Jess is joined by queer comedy icon MARGARET CHO! We chat about Margaret’s incredibly prolific career, including her stand-up specials and iconic TV appearances (30 Rock, Sex and the City). Margaret goes deep about her experience starring in a sitcom based on her life where the network (ABC) fed her diet pills and zero-fat cookies in an effort to compete against the casts of Friends and My So-Called Life. We also discuss growing up in the San Francisco gay bookstore owned by her parents, becomin...
Mar 21, 2022•51 min
Jess is joined by SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE character queen CHERI OTERI! Cheri recounts being discovered at The Groundlings, alongside Lisa Kudrow, Kathy Griffin and fellow SNL hopefuls Will Ferrell, Chris Kattan and (gasp) Jennifer Coolidge. Highlights include — origins of her Barbara Walters impression and the cutthroat pressure between cast & writers for airtime. Plus — Jim Carrey’s iconic episode, working w/ Betty White (Hot in Cleveland) & Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm). IG: @jessxnyc...
Mar 14, 2022•52 min
Jess is joined by the king of all culture vultures, EVAN ROSS KATZ, on the heels of his first book dedicated to the cultural impact of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. We dive into why KIM CATTRALL blocked (and later unblocked) Evan on Twitter, SJP inviting him to the premiere of AND JUST LIKE THAT... and recently admitting she hasn’t watched an episode since. Evan gives his hot take RHONY casting couch, parallels between RENT and BUFFY, Buffy’s queer subtext, our mutual love for SURVIVOR's Jerri Manth...
Mar 07, 2022•1 hr 7 min
ISAAC MIZRAHI returns for his second appearance! Jess and Isaac discuss why he never attempted drag, his friendship w/ RUPAUL and the idea of him being a permanent judge on DRAG RACE. Isaac also confirms the truth behind the legendary MADONNA - SANDRA BERNHARD - INGRID CASARES break-up, gives his AND JUST LIKE THAT review and discusses the repercussions of his seminal documentary, UNZIPPED. Isaac also discusses his version of “Borderline” and pivoting his career from fashion to a live cabaret ac...
Feb 28, 2022•52 min
Jess is joined by the star of SiriusXM's BEVELATIONS and Fashion Queens, BEVY SMITH! Bevy Smith is a quintessential Harlem girl and life-long New Yorker. Bevy discusses how she reinvented her successful corporate career to TV host at age 38, how ANDY COHEN changed her life, turning down Bravo’s TIM GUNN’S Guide to Style, her fashion pilot w/ BETHENNY and how Louboutin became the “it shoe” after Manolo Blahnik. Plus, profiling a new RIHANNA for Paper magazine, growing a following by live-Tweeting...
Feb 21, 2022•45 min
Housewives empath & intuitive Jamie Stein returns to burn through a plethora of Bravo Hot Topics. We go deep on Lindsay Hubbard & Carl Radke’s healing, Kyle Cooke’s relationship to alcohol and the outlook of his marriage to Amanda Batula. We also touch on Lisa Barlow’s unbridled rage toward Meredith Marks, why RHOSLC is self-combusting, why Teresa Giudice is afraid to ask fiancé Luis for a prenup, and Margaret Joseph’s obsession with Jennifer Aydin. Finally, we explore ideas around James...
Feb 14, 2022•1 hr 6 min
Did you know our friend Stefan from MLVC (the Madonna podcast) spent the summer working as a background actor for And Just Like That!? Well, Stefan is here and ready to SPILL on... the scenes he filmed, experiencing Che Diaz in the wild, Cynthia Nixon’s wig, the erasure of Chris Noth/Big’s flashback scenes, 14-hour days, being directed by Michael Patrick King, how much background actors are paid, production’s deal w/ paparazzi and more. PLUS, how his And Just Like That experience compared to fil...
Jan 24, 2022•54 min
Jess welcomes TWO of the stars of the groundbreaking Showtime series Queer as Folk: Peter Paige & Scott Lowell (aka: Emmett Honeycutt & Ted Schmidt)!! We discuss the infamous Larry King interview where they were grilled on their sexuality, how QAF changed the way sex & sexuality was depicted on cable, why The L Word was able to break into the mainstream zeitgeist in a way QAF was unable to, the Brian Kinney/Gale Harold enigma, lack of diversity on the show, how Pose’s Billy Porter wa...
