"I Check a Lot of Boxes" w/ Brittani Nichols (Re-release)

Interactive Transcript

spk_0 You know, no one is calling me in to just play like a cashier, right?

spk_0 No one's like, oh, and these people can just exist in the world as bit parts

spk_0 is always like a specific like we are gonna fucking have a non-bite every day.

spk_0 Like a charity, yes. It's either nothing or a shady as like no in between.

spk_0 There's no fucking in between.

spk_0 All about.

spk_0 Hi and welcome to Diking Out, a podcast that wants to wish its editor,

spk_0 Jessica Garcia, a very happy birthday. I'm Carolyn Berger.

spk_0 Happy birthday, Jess. I'm Melody Kamali to everyone else.

spk_0 And today we're Diking Out about TV writing with Brittany Nichols.

spk_0 I have been wanting Brittany on this podcast for so long, so very exciting when we get one of

spk_0 the guests from what I would call the OG spreadsheet of guests.

spk_0 Yeah, sometimes I go back to that spreadsheet and I look at him like, oh, this is so cool that we've

spk_0 gotten so many of these people and so many we also haven't gotten yet.

spk_0 But stay tuned, looking forward to it. Stay tuned.

spk_0 Indeed. If you remind us please rate and review us on Apple podcasts.

spk_0 Join our Patreon now with Discord. We're gonna have another Patreon hang this month over Zoom.

spk_0 Join ASAP so that you don't miss it. I think it's gonna be this week that you're hearing it.

spk_0 So it's not too late to sign up at that $20 a month level where you will also get tickets to

spk_0 our shows. So much going on on Patreon. So much going on on our Discord.

spk_0 We have what 40 channels on there now of everything from and counting.

spk_0 I love it. I love it there. But if someone couldn't even sign up for the $20 a month level

spk_0 and they wanted to video chat with other patrons, they could on Discord.

spk_0 Right, right, at the $10 a month level. And then at $5 a month you get an extra episode every

spk_0 week where we like off topic this week. We talked about a bunch of things. I talked about my actual

spk_0 gaze thing. Talk about some shows we're watching on TV like Inventing Anna, The Dropout. We talk about

spk_0 comedy stuff, including a show I was on which had a little bit of controversy.

spk_0 So much fun stuff. So head over to patreon.com slash shaking out. Also we have a show at Stonewall

spk_0 coming up March 28th. A great lineup. We're excited about it. We'll see you there as long as this new

spk_0 sub variant. Stay the fuck away. Christ. Can you believe this? No. I mean, yes. But really

spk_0 you know sub variant. What's it called? Did we name it? I don't know. I don't think so. Great.

spk_0 Yeah. I loved reading that it's 30% more contagious and just as severe. So that's that was my

spk_0 favorite part. Yeah. Anyway, I'd rather think about better things like gaze things.

spk_0 Gaze things even. Carolyn, what's your gaze thing of the week? I had a bunch to pick from, but

spk_0 definitely settling on the fact that I went to a hot rabbit party. But this one is their

spk_0 surf party. It's a new thing that they're doing at spin, which is famously Susan Sarandon's

spk_0 ping pong club that she has opened and it's franchised or something like that. I don't know.

spk_0 In New York and in other cities, I guess it's my first time going to spin, but Sicilian, I love

spk_0 ping pong and we have a new friend who plays like in a league and then we had some other friends

spk_0 that are like, we love ping pong too. So it was just a bunch of dikes playing ping pong at a hot

spk_0 rabbit party. And there was also like drag going on. It was just very gay, very fun. But also

spk_0 I think the gaze thing within that was my frustration. Maybe this is the most capricorn thing

spk_0 about this. My frustration with all the people spending a lot of time at tables while they

spk_0 clearly were not good at ping pong and didn't know how to play. And I'm like, leave it for us who

spk_0 you know can have an interesting game going. It was like an hour and a half of waiting

spk_0 around tables trying to get in like people just being like oblivious and like hitting it where I'm

spk_0 like, go dance, go dance. I've never been there. Are there like a ton of tables? Are there

spk_0 a few tables? No, I was like, I can feel what it's like. Yeah, like I don't know if they clear out

spk_0 tables for for the dance floor for this event. But I would say, you know, there's like at least

spk_0 maybe like 15 tables, you know, it's a lot of people. And then like by the time the tables open

spk_0 up it's like later in the night when people have had a lot to drink. So then it's like not as fun to

spk_0 play against people. I don't know. I take ping pong very seriously. One of the gay or things

spk_0 about me. Right. ping pong feels very gay. Yeah. My parents actually just got back into ping pong.

spk_0 I grew up watching them. They were so competitive. They would never let me play.

spk_0 It's Persians love ping pong. And they found some Persians in the 55 and over community. They

spk_0 retired too recently. So they're getting back into the ping pong. And that made me realize,

spk_0 I love ping pong table tennis. Some people know it as I also have tennis. That's my gayest thing.

spk_0 I've started looking at tennis lessons to get back into it. I used to play as a kid. And I love

spk_0 how the sports I've brought up lately. I'm like the last month. Like yeah, figure skated.

spk_0 Right. It's like okay. I can dedicate. So I'm excited. Tell me you grew up in Connecticut

spk_0 without telling me you grew up in Connecticut. Also gymnastics. My sister did all the team sports.

spk_0 And I did all the loner sports growing up. Do you sister a field hockey gal? No, I actually played

spk_0 field hockey. Believe it or not. I played volleyball, which is gayer. But I dislocated my shoulder,

spk_0 doing a spike during tryouts my sophomore year. And my shoulder instead of making contact with

spk_0 the ball and going forward. And I was like in the air, hit the ball. It dislocated, fell backwards

spk_0 behind me completely dislocated. My arm was behind me. My coach put me down on the ground.

spk_0 And tried to put it pop it back in but ended up making it worse and pinched a nerve. And so I had

spk_0 to go to physical therapy. They told me I couldn't figure women play volleyball. I couldn't figure

spk_0 what no, I could figure women because they told me I can't do anything sports with my hand over my head.

spk_0 Under is okay. So okay. I could well depends on how you figure women. Listen, I don't know if

spk_0 a bunk beds were at play at this point in your life. Not even a first kiss. Not even a first kiss

spk_0 at this point. So then I played field hockey because I had to play a sport. I mean,

spk_0 Dykes God is play sport in the fall. So wow. Did that keep us posted on getting back into tennis.

spk_0 I will. Otherwise. What else is your gay thing? Are you wondering why it says

spk_0 tinctures on our? I am wondering why it says tinctures. Yeah. I'm like tinctures tennis. What's the

spk_0 connect? They're not connected at all. You just reminded me with the table tennis of it all.

spk_0 My gayest thing is I'm going full Eastern medicine and not in a wellness to white supremacy pipeline

spk_0 type of I am very aware of the dangers of the wellness industry. Okay. I've just you know,

spk_0 it's been a long project getting my period under control and the PMDD and mood swings that come

spk_0 with it. Yeah. My sister directed me to this girl organic Olivia who I'm convinced is a witch.

