Minnesota doesn’t want cops to use excessive force on students at school. Is that really so much to ask? There’s a new biography of Elon Musk out, so let’s highlight all the amazing books to read instead. And V is joined by 1990s TV icon Jodie Sweetin, who played Stephanie Tanner on “Full House.” They catch up on what she’s been up to since then, from working in drug recovery to performing on “Dancing with the Stars,” and ask ‘were the 90s better or were we just more naive?’

Follow Jodie Sweetin @jodiesweetin on Instagram and @jodiesweetin on TikTok.

Keep up with V on TikTok at @underthedesknews and on Twitter at @VitusSpehar. And stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

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Transcript

SPEAKERS

V Spehar, Jodie Sweetin

V Spehar  00:01

Hey friends, it’s Friday, September 15. Welcome to V INTERESTING where we break down the viral and very interesting news you may have missed. I’m V Spehar. And today, Minnesota doesn’t want cops to use excessive force on students at school. Is that really too much to ask? There’s a new biography of Elon Musk out. Let’s talk about all the amazing books to read instead of that one this fall. And I’m joined by 90s TV icon, Jodie Sweetin, who played Stephanie Tanner on Full House will catch up on all the things she’s been doing since then, from working in drug recovery to Dancing with the Stars, and ask where the 90s better or were we just more naive. All that more on today’s be interesting from Lemonada Media. Let’s be smart together. Now for some headlines. Let’s start in the lovely state of Minnesota where the governor is trying to make some common sense changes to what cops can do in public schools. I mean, you think that it would go without saying that police officers assigned to patrol Schools shouldn’t restrain students in a way that makes it hard for them to breathe. But in America? No. You have to put that shit in writing. That’s what Governor Tim Walz did. A specific provision written into the education bill he signed earlier this year prohibits school resource officers from placing children facedown in the prone position, or any position that impedes their ability to breathe or call out for help. And I don’t know about you, but I didn’t have cops routinely patrolling my school back in the day. I mean, times have changed but I didn’t realize it was that much. We had like Andy van Seanie the dare officer but he never put anybody in handcuffs that I know of. School Resource Officers are typically employees of the local police department that get assigned to work on school campuses. Some school districts have their own independent police departments. The National Association of School Resource Officers estimates that there are between 14 and 20,000 officers in 30% of schools across the country. 30% of schools have cops in the hallways. Now law enforcement officials were not happy with this new bam. The Star Tribune reports that the Executive Director of the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association sent an angry letter to Governor Walz. In it he said that the band would rob officers of the tools needed to break up fights in school hallways, or if a student is already on the ground. It could lead to liability issues where the cop may be afraid to intervene for fear they’ll get fired or suit. Wolves responded with some clarifications. He says exceptions written into the law allow officers to use the holds in certain situations where there is a threat of injury or death. And look, it is no surprise that this new law is creating tension. On the one hand school shootings and a rise in disciplinary behavior has some people thinking that cops are the answer. The other hand studies show that having police in schools make students less safe, not more safe, especially students of color, and that school shootings still happen regardless of whether there’s an officer around or not. I mean, take former Parkland, Florida School Resource Officer Scott Peterson. He was standing outside during the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. A new study from the RAND Corporation found that although officers do not prevent gun related incidents, they do reduce some forms of violence such as physical attacks and fights. But they also intensify the use of suspension, expulsion, police referral and arrest of students, especially black students, male students and students with disabilities. So like of course, we don’t want kids fighting at school schools or for learning and making friends and pimply faced musicals. But we got to make sure that cops aren’t abusing their authority or keeping some kids safe at the cost of others. Plus, schools need to address the roots of why students are acting out in the first place. Cops are just a band aid, not a cure. Disciplining kids without addressing the underlying causes gets us nowhere. I mean, did we learn that in freshman year English class, or do we need to pass around copies of Catcher in the Rye again.

V Spehar  04:44

From Minnesota to New York, here we go where climate week is about to kick off. The event has taken place every year in New York City since 2009. It coincides with the UN General Assembly and brings together international leaders from business government and civil society to showcase global climate action. In other words, it’s an environmentalists, Coachella folks like climate scientist, Katharine Hayhoe will be there. Activist Jane Fonda and marine biologist Dr. Aiyana Elizabeth Johnson. Some of the themes this year include environmental justice, transportation and sustainable living. The week long summit also coincides with the march to end fossil fuels, where people in New York and around the world will take to the streets to demand that world leaders like President Biden take bold action to end fossil fuels. But lots of environmental activists aren’t waiting for an arbitrary climate week. Is it just me or have there been streams of videos on your feed lately of regular people causing peaceful disruptions to draw attention to Mother Earth? At the US Open a group of climate protesters delayed the women’s singles semifinal match for 49 minutes shouting, no tennis on a dead planet and and fossil fuels. One protester even glued his bare feet to the floor so it would be harder to physically remove him. Now that’s a commitment. Even Coco golf the eventual winner of the US Open was seeming to show support for the activists and they had disrupted her match, and at a classical music festival in Switzerland to protesters interrupted the Bavarian state opera his performance, the conductor actually stopped the concert and asked the audience to be quiet while they spoke about the climate emergency. They say classical music is old fashioned, but that sounds pretty woke to me. If this type of peaceful protest gets you jazzed up, be sure to tune into next week’s conversation with Liz Hampstead from the Hip Hop Caucus. You’ll be amazed to hear the interesting links between hip hop and climate activism, and learn about all the amazing work that they’re doing and even how to get involved. Sometimes you want to shout in march in the streets and sometimes you want to curl up with a good book and I get it. We need to do a little bit of both right and you are in luck because the new biography of Elon Musk just came out this week. You guys didn’t actually think I was going to recommend a book about Elon Musk Did you? He is the actual worst let’s not stroke his ego any more than he strokes it himself by picking up a copy. I personally I was excited to see it was already 30% off at target. So where it belongs in the bargain bin. And is it just me or does it seem like every time I look up he has a new kid with some kind of like kooky name. How much attention does this man need? There are plenty of other books I recommend reading this fall, especially as the days get cooler and Starbucks starts inundating you with seasonal drink options. I asked some of my colleagues at limonada for recommendations as well. Our head of marketing Lizzy recommends my last innocent year by Daisy Albert Florin. She says it’s a very nuanced exploration of consent and power dynamics and relationships. Which is something that I don’t know maybe Elon Musk should read as well. Or if you want the real story behind the big name that’s not Ilan, our graphic designer SK recommends love Pamela by Pamela Anderson or Paris the memoir by Paris Hilton.

