Welcome back to just be with bethany. Uh So, do you remember the Going with Paltrow vagina scented candle? Peo believe I'm saying that out loud. Well, it's sold out really quickly. So Gwyneth Paltrow, I remember her vagina had a vagina sentence, So who's vagina? By the way, who's I want to know who's coming Gwyneth Paltrow on here so I can ask her who's vagina was the candle
modeled after? And who were the vagina testers? Like who are the vain who are the people the women or men just doing all the vagina testing and mixing, because it's like mixing a fragrance, Like I like this. It has a little bit of guardinia, It has a little bit of musk, It has a little bit of patuli, it has a little So I want to know like the ten vaginas that got mixed into the Gwyneth Paltrow
vagina candle. But I digress. And this candle blew up in someone's house, So I said, it's better than someone's vagina blowing up. What did the smell like all over the house? And it's so that person has to move. Now does she get Do GWYNETHA have to buy that person a new home because that person's home smells like vagina everywhere? I just want vagina. From what I understand, there are people that won't be with certain people because they don't have a pleasant smelling vagina. So I just
want to know who's vagina? Is it? Anyway? Um? But all Gwyneth Paltrow, it's just amazing. Let's do the dick's dick smelling candle, next penis, the penis candle, the ass candle, the tame candle, the crack candle, the balls candle, the after sex candle. I mean, I want to be Gwyneth Paltrow when I grew up right, just fucking do anything you want. I bet you that would all work, Like all those candles just would just work. Oh, it's Gwynneth's vagina. Well,
did she smell her own vagina? She does do yoga, she does work with Tracy Anderson, So maybe she's that that that um that's flexible, that she smells her own vagina. But I will say something, and all you women know your vagina doesn't smell the same every single day. Okay, it doesn't smell the same every single day. It smells different after certain activities. It smells different, uh, during that time of the month, and not your vagina doesn't smell the same all the time. And I don't I bet,
I bet a fifth year old vagina. How old is Wanna? She's forty eight years old. She's a middle aged woman. And I'd like to know what a middle aged, beautiful, blonde actress slash empire owner vagina smells like. So I'm gonna have to get the candle and then I'm gonna have to smell one of Poultro's vagina and do and see if they smell the same. Because has anyone tested that? Right? Do you agree? I mean, what are the odds? What are the odds that her vagina smells like that candle? Right? Zero?
So if any of you have smelled the candle, I'd like to know. So we're going to talk to Andy Cowen, who has so many job titles I don't think you would believe it. He has not only worked at CBS for ten years and was a vice president in programming and development at Bravo. He hosts Watch What Happens Live. He's won a Peabody and an Emmy, has produced dozens of television shows. He's written multiple New York Times bestsellers.
He has a touring show with Anderson Cooper. He has his own imprint where he publishes other people's books, and he's hosted many different shows. And he's only just begun. And to be honest, I just think he really makes the whole thing look effortless because he's loving what he does. But he's a hard worker and he's only halfway there. He's got so much to do, so pretty amazing story. And I can't wait to talk to him in a different way about business and not just him in my backyard,
which is how it usually happens. Hi, Andy, this is a flip of a switch right now, um, which I enjoy. I would normally say that you don't need an introduction, but I actually think you do, because I think that people know you for just a handful of things, and you have had quite a lot in your career. Basket. Yes, it's a bountiful basket. It's a bountiful basket. And I
know you. But when we talk, we talk about gossip or what we did that day, or Ben or the housewives, and you know this show is about people who have had non traditional, circuitous roots to get to where they are. Pretty much a started from the bottom. Now they're here. So you have a radio channel, a book imprint effectively with Anderson, a touring company, a production company. You are
an award winning producer, and so many different genres. And I mean, people don't realize you worked at CBS for ten years, even before you were an executive at Bravo and a vice president at Bravo. And I don't know that I can think of another high power executive that is so seamlessly transitioned into being such a successful on air talent. So did I get all that right? And I know there's a lot more. You've won a Peabody Award, You've won an Emmy at least an Emmy. Have you
won more than one Emmy. I've only won one Emmy. And you did get it all right, and I appreciate it. And it is a secuitous route. Indeed, I think that you're a person who has navigated getting to where you are in a very uh seemingly effortless way. It look you make it look easy. You make it You're very casual, you're very relaxed, and I just wanted to ask you what you thought you were going to do, Like, what
did you think you were going to be? Well, what I wanted to be, I think in the back of my mind, because what I in my in my fantasy was that I would be able to be myself on TV. But I didn't know how to manifest that. And when I was growing up, that just seems so egotistical. It was before Instagram, it was before we were all admitting that we love to put ourselves out there, and it