spk_0 You can look her up on Instagram. At one point I started following her Instagram. My sister

spk_0 sent it over during the pandemic like lockdown lockdown. Still in a pandemic. Okay. Um, with variance.

spk_0 She, um, her dad, her, both her parents, this organic Olivia got COVID and her mom was in really

spk_0 bad shape. Um, she started concocting all these different potions for her parents to use. Obviously

spk_0 modern medicine helped, but I started following her because I saw these like things she was concocting

spk_0 I was like, wow, this is a very interesting person. I have been experiencing hair loss over the

spk_0 last how many years I ordered her main magic hair tonic and my hair started growing back. I was

spk_0 like, what really? It's just like nothing's worked because I've taken pills like roguine for women.

spk_0 Nothing's worked, but I took one bottle of this main magic tincture. It started regulating my

spk_0 periods and my hair started growing back. Now I have this embarrassing. Do you see these short hairs

spk_0 coming up on my hairline? Amazing. So then I started looking at other products on her site,

spk_0 glowing reviews. There's this period regulator flow control or something. It's called I got that.

spk_0 I got this like mood juice. It's like queer people. We love a tincture, a cell, a lotion, a balm.

spk_0 I got all of it. I'm so excited to lean into this holistic journey. And I, it's already helping

spk_0 with my like sobriety because I'm not drinking as much because I want to monitor the effects of this.

spk_0 I'm journaling again to monitor the effects on my mood. But it's like everything's moving in a

spk_0 just generally well direction. We need to not tell her about this episode and get her as a sponsor.

spk_0 Olivia. I know. I know. I just gave a free ad, but I, I'm so floored with this. Hey, you sound

spk_0 passionate. Yeah, I'm going to check it out. Main magic. Yeah, I believe in that stuff. I feel like

spk_0 I had some hair loss with COVID actually. So yeah, people in the reviews were talking about that

spk_0 specific type of hair loss or like, goodness, that it helped with. Yeah. I'm wrong COVID stuff.

spk_0 Well, you sold me. Well, there's your ad. Sorry. Snake oil sales lady. I'm so into it.

spk_0 Well, you know what else I'm into today's guest. We are diking out with a writer,

spk_0 comedian and actor, Brittany Nichols. Brittany currently writes for ABC's Abbot Elementary and other

spk_0 credits include Black Lady Scotchow on HBO Max. Take my wife and the indie film Suicide Kale.

spk_0 She's also a community organizer with Ground Game LA. Let's get to it.

spk_0 All right, Brittany, thank you so much for joining us and diking out with us today.

spk_0 Thank you so much for having me. Are you out in LA right now?

spk_0 I am. Yes. It's a little, little chilly for LA right now.

spk_0 Yeah, I was surprised to see you wearing a, like a knit hat.

spk_0 Well, you know, I will wear that as long as it's probably 70 or under. So it's not a liable indicator.

spk_0 Okay. Okay.

spk_0 Okay.

spk_0 Brittany, we ask all of our guests. We'd like to know what is the gays thing you did in this last

spk_0 week. You know, unfortunately, I feel like it's related to the weather. I've had several iced coffee

spk_0 drinks, even though it's been like 50 degrees and I feel like I can ice beverages despite the weather

spk_0 is a pretty gay thing to do. Yes, really is. I'm sure cold brew the size of my head right here.

spk_0 Second of the day. Yeah, I don't know what to trace that back to. I feel like it was a lot of

spk_0 the things we do. There's some like root calls or some explanation, but we're just all

spk_0 that same page for no reason. Where's the science? I know. I know. I want to know when did this become

spk_0 broadly accepted because it felt like years ago someone said cold brew and ice coffee is queer

spk_0 and everyone was like, oh, yeah, obviously. And we ran with it. Yeah. All right, we can claim it.

spk_0 We can claim whatever we want for ourselves. So that is a great. We have warmer hands.

spk_0 Maybe our hands are always hot. So we don't need a hot beverage. I like that.

spk_0 It's enough science. Or is it our queer people in patient? Is that a thing? Because like with ice

spk_0 coffee, you could drink it right away. But if you're getting like a drip, you have to wait for it

spk_0 to cool off. And who has time for that? We have things to do. We have time to make a genus to,

spk_0 yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. So that's going to be my theory. I like that one. All right.

spk_0 Okay. We're talking out about TV writing. We want to get into a little bit of your background.

spk_0 First though, can you tell our listeners a little bit about you? Maybe your path to TV writing?

spk_0 What led you there? Yeah. What led me to TV writing was not wanting a job. I guess

spk_0 is that what I wanted to do. I just had no idea what I wanted to do when I graduated from college.

spk_0 I went to Minneapolis for a summer and worked at a social justice nonprofit. Then I moved to the bay

spk_0 area. I lived there for a year and did freelance marketing consulting for a startup. And then I ran

spk_0 sports camps for kids. And I would get home at like three, four p.m. I'd like to ride my bike there

spk_0 and back. And I would be exhausted because working with kids is very tiring. Yeah. Yes.

spk_0 And I would take a nap, get up, make whatever I was passing off for dinner at the time,

spk_0 probably like rice for Rony with like chicken breast or something. And would watch TV,

spk_0 watch a live TV. I'd just be yourself. I'm done heard of now. But it's when like the office and

spk_0 community, 30 rock parks and rack, it was like that era of all the shows being out. And I got

spk_0 on Tumblr one day and one of the community writers was like, I never realized that being a nerd and

spk_0 liking TV could be a job. And I was like, nor did I until the moment. And then that just sort of

spk_0 started me on the road to just move to LA and see if I can make it happen. I love it. What did you

spk_0 study in college? I studied American studies. I always wish like that. I had studied something

spk_0 like that. But then everybody who studies something that's not like more career focused. I

spk_0 majored in advertising. I'm like, I wish I majored in everything but because you don't need to do

spk_0 that to work in advertising. Just like, I don't think you have to major in like a TV writing to be

spk_0 a TV writer. But then, but then everyone I know who's like, oh, I majored in like English or whatever.

spk_0 They're like, no, I regret that. Do you think that helped you having just a background that was?

spk_0 Well, we didn't have anything close to television writing or film production. Like, we really didn't

spk_0 have any majors like that. I majored in that because those are just the classes that I like.

spk_0 I was like, oh, I keep taking this time class. Seems like I eventually just have the credits if I

spk_0 just keep doing what I'm doing. And it prepared me to write think pieces, I think. That major should

spk_0 just be called think piece. Yeah. But it was before like think pieces were a thing. So I ended up

spk_0 writing for this website called AutoShotel for a while and eventually was like an editor there.

spk_0 And I think it I think it did prepare me for that because it was a lot of like media criticism

spk_0 and stuff like that. Mm-hmm. Right. I feel like that's a great compass for picking classes. It's

spk_0 a thing. Yeah, take it. But I don't know. I don't feel like I did that in college. I was just like,

spk_0 what what teachers have like the hot peppers on ratemyprofessor.com. Oh my god. I forgot that site.

