Sarah got hearing aids and shares how it’s been going so far. Plus, she gushes about British mystery shows and dental floss, ruminates on ruminating thoughts, and adds her two cents on the Biden age debate.

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Transcript

SPEAKERS

Karen, Terrell, Sara, Amy, Carlo, Lauren, Sender 5, Val, Ashley, Sarah Silverman

 

Sarah Silverman  00:14

Hi, everybody, it’s your old pal Sarah, and I’ve got a well I got my hearing aids, they’re not in now because you can’t wear them when you’re wearing headphones, don’t be silly. So far the reviews are mixed. I mean, my reviews, I don’t know what other people’s reviews are. Other people’s reviews are, you can barely see it, it’s not a big deal. I will say, the ways in which they’re driving me insane. I can hear my hair constantly […] and with my misophonia it feels like my hair sounds like someone is constantly unwrapping like a hard candy in my ear. So it’s not awesome. You get used to it. I’m starting to maybe get used to it, I don’t know, and or just accept it. It also is uncomfortable. It feels like there’s something in my fucking ears. You know, it’s such that shouldn’t be surprising, but yeah, it’s it just constantly, it feels like it’s itchy, and it drives me crazy. And I have to say my audiologist did not mention this in the long session I had with her when getting them put in. You can’t wear them all day, the first day. And I did, I think it’s like orthotics. I did some reading afterwards. You know, like when you get orthotics at first, you just wear them for like an hour, the first day, a couple hours the next day, and then you start wearing them otherwise it like your whole body will hurt. I didn’t know, you know, with your hearing aids just where I’m an hour or two, the first couple of days. So I wore them the rest of the whole day. And by night, I was so dizzy and nauseous. I couldn’t stand I was just like, on the ground like holding the earth. And I didn’t know if it was something I ate. I know what it was, but I was so dizzy, and of course I Google it. Because this is going in your inner ear y’all, that’s where like, that’s like we’re vertigo goes. That’s where vertigo goes. That’s a good sentence, that makes sense, and it’s definitely accurate. Anyway, um, I so that’s the downside. The upside is, I’m gonna get used to it. And you know, she says it’s best to really wear them consistently every day. I don’t see that necessarily happening but wearing them when I need them seems to be kind of working, it’s only been a few days, but I will say we watched the We Are the World Documentary, which I’d also like to talk about. And I we didn’t have any subtitles, and I wore my hearing aids and I could hear it. So that was very exciting, actually. And then last night, I was at Largo and I didn’t need to wear them obviously when I’m talking to a mic, so I didn’t have them on. But afterwards, I was watching the next comment, which was actually Ellen DeGeneres named dropper, and I put it in my I never can hear from the wings. People watch from the wings, and I just go what? What do you say? It you know, I ruin everyone’s time backstage who’s trying to watch the comic because like, I’m like, what did you say, Oh, where did the laughing at? So usually if I want to really watch the comic that’s on I run to the back of the audience and watch. Last night I put in my hearing aids and watched from the wings and I heard it all. Which is hilarious, because I’ve been telling Flannery like, you need a monitor back here. You can’t hear the comic onstage. But it was just me, because now I can. So that’s where I’m at, and it’s it sucks. And it’s kind of cool, and you know, like Amy told me when she comforted me when I was like, give me the rest of my life. I’m too young for this shit. She was like, oh, like two years we’ll have a chip in our head and everything will work.

 

Amy  04:30

I still think that’s true.

 

Sarah Silverman  04:31

I know, I’m sure it is true. Um, I’m guessing there might be a downside, but um, yeah, I’m open to it fuck.

 

Amy  04:37

Also, you showed me how they look yesterday and you can’t really even see him.

 

Sarah Silverman  04:42

Yeah, it’s not bad. I got them in black because they suggested to it’s better to like match your try to match your hair than your skin.

 

Amy  04:51

Also, somebody pointed out to us when you were mentioned this last week, people were contacts, and it’s like the minute you put your contacts in there forever. It’s like your visions gonna improve.

 

Sarah Silverman  05:02

Well, PS fucking glasses V.

 

Amy  05:05

Right? Well, glasses too.

