On this week’s episode of I’m Obsessed With This, host Bobby Finger welcomes comedy writer (currently for HBO's A Black Lady Sketch Show) Lauren Ashley Smith (@msLAS) to discuss her latest obsession, Between Two Ferns: The Movie, which happens to be the new film adaptation of a previous obsession, Between Two Ferns. They chat about what made the movie so surprisingly delightful (hint: the runtime definitely didn't hurt), our collective thirst for movie quotability, and the current state of the comedy scene. They also play a very special game of Zach, Zack, or Zac. Between Two Ferns: The Movie is now streaming on Netflix!
On this week’s episode of I’m Obsessed With This, host Bobby Finger welcomes comedy writer (currently for HBO's A Black Lady Sketch Show) Lauren Ashley Smith (@msLAS) to discuss her latest obsession, Between Two Ferns: The Movie, which happens to be the new film adaptation of a previous obsession, Between Two Ferns. They chat about what made the movie so surprisingly delightful (hint: the runtime definitely didn't hurt), our collective thirst for movie quotability, and the current state of the comedy scene. They also play a very special game of Zach, Zack, or Zac.
Between Two Ferns: The Movie is now streaming on Netflix!
[Music]
Bobby: Welcome to I'm Obsessed With This, the Netflix podcast about the shows and films viewers cannot get enough of. Sort of like how Will Ferrell cannot get enough clicks on Funny or Die. I’m your host, Bobby Finger, and today I am joined in the studio by writer and comedian Lauren Ashley Smith. Hello.
Lauren: Hi, Bobby.
Bobby: Hi. How are you?
Lauren: I’m good, thanks. How are you?
Bobby: You seem really, really good.
Lauren: I’m drinking my seltzer. I’m very chill. I’m feeling great.
Bobby: That’s good. And it’s, kind of, a dreary day. The first like, dreary fall day of fall.
Lauren: And it was 90 degrees yesterday. [laughs]
Bobby: I’m thrilled by the cold. You got your seltzer. I’ve got green tea. I always talk about the stupid drinks. Is it good?
Lauren: It is very good, actually. It has the right amount of-, I’m a big seltzer person. It has the right amount of spot-, like, I like for it to hurt. So, this is not—
Bobby: Oh. You want painful.
Lauren: …quite to pain, but it has enough bubbles where it’s good.
Bobby: You want… You’re a sadistic seltzer drinker.
Lauren: Absolutely.
Bobby: Okay, cool.
Lauren: I’m like, I need to say, ‘Ow.’
Bobby: Okay. Well, that’s good. I got the right one.
Lauren: Yes.
Bobby: Saratoga. The blue bottle. Like, it suggests a level of like, fanciness.
Lauren: Really, it looks like a small bottle of champagne. And…
Bobby: And it’s like, we’re going to mess your mouth up.
Lauren: Hm-hmm. [affirmative]
Bobby: So, we’re here to talk about Between Two Ferns, the movie. But before we get into that, what else have you been watching on Netflix lately?
Lauren: I-, okay. I, like a living human person, love Netflix so much. And I-, part of my nightly ritual is just scrolling through. And sometimes it’s not even about finding something to watch. Like, the thing that sooths me to sleep is just keeping clicking until I fall asleep. And I don’t land on anything.
Bobby: Are you soothed by the-, those like, preview videos?
Lauren: No. I hate them. I’m not soothed by that. But I am soothed by the Roku clicking sound. It’s like, do-do, do-do. That sound…
Bobby: Hm-hmm. [affirmative]
Lauren: I love it.
Bobby: Oh, you watch it on Roku?
Lauren: I do.
Bobby: I have heard from Netflix people—
Lauren: Yes.
Bobby: …that they’re like, Roku is the best way to watch Netflix.
Lauren: Roku is the best way to watch Netflix. I have it also on my like, Smart-, my actual Smart TV. But in my bedroom, it’s on the Roku stick and I can’t get enough.
Bobby: So, it doesn’t matter what you watch. You just want to click through.
Lauren: I just want to click through. And…
Bobby: What’s the best thing you’ve clicked through recently?
Lauren: [laughs] I think… Well, I did click through and ultimately watch Tall Girl, which was very on-brand, but off for me. And it did take me-, I was on vacation. It took me three whole days to watch Tall Girl in Italy. And I was like, I’m in, on the Amalfi Coast. I am watching Tall Girl.
Bobby: But you watch Tall Girl… No offense to Tall Girl. We talked about Tall Girl in this podcast already. But like, you were on the Amalfi Coast—
Lauren: I was on the Amalfi Coast.
Bobby: …watching Tall Girl.
Lauren: And I chose to use my time to watch Tall Girl.
Bobby: I mean, not even to call out Tall girl. Watching Netflix on the Amalfi Coast—
Lauren: On my phone. [laughs]
Bobby: [laughs] Oh, my God. Not even HD.
Lauren: On my phone.
Bobby: Oh, my God.
Lauren: Yeah. And I feel good about those choices.
Bobby: Okay.
Lauren: I feel good about what I’ve done.
Bobby: Did you at least have like, the view—
Lauren: I did. I literally—
Bobby: …beyond the phone?
Lauren: I swear to God. I was in bed with the phone in the foreground and the windows and the balcony doors open to the coast in the background so I could go between Tall Girl to the cliffs and mountains.
Bobby: Which did you prefer?
Lauren: Tall Girl. [laughs]
Bobby: Definitely Tall Girl.
Lauren: Definitely Tall Girl.
Bobby: This is a Netflix podcast.
Lauren: Yes.