just seemed kind of self centered. So I decided to go into news because I thought, well, I could be a reporter and maybe I could kind of have some fun with that. And in my mind, I thought, well, maybe I would be on a morning show or something
like that, hosting. But I quickly gave up the idea of being on camera because my last internship was at CBS News and new work and the idea of moving from small market to small market kind of trying to break into reporting versus moving straight to New York and working behind the scenes. I think I just got very attracted to the allure of working in New York and being kind of, you know, swimming in the with the
Big Fish. Well, that's so interesting. When I was trying to be an actress years ago, I felt like I was trying to be someone else, and I thought the same thing that you thought. And we're similar ages and we came up at a similar time in very different routs, But I thought the same thing that you thought. How do I be myself? But even hosting felt like it's just so much copy and you're confined to being all cheery and you have found a way to do exactly what you want to do in your own way, and
you've totally kept it real. Do you consider yourself a brand? I guess I kind of do in some sense. It used to be that the brands were, you know, the networks ABC, NBCCBS, but now the brands seem to be the people or the shows. You know. The Housewives is a brand. Bravo is one of the few networks I think that has maintained its brand identity as all these other networks have lost their So I guess, in some theory, I mean, in some in some way, I guess I am a brand. I don't love the word, but it
is what it is. Because you think it's a pretentious where my personal brand. You think it's like a potential exactly. I just think it's I think a lot of people use it. Who you're like all right with your brand? Like settled down? I agree, But I mean, you don't think of yourself this way because I know you personally, but you are I had a filter for how I
would bring people on and who they would be. And there are a lot of people that are very rich and very successful that it didn't want to have on here because I didn't feel that they were a mogul.
And I do feel that way about you. I mean when I talk about what I said before, I mean, and you've written multiple books, and you have multiple shows, and you've had, you know, a lot of success, but you're so casual about it and you sort of just are are natural about it that I wonder if you think that you would have been successful at anything you did, like, did you would you feel luckier or smart or both?
What combination? I feel both really lucky and uh And I do think that I'm smart and I am cocky enough to think that, Yes, I I think that I would have been successful at what I tried to do. Now I don't think I would have tried to do anything that I wasn't going to be successful at. So I wouldn't have tried to be a brain surgeon or a scientist or something with math or an accountant, because
I would be horrible and I'm not interested. But the things I was interested in I just always I mean, it is such simple advice, but I always say to people, if you are passionate about something, you should be able to succeed in that, because your passion is going to drive you, you know, your success. So I feel like everything that I've done, I have done because I thought I can do that and I'll be good at that.
There have been a lot of things that have been pitched to me or proposed to me that I've said, I don't think that's gonna work. I'm not going to do that. So while it may seem like I say yes to everything, but I actually only say yes to things that I think will work or that I can do. I don't know that it seems like that. Knowing you personally, you say no to a lot and a lot of it could be really lucrative in money making, but you're also in a position where you're out there every day
and whatever you say you can, you can. You could lose it all in a second for one student thing that you say that you don't even mean. I mean you are you afraid of that? Yes, I think about it every day, and I have thought it every day, just because I think, on the one end, I'm so grateful for everything that I have and I am hyper aware and it's really heated up in the last six years, this cancel culture, and so yes, I absolutely do. And I have to say, and you and I talked about
this too. When COVID started. I really started kind of counting my my sheckles and thinking, Okay, well, what happens if this goes away? And what happens if that goes away? And am I okay? And I think that, you know, I think it's it's good to always be in check of that stuff. And I think part of the reason that I try not to flaunt things where you were saying earlier, oh, you know, you know you're you're successful,
that you seem pretty laid back about it. I think that we've both seen so many people just be assholes with success and with fame, and I think for me, certainly, that's been I knew a lot of famous people before I ever became famous as it were, And I think that I looked at them and how they handled fame, and I said, okay, oh they're cool. Oh they're not being cool. And I think that I tried to kind of ease into it and keep my ship together as it were. Well, that's a good way to ask you.