spk_0 I was picking on almost everything but my interest. And then I finally took a women gender race and

spk_0 media class. And it didn't even feel like work. Like it was couldn't wait to get home to do the

spk_0 readings and like actually not procrastinating on my papers. I'm like, wait, I could have been

spk_0 doing this in other classes. Well, I love that community was a compass point on your journey there

spk_0 because every TV writing class I took like and since then they always bring the community pilot

spk_0 as the example of like a perfect pilot or like the pilot that we're going to break down and like

spk_0 learn from communities just like always cited every time. And I love that you were watching a lot of

spk_0 that Thursday night and BC lineup because you're working on Abbott Elementary now which feels like

spk_0 we we finally have a show that like feels like that golden age sitcom era. Congratulations on

spk_0 that show. It is my favorite show right now. Yes. So good. Thanks. Yeah. It is nice that that is what

spk_0 people say because that's really what got me into wanting to be a TV writer but it feels like over

spk_0 the past decade. There have been so few shows that scratched that itch for me. It sort of became

spk_0 the same where I was like, oh, I won't write for network. Like that's just not a thing I'm ever going

spk_0 to do. Right. And then this show came along and I was like, oh, I will look at this. I'm going to

spk_0 write for network. I just know actually I want to write for this going to be on one of these

spk_0 channels. And it's been great. Yeah. Cause it really makes me feel like I did the thing that I set out

spk_0 to do. And there's just been so much time of doing, you know, streamers and all these other things

spk_0 that literally didn't even exist when I decided that this was what I wanted to do. So what were some

spk_0 of your first projects then that you worked on when you moved out to LA? And like how do you even

spk_0 get started? Like you said that you moved to LA and looking for work and us being to comedians in

spk_0 New York, people are very much like, don't just move out to LA unless you have like a paid job out

spk_0 there seems to be the the common advice from people in LA. But would you say otherwise? Uh, yeah, I

spk_0 would. But I would say otherwise. All right. We're moving. Yeah. I think there's just so many

spk_0 steps of things that you have to do before anyone here will take you seriously. And definitely not

spk_0 being here is like just no one's going to like in my experience unless you have some connection or

spk_0 prior credits. Like no one's going to at least maybe just different now because zoom and all that

spk_0 sort of stuff. But when I moved out here, you know, it was a decade ago and things were pretty

spk_0 different. And no one was going to give you a job if you weren't in LA. And actually before I even

spk_0 moved, I was doing PA work on this indie feature. And I had to like drive down to do that. Then I

spk_0 was a PA on the voice and I had to drive down to do that just to get some credits under my bell.

spk_0 And luckily I was like close enough where that was an option. I would literally get on Craigslist

spk_0 and find people who were driving down for the weekend and pay them like 30 bucks. And I would just

spk_0 ride with the straight. Yeah. Different time. Yeah. I mean, listen, when you really want to work

spk_0 in this industry, you will make some questionable choices. Yeah. So yeah, I moved here and I just

spk_0 was doing PA work. And one of the first things I did was write a web series called Words with Girls.

spk_0 Yes. And this was again, a totally different time where making a web series meant something.

spk_0 Because everyone did just every single person in the world didn't have one. And I had watched

spk_0 Broad City. And I was like a very early adoptee of the Broad City web series and thought it was

spk_0 incredible and saw how they were able to leverage that into getting their own show. And so I made

spk_0 the web series and then ended up doing a few more episodes with Hannah Hart, who was like a huge

spk_0 YouTuber. Right. And that sort of just helped get my name out there and like build my brand a little

spk_0 bit in addition to like all the stuff that I was doing for Auto Shadow. And it just helped me

spk_0 honestly get like a small but dedicated core group of fans, which was really meaningful at the time

spk_0 and gave me a little bit of leverage to start taking meetings with like places like Frontier Die.

spk_0 And that's how I ended up getting my first staff job was because of that web series.

spk_0 You know, I just remember the first person who gave me that advice was actually

spk_0 Lauren Ashley Smith was like don't move out to LA until he

spk_0 But Lauren loves LA. So I know. So she just put off her own pleasure.

spk_0 Right. Right. I know. I mean, she's like killing it out there. But yeah, making a web series was

spk_0 that like a huge learning experience for you. Did you feel like you got a lot out of it?

spk_0 Yes, because it let me just be hands on with every part of the process with the very first thing I

spk_0 did. And I was able to do that because of the PAing that I was doing. I was able to connect with other

spk_0 people who were working either for free or for just not a lot of money who had higher aspirations.

spk_0 And so it was easy sort of to bring people on board and say, hey, I know you eventually want to be a

spk_0 DP. I know you eventually want to be a producer. And right now you're an associate producer or

spk_0 you're an assistant. So come do this and we'll all be operating at the level that we want to

spk_0 eventually be working at. Yeah. You know, everyone was able to make use of it. I think that's

spk_0 like a key part of doing stuff like that is making sure that it's going to be advantageous for

spk_0 everyone that is sort of, you know, sacrificing a little bit to do the project. And that web series

spk_0 is what led me to do a pilot version of it with Esa Ray because I just called emailed her producer.

spk_0 She had a web series. Yeah. She did. And yeah, so I ended up cold emailing her producer who stayed on

spk_0 through insecure actually, the half hour version of the pilot. And then she ended up independently

spk_0 producing that. And then I was able to like basically showrun that independent pilot. And so

spk_0 basically from the beginning, I was able to see like, oh, this is what it is like to sort of be

spk_0 in control of your voice and yeah, learn the decisions that have to be made. And I think it helped

spk_0 me when I was just like a staff writer or a story editor because I felt confident in weighing in

spk_0 on decisions that were perhaps above my title. Right. I was like, I've been here before I've sort of

spk_0 done this. I know what's up. And so I wasn't really intimidated by the, I guess, more business-y

spk_0 aspects of being a writer producer. Yeah, it can be intimidating. There's like the industry feels

spk_0 like shrouded in so much secrecy. And a lot of people seem to have to navigate that while balancing

spk_0 a fake it till you make it, how much of that did you have to lean on versus how much experience

spk_0 you got from PA gigs or just like networking? I think I just asked questions. I think I'm just not

spk_0 afraid to say that I don't know something. And I think that that is weirdly what holds a lot of

spk_0 people back is that need to fake it. And I just don't have that at all. I'm like, I know that I'm

spk_0 good at my job. I know that I'm funny. I know that I should be here. I know that I'm capable.

spk_0 And I also know that there are parts of the industry that I didn't know at that time. And that I

spk_0 still have yet to know now. And I think that if you're working with people that you enjoy and that

spk_0 enjoy you as a person and they're not assholes, like they want to help you. They know that part of

spk_0 why people of color and queer people and women like aren't promoted is because they don't have

spk_0 that these answers, they don't have the skill set, they don't have this like base set of knowledge.

spk_0 And the only way that you can get that is by just straight up asking and straight up being like,

spk_0 if you just tell me what to do, I'm positive that I do. And so, yeah, you just sort of have to

spk_0 advocate for yourself and just be confident, I think. Yes. You mentioned that, you know,

spk_0 right out the gate, you were able to create stuff that was in your own voice and your voice for

spk_0 anybody who's familiar with it is hilarious. What shaped like your comedic voice? Did you do stand up

spk_0 for anything like that? I did stand up for a couple of years.

