Parenting is a Joke

In this snack episode, John Moe—host of Depresh Mode and Sleeping with Celebrities—shares memories with Ophira Eisenberg of sneaking into R-rated movies as a kid, including the terrifying but oddly comical Alien chest-burster scene that was softened by nearby jokesters comparing it to a hot dog with ketchup. He recalls being deeply shaken by The Exorcist and a low-budget Bigfoot “documentary,” which hit especially hard growing up in the Pacific Northwest. Moe also talks about the movies he’s passed down to his kids—Back to the Future, The Blues Brothers, Smokey and the Bandit, and Star Wars—while reflecting on how their pacing collides with today’s faster attention spans. Watching E.T. as an adult made him empathize more with the stressed single mother and even the government researchers than with the kids. Shifting to parenting, he describes handling discipline through conversations about consequences rather than punishment, being impressed by his teens’ self-regulation with social media, and missing the portability of younger children more than the sleeplessness. He admits he never kept journals—unless there was a chance to get paid for writing—but loved the sense of renewal around back-to-school rituals. Ultimately, Moe says parenting has taught him that raising kids, like jazz, is improvisation, and he once even wrote a Sharpie “P” on his hand as a reminder to practice patience. 📍October Shows are in Bozeman, MT, WI, MN, MO and in November new Standup Special Taping at The Comedy Cellar in NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Come to the Taping at the Comedy Cellar on Sun Nov 9th! 5pm: https://www.comedycellar.com/reservations-newyork/?showid=1762725600 7pm: https://www.comedycellar.com/reservations-newyork/?showid=1762732860 Follow John Moe: https://www.instagram.com/johnmoe/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Parenting Is a Joke, John Moe talks to Ophira Eisenberg about raising three kids while juggling multiple jobs in public radio, writing, and podcasting. He recalls his parents’ Norwegian roots, including summers spent above the Arctic Circle and the bone-dry humor of his father, whose jokes sometimes landed days later. Comedy became the family’s shared language, even as emotional expression was stifled at home, and Moe admits he often repeats phrases from his parents—like telling his kids to “snap out of it”—despite his professional focus on mental health. He describes how having a third child “broke” him in a liberating way, leading to their move from Seattle to Minnesota, where three-kid families felt more culturally normal. The conversation weaves through memories of Carol Burnett and Monty Python, misheard church greetings like “Metellina Moe,” and the difference between depression and simple misery, before circling back to Moe’s mission of making space for open conversations about mental health—work informed by losing his brother to suicide. The episode closes with Moe comparing shifting stigma around therapy to societal changes in littering and drunk driving: slow progress, but progress nonetheless. 📍October Shows are in Bozeman, MT, WI, MN, MO and in November new Standup Special Taping at The Comedy Cellar in NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Come to the Taping at the Comedy Cellar on Sun Nov 9th! 5pm: https://www.comedycellar.com/reservations-newyork/?showid=1762725600 7pm: https://www.comedycellar.com/reservations-newyork/?showid=1762732860 Follow John Moe: https://www.instagram.com/johnmoe/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachel Dratch joins Ophira Eisenberg to talk about raising her 13-year-old son Eli, reflecting on how his confident, social personality contrasts with her own bookish teen years. She recalls once assuming she wouldn’t have children, only to be surprised when a channeler predicted she’d meet someone and have one child—a prophecy that eerily came true when she met Eli’s father months later and became pregnant at 44. Rachel discusses the challenges of managing screen time, joking about how her hierarchy of goals slid from “read a book” to “at least watch TV instead of TikTok shorts.” She shares how Eli’s friendships overlap with the kids of fellow SNL alums Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, and Emily Spivey, and how he joined her as her date to the Tony Awards when she was nominated for POTUS. The conversation also covers her son’s passion for basketball, her abandoned dream of playing cello for him, and Halloween costumes she still brags about years later—including a homemade Doritos bag. A recurring theme is Rachel’s mix of skepticism and bemusement around the supernatural, from crystals in her pocket to Eli’s deep pronouncement that “time isn’t real.” The episode ends with her warning against trampoline parks, after two of Eli’s birthday parties ended with ER visits. 