 

Sarah Silverman  05:07

Like how many things can I hang off my fucking face? I got my glasses on my nose and my ears hearing aids on right the rest of my ears. What else can I hang off my face?

 

Amy  05:21

Oh, I’m sure there’s plenty of things.

 

Sarah Silverman  05:25

Cut to all the calls next week.

 

Amy  05:28

All right, let’s take some calls.

 

Terrell  05:29

Hi, Sarah, this is really embarrassing, because I am a therapist, and you would think I would understand the human brain a little bit more than what I’m about to say, but I learned really recently that there are actually people who can choose to stop thinking about things. And I learned that I have this thing called rumination where, you know, it’s a symptom, it can be a symptom of OCD, not exclusively, but it’s a, it’s hard, it’s hard for me to like put down a thought like whether I want to or not things just sort of loop, and loop and loop and loop. And sometimes that’s great and fun and make all kinds of cool art. And then there are times when it’s really, really distressing. And I feel like I’m trapped in my own brain. And I’m just wondering, if you have experience with that what your experience with it is? Yeah, love your show love all your work. Thanks for what you do.

 

Sarah Silverman  05:55

I mean, I don’t know how to give you advice, you’re the therapist, but I get it. I mean, listen, therapists are are people. And it’s, I can tell you firsthand, it’s much easier to help others than yourself because you have a perspective built in. I have heard of ruminating thoughts, and of course, I’ve experienced that kind of circular thinking and especially like what I should have said, or how that could have played out or how maybe it would play, something might play out, and I think under that umbrella of ruminating thoughts is is you know, I have a friend who has suicidal ideology. And she’s like, I’ll, I’m not suicidal, but it’s a thing where you, you kind of imagine suicide. And I don’t understand, I don’t, I don’t know the ins and outs of that at all, so I can’t go like well just be mindful. And I mean, my instinct is to say, well, when you notice yourself doing it, and you feel it’s not serving, you gently usher those thoughts out and try to clear your mind. I mean, of course, that’s what meditation is that, you know, just trying to gently the practices that you’re gently escorting, you know, thoughts out of your mind and noticing when you’re thinking, you know, and being kind to yourself and going up, I’m thinking about that again, let go that’s so but I don’t know, I that’s the advice I would give you, but I don’t know enough to know if that’s how that works with ruminating thoughts, you know.

 

Amy  08:31

I was gonna say sorry to chime in here, but when I was when I discovered yoga for the first time.

 

Sarah Silverman  08:38

You did oh, you’re you discovered yoga.

 

Amy  08:40

When for myself. I remember that instructor saying when you are in sort of that meditation at the end, when you notice a thought. First of all, they tell you to focus on your breath so that you have something to focus on that isn’t a thought. And so it’s really easy when you have your breath to focus on all you do is just keep breathing in and out.

 

Sarah Silverman  09:06

Let’s hear me and then you’re like, what is breathing? Well, breathing in my life is just keeping me alive. Oh my god, am I still breathing? Am I going to die?

 

Amy  09:14

Yeah, but breath is really it’s a very smart thing to focus on. And then he used to say like if a thought comes into your mind notice it and then batted away. Batted away that yeah, like you’re just kind of and until they are you’re just focused solely on your breath. And it was something that helped me because I have a very busy mind.

 

Sarah Silverman  09:38

Yes, you do.

 

Amy  09:39

And sometimes when you focus on doing something else that’s tedious like I so, she does art.

 

Sarah Silverman  09:47

Yeah, that stuff is important. You know, like Rory will play video games and it’s so meditative for him. It’s It’s so relaxing because his all of his focus is on something else. You know, like, playing FIFA or murdering random people.

 

Amy  10:10

In the game?

 

Sarah Silverman  10:11

In the game. Yeah, all right, what else?

 

Karen  10:17

Hi, Sarah, this is Karen hey, I just heard you give some advice about older gentleman getting on our time after his wife died. I just want to give a little word of caution. After my mom died, my dad was super lonely. He was in his late 70s. And so I helped him get on a dating app. And because he was lonely and a little bit older, he was super susceptible to catfish. He was getting catfished all the time. I’m sure his name got on some I’m easy to catfish list. We ended up catching him sending a box of cash to the tune of $16,000 to China. So just a little word of caution. Sometimes the apps are a great idea, or at least monitor what your elderly parents doing. Anyway, I love your podcast. Have a good day.