spk_0 Okay. But I mean, honestly, I think that just writing for Auto Strato and tweeting and just

spk_0 doing the web series and stuff, I think it just was putting stuff out there and seeing

spk_0 how I felt about it. Yeah. Rob months later, I guess, made it help me figure it out because I was

spk_0 like, oh, I still really like that. I still relate to that. That still feels like me versus,

spk_0 oh, no, I think that was just like a joke that anyone could have told. Because I think that's really

spk_0 what your voice is. It's just, you know, writing jokes that no one else could have come up with.

spk_0 And the only way that you do that really is to just write a bunch of jokes and sort of

spk_0 whittle it down from there. And I think your voice is like such a weird thing because I don't know

spk_0 that I could just straight up tell you, like, my voice is x, y, and z. Right. Other people are able to

spk_0 be like, oh, that's, that's a you joke. You wrote that joke. Like I can tell in the, you know,

spk_0 watching an episode of Abbott, like my friends that are very close to me are like, yeah, yeah, and I know

spk_0 probably I could guess I think with a lot of confidence, which of these jokes are yours. And I

spk_0 think that's sort of what what you're hoping for is to be able to fit into a show cohesively while

spk_0 also still, you know, having it feel like it's part of you. That's funny because, you know, being

spk_0 friends with people who write for TV, especially like on SNL, you'll see that people will be like,

spk_0 oh, did you write this? And then people are like, no, but that's really funny that you thought

spk_0 that that was the sketch that I wrote. Like, like, you can also learn a lot about people being

spk_0 wrong about that. And being like, oh, is this what you think my voice is? Yeah.

spk_0 Yeah, it's funny. I think it's still a, still a compliment because you're like, okay,

spk_0 right, right. You just wanted to attribute the thing that you left that to me, which I will take

spk_0 as a win. Exactly. Exactly. Let's talk about representation in the writers rooms you've been in.

spk_0 So things that haven't been projects that you've been just like the co-writer on, but in the

spk_0 writers room, what has been your experience so far? Do you see it changing for like underrepresented

spk_0 groups? Do I see it changing? I guess technically the numbers they're changing a bit.

spk_0 I have worked, I think, primarily in rooms that have been fairly diverse. Right. I think, you know,

spk_0 part of that is informed by a lot of the people that I've worked for really making an effort.

spk_0 And, you know, I check quite a few boxes. That's something you're looking for. I tend to be

spk_0 sort of high up on the list sometimes. But I also think it's about, you know, what sort of room

spk_0 you want to be in and what sort of jobs you gravitate towards. And I think that I just

spk_0 heard enough horror stories that I just was like, oh, well, it sounds like if I was the only one of

spk_0 something in a room, it probably wouldn't be fun. So I'll try to steer clear of that. And I guess I've

spk_0 just been honestly lucky enough that I've been able to have enough job offers, I guess, to sort of

spk_0 build a career without having to even test the waters on that really. Like my very first job,

spk_0 I think, was in an actual room because I worked on Billy on the street and there that was like a

spk_0 virtual just like turning a packet thing. But my first time in an actual room, I think was the only

spk_0 time where I was like, this does not really fit the show that we are trying to make. And I think

spk_0 that it showed very clearly in what the outcome was. And I think that they realized it while we

spk_0 were still in the room. And so they tried to like sort of patch things together as the room was going.

spk_0 But that was really, I think the only time where it wasn't even like a majority of people that were

spk_0 straight white, says guys like that just hasn't been my experience.

spk_0 Blast. Yeah, I mean, to the other extreme, Black Lady Scotch show you wrote for, right? Was that

spk_0 the first room? I'm just like, whoa, like, because I had friends who wrote for it. And that seems like

spk_0 a dream, just representation wise. How was that experience? I think it was sort of wild at first,

spk_0 because you're just not used to being able to center your own identity as like the voice of the

spk_0 thing that you're making. Like, I think a lot of us were so used to writing for sort of a white,

spk_0 I guess world that, you know, that world, the world that show is everyone is black. Like,

spk_0 everyone in the sketches is black. And so there is no bouncing off of the idea of we are

spk_0 presenting this to a white audience or even white people in within the sketch. There's something

spk_0 to be taught or there's a pressure or discrimination present, you know, like so many of these shows,

spk_0 even like Superlisher, you know, a lot of that was about his experience with white people.

spk_0 Yeah. And when you're not playing off of that, when you're not saying, oh, I am making this joke

spk_0 because of this awful experience, that's just not part of the comedy at all. It makes you go into,

spk_0 like, I think a different place that a lot of us hadn't gone in before. We had to be like, oh,

spk_0 wait, we don't have to incorporate anything besides the knowledge of black women. And even being

spk_0 able to explore like even within that group, there are so many different faces of knowledge and

spk_0 so many things to play with and and points of view and aspects. I think it really made me a much

spk_0 better writer because it just changed the angle that I was able to come from. I'd never just

spk_0 been able to write from that angle before. What's it like writing for sketch versus episodic TV versus

spk_0 like reality TV or or shows like Billy on the street? Bad. I think sketch just has the lowest

spk_0 hit rate as far as what's going to come together from the room to onset to on screen. I think it's

spk_0 all about being in a half hour room. A lot of it is just like shitting around. We work.

spk_0 But a lot of it is talking out loud to each other and bouncing ideas off of each other. And then

spk_0 the only thing you're really putting up papers like the story area that outlined the script. That's it.

spk_0 Yeah. Sketch, we had we were turning in, I don't know how it was on the other seasons, but season one,

spk_0 we turned in a sketch a day. And so and it got more intense as the week went on because you would

spk_0 turn in your Monday sketch and then Tuesday you would turn in your Tuesday sketch. Then Wednesday you

spk_0 be turning in your Wednesday sketch and you'd have notes on your Monday sketch and Thursday you turn

spk_0 that one in and you have second round of notes on your Monday sketch and first round of notes on

spk_0 your Tuesday sketch. So it's just a super intense amount of writing that is just not the case

spk_0 right right. And so I mean, I think that's the easiest reason to say why I just much prefer

spk_0 cryptid stuff. I think there are other things that go into it, but it's just a lot of work doing

spk_0 sketch and for yeah, just not the same amount of reward because it's even you know people watch

spk_0 dramas and such high numbers and people watch comedies and much lower numbers and then people

spk_0 watch sketch and even lower numbers than your half hour comedies. There are vampires out there.