📍October Shows are in Bozeman, MT, WI, MN, MO and NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Rachel Dratch: https://www.instagram.com/raedratch/Follow Mom’s Unhinged: https://www.instagram.com/momsunhingedcomedy/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Comedian Jordan Carlos joins Ophira Eisenberg to talk about parenting two kids with very different personalities—his 10-year-old daughter, a perfectionist baker supplied with Costco-sized vanilla extract, and his six-year-old son, who polices Halloween candy wrappers with post-it notes. Jordan shares how his daughter’s three grandmothers got her hooked on baking, and how his son’s sharp eye caught him sneaking Whoppers late at night. The conversation moves into the emotional leap from age eight to ten, the Simon & Garfunkel “Hello Darkness” phase, and balancing attention between siblings. Jordan also compares Black and White Thanksgivings—Dallas versus New Hampshire—while marveling at his in-laws’ quiet avoidance of conflict. He tells a wild story about losing his wallet while paddle boating on Governor’s Island, diving into the muck to retrieve it as his son scolded him for swearing. From babysitters drinking beer on the job to a childhood broken arm he let heal on its own out of fear of getting in trouble, Jordan reflects on rule-following, parenting negotiations, and the strange privileges kids have today. The episode ends with Jordan imagining how much more his kids might care about U.S. history if Taylor Swift told the story of Ellis Island. 📍September Shows are in Fairfield, CT, Bloomington & Plainfield IN, Iowa City, IA, and NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Jordan Carlos : https://www.instagram.com/jordancarlosofficial/ Follow Mom’s Unhinged: https://www.instagram.com/momsunhingedcomedy/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this Parenting is a Joke snack episode, ​head-writer of Jimmy Kimmel Live! Danny Ricker joins Ophira Eisenberg to talk about how his work and family worlds overlap in unpredictable ways. He shares how writing jokes for Kimmel during the pandemic meant working from his garage while his kids crashed Zoom meetings, and why pitching jokes with a toddler tugging on his sleeve changed the whole dynamic of the room. Danny recalls how his children’s blunt feedback sometimes lands harder than a network note, and how bedtime stories often turn into test runs for monologue material. He describes the strange pride of seeing his kids repeat late-night style jokes at school, including one about Guillermo that got surprisingly big laughs on the playground. The conversation comes full circle when Danny admits the most nerve-wracking audience he’s ever faced isn’t Jimmy, the network, or a celebrity guest—but his own kids at the dinner table. 📍October Shows are in Bozeman, MT, WI, MN, MO and in November new Standup Special Taping at The Comedy Cellar in NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.comCome to the Taping at the Comedy Cellar on Sun Nov 9th! 5pm: https://www.comedycellar.com/reservations-newyork/?showid=1762725600 7pm: https://www.comedycellar.com/reservations-newyork/?showid=1762732860 Follow Danny Ricker: https://www.instagram.com/heydannyricker/ Follow Mom’s Unhinged: https://www.instagram.com/momsunhingedcomedy/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Parenting is a Joke, Ophira Eisenberg talks with Danny Ricker, head writer of Jimmy Kimmel Live and author of Wow, You Look Terrible: How to Parent Less and Live More. Ricker shares how the book’s title came from the daily mirror shock of his early parenting years, when exhaustion rewired him permanently into a 5:30 a.m. riser. He describes raising two kids—an 11-year-old daughter who now bonds with him over The Simpsons and an eight-year-old son who still delights in simple joys like rocks—while recalling how his wife and he started dating at 15 and played husband and wife in a high school production of Neil Simon’s Rumors. The conversation touches on his long career at Kimmel, his obsession with productivity and self-help books, and his favorite invention from his own parenting survival guide: the “purgatory cabinet,” a foolproof system for making unwanted toys disappear. By the end, he explains why tossing one Lego a day might be the most effective jailbreak from clutter, comparing it to tunneling out of prison “one scratch at a time.” 📍October Shows are in Bozeman, MT, WI, MN, MO and in November new Standup Special Taping at The Comedy Cellar in NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.comCome to the Taping at the Comedy Cellar on Sun Nov 9th! 5pm: https://www.comedycellar.com/reservations-newyork/?showid=1762725600 7pm: https://www.comedycellar.com/reservations-newyork/?showid=1762732860 Follow Danny Ricker: https://www.instagram.com/heydannyricker/ Follow Mom’s Unhinged: https://www.instagram.com/momsunhingedcomedy/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this snack episode, Andrea Marie talks about what it’s like dating as an empty nester after her “Zoom divorce” during the pandemic, and how she approaches relationships differently in her fifties—more confident about saying no, more aware of her priorities, and less interested in rushing toward marriage. She shares the