Episodes

Episode 319: Emily Mortimer, Julie Klausner, Destroyer

Photo Credit: K.C. Bailey / HBO

This week: Writer-actor Emily Mortimer (“Doll & Em”) puts friendships under the lens, makes us laugh and squirm… Julie Klausner, co-mastermind of the new comedy series “Difficult People,” tackles your questions with ease … Pop musician Destroyer (a.k.a. Dan Bejar) invites Van Morrison to the party, three times… The day the sun (almost) exploded, as told by George Carlin’s daughter Kelly… Ootcha, a potent new tea trend…We re-read Joan Didion, chronicler of culture (and clash). Plus, the real Uncle Sam, the un-dead Terry Gilliam, and the coolest shroom in the room.


Emily Mortimer - 'Fungi'

Icebreaker

The "Doll & Em" co-creator and star, who is our guest of honor this week, delivers a punny icebreaker about the coolest shroom in the room.


The Brief and Wondrous Death of Terry Gilliam

Small Talk

The Frame host John Horn explains how one mistakenly published obituary led director Terry Gilliam to publicly apologize for being dead. (You read that right.)


Rolling Out Beef Barrels for the Real Uncle Sam

A History Lesson With Booze ®

A cartoonist - and a bit of artistic liberty - transformed an average meat-packer named Sam into a national icon.


Destroyer's Dan Bejar Invites Van Morrison to the Party

Soundtrack

Canadian singer-songwriter Dan Bejar has been crafting songs and performing as the frontman for Destroyer since the '90s. A couple weeks back he released his 11th full-length album, called "Poison Season." This week, Dan gives us a monomaniacal list of party tunes.


Sage Advice from Julie Klausner: 'I Just Swallow All My Feelings'

Etiquette

Julie Klausner hosts the very funny pop culture podcast "How Was Your Week." And she's now the co-mastermind of the Hulu comedy series "Difficult People." Klausner tells us about her pop culture romance with Billy Eichner and the PBS vs. NPR rivalry she hopes to exacerbate... then tells our listeners to get a face tattoo.


George Carlin's Daughter Recalls his Exploding Sun

Eavesdropping

Kelly Carlin, daughter of late great comedian George, shares a piece of her new memoir "A Carlin Home Companion" (out this week). It's about the time her father thought that the sun exploded...or as she told us, "A little story that we used to like to tell at cocktail parties."


Oocha: A New Front in the War Against Coffee

Main Course

Despite Brendan's efforts against coffee, tea remains just a sad bag, bobbing on the surface of a tepid cup of neglect. But there's hope in the form of "oocha." Learn all about the cold drink, brewed from oolong tea, that'll make you forget about its bolder, trendy cousin matcha.


Emily Mortimer's 'Doll & Em' Puts Friendships on Display and to the Test

Guest of Honor

Emily Mortimer played the wealthy, cheated-upon wife in Woody Allen's "Match Point and appeared in the Martin Scorsese films "Shutter Island" and "Hugo." But her latest project is a TV series, the comedy "Doll & Em," which she created with her best friend, Dolly Wells. The actor puts friendships under the lens, examines the trend of actors giving meta-performances, and why dogs in Shakespeare's work might been a bit of pandering.


How Joan Didion Became 'Joan Didion'

Chattering Class

Biographer Tracy Daugherty discusses his latest book, "The Last Love Song," in which he examines the life of the candid literary figure and her impact on the cultural landscape.