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spk_0 Speaking of which, what do you watch? I know a lot of like stand-ups can't watch, stand-up

spk_0 comedy writers tend to gravitate a lot that I know at least to dramas or like procedural.

spk_0 Like do you have that aversion to things that are close to what you work on or do you just love

spk_0 the sitcom? Not at all. I still really like comedies. I just love TV sort of in general.

spk_0 I'm usually not even a big fan of the high concept sort of like shows that everyone loves.

spk_0 I was like I didn't like watching Game of Thrones. I didn't really like that. I wasn't like a

spk_0 breaking bad fan. I still like the shows that got me into comedy. I think I think a lot of the

spk_0 like comedy dramas that have come out have also been a real sweet spot of mine. I just sort of

spk_0 describe my favorite shows as just like white people on the east side of LA with boundary issues.

spk_0 Like it is really my sweet spot. And I'm watching this show right now called This Way Up.

spk_0 Is that the name of it? I think. I do think this way up is a show but I haven't watched it yet.

spk_0 Yes, but you recommend that. Oh, I, okay. Yeah. Yeah. So that's a friend of a friend,

spk_0 Aisling, the Irish. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. No, I still need to watch that. So that's what I'm

spk_0 watching right now. It's great. Oh, hell yeah. And I really liked American auto's commercial

spk_0 episode. I think it's like episode six or episode five, one of those. Nice. And I thought it was

spk_0 really, really funny. That's good to hear that you still like the comedies. I love it. I don't know

spk_0 why a lot of my friends who write in comedy just seem like hardened to it. But I'm like, come on,

spk_0 talk to me about Southside. Let's talk about I just love how our comedies it's so good.

spk_0 I don't know. That's not a question. Just a proclamation. Yeah. I don't know. I don't know. Maybe

spk_0 if you're working on something that you don't love, then maybe it's hard. I don't know. I feel

spk_0 like comedians get jealous really easily. That's probably a huge part of it. Yes, definitely.

spk_0 One question I have going back to sketch because you know, you do write so much and so much of it.

spk_0 Just never sees the light of day. Can you think of like a sketch that you had so much heart for

spk_0 that didn't get made? Yeah. I think the very first sketch I wrote for Black Lady's sketch show. It

spk_0 just was not the tone of the show. But I think we didn't know what the tone of the show was yet.

spk_0 And you know, you have to have some misses so that you can figure it out. Right. I wanted to do

spk_0 this sketch. Oh my god. I have to even remember what it even was. It was like a video game where

spk_0 it's really fucking dark. I mean, this is why it never will see the light of day on any show ever.

spk_0 So I can say it. There's a video game where it was like a black characters who were armed with

spk_0 the things they were holding when they got shot by cops. So it would be like.

spk_0 Oh, wow. That's brilliant. It's like I'm ready to make a statement. But it was like,

spk_0 someone like a machete. You know, the typical sort of like video game character, right? And then

spk_0 the other person would be holding like just something super innocuous and then all of the sort of

spk_0 commentary of the game. Because you remember that you just had that thing know a pop up in the

spk_0 corner of like Mortal Kombat and so like, tell Steve like this shit like that. So it would be like

spk_0 something popping up and just like commenting on how dangerous the person that was holding like

spk_0 Skittles or what the fuck ever was. Yeah. Wow. Just be the shit.

spk_0 Pretty dark. Don't know that that's funny. It sounds funny.

spk_0 Yeah. Maybe yeah. A little ahead of its time. A little too woke.

spk_0 Well, you are an activist too. Like a lot of your perspectives probably informed by that. You

spk_0 do a lot of work within your community. Do you try to continue to bring those ideas into the rooms?

spk_0 Yeah. For sure. Yeah. I think working as an organizer definitely informed stuff. I mean,

spk_0 it's just informed stuff that has like made it into Abbott. And I think the longer that I'm a writer

spk_0 and the longer that I'm an organizer, the better I am at weaving those things in. So maybe it was a

spk_0 little bit of a little bit of early on in the journey for both of those things for that to have been

spk_0 the sketch that would actually work. Maybe now I could do it. But at that time maybe it was a little

spk_0 too heavy. How do you balance the work you do with organizing and then like switching to like a

spk_0 creative comedy mindset? I mean, I just am a person who can sort of see the humor and things

spk_0 pretty immediately. Which I think is helpful in organizing because I don't know, there's that

spk_0 thing of like tragedy plus time equals comedy or whatever. But for me, that the time is like a half

spk_0 of a second. Like I'm just immediately able to just like process it and spit back out the thing

spk_0 that is I think humorous and often it's from the point of absurdity. Yeah. And with community organizing,

spk_0 yeah, all of it's absurd. The way that we exist in America is really fucking stupid and absurd.

spk_0 Yeah. You know, part of why TV writing has been such a great job for me is because I have so much

spk_0 free time and earlier on in life, you know, that was more informed by the fact that my brain just

spk_0 cannot operate in a nine to five go to work every day situation like I ate it just does not do that.

spk_0 And it just what how I use that extra time has changed because earlier it was just used by being

spk_0 driven out of my mind by the people I was dating and being in a constant state of misery.

spk_0 Yeah. I start making better choices in that department. And also, you know, started making more money

spk_0 so that I am stable enough, you know, I'm just like a normal sort of middle class person, but I

spk_0 am able to sort of chop my checks up in a way that I can be stable for a year with one television

spk_0 job. And to me, it is really wild that more TV writers don't do that. I think it's really

spk_0 kind of gross. It makes me hate people that everyone is sort of singularly focused on making

spk_0 themselves like a conglomerate and making themselves a corporation unto themselves and which they

spk_0 think that they just need to work back to back to back to back instead of saying, oh, I have plenty.

spk_0 You know, there are people who are I'm still a middle-level writer. I'm not even like making the

spk_0 baked bucks. And there are people that are and they just want to continue to amass money and

spk_0 power instead of using our unique positions of influence and freedom with our time to like

spk_0 give back and try to fix things. Yeah. I have heard writers talk about or just being frustrated with

spk_0 how the industry has changed in terms of shows like it used to be when network was bigger. You'd get

spk_0 staffed on a 22 episode show. So you'd have a paycheck for like a little bit longer to the year.

spk_0 And now there's just so much that's like, okay, this is a streaming show. You get eight 22 minute

spk_0 episodes. Yeah. And the pay reflects that. Oh, that's absolutely a thing. I think for

spk_0 lower level writers and for people that work in streaming and stuff, that's for sure something that

spk_0 needs to be addressed. But I think that those big being addressed is not then going to make people

spk_0 do what I'm doing. I think people are coming from a place of I just want a lot of money. Like,

spk_0 of course, you should be able to survive off of one show. And our show is only 13 episodes. So

spk_0 it's not even the normal network order. But when you're a storyteller, you make, I think it's $7,000

spk_0 a week or something. And you know, you only end up taking home $3,500, like half of that or whatever.

spk_0 But I mean, just imagine talking to someone who has a nine to five and being like, I made $3,500

spk_0 for 13 weeks. Yeah. Plus my episodic fee. And what a nightmare. You know, people are fine. Yeah.

spk_0 And in this position, people are fine. They're definitely situations where people are not fine. And

spk_0 that's something that needs to be addressed. But also at a certain point in TV writing, like, you're

spk_0 just fucking rich. And there are so many writers who are not and who are struggling. But even the way

spk_0 that we treat rich TV writers is like really absurd. Like the fact that people can max out with how

spk_0 much they they give to the union. Like, it's stupid. That's stupid. You shouldn't. You should have

spk_0 the things on all of the money you make. Because that's what makes it easier for people who are

spk_0 still starting out to have insurance and to like have the things that they need to survive and

spk_0 actually build a career. So I don't know. It's just like, when you're making that argument to me,

spk_0 you have to be supplementing that with like other information besides just I personally want to

spk_0 make as much as much money as possible. Well, it's also a thing I hear that people are always

spk_0 feeling like they have to hustle more and have things lined up because they're like any job could be

spk_0 my last job. Is that something you worry about or are you just confident enough that, hey, I've been

spk_0 doing it great so far. And, you know, I know my reputation and I don't need to sweat that.