efficiency of dating apps (though admits to fantasizing about faking an ankle injury to escape a bad hiking date), the humor of having a boyfriend eight years younger who referred to things as being from “her era,” and the fact that she has still never received a dick pic. Andrea contrasts her own parenting years with today’s challenges, especially the role of phones and social media, and recalls her kids joking about her “weird rules,” including banning SpongeBob and punishing them with a month-long Walgreens ban over a two-for-one candy fight. She reflects on moments of losing her temper—her kids nicknaming her “crazy eyes”—but also on the joy of finding the right activities, like her son’s lasting love of Ultimate Frisbee. The conversation closes with Andrea laughing at the memory of strategizing free Bible camps as summer childcare, a reminder that resourcefulness (and comedy) often go hand in hand in parenting. 📍September Shows are in Fairfield, CT, Bloomington & Plainfield IN, Iowa City, IA, and NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Andrea Marie Vahl : https://www.instagram.com/andreavahl/ Follow Mom’s Unhinged: https://www.instagram.com/momsunhingedcomedy/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this Parenting is a Joke episode, comedian Andrea Marie talks about founding the Moms Unhinged Comedy Tour after becoming an empty nester and realizing she finally had the freedom to hit the road. She shares with host Ophira Eisenberg how her unconventional upbringing with a prank-loving mom who once greeted boyfriends in a gorilla costume—and even trained as an Italian-style clown—shaped her sense of humor. Andrea describes her first career as a Facebook marketing expert and author before pivoting into stand-up, where her earliest jokes came from midlife crises and parenting fails rather than ad campaigns. She reflects on juggling speaking gigs while raising kids, from blogging under an umbrella at water parks to arranging her schedule around school breaks. The conversation also covers her divorce, the loss of her mother, and the strange world of “cemetery surge pricing.” Andrea recalls wild moments from Moms Unhinged shows, like a woman breaking her ankle in Bend, Oregon, another falling down the stairs in Fort Dodge, and having to bounce a disruptive audience member in her hometown. She admits producing and performing can feel like being “the mom” of the show, but the sold-out theaters and grateful audiences—especially women new to comedy—have made it worthwhile. The episode closes with Andrea laughing about the Chardonnay shortages that nearly sparked a mutiny at Martha’s Vineyard, proof that the “unhinged” part of the tour title is sometimes more literal than metaphorical. 📍September Shows are in Fairfield, CT, Bloomington & Plainfield IN, Iowa City, IA, and NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Andrea Marie Vahl : https://www.instagram.com/andreavahl/ Follow Mom’s Unhinged: https://www.instagram.com/momsunhingedcomedy/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this Parenting Is a Joke snack episode, Ophira Eisenberg talks with bestselling author Domenica Ruta about the messy, improvised reality of writing and parenting while raising kids. Domenica describes how her creative process has nothing to do with 4 a.m. routines—rejecting Glennon Doyle’s approach with a “bitch, please” and instead likening her schedule to a Jackson Pollock painting made of poop. She recalls pounding out an “ugly” first draft while pregnant, then facing the absurd parent math of paying more for childcare than she earned from freelancing. The two trade stories about breast pumps that seemed to chant insults—never encouragement—and even hatch the idea of a pump that offers affirmations instead of taunts. Domenica also reflects on the painful friend attrition after her baby shower, the pushback she got from publishers who didn’t want a book about motherhood, and her insistence on telling her novel All the Mothers through many voices—including even babies’ points of view. The conversation ends with her pride in shaping a book that reflects the real chaos and shifting center of family life, even if, as Ophira jokes, the next draft should just add a sniper. 📍September Shows are in Fairfield, CT, Bloomington & Plainfield IN, Iowa City, IA, and NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Domenica Ruta: https://www.instagram.com/domenicaruta/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bestselling author Domenica Ruta joins Ophira Eisenberg on this episode to talk about her new book All The Mothers, and about the family dynamics that shaped her memoir With or Without You, including her relationship with her strong-willed, drug-dealing mother and her complicated bond with her father. She explains how turning those memories into a book forced her to confront the contradictions of love, resentment, and survival, and why she believes humor is sometimes the only way to tell the truth about painful experiences. Domenica and Ophira also discuss generational differences in parenting styles, from guilt and rage bubbling up in small daily battles to the impossibility of living up to “perfect parent” ideals. The conversation closes with Domenica recalling how readers insisted her father character must have been directly lifted from her own life—proof of just how thin the line between lived experience and literature can be. 