 

Sarah Silverman  11:22

There is a special place in the hell I don’t believe in for people that do this shit. God, I’m thank you for calling in you’re so right. If you have a loved one that you’ve put on a dating app, who is probably not super techy, take a look at all this stuff, if he’s if he she, they are talking to someone, make sure they you can look them up that you’re there I mean, even fake people will start a FaceTime with them. You know, make sure that it’s real. I don’t know, know if we’re giving good advice, but yeah, caution, caution. That’s a great advice, thank you. What else?

 

Carlo  12:15

Hi, Sarah, my name is Carlo. I just listened to this American life podcast episode. And there was a story with this couple who lost a child from an overdose, and they went to one of your shows. And there was a comedian named Adam Ray who opened for you. And part of his set was about kids. And he at one point, he asked the audience if they had kids, and they tried to avoid it, but the couple eventually had to tell them that one of their kids died, and it really brought the situation while it was an interesting situation, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.

 

Sarah Silverman  12:54

I do.

 

Carlo  12:55

My question is if you witnessed it, what your thoughts were at the time? And also, does it make you think about stuff that you talk about? I mean, I’m sure that’s kind of situation can happen, and you know, when you least expect it, but wow, like what Adam Ray must have been thinking at the moment when that happened, that was a pretty incredible story. And yeah, I’m just curious in what your your thoughts about it, and if it’s changed anything about how you approach maybe chatting with your audience, thanks, Sarah.

 

Sarah Silverman  13:35

No, it didn’t change anything. Yeah, so check out this This American Life episode. It’s, it’s amazing, I don’t know how to. I don’t know which one it is but it I was there. So Adam Ray, who’s a great comic, and he was doing like an improv kind of a semi improvisational song about how great it is to not have kids and people with kids are suckers, and blah, blah, blah, and he would, in places kind of ask the audience to fill in, you know, answer questions that would inform the song. And I was upstairs in the green room, listening and watching there’s a monitor, and he’s doing great and everything. And I saw them in the they were in the front row, and at some point, she just finally he kept asking all these specifics and how old is your kid or your and all this stuff? And the husband was just kind of frozen and wasn’t sure he was like, I don’t know, and he’s like, your husband doesn’t even know how old you are, how old are you or whatever, and she said, she finally was like, well, one is dead. And the audience going oh, and you know, I get the two callers tabs with a caller. I understand that that’s, you would imagine that would be something you want to avoid. But he handled it amazingly. He just went in there, and continued asking questions and then and then really made it like a celebration of their son’s life his name was Max. But it was it was making fun of it but she said at one point he puts the mic to her and she says my dead son would have loved this and she said in this the the interview admit This American Life, it’s true, you know? And that comedy is a salve, you know, and those awful awkward situations fit in comedy, they, they’re welcome in comedy, because awkward is the sweet stuff, you know, uncomfortable is the stuff of life, especially in the world of comedy. And, you know, the great comics, take the status stuff and, and make it joyful, make it funny, or make it at least something that we all it’s a way in which we can connect, so you know, yeah, watching it. I was like, oh my God, you know, in real time and watching how he handled it and how they reacted and how the audience at large reacted was ultimately really fucking beautiful. The only thing that sucked was, I had to follow it, but that was kind of beautiful, too, because you go out and you deal with what is. And that’s exciting, because it’s, it’s everyone’s experiencing it in real time. So, no, that wouldn’t change. That experience didn’t change how I approach potentially talking to the audience at all, because in a way, that’s the stuff you know.

 

Ashley  16:48

Hi, Sarah, this is Ashley from Brookfield, Illinois, and I’m listening to your podcast and you were talking about your night guard. I’ve also been wearing one for like 20 years. And I’m a dental hygienist and we get this question all the time about the color of the night guard. So the material that it’s made with just naturally changes color, it does not mean that your mouth is disgusting, or that your guard is disgusting. It just happens to everybody’s guard eventually over time. Another thing is, is do not use toothpaste on your guard, separate toothbrush for your guard and use hot water to clean it every day. And if it gets really funky can use a little dish soap but do not use toothpaste as it can break down the material a little bit quicker. And we also are seeing a lot more people these days that are are grinding. I’d say about 70% of our patients actually were in a garden. Love your podcast, love you been a big fan for a long time.

