What's going to be different about the Shame Edition of the show?
Well, we’re coming off of a month of Pride, and in the gloaming, a lot of us have a lot to be ashamed of. We will be shaming heterosexuals, men, white people, and every human person in the United States of America who didn’t march their feet to the voting booth on November 8th, 2016 and fill in a bubble next to Hillary Rodham Clinton’s name. It’ll be great fun!
How did you select the guests for this show? What are you looking forward to see them do the most?
Every month, I book guests who interest and excite me, and this month is certainly no exception. I am basically a fangirl with stage time and a mic, and the best part of my month is always getting to share a stage with people I’m literally just a complete dork for. I’m extra excited about July’s show because the three guests- Full Frontal’s Ashley Nicole Black, The Julie Ruin’s Kenny Mellman and Time Out New York’s Adam Feldman, are three of the funniest, smartest, most soulful people in show business, and I look forward to seeing them politely pretend that I am somehow in their league and/or worthy of standing next to them in front of a group of attractive, arts-savvy people.
What's the coolest/most unexpected place where you've seen a Pussy Grabs Back image?
My brother teaches high school in a California suburb, and a 15-year-old student of his wore the shirt to school. That was pretty badass. Oh, and there was a screengrab of Hillary giving a speech shortly before the election, and someone seated right behind her was wearing the shirt! That was exciting. But honestly, every time I see it, anywhere, my heart swells.
Is laughter the best remedy to deal with what 45 is putting us through?
No. The best remedy is relentless daily phone calls to your elected representatives, followed by the best recreational drugs you can afford.
What art have you been using as a spiritual/mental spa to escape the news lately?
I have been watching youtube videos of Michaela DePrince, the most mindblowing ballet dancer. She is American but currently dances with the Dutch National Ballet. She has this brilliant combination of strength, force, precision and grace. Her personal story is incredible- she is a war orphan from Sierra Leone whom no one wanted to adopt because she has vitiligo and was considered “cursed”, who then was adopted by an American couple who thankfully supported her dream of being a ballerina- and you can see the courage and iron will that has enabled her to survive and thrive in her every movement. She is breathtaking. There aren’t enough videos of her dancing, so I watch the same ones over and over. I’m a stoner, and this is what I do.
What are your favorite spots in NYC during the summer?
I like to hang out at the Christopher Street pier, Bryant Park, anywhere I can lie down in grass and read a book without some cop with a ticket quota giving me a hard time. In the evenings, I like to be inside a darkened, air conditioned theatre watching a play, and after that I like to hang out at Julius’ or the Monster if I can stay awake late enough. Essentially I like to spend my summers the way I like to spend the other three seasons- in a temperate environment, surrounded by homosexuals.
What's your method of choice to stay cool during the summer?
Compulsively placing cubes of ice on my carotid artery. I look like a crazy person but the ice cools your blood, which is then rapidly pumped throughout your body, cooling your entire body down very quickly. The great thing about getting older is that you literally don’t care what you look like to other people anymore, and can just get your life. And a good cold shower with peppermint Dr. Bronner’s works wonders. Stand in front of your air conditioner afterward if you want to truly touch the face of God.
What's the funniest thing you've heard this year?
That Melania deserves sympathy.
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