Bobby: [unintelligible 00:03:11] for Tall Girl.
Lauren: But so, also during the trip, I also blew through Diagnosis which I became obsessed with.
Bobby: Oh, Christine loves Diagnosis. She’s going to talk about that.
Lauren: I love Diagnosis. So, that got me through Paris. And then Tall Girl, as I mentioned, took me through the Amalfi Coast. And then there’s something else that I watched, but I generally will try to vacillate between good-, like, old favorites. Like, it’s actually very hard for me. I think Buffy is off now, or maybe it is leaving. That’s one of my go-tos. And then The Good Place, I tend to just cycle through. But I love me just a scroll through.
Bobby: My favorite thing to scroll through is Call the Midwife.
Lauren: Real—I’ve never seen it.
Bobby: It’s always like… Me either. I always see it and I’m like, one of these days. And then I hover. And I think, I’m going to call that midwife soon.
Lauren: I’m going to-, one day, I’m going to call her.
Bobby: My parents… I was at home at my parents’ house last week. And my mom was talking about Midwife. ‘We finally started watching Midwife. I love Midwives.’ And I was like, ‘What? Oh. Call the Midwife.’ ‘No, yeah. Midwives.’ Okay.
Lauren: Okay.
Bobby: Okay. Great. One of these days.
Lauren: I didn’t know that it was like, on an abbreviation level in the culture.
Bobby: They just get it all wrong.
Lauren: Yeah.
Bobby: They don’t know. But they like it. They watch Designated Survivor. Their favorite show in the world – Designated Survivor.
Lauren: Wow. Wow. The only thing I-, all I can see when I hear those two words together is the image of Kiefer Sutherland with that popped collar coat. That’s all I can see. I don’t-, I know nothing else about the show except for that he’s wearing a fancy coat.
Bobby: It’s such a like, formally-cool dad thing to do.
Lauren: It screams, ‘I used to be a hot man.’
Bobby: I used to be hot.
Lauren: Yeah.
Bobby: I was in Lost Boys.
Lauren: Yes.
Bobby: But now I’m in Designated Survivor.
Lauren: Absolutely.
Bobby: Which is fine.
Lauren: It’s fine. I actually love that journey for him. It just is so on the nose that it’s…
Bobby: Pop.
Lauren: Yeah.
Bobby: Like, he would do that. Who else would do that? Like, like Johnny Depp would do that or something.
Lauren: Johnny Depp absolutely would do that.
Bobby: I don’t think Brad Pitt would do that.
Lauren: No. He knows enough not to.
Bobby: Leo wouldn’t do that.
Lauren: George Clooney before Almal would do it. Post-Amal—
Bobby: Amal is like, ‘Put it down.’
Lauren: Exactly.
Bobby: George.
Lauren: I demand it.
Bobby: You’re never popping a collar again, George.
Lauren: Ever.
Bobby: I’m going to keep thinking about like, Designated Survivor and Call the Midwife. Okay. Between Two Ferns.
Lauren: Yes.
Bobby: Why were you into Between Two Ferns, the movie?
Lauren: I picked Between Two Ferns, the movie, because I have been super excited for it to come out. And I loved the show Between Two Ferns. I thought it was super-super funny. I like… I work in TV. So, I like that it has an element of like, behind the-, it’s obviously not a realistic. Like, I don’t work in public access. But I like the, sort of, behind the scenes feel of it. My friend, Lauren Lapkus is in it and I think everything she does is perfect and amazing. And she is the funniest person I’ve ever met.
Bobby: When she pulled out the trumpet—
Lauren: Oh, my God.
Bobby: …I really did lose my mind.
Lauren: Oh, my God. The trumpet. The prop comedy, the trumpet, the desktop the computer.
Bobby: I forgot about the desktop computer. Who needs a laptop?
Lauren: Yes. She’s like, ‘I feel bad for people with laptops.’ And honestly, the-, one of the best jokes I’ve ever heard and… It’s in the trailer, I think too, but it’s when they’re in a restaurant. And the waiter asks like, you know, ‘Have you seen a chicken strip?’ And she says:
[Scene from Between Two Ferns]
Lauren Lapkus: How many clam strips come in an order?
Waiter: Six.
Lauren Lapkus: How big are they?
Waiter: Well, have you ever seen a chicken strip?
Lauren Lapkus: I’ve never seen a chicken wear clothes.
[End of scene]
Lauren: That is one of the funniest things I have ever heard. And the delivery is so perfect. And so, the movie… I picked it and I liked it because it’s just so deadpan. Like, the jokes are just so sharply and, you know, deathly delivered that it’s just so, so funny to me.
Bobby: One of the things that I was-, that most intrigued me initially because I was like, okay, I’ve got to watch this movie. I probably would have waited a little longer to watch it had we not done this. Because I was like, ‘Uh, it’s in the que.’ You know?
Lauren: Yeah. Like, you’ll get to it.
Bobby: I’ll get to it.
Lauren: Yeah.
Bobby: 82 minutes long. Can you get better than 82 minutes long?
Lauren: Uh-uh. [negative] That is, I would argue, the perfect run time.
Bobby: I got a full story—
Lauren: Hm-hmm. [affirmative]
Bobby: …in 82 minutes.
Lauren: Absolutely.
Bobby: And I don’t have to worry about watching it again or watching—
Lauren: No.
Bobby: …more of it.
Lauren: No.
Bobby: I mean, I don’t know what that says about like, me or society that like, we’re dying for things to be short. But like, what a nice length for a movie.
Lauren: But it’s not like, too short. It’s not like, 49 minutes where you’re like, oh.