 

Sarah Silverman  17:56

Thank you, Ashley. Yeah, my dentist acts like it’s crazy that my neck guard is has any discoloration. Dr. Hernandez who I love is like I never seen this before. I never seen it, never seen it before, like this isn’t normal.

 

Amy  18:16

I want to point out that’s a really good tip from a dental hygienist for anyone who brushes theirs.

 

Sarah Silverman  18:23

Oh yes.

 

Amy  18:23

I don’t think people know that. I have retainers from when I had invisalign, gross. So they’re like my it’s like a night guard. And I just soak them in effort and like every several days in hot like hot water with effort in which cleans, like denture.

 

Sarah Silverman  18:43

That’s what I’ve been doing, yeah, we got a thing for nightguards it’s a little like looks like a little flying saucer. And you you’re inset and then you put it in there with like, I only use like half a tab of that effort, denty kind of stuff because it just seems like a lot. But or I use a toothbrush with nothing on it. Not one that’s even ever had toothpaste on it. Because the last one I did I did use toothpaste and yeah, that was that is a good tip.

 

Amy  19:09

Here’s a fun fact about Sarah. She has a cupboard of new toothbrushes.

 

Sarah Silverman  19:16

Yes.

 

Amy  19:17

At least 75 in there.

 

Sarah Silverman  19:20

No far less now, I’m almost it’s almost time to get some more. I don’t mean to like waste the plastic and I use it electric toothbrush but I’m on the road so much that you got to change up the toothbrush every once in a while more often than when you’re home because you’re like putting it in a like container and throwing it in things because you were you know, Amy and I are on the road, it’s like every day you’re packing, unpacking, packing, unpacking and it’s gross. So yeah, and I also am I like experimenting with different kinds of toothbrushes because I’m always on the search for the for the perfect toothbrush.

 

Amy  19:55

I have a new one that I’m using that I could recommend.

 

Sarah Silverman  19:58

Go on

 

Amy  19:59

It’s very, like soft on your mouth and it has like 1000 bristles.

 

Sarah Silverman  20:04

Yeah, I like that. I like extra soft.

 

Amy  20:07

They’re really packed in densely, but it’s really really soft.

 

Sarah Silverman  20:11

Like those baby hair brushes?

 

Amy  20:13

Yes, that’s what it’s like, well, I think Colgate makes the ones that I have, but I buy them in packs. And you also did teach me that when I’m on the road for a long period of time. I always bring an unopened new toothbrush, you can change it out.

 

Sarah Silverman  20:26

Yeah, yeah, but you you changed me, Amy when you gave me cocoa floss.

 

Amy  20:34

You know, I have to say I, I wish more people knew about cocoa floss so that they are not an advertiser.

 

Sarah Silverman  20:40

They’re not an advertiser, they should be, they should be paying me. And Amy, she turned me on to it.

 

Amy  20:47

It’s so funny, I found it randomly at.

 

Sarah Silverman  20:53

Charles is googling cocoa floss. And I only know that because he lifted his phone and then I saw him lit like mouth cocoa floss.

 

Amy  21:02

I was in one of those clean beauty stores. And I saw it and it was like strawberry flavored and I was like, oh, that sounds fun.

 

Sarah Silverman  21:09

Well, yeah, because here’s a fun fact about Amy she does not like mint.

 

Amy  21:13

Oh right.

 

Sarah Silverman  21:14

So she has like bubble gum toothpaste that kids have and stuff.

 

Amy  21:18

No, no, I can’t have spearmint the smell of it makes well we know that noxious. Mint is tolerable but less preferable. But I do use I use a mint toothpaste but it has to be paste not gel.

 

Sarah Silverman  21:33

Noted.

 

Amy  21:33

However cocoa floss comes in like birthday cake and vanilla and chocolate and coconut and fruit flavors too.