📍September Shows are in Fairfield, CT, Bloomington & Plainfield IN, Iowa City, IA, and NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Domenica Ruta: https://www.instagram.com/domenicaruta/ Buy her new novel All The Mothers: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/all-the-mothers-domenica-ruta/1146138139 See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this snack-sized follow-up, Ophira Eisenberg leads rapid-fire parenting confessions with Gaytriarchs podcast hosts David FM Vaughn and Gavin Lodge. David admits the last thing he said “no” to was sending an iPad to camp—earning him a daily pout and a stompy “I don’t even like this house anyway.” Gavin, meanwhile, cops to banning extra TikTok time, while also offering his trademark “just you wait” warnings to David’s younger-dad optimism. The trio skewer “gentle parenting” as equal parts guilt trip and impossibility, swap stories of murderous rage over mis-put-on shoes, and debate whether edibles really improve playtime. Both dads confess what they’d do anything to avoid—David votes small talk with other parents, Gavin volunteers trampoline duty—and end with a top-three list of the worst parts of back-to-school, from endless colds to forgotten assignments to being forced into yet another Parent Square group. As Gavin sums up, it’s hard to focus on gentle parenting when your kid slaps you with baloney. 📍September Shows are in Fairfield, CT, Bloomington & Plainfield IN, Iowa City, IA, and NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow The Gaytriarchs: https://www.instagram.com/gaytriarchspodcast/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this kickoff to Season 4, Ophira Eisenberg is joined by Broadway veterans turned podcasters David FM Vaughn and Gavin Lodge, hosts of The Gaytriarchs. The dads share how their show began almost as a “you’re a gay dad, I’m a gay dad, let’s talk” experiment, and how it’s evolved into 113 episodes, complete with recurring jokes like referring to their audience as “our listener.” They talk about the strange intimacy of podcasting, meeting each other’s kids for the first time only after years of recording together, and the moments that nearly made them quit—until a fan’s oddly specific comment kept them going. The conversation spans their careers pivoting from Broadway to TV writing and arts advocacy, the realities of raising kids via surrogacy, and the endless cycle of coming out in playgrounds, school forms, and even Dairy Queen drive-throughs. There are tangents about LaGuardia airport feeling like a spa, the economics of summer camp, and the universal awkwardness of “the talk.” The episode ends, fittingly, with Gavin recalling his daughter casually outing him to a car full of teens before they all nodded in recognition and said, “Oh, my mom used a surrogate too.” 📍September Shows are in Fairfield, CT, Bloomington & Plainfield IN, Iowa City, IA, and NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow The Gaytriarchs: https://www.instagram.com/gaytriarchspodcast/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this rerun episode of Parenting is a Joke, Ophira Eisenberg sits down with economist, bestselling author, and parenting data sage Emily Oster for a conversation filled with surprising truths, hard-earned wisdom, and the kind of advice that actually helps. Emily shares how she applied her data-driven brain to everything from optimal sleep schedules to discipline strategies, allowance systems, and even pet ownership (her kids gave a PowerPoint presentation that ultimately landed them with pet snails). They talk bedtime math, caffeinated tea mishaps, and whether butthole is really a bad word. Emily explains why parents should embrace "pleasure data"—what works for you, not just the kids—and makes the case that locking your child inside is no safer than letting them walk to the bagel store. She also shares insights from her newest book The Unexpected, covering the reality that nearly half of pregnancies involve complications, and how isolating that experience can be. Plus, you'll hear about the time her son accused her of loving marathon training more than him, and what it means to raise kids with freedom in a culture obsessed with control. If you've ever frozen a snail egg or wondered whether Trader Joe’s ginger chews count as medical advice, this one’s for you. 