Wonder Woman: Amy Schumer

her apartment. Yes, I'm pretty excited about that for our chat. But as you heard, Brian already barged into the ads, and don't worry, Brian will be back again during the break and credits as well, and of course for next week's episode two. As for my interview with Amy, we had a lot to cover. She's been so productive since bursting onto the national stage back in two thousand seven when she was a contestant Believe It or Not on NBC's Last Comic Standing turned out pretty well for her.

Amy made her mark in stand Up with her signature brand of taboo busting and unapologetically raunchy comedy, and to give you an idea. Her first stand up special was called Mostly Sex Stuff. Now more recently, she's also flexed her skills and acting, producing and writing. Of course, I love train Wreck, you probably did too. She started movies Penda best selling memoir The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo Bunny Huh, and she's won awards for her hit

sketch series on Comedy Central. And if that weren't enough, she's fresh off her Broadway debut in a play written by Steve Martin called Meteor Shower. Fair warning, Amy is known for being a little bit body and to kick things off, I decided to clear the air and revisit the time that Amy full On pranked me. Now it's probably a bit r rated, so you may not want to listen to this episode with the kids, actually, if you haven't had the talk yet, or maybe even if

you have. We have so much to talk about. But first, I think Amy, we should give people a little bit of the backstory of our last history, because you have utilized me and some of your were such a great sport and like I just I mean, I'm such a fan of yours anyway, and I'm very grateful to your work. Um, for real, like thank you. Yeah, it's it's I I feel a little choked up that you're you're here in my home, So thank you, and you just were such a great sport. It was tell the story. Okay, we'll

tell the story. It was that it was after the Glamor Glamour Women of the Year Awards. We were at this after party and at our table it was Steve Mindy Kaling and we were next to each other and your husband arrived and you were like, you know, kind of like, oh my god. He was an embarrassed he's crashing like you were. You know, actually I was kind of aggregated with him because he you know, I didn't invite him. I love you, John, but he wasn't invited and he sort of just showed up and I was like,

wait a second, what is my husband doing here? Because it's kind of even though Stephen was at our table, it's kind of a girl powered thing, and it's it's such a bring your really it's not really a plus one. And so John walked in and I was like, oh my god, what's going on? My husband's here? So I got up because he made a bee line to Carrie Russell. Remember that. Yeah. I was like, oh no, he who he loves. Yes, he loves Carrie Russell. So I thought I better go say hi to him, or he's going

to leave this party with Carrie Russell. So I got up and I left my phone on the table. Left your phone on the table, unlocked, unlocked, And so that's on you, you very cageally, I, without thinking about it and without consulting anyone, just picked up your phone. I saw that you had just text your husband, and then I text him saying I want to have anal tonight,

and the rest is history. So it was so funny because from my perspective, so I kind of like, I go, oh my, because I just have these impulses to do, like what's the worst thing I could do right now, and then kind of check with people to be like, oh it's okay. So I go, Mindy, I just and I showed Steven and they're just Mindy was like very alarmed, as she should have been, and Stephen just fell on

the floor laughing. And then you, you and your husband came back over the table kind of like soon after and we're like we're leaving, and it just from my perspective, I was like, well, this is absolute hilarious, and then I don't know if by the way, yes, I thought it was super funny. Yeah, because it actually sounded like something that I would do, because a friend I was constantly pranking people like that on computers at work when they left their computer open. I would do, you know,

write funny messages to people. But U and I thought it was really funny. My husband actually is really funny and a great sense of humor. He thought it was funny too, and we laughed about it. But then how long later, Cole, I don't know, like you months later, months later, I kind of started you were I think you were publicizing train Wreck? Was it? Colbert? Oh? Yes, yes, okay,

and I talked about it. We went to bed. We went to bed, uh, and suddenly our phones were flowing up in the morning saying, oh my god, Amy Schumer was talking about you guys last night, and I was like, oh god, oh god, So I thought it was I actually thought it was really funny. And I always was upset that you didn't include what John wrote back to me, Oh I didn't see. What he texted back was again, oh my gosh. If I had if I had gotten that text, I would have cried laughing, and I actually

thought it was really funny. So you you've also used it on your HBO special Comedy Special. People really liked the idea of that prank, you know, they're like, oh my god, the sweetest Yeah. But but but what I what The only thing that hurt my feelings is you described when I came up to you with the Glamour Awards and you said that I said something that I never would have said, like I love funny, I love humor, I love humor. But I don't think I said that.

I know, well, this is where we have to agree to disagree, but just the same, I feel, you know, that was like a couple of years ago, and I do feel like I take more responsibility for, you know, just being more careful with people's feelings and stuff. So okay, it just made me sound like such a tool. And I do know you're not. Thank you one of the greatest people of all times. You're so sweet to say that. But I was like, I would never say I love humor. I'm sure I do remember going up to you and

saying Hi, Amy. I just wanted to want to tell you I'm a big fan of yours and then you said I love humor. I did not. I did, okay, But anyway, I still am trying to think of how to get you back. But I know you actually thought it was really funny. So we have so much to talk about in addition to your texting and pranking my husband, which is you've just finished doing Meteor Shower on Broadway,

which I saw. I thought you were fantastic in it, and that was must have been an incredible experience for you because that was your first I mean Broadway Amy, I got to do a Broadway play I Want to play written by Steve Steve Martin. It's it's still like really amazing to me that that happened. So how did

it all come about? Well, my relationship with Steve was I did a play of his called Picasso at the Lapana yiel In College and uh, you know, just this little student production and such a huge fan of his

for you know, like everyone else. And then I hosted this music show, this music talk show like ten years ago, and he was on with his bluegrass band, and I had him signed my copy of the play, and I had him signed my copy of his autobiography Born Standing up and and I loved his music and everything and and he was really play and sweet, and I got to do like a little bit with him for a promo on the show, and I left and I cried because I just couldn't believe I got to do a