 

Sarah Silverman  21:40

It’s beyond the flavors though. It removes like air, it’s so disgusting. But I floss at night in front of my magnified mirror. I do, we’re the same. And just I mean, when it doesn’t even look like there’s anything between my teeth. I can’t even believe what comes off onto this floss. It’s so satisfying.

 

Amy  22:07

Last Christmas, I gave you my heart. I was just gonna say that. And I also gave you and many loved ones. They have like they do these cute little four packs.

 

Sarah Silverman  22:17

There’s a great Christmas gift.

 

Amy  22:19

Of all the different like holiday flavors like a cinnamon mint, and then there was like whatever they made anyway. They don’t pay me for this.

 

Sarah Silverman  22:27

I know we should be paid for this. This is crazy, stop spoiling them. But also cocoa floss is the fucking best.

 

Amy  22:34

There’s not a better floss on the market isn’t and it’s absolutely a delight to use.

 

Sarah Silverman  22:40

Yep.

 

Amy  22:40

It’s all I’ll say.

 

Sarah Silverman  22:41

And I guess the thing about it is it’s got coconut oil on the floss basically, and that clings to everything and can.

 

Amy  22:47

And it’s also it’s a it’s a thicker floss, so if you have tight teeth, that’s the one they all say.

 

Sarah Silverman  22:53

It just got so tight teeth.

 

Amy  22:54

I have tight teeth, tight teeth.

 

Sarah Silverman  22:57

Yeah.

 

Amy  22:58

And sometimes it’s hard to you know, but it really it cleans so well. And I think it’s you know, a small business and I like to support small business.

 

Sarah Silverman  23:09

Are you still oil pushing?

 

Amy  23:12

Pulling?

 

Sarah Silverman  23:13

Oh, I’ve as I knew I was wrong, Oil Pulling.

 

Amy  23:15

No, because I feel like the cocoa floss is sort of a substitute because it’s made with coconut oil, and that’s actually the nature of pulling is using coconut oil to pull bacteria and so.

 

Sarah Silverman  23:28

I kind of want to do that again. I forgot like it made me gag so much at first but once you get in the right headspace, it’s kind of satisfying, but you have to spit it if you do it, you’ve got to spit it out in the trash, not down the same correct because it then hardens.

 

Amy  23:42

Sarah is the one who taught me that death creeps in through the gums.

 

Sarah Silverman  23:47

That’s right.

 

Amy  23:48

So that’s probably why I started oil pulling to begin with I’m sure it was like a trend, 12 years ago.

 

Sarah Silverman  23:53

It was but you stayed with it.

 

Amy  23:55

No I sobs now I do cocoa floss and I feel really satisfied that I’m getting what I need, and my hygienist always says, Oh, are you still using cocoa floss? Because she knows what it is, so anyhow.

 

Sarah Silverman  24:13

Got him, so glad we had this so well, that was the podcast, thanks for tuning in. All right, what else?

 

Sara  24:21

Okay, Hi, Sarah, this is also another Sara. I had to pull over and stop the car was in the episode with the guy whose dog ate his wife’s underwear. And I grew up with a dog named Smokey, who would basically eat anything that your crotch touched. And, you know, sanitary napkins it was.

 

Sarah Silverman  24:48

The corner on the couches, listen, when I was 11 things were crazy.

 

Sara  24:53

I suspect is happening because I’ve been through this myself with a household full of women. Basically, it’s the dirty underwear probably that the dog is eating. The wife needs to get a hamper with a lid. And that should hopefully help the dog getting into the thing. Trash cans for us with lids were a game changer at that time of the month. I grew up with lesbian moms so lots of women in the house and that time of the month would just what it was you’d walk into the house sometimes and it just looked like a murder scene because the dog had gotten into the bathroom trash anyway. I hope that helps him out and love the podcast. Love you, thank you.

 

Sarah Silverman  25:44

Yeah, you have to throw away your tampons. I never did that, I always flushed them. And then I stayed with a male friend. The first time I came to LA and I clouds his toilet with my tampon, and it was very embarrassing because I was young and didn’t know better and mortified. Good story, Sara. Yeah, there you go a hamper with a lid. Trash cans with the lid. You just solved the other colors problem, Sarah, thank you […] what else?

