Choice Words with Samantha Bee

When Rachel Dratch was growing up, she figured she’d have some sort of “normal” career like therapist. Then she saw a performance of Annie and thought she could be one of the people on stage too. Sam talks to Rachel about how important it is to ask for the parts you want (and then winning a Tony for it), how the biggest thing that ever happened to her wasn’t even a choice, how improv can even make a “lazy pisces” live in the moment, ordering the worst thing on the menu, and accidentally going viral on Tik Tok. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Paul Scheer was a senior in high school he decided that he would only apply to NYU because if it was good enough for Theo Huxtable, it was good enough for him. Sam talks to Paul about decisions he’s made since then (not based on Theo Huxtable), like having kids and deciding what kind of parent to be. They bond over being “latchkey kids,” the crazy stories their grandmothers used to tell them, seeing movies in theaters, and what their ideal sex-ed class looks like. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While in college, Rachel Platten was on the path to a career in international relations. But then she decided to switch course and swap a semester abroad in Spain for a semester abroad in Trinidad where she fell in love with music. She now has a song that has been streamed more than a billion times (Fight Song) and a new album “I Am Rachel Platten” out at the end of the summer. Rachel talks to Sam about the impact postpartum depression has had on her music, how she loves having bossy friends, and how sometimes music can save you when nothing else can. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When MSNBC host Joy-Ann Reid was growing up she was expected to be a doctor, lawyer, or architect. Then she decided to drop out of Harvard, ditch her doctor aspirations, and re-enroll as a documentary film major. These days the biggest decision Joy makes every day is deciding what news stories to include in her show The ReidOut. Sam talks to Joy about what qualifies as “breaking news,” why she doesn’t believe undecided voters, and her new book “Medgar and Myrlie” and why it’s so important for Civil Rights love stories to be written. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While a student, Alison Roman made a life-changing decision to leave college to start working in a restaurant kitchen and has never looked back. Sam talks to Alison about being such a decisive person, creating viral recipes, the magic of pasta water, weighing information and intuition and making the content for yourself that you wish to see in the world when no one else will make it for you. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Taylor Tomlinson was interviewing to be the host of After Midnight, she wasn’t even sure she wanted the job. She loved making her own schedule as a touring stand up comedian, and loved her road family. But when the network said she would still have time to be on the road, it was an easy decision to say yes. Sam asks Taylor about how the stakes of her decision making have gotten higher now that other people work for her, choosing to be part of a team, getting advice from other female comedians, and how anxiety can be helpful. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When comedian Nick Kroll decided to end his hit show “Kroll Show” he wasn’t totally sure what he would do next. But it was important to him to decide something was done rather than drag it out. Sam asks Nick about how he’s so good at zeroing in on what he genuinely wants, finding the funniest people in the room to make Big Mouth, and how to decide if he should keep his family out of his standup material. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here’s some good news! Choice Words is coming back for season two on June 13th! Get ready for more amazing (and questionable) choices from great guests like Nick Kroll, who we’ll be kicking things off with. In the meantime, today we’re bringing you a special new podcast from our friends at NPR: Wild Card with Rachel Martin. On the show, Rachel rips up the typical interview script and invites guests to play a game about life's biggest questions. In this episode, Rachel talks to Jenny Slate, known for her roles in Obvious Child, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On and Parks and Recreation. Jenny opens up about whether fate brought her to her husband, what she's sacrificed for motherhood and what's so special about margarine and white bread sandwiches. If you like what you heard, follow the show here: https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510379/wild-card-with-rachel-martin See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the author and podcast host of “Freakonomics,” Stephen Dubner spends a lot of time thinking about and studying what goes into good decision-making. In one of our favorite episodes from the vault, he gives Sam tips on balancing logic with emotion, offers ways to use your imagination to help you make a choice, and defends the coin-flip method. Follow Stephen Dubner @Freakonomics on X. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Laura Dern found out that her mother, Diane Ladd, had scarring on her lungs, the doctor told her to be gentle with her mom because she’d be dead in 6 months. Laura chose to challenge that diagnosis by taking her mother on regular walks to expand her lung capacity. Not only did it work, but it turned into a new book co-written by the two award-winning actresses. In one of our favorite episodes from the vault, Sam asks the mother-daughter duo how those walks saved Diane’s life and what family stories and secrets were uncovered during those strolls. Follow Laura Dern @LauraDern on X and Instagram. Follow Diane Ladd @Diane_Ladd on X and @rosedianeladd on Instagram. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re bringing you an episode of A Slight Change of Plans from our friends at Pushkin. Named by Apple as the Best Show of the Year 2021, host Dr. Maya Shankar blends compassionate storytelling with the science of human behavior to help us understand who we are, and who we become, in the face of a big change. In this episode, psychologist Dr. Marisa Franco argues that it's a mistake to prioritize romantic and familial relationships over friendships. Strong, supportive friendships expand our sense of self, she says, and are associated with greater well-being and health. Marisa offers research-based strategies to make new friends and deepen our existing friendships, including helpful concepts like mutuality and the mere-exposure effect. Marisa and Maya also discuss how to stay friends through big life changes, why fighting could make your friendship stronger, and how to break up with a friend with clarity and kindness. Follow A Slight Change of Plans to never miss an episode: https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/a-slight-change-of-plans Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When actor David Duchovny was teaching his daughter to ride a bike, he made the questionable choice of taking her to the top of a grassy hill at Pepperdine University in Malibu and pointing her straight downhill toward Highway 1. Luckily she learned (quickly) how to brake, but he realized not all of his ideas are good ones. In fact, some are failures. Sam asks David how to view failure through a positive lens, why it’s so hard for Americans to admit defeat, and why Yale is still waiting for him to teach a Kierkegaard graduate class. Follow David Duchovny @davidduchovny on Instagram. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When actor Kerry Washington’s parents told her a massive family secret five years ago, it shook her entire world. And despite being an extremely private person, Kerry decided to reveal this shocking information in her memoir, “Thicker Than Water.” In one of our favorite episodes from the vault, Sam and Kerry discuss how learning this truth helped Kerry know herself for the first time in her life and what made her want to share her story with the world. Plus, how Kerry feels about people’s inability to differentiate her from Olivia Pope and why Kerry was known as “the condom lady” in high school. Follow Kerry Washington @kerrywashington on Instagram and X. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When actor Rob Delaney’s two-and-a-half-year-old son Henry died, Rob decided to share his family’s experience with Henry’s illness and death with the world. What emerged was the deeply personal memoir, “A Heart That Works.” In this best-of episode from 2023, Sam asks Rob about how his approach to his career shifted after Henry passed away, a seemingly small choice he made at a recovery meeting that ultimately changed the trajectory of his life, and his thoughts on the platform formerly known as Twitter going off the rails. Follow Rob Delaney @robdelaney on X and Instagram. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Rosie O’Donnell chose to step away from her talk show after six successful seasons, her actor friends thought she was out of her mind. In one of our favorite episodes from the vault, Sam asks Rosie what went into that professional choice as well as a personal one: celebrating her 50th by adopting a baby. Rosie relives moments like drunk-dialing Oprah, fighting with Eileen Fisher, and uttering a sentence that’s never been said in Hollywood. Follow Rosie O’Donnell @Rosie on TikTok, Instagram, and X. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sam wants to introduce you to another great show from Lemonada Media. Last Day is about the moments that change us fundamentally and forever. Each week, host and Lemonada co-founder Stephanie Wittels Wachs sits down with a new guest to explore happy/sad stories of survival, resilience, and transformation. In this episode, Stephanie speaks with Christine Blasey Ford, whose life changed forever when she raised her hand in the U.S. Senate chamber and vowed to tell nothing but the truth about being sexually assaulted by then-nominee to the Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh. From that moment on, Christine’s life was forever changed, exposing her to vicious hate and shaking the deeply rooted respect for government that had motivated her to come forward in the first place. Now, almost six years later, she shares how, even though many things got harder for her after her testimony, if she had the choice to do it all again, she would. Follow Last Day to never miss an episode: https://lemonadamedia.com/show/lastday/. If you have a story about a moment that changed you, share it with the Last Day team! Head to bit.ly/lastdaystories to fill out the confidential Google form. Stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When actor Nick Offerman first got together with actress Megan Mullally, she had just won her first Emmy for Will and Grace and he was living in a dirt basement in Silver Lake. They bought a fancy house, he jumped into his new swimming pool and got through about a song and a half before realizing he couldn’t lay around smoking weed and listening to Neil Young all day. Sam asks Nick how he brings purpose into his life no matter what he’s doing, from grocery shopping to starring in a new film like Civil War. They also discuss his method for choosing projects and which writers and thinkers he admires most. Follow Nick Offerman @nickofferman on Instagram and @Nick_Offerman on X. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X. And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X, Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re dropping in your feed to let you know that Julia Louis-Dreyfus has returned for Season 2 of her award-winning podcast, Wiser Than Me™! Each week, she has funny, touching, personal conversations with iconic older women who are brimming with the kind of unapologetic attitude and wisdom that only comes with age. Julia sits at the feet of some extraordinary teachers this season, and of course her 90-year-old mom, Judy. Tune in to laugh, cry and get wise. All Hail Old Women! You’re about to hear the premiere episode, where Julia connects with the one-and-only Sally Field. With a spectacular film career spanning over six decades, Sally – now 77 years old – candidly discusses the introspection that comes with aging, shyness and playing characters who are taking back their power. Plus, Julia asks her 90-year-old mom, Judy, when she feels most confident. To hear more of Wiser Than Me, head to: https://lemonada.lnk.to/wiserthanmefd See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the beginning of the pandemic, when wildfire ash was falling on actor Busy Philipps’ face, she and her family made the unlikely decision to move to New York City. The choice paid off in the form of a phone call from Tina Fey asking her to audition for a new TV show, Girls5eva. Now in its third season, Sam asks Busy about the choices she’s made since then, including a divorce sale, a large donation to support abortion access, and a new late night talk show. Follow Busy Philipps @busyphilipps on Instagram. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, Sam joins Ilana Glazer, Pamela Adlon, and Michelle Buteau live from SXSW to talk about their new film, ‘Babes.’ The movie, which debuted in Austin and hits theaters on May 17, is all about female friendship and the truly insane surprises of pregnancy and childbirth. The writer/director/actor trio get real with Sam about motherhood, orgasms, and why certain people want to keep women in the dark about their bodies. Follow Ilana Glazer @ilana, Pamela Adlon @pamelaadlon, and Michelle Buteau @michellebuteau on Instagram. Keep up with Samantha Bee @realsambee on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). And stay up to date with us @LemonadaMedia on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.