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Sarah recounts a harrowing experience from her tour. Plus, she takes your questions about the state of politics right now; the good, the bad, and the terrible.

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Transcript

SPEAKERS

Sadie, Sarah Silverman, Joe, Jenny, Amy, Olivia, Michelle, Sender 3

Sarah Silverman  00:14

Hi everybody. It’s your old pal, Sarah. And you know, I have been on the road with one miss Amy Zvi and it’s going pretty great. I’m having a really good time. And I think I’m having a good time also just focusing on one thing, you know, it’s just like the show, and it’s getting to the show, or it’s going to the next town, or it’s driving to the airport, or it’s driving to the next gig, or it’s, you know, whatever it is, it’s like it’s already set out in front of us. We don’t have to think about it. I can just think about the show anyway. All of that aside, we drove from Philly to Washington, DC. It was a four hour drive, and I will say it was maybe the most harrowing drive of my life. Very nice man, perfectly nice man. The craziest driver I’ve ever experienced. Would you say Amy, that’s the case for you. I mean, we thought we were gonna die.

 

Amy  01:15

I was bracing for my life.

 

Sarah Silverman  01:18

So it’s pouring rain and he’s going 75 miles an hour. And, you know, I texted Rory, and he’s like, Well, tell him, tell him to pull over, and then you get an Uber, you know, tell him he’s got to slow down. And I did ultimately find a way to tell him to slow down, and he did, and then he forgot again, and back, he’s back at 75 miles an hour. I mean, at one point, the car slowed down in front of us, and we he had to, like, swerve into the emergency lane because he was so close to the other cars. And every time he’d like, adjust his watch or move in his seat, the car would swerve back and forth. At one point, we’re going over this very, very long bridge, and Amy rolls her window down, and she explains to me that she’s literally preparing for driving off the bridge and having to, like, swim out the window. It was so harrowing. So I’m texting with Rory, and he’s just doesn’t understand why I’m not yelling at this guy, or not even yelling, but just say, being firm and saying, like, slow down, drive safely. And I had to explain to him, as women, when you’re dealing with a this big, strong guy, whatever a man, you have to always be kind of weighing the matter at hand against this stranger’s ego. And as a woman, our instinct is to not make a man angry. And angry can mean anything. It could mean feeling ashamed, feeling embarrassed, feeling sorry, feeling wrong, all of that easily, with many men converts immediately into rage and outward blame or fuck these twats or whatever, not to project this onto him, but this is how women survive in this culture. This is how we learn to survive. We go, oh, I’m so sorry. Would you mind? It’s totally me, but would you just go the speed limit? Just, I’m just weird about that. I mean, like, you know, you have to negotiate with yourself. What’s gonna be safest?

 

Amy  03:34

I’m gonna jump in. Because, in retrospect, not only everything that you just said, but at one point, we had to justify it by saying we have friends who almost died in a car accident in the same way, like we were telling, like, the Tracy Morgan story, I know because like he, like, wasn’t hearing us. You literally the first time said, Sir, can you please slow down? It is pouring rain, and you’re going 78 and the speed limits, 55 Yeah, I was terrified of angering him. Our lives were in this man’s hands, and we were, like, 20 minutes into a three and a half hour drive.

 

Sarah Silverman  04:16

It was really scary. Like, I still, I thought I was gonna, like, kiss the ground when we got out of that car. It was just, it’s harrowing. Anyway, all these complaints irrelevant, except for what I’m trying to get out, which is, is that, is that it’s now these two grown women are trying to figure out how to gently communicate to someone who is that we’re afraid he is going to kill us, you know, like it still is something that I don’t think most men are aware of, that women have to, like, really figure out how to communicate to a man without angering him. It was just for. Scary anyway, let’s take some calls.