V Spehar  08:08

Or maybe even try 19 steps by actor Millie Bobby Brown of Stranger Things fame. The book elaborates on a story told to her by her grandmother about a deadly incident in 1940s, London, and it just got a glowing review from the New York Times. If you want more book recommendations, check out limonada book club at apple.co/limonada books. No offense to Musk’s biographer, but trust me literally anything would be better than reading about him. Yes, fall is right around the corner. And as the seasons change. So will this show the interesting is wrapping up the season and taking a break so I can focus on election coverage and a host of other fun projects that I hope you’ll love. I know it’s very bittersweet. In the past year and a half since this podcast kicked off. We’ve done more than 100 shows. We’ve done hundreds of headlines, and we held a 4.9 out of five star rating on Apple which is pretty good. That’s pretty good. We lost some points for having commercials and I can’t I can’t do anything about that. We we’re also a finalist for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding podcast and it’s all because folks like you tuned in and shared our mission and our message to be smart together. I will miss talking to you every Friday. But this isn’t goodbye. You can still find me as always, every day on Tiktok and Instagram at under the desk news on patreon.com/under. The desk news where I host the newsletter, the discord channel, I do live hangouts, we’ve got the Ask the mailbox over there. We’ve even got some one off interviews with candidates and political experts. And if you’re into this kind of thing, I may have a merch line coming out well, that that is coming out in the next couple of months. So check that out over there on the Patreon and don’t worry, we’ll still have a couple of new episodes of feet interesting hitting your feet this fall as well as rearing some beloved past episodes we want to make sure you didn’t miss. But like, there are a ton of shows on limonada. Also, you don’t have to leave the network. Give one of my pals at the network a chance to keep the accompany. There is so much to learn from so many different folks. I’m so proud of the show the uplifting stories we told the inspiring people we talked to, and the safe space we created to digest and unpack what was going on in the world. Thank you to every single person who worked on this show with me and thank you to all of you listening at home for being a part of it. Okay, enough news about me though or I will start crying so it’s time to make some space for today’s guest my last guest of this season. After a quick break. We’re going to have Jodie sweetened on the show. You probably know her as Stephanie Tanner from the 1990s hit full house or maybe you know her from her Hallmark movies. That’s where I watch her the most these days. But she is so much more than that so much more than an actress. She’s an activist. She’s a good friend. She’s a mother, she’s a wife, stick around. We’re gonna hear all about it when we get back.

V Spehar  11:17

And we’re back and I am so excited to talk to our guests today. Jodie Sweetin grew up in the 1990s. Limelight at just five years old she was cast as Stephanie tenor in the ABC sitcom full house. While she played a middle sister on the show in real life. Jodi was actually adopted by a family member and raised as an only child. The years after Full House ended were tougher sweeten, who wrote in her memoir about a downward spiral of alcohol and drug abuse. She’s now a public advocate for recovery, and actually worked for several years in the drug rehab space, which we will get into talking about. Now she’s back in the limelight with Fuller House and several reality shows under her belts, like Dancing with the Stars beyond the edge and worst cooks in America. And when the holidays roll around, you know my wife and I love to watch her and an adorable assortment of Hallmark Christmas movies. Jodie and I talk about what it was like to revive her role is Stephanie that iconic how rude tagline and her activism work around abortion rights and gun control. Let’s bring on Jodi Jodi, welcome to the show. Nice to have you on how are you doing today?

Jodie Sweetin  12:25

I am doing really well. Very excited to to be on the show today.

V Spehar  12:29

I have to tell you, I was excited when you said yes. But my wife freaked out. She was like, Are we friends with God Sweden now? I’m like, Yes. Best friends. Yeah, yeah. Our childhood dreams came true. Yes.

Jodie Sweetin  12:41

I’m moving in. I hope that’s okay. Yeah, yeah.

V Spehar  12:44

Well, you did you went and just did something fun recently with your family. You went to see Beyonce, what was it like to see the queen?