bit with Steve Martin. And then I became friends with Edie Brikell, and I went to see their musical Bright Star, and and then just through friends, like we just kind of kept running into each other. And then Steve and I became friendly and you know, would hang out and he'd have some people over dinner or whatever. And then he had this play and he said, I want you to read this play and I'd like you to play the role of Quirky. And I was like already thinking

of yes, I'm doing this, I don't care. And then I read it and I was like, this is so fun and it will be so great to do this role and it's Steve Martin, and so yeah, I said, what's the least amount of time I can do it? And I said if you like that kind of team play or energy then and they were like, yeah, you can do it for like twelve to fifteen weeks, and and we did it and what was it fun? What was it like? Because you know, watching you you play, I mean I love the character you play. I wonder

which show you were at. Did I yell at the audience at any point? You didn't yell at the Okay, good, But you were sort of a an exaggerated version of some version of yourself in a way a different time. Yeah, both both sides and you it was really fun and funny. But watching you, I thought, boy, and I think this every time I go see a Broadway show. This must be so hard. It must be so hard to remember all this stuff. Oh that's not a problem. No, no,

I am. My sister tested my Q once and I tested in some categories as is if I were a special needs person, and like in the low percentile for some things like word recognition just reading down a fast list. And then some things I tested as a genius, and one of those was dismemorization and um and short term memory. So you know, for stand up for anything. Memorization is not a problem for me. But reading like a billboard as I'm driving down the street, is I see something

different than what it says? Really, when you do stand up, do you have any kind of prompter or any kind of que cards that help remind you. A set list with keywords. Yeah, so, where's is it? In ane? My set list for like a year, it'said Katie kirk as the closing bit, I mean people. Yeah, it was good enough that it was a closer. So do this wet your appetite to do more Broadway? Yeah? Not right away? Oh yes, I'm of the theater now. I yeah, I'll do more theater, but not for a couple of years. Yeah,

I hope I do. So let's talk about some of the other things that you've been up to. First of all, your schedule is crazy, and I love how you are doing a little bit of everything. So you're doing some stand up stuff. You just you're doing another movie. I feel pretty right. Have you finished that movie? Yeah, we're editing it. You're editing it. You did uh the Great Movie with Goldie Hawn, which was really fine, and you

did train Wreck with Judd Apatau or toe Apatap. I've been saying it wrong for your who seems like an incredibly nice guy. He's awesome. He's like the sweetest guy. Especially with everything going on culturally, you really appreciate the people who have never made you uncomfortable. He has a special on Netflix which is really good. Really yeah, I've been seeing some snippets of it on his Instagram. But inside, Amy Schumer, you're not doing right now, but you'd like

to do more television in the future something. Yeah. It's like everything keeps evolving with the you know, the options for how people can view content. So I'm open to everything. Well, let's talk first about the movie that's coming out in June. Is that right? So it's like, tell me a little bit about that. Okay, Well, you know, I came at a time where I was going to maybe do this other really big movie, and because with Stand Up, I've made a lot of money and so it's like I

can really do stuff I care about now. I was like, you know, you're always afraid as a comic. You're like, am I going to have Is this my last set? Is this the last joke I'll ever? Right? Am I gonna ever work again? So I was like really trying to sort of just make enough money so I could feel like I myself and my family and my friends were safe. You know, like if somebody got sick, I

could take care of them. And then I was like, now I really want to I'd love to still make money, but I want to do stuff that I feel like it's really saying something. Um, which was sort of the only drawback with doing the play because it was so fun and exciting, but during this particular time you I really wanted to be giving all my energy to something that was like helping, you know. And even though people come and they laugh, it's like the crowds are all

you know, Broadway goers. It's I don't think it's a secret, it's all white, you know pretty much, um, wealthy people. It's that those tickets are expensive. So I felt a little bad about out of the conversation. I was still you know, in meetings for Times Up and still active as an activist, but my main energy was going into that place. So I feel pretty came up and the message was just it was just exactly what I wanted

to say to um. Two women, because I, you know, I I'm interested in helping everybody that I can, but but really I love women and want to focus on projects that empower them. And this this movie is, uh, it's all about that. It's really fun and funny and relatable. But but yeah, I think there's a really sweet message. We'll tell us. Can you tell me a little bit more about it? And who else is in it? Okay? Um, So Michelle Williams is so funny in this movie, and

um Lauren Hutton plays the role Naomi Campbell. Um Rory Scovell, who's a comedian who I've been friends with for fifteen years and he's so great in this movie. And Adie Bryant, who I love her. We became really really close and um yeah, and Busy Phillips and it's it's a really solid, solid cast and we had such a good time. And and Emily Raditowski and that's almost a percent not how you say her name, but um, you know who I mean. Okay, So she's great, She's amazing and uh and it's about

um my character, Renee. She doesn't have particularly good self esteem and just understands that that people judge you of how you look in this world right away, and we're trying to move further away from that, but that's the situation. And she just kind of longs to be um, to to have a better job, to go for these guys, but she just doesn't have the confidence and I you know, I hit my head, I fall off a bike and insul cycle and then all of a sudden, I see

myself as an absolute supermodel and everything changes, but changes. Yeah, the way you relate to the world, Yes, I have. It's a whole new life, a whole new person. And and um, that's so interesting because really the way you feel about yourself, if you feel like you're not attractive or something that's going on with you, or you've gained weight or whatever, it is amazing for women how much that can completely distorts, right, Yeah, you want to hide.

It doesn't let you to live to your your potential. And that's what we want from women the most right now. Just you have so much potential and you can do anything, and we need you to lead and and they, you know,

feel held back. And I also have. I know we're gonna talk about activismly or but Lisa Evans, who's a costume designer and a stylist, we started a foundation called Style Fund, and it's helping women learn how to dress for their bodies and like just kind to give them a formula so if there is you know, we started out with like prisoners going back to work and and now or military veterans, but now it's it's really we're trying to get develop it for all women just because

not everyone knows how to dress and they don't have access to, you know, help, like like you and I might and it just really holds you back. But if you feel good and confident, then you're able to achieve more. So I think it's it's kind of all in line with the same message. That's incredible. Have you are you working with some of the women you're healthy with this feah and what is that like to see the uh really change their whole outlook, say, their energy completely shifts.