spk_0 I mean, I think if you're actually good at your job, then yeah, you just sort of start to get

spk_0 more jobs. And it's also why like agents are sort of a waste of time and just stealing your money

spk_0 for no reason. Yeah, let's talk about that. I mean, but it's also, you know, most people are bad at

spk_0 their jobs. I think that extends to television as well. I think most people in the world are not

spk_0 good at their jobs. And that has to inform the conversation. You just have to be honest about

spk_0 like what you are able to bring to the table. I don't think that you being bad at your job means

spk_0 you should never have a job. I think you just have to be honest about how much of that is why you

spk_0 may not have as easy of a time getting more work. No, we should have dicked out about confidence.

spk_0 Also, what is your chart? I'm a Gemini. Oh, I love it. I love it. I don't know why I feel like

spk_0 when you write for Auto Strattle, that's like something you have to submit ahead of time like your

spk_0 chart and then your resume alongside it. Abbott Elementary feels like activism too. Like it feels

spk_0 like a show you're watching with like a good ethos behind the scenes while you're watching it.

spk_0 Like the show Quintet donated the marketing fund to actual schools in need. Is the writer's room

spk_0 also made up of like fellow organizers or just activists oriented people or my projecting. I just

spk_0 are I am obsessed in projecting my own. No, I think our room has pretty good politics. Yeah,

spk_0 I think that there are like multiple people in our room who would describe themselves as like

spk_0 leftists. Yeah. I think that people, like definitely Quintet is like super into bringing attention.

spk_0 I think that's not the point of the show is to bring attention, but it's like of course that's

spk_0 going to be a natural byproduct of that and trying to find more ways to do that in a way that

spk_0 moves things and that gives people a way to actually activate, you know, as an organizer, I think a

spk_0 lot of it is just education a lot of the time is that people don't know so much of the things that

spk_0 are happening so many of the bad things that are buzzing all around us. And that's really the first step

spk_0 in getting anyone to do anything is just letting them know that this thing is happening and trying

spk_0 to capture that I think will be something that grows alongside the show like figuring out

spk_0 where it is even appropriate for us to move people to action and in what ways. Yeah.

spk_0 Because you're at the end of the day, we're still part of an evil corporation like the show is still

spk_0 making, you know, AEC and Disney way more money than it is any person that's involved. Like it's

spk_0 not even a drop in the bucket. What we as individuals get from the show compared to these sort of

spk_0 networks and studios. So we'll see, we'll see, we'll see. I'm honestly, you know, pushing for

spk_0 for more things to happen, but I think that, you know, I'd be lying if I said that

spk_0 everything that we've wanted to put in the show has like just been easy. We've gotten pushed back on

spk_0 stuff already. And, you know, I think that that's our job is to do more of that. And it was nice that

spk_0 everyone in the room sort of reaction. The first time we got any pushback was, oh, there's no

spk_0 fucking way. We're taking it out now. Oh, I love to hear that. When you co-ro suicide, Kale,

spk_0 I read that you're saying you wanted to create something that didn't involve the typical queer

spk_0 tropes that we had seen like over and over again. How do you fight against that? Like,

spk_0 in a writer's room, I don't know to like, I guess because you've been in more diverse writers

spk_0 room, maybe it's like not as much a thing, but like how do you break out? I guess maybe going

spk_0 against like the networks or the producers who are like, but where's the male character or whatever it

spk_0 is? I just always think back to maybe it was the community room again. I'm going to be, I'm going to

spk_0 some comedy nerd will correct me if I'm wrong. But there was a writer's room who just had a white

spk_0 board of sort of every trope and every like overused just like, oh yeah. Roa way, Joe.

spk_0 I think it was always sunny. Maybe it was them, yeah. I remember seeing that image. Yeah, and it was

spk_0 like the stuff that was just like a character being like awkward. Like that sort of hit, it just

spk_0 somehow becomes omnipresent. I think probably because TV writers don't watch other TV shows,

spk_0 and so to them, they're like, oh, this is what me and my friends are saying right now. And it's like,

spk_0 yeah, and also every other friend that exists in the world. And so now it's on the same

spk_0 joke as on five shows in the same season. So I think it's a lot just being aware of what other people

spk_0 are doing and what tropes are being created in the moment. You know, sort of just pushing things to

spk_0 come from a unique perspective. Because I think that's the easiest way to get around tropes is

spk_0 just being as specific as possible. Yeah. I didn't have to look it up because it was bothering me.

spk_0 It was workaholics work. And it's just like things like I'm a hot mess or like awkward much.

spk_0 I love lamp. Yeah, that's a good one. What would you say is something that you've written that

spk_0 you feel most proud of? I think it's suicide kill. Yeah. Nice. Yeah. Because I think that it is really

spk_0 sort of how I think the industry should work. And it's, you know, we make that completely out of

spk_0 the bounds of, you know, what you're supposed to do and even how you're supposed to collaborate.

spk_0 I mean, like when you're on a show, it's not really encouraged that you

spk_0 like talk to actors about specific things I want to say or like where their characters are come from,

spk_0 like the way that you navigate that situation is very specific because there is this sort of,

spk_0 you know, I think self-fueling situation where you make actors feel like they don't have any

spk_0 agency over their own characters. And so they have to fight for everything. And so it is seen as

spk_0 this like naturally contentious thing where you want to limit their participation or that you see

spk_0 them having an opinion on something as a challenge to the writing or undermining the writing when

spk_0 I just see it as like something that people should be able to have opinions. Oh, I'm like,

spk_0 it's a thing that's going to come out of their mouths. And that was sort of woven into the process

spk_0 of suicide kill. A lot of the dialogue is improvised. We had sessions before we shot the film where

spk_0 people got to like say, like, this is where I think my character is coming from even like sharing

spk_0 the backstory, right? Because actors often do just and emits an incredible amount of work on

spk_0 trying to tap into characters and coming up with this backstory and what's informing all of this.