Jodie Sweetin  12:50

Oh my gosh, you know, I’ve never seen Beyonce in concert. And I’ve always really enjoyed Beyonce, love her music, love her vibe, everything. But the Renaissance album I just have been like, has been on repeat. And my younger daughter b. Same, just loves the album loves the whole vibe. And so if she was turning 13 It was her 13th birthday. And she had sort of mentioned that, you know, she’d love to go see Beyonce. And we were not anywhere close or near to this day. We were up and all the way in the back. You know, it was like, is that Beyonce? I don’t know. Thank God for the big screens. Which really is the only way to watch even if you’re down there and you can’t see what’s happening. So even all the way back there though. I’m not kidding. I have never seen a performer with such complete grace and control and like, I’m like, do you ever make like a just a regrettable face on stage? Like do you mean like, like, she’s dancing her ass off and I would be like, you know, making some face biting my tongue doing what you’re right sweating just profusely looking terrible, right? And she is just like, just and I know that that has taken years of perfection. But like it really watching her in person. She she’s pretty, pretty damn fabulous. And it was an experience.

V Spehar  14:28

Did you wear this silver?

Jodie Sweetin  14:33

I wore like the like a silver sort of mesh shirt. And some leather like fake. Not real but fake leather like little leggings and some very comfortable Air Force ones that had some silver like, smart on the side and then be had silver in her outfit. And of course she needed the hats, which really made all edits. Honestly it made all the difference in her night. because she was kind of having a bad hair day and she put the hat on and it changed her entire mood. I was like, Thank God it was the best 4 hours I had set.

V Spehar  15:07

You know, I saw and I felt was comparable and people are gonna be surprised by this but I saw Miley Cyrus’s last tour. And people were like, she’s on drugs. She’s losing it. I’m like, no, no, nobody hit marks and lighting cues like that and things like that and rides a flying hot dog if they’re not so professional and ready.

Jodie Sweetin  15:28

I mean, like, nobody does it like a child performer, Beyonce, Miley Cyrus.

V Spehar  15:35

And Jody Sweetin. Here we are.

Jodie Sweetin  15:38

No, I was not including myself in that I am including you know, but I’m saying like talking about hitting lighting cues like it is you’re like doing it because you’ve done it your whole life I can see that I can see that I actually really I really liked Miley’s new song I used to be young and there was like I remember years ago there was like some ridiculous internet beef or something with join me and Miley from some for that and I’m just like. Oh my god. It’s so stupid.

V Spehar  16:11

I didn’t know there was.

Jodie Sweetin  16:13

It was like some pictures she posted and it was like she was like current mood but it was like an old picture of me just totally loaded and being an idiot. And now I’m like it’s funny and what it because you know, I’m like I used to be young I used to be shredded. And so like this song came out and it’s just neat to see other artists and young people you know, growing and changing and also reflecting that in their in their music and stuff. But yeah, she’s a she’s a great performer.

V Spehar  16:38

I did not know that. Here we are no, the celebrity drama. The Full House celebrity drama that I know of most recently a CCB. And JoJo Siwa and Jojo, saying that Candace Cameron Bray was rude to her whatever.

Jodie Sweetin  16:50

I stay out of those things.

V Spehar  16:54

Speaking of how rude,  you are the co host of this podcast called how rude Tana retos podcast? Yes. Would you do with Andrea barber who played Kimmy? Gibbler? How is that going?

Jodie Sweetin  17:05

It is going so well. I was actually just texting with Andrea right now. I have Andrea and I have always been really close since the original series. We just kind of clicked and bonded and our moms were close on set. And, and sort of, you know, the irony is that Stephen Kenny’s characters were always so combative. And like these, you know, frenemies. And then as later series came along, and you see how Stephen Covey’s relationship really develops, and she’s the surrogate and all this stuff. But you know, to know that in real life, Andrea and I, always, I mean, oh my god, we have so much fun together. And absolutely, like, are such close friends. So this was kind of the natural extension was like, Well, what if we, you know, what if we take the two frenemies of the show, and, you know, walk back through it as, as kids from the very beginning, and we you know, I never really watched the show. So, it’s fun to go back and watch these episodes.

V Spehar  18:10

We were talking before you got on with the producers about how TGIF was the last time that there was really like this collective consciousness when it came to the American public, right with the appointment television. Yeah, everybody sat down with their grandparents, their kids, whoever it was, we all watch the same show. And kids went to bed when 2020 came on. Right. And that’s a lot.

Jodie Sweetin  18:31

Well, what happened Pope’s that was we were on the end of Full House came right, like at the beginning of the era of friends. And Seinfeld, as she you know, like that. So it was it was becoming it the family co viewing, multigenerational, like let’s all sit in front of the TV together wasn’t happening like it was before everyone was getting their own TVs and their own the end it was sort of you know, it was it was going away. So yeah, I I really feel fortunate that we kind of got in that last little bit of very classic family, television.

V Spehar  19:12

Was it difficult for you to play the middle child as an only child or like what were you drawing inspiration from when you were appearing in this perfect family that was really setting the standard for how all American families wanted to see themselves reflected like, I know in my family there were I have an Uncle Jesse, I have an uncle Danny Right. Like my sister was annoying, like stuff. I was, I guess more of a DJ Tanner.