It's it feels so good and yeah, it's really emotion and all to see. You know, a mother of four is just trying to reenter the workforce. Who just how how do you? You can't do everything? How are you going to? Also? You know, with a lot, with a low income job and kids and your you need help. You know, most people need help, and so just having someone hands you the tools you understand. Okay, So if I wear this kind of scoop neck is good on me?

And then if I just a cardian you know, and it can be from the Salvation Army, who we partnered with for these events. You know, it doesn't have to be some fancy designer and you can go into H and M and get like a ten dollar card again and make a pencil score. You know. We just help people dress for their for their comfort. What do they say when they cry and they they're so excited and they're proud to go home and show their kids and go out and the energy just completely changes. You see

a transformation in these women. Time to take a quick break. We'll be back with Amy Schumer right after this. And now back to my conversation with the one and only Amy Schumer. I want to talk about your activism regarding sensible gun laws in a moment, and also of course what's been happening in Hollywood and beyond. But first I want to go back a little bit, Amy, and I know you get probably tired of talking about some of the same things. But I didn't know a lot about

your life story. I didn't realize that you grew up here on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, and that I didn't know that your dad had been diagnosed with MS when you were very young, when you were what nine years old? Yeah, like nine or ten, and that you had gone from kind of a well raged yeah, yeah, and that that suddenly you kind of had to make this adjustment when your life changed. Your dad lost his business, he had to declare bankruptcy from a really sort of space,

and then your folks got divorced. So I know that you still see your dad and he still he has a standing lesson right now, Yes he would. Yeah, he's getting stem cells, so he's like they put him in a contraption called the Standard and it's it helps him like remember how to stand because he's been in wheelchairs so long. Yeah. And and how do you think that impacted your outlook on life? And do you think that

steered you toward comedy in a way. Yeah, you guys worried about holding for sound hold for sound before Amy talks about her wheelchair. Dad. Um, I think it. It made me, like, you know, these humor is like a defense mechanism and keep everybody laughing also and keep myself laughing. And also just the reality of your parents are human beings and they're not invincible, and they can get sick, they can have affairs and make mistakes. I learned that it too young of an age, and um, and I

think just the things I observed. I I'm a comic. We are highly observational people, and I really took it all in and kind of understood the way the world worked with for women and sex and like how little sort of power we had. And I think that's like been the basis of a lot of my stand up

up to this point. It was watching your mom and dad. Yeah, I think like watching my mom and her dating and seeing my dad and his he's you know, I have a joke now when I stand up that you just assume everyone in a wheelchairs nice, like we always like kind of smile and pay attention to someone wheelchair. But my dad is like a really like he's like a womanizer. You know, he's not the best part. I love him and he loves me, but you know, the way he

was with women like really objectified them. And just like witnessing that at such a young age, I wasn't faithful to your mom. I assume no he I mean, who, No, I don't think he was. But that's like the least of it, really yeah. Oh yeah, yeah, Um, he maintains that he was, but I seriously doubt that. But they both made huge mistakes and weren't completely faithful, and it

sounds like it was complicated. Oh I would say, I would say it's complicate, but you know, But but then also I feel bad saying that because there are people who have had it so much worse, you know, So I really don't feel like poor me. It's like, I'm grateful that I had two parents that loved me and we had a roof over our heads. And it was a really strange change to go for being rich to being pretty poor. But I wasn't getting hit, I wasn't

getting raped. Like, it's just people have it so much harder. I feel like, you know, having said that, it wasn't ideal. No, it was not ideal. It was crazy. And you kind of used humor. I mean, were you always funny? Amy? When did you realize that, Hey, I'm funny? I was always funny. I really like a kid. Did you come out funny? Yes? I mean, you know, don't you feel like you knew your children pretty quickly? Like, like, do you think those personality traits that you see early do

they maintain that? I'm asking, Yeah, I don't know. I mean I'm thinking I just know from my like my friends who have kids and then my niece. It's like it was all there if because now we have all these cell phone videos, we can look and be like, oh, she was already the boss and kind of you know, came out like stomping around, pumping her fist in the air. It's like, yeah, I don't know so, but yes, I was always funny and I always loved making people laugh.

And do you remember the first time you did stand up? Yeah, I have a tape of it. It's awful. Really, oh god, yeah, it's terrible my hair. Really, It's just like that was in New York. It was a Gotham comedy club, the old Gotham. Do you remember the worst joke you told? Yeah? Um, it was about just what it's like to ride acrosstown bus in Manhattan. And how I mean, this is not

a good joke. I feel like, you know, inevitable. I still want you things funny, but just how like when you feel it like kind of like one of the tires deflate, you know, if they need to let somebody on, who's who's got something going on? And it was like, you know, this woman, she has like the plastic bags over the legs, you know, it's just it was just about that and just how you know it's bad news

when you feel the front tire deflate. But clearly you've got something from that experience, and the audience got something from that experience. Yea, I didn't have to go over stage fright, and they they respond to me, and just the comics who are already making livings doing it where they kind of took me side. They were like, you could be good at this if you wanted to. I wasn't good, but you know, they were like, you can

see if someone has the potential. I'm sure you you see that, and people you're like, oh, this person is going to achieve a lot. Yeah, they're still living in a studio in a story right now, but they have big things coming their way. And how do you how do you perfect it? I mean, how do you then take your craft and and and how do you sort of work on it and have it evolved and find sort of your sweet spot for the particular brand of

observational humor that you decided to do. I think just by doing it, you know, isn't that how it is? Also for for journalists, it's like you're you know, people can give you advice, but you have to learn from these mistakes that you make and and get braver from those, and um all the missteps and and then you know, you just build up your confidence and you you're open. I was open to learning, and I was such a