spk_0 And a lot of times writers have no fucking idea what that is or where they're coming from. And I

spk_0 think that if somebody's going to do that work there, you should ask them. You should be able to ask

spk_0 them about it. You should be able to get their opinion. And it also helps because you can catch things

spk_0 that you know aren't in line with what the writers think. Because the writers have some of those

spk_0 conversations too. And if someone has already built this backstory that is in complete contrast to

spk_0 what you all are eventually going to do, it's I think advantageous to catch that sort of stuff

spk_0 early on. So we were able to just weave that stuff into the script. And I think that that's why

spk_0 it feels as fun as it does. And it feels like those are real people. And it feels like that's

spk_0 a real friend group. And it feels like you're just at the table with real people because of how we

spk_0 ran that whole process as being just collaborative from sort of the work. Is acting something that you

spk_0 would want to do more of? Just going to say. Yes. Or whatever it is that I do that appears as acting,

spk_0 but it's better. I don't know what to call it. But I am acting. I'm like, oh, we're doing something

spk_0 different, I think. Did you do like theater as a kid or you're from the Chicago area? Did you ever

spk_0 take an improv class? I took improv classes in LA. I had no idea any of these things existed really

spk_0 for a really long time. I did some theater in college. And yeah, it is something that I want to

spk_0 do more of. It's something that I have had issues with because I think that so much writing that

spk_0 is out there is just sort of bad to begin with. I feel really bad for after. It's a lot of the time

spk_0 because I'm just like, I'm really sorry that you're being made to memorize this stuff that is

spk_0 really truly terrible. And I think also being a gender non-conforming appearing person right when

spk_0 people look at me, that's not what they usually have in mind when I think of a woman. And being like a

spk_0 gender group self-identifying gender group, it's hard to find roles that even make room for that

spk_0 because I think that people, no one is calling me in to just play like a cashier, right? No one's

spk_0 like, oh, and these people can just exist in the world as bit parts is always like a specific,

spk_0 like we are going to fucking have a non-biting hurricane. Like a gender, right? It's either nothing

spk_0 or a gender. Like, no in between. Not a lot of being the next-door neighbor. Yeah. And even like

spk_0 eight years ago before it got to, you know, where is now. I was getting called there for all

spk_0 sweats of wear. So I got called in to play like a trans woman one time. And the trans woman was

spk_0 like written as just basically like a flamboyant gay guy. I was just like, what? So me, a gender

spk_0 non-conforming woman is coming in to play a trans woman who is embodying the be like soul of a

spk_0 gay man. I was just like, this is so people just have no idea what this even looks like. And I,

spk_0 yeah, I stopped having talent agents because I was just like, I am tired of doing things that feel

spk_0 humiliating. I was called in to just like play like someone who's imprisoned a lot of the time,

spk_0 which is like fucking nothing wrong with that. But why are you only coming to play that? Like,

spk_0 obviously there's something weird happening with someone involved that that is the only role that

spk_0 they can imagine someone that looks like me playing slave. I was just like, I'm not doing anything

spk_0 where I'm just like just out one fucking and then body of slave. Just not not a thing I want to do.

spk_0 So just so super hard to find roles that I felt comfortable even auditioning for. And so much of

spk_0 being an actor is just like going to auditions no matter what the case. Just so that casting

spk_0 directors can see you. And I just do not have the personality for the act. And so all the stuff I do

spk_0 is just when someone thinks of me. And I don't know, I guess I wish people thought of me more.

spk_0 That's too. I mean, either you have to write it for yourself or yeah, you get your friends.

spk_0 So we want to see you on screen more too. So Melody and I are famously both Capricorns and

spk_0 really into like routine process. What's your writing process routine? Do you have a rich

spk_0 completely weird and I'm a guy? I know. It's honestly just doing it all at once. I write really

spk_0 fast, but I would consider the process of writing to sort of be ongoing. I'm just constantly doing

spk_0 like voice notes and you know, writing in my little Evernote app, just you know, spitting out scenes,

spk_0 spitting out character ideas, spitting out plot ideas. And then at some point, it sort of just like

spk_0 take shape in my head. Like I just can sort of see what it is. And then I just like sit down and

spk_0 and sort of write it all at once usually. What are the moments that are harder to write? Like where

spk_0 you struggle and you feel like there's something blocking me? I think I just get very picky about

spk_0 emotional beats because I do really want things to sound real. Well, I do really like dialogue that

spk_0 sounds how people actually talk. And I think that there are so many different directions that sort of

spk_0 moments of contention get going. And I just will rewrite like an argument like 10 times because I

spk_0 tell arguments are they're so informed by the tiny moments or like a perceived aggression that

spk_0 I think they can just take you can have the same the argument that ends in the same place.

spk_0 The journey to get there can just be a million different ways. And so I think that's something

spk_0 that sometimes I just have to be like, and that's just what it's going to be. And I have to walk away.

spk_0 In terms of comedy, do you ever struggle with making jokes, like poking fun at your own

spk_0 like identities in community? So like I know like I did a stand-up show last night where

spk_0 where queer comic was making fun of certain things. And like some people really took offense to

spk_0 in the crowd and there was a change in the crowd. And I always feel like it can be a fine line, you know.

spk_0 Yeah, I agree. I love it. It's like a community that is so used to being beat up and like

spk_0 somebody jokes punch down at us. Right. It even sometimes just like catches people off guard that

spk_0 is like, oh wait, one of us is making fun of us. Right. Yeah. Disorienting. Yeah. But it's also sort of

spk_0 I think why it's important to do because it sort of proves that there is a way to do it. There's a way

spk_0 to make fun of lesbians that is not inherently mean or offensive. Right. And I think that people just

spk_0 like sort of have to be given the grace to like figure out what that is because it isn't, you know,

spk_0 the same sort of x plus y equals z comedy that people are used to because it just hasn't

spk_0 been done a lot. I guess is that answering the question? Yeah. I guess like the Swiss I guess

spk_0 also interesting because I I just feel like sometimes worried that people aren't going to know that

spk_0 I know that it's a joke. You know how sometimes you like write something and you're like I

spk_0 as the writer am aware that this is not great. But sometimes people just like don't give writers

spk_0 sort of that benefit of the doubt. Yeah. Or they think that it's like accidental that you're doing

spk_0 something even that was very much sort of on purpose and like even sometimes the reflection of

spk_0 like who you once were or who your group of friends were and even trying to like play with that

spk_0 tension sometimes. You know, if you just don't do it in exactly the right way, it sort of gives people

spk_0 the room to make that bad read on it rather than it being like I'm making this to sort of help

spk_0 other people work through this as well or to be able to identify that in themselves.

spk_0 Yeah. Yeah. And like this character will grow out of this. Just give it time. Yeah.

spk_0 Or also just like sometimes people fucking suck like sometimes.

spk_0 Squaring are like people women are like bad people and you get to portray that on screen sometimes.

spk_0 That's real representation. Right. I know plenty of people that are used to it.

spk_0 They deserve to be seen. Before we go, is there anything? Do you have a dream writing job? A dream,

spk_0 something you're working on or would like to work on? What's next? I'm pitching a movie right now

spk_0 with Carl Houston from Swiss Ikelle who I produced that with and who is a director on that.

spk_0 It's a WNBA romcom. So we're okay. All right. Everybody light a candle.

spk_0 So yeah. So we're trying to do that. And I also just said 1.1 to make a TV show about a

spk_0 women's college rugby team. Again, people are like wet with anticipation right now.

spk_0 So this is the sweet spot of our audience here.

spk_0 Yeah. It's really interesting because I feel like there has been like women sports stuff and like more

spk_0 like queer women's focus stuff. But there's just like that very obvious overlap in that world.

spk_0 And it has it really been spoken to that much. I mean, I guess like yellow jackets.

spk_0 We don't get to see them play. Yeah. We saw someone

spk_0 disasterously break their leg. That was really sort of it. But I really want to see like actual

spk_0 like sports. Yeah. And that with characters of the queer variety.