Bobby: I don’t feel cheated.
Lauren: Yeah.
Bobby: You know?
Lauren: And I also feel-, I think that the amount-, they picked like, the perfect guest stars. I love anything with Will Ferrell in it. So, it was like, fun to have him in it playing, sort of, a heightened character version of himself that’s like, a cokehead and like…
Bobby: Yeah. Making fun of just doing the clicks over and over again.
Lauren: Yes. Yes.
Bobby: Where it’s like, I have to carry my click counter all over the place.
Lauren: Yes. I just… It really made me laugh. And then also, my-, the full disclosure, I’m in it for one second.
Bobby: You’re in it for one second?
Lauren: I’m in it for one second.
Bobby: Wait. What second?
Lauren: It’s like, at the very beginning. I’m one of the other public access shows on the channel.
Bobby: You are?
Lauren: Yes. [laughs]
Bobby: [laughs] We didn’t even know we had a star of Between Two Ferns, the movie.
Lauren: I is a star among servants. I have one line in the movie. I sure do. Yeah. So…
Bobby: What is your line?
Lauren: I’m—so…
Bobby: Hold on. I can… I’m going to scroll on, I mean, Netflix.
Lauren: It’s literally in the first five minutes. I play a tarot card reader. [laughs]
Bobby: Oh, my God. There’s—
Lauren: That’s me.
Bobby: Are you kidding me?
Lauren: [laughs]
[Scene from Between Two Ferns]
Lauren Ashley Smith: Didn’t like that card. Didn’t like that card either.
Male: Where do you keep your offer?
[End of scene]
Lauren: And I did not pick it because, I swear to God. I swear to God. I Tweeted about the movie. And Christine was like, do you want to do this? I was like, absolutely. And I was like, but, by the way, I don’t know if this makes it weird but I am in the movie. [laughs]
Bobby: Didn’t like that card. Well, congratulations.
Lauren: Hey, you know, thanks.
Bobby: I’m really… I’m just… I was already star-struck and now I’m even more star-struck.
Lauren: Well, you know…
Bobby: So, Between Two Ferns. Here’s the thing. Between Two Ferns premiered on Funny or Die in 2008 which I-, 11 years ago this show premiered.
Lauren: Which I didn’t realize that it had been part of like, the conc-, the public consciousness for that long.
Bobby: Yeah. And they, sort of, reference the fact that it’s been on for a long time in the movie. But the movie is like, it’s such a weird… It’s like, a parody but it’s also a real thing.
Lauren: Right.
Bobby: You know, like, this show really did exist. But it’s just adding this, sort of, alternative history and like, fictionalizing the actual like, story of this show. But they mentioned the ten-year thing in it. But when you see it on the Wikipedia, like, this premiere 10 years ago-, I mean, in 2008. This is wild. And also, Funny or Die was one of those things that like, it anticipated A-listers embracing web-based video—
Lauren: Yeah.
Bobby: …and internet video and streaming stuff before the mainstream.
Lauren: Way before.
Bobby: Up and coming people were on YouTube and they were doing stuff like, college humor. But like, Funny or Die brought in the heavy hitters early on.
Lauren: They were like, oh, this is a movie star in an internet video which is like, not something that was a part of the conversation.
Bobby: Yeah. Like, let’s not completely make fun of the internet just yet.
Lauren: Exactly.
Bobby: And so, they’ve been doing it for a really long time. Zach Galifianakis plays this like, strange version of himself that the movie, sort of, provides a little bit of context and background to. And when I saw the trailer, I was like, how are they going to do this, honestly? Because the show is hilarious, yes, but it’s also, you know, seven minutes long.
Lauren: Right. And it doesn’t—
Bobby: It’s one joke.
Lauren: The interviews don’t have a storyline.
Bobby: No.
Lauren: So, to-, for them, I think the way that Scott Aukerman, the director, like, the way they conceived the movie was really smart and cool to take the things that you like about Between Two Ferns, which is the awkward conversation aspect of it. But to put this, make you invested in the storyline and show you like, okay. It’s like, classic improv and sketch comedy role which is like, okay, if this is true… If this show happens and like, Zach behaves this way, and he interviews people this way, what else is true? And it’s like, okay, if that is true, what else is true? He probably has crazy people that work for him. Do you know what I’m saying?
Bobby: Yeah.
Lauren: It’s like, that’s also true. He probably has a messed up personal life, that also is true. And he probably also has grand delusions and ambitions thinking that he’s way better than he is. That’s also true. So, let’s show that.
Bobby: Yeah. If this version of Zach Galifianakis is the star of Funny or Die, then what is the owner of Funny or Die like?
Lauren: Exactly.
Bobby: It’s Will Ferrell, but this kind of Will Ferrell.
Lauren: This kind of Will Ferrell, exactly.
Bobby: Yeah. It was really, really funny. And so, they developed a story around it which is that he accidently killed Matthew McConaughey briefly in this, sort of, ridiculous Rube Goldbergian flood that happens in the studio. He comes back to life. He gets CPR or whatever. And Will Ferrell says I need clicks. You need to give me 10 episodes of Between Two Ferns in two weeks or something. And Zach Galifianakis says let’s make it interesting. If I get it, will you give me a talk show on Lifetime television?
Lauren: Forever.
Bobby: Forever. And he’s like, ‘Sure.’ That goes back to the run time. But I love it when exposition takes two seconds. You know? We don’t have to drag our heels. You don’t have to explain it. This is absurd. This is silly.
Lauren: I’m already in like, just tell me what it is.