fan of comedy. I feel really like humbled by it and um, and just wanted to get really good and understood there was nothing more than experience. I just had to get as much stage time as was humanly possible, and I did. I did it. You know, it seems to me that people initially had a hard time kind of uh, putting you in a box. Yeah, I don't know. I think I really feel for a lot of comics who because people need to understand. You see a comic get on stage, you go, what's your deal? Okay, you're

you're a Jewish gay guy from the Bronx. Okay, we understand that. So for me, I really kind of early on was like I was, I made some jokes about sex, and I was like, oh, actually, I don't know anybody

else doing this right now. I don't know any other women that I've seen, and I'm I love female stand ups and grew up with the biggest fan of them, like didn't really start loving male comics until later, but was like, no one, I haven't really heard anyone talk that much about this in a way that was super realistic. And I mean there's so many great, great comics who who would mention it. But I was like, I have

no problem talking about this. And I also, you know, in retrospect, think it was me trying to feel a little bit more control over my sexuality and and asserting myself by sort of taking the air out of what the behaviors that we that we do by saying sort of by with shock value a little bit. For sure, at first it was shock value, I mean you, And it's just because I'm doing all these open mics where the comics are just waiting to go up. You have to surprise them into laughing. You can't just get a

laugh from a joke being well crafted. It's got to be And so that's how I sort of made a name for myself just on the in the New York scene, and I just figured like, Okay, they're going to call me like the sex comic, and that's how I'll sort of lean into that and market myself that way. My first special was called mostly sex stuff. And I've always felt like I was sort of if I did the work, that I had the potential to do great things, and

that just seemed like a stepping stone to it. I was like, I won't always be this, I won't always be known for this, but this is what I think I should do to get to the next step, whatever it is. And why do you think? What do you think? There's so many talented people out there, but obviously you struck a nerve and there was something about you the whole package, right, that people just gravitated towards. Well, I'm sorry to ask you the same thing, but I mean,

really it's like, I don't know. I think it's just I think it's opportunity meeting preparation. But I also think it was you were someone and you know, whether we like the R word or not, but you were so relatable because that word, I think that people felt like you could be their friend. You know, you were talking

about things that bothered them. You were completely raw, authentic, and you know, honestly, you look normal, thank you know, and you just you just seem fun and nice and normal, and I think people don't see images like that female images like that nearly enough. Well, it's like this movie that's coming out, it's like and when they were trying to figure out who was going to play Barbie, it's like, Okay,

we wanted to be someone like relatable. And as far as actresses go, the ones that are, um, you know, in charge of sort of the box office of a movie, it goes like Rebel Wilson and Melissa McCarthy and then but you know, body type wise, it goes to like Emma Stone, like there aren't really there's nobody really floating around the middle right now. I feel like I'm it right now, and I'm probably forgetting someone and I'll get some email like what about me? I have saddlebags too,

But um but isn't that straight? You know? And and a lot of people will think I'm like actually one of the stage hands on Meteor Shower. We've been rehearsing for like a couple of days that he came up. He's like, my wife and I are such huge fans, and uh, It's like thank you. And then we're talking and then I realized during the conversation that he fully thinks that I'm Melissa McCarthy and I just kind of was like I know why. He was like, you know, did you just see at the Emmy's that Sean Spicer

was there? And then they showed you and I was like oh. And then he was like how long were you on SNL? And Melissa has never been a been a you know, a regular and SNL. So I'm like, not only does he not know who I am, but he also does not know that Melissa has never been a cast member in US. And but um, he's really sweet, smitty, I love you. Uh and he was so like mortified just that he had my identity wrong his wife. He got home and his wife was like, what did he

brought me a bottle of wine? I was like, hey, I'm flattered. She's hilarious. But you know it's like you just Megan Train or just anybody who looks at all similar, They just see like sort of a blonde plumpness and they say they think we're all like one person. Um, you know, Lena Making Girls really inspired me, and you know the show Insecure, and there's just I got in some um I got some heat for saying that it

bothered me. The Chloe Kardashian lost all that weight because I felt like she was like the relatable when she already looked very thin to me before this transformation, not the pregnancy, but you know, and it was like that, you know, do whatever you want, feel healthy, feel great. But just as you know people we all like look and judge celebrities, it was like, oh, like, come on, you were one of us, and and so I, um, I just kind of like Howard Stern once asked me, like,

why don't you lose like thirty pounds? And I was like, I don't want to, I'll be hungry. And I I lost some way for train Wreck, and I was like, like, beauty and body, that's not my thing, that's not my currency. I feel beautiful and I feel strong and and sexy, but but that's not like I'm not going to be the most beautiful girl. So I'm not going to try to market myself or get myself there. And I don't think that sends a good message. I think being like

and that's what I feel pretty is all about. It's just like, how about like not striving for some other version of yourself? Like why not love what you've got going on right now rather than this you know, eternal dissatisfaction. I love that because I think, you know, you are addressing the insecurities that I think, certainly I have had my whole life feeling never been enough, right, which is

somebody else? Please? No, I know, I know, but but I think we're so programmed that if you're not, you know, twenty pounds underweight, so you don't look uh, you know, having a magazine or whatever. And it's just so unrealistic. And when I see the clavicles, you know, that could cut an apple on the oscars and everyone on every one of those women, I think, gosh, no, wonder if we've been so it's like Pavlothian. So if you see someone normal, you go from they look good too, they

look fat, and they're just normal exactly. Yeah. But I change that by doing it. You know, like in this movie, I have a scene where my I'm it's PG. Thirteen but I'm naked you can see from the back, and then also seene where I dance my shirt off, and it's like I'm not letting them retouch anything, you know, I'm like, don't touch it. This is you know that that's against the point, and I just I feel excited about that and I feel like these changes are happening.