 

Sender 5  26:30

Hi, Sarah. I’m 22. I’ve called in before oh my god sorry, that’s my windshield, thing. I’ve called in before, but I have an important question for you, and it’s I know you talk about TV a lot. I was wondering, do you like murder mysteries?

 

Sarah Silverman  26:50

Yes.

 

Sender 5  26:50

And if you do, did you watch a Broadchurch? And if you did watch for Broadchurch. What did you think of it? Because it’s my favorite show ever made season one is like incredible.

 

Sarah Silverman  27:02

Unbelievable.

 

Sender 5  27:03

Did not watch it? And you like harder stuff then, you should. It’s so fucking good. Okay, bye I love you so much, you’re the best.

 

Sarah Silverman  27:13

I didn’t know how I happened upon Broadchurch way back when but I did, and that’s when I became a massive fan of Olivia Coleman and David Tennant. Who I didn’t because I wasn’t I haven’t seen you know, I haven’t been into Doctor Who since the guy with the curly hair from you know, the 80s but there are so many actors in it that like I subsequently saw on so many things like was called The Honourable woman with Maggie Gyllenhaal had some of those actors in it. I started getting very much into like British like line of duty if you like Broadchurch I mean line of duty in broad churches a little slow Line of Duty isn’t. Line of Duty is so fucking good. Every season is a different case and it’s you know the British police but it’s the cop the police that investigate police IA? Internal Affairs yeah. And oh my god and every season has a different like you know case so it’s different people and everything and then there are some that are consistent cast members. It’s fucking great, I loved the honorable woman, which was a limited series of Maggie Gyllenhaal unbelievable Night Manager from a few years ago too, and also Killing Eve obviously, Luther obviously, Bodyguard I really liked there’s only one season so far the diplomat it’s Keri Russell and I want to a British guy with a name that is I don’t know how to say and he’s brilliant. It’s really good. It’s like I’m gonna say like Sorkin adjacent. Oh, also, if you like David Tennant and you like Broadchurch, the escape artist is like a two or three or four episode limited series from years ago. Fucking great, it’s called the escape artist, but it’s about he plays like a high powered defense attorney that gets like murders off and stuff and then gets into his own shit, that was really good, and obviously Peaky Blinders I could go on and on Peaky Blinders is not a mystery, so I don’t know why I added that. It’s just incredible.

 

Lauren  29:44

Hi, Sarah, it’s your best friend Lauren calling from Massachusetts. I just love you and so appreciate your compassion, kindness and thoughtfulness and vulnerability. Huge fan of Mr. Rogers, right there along with you. That’s my guy, and the reason I’m calling is because I just recently listened to an interview with Democratic presidential candidate Dean Phillips and I hadn’t heard of him, and I really liked that a lot of what he had to say and what he stands for, and I feel like a lot more people need to hear about him and know about him, and I just was curious what you think of them? Let us know. Thank you, love you, bye.

 

Sarah Silverman  30:41

I don’t know a lot about Dean Phillips other than he was the only Democrat on the ballot in New Hampshire and still lost to a write in candidate named Joe Biden. But besides that, the only thing I know about Dean Phillips is that Amy’s V has some kind of connection to him.

 

Amy  31:00

My parents met at his parents wedding.

 

Sarah Silverman  31:05

Holy shit.

 

Amy  31:06

My dad was best friends with his father who died in Vietnam.

 

Sarah Silverman  31:12

No.

 

Amy  31:13

So I don’t even know if Dean ever met his birth father.

 

Sarah Silverman  31:18

Oh, wow.

 

Amy  31:19

But my dad was best friends with him. And my mother was knows his mom since they were kids.

 

Sarah Silverman  31:27

Wow, oh, right he’s from.

 

Amy  31:29

I think he’s from Minnesota, yes.

 

Sarah Silverman  31:32

I never I don’t know anything about like policies made or been a part of or anything but so that’s just my own ignorance, but I don’t know if he’ll be able to get out there enough before the election or who knows what’s gonna happen? What a mess.

 

Amy  31:47

You know who I love? Hill.

