you are raging or

28:22

something, which you weren't, but like

28:24

the the fact that you were

28:26

standing so clearly in. The

28:28

right place. Meant

28:30

a lot to me. It was oddly

28:32

like a break comfort for me. Like.

28:35

This because I. Trusted you

28:38

interested? What you know, Lot

28:41

sang killed. When. I

28:44

got. Information.

28:48

That's when I spoke out. And.

28:54

There wasn't really that. Could.

28:57

Cost any of people speaking out?

28:59

yeah and so is a very

29:01

uncomfortable time. and. Ah

29:05

but again I felt like if

29:07

is this knocks me off balance

29:09

in in my career than I

29:11

am. I just I. Don't.

29:14

Have any regrets because I know

29:16

it's true and and it was.

29:18

It became true. And.

29:20

Real to me when. An

29:23

old friend of mine shared

29:26

something. And that led me

29:28

to. Inquiring,

29:32

About other people and getting the same

29:34

response and than I thought. oh. Wow,

29:37

I'm in a situation where somebody

29:40

that. Had already shown

29:42

some. You

29:44

know, aggressive behavior in a different

29:46

way around Me that. I

29:49

just felt like I on I'm not

29:51

interested in this and. And.

29:55

I. Remember feeling likes. As

29:59

an innocent. People accuse me

30:01

of i'm. using.

30:05

Someone. To get a Tv show.

30:08

And then. Running

30:12

away with all the and

30:14

the glory and it was

30:16

like you have the wrong

30:18

sorry he says you have

30:20

see wrong story and also

30:23

who on earth. Would.

30:27

Put themselves out. On alleged

30:29

like that. I. Was up

30:31

against the biggest comedian and the world

30:33

you know. And it was. I was

30:35

not. thinking. Oh I'm

30:37

gonna run away. And.

30:41

Take. It all. As and

30:43

as I remember it, it was

30:45

one of the most. One of

30:47

the greatest challenges was he couldn't

30:49

even. Take

30:52

his name off of stuff like he

30:54

couldn't He can't like he couldn't scrub

30:56

it off. You know? I mean like

30:59

equal. And. Still to this day people

31:01

who are just finding one Mississippi

31:03

will say. I'm.

31:07

Like. Oh well, Why is it? Why is

31:09

he working on the So? Why did he?

31:11

Why did you work with him and I'm

31:13

like this is this show is old and

31:15

when the cel first started I didn't have

31:17

the knowledge that I got. And.

31:19

The knowledge I got I got right

31:22

before the pilot even shot. And that's

31:24

when. The sister. Started

31:27

happening and like to be

31:29

to be abundantly clear. It

31:31

was your show. like in not

31:33

your soul show but it it

31:35

wasn't his show. Not, I'm in.

31:38

right? And that was a lesson that

31:40

I learned. Because

31:43

it's a time I didn't know. It is what

31:45

it was like to have my own. So. And

31:48

I. Can

31:50

is. Allowed people

31:52

to make decisions and.

31:55

Have the ball in the China

31:57

shop vibe. Without.

32:02

I. Just it was. I was still. Trying

32:06

to find my place and and

32:08

now that I'm through that and

32:10

I know how. I

32:13

think I know better how to

32:16

have my own show because I

32:18

understand that. I.

32:22

Am the one that would be making decisions

32:24

and and luckily. Through.

32:27

The majority of that show

32:29

I was making my own

32:31

decisions and that say a

32:33

lot of those story lines

32:35

happened and why. We've talked

32:37

about abuse and harassment and

32:40

assault and everybody in the

32:42

room had experience out and.

32:45

Said debilitating things to go through.

32:47

And when people say oh, as

32:49

if that happens, yeah, wire to

32:51

hang it up the phone or

32:53

walk out of the room. Or

32:55

why didn't you speak up earlier?

32:57

It's like. People

33:01

are in really. Tough.