Jan 18, 2022•1 hr 5 min
Ever wonder how a professional interior designer would feel about the furniture, lighting and other questionable choices of our Housewives? Jess welcomes Dale Saylor, NYC interior designer and owner of Hollymount Design, for expert critiques on the many homes of Bethenny, Bluestone Manor, Gizelle Bryant’s house of horrors, Carole’s apartment reno, Sonja’s Townhouse, LVP’s SUR aesthetic, and trends in the McMansion castles of RHONJ. Dale also discusses Housewives closets, digitally locked glam ro...
Jan 10, 2022•58 min
Bravo's "Work Out" star Jackie Warner returns for her third appearance! For the first time, Jackie discusses her ambien-induced car accident that led to her arrest at gunpoint by the LAPD. Jackie reveals how the incident ended her career in Hollywood and led to her weight gain and her ultimate move from LA. Jackie also talks Sex and the City, how she would manipulate reality tv/"Work Out" today, goes deeper on her relationship with ex-girlfriend Jillian Michaels, gives fitness tips, and invites ...
Jan 03, 2022•1 hr 1 min
Jess is joined by L Word historians and co-hosts of “You Might Know Her From,” Damian Bellino and Anne Rodeman to finally let loose on And Just Like That and BOY do we have feelings. We discuss Jess’ run-in with SATC exec producer/writer Michael Patrick King the very morning of this recording, the Kim Cattrall / SJP fall-out, Willie Garson’s death, our hatred of Che, Susan Sharon based on Dorinda Medley, comparisons to The L Word Gen Q, and ultimately, whether And Just Like That will be consider...
Dec 27, 2021•1 hr 2 min
Jess is finally joined by our showbiz glamour muse... star of stage, screen and radio... Ms. Sandra Bernhard! Sandy reflects on her iconic Letterman appearances, her friendship with Madonna, playing Nancy on Roseanne and crafting her one-woman shows. Sandra also shares about her relationship with her girlfriend Sara of 20 years, ultimately not having a baby with Isaac Mizrahi, and Sara's impact on their daughter. Finally, we chat about how she infuses her life with Jewish spirituality and astrol...
Dec 20, 2021•44 min
Jess is joined by writer/comedian and star of SiriusXM’s Smith Sisters Live, Mariah Smith! Mariah Smith rose to internet prominence with her insanely popular blog Keeping Up with the (Kardashian) Kontinuity Errors and worked as a producer for Watch What Happens Live. We discuss highlights of her WWHL era, interning at SNL, Bethenny’s failed Bravo negotiations, James Kennedy & Raquel, and of course, Kim Kardashian & Pete Davidson. Follow @jessxnyc, @mariahmariahmariah, @hottakesdeepdives ...
Dec 13, 2021•52 min
We are joined by a RHONY OG and cabaret royalty — Countess Luann! We get into everything, including how production on Ultimate Girls Trip differed from a typical season, Eboni leaking info about the Ramona investigation to the press and fans still clamoring for Alex McCord. Luann also entertains the idea casting a lesbian or trans housewife for RHONY, relives the Boat Ride From Hell and gives her take on Erika Jayne/Tom Girardi and Jen Shah’s alleged crimes. IG: @jessxnyc & @hottakesdeepdive...
Dec 06, 2021•35 min
Jess welcomes the best butch in showbiz — comedian, jazz singer & Orange is the New Black’s “Big Boo” — Lea DeLaria! Lea discusses her big break performing as the first openly gay comic on TV in America (on Arsenio), working with Goldie Hawn on The First Wives Club and how her life changed within 24 hours of Netflix dropping the first season of Orange is the New Black. We also chat about Lea’s friendship with Sandra Bernhard, rising to fame with RuPaul, why the Cubbyhole is her fave bar and ...