📍August Shows are Ohio, Atlanta, and NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Emily Oster: https://www.instagram.com/profemilyoster/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this special rerun of Parenting is a Joke, Ophira Eisenberg welcomes the multitalented Tony Award-winning star Laura Benanti for a conversation that’s both unforgettable and fiercely real. Laura opens up about the high-wire act of being a working performer and a parent, sharing stories from her early Broadway debut at 18 to the surprising joys of suburban life in New Jersey. She talks about negotiating equity in her marriage, resisting outdated gender expectations, and the invisible labor of motherhood—even when you're the family breadwinner. Laura also shares her experience with postpartum depression and multiple miscarriages, including a deeply personal account of suffering a miscarriage while performing on a cruise ship, with her six-year-old daughter singing beside her. She reflects on the lack of public dialogue around pregnancy loss and why she felt compelled to speak out. The episode touches on ghost stories, crystal wands, and her daughter’s Halloween exposure therapy via a 12-foot skeleton. Plus, hear how Laura turned texts with a friend into the hilarious and empowering book M Is for Mama (and also Merlot)—written for moms who are tired of the prairie-dress fantasy. The phrase “medical disappointment” might just become your new go-to for life’s curveballs. 📍August Shows are Ohio, Atlanta, and NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Laura Benanti: https://www.instagram.com/laurabenanti/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this snack-sized episode, Ophira Eisenberg reconnects with Erin Keating, host of Hotter Than Ever, for a raw, funny, and wildly relatable look at how a hospital stay during the pandemic catalyzed a total life reinvention. After being hospitalized with COVID pneumonia, Erin had what she describes as a Canyon Ranch-level spa break—complete with flowers from work, no interruptions, and the radical realization that she was deeply unhappy. Within a year, she turned 50, ended her long marriage, got laid off, and found herself with a clean slate—and a hot French guy in Italy. Erin shares how she eased into dating after a decade without sex, discovering an unexpectedly wide fanbase of 20-year-olds, truckers, and professors. She talks about reentering parenting as her central identity, navigating co-parenting with her ex, and discovering that her kids actually did better with less conflict in the house—even her son admitted it felt “better” post-divorce. Erin opens up about friends-with-benefits, falling in love with someone who didn’t want to be a stepdad, and why dating dads now feels like the sweet spot. She wraps by describing how her 14-year-old daughter once came out… as straight, following an earlier bisexual declaration. Erin’s evolution, like her dating profile, has range—and the spa metaphor still holds: sometimes you check in with pneumonia and check out with your whole life reset. 📍August Shows are Ohio, Atlanta, and NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Erin Keating: https://www.instagram.com/erindkeating/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Ophira Eisenberg sits down with her longtime friend Erin Keating—former television executive, mom of teenage twins, and host of the podcast Hotter Than Ever—for a conversation that spans from IVF dolphin omens to teen fashion battles. Erin shares how a gamified approach to online dating led to meeting her now ex-husband (he was date #5 out of a planned 10), and how her determination during fertility treatments turned her into what she calls a “warrior” with a 4-a-week Upper East Side IUI commute. The IVF worked, and during a Cape May trip, she and her then-husband spotted twin dolphins—just days before finding out they were expecting twins (actual human ones, not more dolphins). Erin recounts birthing her 14-pound combined children—one lounging transverse, the other breech—and how their differing in-utero layouts led to years of bunk-bed metaphors and a dead-on prediction of their teenage eating habits. She reflects on co-parenting after divorce, her son’s hyperfocus (he once used her credit card to buy digital Valorant weapons), and why she’s proudly never read a parenting book. Erin’s philosophy? Lead with love, skip the playlists, and make your teen send the follow-up email after their camp counselor interview. And yes, she confirms: Brooklyn in 2011 really was the twin capital of the world. 📍August Shows are Ohio, Atlanta, and NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Erin Keating: https://www.instagram.com/erindkeating/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Parenting is a Joke, Ophira Eisenberg talks with powerhouse vocalist and soon-to-be mom Rachael Price—lead singer of Lake Street Dive—about performing while pregnant, planning a tour around a due date, and preparing to raise a baby on the road. Rachael shares what it was like touring with the band into her third trimester, including maternity Spanx, food poisoning that almost led to a canceled show, and the unexpected wave of emotion before her final pre-baby concert. She opens up about the confusing abyss of Instagram parenting “advice,” why her cloth diaper ambitions may be short-lived, and how her birth plan has already been demoted to a set of “hopes.” They discuss sustainable touring, parenting in small spaces, and the surreal moment of announcing a pregnancy during a band meeting like a corporate HR update. Rachael also reflects on growing up with a musician dad and traveling with choirs as an 11-year-old—training that’s come full circle as she now plans to hit the road with her daughter and a rotating support team that might include a nanny, her mom, or a very sleepy band mate. 