33:04

Positions of a you could

33:06

be assaulted at one point

33:09

in your life. And

33:11

then you have somebody that's maybe not

33:13

physically touching you that you you don't

33:15

know where this moments gonna go. Your

33:17

frozen, you're so full of fear. And

33:20

for people to do so casually,

33:23

say. Walk. Out of the room, Hang.

33:25

Up the some. You

33:28

know, why didn't you call the police? That.

33:30

It's I know it's an old conversation,

33:33

but it's It's a A. Real

33:35

one. It's. Real And it And it.

33:37

And it continues. And it. It's really

33:39

interesting to to speak of a time

33:41

of like oh yeah, the Me Too

33:44

movement. That. It's like that was

33:46

like the that. Time that

33:48

happened and then. It's.

33:50

Like or the pandemic it's I remember

33:52

the Me Too movement in the pandemic

33:55

and were out of that. It's like

33:57

we're not. Will.

33:59

Finish up with. Tig Notaro after a quick break.

34:01

In just a minute, Tig

34:03

did a Star Trek show. We haven't even talked

34:05

about Star Trek yet. Beam me up,

34:07

Scotty. That's what they say on Star

34:10

Trek. I have my

34:12

own radio show. It's Bullseye from

34:14

maximumfun.org and NPR. If

34:30

you need a laugh and you're on the go, try STOP. We

34:48

are so close. Stop podcasting yourself.

35:15

A podcast from

35:17

maximumfun.org. If you need a laugh

35:19

and you're on the go. I'm

35:26

Jesse Thorn. You're listening to Bullseye. I'm

35:29

talking with comedian Tig Notaro. Her latest

35:31

special is called Hello Again. Can

35:33

I ask you briefly about Star Trek?

35:36

Yeah. So you

35:38

play an engineer on Star Trek and...

35:42

Commander Jet Reno. Thank you. Commander,

35:46

Linus said Georgia left Deck 8 to help

35:48

out here. And you believe that? Georgia.

35:52

Helping. Seriously? When

35:56

you signed up for it, were you

35:58

aware of how much... Star

36:01

Trek it would require of you and by

36:03

this I mean mostly just like saying

36:09

Made up space words I

36:12

didn't think it through And

36:15

you know, it's funny You're catching me

36:17

at a point in my career where I'm

36:19

realizing I didn't think a lot of things

36:22

through and I'm Trying

36:24

to think things through and

36:26

this is not at all to sound

36:28

like I regret doing Star Trek I

36:31

just did not think it through and

36:33

when I met with Alex Kurtzman He

36:37

runs the whole Star Trek universe and

36:39

he told me oh we have this idea for

36:41

you as a character I really

36:44

thought I was gonna do an episode or two and

36:46

I was like, yeah sure, you know and and

36:49

When I called him and was and

36:51

I apologized that I did such a

36:53

horrible job Saying

36:56

the made-up space words. I

36:58

said don't feel obligated to have

37:00

me back for another episode because

37:02

I Really? What I

37:04

you know I want you to

37:07

know that I I tried my

37:09

best and I'm afraid I failed and he said I

37:12

saw it all cut together in fact, we edit

37:14

right on set and he said I can see

37:16

a a completed

37:18

scene just Immediately

37:20

and and he said in fact,

37:23

I'm gonna make it harder for you From

37:26

here on out. It's like how dare you

37:28

and to be fair Alex is an old friend of mine We

37:31

both used to work for

37:33

Sam Raimi's production company

37:35

we both came up together like God

37:39

almost 30 years ago and And So

37:42

yeah, he was giving me a hard time like

37:44

if you think that was hard I'm

37:47

gonna make it harder for you and then I ended

37:49

up, you know in four of the five seasons of

37:51

Star Trek discovery and

37:53

and Yeah,

37:57

I mean you got a meal ticket punched for life now I

38:00

know, I know. It's

38:03

great. Very positive vibes in the Star

38:05

Trek world. For sure. I've

38:07

done one convention.