 

Olivia  05:17

Hi Sarah, it’s your friend, Olivia, down in Charleston, South Carolina, I was at your show last night. I’m proudly wearing my post mortem t shirt today. Yes, I love it so much. It was my first time getting to see you live. And I just wanted to let you know that having your show to look forward to this week has been a very meaningful source of comfort to me through all of this election bullshit. Thank you for coming through. I imagine it must have been really difficult, but it was so wonderful to be in the same room as you and your amazing fans. So anywho, my question is, what was I’m so curious. What was that like for you to get on stage and put on a show for us while I would imagine feeling devastated like I am. I’m always interested in your perspective, and thank you for all that you do.  I love you.

 

Sarah Silverman  06:25

Oh, thanks for calling in. And that was that, you know, that was a really special show. I, you know, we were on in Ohio during the election. We did a show, and then we did another show at a smaller club in Yellow Springs, or with friends watching the election, and then it just, you know, the rest. But when he won, I really, I said to Amy, I was just like, what are we doing? What are we doing out on the road? Like, I don’t feel safe, I don’t feel good, I don’t feel healthy, mentally. I want to go home and be in a ball under the covers, like, can we cancel this? But I knew we couldn’t. And what was next, we drove to the airport in Kentucky, we flew to South Carolina and toured the Carolinas. And, you know, being on the road has actually been a kind of salve, surprisingly, and not surprisingly, because it’s been so lovely to just be in big, big groups, you know, just this giant group, this giant room of people that are kind and they’re to be entertained and and I think I said something like, look, I who knows what the future holds, but here we are together right now, and I’m going to entertain you, because that my job is to entertain you, and I’m gonna and then we just went from there, and it was really kind of magical. And you just felt more connection than ever, kind of in these, these post election nights, even though, you know, and my show is not political at all this time, it’s about death. It couldn’t be more relatable in a way. You know, it’s the one thing none of us can avoid. It’s guaranteed. But it was pretty cool. And I really have to thank Chelsea Handler, because I will say a Geary go October. It was right after October 7. I was just like, what am I fucking go on stage and do dumb jokes about, you know, whatever the fuck my asshole, you know, like, This is so stupid, you know, I was like, shaking for a month, like, I just didn’t know, and she yelled at me. She was like, you’re an entertainer. Your job is to entertain people, not in the good times, in the bad times too. So pull your fucking shit together. And then she made me open for her at like the Pantages in LA, and it helped so much. You know, I’m so grateful to her for that, because she just, man, she’s a She’s such a good friend and she and she was right to gather with people like minded and otherwise, at least like minded in their taste for comedy and just being together laughing. It’s been nice. Obviously, we all got to get to work and do whatever we can to protect each other. But right now, in this moment where I don’t know what the fuck that is, I’m kind of standing by waiting for instructions. You know? Or thinking about what could be done or and in the meantime, I am asserting my privilege, and I don’t want to fucking I don’t want to read your think piece, and I don’t want to look at who he’s adding to his cabinet. I really don’t want to know I’m opting out. And why am I doing it? Just for my own health, and I’ll, I’ll get back to it as soon as I feel strong enough, and there’s something to be done that I can do actively in the meantime, I really, really just do not want to give them my health, and I suggest you do the same Rest up. I guess is, if I had to put it in two words, fucking Rest up. You know, the couple of things I’ve learned that can be done is, any women of means that can order a shit ton of plan B and mifepristone, all that shit contraception, the birth control pill. I mean, can you believe this is happening? But it is, and if we can stockpile as much as you can that you have room for and money for. Take a big marker. You can look online, it will say the expiration date. But though, there are sites that will tell you the real expiration date, like, yeah, it says it goes bad in a year, it really goes bad in three years, or something, you know, make write it in a big Sharpie when it it’s no good anymore. So that you it’s on there, and then you have it to send to women in need in other in other states and other places. I’ve never been more proud to live in California, you know, a sanctuary state, and boy, we’re gonna need it, because so many women of fertile age. Are will be and are already refugees. Can you fucking believe this shit? Rest up.