Bobby: Tell me what I need.
Lauren: And then go for it.
Bobby: Tell me what we’re doing and let’s go. Show me the interviews with the people. They just barely thread them together. But it’s enough.
Lauren: It’s enough.
Bobby: And I think-, and I think that’s one of the things that really surprised me. Like, would it be enough to give this, sort of, lose thread through all of these celebrity interviews? And it was absolutely enough.
Lauren: Absolutely. It absolutely was. I felt invested in the story in a lot of ways. And I felt like I couldn’t predict where it was going to go. And so… And the thing that really impresses me on top of everything is that the movie is mostly improvised. Like, I still don’t know how they pulled it off. I don’t know if they like, beaded out stories and stuff. I can, sort of, glean based on like, what I know about making TV. But so many of those moments and lines and stuff, I think the scenarios were like, beaded out and scripted. But so many of the jokes and interactions were improvised which is just all the more impressive when you look at the performances that people gave.
Bobby: Yeah. I-, well, just to change topics really quickly, you’re currently writing on A Black Lady Sketch Show which is awesome. Congratulations.
Lauren: Thanks.
Bobby: That’s very cool. I’m sure people are listening are watching that as well. As a writer on like, a comedy show, when you are writing comedy, do you go into it expecting improv to be added to it?
Lauren: I think it depends. It depends because it depends on the type of show it is. Because like, let’s say, it’s a multi-cam, like a sitcom. Like, let’s say, a “Friends” or “Big Bang Theory” for example. There is probably less room for improvisation because the improv has to be on story. You know? Like, the writers have already written out like, what the season’s going to be like, what the series is going to be like, what the characters are. And so, there’s like, little room for interpretation. But generally, when you are working on a big budget show like that, like, the network expects to see what is on the page when they watch the show. But the cool thing about making TV is that you can get a take where it’s like, written-, done as written. And then you can do one where it’s like, let’s just go crazy. And usually, it’s a beautiful marriage between them. But a lot of times, like, you know, as a writer, what’s really cool is to write something and hear it a certain way in your head because that’s, sort of, how I write is like, I hear the characters in my head. And then see someone interpret a word or a phrase in a way that you didn’t even-, you’re like, oh, my gosh. That-, I’m hearing it completely differently. To see what people take away from it is really cool. And so, I always hope and expect that like, I’m going to put it on the page how I see it and they’re going to take it and run with it.
Bobby: Who are some of your biggest influences as comedy writers?
Lauren: Comedy writers, a ton. Tina Fey was always super important to me when she-, because she was the first woman to be the head writer of SNL. And so, I always was like, oh, she is someone who is just so sharp and so funny and has a really absurd sense of humor. And I also read a quote from her many years ago where she said that on the set of “30 Rock” she like, carried the script with her all the time. Like, the script was never done, done. Like, you can always make your jokes better. And that helped me early in my career and now in my career to, you know, always want to like, improve and beat myself. But also, to like, take notes and criticism. Because it’s like, if I write something and then I think, well, that’s it, that’s how it’s going to be. Then every change that comes later is going to make me feel bad.
Bobby: Ruin you.
Lauren: I’m going to have a negative reaction to it.
Bobby: Yeah.
Lauren: And like, I don’t want that. And nobody wants to work with that. So, to read that quote from someone I really admired early on was very helpful to me to be like, oh, you know, like, things can change. And just because they change doesn’t mean it’s like, getting ruined. You know?
Bobby: Yeah.
Lauren: Like, that is a gift for things to change and to collaborate.
Bobby: Probably the hardest thing about like, any form of writing, like, Killing Your Darlings. Just like, looking back with a critical eye and being willing to change things. And especially in comedy because whenever you think something’s funny, you’re like, I’m the funniest person alive. Like, how dare you not call me funny. I’m hilarious. This is so funny. Why aren’t you laughing at this? It’s so funny. I think there’s something about this movie that is so much more thoughtful and has like, commentary on like, the comedy scene than you would initially think going into it. Did you watch this feeling surprised by the fact that a Funny or Die sketch turned into like, kind of an interesting comment on an industry?
Lauren: I wasn’t surprised because I have a deep respect and understanding for how smart and how thoughtful and funny the people involved with the movie are. And… But I really was like, just thrilled, I would say, because the questions that Zach asked… Like, they-, there’s a difference between like, him asking like, dumb offensive and annoying and embarrassing questions to the actors and the famous people that he’s interviewing. And that would have been great and funny enough. But the fact that they were able to do that and make a commentary on the business or on the way people are interviewed. And it was so smart. The questions were so razor sharp. And the way that he delivered them so offhandedly was truly masterful, I think. Like, the question about to-, there’s one to Brie Larson where he asked her, you know, he says like, ‘I heard that you don’t answer questions that make you uncomfortable in interviews.’ And he goes, ‘This one’s a two-parter. Why is that? And when did you get your first period?’ [laughs] And it just makes me laugh so much. And there-, I mean, every single question he asks. I can’t remember all of them, but—
Bobby: My favorite one that I wrote down was when he says to John Legend, ‘You have many titles. Musician, actor, producer, philanthropist. But at the end of the day, aren’t you just a millionaire who’s married to a supermodel?’ I just like…
Lauren: When he asks Chance the Rapper if that was the name his parents gave him or what his brother’s name was or some-, it was just like, so stupid. So, so stupid. But ultimately like, he truly did make a lot of commentary on just the business. And like, him… I thought I’d heard every all right, all right, all right Matthew McConaughey joke.
