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Heres the complete, lightly edited transcript of that talk.
Rebecca Traister:Im going to go down and introduce everybody one by one.
Ashley Nicole Black, who is senior writer and correspondent forFull Frontal.
Melinda Taub, who is head writer and producer.
Samantha Bee, who is the only person whose title I failed to check.
Samantha Bee:Thats okay.
RT:So, I can assume that you are boss witch.
SB:I like that.
Yes, I live in a swamp.
RT:Amy Hoggart, who is a correspondent.
Mike Rubens, who is a producer and correspondent.
And Allana Harkin, who is a correspondent and a producer.
Ashley Nicole Black:Not somehow.
SB:I know.
SB:And it rhymes with Spider-Man.
It was really fun to do.
I had never met him before.
And then that just quietly existed.
I was making dinner, I saw the headline and was like, No.
And then I read the article really fast.
It was just horrifying.
And he was like, Remember when I was onFull… ?
He literally clung to us like we were his feminist life raft.
RT:Like, you were gonna save …
SB:Like we were gonna save him.
Like, Remember when the feminists thought I was cool?
Ive still got it.
I mean, thats just like a fact.
SB:Yeah, he did.
Allana H:On purpose.
SB:Strategically, yeah.
RT:And they did, right?
ANB:He follows all of us.
SB:Yeah, he follows every person on the show.
RT:So, you guys were pretty angry.
SB:So angry.
Thats a great example of just literally everybody in the office being just wild with fury.
It was enraging, you know, for a million reasons.
And we had a long discussion the next day about what to do with the piece.
Like, do we remove it?
Melinda Taub:My grandfather emailed me.
RT:Trolling you?
MT:Yeah, not on purpose, but, yes, very effectively.
SB:Okay, lets talk about that.
I mean, on Twitter, right?
But especially for the writers, can you talk about: Is it cathartic?
Is it communicatively rewarding in some way to get to write a monologue like that?
ANB:Comedy is the only way Ive ever processed information, so its not … And they would cry laughing.
Its just something about me expressing myself makes people laugh.
RT:Was that frustrating to you though that they laughed?
ANB:Yes, extremely, and they [laughed] really hard.
MT:Yeah, I mean, its cathartic.
Its also terrible because we can never turn it off.
Sometimes it just feels like youre just like marinating in a sea of like …
ANB:Poop water.
You have people to share it with at least, which is a good thing.
People must DVR the show, and then go, Not tonight.
Im gonna give it …
I just cannot.
I cannot do this today, but maybe tomorrow, and then maybe Sunday.
So, I also want to …
SB:But we want to do stories that are fun too.
RT:No, they are …
SB:I swear to Jesus Christ, we really do.
RT:Okay, so that leads to the next question.
I first wrote about the show before it was starting.
But it also felt a lot lighter, the responsibility of that.
At the time, I wouldnt have said, Oh, this feels like light and fun.
I mean, it was funny and fun, but the stakes were a lot lower, right?
When you all went into this, there was certainly a political dimension.
You know, incels killing people because women wont have sex with them.
MT:Sam is so mad that Jordan Peterson is Canadian.
SB:Im so angry.
RT:There are a lot of Canadians and Jordan Peterson.
Has that changed the experience of doing comedy?
Allana H:Well, I wonder, you know.
I mean, from outside in, looking at Sam too.
Im speaking for you now.
This is what we do.
My voice might be a little bit higher.
And I think Sam did a fantastic job.
SB:Something shifted for sure in the election.
Weve always chosen difficult subject matter from the very beginning.
It does feel, now, more relentless, and the pace is very fast.
Quite honestly, its impossible to.
It feels like ten years ago.
Allana H:You were happier.
SB:We were happier.
Allana H:We were happier.
SB:And we were …
Even then we were …
I remember seeking relief.
And therell be obstructionists, and it will be crazy, but it wont be likethis.
And then it just got so much worse.
Everything just cranked up.
And now, it is what it is.
RT:There was this period where you sort of had to seek out.
And its not like you had to look hard.
And you did that also with Russia, the Russian trolls interfering in the election.
You were there before the regular media by some measures.
I mean, without going out to seek anything, things are coming at you 90 miles an hour.
Do you wind up ripping up the show multiple times a week?
MT:I mean, we kind of learned not to do that.
Its gotten frustrating, so now we just wait.
SB:And we make a run at put longer-form things up on the board.
The field pieces are longer form.
They take time to process, so we know what those are well in advance.
But we just wait longer now for one big chunk.
Amy H:Yeah.
SB:Oh, no.
Allana H:She hasnt forgotten.
SB:Im very sorry.
RT:You went into that rally knowing you were probably going to get a segment out of it.
Amy H:Oh, yeah.
RT:Can you tell the story of seeing the same guy?
Amy H:Sure.
He and I are technically in a relationship, according to him.
And then we saw him at the inauguration, just as a coincidence.
And then when we were researching … Mike produced the piece.
Hes always in the front row.
His nicknames Front Row Joe, and he really stands out, so we knew he was there.
We just went for him.
Hes actually quite a nice guy.