Nov 29, 2021•1 hr 6 min
Jess is joined by writer/comedian Melody Kamali to recover from the whiplash of the Jen Shah arrest spectacular on Salt Lake City and the Ultimate Girls Trip binge on Peacock. We also discuss Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well,” Melody’s experience interviewing for a producer job on Love & Hip Hop, Love Life on HBO Max, the new lesbian reality show Tampa Baes and Miranda’s basically confirmed queerness in the new Sex and the City. [ 10:00 - RHOSLC, Jen Shah ] [ 22:15 - Ultimate Girls Trip ] [ 33:3...
Nov 22, 2021•54 min
On the heels of our Melissa Etheridge interview, Jess is joined by Tony Trius, co-host of MLVC (the Madonna podcast) to go deeper on the female singer-songwriters who defined the ‘90s Lilith Fair era and whose lyrics were the soundtrack to our babygay lives. We discuss why Sarah McLachlan, Ani Difranco, Fiona Apple, Tegan & Sara, Tracy Chapman, Aimee Mann, The Murmurs (and many more!) defined this time period and go over our fave albums and live show experience. IG: @jessxnyc , @hottakesdeep...
Nov 15, 2021•38 min
We are joined by return friend PetShopBoy for a culture catchup, featuring a review of the Housewives oral history book, Not All Diamonds & Rosé, Winter House and spending Halloween with Leah McSweeney (as Madonna). We later flash back to Bravo's glory days for a rewatch of Hey Paula (Paula Abdul’s series). [ 5:30 - Not All Diamonds & Rosé ] [ 25:00 - Winter House ] [ 34:15 - Hey Paula rewatch ] IG: @jessxnyc, @hottakesdeepdives, @petshopboy * tentree.com * code deepdives...
Nov 01, 2021•45 min
Dream guest alert! We are FINALLY joined by Genesis Moss, your host’s “gay root” (aka most formative lesbian) and star of The Real World: Boston! Genesis chats about coming out in high school in Mississippi, her roommates Montana, Syrus, Elka & Sean Duffy, drama at the after-school center, bringing drag and trans awareness to MTV in 1997, her connection to Britney and already being contacted for a Reunion. We also discuss The L Word, Queer as Folk, RHOBH/Erika Jayne and a lot more! IG: @jess...
Oct 18, 2021•50 min
Jess is joined by Billy Taylor, highly revered docu-series executive producer with credits spanning MTV (Diary, True Life) and Bravo (Flipping Out, Work Out). We chat about his start at MTV News which evolved into him EPing MTV’s House of Style & MTV Diary. He then moved over to Bravo where he EP’d Flipping Out, Work Out with Jackie Warner and Kell on Earth (Kelly Cutrone). Billy shares stories of following Kanye West around with a camera, wonders if Jackie Warner hates him and reveals that ...
Oct 11, 2021•58 min
Jess is joined by trailblazing New York City dancer~actress~performer Candis Cayne! Candis chats about her journey from initially coming out as gay, to building a career as a drag performer to eventually making her transition part of her act at Barracuda. She reminisces about performing in the streets - literal NYC traffic - cementing her legacy as one of the greatest performers in nightlife. She then discusses her move to mainstream acting, becoming the first trans actress in a leading role on ...
Oct 04, 2021•38 min
Jess is joined by fellow Howard Stern superfans, Ryan Bailey (So Bad It’s Good) and Jacques Peterson (Unpopular), to unearth a 2006 pre-Housewives Bethenny appearance on The Howard Stern Show. We then pull back the curtain on a leaked 2012 All Staff Meeting (think Howard’s Ted talk warning shot to his staff). We also discuss the Wendy Williams 2019 fight, not returning to the studio and debate whether bringing on COO Marci Turk to legitimize the Stern organization for A-listers was ultimately fo...
Sep 27, 2021•1 hr 11 min
Jess is joined by John Arthur Hill, Andy Cohen’s SiriusXM co-host, go-to producer and noted ex-boyfriend. We discuss their meet-cute origin story while John was starring in Hairspray on Broadway and how they've maintained such a good relationship nearly 15 years later. John discusses his experience as a writer/producer on Watch What Happens Live and Kathy Griffin’s My Life on the D-List and talks about the epic fall-out between Andy, Kathy Griffin & Anderson Cooper. We also discuss Jillian M...