Bobby: His past three box offices. He’s so… I had forgotten. I think that’s the thing about this movie. It made me weirdly nostalgic for 10 years ago.
Lauren: Totally.
Bobby: You know? Like, you’re watching this and it’s like, I remember loving these videos. And they never really stopped coming out.
Lauren: No.
Bobby: Like, Zach Galifianakis kept making them throughout-, like, there wasn’t really a lull.
Lauren: With hugely famous people.
Bobby: Yeah. Like, Barack Obama.
Lauren: Exactly.
Bobby: Like, you know? This never ended, but it still made me think like, it’s great that this thing stayed good for a long time, especially over the past few years. We’re so used to having good things ruined.
Lauren: Absolutely.
Bobby: And this is a good thing that has, somehow, against all odds, in an industry that is known for harboring and like, propping up things that are not good and people who are not good. It reminded me of this quote that just came out. You know, the whole Joker movie that’s coming out directed by Todd Phillips. Comedy director, known for The Hangover movies mostly. And now he’s directing this like, really intense dark movie about the Joker starring Joaquin Phoenix. And he said this. I was reading a profile of Joaquin Phoenix yesterday. Did you hear about this?
Lauren: I haven’t seen it.
Bobby: And he said, this is-, he’s explaining his pivot to Joker as opposed to why he doesn’t want to make comedies anymore. And he said, “Go try to be funny now-a-days with this woke culture. There were articles written about why comedies don’t work anymore. I’ll tell you why, because all the fucking funny guys are like, ‘Fuck this shit, because I don’t want to offend you.’ It’s hard to argue with 30 million people on Twitter. You just can’t do it, right? So, you just go, ‘I’m out.’ I’m out. And you know what? With all my comedies, I think that what comedies, in general, all have in common is they’re irreverent. So, I go, ‘How do I do something irreverent, but fuck comedy? Oh, I know, let’s take the comic book movie universe and turn it on its head with this.’ And so that’s really where that came from”. And I was like, dude, this is an irreverent, silly, absurd, hilarious comedy that is not a problem.
Lauren: Right.
Bobby: Like, no one’s going to be mad at this movie for existing. As someone who’s involved in a popular comedy show in 2019, what do you say about the current state of comedy?
Lauren: I think comedy is in a really great place right now. I think that on so many levels, I think that network comedies are really great. Sketch, there’s like, a bunch of new amazing sketch shows. Their stand up is in a really great place. I feel like, the art of the romantic comedy is being brought back. And so, I feel like it’s really, really strong. And I think it’s, kind of, a cop out and, kind of, a lazy way of thinking to, just, sort of, throw up your hands and be like, ‘Well—
Bobby: I give up.
Lauren: …I give up.’ And I don’t like the way that-, you know, it just seems kind of like, dinosaur-ish. And it just seems like, you just don’t feel like trying. And it’s going back to the thing I was saying where it’s like, take the note. Like, it doesn’t ever hurt to take a note. And sometimes the note is like, hey, we, as a culture, re moving this way. You know? It never hurts to take a note.
Bobby: Yeah. Who was your favorite cameo in this movie?
Lauren: Oh, my gosh.
Bobby: That’s a tough-, it’s tough.
Lauren: It’s really tough. I think it might be John Legend just because I really love that scene where he comes in and he’s like, being so aggressively mean-nice to Zach because Zach has, the night before, had sex with Chrissy Teigen, his wife. And I love how Lauren Lapkus is like, not picking up on Zach, kind of—
Bobby: I think that’s one of my favorite Lauren Lapkus parts.
Lauren: She’s like, I—
Bobby: And she’s like, ‘Why are you doing this to me?’ And he’s like, ‘What the fuck?’
Lauren: And I feel like you’re trying to get something across to me that I’m not getting.
[scene from Between Two Ferns]
Male 1: Uh, I, I am married to a supermodel. Yes.
Male 2: I’ll look her up.
Lauren Lapkus: He met her.
Male 1: You met her?
Male 2: I did?
Lauren Lapkus: Yeah.
Male 2: When?
Lauren Lapkus: Yes, of course. In the bar.
Male 1: You met my wife in a bar?
Male 2: I meet a lot of people. I meet a lot of people…
Lauren Lapkus: It was last night.
Male 1: You met my wife last night?
Male 2: What does she look like?
Lauren Lapkus: She’s gorgeous. I told you, go over and talk to her. We can get an interview.
Male 2: I don’t remember her.
Lauren Lapkus: Why are you starting at me like this?
Male 2: What?
Lauren Lapkus: I feel like you’re trying to communicate something that I don’t get.
Male 2: Shut the fuck up.
[scene ends]
Lauren: Oh, my gosh. I-, she’s so, so funny. I think that that is probably my favorite one. But I think there’s actually one that I’m not remembering that I remiss in not mentioning. But they’re just all so, so good.
Bobby: He was so mean to Hailee Steinfeld about the bumble bee.
Lauren: He was. He was.
Bobby: I mean, you find yourself, kind of, pleased and relieved when a celebrity goes on Between Two Ferns because they’re willing to, like, take themselves down a notch.
Lauren: They’re willing to put themselves out there. Exactly.
Bobby: Yeah. I loved the line that they threw in. Was it Lauren Lapkus? I’m not sure. But it was like, ‘Celebrities take cameos in movies so they can afford another day of cocaine.’
Lauren: Yes. Yes. That was Lauren. Other amazing cameos were Rashida Jones, the moment where she’s sitting getting pre-interviewed by Lauren, but Zach is sitting right over her shoulder. He’s like, ‘Ask her what race she is.’ Like, just… It was just so funny. And then, I am going to be killed for this because I don’t know if I’m… Is the man’s name… I love this actor, but I don’t watch Parks & Recreation. So, I’m not… He’s on Big Little Lies. Is it Adam Scott?