 

Joe  12:13

Hey, Sarah, best friend Joe from Providence, thanks for taking my call last time, it was about politics, and I really appreciated your answer. Last week, you had another caller ask about you doing more, or if you had any plans to do more. And it’s probably too late, but I would love for you to sometime go on Joe Rogan and just give your point of view. I just don’t understand it. He’s a good guy. He’s got two young daughters, and I just don’t understand how he’s gone down this way of thinking and has become so concerned over the ultra left and doesn’t really focus on the fact that he’s got two young daughters whose rights have been taken away by the ultra right. That would be an amazing podcast. Love you.

 

Sarah Silverman  13:03

I think I’d go on a show. I don’t know. Yeah. I mean, listen, I know Joe a bit, and he’s always been nice to me. I would venture to say that you should not have to have daughters to care about the human rights of more than half the planet and more than half of this country. You know, even if he didn’t have daughters, if he had no mother, no daughters, no aunts, no wife, women still exist, whether you’re personally connected to them or not, but I hear what you’re saying, of course, and and I know he’s crazy about his kids, and I don’t know the answer. I have to say I was really when he endorsed Trump, I was kind of surprised, and kind of not at all surprised, which has been so many things with this election, I think, you know, I mean, like so many high profile mega rich people, saw the writing on the wall and decided to kiss ass because they know Trump is vindictive, that he is all ego, and he is obviously not working on behalf of others despite the job description, I know shocking. It’s just scary to see all these very rich, wealthy and therefore powerful people kissing the ring of this guy. And I get it make him feel good, and you get your way. And that’s in one way I feel like saying to the Democrats, listen, he’s going to be the president. You have to hope that he does a good job, no matter what he’s you know, you know, Project 2025, is, if that’s a good job, we’re fucked. But he. Is able to be influenced with, get this love, adoration, all that shit, and so maybe I don’t know, I don’t know what the answer is, and I probably would listen to this back and argue the other side. But you know, we saw Kim Kardashian go in when he was president, and talk to him and and appeal to him and give him attention and respect or whatever, and got him to commute the sentences of several women in prison. You know, something you would not associate with Trump doing. But why did he do it? He did it because this beautiful billionaire star appealed to him to do it, and he and put him in a position where he could be a hero to her, and he responds to that. So please don’t do the thing where Trump told all the Republicans, when Biden was in office, to not vote for the border bill, because he doesn’t want that solved. He needed to run on that, and then he wants his administration to solve it. That’s like a scumbag move. The Reagan administration did that with the what the hostages, and where Iran and Carter was president, and somehow the Reagan and administration held off the getting the hostages back until Reagan was in office. And I feel like that was a dream, and I can’t be remembering that, right, but I remember I was with my old boyfriend, Michael, and we were watching one of those CNN, this is the 70s. This is the 80s, some, and it’s 80. And I said, when they talked about it, I go, yeah, I think, like, the Reagan administration somehow got that held so they didn’t return the hostages until he was in power. And Michael was like, that’s not possible. That couldn’t possibly happen. That wouldn’t be legal. And then, like, they went, right then the CNN documentary went into it as being the case, and he couldn’t believe it. But you know, of course, now you believe it, that shit, it’s all insidious, you know, you know, listen, the Washington Post did not endorse a candidate. Why? Because they would have endorsed Kamala and Bezos, the billionaire that owns the Washington Post, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, saw that Trump would likely win, and didn’t want to get in trouble. This is a scary time that’s Putin stuff that’s dictatorship. Ultimately, these big money guys, it’s about their net worth with Joe. It’s with Joe Rogan, I don’t know, you know, it’s, it seems like a bit of a chicken and egg thing. Maybe he’s a comic and he’s clearly a businessman, a good one. I don’t think he started out as a person who supported an ego maniacal reality star for president, but supporting him has more and more behooved him, and as far as his daughters, I’m sure he loves them more than anything in the world, but he also knows that they will always get the best health care because he’s rich, and they will always be able to get an abortion if they need it, because they’re rich. You know, even if he’s not literally thinking that he knows it, it’s not a worry, unless he’s worried about others, which he’s, I guess not or not female others. I don’t know. I mean, I you know, I think that the characteristics one needs to vote for a budding autoCrat that you know plans to suppress the rights of women even further than he already has are a deep undealt with hatred of women and a crude lack of empathy and disregard for others outside of your general circle. I think maybe right. Anyway, life is long. I’ve never had a problem with him. We’re definitely living in a time where with great power comes absolutely zero responsibility. Okay, what else?