RT:I want to talk a little bit about the DNA of the show.
The week Paul Ryan resigned, I was watching cable news.
No, Im about to say bad things about it.
I didnt want to malign anybody.
But my husband and I are sitting there.
Like, we get the kids to bed, Paul Ryans resigned.
Hes a tax nerd.
He just … Hes a real ol fashioned conservative.
And hes always been at odds …
And these are people who I trust intellectually and politically.
But like, the actual thing youre communicating.
And theres a weird line there, right?
Like, what job are you doing in a political landscape?
We dont require access to any of these people.
They dont give us …
They dont say yes to us.
They dont want to talk to us.
We dont want to talk to them.
Whats the fucking point?
Like, we have nothing to lose.
They already didnt come on our show, so its okay.
We like it that way.
Does my brain have a greater capacity?
And Im fairly certain the news also has that capability, but we get to use it.
ANB:Thats what were here trying to tell you, Mike.
RT:I was gonna in fact ask Mike both …
Allana H:Youre safe here.
Amy H:What youre wearing today?
Michael Rubens:Im so glad you asked.
First of all, I get in early to pump.
SB:We make him pump in the bathroom.
MR:Cant we just talk about Jordan Peterson?
RT:Mike just wants to talk about Jordan Peterson.
Go, you know, yeah, I think you should say it.
MR:No, Im not gonna say anything about Jordan Peterson.
RT:I assume that youre a fan.
MR:Oh, such a fan.
ANB:Yeah, were not gonna stop talking about diversity to talk about Jordan Peterson.
RT:Thats how Jordan Peterson always wins.
So, I think that probably matters for a Paul Ryan story, right?
Like, it probably matters to not have … to have different sensibilities.
So, can you talk about how that functions, and how you feel like its shaped the show?
Allana H:We have a lot of men who work on our show.
SB:We do.
Allana H:We just only allow one on a panel.
SB:In public.
Allana H:Thats it, thats our limit.
SB:Yeah, I think that it is …
I mean, its essential for us.
Its something that we think about all the time.
Its an ongoing concern for us.
Its something we think about all the time.
I think we can do better.
I think we should do better.
Were always trying to do better.
Its in our heads all the time.
I think that we can always do better, but it makes the show …
I think it makes the show better.
I mean, our show has a different role to play than other late-night shows, from my perspective.
They are on every night.
We are on once a week.
We synthesize things differently.
We have a little bit more time with stories.
ANB:Also, its having multiple people.
I think a lot of workplaces are really happy.
Theyre like, We got a gay.
We look at it another way.
But on our show, theres a lot of us, so you dont have that much.
And you dont have to be the only one.
And you really didnt do it.
SB:Its difficult for that … Its hard to do that really, really, hard to do that.
Even Mikes a harpy.
ANB:And when theres two of you’re able to say, I vouch for that joke.
Someone will laugh at it.
MT:We get so manyGilmorejokes on the show.
RT:You guys also do a lot of Harry Potter jokes, by the way.
RT:Which one of you is responsible?
Are all of you responsible?
SB:We got to meet Daniel Radcliffe last week.
ANB:Yeah, we met Harry Potter.
SB:It was like a really …
Amy H:He watches the show?
SB:He watches the show …
Allana H:He fan girl-ed on our show.
But he was like, Im a big fan of the show.
Amy H:That was not a good accent.
MR:Hello, Im a big fan of the show.
He was exactly like that.
He was just really gentle, wanted to tell us.
And were like, Dont move.
We need to get everybody together, and take a photograph.
Amy H:I think he mightve enjoyed it.
Allana H:I hope he enjoyed it.
Now, my camera.
Now, my … Yeah.
RT:I want to talk to you …
Your job is comedy, but you also wind up doing …
I mean, I recognize it.
Its my job too.
Like, you get people to tell their stories … Youre doing journalism.
ANB:I studied at the Second City.
Im not a journalist.
SB:We went to clown college for the most part.
MR:I feel like its more hero work, but I actually did have some background in journalism.
There, I said it.
Allana H:But you went to theater school.
MR:I did.
RT:You guys have fact-checker, right?
ANB:Shes a journalist.
SB:We do have a lot of … We do have journalists working at the show for sure.
It doesnt make any sense in any other way.
Like, who gets to merge two worlds that really dont seem to mesh well at all?
And I never want to take credit for their work.
But sometimes you do offer … Amy went to the Trump rally.
It was very funny.
Allana and Mike, I have heard, you are going this week to Ireland.
Can you talk about why?
People here may know why.
So you got me, Rebecca.
So, theres a referendum happening on March 25th, its to repeal the Eighth.
Theres an Eighth Amendment in Ireland.
Does anyone know about it?
So, as you could imagine, abortion is illegal, but women are still going to England.
Theyre taking abortion pills.
Women just dont have the same sort of access to health care at all.
And theres so much shame.
My whole body … Ive got goose pimples all over my body.
When I pitched this … SB:Let me just say this, on background: Allanas Irish.
Allana H:Im Irish.
I have 63 first cousins.
This is gonna go really well.
But when I pitched this story, everyone was like, Thats really great, Allana.