Jodie Sweetin  19:38

I mean, I guess for me, like, you know, what’s funny is I was an only child so like, I didn’t have the experience of really a huge family. I had, you know, some cousins here and there but they were a lot older. I did. And so being a part of this Full House family I mean, I was five it you know being a part of that and sort of building those bonds and those relationships. I mean, really what you see is those relationships coming to life and like, Andrew and I were just talking about it on how rude Tanner redoes this this last time we recorded about how we’re about seven episodes in now into rewatching things and how you really start to see all of a sudden the relationships developing and I can see the warmth that is starting to build between us offset that’s now like, Oh, we’re more comfortable. And, you know, the twins are more comfortable and interact and like it’s just you see it coming together. And I feel like that was exactly what the show was, was this family coming together? And so like, it was almost like you were watching it in real time. You know, and I think I think so much of it was just really lived. I mean, Candace and I bickered like siblings, you know, she was the youngest in her family. So like I was just the next one that was there and she and I used to fight and argue and you know, it’s just funny like all of those dynamics actually were very much there you know, and at the same time, like we all still, we’ve all been through a lot of shit together. Collectively, you know, so it’s it’s kind of cool.

V Spehar  21:24

Was this like your first time on television? Or how did you get into acting this young?

Jodie Sweetin  21:30

I did a bunch of commercials as a kid I did an episode of Valerie which then became The Hogan Family with Valerie Harper and Jason Bateman and played the next door neighbor’s nice and from that one episode of that they they I guess put me under a holding contract we I just had my mom on the latest episode of How rude Santa redoes and she was breaking this all down because these I mean these are sometimes like things I don’t remember you were five but yeah, I guess they put me at like five years old put me under a holding contract for full house I was the first person cast on the show. Yeah, from doing that one episode so it was not the first time I’d been on TV it was the second tell like TV show appearance that I’d ever done. And I’d done like you know Oscar Meyer with and and sizzler commercials, which I just I actually just did a redo of the Sizzler commercial that I did 30 plus years ago, which was really fun. We did like a throwback sizzler commercial just over the summer.

V Spehar  22:40

Did you have friends at the studio that were kids from other shows? Like Was there ever any crossover between Full House and let’s say like family matters or something?

Jodie Sweetin  22:48

Oh, yeah, yeah, we a lot of times we were on the same lots. And yeah, I’m friends with Christine lakyn, who was on step by step. They were just a few stages at the front of the lot from us. And Christina and I did a show along with Beverly Mitchell who was on Seventh Heaven, we did a show called Hollywood darlings, that was a sort of heightened reality show about us. That was completely ridiculous on pop TV. But we did, you know, we would see each other all the time and you’d see each other at events and you know, different things. And it was, you know, the tans, Mara and Taj, I mean, they used to come with Taj to set to full house before they were had their own show and all this stuff. And you just got to know all these other young people and kids that were in sort of your orbit of weird events and things that you were at that understood what it was like to you know, be a kid that had a full time job that a lot of people watched, you know?

V Spehar  23:49

That had to be very unusual for sure. Did you have a favorite episode of full house?

Jodie Sweetin  23:55

You know, I used to say it was like the Disney World episode just because that was the most fun to shoot or the Hawaii one. But now that I’m going back and rewatching the episodes with with Andrea on the on the podcast, I haven’t watched I mean I didn’t watch the shows. So I don’t remember so many of the episodes I have a feeling I’m gonna there’s probably going to be some new favorite ones coming up. But you know, for the ones that I remember doing going to Hawaii and Walt Disney World were pretty awesome.

V Spehar  24:26

I love that and you guys did the Fuller House which really got me through the pandemic there was like, full house my whole entire childhood then I know it came out before 2020 But we were watching it my wife and I during the 2022 lockdown in time Yeah, we were like rationing the episodes because they were so good. And it was such a like safe place to watch and view and see like how you all grew up and turned out. Did you feel ready to go back to San Francisco back to the Fuller House?

Jodie Sweetin  24:54

You know, yeah, actually, I I had gone through a lot just in my own life, I mean, as one does in their, you know, 20s, or whatever, and I had gained an entirely new life experience. And I’d walked away from the business for a little while I had two kids, I was, you know, working in a drug and alcohol treatment, I was like a Director of Operations, you know, in charge of scheduling. And so, you know, something very, I called, like, the production side of things, you know, I was doing all of that. And I never had done anything like that, really, in my life. And, and I loved it. And it was fun. And it was, I was good at it. And, but I, you know, wasn’t making a ton of money. And I was, you know, living in a little apartment and kind of just, you know, doing my thing, and I was happy. And I had, I finally, I think, learned how to be happy with myself. And I went right from doing that to being back on TV. Yeah, it was coming back and getting to do that and getting to kind of re inhabit that character and, and come back with those people. at a particular time in my life, when I felt like I was really ready to enjoy it in a different way. It just all kind of happened at the right time. Because I have a very different appreciation and perspective of it all now, you know?

V Spehar  26:27

I was gonna ask if it was scary to go back, because you had Stephanie Tanner, right, this iconic character that all of America has deep feelings about how she should have turned out. Right, right. And then you have your time where you stepped away, and you were Jody, sweet, and living your normal life doing your thing. Right? And then they’re asking you to come back and get back in the body of Stephanie Tanner. Right? Did you have any reservations or fears? Like what was Stephanie Tanner doing in her? 20s? Because she didn’t..