 

Sender 3  19:30

Hi, Sarah. I was just listening to your latest episode where you mentioned Citizens United, and I like jumped up with excitement when you started mentioning that, because nobody ever talks about that, and they should talk about it, because it’s something I talk about with my girlfriend all the time, and it is a big reason I have so much anxiety about living in the US, and I think it’s a big reason for why I have so much climate anxiety. Anxiety too, because corporations like big gas and big oil have such a strong voice in politics, which is so unfortunate and very stressful. So I was also just wondering if you experience climate anxiety and how you deal with it. Thank you. I’m a big fan, bye.

 

Sarah Silverman  20:20

I do, but I try not to have climate anxiety. I mean, there’s no way not to. We’re so fucked. But I just I feel so helpless, and I just really try not to stress about the stuff I cannot control. So when there’s something I can do, I’ll do it. I mean, we recycle, we rinse out our plastic. We have another company that comes for other recyclables that the basic recyclable place doesn’t pick up. We have a composter that’s unbelievable. We love and I don’t want to discourage people from recycling, because it’s we do to the max, but it’s just, it’s, does it does nothing to help, because the top 100 countries in the world create 70% of our pollution. That’s causing, this earth to, you know, go to shit. So, you know, without regulations put on them. But it’s just never going to happen, not meaningful ones, because they control policy, because they can give unlimited funds to politicians and buy their votes and buy their policy and influence and enforce. So everything boils down to Citizens United, everything, and until that’s overturned, we are fucked. I don’t know why it’s not brought up more isn’t a bigger issue. I think people just don’t know what it is. They haven’t learned about it, and the name of it, of course, sounds lovely. Citizens United. What a lovely conceit, you know. But it isn’t that. Listen, I do everything I can. I the only way I feel I can really make a dent is by pushing out information. But again, I’m sure I’m in an echo chamber, and I’m just telling people who already know these things, these things. But yeah, Citizens United is literally in this country anyway, the root of all evil. Every single thing that needs to be fixed in this country or changed or reversed comes down to Citizens United, and it’ll just never be overturned, because the people that benefit from having Citizens United control everything because of Citizens United. So there has to be some big shift.

 

Jenny  22:45

Hi Sarah. My name is Jenny. I’m calling from Chicagoland, Illinois, and I wonder what you think of the fact that Democrats or I’m not really a Democrat, I’m a bernocrat, but we never fight back the same way that the Republicans do. They’re mean, they’re nasty, and we’re so nice, and I want to stop being nice. I want to fight the way that they fight. I want to be mean, the way that they’re mean. I want to storm the capital, but not hurt anybody. But can you please say something about how we’re too freaking nice. Can’t we just say fuck off and go fuck yourself, and Trump’s a rapist. And why can’t I put that sign in my yard? I live in Illinois, and there’s Pritzker suck signs everywhere, but I can’t put a Trump suck sign out or I’m getting attacked. Just help me. Sarah, I love you, bye.