So, whats the funny part?
Im like, Ireland.
And that was my pitch, and Im going to Ireland.
SB:Its such an opportunity to be there when history is being made, you know?
I mean …
Allana H:Itll be huge.
SB:Itll be huge.
Allana H:And it will have a ripple effect worldwide.
And America, [the] U.S. does look to Ireland, you know?
At least its illegal there.
And as Ireland is potentially progressing, this country is regressing.
It will be huge.
It will be massive … and its gonna be funny, Sam.
Our show wouldnt exist without the incredible journalism of other people.
We just couldnt … We are synthesizing material, and we …
But we cant call ourselves … Can never … And we never ever …
RT:I know.
I understand that you cant call yourselves journalists.
I think thats the point.
MT:Maybe I just dont know what journalism is.
RT:But the fact that to some degree you are …
I mean, Im not trying to make you guys uncomfortable by forcing to admit youre journalists.
Im just pointing out that …
Allana H:No, after this panel, we are journalists.
ANB:We get our little hat.
Im gonna start licking pens.
RT:You also just got back from doing a field segment in your hometown in California.
This is all just previews for the next few weeks ofFull Frontal.
ANB:This is actually a good example of the journalism-comedy divide.
And half the district is white, and half the district is really diverse.
And weve had a Republican congressman for 30 years.
And so …
RT:Is it Ed Royce?
ANB:… he retired.
Ed Royce, he retired.
I dont have billboard money.
And then he just retired, so all my plans were for nothing.
But it is one of those things where it kept being like, its about …
Lets go to my hometown.
And then it became news, and then we could do it.
But we werent going to do original reporting.
Like, if reporters didnt start writing about this race, this pitch probably wouldnt have gotten picked.
Because Im not a journalist.
And then we called journalists.
We talked to journalists at the O.C.Register, and the L.A.Times, and our fact-checker worked.
So, its more like not activism, but ideology, because youre obviously ideologically invested, right?
SB:No, I mean, thats just … Its grounding for the whole show.
Listen, Im fucking 48 years old.
I said it before, but Ill say it again.
I had nothing to lose by making this show.
I had only to gain.
To finally have the opportunity to just be like, Well, fuck all that.
Lets just see what we get.
It really was just like a grand experiment in a lot of ways.
And for that, Im ever so grateful.
Theres no other way to do the show.
We all care about it.
The show couldnt exist if we didnt.
It wouldnt be right to do something that we didnt care about.
It doesnt make any sense for us.
I think the show would cease to exist if we did that.
Its really hard work.
Amy H:What if you dont?
RT:Well, that too.
Some jam on it.
I really enjoyed it.
Im not gonna lie.
Everyone was so happy.
So, Im hoping that theres a royal wedding every weekend.
Because British taxpayers are paying for it.
No more weddings for you guys.
Allana H:Dont ruin the … yo, I just have this one thing.
No, I loved it.
Allana H:Yeah, he was tweeting … You woke up at 6:30 in the morning.
I was following you.
You were tweeting [about] her dress.
MR:Yeah, my daughter said, Wake me up at 4 so we can watch.
I was like, What?
Allana H:I told Rebecca I was gonna work this into her panel.
RT:Im so glad were finally talking about the royal wedding.
MR:Its really hard to disconnect.
It really is hard to disconnect.
Amy H:I think wine helps.
Turning your phone on airplane before bed.
It was really nice.
I really recommend it, but then you do feel irresponsible, and like, something couldve happened.
I recommend that, just turn the phone off.
SB:I think I do a terrible job of self-care.
I dont think I do a good job at all.
Yeah, I dont have any secrets.
I dont sleep with my phone next to me, if that counts.
RT:Is that a new … Is that an innovation in your life?
SB:Thats a new … Thats an innovation.
Yeah, Im not excellent at it.
RT:You cook.
SB:I do love to bake.
RT:I know, Im answering for you.
I find that so helpful.
It just dislocates my …
It takes my brain and bifurcates it.
RT:Do you drive around Manhattan?
SB:I do not do that.
Like, that I find very relaxing.
Not like speedily, or anything.
Like at a nice normal family pace.
MT:I got really into those Canadian ice dancers.
Theyre definitely in love.
No, I really just like …
I lean really hard on my friends and family, really hard sometimes.
And I just attempt to … Just like low, low emotional stakes.
Just have a break.
And Im very not athletic, so thats most things for me.
And then I got …
So, either she was really taking one for the team, or she was into it.
SB:What do you do for self-care?
You write a book about womens anger, and it helps you relax.
RT:I know.
Its the happiest Ive been.
RT:… saying earlier that …
ANB:You didnt interview us?
RT:Well, I mentioned it a couple times.
There is a lot about the show in the book.
Somebody needs me to do this job of both being angry myself, and saying how angry I am.
And going through history, it has been wildly cathartic for me.
And I get to do that in my job atNew YorkMagazine too.
I get to be angry in the pages ofNew York, which is great.
Writing the whole book about women being angry has actually like …
I wanted to exercise more.
Its been a good experience.
SB:A really good one.