You have a very funny skit about that on your show where or in your stand up where you say when you pose naked, you talk about where you said. The last thing you want people to say when they see a naked photo of you is wow, she's so brave. You're like, what you know? But whatever? But I could I understand it. But and it's also you know, I love watching all ty, I love Bachelor, and I love reality shows and all these real housewives, they all the Bachelor.

I was like, what what would happen if they had like an actual, like a girl who looked like somebody you were friends with and not like these like little tiny bodies. And even though those girls are beautiful, and again I don't want to thin shame anybody either, but it's like the the example that that young women are seeing, like what are they what are they witnessing that they see The Kardashians, who I think have actually done a lot of especially Kim got involved with with um sensible

gun laws, which is really cool. And I think that that they're cool, they're sisters and they can be funny um, but their role models are all these shows. It's like basketball wives. It's like just people get TV shows because they like had a kid with a hip hop artist or something. This isn't like what we want young women to be aspiring too. So, um, I don't remember what I'm saying. I think you're talking about sort of the role models out there, and that we're talking about how

you change it and how you change it is. Oh yeah, it's opportunities to write and to see, you know, women whose bodies look a little more realistic for for like actual life, who don't because most people can't afford a chef and a trainer and to be starving and have somebody like bring over your like little pile of seeds that you're allowed to eat in the morning. And I and I can afford those things. But I'm like, I'm not doing that. I don't want to, like because those

people aren't happy either. I have some friends who are like, I don't want to hang out today, I won't be able to enjoy it. I'm I'm I have to be hungry today. And that's like totally typical for really a lot of actresses. And it's like still, let's come on enough. But it's funny I go to the words shows and I try to look my best, and I look like, you know, how the costume designers look, and I feel

proud about that. That's good. Well, let's talk about what's happening in Hollywood since uh, you know, obviously there's this seismic shift for women, and it's been all women fascinating to watch and exhilarating and also kind of mind blowing on many levels. And and I'm curious when this started to spill out and these stories started to come out and women started standing up and speaking out, what did

you think? I thought. I'm hearing a lot of these stories of the survivors of these incidents, and I'm and I feel like horrible for them and really proud of them for coming forward, and also like that none of that happened to me. I think the stuff that's happened to all of us, especially with the kind of the newer accusations about just coercion, you know, where people are like, oh, that's a gray area. And but I love Samantha Bee's piece on that. She she just did this monologue about it.

Everything doesn't have to be rape, you know, It's not like raper, It's fine, it's I think a lot of us have gotten so used to that behavior of of a guy being like come on, like at a younger age,

especially like in college. I feel like that was you know, a quarter of my hookups, like they see what they can get out of you and please, you know, imagine like I don't know who wants to be with someone who's not interested in being with them, but um, that kind of like wearing you down and and or you know, being an uncomfortable situation being like well I just I got myself here, so now I have to have sex

with this guy or here. I think that's there's been a real sea change in especially younger women and consent

and sort of how it's being framed in college. That's that's making them rethink and forcing older women to rethink sort of the dynamics that go on in an encounter, right, And so for me it's been kind of a little bit of a of a mind shift to because I think consensual is consensual, but then of course, now we're talking about unequal power dynamics and how is it really consensual when someone has so much sway over your and your career and then they're sort of the consensual well,

having nothing to do with professional relationships like the disease on Sorry story, which I've been thinking a lot about and trying to understand kind of the dynamics there, because that was very interesting to me. Younger women thought this situation was wrong, and I think many older women thought, why don't you get up and leave? Right? So where do you come down on that whole thing. I'm in the middle where I'm saying, what a great thing that

there's this change with this generation. Who um, I think we're gonna learn from this and uh, you know, Samantha b did that whole piece on like no, like, I don't think anyone wants to see as these career ruined or his life round or anything like that. But that's where people's minds go. They go, is it does he

deserve this? And it's it's really not about that, I think. Um. I think it's about expressing and showing women that that behavior is not okay and that you not only can you leave, but you need to leave because then the women who come after you, you're you're leaving a mark for them too. So it's not just about your own encounter. You have to also think about if you don't say to somebody, this made me super uncomfortable and it's not okay,

which is a really uncomfortable thing. And sometimes you go always a nice guy and I just want to leave. I don't want to make it uncomfortable. But if you don't really lay your boundaries out, then you're you're leaving it open for the for the women to come after you. And so I think a lot of women are feel really bad that they've been complicit with with things, but we didn't know not to be and I think now

there's kind of no excuse. And if you have a doctor that makes you uncomfortable, or you get a massage, or you have a date with someone and they coerce you in a situation like the azaz one um, I don't think there's any sort of, you know, criminal charge, but I think that it's good for this for everybody to learn that that behavior is not acceptable. It's not a crime, but it's not cool and it can still

really mess with a with a woman. So it's is it the overall presumptuous nous of men who are in that situation, Because I also want women to have agency and to stand up, But I also appreciate that it's difficult, and it's it must be confusing for men too. Well,

that's what I am thinking about right now. That's why I kind of want to come up with a little bit of a code of conduct for us as women, because I think a lot of men are really confused right now, you know, and are like, wait, this has been cool for so long, and you know, are dynamic at the office or at the gym or whatever. It's been like, you know, we we kind of flirt and

some people we've all done this. We we just flirt back with them, so it's not uncomfortable, or maybe we have some sort of an advantage, you know, Oh they this guy's feelings for me. So I kind of pray on that and we've we've all been there, and and

we kind of can't do that anymore. And we need to explain it to men and to other women that that we need to be teaching each other the kind of behavior that's accept doble and so when something comes up to say that makes me really uncomfortable or you know, just what you're willing to accept and that those are

the hard conversations. But we just can't keep we can't let things continue the way that they've continued, because there's so many different levels of it, something like what happened with disease, which you know, and and he's been my friend, and I I really I feel for I feel for the woman um I identify with with all the women in these situations, I kind of my mind doesn't go right, even if it's my friend, I don't go, oh, but he's a good guy. I think, what would it feel