spk_0 So. Right. Yeah. Instead of us just pretending,

spk_0 bending like Beckham was gay. Exactly. Exactly. Just watching love and basketball like,

spk_0 oh, so just none of them. None of these. Overtones.

spk_0 Women's basketball players. Okay. All right.

spk_0 Love it. Well, yeah, you you are doing the work. Thank you so much for making amazing content

spk_0 for for our community, Brittany. Oh, yeah.

spk_0 Absolutely. Thank you for having me. Thank you for being patient because I had to

spk_0 reschedule the first time. I was a delight. Where can people follow you on social media?

spk_0 I am at Beas hilarious on Instagram and Twitter.

spk_0 Awesome. Everybody follow Brittany. Thanks so much for

spk_0 digging out with us. This was a lot of fun.

spk_0 Right. Let's both minimize our final draft windows because now we're all motivated to get

spk_0 our scripts done, Mel. And answer this listener question. Yes.

spk_0 Which is a quasi question. Reminder, if you have a question, we need to fill up our

spk_0 our queue. So send it to diggingoutatgmail.com. But let's talk about this one.

spk_0 All right. This week's listener question is simply, have you heard about the lesbian master doc?

spk_0 I've linked it. No, they linked it for us. Document that outlines all the symptoms of compulsory

spk_0 heterosexuality. It has recently answered my many specific questions about my own sexuality.

spk_0 And I wondered if you both may be interested in having this document as a topic for an episode.

spk_0 There's a lot to unpack. I've heard your episode on compulsory heterosexuality, but this wasn't

spk_0 mentioned. I'm aware of this doc. Really? Really?

spk_0 Surprise. Surprise. Okay. Okay. I'm like, who wrote it? Where did it come from? I didn't

spk_0 sift it looks interesting. I do love that it's called am I lesbian master doc?

spk_0 Yeah. That's really funny. Yeah. We can link to it in the notes. Though I'm afraid it's going

spk_0 to replace the podcast. I feel like people type in like am I lesbian to Google? And then it's like

spk_0 dyking out podcast here. But now there's a doc and what reason would people have to listen

spk_0 just kidding. But anyway, hey, you can't read wall you drive to work. So that's always got

spk_0 dyking out. Yeah. I just saw another TikTok recently that cited it. That's where I got it.

spk_0 Just like a screenshot as a green screen and lesbian's talking about points they found interesting

spk_0 on the TikTok for you page. Do you want to do a whole episode on it, Carolyn?

spk_0 On the master dot. I mean, if we could find out who wrote it, maybe that'd be worth doing.

spk_0 An episode. Well, that'll spiral out even more because I have been spiraling about this podcast.

spk_0 Yeah. And we need it to be funnier. We need to have lighter topics. We need to joke.

spk_0 We need to have comedians back on. I'm spiraling.

spk_0 So this listed under comedy interviews on Apple podcasts. And I don't know if we could do a whole

spk_0 episode on a document. I mean, I feel like there could be a comedic take. Maybe we make it

spk_0 an off topic. I'm going to do it. Am I straight master doc? Yes. Yes.

spk_0 And then we can talk about that. I mean, I feel like. Okay. I don't want to like clown on this.

spk_0 It's a great resource. Yeah. No. I mean, I'm reading it through. It's great because it's

spk_0 like hyperlinked and organized. What is compulsory heterosexuality? How do I know if I'm a lesbian?

spk_0 But I like fictional men slash male celebrities. But I think I've like men before conflicting

spk_0 feelings about this is a lot about men for something about a myelisman attraction versus compulsory

spk_0 heterosexuality. It's an interesting guide. So we'll put it in the notes. And then,

spk_0 maybe we can discuss it on discord for now and see if there's enough to make a whole

spk_0 episode about it. But I'm just looking at the credit work cited at the bottom of it. And it's

spk_0 haven't gone through to vet all these things that are credited. And with anything that's like

spk_0 very lesbian focus. I want to make sure that there's no. Yes. Yes. So that's why I can't.

spk_0 I can't hardly say I recommend this resource or anything. I will post it, but not

spk_0 endorsing in any way and not sure who wrote it. So like tread tread lightly. But yeah,

spk_0 if you need a resource to help you navigate a myelisman, if you need something more than like

spk_0 I exclusively want to sleep with or be in a relationship with women, depending on whether you're

spk_0 like where you fall in the romantic sexual spectrum. If you need more than that, then this

spk_0 doc might help you through it. Yeah. Give it a whirl. We'll link it in the show notes.

spk_0 Yeah. I feel like such an asshole because for me,

spk_0 I was just like, yeah, I'm clearly a lesbian. I can't. I feel like if you really need to like,

spk_0 this much literature about it, it's like you're probably fluid. You're probably somewhere on

spk_0 this spectrum. I feel like if you're a hard-earned, it could be more clear. But actually that's not

spk_0 true because there are a lot of like later in light lesbians. Yeah. It's not as clear for everyone.

spk_0 I'm just speaking from my own perspective and it was very much like, oh, yeah. But

spk_0 some people don't know. Maybe we should have a doc. Am I afraid of being by? How about that? Am I

spk_0 afraid of identifying as pan? I think that's also that's a good companion document. Tiktok

spk_0 get on it. Yeah. If you have any questions, please again, diking out at gmail.com and follow us on

spk_0 social media at diking out everywhere. Follow me at tgi carolin. I'm going to be trying to do more

spk_0 stand-up shows. A listener came up to me after a show, shout out to Kate and said, you know, I didn't

spk_0 know you just did stand-up outside of like, diking out. Not so much post pandemic, but trying to get

spk_0 more into it. And I am going to be doing more shows. So follow me at tgi carolin. That's where I'll

spk_0 post all my shows in my stories. Great. I'll do that too. I'll get better about posting and doing

spk_0 stand-up post pandemic. I think now that it's getting warmer out. Yes. Things are a little sad.

spk_0 Uh, be out there more. It's the perfect season to be stuck in a windowless room with uh,

spk_0 men who hate women. Thank you for diking out this week.

spk_0 See you next Tuesday.

spk_0 Endless adventure. Welcome to the realms of peril and glory.

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spk_0 From the podcast that brought you to each of the last lesbian bars in the country and back

spk_0 in time through the sapphic history that shaped them comes a brand new season of cruising

spk_0 beyond the bars.

spk_0 This is your host, Sarah Gabrieli, and I've spent the past year interviewing history making

spk_0 lesbians and queer folks about all kinds of queer spaces.

spk_0 From bookstores to farms to line dancing and much more.

spk_0 For 11 years, every night women slept illegally on the comment.

spk_0 We would move down to the West Indies to formal lesbian nation.

spk_0 Meg Kristin coined the phrase women's music, but she would have liked to say it was lesbian

spk_0 music.

spk_0 And that's kind of the origins of the combination of collective.

spk_0 You can listen to cruising on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

spk_0 New episodes air every other Tuesday, starting February 4th.

"I Check a Lot of Boxes" w/ Brittani Nichols (Re-release)

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