 

Sarah Silverman  24:08

I hear what you’re saying. And I think Rory feels very similarly. He’s very angry at the Democratic Party. But much like Bernie is, you know, I mean and, and I’m I’m not positive how I feel about this. I you know, it’s not like, oh, when we go low, we go, we should go. When they go low, we should go high, or when they or where you should go. But I just, I don’t, I don’t think that existence that you’re describing sounds appetizing to me. I also don’t know that that changes anything. Yeah, I do think we should take some some lessons out of their book in terms of, they’re literally pre there. They’re just pro creating voters. And I democrats are not reproducing. I’m not saying that’s the answer, and we should at all, although I would love to see the children without homes get adopted by by warm, loving liberals. You know, that’s that seems like a win win. And I’m not being really practical, and I’m not giving a great answer to this, but I just don’t know what the answer is. You know, like, it’s somewhere in the middle, I think is the answer. I mean, there was a time when the Democrats basically kicked Al Franken out in a moment in time where they knew he didn’t do anything wrong, but they wanted to show the right what they should be doing with Roy what was the guy at that? He like, no one even knows who he is anymore. It was like, the guy who got, like, he got banned from the mall because he was like, ogling teenage girls there or something. Roy Moore. Was his name, Roy Moore. They thought, Oh, if we show them that we take this series and we’re we do the right thing, quote, unquote, then they’ll do that. Don’t be ridiculous. Of course, they didn’t, and everyone loses. And now al who whose only desire was to serve Minnesota as a senator. I mean, listen, it’s all very complicated, and you can point and say, what about this? What about that? All the time? The truth is, we have no truth in this country right now. We there’s no way to know what is true what isn’t. In Finland, they’re teaching kindergarteners how to decipher fake news and Real News and what’s true on the internet and what’s not true on the internet, which is I’d like to take that class. They’re figuring it out in other countries, as they always do, especially in the the Swedens, the Finlands, the Denmarks, the those countries, for some reason, figure shit out and always go the the direction of humanity, kindness and taking care of each other. So simple, really, at its root. But um, I always look think back at that same cartoon I keep seeing of the the rich guy with all the cookies, and then there’s a white guy with one cookie, and then an immigrant with no cookies, and then the rich guy with all the cookies points to them immigrant and says to the The white guy, yeah, he wants all your cookies, you know, like, it’s hard to describe that in words, actually, but that’s what it is. It’s people are just being manipulated. And I don’t know that the answer is to, like, equally and oppositely spread the opposite misinformation or in you know, it’s just getting true information out. I guess I don’t know what the answer is. I I can’t imagine if we really knew all the same facts, and like there was a way to decipher what’s true and what isn’t and what that we wouldn’t all pretty much feel the same way, but it’s we’re we’re following different algorithms, different narratives, different totally different sets of facts. And I don’t know how you get out of it. I don’t know. I’m looking for other people that might know the answers, and the great organizers of our country. And, you know, I don’t know what it takes. We need, we need some, some tech bros that are care about humanity, but I don’t know if that exists. I don’t know All right, what else?

 

Michelle  28:57

Hi, Sarah. It’s your best friend Michelle, the caller that called in a few weeks ago who had asked you a question about, you know, what should she do? She found that her friend was anti choice, and it was really hard to kind of remain friends, and she was struggling. You gave an awesome response about, like, why it’s so important to have choice and bodily autonomy, autonomy and things like that. But I was also curious like, what do you actually do when somebody that you think you’re close with, or that you’ve been close with, kind of shocks you with some revelation that, you know, they don’t believe in a person’s right to have an abortion, if that’s what’s right for them, or they are either in love with Elon Musk, or, you know, they believe in family separation, because whatever reason they could possibly get for that, or all that kind of stuff. Like, how do you deal with that? Like, you know, if you know that person is not going to change their viewpoint. Like, can you really still be friends with them? Can you talk about, like, Oh, your favorite taco restaurant without, you know, falling back on the idea that they’re hateful? I just don’t know. So thank you so much. I love you. Bye.