like to have been her? You know? And uh, well you were in some ways her because you've had a situation that you talked about in your book. Oh oh yeah, No, I mean I've been flat out raped. But I mean, but there are so many other kinds of sex. There's

so much much other sexual misconduct. I mean, we've we've all every woman I know, every woman in this room, we've all had these experiences that and I think in some ways, this this current climate, it brings these things up and you go, got none of that was okay, you know, And I'm someone new journals. I kept journals and I read back and I go, I just feel so bad for that girl. You know, why why didn't you get up and leaving? Sometimes you do and sometimes

you just you just do it. Do you think that the conversation will? You know? Right now, it seems like a volcano erupting and and sort of this fury and rage and frustration and it's kind of ickiness that has been sort of bubbling beneath the surface is now kind of exploding. And women are talking about this, and men, I think are are not part of the conversation right now, Um, what do you how do you see this, this movement

of evolving? I think, Um, a lot of men are anxious to be part of the movement because they want to help and they're good people, and you know, and I think they also want to understand uh maybe what they behavior that they felt comfortable and why why it wasn't okay right? And it's up to us to teach them. And I do mean women, I think, and I think they're open to it. People. You know a lot of the men in my life are are open at self reflection and evolving and and I am, And so how

can we be better at teaching them? And you know, um, it's there's some behavior where you go that's just clearly insanely wrong and you should just be in jail. Uh, like, oh gosh, I'm just I'm so proud of all those gymnasts who stood up to and how about how great was that judge who went, I'm signing your death sense And these women are not victims, their survivors, and yeah, it's it's kind of up to us to teach them right now so that things can be different for the

next generation. I think we'll see some movement, you know, like I get to spend a bunch of time with Glorious Steinham and this is a really exciting time for her, and they had to fight to get their own magazine and people weren't listening that we have the Internet, we have like a real voice, and people are really paying attention, and and it's just so across all industries. It's like and most of the women times up, like you know, we're like, Okay, let's let's take care of our house first,

which I think Shanda Ryan said at a meeting. Um, But you know, there's so many levels under sort of what our houses. It's like the stunt women, the crew women. But but it's set up so that women in all industries and in these low paying jobs, women work at hotels and farm workers and people working, you know, in the service industry. It's it's rampant, it's it's really frightening.

And um, I think I think there's like this big change happening and and and I don't think it will burn out because the people everyone's really fired up about just giving their time and energy because it's just so important and essential. Do you think this would have happened if Donald Trump hadn't been elected? No? No, I don't so, you know, I'm a Hillary girl myself. But but if we want to find any sort of silver lining, if he hadn't bragged about grabbing pussies, we probably wouldn't be

protecting ours so much right now. You have been involved in this even before this movement happened, because you've spoken out about pay in equity. When you got your Netflix special and found out Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock we're making a certain salary that was really almost twice as much as yours. You said, exqueeze me. Yeah, well again, that wasn't I wasn't like trying to go viral with news for that, and that news didn't kind of break till later on. I um, I I thought those guys

are absolute legends. There are two of my best friends also, and they deserve every penny they got paid for that those specials, and you know, um, and I'm really proud of them. And also I don't I don't think with where I am sort of in the zeitgeist right now, that I deserve half of what they're getting. I think I'm going to ask for more. And I asked by myself.

I didn't pay anybody any commission on the the extra money I received, and um, you know, and there was so much I have these uh, and I'm sure you probably do too, just with working on gun laws and with the nature of my stand up I I have like organized trolls who go against me and they get my movies voted down on Rotten Tomatoes and all this stuff. And with the special Yeah, what a treat. But I'm

just like, I really truly don't care. Um. First, I'm sure it was pretty unkner, of course, and then you learn like, yeah, you're like, oh god, you're you're so afraid. And then it's like I'm just gonna keep doing my thing and they're doing their thing, and you know, uh. But so there was so much controversy with this, with this special and people really looking to hate on it, and I'm really I'm really very proud of it. And I got nominated for I directed it, so I got

nominated for directing it. I'm up against the Oscars, so I don't think I'll beat the Oscars. But um but I thought, you know, it's not that cute and when it comes out in the news, oh, that wasn't enough money for you, you should be grateful. I just thought, that's not the message that we need to be sending right now. It's not about that. It's not you know, I my last season and my TV show I was

I felt like kind of underpaid the whole time. And then so you went to Comedy Central too, Yeah, and I was like, hey, I know that these guys with similar shows to me are getting more money than me. And so finally when they gave me more money, I donated it to the crew who had been working with me the whole time, just to be it's not about that.

You know, shore money is awesome and and I love fun and drinking nice wine, but um but I donate so much, and it really for me was just about like, it's not being it's not fair, like I had a book deal back in the day and I was like, no, I think I I think, I bet it will be worth ten times more than this, and I backed out. Nobody wanted me to. And you know, you've got to like stand your ground. And that's why I really want to support just women in any job fighting for equal pay,

and I it's it can be really hard. I know it's different different industries. It's easier said than done. But if I can support, um, yeah, I want to and I want to send that message. But it's so so typical because if as a woman, if you do make demands, if you do ask for equality, you're automatically seen as difficult, bitchy, You're vilified, right, And I think that's because of how we've been conditioned to act. And I think that, I think,

but I think I do think women. One of the great I think UM aspects of this movement is I think we're going to equip women with hopefully the confidence and the power to make demands and to not typecast them when they do. Right. But I think our our society really and I think probably that's why you got so much pushback. A man would first, first of all, a man wouldn't have had to do that. But secondly, if he had, everyone would have been like, yeah, right,