Jodie Sweetin  26:50

You know, I, I didn’t because we were very involved from the beginning we were very involved with with pitching the show with character development, you know, John Stamos was really involved. And we you know, that we all had input as to where we thought we saw these characters wind up. And so it didn’t feel like we were being forced back into an unnatural situate, you know, what I mean? It felt like, oh, no, this was where if we thought about it, like, this is what we think they would have turned out, these are the character traits that we think they would have, you know, leaned more into, or how would they would have changed or whatever. And, and, yeah, so it was really fun to get to come back and kind of fill in, you know, all the in between.

V Spehar  27:37

How does it feel to be an adult now, and for the last 25 years, 30 years or so? A meme of you as a child saying, how rude continues to dominate the internet space.

Jodie Sweetin  27:48

I want that to be on my urn, but like the the actual like, GIF, or GIF, or whatever you like, because by then we’ll have small screens on everything. So I think that is really that’s how I’ll be remembered is how rude. You know, I used to hate it as a kid. It was like, embarrassing. And now I’ve grown to love all of my awkward silly stages that will follow me around in group chats forever.

V Spehar  28:13

Did they write that for you? Or did you kind of like come up with that? Or how did that even come to be?

Jodie Sweetin  28:19

Yeah, I think yeah, they wrote it was one of the one of the writers wrote, you know, how rude and then I did a funny delivery of it. And they were, you know, like any good 80s 90s sitcom. They were looking for catchphrases to make work.

V Spehar  28:31

So they were like, that’s it. That’s you for life now.

Jodie Sweetin  28:34

Yeah. Yep. That’s it. That’s what I get.

V Spehar  28:37

We appreciate it. It was such a great show. I mean, like, I’ve been saying this whole entire time and I’m sure every millennial that you talk to tells you the same thing. Like you’re such a big part of my growing up and watching you go through things and then me being like doing it that way or like, I remember the first time DJ Tanner got broken up with I was like, that’s what breakups gonna be like, right? Like, that’s what yeah, that’s kind of see how it was gonna go. But where I want you the most now is on the Hallmark Channel, which we are Hallmark fanatics here at my house. We do Christmas in July. We loved you and Merry and Bright. I swear my wife has seen a cozy Christmas cottage in about 100,000 times. It’s one of her favorites. What is it like working in this niche now this similarly like family friendly, wholesome, fun, everything turns out, okay. Space.

Jodie Sweetin  29:28

Right. You know, it’s actually it’s really fun. And I just did a mystery series, or a movie mystery for Hallmark that aired on the mystery channel. And hopefully there will be more. So that has been really fun. But moving into that, like, sort of genre. I mean, there’s I feel like there’s such a huge crossover with the audiences that have watched both or that just, you know, these familiar faces and one thing that Hallmark love has to do is use familiar faces. And I think it draws people in because I think so many times, you know, you watch it because you like, I like this person, I like what they what they bring. And so moving into that world has been really fun. And I, you know, I’m getting do executive produce on them and hopefully direct one soon, which is, you know, things I want to move more towards. But yeah, it’s been, it’s been really great to do and, you know, they’re not easy schedules because you’re shooting these things, you know, in like, 15 days, if you’re lucky, sometimes you’ll get a 13 day or and every time I do and I’m like, I’m never doing that 13 days, I can’t, I can’t, I can’t do it. But you know, you’re cramming a lot into a very short amount of time. But you really, you have a lot of fun. And you enjoy it, so.

V Spehar  30:48

And folks might not realize that hallmark is pretty woke now if they’re doing amazing things.

Jodie Sweetin  30:54

They’re doing a really wonderful things. I’m really proud to be working with them. It has been really important to me to you know, work with companies that make inclusivity a huge part of their the stories that they tell they’ve got, you know, a lot of LGBTQ romance on they’re not just Christmas but but other things. And I just I love seeing it because it’s such a huge, and it’s also such a huge part of the hallmark audience like.

V Spehar  31:23

It is the gays out here watching those Christmas movies.

Jodie Sweetin  31:27

Christmas Come on, what do you think is decorating the houses? You know what I mean? And and it’s and we all love that like warm fit? You know? So yes, yes, I think they have done a wonderful job at bringing that really into their storytelling. It’s such a big part of it. So I’m very proud of that.

V Spehar  31:49

They do it so authentically, we love watching them. And it’s not just the actors and the stories. It’s the directors and the writers, there’s a ton of effort that Hallmark has put into being more inclusive, being more authentic and not being afraid to potentially lose some of their audience, which I know has been something that a lot of the actors on the Hallmark Channel, thinking of Jonathan Bennett and whatnot have expressed that they need to be on a network that supports, you know, authenticity, inclusion and speaks to their audience and their fans. And I’m looking forward to seeing more this Christmas. I mean, y’all put out like, I don’t know, there’s like 24 new movies, and we watch them all.

Jodie Sweetin  32:24

There is so much Christmas stuff, although I don’t know if I’ll be doing any Christmas ones this year. But like I said, hopefully there will be some more mystery ones. And I got to sing in them as well. Which is always fun for me to do to incorporate other things that I love to do. So yeah, that that was a that was a really cool experience to.

V Spehar  32:58

Do you think your kids want to get into acting and singing and dancing? Do you are they interested in the arts?