The next question, do you what is your relationship with money? Meaning do you have noise about it? Do you considers a wealthy and who do you ask business advice? Like? Who do you go to to ask financial and business advice? Are you good at that? What's your whole relationship with money and the managing of your affairs? You know, I grew up firmly middle class or upper middle class where I but I was also I worked every summer of my life and I was expected to expected to Oh
my god. Well, well, first of all, my family owned a food manufacturing and distribution company and I worked there. I worked in the factory, I drove a forklift, I made deliveries, I made copies. This is all different summer so and again it was working for my family business. But I'm telling you, like I was expected to be there at seven thirty in the morning. It was a union shop, so you had clear break times. You had
to break at ten thirty for fifteen minutes. You had a lunch break at noon for half an hour, and then you had to break at like three thirty or something for fifteen minutes, and then you got off at five thirty. And like it was, I was not expected just because I was the boss's kid. I was not expected to, you know, I was not given like, oh, you can take an hour, because really, are you gonna get fired? I was. I was meant to leave. I was meant to be an example and not be an asshole.
And I worked at a push card at Fanuel Hall in Boston selling Mexican pullovers and blankets. I worked at I was a waiter, I was. I had so many jobs. I was a receptionist at a radio station. So I
definitely always was taught the value of money. You know, with the world of social media and filters and you know, being making five million dollars a year on TikTok and this younger generation, I worry about people really knowing what that that that that hard work is really the way to be successful, even if you are a social media star. And even if you do, you know, filter your eyelashes on or your ass on or whatever you're doing. Hard work is really the key to success in my opinion,
Like you have to be a person. Getting on TV is not going to make you successful. Putting a fucking handbag on TV and talking about it is not going to make you a million dollars. Like really just following through, executing and working hard. And we you when you and I talk, we talked about bullshit. We don't talk about the jobs you had in high school that your parents made you have. And I think the people need to know and hear that you could have all of it
lined up. But if you're not going to work your ass off, and you said you have to have passion, you have to love what you do, have the drive, but ultimately you have to work your ass off. Do you? I mean, don't you agree that's the bottom line? You work hard? Don't you work really hard? And I think that you know. I remember when I started at CBS News. I was an intern there and then I moved to New York after school and I was like, you know what, I'm gonna wait tables until I can get a job
at CBS News. Something has to open up. I really want to be there, and I moved there, and weirdly, a nighttime desk assistant left the morning show sooner, you know, right after I moved there and I got that job. And when I tell you, first of all, I was working like seventy hour weeks at least. I worked so hard, but I loved it, and I felt so successful because I was getting checks, it said CBS on them. I was like, I made it. I made not I just I thought I was the ship. I I really thought
I was amazing. And you know that we did not count hours. Our generation didn't count ours didn't count saturdays. Well, I was the same way, and it was also it's part of seems like it's part of your identity. And by the way, we've talked about being a little rudderless. Now, I feel like you're in such a social career. So you host this fun show, you have cocktails, you see people. You don't really have to do anything besides that unless you're talking about dating. And I feel like, now since
the pandemic, you're not having that social stimulation. Yeah, it's weird. I mean it's weird doing a show. I mean, but that's another thing. I mean, I'm just so grateful to be able to still do it, but it is so weird the idea of doing a show from home. I mean, I walk up to my computer, I put my makeup on, I turn on all the lights. I'm doing it by myself, and then you're done a half hour later. I mean it's like, well, where are the people exactly? Exactly? Do you?
You seem very decisive. I've come to you with different projects and you don't really seem to look back like you'll say no, yes, I think so. And if you don't like it, you just don't like it. Do you feel like, I don't know what percentage you go with
gut instinct decisiveness. Just me, I'm very gut instinct, and I've worked for a lot of people who have been very research driven, and so that's been an interesting experience for me where sometimes I have I have you know, I thought that a show was going to be a huge hit and it's a bomb, and then we do the research on why it was a bomb, and it was stuff that I could have never predicted. And I'm
grateful for that, you know. Intel, So I think that programming television is very I think it very Um you have to go with your gut, if you if you really believe that you know what you're doing. And I think there are a lot of people who are very skittish and television and who are you know who? The development phases endless. I hate development. I ran production and development a Bravo for years. Development usually takes so long and it's agonizing. And you and I have talked about this.