I got your money's son. Yeah. But for me, it's like I anticipated that and it didn't come out until like, you know, a month after it came out or something after the special came out. I think, and uh, I'm proud of my business sense. And I think another message that we want to send is that there's power in numbers. And so that's why, you know, I I spoke to

uh I never. I don't even know cats Adler, you know, like I probably spoked to herd a carpet or something once, but she was a correspondent to E and uh and I just heard about her not getting offered equal pay and it was like, well, let's let's stand up for this woman, in fight for her. Let's stand up for each other, you know. And right now it's like within our business, but we're we're joining forces with all these other industries so that it's you know, it's it's a

global thing. There's they want to start at times up Kenya. It's exciting, it's awesome. But you know, Amy, I I through the years, you have gotten I think because you are comfortable in your own skin and who you are. But how do you handle it when people attack you relentlessly? And I mean I think everyone probably is attacked relentlessly these days with social Yeah, it with so much vitriol, whether it's about you know anything, yeah, soup to nuts, it could be about money or right, or it could

be about your position on on gun laws. I mean, so that's that can be very debilitating, demoralizing and psychically depleting, I think, And and so how do you how do you handle it? I just early on, like I you know, I did the roast of Charlie Sheen and after one of my jokes, got a lot of pushback, and um and I knew then and I know now that it's not it's not actually personal. I think. I think success really annoys people. And when somebody's making money and they're

doing well, you can't help it. You just want them to fail. And I don't blame anyone for that. What is it about? We're all like to call it the tall poppy syndrome in Australia, right, nobody is allowed to get famous there. Um well, when they do, they just can't wait to chop you down. Right, So I think it's that, Um, that's just sort of resenting instead of putting energy towards working on yourself. I think it's really easy to just vilify somebody else. And so that doesn't

feel personal to me any any feelings like that. That's more about the person who has those feelings than it is about me. And and these controversies that have come up, and you know, I've had many, like people are waiting to tear you down and burn you at the steak when you're in this position, and some of them I've I've really learned from, and I still have so much

I need to learn. And uh, I just I really don't take it personally, and it never makes me feel like I'm a bad person, you know if I always feel that way? Or did you learn to not take it personally? No, I I learned. I learned early on. I learned like ten years ago, and so since that, it feels bad when it's like affecting work, you know, like if I'm getting picketed or something like, it's it's like, oh God, this is going to push us back an hour or something like that. But um, it doesn't hurt

my feelings anymore. It hasn't for like ten years. Um, did you read it? Like, if there's like a big thing going on, I'll like check it out. But it makes me laugh, Like, I don't know, Yeah, I really feel like I know who I am, and I love my friends and family and like the people I'm close to, and I'm respected by the comedians that I love and respect,

and I just I feel really fortunate. And if I let myself get brought down by these you know, like controversies that I know, don't don't actually like that what my intentions were were, you know, if I hurt someone,

I feel I would feel horrible, you know. But um, and you know, like, and I think there's a lot of when it comes to race, Like I now on my projects have an inclusion writer, so there has to be a certain number of a number of people people of color, or people with disabilities or something, you know, filling these roles. That that's like and this is a big part of times up where we're all encouraging people to do this now, um, so that the cast is

like more reflective of the actual population. And um, and I've been like accused of being racist over the years, and and I'm just I just am so not but I I also recognize there's room to grow, and I just want to do my best to empower women and people of color and and I but I also understand it's like it's got to be really annoying, Like I could see myself getting vilified in you know, different communities for whatever reason. But my intentions are just so to

truly include everyone. And so do you ever worry that this heightened sensitivity and this kind of greater consciousness about not offending people has that the pendulum perhaps has swung too far and that you feel like you're walking on eggshells and someone's going to be upset if you make a joke about this or that, or do you think it's a good thing or are you again somewhere in the middle. No, I do think it's a good thing. You know, jokes that I made ten years ago, I

wouldn't dream of making now. And um, that was just kind of right for me at the time. And culturally things were different, and you know, like guys were telling like a lot of rape jokes. I had some jokes about rape, and that's just that that just is so unacceptable now, and um, and just I feel more of a responsibility because my voice is heard more now, So I I want to do a good job of of not hurting anyone's feelings and just you know, sort of moving the needle in the right way. So I don't

think it's a bad thing, this oversensitivity. And they'll still be comics that don't you know, care, and they'll just say whatever they want if you want that, But I'm not interested in doing that personally. I don't feel held back. I don't feel you know, there's some things like that's just for your friends, and we can always just joke with our friends. I'm friends with like the dirtiest comedians alive, and we say horrible stuff to each other that if we get got out, we'd be toast. You know that

everybody has those conversations with their friends and family. But what I am willing to stay on stage, it's it's and it's not like a self preservation thing. It's just I'm not interested in it, and it just doesn't feel like the right time. I wanted before we go talk to you about how you got involved in gun activism. You, um, I remember very well when that happened at that movie theater where train Wreck was playing that was in Louisiana, Yeah, Lafaye, Louisiana.

And yeah, two young women were killed, a twenty one year old woman and I believe a thirty three year old woman. And I was thinking about them, you know, and then you know, these things happen, and I don't know today, I was thinking about how quickly people forget about tragedies and move on. I was thinking about their families when I was getting ready to talk to you, because I thought, who remembers that? Who remembers them? Me? Yeah, and their families. I think about them all the time.

I kind of keep them with me and any like accomplishments or anything. And I, yeah, I just always mentioned them. I dedicate every special to them now and just and you know, just to kind of keep them alive in myself and and just in the ether. Um, is that what set you off on this path to really try to do something about how many guns from this country? And yeah, yeah, were you? Was that something that you

were passionate about before? Though not now. I really had no information before then, and and I missed those days because it's just you know, it's really it's really upsetting. Um, the just how sort of lacks the gun laws aren't how how easy it is for somebody who's who's on you know, a no fly list or somebody who's mentally ill or has been convicted of being an abuser, Like it's still pretty easy to get a gun, and uh a yeah. And these shootings they're they're every new one.