Jodie Sweetin  33:03

My younger one does. My Beatrix is She’s a performer. She is in a theater program, musical theater program. She’s an excellent singer. Yeah, she is. She’s definitely my performer. My older daughter is an artist but more of a visual artist. And she’s also an athlete, like that’s her main focus is soccer and athletics. And so yeah, they they definitely are very different people. And I’ve encouraged them in certain ways, but I also know their limitations. And I never, you know, as far as like, who they were as kids, the focus and the ability to realize that, you know, oh, I’ve got to put my needs aside in order to get this done. You know, I was like, that’s just not who they are. And I’m not I don’t want to force that. That’s not, you know, let them be who they are. And, you know, let them do school musicals and all that kind of stuff. And just have normal life. You know, yeah, life is already weirdly scheduled as it is, you know, they, they I’ve got a co parent with both of their dads and I travel and they’re, you know, it’s life’s hard enough.

V Spehar  34:18

Do you get recognized a lot out? How do they handle that?

Jodie Sweetin  34:22

You know, it’s funny, I do get recognized out a lot. And it depends, sometimes people will just sort of turn to them Be like, Well, you take a picture and like, not really isn’t and they’re like, Okay, and they’re just used to it. So they’re like, Yeah, sure, whatever. But, you know, occasionally people are like, Oh my gosh, are these your daughter’s Hi, I’ve seen you on that. And like it and you know, and then my kids will be like, well took a picture for you. Like, they’re happy to do it. They also know it’s, you know, it benefits them at times. Like they they definitely have gotten some perks, you know, because of what mom does. So they they learned it’s just sort of a part of life. Yeah, um, But yeah, sometimes they’re like, oh my god, you know, we’ll be like out shopping or something or or I’ll be in the middle of like yelling at them in the mall or something and someone will come up. And they’re just like, oh my god, this is so embarrassing.

V Spehar  35:13

Oh gosh, right. I can’t imagine seeing you in a mall. That would be like a fever dream. I’d be like Stephanie Tanner in the mall. Like there’s nothing more 90s.

Jodie Sweetin  35:21

Oh, yeah, like probably just unshowered like, yelling at a kid stuffing like a Wessels pretzel in my mouth. And I mean, like, that is really me in my natural habitat. So yeah, it’s a sight.

V Spehar  35:35

She’s exactly who we wish she would be.

Jodie Sweetin  35:38

Exactly. Yeah, right. Just yeah, just barely hanging on by a thread is, yeah.

V Spehar  35:44

Know, we had a lot of fun chatting about your career in theater and in movies and whatnot. And that’s a very important part of the work that you’ve done. But how I know you best is actually from your activism work. So let’s chat a little bit about some of the things off screen that you’ve been working on that are so important to you. Yeah. Because folks were shocked when, during one of the protests in LA, they were like a woman was knocked down by an LA police officer and that it was Jody Sweetman. And you’ve been out there a while.

Jodie Sweetin  36:14

I had been out there a lot. I mean, usually had my face more covered.

V Spehar  36:17

In the the event that I was talking about where the Los Angeles police ended up throwing you to the ground was a protest in support of abortion rights. I believe it was like shortly after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, that we saw that happen. What was like going through your head in that moment?

Jodie Sweetin  36:33

Oh, no, I just that I was like we had this you know, I protest is is supposed to be inconvenient protest is in your face protest is a response to an injustice. And so, you know, without endangering people, you want to be as out there as possible. But really, I was out there because I was pissed. It was pit like, this is you know, I I I cannot believe that we are I mean, I can’t believe that we’re going back in this country. Because the All signs point to this. If you’ve been if people are paying attention, but you know, I was just I was really, I was really angry. And I I’m just willing to put myself out there, you know, for better or worse sometimes.

V Spehar  37:33

I mean, right now, folks who are watching can see it. But if you’re listening, God is wearing a shirt that says it’s a good day to read banned books. Yeah. And I do agree. Have you do get involved with the school board for your daughters at all? Have you advocated for the ending of book betting?

Jodie Sweetin  37:49

You know, I’m very, I’m very fortunate that in the school that I’m at, my daughter is in a performing arts magnet. And we are in here in LA, there tends to be pretty open, inclusive, supportive. But yeah, I definitely have been paying attention. And, you know, I do hope that people, particularly here in LA, we tend to think that we’re very safe and sort of inoculated from this type of violence and aggression. But, you know, we’re not this stuff is is knocking at our doorstep. And, you know, so many queer activist friends of mine have been followed have been doxxed have been, you know, all sorts of things.

V Spehar  38:33

Orange County is just a hop, skip, and I drive away from LA, it’s not that far.

Jodie Sweetin  38:38

I grew up in Orange County. I grew up in Orange County. And yeah, it’s not that far. You look bright in Beverly Hills, us not a liberal area. No. It and and there, there it is, it’s getting more and more dangerous, you know, and I think we’re all becoming much more aware of that. I mean, the store owner, Laurie, that owned Magpie is in the store is right around the corner from my house. And, you know, I think that’s something that we all have, you know, we take into account every time we go out is that we know that we will be met with some sort of violence.

V Spehar  39:20

And this is the thing you’ve been speaking out a lot about lately is gun violence and needing gun reform in this country. I believe there was just a big event in Denver on this very topic and banding together moms against gun violence in schools and just trying to create a world where our children aren’t scared all the time. Either that guns are going to come to them or that they have to seek guns to protect them from other guns. Like it’s just guns can’t be the answer.