I'm like, oh my god, the time of you know, the time between pitching a show and it actually getting on the air is often really long. And I you know, in my mind, I'm the sure thing, what are you waiting for? That's why we couldn't do movies. I mean for the most part of take two years like we like, I like. I used to put the cameras on. Put the cameras on in my house. This is happening, Get
the fucking cameras on. Yes, exactly. Well, I think that programming, which you still are involved in programming because you produce so many things and you have such an voice and an opinion and power at Bravo, and I know you don't run then at work, and people blame you for
everything that happens there. But it's not unlike products. So being in I have a brand and I have many different products, and being in that space, often something comes out and then ten other people want to do the same project, same product, And I'm always at the school like be first, be fastest. But once that's been done, you don't want to keep doing it ten times. And in television it's so much of like, oh, we're doing
a lot of cooking shows right now. The home space is big right now, or the dating space, and then it's like derivative content of the original, and you don't seem to like that. You don't like derivative Yeah, I mean, um, however,
I'm happy jumping on a bandwagon. I mean, you know, if I think there's some new way to do it, or if I you know, if, for example, if dating shows were really hot, but I was working with you and I was like, Okay, well what if we build a dating show around Bethany Like that to me would be in my mind something of a sure thing. I don't know what it is. I mean, I'm just spitballing, but like, you know, so, yeah, you're on it. So
what's your parenting style? Like what what do you know yet what your parenting styleist because been so young, do you have any idea? Like, well, I think that it's it's fairly laid back, I think, and I've talked to other parents about this. What I'm finding is, I think there's great Um I think there's something really positive about having a child later in life. I think, you know, I'm more zen about where I'm at. I'm not I'm not losing my ship about everything, and where is this
kid going to go to school? And I just think I'm more are comfortable where I'm at, and I feel like, you know what, We're going to get this kid into a good school, Like all right, I'm not going to lose my mind about this. And um so, I just think there are things to sweat and things not to sweat. So I'm just trying to be laid back. And I want to expose him to as many people and as many things as possible. And I want, you know, it
was really important for him to listen to music. I mean, so there's music playing all the time at my house and it's not kids music, by the way, it's Grateful Den and Madonna. And I want him to appreciate music. That's so funny. You a polished so somewhere. I know he goes to dead shows you love the dead like, and he's like, music is such a part of his life. It's so funny. I'm such a type A person, and I don't know if I consider you type I consider you like type B plus. I don't think you're that.
You don't sweat everything like me. You don't sweat all the small stuff. But when it comes to parenting, I'm the same exact way. I was, like, my kid's not gonna go to their wedding in a diaper, like it's not. It's not that deep potty training or getting into school like I just and I just the same thing. I think it thinks like business, it's your gut instinct. If you go with your gut with kids, it's not there's no perfect parent, no perfect kid. But are you do
you want do you honestly want a life partner? Or do you want it? I know you do. You've in the past, we've talked about this, and you may not necessarily want to do it alone. But as we get older, we get more set in our ways and selfish, and you have a very full life, So what do you And can you work as as hard as you do in your business at a relationship or a partnership? And do you want that? Even I think that I do want it, but I don't seem to be working very
hard to get it. And it's funny because you know, a lot of times I'll be, uh, you know, I waste an inordinate amount of time on Instagram kind of looking at other people's you know, pages and whatever. And a lot of times you see people and they're great looking in there, and they're all these shirtless pictures, and then you're like, okay, let me, let me put myself in the position of dating this person. Now, is this
who I want as a boyfriends? And I find it interesting that it's and uh, Paul has like a small social following because he's produced some movies, but he doesn't post at all, Like he'll post a picture of a sunset once every six months. I've never been in a relationship with someone who had social media, which I love.
By the way, I wouldn't be into like some guy taking pictures of himself and filtering himself and showing how great his fake life was, and not one of us that have to project the bullshit right You're looking when it's I Candy and you're like, oh my god, this guy is amazing. I want to meet him. And then you're like, wait a minute, so exactly, And also, um, what do you think of? What does that bother you? Does it bother you? Social media and that people's bullshit lives.
I mean, The Housewives is all about everyone calling everybody out on everything and unwatched it happens live no stone is unturned. It kind of does. But then on the other hand, that's the thing. It's like, well, guess what if I was someone else looking in on my social media? Am I the person I would want to date? Maybe not? I may be like, you know what, that guy is kind of a douche. I mean, so you know, it's you know, people who live in glass houses, man, you know.