They're like the news cycle just just yeah, there's a new thing the next day. And you know, we we pushed and we get into Congress's face and we go because so many politicians are getting money directly from the n r A, as you know, and uh yeah, and you are you are you discouraged? Um? I sometimes I but then I look at the people who work at every Town for Gun Safety and you know, Julianne Moore and I are both on the board there, and and then just going out to these events and meeting people.

I just before the Las Vegas shooting, a couple of months before, I had been in Vegas to meeting with their chapter for every time, just listening to people's stories about how gun violence has affected them. They're just so heartbreaking that you're just like, even if I move this, just I can help move this just a little bit in my lifetime. That'll be worth it. And I just, you know, everybody just refuses to give up. And yeah, I believe it'll take a long time, but I think

they'll be like a real change. I do. I have to believe that. As we look ahead and knowing that you were a passionate Hillary Clinton supporter, how are you surviving the era of Trump? I just feel so much better than I think we all did a year ago. I think a lot of my actually all my friends

were just like get a depression for a year. Those especially those first few days after the election, Like it was, it was just like the most painful, like worst I would you know, I would say it was second to to getting the news that Macy and Jillian had been killed. It was just and I just felt angry, and there's got to be a place for that, you know, for

women to express anger. And yeah, we just needed a little time to be for it to really mess us up and realize how bad things still are in the world. You know, we got blessed with this Obama era, these great eight years we were given, and then just to be like an about face in the wrong direction in what feels like every single area to me, I just feel that he is a huge annoying setback and um, and that that's like a very you know, that's incredibly reductive.

But and I don't think that anybody who is afraid of deportation right now, like living in terror is um, I would look at it that way. But but that's what I'm trying to keep it that way in my sights, to keep myself encouraged that you know, we can all really work together and make change. And um, women wanting to lead and women wanting to run for Congress, and we're seeing so much, so much changing just you know, with politics, and and I believe we'll get the House

back this year, that's my hope. And and and in a way, he has been a a real catalyst, hasn't he. I mean, you know, you mentioned a silver lining, But it seems as if people have been you know, woken up from their complacency. Yeah, yeah, exactly. I don't. Yeah, just like I'm not mad at Internet rolls. I'm not

even mad at Trump. He's just he's just like King Joffrey, like he's just been empowered by people who didn't I feel like they didn't understand, they didn't understand and I wrote like a really aggressive tweet or Instagram the day after he won. I was just furious with these people, like, do you understand what you've done? You know, the people who elected him, and I think a lot of them have real regrets and it didn't understand and uh, but do you have compassion for some of these voters who

felt like Hillary Clinton was not speaking to them? And I was thinking about it. I think that deplorable comment was probably doably really damaging to her candidacy. Yeah, I think it. I think it was too like there's all these like, you know, we got we can read what happened, but it's um, it's you know, it just doesn't that sound funny that he's now saying these shiphole countries and you know he's paying he paid off a porn star

after Baron was born. Like it's just if you put them on a chart next to each other, It's just it's hilarious the things that she's been vilified for versus the things that we're just not even paying attention to anymore. I'm not even on SNL that they had a game show doesn't matter. Oh yeah, Jessica chast A hust She's just such a great job. Yeah. Yeah, And it was like, we can't even keep up. It's not even interesting anymore, you know, When someone like did you hear what he

Trump said today, I'm just like, I don't. Can I skip it? Like? Can I just can I set this one out? Yeah? But all all you're feeling very optimistic about the future and about the state of the country just a year ago. I really am. I think people are understanding that the change has to come from from them. If you have it in you to run for office, or to go to a meeting, or to start like a chapter of something in your town where you can

try to help get the word out for people to vote. Um. Just people didn't know what they were capable of, and I think they're feeling more empowered, and I think we really are about to experience even more change for the better. Do you think you'd ever run for office? I don't know. There's got to be a sex tape of me out there somewhere. Can you be in office if you have a sex tape? Um? Yeah, I don't know. If I thought that would be helpful and I would do a good job. It's the same as like a role in

a movie. I just I don't want to do it if there's someone out there who could do it better than me. But if I ever felt like I could do a good job and be helpful, I would. Because Chuck Schumer, of course, is your second cousin. They used to say the most dangerous place to be on Capitol Hill was between Chuck Schumer and a camera. Oh that's hilarious. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, he's not afraid of the spotlight. Yeah,

I'm really proud of him. And I know, you know what what's been happening lately, it's like it just seems was that a miscalculation in your view of what the shutdown and the DHAKA and sort of the Democrats position on that, Um, I a miscalculation, like yeah, well some people think it's really hurt the Democrats, right, I don't know, Yeah,

I don't know. You know, I'm watching the news like everybody else, and I'm reading like what Chuck's kind of press releases are about it, And you know, I know him, I love him. I believe he's the greatest intentions, and I believe he has a plan. And I hope Mitch McConnell wasn't lying. I'm hoping the same things that everybody's hoping. Anyone you like for twenty Yeah, well we found out Oprah is not interested. So how about Shonda Rhymes. I'd vote for her. I love talking to you, Amy Schumer,

Thanks for coming here microphone anytime. We can talk and talk real shit. We can really talk it. You can make a lot of jokes about me. You can even talk about anal sex. But don't say that. You said you love humor. Yes, I'll never say that again. Thank you. Thanks to our roving podcast production team for helping us record at Amy's pad for this one. It's kind of cool. I was in Amy's pad. That's Gianna Palmer, our producer,

Jared O'Connell, our audio engineer, Assistant producer Nora Richie. Thanks also, as always to Betamaz and Emily Beana over at Katie Correct Media, and Alison Fresnick, who represents on social media. Katie and I are the executive producers around here. Mark Phillips wrote our theme music. Please feel free to send your questions, feedback, and guest ideas to us over at comments at current podcast dot com, or you can leave us a voicemail. As always at nine to nine two

to four, four, six, three seven. That does it for us today everyone. We'll be back next week with our latest wonder Woman, Laverne Cox. Bye, Brian, talk to you next week, Katie,