Jodie Sweetin  39:48

I don’t I don’t know what the answer is, but I know it can’t be just acquiescing to this. I know it can’t be allowing our citizens not even just our kids, but just anywhere you go out in public now, that’s my that’s like my first thought is like, alright, well, if something happens, you know, what, which direction am I running? And what’s what’s where’s my safe is exit work it. Like, that’s what we think about as Americans. And and our it’s it’s just I’m completely baffled by it because there’s just it’s just inaction even starting with just like okay don’t ban all fine don’t even ban all the guns just some sensible gun reform and not only that but you know, in states like California that do have a lot of gun laws and that have you know all these things, they’re not even enforced or implemented. So that’s part of the argument too is that like, well, we can just keep adding more things but we’re not doing anything about it. It’s just lip service. So how do we effectively change this? And I don’t? You know, I think the question is, unfortunately, so much larger because it really is a question of American culture as a whole.

V Spehar  41:16

It’s a police issue. It’s an access issue, it’s a mental health issue, it’s a radicalization issue.

Jodie Sweetin  41:23

And it’s and it’s so many I mean, it it’s, it’s so many things and and I don’t know, what are, the limit is, but I guess it’s not even that I I don’t know what our politicians limits are like, what, you know what I mean? And so, and I think that, you know, that’s why we see so many people sort of becoming disaffected and, and, and frustrated is because it’s like, okay, well, great. We’ve got Paul, politicians in there that are wanting to do things. You know, the representatives in Tennessee when we’ve got people in there wanting to do change, and they’re literally just thrown out or silenced or what and so you’re like, Well, why are we doing this? What’s the what’s the point?

V Spehar  42:01

How do you think Full House would have dealt with gun violence? If it was on the air right now? How would they got what they do an episode, right? They fight? Yeah, shell finds a gun at kindergarten.

Jodie Sweetin  42:12

Michelle finds a gun at a friend’s house and right, that’s unsecured or silent. Yeah. And they’re like playing with it and someone’s dad walked down. her friend’s dad is, is a San Francisco PD officer and leaves the right.

V Spehar  42:25

Uncle Jesse with a furrowed brow is like this is really serious.

Jodie Sweetin  42:29

Yeah, right. Oh, no. Right walks in. We like cut to commercial, you know? And like, then it comes back. And yeah.

V Spehar  42:37

It would be a simpler time. If Full House could do an episode to solve gun violence. That would be really great.

Jodie Sweetin  42:42

That would be it that if we could just do that, then then that’s it. We’re done. We’ve accomplished everything.

V Spehar  42:49

What got you into activism in the first place? Was there like what is it that drives you to want to help people?

Jodie Sweetin  42:55

I am, I am no good at sitting on the sidelines and watching unfairness or injustice, even if it may or may not directly affect me, it i i just the the world for me. And I think being an artist and being a sensitive human, and you know, all of these things. You know, I just, I see so many places in the world that people can just do something small, or just pay attention to it. You know, and a lot of times we don’t, and I’m like, I don’t want to be that I just am not that kind of person. i It’s really hard for me to just not try and be helpful. We’re too rich of a country with too much. And too many amazing things that could be happening that would require so little of us that it’s just infuriating.

V Spehar  44:00

Was it better in the 90s? Or were we just watching better television? Were we better distracted in the 90s? Was there less issues?

Jodie Sweetin  44:08

No, we were we weren’t. We weren’t as distracted. And yet we were more distracted. You know, I mean, like, maybe some of the things we weren’t paying attention, but also like we were more present. Yeah. You know what I mean? We, I, it’s so impossible to be where you are now, right? Because you constantly have the intrusion of a phone or an email or a thing or a thought or someone you need to respond. Like the days of a landline. You know what I mean? Like, zit, your dad took the message down, if you got your friend’s name wrong, that is awesome. You know what I mean? Like, there was a simplicity about that, but it doesn’t mean that things were better. And so with all of the awareness also comes the existential dread, you know, and, and it’s hard to shut that off now because we have it calm instantly in our faces, and we’re constantly told, if we’re not up to date on the latest horrific event, then we don’t care. Right. Right. You know, and so I think it’s think in the 90s. We just, we could. It was also, you know, we all thought everything was was kind of hunky dory and going great. And but you know.

V Spehar  45:21

I know my friend Gina Scarpa, who was my Kimmy Gibbler growing up, said one time, I think just the wisest thing I’ve ever heard, she was like, social media disrupts the natural order of things. Because you stay in touch with people that you were not meant to know the entire life of. No. And so she doesn’t have social media because she’s like, I can’t I don’t need to know what the girls in high school were doing. They were mean to me, then they’re gonna be mean to me now.

Jodie Sweetin  45:45

Yeah, most of the people like Facebook. I’ve been done with a long time I, I got kicked off Facebook, but that’s neither here nor there. How do you get kicked off Facebook? Well, it was I mean, it was, you know, there was a lot happening in 2020. So there was a lot.

V Spehar  46:03

Oh, sassy activism. Gotcha.

Jodie Sweetin  46:05

Yeah. And also just people and it was my personal page. Oh, just people would report me or people, you know, whatever. Stupid, stupid things. And then I went and did this show in Panama, where I lived in the jungles of Panama for two weeks and competed for charity and did this whole crazy thing. And when I came back, my x my account had been suspended or whatever. And I was like, You know what? Good riddance and I haven’t had it since. And so all I’ve had is Instagram and I and I’m on that as minimally as possible. And I just, it’s a soul sucker.