 

Sarah Silverman  31:49

She’s in Congress, Jasmine, Crockett.

 

Amy  31:53

Wait, what state is she from?

 

Sarah Silverman  31:55

Texas, but I follow her on Instagram. And she is awesome. I would love to see her go farther. She does not talk bullshit. She doesn’t talk. She has no errors. She just is truth and just a regular person speaking truth to power. And I love that she’s in power. And I’d love to see her go further. I just think she’s very exciting, you know? I don’t know how much I want to say about what’s going on here. I mean, I just I obviously I’m gonna I’m gonna vote for who they will fucking can of soup over Trump. Which may be the case. No, here’s the thing about Biden. He’s old, and he may be a bit losing it. I don’t know, he’s old. You know, my dad was five years older than he was. And my dad had all his marbles, totally. I don’t know if I’d want to be president. They both are totally old and losing it. Their vice president, people need to be someone we want to that inspires us because they might be president. But um, we’ve got Trump and Biden. They’re both out of you know, they’re both elderly. Trump will surround himself with yes, people and lunatics. Biden surrounds himself with really smart people, and we’ll get information and then we’ll say what he thinks, and then he’ll say, somebody disagree with me. What’s, you know, he wants critical thought in his cabinet. He’s done amazing. I mean, finally, a president put a cap on insulin. Like he’s done incredible things with the team that he has. But yeah, it’s just fucking Rory made such a brilliant point, which I never thought about, which is when we were growing up. The politicians in office were our parents age. And now they’re still our parents age. It’s still the same people, it’s Biden and Mitch McConnell and Pelosi, and it’s, it’s it, you know, Bernie, who I love, I have him forever, but you know, there’s got to be, I think term limits it, there’s what what is the reason that our generation is not represented by our own generation? What is the lack in us? I don’t know. But it’s wild, that our parents generation are still running the country. And it’s, it’s, I think, unprecedented, but Rory pointed that out, and it kind of blew my mind. What is the reason for that? I’d love to hear anyone who knows kind of why that is or why that might be. Alright, what else?

 

Terrell  34:59

Hi Sarah Silverman. This is Terrell calling in from Palm Springs, California. I wanted to comment on the last episode in which a caller called in asking you about giving money to the, to the homeless. And the dilemma that people often vocalize about how they want to give money to the to unhoused people, but they don’t want them to spend it on something nefarious, like drugs or whatever, like everyone else does. What I do is I just give gift cards. It’s so easy, I mean, you next time you’re at Starbucks, just pick up a few gift cards. You can put $5 on each of them, $10 whatever you’re willing, and most Starbucks have a have the pack of five at once, so that you the cashier or the barista just rings, rings, all five up in one swoop. And you can put however much you want on each of them, and then you just keep them in your wallet, run into someone on the street asking for money. You can just say I don’t have money, but do you like Starbucks? And the majority of them were like, yes, definitely. And there you go, just I guess I feel a little bad because I’ve I guess I’ve probably sent like droves of homeless people into Starbucks. So sorry about that Starbucks workers. Maybe we can do it with other companies too, like Jimmy John’s and Dunkin Donuts, etc. But that’s my solution.

 

Sarah Silverman  36:09

Well, but they’re, you’re making them paying customers. That’s such a great idea. You know, I I like to give money when I you know, to people, and I don’t like to judge where they might spend that money, that’s not my business. But boy, a gift card is really smart. That’s lovely, that’s really lovely. All right, what else?

 

Val  36:36

Hi, Sarah, my name is Val. I am at a tender time of year in which I’m approaching my my mother’s yahrzeit. And I have noticed a really sweet portrait of your mom on social media and sometimes on the podcast, like the video recordings of the podcast. And she looks so much like my mom. And it makes me really happy to see that and brings me a lot of joy. And I just wanted to share that and say thank you for posting that. The dead parent club is definitely a weird one. And I’ve been a member for coming up on 14 years now. And yeah, I’m just thinking about that a lot and thinking about the portrait of your mother and how much she reminds me of my own. And how I’m you know, bittersweet that is but I just wanted to say that I’m really finding your podcast in front of your work and that’s really nice when the people you looked at look up to share kind moments like that.