And also, I mean that's the other thing. If I was watching my own show, would I want to date me? I don't know, I don't know. I can't. I'm two inside baseball. I mean, I think you're pretty fucking eligible and datable. But what you know, So being gay and being Jewish has they have been drawbacks to being Jewish. Let's start with the easier one. Have there been drawbacks and like, has there been any obstacles? Not in the entertainment industry, right, No, no, not that I have had.
And then regarding being gay, I would say I started working at CBS News was it was first of all, the AIDS epidemic was in full swing, and second of all, um, people were really closeted at CBS News. I was not only, you know, one of the youngest producers there. I was one of not many out people. I worked with a lot of older gay guys correspondence and producers who I would run into a gay bars. That was sometimes how
I found out that they were gay. But they were very closeted because CBS News was it was just a very conservative place, and um it was not. But I just was like, look this. I was already out at that point, and I was like, look, you know, this is just who I am. And so I can't say I mean, I remember once being in the control room and someone kind of said fagging, and you know, you you you you hear things or you feel like, oh wow, okay, well that's surprising. I guess I am still living in
the world in and this is what it is. But I can't say that it hurt me. I didn't feel like it hurt me. It was still kind of the entertainment business, and it was just a different time. And your parents were always supportive, like from when I don't even know how you were you came out, but they were so always supportive. It was always or did they always? Did they know you were gay from when you were a small boy now, because you're you're what I call
straight gay. When you were first m Bravo hosting the Reunions, Jill Zarin wanted to set you up with someone we didn't even know. You seemed like a great straight Jewish Oh yeah, she wanted to set you up with someone because you seem straight. I know it's true, Yeah, I h they. I mean, listen, I had a Supremes poster in my bedroom when I was growing up, you know what I mean, And I was listening to Diana Ross, and I, you know, I on that I seem pretty gay.
My mom found gay porn under my bed when I was either in a senior in high school or freshman in college, and so you know that pretty much tipped her off. And then when I came out a couple of years later. She always says that that she knew I was gay. I was in our production of Carousel in high school, and she says, and I quote, well when you came prancing onto the stage in Paris, I had a pretty good idea. I'm like, I wasn't prancing. Mom,
she said, oh, yes, you were. You were prancing. I'm like, okay, all right, thank you. That's amazing, that's amazing. You know my mother's famous line when I told her I was gay, she said, I probably would have hated your wife anyway. That's amazing. All right, Well, I won't keep you too much longer. I just want to know if there what that I'm an introvert and that I'm a homebody and never want to leave the house is a surprise to people about me. So what is a surprise to people
about you? Most people except for your best friends and your family. Now, what is maybe a surprise to people is that I really am just kind of a hippie at heart. Like I really am happiest just sitting on a beach all day doing nothing, you know, listening to the grateful dad, Like you know that's what I want? Well, all right, I like that here you go. So I just want to thank you so much because I know how busy you are and this is your vacation time,
and I really appreciate it. And I just want to acknowledge that you are the one who called me and did say you have to do this. You're gonna love it, You're gonna be good at it. I loved it, And thank you for having well, thank you for having me to and have a wonderful holiday. And I appreciate you. Okay, I'll talk to you all right. That was Andy Cohen on speaker because it's just the way would you with
shows from your home. So anyway, you know, the reason I thought that that was particularly compelling is that I don't think people know that much about Andy. He's happy, go lucky, he's you know, the consummate host. He's effortless and casual, and he's always smiling, and he's super charming, and you know, he's really deep. He's a really deep person, and he just has a very very unique story because
he's come up in a really interesting way. He was an executive and he managed to get himself on camera and then managed to be a really successful late night talk show host. So I just think he's an interesting story. He's definitely a mogul. And even though up friends with him and he comes to my house and we chat, we don't get into the meat of Matt. We never have talked about his childhood. We don't talk really except for just how are your parents. They're good. We don't
get into what makes him who he is. And I think you can learn from his story. So I thought that was very insightful and in many ways simple. You know, work really hard and love what you do, and you'll be successful at it. And as a parent, not to get bobbed down and obsessed with doing everything right. It's all gonna work out. So thank you all for listening. I thought that was really great and I'm loving these conversations.
We'll talk soon. Jessie Managing Sarah Katnac is our assistant for your managing our Just because moreductions and the Kevin more moments from the show. Show you make around the Sam Baby with beth. To catch more moments from the show, follow us on Instagram and just be with Bethany