Sep 20, 2021•37 min
Jess is joined by Jamie Stein for a deep dive on House of Hilton, the 2006 tell-all about the Hilton dynasty, heavily featuring the backstories of Kathy Hilton, Kyle & Kim Richards and their mother, Big Kathy. We explore Big Kathy’s mission for men, money and Hollywood and the ways in which she projected those dreams onto her three daughters, how their mom kicked Kyle & Kim’s father out of the home he built for them so she could run a sorority house, and the parallel themes on both sides...
Sep 13, 2021•1 hr 4 min
Jess is joined by comedians, L Word historians and co-hosts of “You Might Know Her From,” Damian Bellino and Anne Rodeman, for The L Word deep dive of our dreams. We share our L Word origin stories, review the reboot (Gen Q), discuss their interviews w/ Guinevere Turner & Laurel Holloman, our obsession with Sepideh Moafi (Gigi), name our top 5 lesbians, discuss Kate Moennig and Leisha Hailey’s podcast, Queer as Folk and a lot more. We also go deep on The Chart that Damian and Anne created fo...
Sep 07, 2021•1 hr 16 min
Jess is joined by RHONY fave Dorinda Medley! Dorinda goes deep about renovating Blue Stone Manor to be “Frankenstein meets Marilyn Monroe,” working as both a real estate agent (where she met Richard Medley) and an aerobics instructor in New York City, SoulCycle, Barry's Bootcamp, plus her relationship to money, astrology (Sun in Sagittarius, Moon in Aries) and healing herbs. Dorinda also describes why filming Housewives is all-consuming, how fame is a mistress, her cameo on Big Shot with Bethenn...
Aug 24, 2021•40 min
Jess is joined by Ben Rimalower (aka Countess Luann’s cabaret director) for the Fire Island deep dive of our dreams. Ben and Jess share an intense affinity for the history and culture of the gay safe haven hamlets of Cherry Grove and The Pines. We go deep on our first experiences of FI, history of The Invasion and the Meat Rack, discuss share house culture, being sober in the wonderland of sex & drugs, Provincetown vs. FI, Ben’s experience at the infamous Pines Party this weekend, the underw...
Aug 09, 2021•1 hr 15 min
Jess is joined by two of the most unfiltered and knowledgable Bravo pundits in the game, returning friends Zack Peter (No Filter) & Jacques Peterson (Unpopular). Together, we analyze Erika Jayne’s ~performance~ on RHOBH, Zack’s latest discoveries in the Girardi scandal and our take on Housewivesian lawyer Ronald Richards. We then move on to RHONY — primarily the Eboni elephant In the room — plus, Jess working out with Ramona over the weekend, predictions for the future and how we would cast ...
Jul 26, 2021•1 hr 8 min
Jess is joined by the man, the myth, the DSLs: Mikey Minden. As Erika Jayne’s creative director & choreographer Mikey Minden is responsible for the looks, moves, lighting, makeup & general artistry in her music videos, photoshoots & appearances on RHOBH. We chat about Mikey’s career as a child dance prodigy and his work with The Pussycat Dolls, Usher, Kim Kardashian & Pink. We go deep on his artistic influences (Bob Fosse, Madonna, Paula Abdul), friendship w/ Wade Robson, the Eri...
Jul 19, 2021•48 min
Jess is joined by Madonna MLVC pod co-host Tony Trius in his third appearance, this time for our official Sandra Bernhard Showbiz Glamour Power Hour. We share our Sandy origin stories, New York City run-ins, nights at Joe’s Pub, discuss Without You I’m Nothing, appearances on Howard Stern, Letterman and Roseanne + relive the late-80s clique of Madonna, Sandy, Debi Mazar and Jennifer Grey. Plus, Jess reads important excerpts from her interview with Sandy and tells the story of befriending a Madon...
Jul 12, 2021•1 hr 2 min