 

Sarah Silverman  37:54

Yeah. I miss my mom too, my mom. It’s been eight years. It’s funny, you know, you my dad and my stepmom. While they were dying. It was just so much and I was sobbing a lot. But I haven’t since May really really sobbed until she Sunday or it was after Super Bowl Sunday. And a Stupid Pet Tricks, that was the first time Stupid Pet Tricks aired the first episode, and you know, I didn’t really think anything of it, and I missed it. Because the Superbowl went into overtime, and it was unbelievable. And then by the time it was over. Stupid Patrick’s had to air it on another channel and see it and who cares? You know, I’m not really I hadn’t even really been thinking about it other than I’m promoting it and trying to get people to watch but you know, I I’ve seen it when we were editing and you know, I’ve watched it. But um, I first that was kind of there was something in me and that’s embarrassing to articulate. But I was laying in bed with worry, and I felt a tinge of like, not anger, not anger no but um like I wished Rory had said, like a your shows on and it’s his show, too. He worked on it too, as did Amy and and my sister did voices on it, and you know, but what made me cry was when I realized what was missing was there are two people that would have watched it in real time and would have missed the overtime of the Super Bowl to watch Stupid Pet Tricks on TBS, where it’d be my dad and my stepmom and then they would have called me and that’s what I missed. And I cried like a baby […] and it was cathartic, you know? I didn’t, it was good, it made sense. You know, it suddenly made sense to me why I felt like, Hmm, why didn’t any why didn’t I get? Where was my attention? Because I don’t need it from anyone because I always got it from my parents. And I took it for granted for certainly, I’m sure, but, boy, I missed it, you know, and, that’s why I got into show business. So that my parents would, you know, watch. And, you know, it’s like, the kid at the pool going, Mom, watch, watch, and like, anytime I see, a mom, like, is reading a magazine at a pool and like, can’t be bothered to watch their kid. I know, I don’t understand that, it’s constant annoying, but like, I would just be like, watch, watch your fucking kid do a dive. It’s so it means something. And my mom was so special and so amazing. But to a certain degree, I didn’t get that from her and understanding my life. And looking back and looking at, you know, just like all of us, it’s be a detective in your own life. It’s fascinating but, you know, my mom was always reading People Magazine. And she knew who was dating who and what celebrities were married to what and he was on this show, which then was this and then this actor, you know, she loved all that stuff. And I think in a way to get my mom to see me, I got I left New Hampshire and got into People Magazine, so that she see me, you know, and somehow she still and I know, she was proud of me because my sister told me, but like, I just I didn’t get that thing. And my stepmom, Janice would beg my mom to call me after I was like, on a show, or I did stand up on a talk show or something. And my mom just couldn’t do it. I don’t know, I it’s so easy but you know, some easy things are not so easy for people for a, you know, whatever reason. And I just couldn’t get it from her. But boy, I totally got it from my stepmom and from my dad, and this is the first time that I really felt it gone. So there’s my story. And so I get it, and I’m sorry, you miss your mom. I do too, and I miss my dad and my stepmom and I miss as you get older, there’s more people that you miss, but it’s great that you have memories. And you can take what you loved about these people and embody it in yourself. So there’s something and dad, we are winding down in fact, we’re done, this is the part of the show, when I say send me your questions, go to speakpipe.com/theSarahSilvermanpodcast that speakpipe.com/theSarahSilvermanpodcast, and subscribe, rate and review wherever you listen to podcasts. And there’s more of the Sarah Silverman podcast with Lemonada Premium subscribers get exclusive access to bonus questions like one from a mom who’s not sure whether or not to let her kids play with toy guns. Subscribe now in Apple podcasts. Thank you for listening to the Sarah Silverman podcast. We are a production of Lemonada media, Kathryn Barnes and Kryssy Pease produce our show. Our mix is by James Sparber. Additional Lemonada support from Steve Nelson, Stephanie Wittels Wachs and Jessica Cordova Kramer. Our theme was composed by Ben Folds and you can find me at @SarahKateSilverman on Instagram. Follow the Sarah Silverman podcast wherever you get your podcasts or listen ad free on Amazon music with your Prime membership.