V Spehar  46:37

It can be it can be. We did get to talk about your activism, the movies, the past the child career. One place that I’d love to finish with and get your ideas on. Are the reality TV stuff that you’ve done that I also love, like worst cooks in America. Loved. Thank you so much fun. We were rooting for you. Thank you.

Jodie Sweetin  46:59

You know, I have done I’m done with reality competition. Now. I’m like, I was gonna say is there any more no one asked you to do a bunch of different one. Like, I think I’ve done I should do Dancing with the Stars. I did Dancing with the Stars because I always loved ballroom dance. I grew up as a dancer. I had gone to ballroom dance competitions as a to watch as an audience, but like, so that I was like, Yes, I want to learn how to do that. Worst cooks. Yes. Cool. I suck at cooking. I would love to learn how to do something like that. Like and you know, learn a new skill. Great. Did that live in the jungles of Panama and like push myself physically as someone who’s not really an athlete and like does not even do camping? Yes. Let me conquer that. I’m good. Now. I’m good. I’ve you know, nearly killed myself in the jungle. I have, you know, like, put my body to the test and no longer have the flexibility to dance like that. And you know what I found? Like, I can cook. It’s just that I don’t like doing the cleanup, and the grocery shopping part of it. And all the measuring out. So really, it’s it’s not that I can’t cook. It’s just that I’m lazy. So yeah. So now after all those questions, I’m like, I don’t need to do any other. There’s no other things I need to accomplish for now. Unless Unless there’s another you know, I don’t know jungle adventures.

V Spehar  48:21

You slayed. What is coming next for you? Would you do Broadway? Would you do a play? I’d love to see on Broadway.

Jodie Sweetin  48:28

I actually I you know, I actually have been working on I just did a couple of readings, one here in LA and one in Ojai with a friend of mine who is a playwright. And she’s done a really wonderful piece called belief. And it’s all about, you know, I mean, there’s there’s just so many different belief systems in it. But it is a really wonderful play that we’re trying to figure out what to do with Next we would love to put it on for you know, a limited engagement here in LA. But I am now like, Okay, well producer hat on, trying to figure that out. But that’s something I want to do. And it’s something very different and much more dramatic for me, but I love doing it. So I’ve been working on that. And, you know, again, hopefully some more Hallmark projects coming up after the strike. Yeah, just I’ve been doing podcasting. I’ve been doing stand up comedy. I have a show at the Comedy Store called family dinner that we do once a month up in the belly room. That’s myself and three other stand up comedians, and it’s a food in game night and it’s ridiculous and always goes completely off the rails. So been moving more into the live comedy aspect of things as well. So you know, just trying to do whatever I can during the strike and, and help support that and yeah.

V Spehar  49:50

Tell folks where they can find you. Anything. You’re excited about coming up the podcast.

Jodie Sweetin  49:55

Yeah. You can find me on Instagram and Tiktok at @jodiesweetin. You can also follow at fam din show which is the family dinner show that I do here in LA at the Comedy Store and you can also follow how rude podcast which is the how rude Tana redoes podcast that I host with Andrea Barber. Yeah, that’s where you can find me. I’m pretty I try to be not too obnoxious about self promo on all of my channels, but you know, it is what it is.

V Spehar  50:28

It’s actually kind of hard to find where you are because you don’t promote enough. That’s what I was like, Please tell people what movies you have coming out where we can find you.

Jodie Sweetin  50:35

I know. I’m like I know I am i It’s so not me. So I’ve handed it over to a an amazing social media person. Like just Can you post for me? It feels weird.

V Spehar  50:49

And we will link to all of that in the show notes so that you can find Jody Sweetin now all of her projects and you know, reminisce about the good days. Yeah, the 1990s when everything was perfect.

Jodie Sweetin  51:00

Landlines. What a day.

V Spehar  51:03

Thanks, Jodie.

Jodie Sweetin  51:04

Absolutely my pleasure.

CREDITS  51:09

It was a childhood dream to have God sweet and on the show. I mean, like who doesn’t want to talk to Stephanie Tanner writes, If you told 10 year old me this was gonna happen I would have never believed you. I love what she said about how the simplicity of the 1990s made us more present, you know with like our landlines instead of smartphones, but it may have also made us more naive. And now that we’re more informed, we can’t stand on the sidelines when we witness injustice. I hope you take that with you as we close out the season of V INTERESTING. Please leave us a five star rating on whatever platform you’re listening on. Follow me at @underthedesknews on TikTok, Instagram, youtube and Patreon. And guess what friends there is even more V INTERESTING with Lemonada Premium. Subscribers get exclusive access to bonus content like Tennessee State Representative Justin Jones, talking candidly about the moment he was called worthless by a colleague on his first week in office. Subscribe now in Apple podcasts. V Interesting is a Lemonada Media Original. Our producers are Kryssy Pease, Kathryn Barnes and Martin Macias. Our VP of weekly programming is Steve Nelson. Executive Producers are Stephanie Wittles Wachs and Jessica Cordova Kramer. Mix and scoring is by James Farber. Music by Seth Applebaum. Please help others find the show by reading and reviewing wherever you listen and follow us across all social platforms at @VitusSpehar, @underthedesknews and @LemonadaMedia. If you want more V Interesting. Subscribe to Lemonada Premium only on Apple podcasts and follow the show where ever you get your podcasts or listen ad free on Amazon music with your Prime membership.