 

Sarah Silverman  30:01

Yeah, you know, it’s so interesting because there was actually a time where we did not know people’s beliefs so much, you know, like before social media and we loved a lot more people we separated ourselves from far fewer people. Less people’s shit stank. No one knew what like Pat Sajak politics were, or whatever you know like, and there are negative and positive things about that and about where we find ourselves today. I happen to believe that you know, if what you believe is righteous, it will not be shaken by exposing yourself to other views that you might even you might learn something they might learn something you know hearing another viewpoint in the context of friendship leaves us much more open to be changed or to understand each other, more, you know. And  I think that’s a good thing. I mean, there’s, you know, of course, an extremely arrogant, conceited, maybe, or, you know, part of myself that likes keeping these friendships where friends are, have gone a very different way, ethically, you know, with their beliefs, than myself, because I believe I can change their minds, if not through facts, through emotions, which is really the thing that changes people for for better or for worse. It’s also arrogant to believe that you have nothing to learn from others, even if it’s not the lesson that they intend. There’s always something to learn. Of course, take this all with a giant grain of salt, like, if a if a friend is, you know, find you find out they’re they’re anti choice, and it fucking turns you off and bums you out. You do not have to spend time with this person like you do not have to maintain this friendship. You’re gonna there’s no onus on you to do it. I’m just saying you gotta see if the juice is worth the squeeze for you gotta weigh the pros and cons, really. But every situation is is different, and boundaries are obviously crucial for your own, for your own mental health and well being, and that’s got to be number one. So you know, just take, take what I say with a grain of salt. You gotta definitely take care of yourself first, and however that looks all right. What else?

 

Sadie  32:47

Hey, Sarah, this is your friend, Sadie from Indiana, and I am calling because I just saw your show in Indy this past Friday, and I just wanted to say how amazing the show was. It was such a brave, honest and beautiful performance of how hard grief is, but also how beautiful it is as well. And I just wanted to thank you for sharing your story and know that it’s relatable to so many people. And I also wanted to say that at the end of the show, take the time to bow. People want to clap for you and you, you deserve to have the audience tell you how amazing you are. So I hope the next time you perform the show, instead of just running off stage, you stand there and bow because you deserve it. Anyway. Love you and, yeah, thanks for all that you do.

 

Sarah Silverman  34:04

Oh, man, thank you so much that that makes me feel so good. I and please, if for anyone who’s listening, I swear it’s funny. Sounds so depressing. I believe it’s funny and has hard jokes, but thank you so much. I appreciate it. And you know what, maybe you’re right, you know, I always feel odd in that moment, and I do a quick bow, and then I run off stage and maybe turn around and give a little more wave. I I get shy, you know, but, um, but you know what? The way you said that it you’re probably right, like I should let the audience express themselves the way they see fit and stay and take it to some degree. I am. I’m gonna take that under advisement. I really am. And thank you for calling in. Dad we are winding down. This is the part of the podcast, when I say, send me your questions or comments or notions or opinions or whatever the fuck go to speakpipe.com/theSarahSilvermanpodcast. That’s speakpipe.com/theSarahSilverman podcast. And subscribe, rate and review wherever you listen to podcasts that helps us stay on the air and shit.

 

CREDITS  35:22

And there’s more of The Sarah Silverman podcast with Lemonada Premium subscribers get exclusive access to bonus questions like one from a caller asking for my stand up advice a young, budding stand up. Oh yeah, you gotta pay for that wisdom. Subscribe now in Apple podcasts, that’s just like 99 cents, I think.  Thank you for listening to the Sarah Silverman podcast, we are a production of Lemonada media. Kathryn Barnes and Isabella Kulkarni produce our show. Our mix is by James Sparber. The show is recorded at the Invisible Studios in West Hollywood. Charles Carroll is our recording engineer. Additional Lemonada support from Steve Nelson, Stephanie Wittels Wachs and Jessica Cordova Kramer. Our theme was composed by Ben Folds. 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.