Episode 1547 - Ali Siddiq

To an outsider, it seems like quite a leap to go from Nora Lum, classical and jazz trumpet player from Queens, to Awkwafina, rapper, comedian and global movie star. But for Nora, it all feels like a direct extension of the life lived by an artist mother she hardly knew. She talks with Marc about rebuilding the memories of her mom, who died when Nora was only four years old. They also compare notes on Queens apartment living, their mutual aversion to joy, and their feelings about being part of an animated film franchise, as they’re both in the midst of a press tour for The Bad Guys 2. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As one of the members of the last generation who grew up without the internet, Ari Aster’s movies all deal with the ways our minds are shaped and influenced by forces outside of ourselves. Ari talks with Marc about how he uses the genre trappings of horror, farcical comedy and the American Western to explore themes of trauma, nostalgia, anxiety and humanity in his films Hereditary, Midsommar, Beau is Afraid and his latest one, Eddington. They also talk about his poet mom, his jazz drummer dad, and why Albert Brooks is one of his biggest influences. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s about time Jackson Galaxy and Marc met each other. Listeners have recommended Jackson to Marc as a cat behavior expert who can offer helpful advice about Marc’s ongoing cat problems. But it turns out they have a lot more in common than just cats: Youthful rock and roll aspirations, addictive personalities, sober living, and an interest in animal welfare. Jackson tells Marc how he found a new direction in his life that turned him into a cat expert and Marc gets some tips on how to deal with his cat’s aggressive behavior. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For anyone who knew Sarah Sherman’s act before she got hired for Saturday Night Live, her new gig might have come as a surprise. Rooted in the Chicago DIY scene, she performed as Sarah Squirm, with a unique ability to make her audiences do just that. But Sarah tells Marc that despite all the meat and viscera in her act, she was always a straight-up comedy person at heart, growing up on Long Island with an affinity for Fran Drescher and a love of Three Amigos. They talk about her show Helltrap Nightmare, how Eric Andre changed her life, and how she adjusted to SNL. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jena Friedman shares a lot of Marc’s concerns about doing politically relevant comedy during historically scary times. She felt the risk of it first-hand during a recent border crossing from Canada. Jena talks with Marc about how her comedy always stemmed from an activist impulse, how this benefitted her when she became a field producer for The Daily Show, and how that experience was invaluable when she was hired to work on Borat 2, for which she received an Oscar nomination.  Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.