Bobby: Yeah. Oh, yeah. That’s Adam Scott.
Lauren: Yes, okay. Adam Scott. That one is very funny to me because he goes, ‘I’m from—
Bobby: He was like, ‘He’s not Paul Rudd.’
Lauren: Yeah. Well, he’s like, I’m from Parks & Recreation. And Zach’s like, oh, thank goodness. You know?
Bobby: You’re a normal person.
Lauren: A normal person. They just try to like, get me to talk to actors about their latest comedy projects. He was like, no, my show, Parks & Recrea-, it’s just a great-, it’s just so stupid and funny. I love it.
Bobby: This joke that Zach Galifianakis has been doing with this character is so one-note. And it-, you feel like it shouldn’t have lasted when you watch this. Like, oh, he’s just dead panning like, pop culture ignorance while he interviews these people. Like, he’s just like, kind of, on the spectrum. He’s not picking up on social ques. How could this possibly last for 11 years? And it has? It has.
Lauren: It has because it has like, it has… Part of it is like, him being not informed. But also, part of it is him fucking with them which is great. But I also find… One thing that makes the movie work too, I think, is that… I think all these people are being themselves or the playing version of themselves. Whether it’s Hailee Steinfeld or Zach or Will Ferrell or whoever.
Bobby: Jon Hamm.
Lauren: Jon Hamm. Oh, my gosh. And I feel like it must be very hard to play yourself in a movie. And so many of the people did it so, so well that I think it’s a testament to-, even the people that aren’t like, traditionally, like, actors, like, say John Legend. He played himself so well. And they’re so willing to play the versions of themselves or the-, that are distilled down to the very like, most basic thing we know about them, which is very fun.
Bobby: Even if that thing is like, unflattering.
Lauren: Exactly. And I just really think that that’s just such a joy to watch. And it’s just fun for the audience.
Bobby: That they’re willing to do that.
Lauren: Yeah.
Bobby: I loved the-, I was looking at all the other jokes that I wrote down. I love the joke. And again, I think it was Lauren Lapkus again where she says, Jake Gyllenhaal couldn’t make it because he didn’t get on the plane because he didn’t spell his name right on his ticket. There are too many A’s.
Lauren: There are too many A’s. [laughs]
[scene from Between Two Ferns]
Lauren Lapkus: Zach?
Zach: Yeah.
Lauren Lapkus: I have some bad news. Jake Gyllenhaal had to cancel.
Zach: Why?
Lauren Lapkus: He spelled his name wrong on his plane ticket.
Zach: What?
Lauren Lapkus: There’s too many A’s.
[scene ends]
Lauren: It’s so quotable though. Like, I feel like, it’s been… These days, like…
Bobby: I know what you’re going to say. Say it.
Lauren: The way comedy is, sometimes things aren’t as quotable as like, I’m someone who—
Bobby: As a ninety’s comedy.
Lauren: Exactly. Like, I’m someone, I grew up watching movies and TV in the nineties and early 2000’s. And like, I-, when I think of like, quotable things, I’m like, okay, Mean Girls, so quotable. Anchorman, so quotable. Like, this movie gives me those vibes where it’s just the things are just so, so-, you can-, they just glue themselves into your brain.
Bobby: Why do you think that is? Because I’ve noticed that too where it’s like, comedies, they evolved at some point. You know, Anchorman, Mean Girls feel like, sort of, the last breaths of that, sort of, era of comedy. And then it turned into a very-, is it like, a Judd Apatow, sort of, like, situa-, just like, everything was a little more long-winded. They like, gave everything a little more room to breathe which meant there were like, less one-liners, almost.
Lauren: Maybe. Yeah. But there definitely is a tomoshote [phonetic 00:25:39]. And it’s not like, a value judgment because I enjoy both.
Bobby: No. I love it all.
Lauren: But there was something about this that felt very reminiscent of that in a way that felt like, nice and familiar.
Bobby: And it reminded me of like, and the improv. Just like, really good improv reminded me of like, Christopher Guest movies where I was like, this is really just a mocumentary. Like, a Christopher Guest movie.
Lauren: Absolutely.
Bobby: It’s not exactly like, formally a mocumentary, but that’s the vibe that I’m getting. And it made me nostalgic for that too. I was like, this is really comforting to me.
Lauren: Totally.
Bobby: The last thing that I wrote down that killed me was his exchange with Tiffany Haddish where he said, ‘Do you ever wish people would stop calling you a female comedian? Shouldn’t they just be calling you a black comedian?’ And she goes, ‘It’s better than them calling me male comedian.’ I was like, they must be having the time of their lives. Like, David Letterman.
Lauren: Oh, my God, where he said, you look like Santa Clause. Like, oh, man. It’s just so, so, so truly so funny.
Bobby: I’m sorry I keep harping on the fact that you are a comedy writer, but this is important. Who was your dream comedian or actor to write for?
Lauren: Oh, my gosh. That’s so hard.
Bobby: In your dreams.
Lauren: Probably Maya Rudolph.
Bobby: Maya Rudolph.
Lauren: Because the way that she says words, it’s just… There’s no one like that. There’s no one like her. And she is a delight. I’ve never watched anything with her in it and have come away from it wishing I hadn’t watched it. She can turn any word into-, she can add syllables to it. She can take syllables away. She is just so charming. And she is just so fun to watch. I feel like it would bring me no greater joy that to hear her say things.
Bobby: Watching her on The Good Place is just like, so nice.
Lauren: Oh, my gosh. A revelation.
Bobby: When she walk—she is one of those hand full of people that when she walks on the screen, you’re just like, you’re laughing already.
Lauren: Already.
Bobby: You’re like, I’m ready. Here we go.
Lauren: Yeah. And it’s like, that-, she’s just one of those people where it’s like, you’re just funny. You’re never going to be not funny.
Bobby: That’s true. She will keep evolving in her funniness into old age. Like, an Elaine Stritch or something, you know?
Lauren: Absolute-, I was going to say Elaine Stritch. Absolutely.
Bobby: Like, she will be funny in her nineties.
Lauren: Absolutely.
Bobby: And she’ll be on television in her nineties. Or like, she’ll be on her phones in her nineties. Now, we are going to play our stupid game which is called Zach, Zack, or Zac. There are a lot of famous Zachs.
Lauren: A lot of Zachs. I recently discovered that there just are a lot of men named Ryan in the world. But also, there’s like, a disproportionate amount of men named Ryan on reality television. Like, any reality show, there is going to be a man named Ryan. And—
Bobby: Maybe multiple.
Lauren: Multiple. And that’s-, I sat with that for a while. I was like, what is that about? I want to get to the bottom of it.
Bobby: Like… Because when you think of like… And it’s definitely a type of guy too. Like, Ryan Lochte is what I think of when I think of Ryan. Like, they’re all just Ryan Lochte.
Lauren: Hm-hmm. [affirmative] I think of Ryan Edwards from Teen Mom. I think of any son named Ryan on any Real Housewives’ franchise, there’s always a Ryan.
Bobby: Ryan’s going to be a problem.
Lauren: Yeah.
Bobby: No offense to the Ryans listening, but like, you might be a problem.
Lauren: He might-, Ryan’s going to either cheat on someone or they’re going to-, Ryan’s going to end up with like, some kind of card at the end where it’s like, Ryan went to prison for three-, like, Ryan’s going to end up with an update at the end of the episode.
Bobby: Right. Kind of a dark update.
Lauren: Yes.
Bobby: There are a lot of Zachs too, and they spell their names differently.
Lauren: They do.
Bobby: Z-A-C-H. Z-A-C-K. Z-A-C.
Lauren: Hm-hmm. [affirmative]
Bobby: So, we’re going to play Zach, Zack, or Zac.
Lauren: Can’t wait.
Bobby: I’m going to read you a last name. Their first name is Zach.
Lauren: Hm-hmm. [affirmative]
Bobby: Can you spell their first name?
Lauren: This game is right up my alley.
Bobby: Here we go. There aren’t many of them. I was just like, wow, it is funny because I thought that Zach, whatever. Let’s do it. Galifianakis.
Lauren: Z-A-C-H.
[dinging noise]
Bobby: That’s right. Z-A-C-H. Let’s add another point to this. Name what they are famous for.
Lauren: Between Two Ferns or The Hangover.
Bobby: Great.
[dinging noise]
Bobby: Posen.
Lauren: Z-A-C. Fashion.
[dinging noise, dinging noise]
Bobby: Ding, ding. Okay. Braff.
Lauren: Z-A-C-H. Scrubs.
[dinging noise, dinging noise]
Lauren: Or Garden State.
Bobby: You’re going to get—
[dinging noise]
Bobby: You’re going to get an A++ on this. Here we go. Efron.
Lauren: Z-A-C. High School Musical.
[dinging noise, dinging noise]
Lauren: Hairspray.
[dinging noise]
Lauren: 17 Again.
[dinging noise]
Bobby: I know you know it all. Just list them all.
Lauren: [laughing] Dating Taylor Schilling for a minute.
Bobby: Oh, my God. What was their movie called?
Lauren: I forgot. That one I don’t know. But it was like—
Bobby: Nicholas Sparks.
Lauren: Yes.
Bobby: It was like, Safe. You’re Safe. Or, no. Was it the other one?
Lauren: Yes. Yeah. We’re both white and—
Bobby: We’re both white and there’s probably a doc somewhere. There’s some lake.
Lauren: Exactly.
Bobby: It’s really beautiful.
Lauren: We’ve got generational wealth and we’re happy.
Bobby: Yes. Grandma’s very old and crotchety, but gave us a lot of money.
Lauren: Hm-hmm. [affirmative]
Bobby: Snyder.
Lauren: Oh, man. I’m going to say C-K.
[dinging noise]
Lauren: And I have no idea. Is he a country star?
[buzzing noise]
Bobby: He is C-K. He’s C-K. He’s a director. He directed like, Suicide Squad and stuff.
Lauren: Oh, okay. Directors are my blind spot.
Bobby: Watchmen.
Lauren: Okay.
Bobby: But you got the C-K right. There’s something you can tell Snyder.
Lauren: Yes. He’s a C-K.
Bobby: Woods.
Lauren: Okay. Zach Woods, I know that name. But I can’t-, wait. Oh, I know who that is. Okay. Zach Woods is a C-H.
Bobby: Hm-hmm. [affirmative]
[dinging noise]
Lauren: And he is famous for… Was he on The Office? No.
[dinging noise]
Bobby: He was-, oh, he was on The Office.
Lauren: He was on The Office.
Bobby: He was on The Office for a few seasons. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Sorry. I stand corrected. I didn’t watch The Office. Is that crazy? I’ve never watched The Office.
Lauren: It’s pretty funny.
Bobby: I know it’s funny.
Lauren: It’s very funny.
Bobby: I know it’s funny. I never watched it.
Lauren: But honestly, I never watched Parks & Rec either and I’ve heard it’s like, amazing and fantastic. I just didn’t get around to it.
Bobby: Zach Woods is like, kind of tall, gangly.
Lauren: Tall-, I know exactly who he is. Yes.
Bobby: Yeah. Zach Woods. He also—
Lauren: He’s on like, Silicon Valley or something.
Bobby: Yes.
Lauren: Yeah.
Bobby: Yes. Couple more. Randolph.
Lauren: I’m going to guess a C.
[buzzer noise]
Lauren: And is he an athlete?
Bobby: He’s an athlete. But he’s C-H.
Lauren: Okay.
Bobby: Basketball. Morris.
Lauren: Oh. He’s a C-K.
Bobby: Hm-hmm. [affirmative]
[dinging noise]
Lauren: And he is the notorious terror at Bayside High.
Bobby: That’s correct. Did you see the logline for the reboot of Saved by the Bell?
Lauren: Did I see it?
Bobby: And if not, can I read it to you?
Lauren: Please read it to me.
Bobby: “When California governor Zack Morris gets into hot water for closing too many low-income high schools, he proposes they send the affected students to the highest performing schools in the state including Bayside High. The influx of new students gives the over privileged Bayside kids a much needed and hilarious dose of reality.”
Lauren: To that I say, Bayside as high achieving where?
Bobby: Where? Exactly.
Lauren: Because they legit-, those were some of the dumbest—
Bobby: They never went to class.
Lauren: …kids I’ve ever seen. They were also all 37. They were not good at sports or-, the only person that was talented was Slater. And he was good at dancing. And that is it. They did not go to school. They did not have a good principal. They did not have good grades. They did not ever go to class. And they were a mess in general.
Bobby: The only high performing one was Jessie Spano and it was because she took—
Lauren: She was on speed.
Bobby: …speed.
Lauren: So…
Bobby: And also, it was an interesting version of the nerd-like trope or archetype because Screech wasn’t even smart. He was just a dweeb.
Lauren: No. He was a dork. Yeah. Screech was like…
Bobby: He wasn’t the like, smart kid.
Lauren: No.
Bobby: He was a dumbass.
Lauren: Yeah. He was truly like, someone that needed to be like… He needed help like, getting from Point A to Point B. So, I feel like it just was a weird turn.
Bobby: People are so mean to Screech.
Lauren: But what I do-, what I will say about Saved by The Bell that they did well and they turned this on its head too was that like, the pretty, sort of, unattainable rich girl was black, which I’d never really seen that on a TV show.
Bobby: That was probably one of the first times I’m like, a network sitcom.
Lauren: A mainstream—exactly.
Bobby: Yeah. Lisa Turtle. She’s not in the reboot.
Lauren: Yes.
Bobby: Jessie and…
Lauren: Now, is Tori in the reboot?
Bobby: She hasn’t been listed on this thing. Elizabeth Berkley and Mario Lopez are in it.
Lauren: Hm-hmm. [affirmative] Of course.
Bobby: No one mentioned Tori. But if she gets the call, I’m sure she’ll take it.
Lauren: And is Dustin Diamond going to be part?
Bobby: I don’t think he’s going to be part of it. I think they want to stay away from Dustin Diamond.
Lauren: Yeah. Tori Spelling.
Bobby: Tori Spelling. Oh, yeah. We don’t know.
Lauren: Violet?
Bobby: You know who was-, who it could be? Scientologist, former scientologist—
Lauren: Leah Remini.
Bobby: … Leah Remini could come back.
Laruen: Would love!
Bobby: She would love to do it. Give me an episode on the Peacock. Coming soon to Peacock, Leah Remini, Saved by the Bell. Okay. Two more. Brown.
Lauren: C-H. Zach-, no. C. I’m sorry. C. Zac Brown Band.
[dinging noise, dinging noise]
Bobby: [laughs] You got it. Okay. Last one. Just because I needed something to throw you for a loop. Bagans.
Lauren: [laughs] Bagans. I’m going to say… C-K.
[buzzer noise]
Lauren: And, no idea.
[buzzer noise]
Bobby: It was a true question. He’s a K.
Lauren: Okay. Oh, just a Z-A-K.
Bobby: Z-A-K.
Lauren: Wow. That’s chaotic.
Bobby: It’s rare.
Lauren: That’s chaotic.
Bobby: It’s-, that’s chaotic and evil. He hosts a show that’s been on Discovery Channel for years. It’s had over 200 episodes called Ghost Adventures. He’s a paranormal investigator.
Lauren: I’ve seen that show.
Bobby: It’s one of those shows that like, I’ve watched late at night. Like, the last third of it a million times.
Lauren: Yes. Good for Zak.
Bobby: It’s like, celebrity ghost stories, which I used to love.
Lauren: Yes. Hm-hmm. [affirmative]
Bobby: I think we’re done talking about this. Thank you for coming on the show.
Lauren: Thank you for having me. It was a blast.
Bobby: You can all watch A Black Lady Sketch Show on HBO GO or NOW, HBO Max.
Lauren: Any of the HBOs.
Bobby: What’s Max?
Lauren: Don’t know.
Bobby: You’re like, above my paygrade.
Lauren: I have no idea. I just stick with HBO and Google can figure out the rest.
Bobby: Great. Well, thank you for coming in to talk about this. You’re going to watch Between Two Ferns now on Netflix. It’s funny. The other things you can watch on Funny or Die. We’ll see you next week.
[music]
[End of audio]