38:11

Well, I did Comic-Con. I hosted

38:14

the Star Trek panel one year and

38:16

then I did an actual convention.

38:20

I'd love to see you and

38:22

Maria Bamford headlining

38:24

a stand-up show at a full

38:27

Star Trek convention. I'm not talking

38:29

about a general interest convention. Wait,

38:31

does Maria have anything to do

38:33

with Star Trek? Maria made her

38:35

first major full-time

38:37

professional show business career within

38:39

a traveling Star Trek The

38:42

Next Generation roadshow. I

38:44

did not know that. That performed in

38:46

malls. Oh my gosh,

38:48

congrats to her. How did that ever

38:51

come up? Her own Star

38:53

Trek character in the Star Trek mythos. Well,

38:57

Star Trek should throw

38:59

Maria on a Star

39:01

Trek series. I watched

39:05

some of you on Star Trek because I had read

39:07

you talking about feeling like

39:09

an imposter acting and saying

39:11

all these things with conviction and

39:14

being an actor-y actor and stuff. And

39:17

I watched you and I thought you were great at

39:19

all of it. Thank you. And the

39:22

only exception was I did think you were a little

39:25

bit bad at doing the actor thing, which is where

39:27

you drink from a cup that doesn't have anything in

39:29

it. I

39:33

have no doubt that you are correct. I

39:38

mean, that's what I'm saying is I

39:40

feel like I've skated along just

39:43

kind of – I can't

39:46

believe what I have done

39:50

without putting

39:52

more thought into things like I was saying.

39:55

I do work hard. I think I'm good at what I do. I

40:01

just think in those moments where

40:03

I couldn't drink

40:05

something more realistically. Or

40:08

try to understand the

40:12

scene I'm in. These are simple

40:14

things. These are very simple

40:16

things. Whereas,

40:19

like, I will show up on

40:21

Star Trek, you know, I've just

40:23

been a recurring character, because

40:26

my stand-up career was busy,

40:29

and it's hard

40:31

sometimes to set aside

40:33

time to do other things. But I

40:38

would just show up on set with people that

40:40

were actual cast members,

40:42

devoting their life to

40:45

this show. And then I would show up

40:48

off the road from Iowa, and

40:51

trying to, like, get my lines together, and

40:54

deliver them, and drink a

40:56

cup realistically, and then head out.

40:58

And then, you know, sometimes I look

41:00

back and go, ugh, I should

41:02

have just, you know, done

41:04

some a little differently. But think about it

41:06

this way, Tig. When I was

41:08

a kid and I would watch Star Trek The Next Generation on

41:10

Channel 44, right? Yeah. I

41:13

would see an episode, and there would be

41:15

my childhood hero, Whoopi Goldberg. And

41:19

I would think, man,

41:21

space has Whoopi Goldberg? Space seems

41:23

great. Yeah. Just think of all

41:25

the young people who are seeing

41:28

their Tig Notaro in

41:31

space, and thinking like, oh, great,

41:33

there's room for that in space.

41:36

Oh my gosh, well, it's space. There's so

41:38

much space. There's room. There's a

41:40

lot of physical room. There's room for everything and

41:42

everyone. That's a really good point. That's a really

41:45

good point. Tig, I'm always so

41:47

happy to get to talk to you and so grateful

41:49

for your time. And the

41:51

special is so hilarious, but I would

41:53

not expect anything else from one of the

41:55

best in the biz. Well, you are very

41:57

kind, and it is always a pleasure. Sir,

42:00

I look forward. To see a

42:02

new and talking to you and I

42:04

appreciate you having the back and. Thanks.

42:07

For the support. Ticket.

42:10

Aro. One. Of the funniest

42:13

in the world Oh man, ticket or

42:15

her rules if you haven't seen her

42:17

special Hello again to! Great place to

42:19

get started. Always so great to

42:21

see tech. That's

42:24

the end of another episode. A Bull's

42:26

Eye. Bull's Eye is created from the

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42:33

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