Choice Words with Samantha Bee

Comedian Atsuko Okatsuka joins Sam to talk about her new special “Father” and why in her relationship she is “father” and her husband is “mother.” They talk about recalibrating your goals once you’ve reached them, which is what Atsuko had to do after accomplishing her only childhood goal of working at an ice cream parlor. They discuss Atsuko being unknowingly undocumented as a child after her grandmother brought her to Los Angeles, and why they both prefer the company of senior citizens. They talk about the decision to pivot her comedy from hobby to career, and why she only started making choices recently. Atsuko tells Sam about the online shows she does with other comedians who are children of moms with schizophrenia, how she thinks it takes ten years to find your voice in comedy, and why Sam is the kind of adult Atsuko hopes to be.  Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senator Elizabeth Warren joins Sam to explain that the most important thing individuals can do right now to fight back is to pick their path of resistance and be loud about it—and sometimes that means being the most annoying person at the party until you get your way. They dive into the corruption of the infamous memecoin dinner, how her former employer Harvard University is demonstrating exactly how to fight back, and how the Overton Window has gone…literally out the window. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cofounder of Run For Something and Author of When We’re In Charge Amanda Litman joins Sam to talk about the gerontocracy running our country and her call for politicians over 70 to stop running for re-election. They talk about how to be a better boss and why that includes creating better parental leave programs and the importance of a four day work week. Sam asks Amanda if we’ll ever have “normal” boring politicians again, and why sometimes it’s ok to make enemies if it’s in service of a greater good. Plus they discuss that there’s really no such thing as a waste of resources in politics, and what would you do if you were 30% braver. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chef, author, activist and restaurateur Tom Colicchio joins Sam to talk about big life decisions like joining Top Chef almost 20 years ago and how it’s one of the only times he hasn’t followed his wife’s advice. They reminisce over meeting while Sam was dressed as a flight attendant and having kids that only eat bread. Tom explains his “shoot from the hip” decision making process and the occasional procrastinating for big decisions. They debate whether it’s “too creepy” for him to join TikTok and what it’s done for viral foods. Plus what he grows in his garden, filling your car with compost, and why the Republican cuts to SNAP highlight that cruelty is the point. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

Weird Al Yankovic joins Samantha Bee to discuss their unique meet-cute, and how their interview came to be due to a scam gone right. Al tells Sam about how he’s actually happy with all the choices he’s made in life except (other than wishing he had bought Apple stock) and yet he agonizes over little decisions—especially when editing music videos. Al explains knowing that his first decision is usually the best one, and why he chooses to live on a tour bus for 3.5 months instead of sleeping in hotels. He reveals that the ultimate dig at him is when people say he’s talented enough to do “real music”, why record companies beg for Christmas albums, and turning down an opportunity to open for Duran Duran at Madison Square Garden. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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

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

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

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

Actress and activist Sophia Bush joins Sam and they quickly crank it all the way up to a 15 on the rage chart and talk about how much better it would be if moms were in charge instead of bros. They talk about our current state of fascism and why we can’t even imagine how bad things are going to get because our imaginations have never had to work this hard. Sophia explains to Sam why she doesn’t use her phone for an hour after she wakes up, learning how to “unpretzel” and how she became an investment fund manager. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Congressman Maxwell Frost joins Sam to talk about what it’s like to be the first member of Gen Z in Congress, and why it’s so important for Democrats to choose to see themselves as the opposition party, not the minority party. They talk about how to make decisions that impact millions of people and why the Kennedy Center coup was more significant than people think, and that he has been reading a lot about Elon Musk because it’s important to know your enemies. Sam learns that Congressman Frost is a “no notifications guy,” that he subscribes to even more newsletters than she does, and that the phone calls to Congress are actually working.  Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Actor and fellow Daily Show alum Josh Gad joins Sam to talk about why it’s harder to do political satire now than in the early aughts (hint: it’s the fascism). They also talk about his new book, In Gad We Trust, lying to your therapist, experiencing imposter syndrome even after years of success, and why he tried to say no to the Book of Mormon. Plus they talk about why Trump impersonations are bad for comedy and hurt more than they help. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Actor Kathryn Hahn joins Sam from her “she shed” to talk about how important it is to try a decision on for size before you make it and how she’s very good at getting rid of stuff (except for her kids’ art projects). They talk about taking jobs to pay off student loans, the distinct wetness of pre-packaged hardboiled eggs, why moving to LA was never part of her plan, and watching their moms go through menopause. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brooke Shields joins Sam to talk about her new book “Brooke Shields is Not Allowed to Get Old” and why it was so important to her to go to college despite her already booming career. They talk about aging and making new friends in your fifties, warding off overzealous doctors, learning to accept compliments, and unwinding the internet for their teenage daughters even if sometimes their kids hurt their feelings. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MSNBC’s Chris Hayes joins Sam and drops the most intimate choice yet—the decision to kiss his now-wife for the first time! Chris talks about how he is perhaps *too* decisive,  what the right level of fame is, how his life improved when he stopped reading his mentions and Donald Trump’s pathological and genuine need for attention. They talk about Chris’ new book The Sirens’ Call and why they agree Trump might actually be funny. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amanda Skinner, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southern New England joins Sam to talk about how running a Planned Parenthood is like landing a plane while gassing it up at the same time. They talk about what it’s like working in an “access state” while getting surges of patients from other states, and how the crux of what they do is providing preventative care to keep people stay healthy. They also talk about how they’re probably the only healthcare organization that gets positive patient comments, why STI testing is so expensive and so in demand, and why the need for the care they provide will never go away—especially over the next four years. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brooke Shields joins Sam to talk about her new book “Brooke Shields is Not Allowed to Get Old” and why it was so important to her to go to college despite her already booming career. They talk about aging and making new friends in your fifties, warding off overzealous doctors, learning to accept compliments, and unwinding the internet for their teenage daughters even if sometimes their kids hurt their feelings. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andy Slavitt, President Biden’s White House Senior Advisor for the Covid response and President Obama’s head of Medicare and Medicaid, joins Sam to breakdown the current world of healthcare and discuss the life-changing decision to call the White House and offer to help fix the ACA website. They talk about why powerful people are so compelling and how it makes making decisions even harder and how to even know who in the room should be making the decision, and being willing to listen to good ideas from the other side. Plus they talk about why it’s important to be nice to Siri, the difference between being entitled or honored to have a big job, and Sam gives an overdue apology for making fun of the ACA roll out while at The Daily Show.  Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.