📍 July Shows are in NYC, Nantucket, MA, Aruba, Calgary, Alberta, Canmore, Alberta, Saratoga Springs, NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Racheal Price: https://www.instagram.com/rachaelpricepants/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this snack-sized episode, Ophira Eisenberg reconnects with comedian, author, and How to Be a Better Human podcast host Chris Duffy for a rapid-fire chat covering the unexpected overlaps between parenting and comedy. Chris reflects on his years as a fifth-grade teacher, including a moment when a student earnestly asked—in front of the class—if having “huge balls” was a medical concern. The two swap stories about bedtime existentialism, the silent pressure of sleep training success, and the social minefields of modern parenting advice (including unsolicited high-fives from strangers about home births). Chris shares why he’s terrified his kid might become a hypebeast influencer, and admits he’s never called an Uber with his child for fear it might tank his 5-star rider rating. This mini-episode wraps with Chris’s pitch for a premium Uber Labor tier—and his confession that he still hasn’t recovered from laughing at a fourth grader’s joke about rejection checkboxes. 📍 July Shows are in NYC, Nantucket, MA, Aruba, Calgary, Alberta, Canmore, Alberta, Saratoga Springs, NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Chris Duffy: https://www.instagram.com/chrisiduffy/ Find Chris Duffy’s podcast How to Be a Better Human wherever you get your podcasts  See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Parenting is a Joke, host Ophira Eisenberg sits down with comedian, writer, and podcast host Chris Duffy to unpack the joys and absurdities of raising a toddler while maintaining a creative career. Chris shares how his “fun mom energy” has defined him since high school, his past life as a babysitter and fifth-grade teacher, and the surreal experience of writing jokes for Dan Rather during his first TV writing job. He reflects on the lack of nuanced parenting books for dads and explains why most advice boils down to: “Are you willing to let the baby cry?” Ophira and Chris swap stories about parenting-induced identity crises, obsessive marker-capping, and the complicated trade-offs between artistic ambition and hands-on parenting. Chris also reveals the emotional reason he starts his popular Brightspots newsletter with a disclaimer, and explains how his podcast How to Be a Better Human tries to offer comfort, not homework. The episode ends with Chris’ hard-won realization: he’s basically just a large baby with a beard. 📍 July Shows are in NYC, Nantucket, MA, Aruba, Calgary, Alberta, Canmore, Alberta, Saratoga Springs, NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Chris Duffy: https://www.instagram.com/chrisiduffy/ Find Chris Duffy’s podcast How to Be a Better Human wherever you get your podcasts  See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this snack-sized episode of Parenting is a Joke, Ophira Eisenberg is joined once again by author and podcast host Jo Piazza for a conversation that hits on the real logistics of being a working parent with no time for “manifesting” or gentle parenting platitudes. Jo explains how her background as a tabloid journalist trained her to write anywhere—including from the toilet while hiding from her kids—and how that skill helped her crank out her latest novel, Everyone Is Lying to You, in just three months. They talk about what it actually takes to get creative work done while raising kids (hint: discipline, childcare, and no scrolling), and how Jo structures her mornings around laser-focused word counts. She shares what it was like traveling through Sicily with a 5-month-old while researching a real-life family murder, and why her new dream is a European river cruise where no one has to pack and repack. The two also compare cultural attitudes toward parenting, with Jo recalling how an Italian stranger followed her into a bathroom just to offer her a pillow and a glass of wine. And when it comes to American parenting, Jo offers the most honest take of all: she doesn’t gentle parent—because her kids aren’t gentle. 📍 July Shows are in NYC, Nantucket, MA, Aruba, Calgary, Alberta, Canmore, Alberta, Saratoga Springs, NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Jo Piazza: https://www.instagram.com/jopiazzaauthor/ Buy Jo’s New Book Everyone is Lying to You: https://www.amazon.com/Everyone-Lying-You-Thriller-Piazza/dp/B0DJCSHC1G See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ:  https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/   Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices