Good Night, and Good Thirst

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S1: And he’s got. Went to bed and so must.

S2: Oh, hello, Nicole.

S3: Hi there. Hi. I wonder what that redacted was about because it wasn’t our usual redacted, was it? No, it was not. I think our listeners are clever enough to read between the lines, between the title of this episode and and that redacted that maybe we are saying farewell. Oh, my God, Nicole. Oh, my God. Oh, man. This is the second time in as many years that we are saying goodbye. Oh, my God.

S4: And this time.

S5: This is the end, I think we have to fight it between us, the two of us, that we need to first aid kit as a weekly podcast. Yes, right.

S6: You know, this year has been very challenging to say what a euphemism that’s been challenging.

S5: All right. And it has been we have found ourselves in a bit of a creative rut sometimes with the show, which, you know, is no one’s fault but the world.

S7: Wow.

S8: What a beautiful pushing over to the next. You know what, though? Nicole, you’re not wrong. I do think it’s important for us to stress that this is our decision. We have sat down, we have crunched the numbers, such as they are essentially we basically sat on a family done. I want to get wood on farm. And and then we had like a slightly more in-depth conversation about this.

S9: And much as we love the show, I think it’s time to just kind of, you know, shut the door in a very soft way. There are no slam doors. This is the good wife. No one is sliding some shit on someone’s desk. No, it’s a very genteel operation. But it’s time for us to kind of draw a veil over this particular part of the life of first aid kit.

S10: Yes. And again, we want to stress this is our decision. Yep. We found a new home at Slate, which has been great. We’re so grateful that we were able to have this time to put out more episodes. You know, there’s no drama.

S3: We just want to make that. Listen, the Internet loves to sniff around. Thank you for saying it. Mary J.

S8: There was no iteration of coloration in this Doonesbury. Everyone was just having a good time.

S4: Yes, but we just we just need to move on from the show. And again, we’re starting the weekly podcast is over.

S10: We may continue to do live shows at some point when the world opens back up. We are definitely open to that. We hope people reach out to us.

S5: We also want to make sure that people know that, yes, we do own a first aid kit between us and so we can do whatever we want with it.

S3: Yep. So, you know, look out for so much maybe. Yeah.

S10: So, you know, if people want to reach out to us about because I still want to do an anthology series based on our travels because the writing that we did was so good, I refuse to even be fake.

S8: Modest. You’re completely correct. We crushed it every fuckin week. I mean some people crushed it more than others. Let’s be very fair. But I also think I’m just saying, like, there’s no point even just like like we know. But I do I do want to stress, like Nicole said, and I want to stress what she has already stressed. This is on our own terms. This this iteration of first aid kit is an identity is closed, but we are still very much out there, out here even. And if there are opportunities for us to do stuff, live shows of frickin live tour, maybe all that other stuff that we can kind of take the time to gather and do something, we definitely are 100 percent open to that. We want to be on the road again. I miss movie nights. I love interacting with those buckets who come out. I mean, people have been in tears of, like, joy and camaraderie.

S10: I remember Magic Mike, someone was crying when we left Magic Mike because she was just so, like, overwhelmed by the express right.

S8: I remember the time we put on Dirty Dancing on the day of the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearing. And there was a woman there with her, like her niece. And she was like, this is her first time watching Patrick Swayze. And I looked at that girl’s eyes and I thought to myself, something has happened.

S10: Yes, we have changed a life today.

S7: I don’t want to put myself as some kind of doctor on the frontier, but I do want to say we’re out here changing lives for like, sure, I haven’t done a heart transplant, but I have done many a third transplant and I am very pleased with our record.

S10: Yes. Yes. So we are open to see. I they could continue in more specific ways than just a weekly podcast. How did this get made? Holla at us. We are more than ready to go on tour and you know, be a guest on the show one time.

S8: I’m just saying, Jason, you can’t come on our show and chant our entire listenership and then just like, piss out. So you want to come out and do some shows and how did this get made? So let’s get it made. You see what I did. I’m so sorry. I apologize to everyone involved. But Nicole is right. I think we definitely want to explore. And again, the very important thing which we haven’t even said in straight terms is all of this is possible because we have such a sustained listenership, like the people who tune in. We’re talking from like hour day ones to the people who discovered us because we you know, they found us on another podcast or they reply to something on Twitter and there we were or whatever. Like, I appreciate every single one. We appreciate every single one of our listeners. And we reserve a lot of love for the people who have not only taken the ride with us from the beginning, but had at every turn have been out there telling people about us buying tickets to our live shows, sending in emails. People who sent in their travels, which I know for many people was like a big undertaking because it’s very exposing, as we well know, when we write our own travels to be putting yourself out there like that. So all of this is down to a very, very loyal and loving listenership. So we want to thank the first Puckett’s for writing with us this far. And just to let you know, this is not the end of first aid kit as a concept or as a thing, because, listen, we have been out here in these streets. We I mean, I want to be modest about it, but fuck Modesty’s 20-20, we were at the we were at the top of the wave, you know, like there was a recent Vanity Fair who kind of helped encapsulate this perfectly. People have been calling twenty nineteen or twenty twenty or twenty eighteen. The European women, blah blah blah blah. Guess what, we were there first. We did it, we did it first. We did it first. We did it really well and we continue doing it well. And part of the reason for that is that we had a listenership that was ready and waiting and really supportive and encouraging and just really with us in a way that I think we have been very lucky to experience. And I want to stress how thankful we are to every single listener who downloaded who told people about us and who. Kind of essentially wrote odes of beauty and love for the work we were doing on Thursday. So thank you. We do appreciate you.

S10: Yes. Thank you to all of our listeners. Everyone who reviewed us, wrote about our episodes, know four different places online. It has been it has been a journey. You know, we did not invent desire. We did not invent left. We did not invent women expressing desire or lust. But we definitely helped shape the language around it, current day language around it. And, you know, we don’t want to say that we were the first people here. But, you know, there have been a lot of people who have been horny on main, shall we say. Yes. But we were able like themselves to put it in in a particular accessible way, I think. And that is part of our success because we have so many different people from all different walks of life talking to us about how the show has affected them, which we love to hear. We really appreciate that. Whether you are someone who is trying to relearn how to express yourself after, you know, some tragedy or you’re just someone who just never had the chance and never thought that you could say these things. We’re glad that we were here for you and we hope that you have taken whatever you learn from us and that you keep expanding your vocabulary.

S11: As the scholar she came out, I fully I mean, there’s nothing to add, Nicole, you already nailed it. So with that, I think we can get on with the show. We’re not sad about this. And you should not be sad about it either. This is not the end. It is merely a firm shutting of the door of one door in a house of many doors.

S10: Exactly. Exactly.

S11: So this episode isn’t a full on farewell, is it, Nicole?

S3: No, it’s not. This is just a we’ll meet again someday soon kind of thing. You know, wartime time romance. This is not a good bye. See you later. That’s why I love that, Nicole. But we do want to share a few things.

S10: We asked on Twitter if there were any redacted that you wanted us to reveal. And as all our listeners know, the redacts are what we begin each episode with and we bleep out certain words. And actually, you know, they’re actually very innocent and sweet.

S3: There’s nothing there’s nothing naughty about them at all. But we just want our listeners to fill in the blanks with their own imagination, with their own imaginations. But we will share the originals for a few of them. Yes.

S8: Yes, exactly. This is definitely something that people it’s been weird to see people kind of misunderstand, in a way, what the redacted segment at the top of the show is. It’s not erotic fiction, as we have seen in a couple of otherwise very lovely and accurate reviews. It is a sort of game. We can’t we’re not going to use the name of the copyrighted game. That was definitely an inspiration for us. But it is a case of fill in the blanks. And like Nicole said, they are very often sweet, almost always deeply silly. And the beep is always the place where you get to, you know, like Craig David sang Fill Me In, you get to go on in and, you know, make it what you want it to be. And I have to say, a lot of you are really filthy because Nicolina out here writing sweet little odes to our faves. Ah, you’re out there imagining some dirt.

S3: I’m almost embarrassed to reveal what we have written, but you know what I like. Let’s go for it.

S8: All right, OK, so one of the requests we got was for a redacted revealed for the Chris Evans episode, which you may remember from our very first season finale, we’d had like a really wonderful run of episodes. And then we landed the very big fish of Mr. Chris Evans. Hi, Chris. I know you’re not listening, but hello, Chris. This people it’d be nice of you pop by if you’re in New York in the future. We still want to have that drink.

S3: Yes. I leaned to the mike to say yes. All right.

S8: So, Chris, call us anyway. We did a redacted for that episode, which is very difficult because once you’ve spoken to a first object, it becomes infinitely harder to write something very silly and suggestive about them. But anyway, here we go. Chris wraps his hand around my ankle as he tightens his grip to use it to pull me closer. I see his bicep flex. He lowered his head slowly, tilt it to the side, never taking his eyes off. My new tattoo is that. Is that for me? He asks. I bought my lip and nod wordlessly.

S3: His laughter is pure and delighted.

S8: So all the exaggerated emphasis I put on those words, those were the original bleeps. But you see how sweet and lovely that was. That was just Chris congratulating me on a new tattoo. But you people took it to some filthy places and I’m proud of you.

S3: Who are you going to do next?

S10: Many people ask about the Charlie Cox redacted that I did, so yes, here is that.

S12: OK, I’m ready. Charlie stretches his upper body towards the sun, the hair on his chest glinting. I watch droplets of sweat run down his neck and I involuntarily lick my lips.

S3: Oh, yeah. That really could have gone. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

S8: Somehow his upper body towards the sun is not nearly as suggestive as what the bleep did.

S4: Yes. Yes.

S10: OK, so this next one that I did was for Brian Tyree Henry.

S8: I love that episode. I love it so too. But I also as much as I love the conversation that we had about Brian, this redacted in particular is so the opposite of sexy in every way that it is a wonder that Nicole got this to sound as disgustingly dirty as she did. Kudos to you, Nicole.

S10: You really think you turn over, lie on your belly? I tell Brian I pressed a thumb into a pimple on his back. He inhales sharply. Do you want me to keep going? I ask. Yeah, he moans into the pillow.

S7: OK, so now listen, there was only one long beep in this redacted and it was covering a pimple on his back.

S3: Yep. I’ve never been so repulsed and delighted. While you read a redacted in the whole history of the show. It’s a pimple. Yes. But you know that it’s also a part of intimacy, right? Like I didn’t say it wasn’t intimate because I said it was disgusting. I mean, you know, take it is terrible for you. Let me put this pimple on your back. Is that what they’re calling it now? Yes. Let me bust this pimple on your back. Hope you have what? You have another one, right? I do. I do.

S8: I really enjoyed this one as well, because, again, it was just the very basic drawable that was elevated by a well timed beep. So Joshua Jackson listeners may remember that episode is one in which Nicole and I essentially overheated and combusted in the studio because Casey Whitman. Anyway, this was about Joshua.

S13: Open up, Joshua said as he dipped his French fries in the ketchup and pressed it to my lips. I shouldn’t, I murmured. But I opened wide anyway.

S6: And Nancy, just a bit a chip spade’s just some chips, just a chip and some ketchup.

S8: It was very, very innocent. But again, a well time will do wonders.

S10: It really will.

S8: All right. And this one is actually quite recent. This next one that you’re going to read from. People do love this particular character. And you wrote something wonderful for him, didn’t you?

S10: Yes, I. You know, I did. Yes.

S3: Don’t be modest. I did. She said yes.

S12: Hot farmer Jeremy pulled out his guitar and settled down in front of the bonfire. His voice came out strong and I settled in for more.

S7: You know, she said his voice came out strong. Is that what came out strong?

S3: I see. I see. I see. I see. I love.

S6: You know what?

S8: Sometimes I think to myself, what surgery would I get? I’d make my tongue longer so I could do a much more satisfying auntie cackle. I know that’s not the surgery people expect, but it’s the one I want. Nicole, you have a final redacted revealed from, again, another of our very, very popular episodes about a tiny, tiny Scottish dynamo.

S10: Oh, you know, I love me. A pocket rocket.

S3: I know you do. Yes. James McAvoy. OK, James, hold the spoon in front of my mouth.

S12: I close my eyes as a bittersweetness, flaps my tongue. Only you, I say, can make me take that cold medicine. That’s disgusting, foul, filthy.

S3: She said, a bitter sweetness. And I’m going to travel to where you are in Brooklyn and fight you physically in your own home.

S8: Because you said Kathy, you said a bittersweetness floods my tongue. And I don’t know about the rest of the first bucket, but I began to find myself. My I my armpits were they were spicy. They really were.

S6: What a time to time.

S8: So we hope you enjoyed that little peek behind the curtain of a redacted. As we said, it was all sweet fluff and you people made it. Disgusting, and till the day I die, I will thank you all for taking part in that needless transaction of disgusting filth.

S10: I love you all for your imaginations. Disgusting.

S8: One of the things I really loved about doing this show weekly was that sometimes we got to bring in a guest and not just any guests. We were very lucky. We put out about five hundred million requests to get some amorphous object faves in the ring. And oftentimes it was like, oh, they can’t do it because there’s that. And it was like, Oh, man, because as Nicole and I would often say privately, Oh man, that would have been the best interview of so and So’s career. And we were right. I think I think again, with the ring false modesty out with the final episode, we would have rocked the world interview was, wouldn’t we?

S10: Absolutely. I mean, we are phenomenal interviewers. We ask great questions. We are charming. One of the things and this is not just us saying this, anyone who has been our producer have been behind the window with us, has seen the way our guests fall for us that are they are so charmed by us. You know, I’ve tweeted this before, but a lot of times we ask for just 30 minutes of their time because we’re trying to be respectful of their very busy schedules and we end up getting two hours worth of conversations from them because they were so impressed by us. They were so interested in what we were talking about and we were just great.

S3: OK, that’s it. I mean, I don’t know. I’m thinking about legally changing my name to bim toot toot. I mean, because honestly, all we do is win.

S8: Like, I have listened to some of those interviews as if I didn’t have conduct them. And I’m just kind of like, oh, that’s a great question. I mean, myself, like it’s like we’re out here and just kind of like doing what I think is some of the better interviewing on podcasts about a topic that we think deserves this much space and maybe even more pop culture, desire, lost female desire, all that good stuff. But we were lucky enough to get quite a few people in either on the phone or via Skype or in person. And I guess we can just do a little quick rundown of some of our favorite moments from some of the guests that we had who were game enough to kind of have a conversation with us in the studio. I’m going to talk very quickly about the very first celebrity first object that we had in the studio, and that was Charlie Cox. And I think he was a little bit apprehensive is a strong word, but I think he didn’t know what to expect. You know, like he came to the studio. He had a couple of his people with him and he had like a look of someone who was kind of like, what have I signed up for? Vlessing? And then he came in, you know, and there were cameras there because, of course, there is video of this of this interaction. And you can see him like his shoulders are a little bit high.

S3: He’s kind of like, I don’t know what this is. By the end of it, we are laughing across the desk and we are like, that was also the one where he was kind of like, Oh, I like your earrings then. And then you were like, Oh, I’m wearing earrings to Charlie.

S6: No, no, that’s not what happened. No, I don’t.

S3: I just love that story so much to correct the record. Correct the record. No, I think he he did say he liked your earrings. And then I think I was I said something and he was like, oh, I like yours too. And I was like, you don’t have to do that like yet.

S6: I just love the way you were just like, that’s enough. And it made me laugh because he was just even so clearly, you know, trying to kind of get a measure of us and like being polite and nice.

S3: And you were like, Okay, Charlie, I appreciate that in your pocket.

S6: But it was very much a a parent thing, right?

S3: Yeah, sure. That all the siblings got equal love.

S6: Right. Right. And he was like, oh shit. I should. Yeah. And I love him for that.

S8: To me was the first moment when I thought, oh, he’s a sweetheart like this is going to be this is going to be great. And I just loved I loved everything that followed that, you know, we were asking him questions that you could tell he had been asked in quite that way. And, you know, we were interested in the work, but also in the core mission of the podcast, which is to kind of like investigate the ideas of, you know, female desire and the fact that, you know, as Charlie Cox but also as Daredevil, like, you know, Matt Murdock, there was some people who had some feelings like, you know, we spent a lot of time talking about the hallway, the one hallway fight. Yeah. But not doing it in the usual terms of, like, technical ability, like, oh, and then we were just kind of like. So did you know when you were filming it that was going to be hot?

S10: Right. Let’s talk about those black jeans, Charlie.

S7: Like I mean, you ask the amazing question of like, sir, do you wax or do you shave? And he was like wax, you know? And I was like, this is the DL. You don’t get any other.

S10: Right, because so often women are asked, OK, so what was your diet in order to get into the Catwoman suit or whatever? And it’s not it’s not about how much work did the women put into their characters. It’s about what did you do to your body to get so skinny that that kind of thing. And when men are talking about their workout routine as actors, they get like this full spread in men’s health and we see their trainers and all this kind of stuff, which is great.

S5: We appreciate that. But also, how do you feel about all of this work that you’re doing to your body and the ways people’s perceptions of you change with that? Right, right. Men don’t get asked that. So we ask those questions and you can see them just kind of being like, huh? And they will tell us. They will say no one’s ever asked me that before.

S8: Right. Which to me is like I always I always have like a little like bump of pride when they say that because I’m like, yeah, you just because you haven’t been interviewed.

S3: Right. So. Right. You haven’t been interviewed correctly. You haven’t been interviewed by black women. How about that. How about how about that’s why don’t you catch me outside Nicole. How about that.

S8: Like that was always the thing that I would always kind of tick off the minute someone in an interview says, oh, I’ve never been asked that before. And I’m like, well, welcome, you’re in. You’re breathing in rarified air right now.

S10: So, yeah, because we also try to make sure that we ask our guests, our celebrity guests, when are you going to put some black women in your movies and TV shows leading roles? Because some of them did have the clout to do that, you know, to make to make some recommendations about who they wanted. And, you know, it’s interesting. This isn’t a gift that we had, although we tried our best to make it happen. But we did an episode about Jake Gyllenhaal. And as we were trying to make some things happen, his people let us know that they had listened to the episode and listened to our critique of him because he talks a good game and he is very you know, he seems to be a feminist. Right. But a lot of the work that he had done was not with a woman director. It was not with a female director. And, you know, his people let us know.

S5: And they said you’ll be happy to know that his next film, he’ll be working with a female director. And we were like, oh, OK.

S6: Thank you.

S7: Thank you for making that note. You know what would be better if you also tell them to come on the show? But that’s a story for another day. But I was, again, edified to kind of hear that, oh, people are listening and they say he took on the job because two black women critiqued him.

S3: Right. But I’m also saying, didn’t he I mean, what part of the. I don’t I’m making a lot of stuff up.

S8: But anyway, my point is his people listened, they heard and they responded to that. And I do think that that was a small responsibility that I was very happy to kind of have in those situations where we got a chance to present questions. I know that Nicole had a whale of a time when Wilson Bethel came into the studio as well.

S3: Oh, my gosh. He is so like I oh my gosh.

S10: I was really confused for a while after he left because I was like, do I like him?

S3: You know, like I said, in real life.

S10: But yeah, he was really he was really sweet and charming and just game for all of our questions. And, you know, he was physically in the studio with us and he even took time to leave a little message for one of our coworkers, Alana Benitz, who had also been on the show as a guest before. And, you know, he was just really sweet and thoughtful.

S3: And he was he let us take pictures with him all over the place. And he was just great. He was. He really was.

S8: I remember just like the moment where we will talk because we know we’re both fans of Heart of Dixie loved Wade Kinsella, the character he played on it. And we were saying how much we loved Wade. And we watch the show above a block. And then he just did a Wade impression. And I remember Nicole and I essentially liquefying and sliding to the ground because we were just puddles were going up.

S7: So that was my that was my least professional moment was when he did the Wade Boys. And I was like, you know, what opened the studio door?

S3: I need some air. I am so sweaty right now. I’m blessed. He kind of like grinned really wicked. It’s like, oh, yeah. See, I was like, I love you. I love you. What a game guy.

S5: One of the things that happens a little later in life is doing the show. Someone, you know, was kind of like, you know, be careful when you’re interviewing some, you know, these guys. Make sure that you remember that they’re married or whatever. Don’t get too thirsty, so that that bothered me because we have always been professional, even as we joke with these people and Wilson Bethel was joking with us, and when he did the way Cancela voice, I was like, OK, stop playing it. You know, I gave it a little back to him. But also I was in the middle of asking him a question and I wanted to stay on task with my question and, you know, keep it as professional as possible, even as we stay jokey and funny and silly and whatever. And there has never been anything inappropriate. Like, we don’t really need to say this, but I feel like I’m just going to say it anyway. There’s never been anything inappropriate.

S3: As much as people would like there to be a real big Tsoukas situation, there is none. Or maybe there is and you’ll never know. Who knows? But the point is, you don’t need to tell us to remain professional because we always are. Exactly. Thanks for saying. And I feel exactly the same way.

S7: I don’t think we need to. But bearing in mind some of the replies is like, first of all, who do you think we are? Like, this isn’t a movie, this is real life. Like we are doing a job. It’s a very fun job. And it is for sure entertaining for you to listen to and for us to conduct. But yes, we were always doing a job and I don’t know if I remember seeing those messages are kind of being like, huh, I don’t know why you would would you do this with and again, not to make this Essentialists, but I was like, would you ask a man like, what? What am I doing here? What is this? What do you want to flirt with this person and a feeling away? So you’re projecting? I don’t know. But like Nicole said, we always turned up, did a great job.

S8: And the result is always in the fun tone. You can hear in the interviews. Everybody is relaxed and able to give really thoughtful, smart, engaged answers because they are having a good time. And I think there is no better situation to ask tough questions about something so personal and so intrinsic that is in humanity than when everybody’s kind of laughing. And, you know, we’ve lubricated the conversation with banter and like, chill laughs. And the door then opens a little bit wider. People are able to kind of give more of themselves. So I always love having people in house or on the phone or via computer or whatever, because I love the transition from them being a little bit, you know, stiff at the beginning of an interview.

S11: And then by the end of it, which, as Nicole pointed out, is often way more than the allotted time because they’re having so much fun. And by the end of it, we’re all kind of cackling and having a really good time. And at the same time, we have asked some fairly probing and searching questions about a fundamental things such as culture and desire. And that always feels to me like a big win.

S10: Right.

S12: And I also want to say that anyone who did come into the studio that we saw physically in person, they were not only kind to us, but kind to our producers and acknowledged everyone that was around us in a very gracious and kind way.

S5: So we don’t have any regrets about anybody that we interviewed. Well, which is very rare.

S3: OK, that’s right. And we are not just saying this, but like the air we don’t, like, get off the Internet. Kind of like what a bastard.

S8: Literally, at the end of every interview I have turned to Nicole and Nicole has turned to me and we’ve said, wow, I’ll taste is amazing because these people are amazingly warm, kind, personable, very human. And that always kind of just like, again, it’s that thing about just thinking to yourself, huh?

S3: I did pick right. I was right to have a crush on you that Blair Underwood came to our studio. He was the last I saw in person before the pandemic hit and everything.

S10: But Blair Underwood came to our studio and he was so kind to everyone that he saw. It was amazing to see one of our coworkers was walking by.

S3: She did like this double take that are stopping was adorable. And he just kind of smiled and acknowledged it and kept talking to us. You know, he she was so kind.

S5: So our producer, Jake Johnson, had a moment with our producer, Cher, because they’re both from Chicago and she was wearing her Chicago Cubs shirt. And so he gave her some love.

S10: And it was so again, everybody has always been very kind to us. And it just helped drive home like TMZ that we know what the hell we’re doing and picking the people that we want to talk to and talk about. Exactly. So we’re just going to run through really quick all of our celeb thirst object guests just to acknowledge them. Say thank you one more time.

S3: And we really appreciate you giving us your time when you didn’t have to and when you had no idea what we were going to talk about. And that is Chris Evans, Robert E. Coli, a real Richie. Charlie Cox, Booboos Wilson, Bethel, Wyatt Cenac, I want to do a different side for everybody, OK? Blair Underwood, Jason Mizuki’s Rühle, Jake Johnson, eight, a Mark Rhodia. A Daniel Day Kim.

S6: And Kendrick Sampson, a you like that, that was very difficult. Yes, I ran outside, but I tried my best. Thank you so much for indulging me, Nicole.

S8: So we also want to thank some other guests who not everybody got to see, but hopefully all our listeners got to hear because the good thing about doing our live shows is that they often ended up on the podcast anyway, so that even if you weren’t able to join us at our live event, you still got a taste of what had gone down. And we had some really wonderful live shows, which, again, like Nicole said at the top of the show, we hope to continue doing in some capacity once the world reopens. But we had Alex Jones was one of our our guests, our very first live showcase. And in fact, maybe the first man that we had on the show, kind of like talking about Thurso. Shout out to you, Alex. You are a pioneer in this field. We also had critiqued by the COCHINO who was our second guest on that live show, Carol Grant, who was a guest on our very first international live show.

S10: Do you remember? Yes, I do.

S8: That was fun. And our other guests from that same night was Tecoma Matilda, who had a lot of thoughts about Richard III, if I remember correctly. Thank you all for coming on our show and being amazing live show guests. We appreciate you so much.

S10: Now, we also have plenty of guests in the studio with us, some of them, because they were in a different country or different states, joined us via phone.

S3: But we were able to get so many pop culture experts, those experts, you know, to talk to us about who they were feeling, who we were feeling. And it was all just it was, you know, it was beautiful.

S5: I’m just going to say it like to see all the people that we talked to and to hear them give no one some incredible pop culture analysis and no to just some fun giggles and incredible good times. So we want to go through this list very quickly again to say thank you so much for being a part of the show and helping us, you know, leave this legacy of thirst.

S11: Oh, Nicole, she’s ladies and gentlemen. She is a poet.

S3: I love this legacy of firsts, bitch. Yes. OK, now, I’m not going to do any sounds. You know what? I’m not going to do any sounds either. Go all the way. Do you this.

S10: OK, so we’ve got Cynthia Harris critique of Khazanah, Brigitte Minimoys, Gina more barett. I’m sorry.

S3: That’s just as one of my favorite legend, a legend in her own time.

S5: Oh, shout out to Eugene Ballu, baby Lola, Danny Lavery, Chafey Clayton, Kendra James, Alana Bennett, Alexis Nedd, Brittany Luthe, SS Can’t Cathy too.

S10: And Tobin Lo of Nancy podcast. Hunter Harris Is She OK? Smith and Kira Chambers of Cheers and Queers. Nicole Cliff, Ashley C. Ford Dreer Donna Rowland a Matt Belleci Aminatta So and and Freeman of call your girlfriend Teekay detests Julia Freelon, Camila Salazar, Rebecca Wetherspoon, Vari McFarlan, Alyssa Kohl, Jasmine Kry, Alicia Rey and Roxane Gay and give it a try and say gay.

S3: Oh my hearing. You read those people’s names. I have got her in the chest. I said I wasn’t going to cry or get like no over-the-top emotional and I’m gonna go.

S6: I said I’m not OK.

S8: But hearing you read those names, I’m just remembering, talking to these people has filled me with a very a very soothing warmth that we got to reach out to people. And more often than not, in fact, almost always, the response was one of excitement and happiness that they got to talk about the stuff that was exercising them specifically in this arena. And they all did it so well. Again, much like celebrities, objects kind of being exactly what we had hoped for them to be. All of our guests were just amazing. And, you know, Nicole and I think we do a really great job on the show. I mean, it’s important for us to think that otherwise we would be able to put a show up. But what I love is that every single one of our guests enhanced what was already present. And that is a rare thing. And I’m so glad that the chemistry mix was always, always right. And people really came on and were able to talk about the things that. They wanted to talk about and we were open to that, and, yeah, I love all of our guests, every single one of them, they really added some real some real value to already what we thought was a pretty solid product. And then they came on and it was like, oh, but now it’s edged in gold. So thank you to all our guests. So thank you to the green space in Manhattan, where we had our very first live show, thank you to Hot Dogs, where we did our first international live show. Thank you to Netflix, who helped us put on a screening for to all the boys got. Remember that? Thank you to sci fi, who we did a live show with, thanks to the co-hosts of Fan Girls. So Show Martinets and Pretty Chuba. Thank you to the Sundance Film Festival. You remember that, Nicole? I do. That was this year, amazingly, of thank you to Facebook. We did a live show with them. Thank you to New York Comic-Con. We hope to come back one day and we hope you’ll let us back in because we had fun at Comic-Con. Thank you. The Alamo Drafthouse, the very first place that we did, what, about 30 movie nights? Everyone remembers the Magic Mike night because that was a raucous night. Thank you also to the IFC Center, which is where we did point break and also to see dancing. And speaking of movies. Thank you for the movie. This one’s for the ladies who we put on a screening with, as well as a Q&A with a couple of the stars.

S11: And it was a fun time at the cinema. I’ve never blush so hard watching. It’s so thank you to every single one of our collaborators. We we just are grateful and thankful that you took the time to kind of accommodate us and take care of us.

S10: And we hope to do much more with you in the future before we get into what may be our last dreidels as a weekly podcast.

S3: A lot of wonderful caveats.

S6: Yes, I appreciate that.

S10: We do want to talk about the significance of them and writing them almost every week and what that’s meant to us and what that’s meant to our listeners. It has been such a fun exercise for me. I you know, I love romance novels. We both do. I have always wanted to write a romance novel. And so writing these travels has helped me realize that maybe I can actually do that and I might be good at it and that I can write something that’s not, you know, even though I get the I get the steamy label between the two of us, even though there’s hardly ever any actual sex that happens in my travels, I do write other things. And so writing these travels and being able to write around the stuff that happens in the bedroom or elsewhere has been important to me because it helps me realize, wow, that I could do this, that maybe writing a romance novel is actually on the agenda. So thank you. I appreciate that. I appreciate all the people who you know, first let me Nicole, when are we going to get this?

S3: And a romance novel. That’s the voice. That’s how I hear it when I see tweets. That was uncanny. Yeah.

S10: I really appreciate everybody encouraging me to write the romance. I write an extended version of the travels that I’ve put out. So thank you. I want to also thank them for her encouragement when we write these travels and we share them. And, uh, you know, thank you them for the idea of doing this.

S6: I came up with the idea of traffic stop, stop crying. I said I wasn’t there. Know we’re not crying. You can’t you can’t say thank you, babe, in a soft voice. And it’s going to be like, OK, like, come on. Yeah, thank you. But, you know, and you’re like, don’t cry, bitch. And I’m crying.

S3: So anyway. Oh yeah. So thank you.

S10: Thank you to all the listeners who, you know, put aside their anxieties and their fears and wrote to us, sent in their travels, maybe some of them were for the first time that they were actually writing something. Some people they said they had stopped writing for a long time and, you know, they heard us and went back to writing. So we really appreciate that. That made us feel incredible. Thank you. I you know, I’m not going to say I won’t ever write another travel again because I really enjoyed the exercise of it.

S12: But this has been you know, I really appreciate it writing the travels to think, oh, my God.

S6: Oh, all right. Well, wow, I don’t know what to say now.

S7: I am so glad that we had the conversation about things to fill the show with it, this exploration of, you know, desire.

S11: Because when we sat down to talk about this, what we knew, the only thing that we had like settled was the main conversation bit. We were going to pick a first object. We were going to talk about we were going to break down the Korea and the various parts of what made them so alluring or whatever, and we were trying and thinking about ways to both engage the audience and to engage ourselves and, you know, switch it up. And I think when we first started, the idea was to maybe do a trouble every other week or every couple weeks.

S7: And very clearly when we started it, the reaction was immediate and it was like incredibly passionate, like you must never, ever stop. We were like a crap every week.

S11: But I’m glad that we did it because, like you said, the exercise of it for years, I thought I was really bad at writing dialogue. And even now I don’t write a lot of dialogue because I’m so worried about it sounding stiff and weird. But having to write these travels every week kind of made me well. It forced my hand to kind of do the thing that I have always been most nervous about. And like you said, I love reading fanfic. It is a huge part of my life has been for a very long time. And so the fact that we got to do this on the show and again, I think fanfic is one of those things that a lot of people engage in, either writing or reading. But it didn’t really feel right, I think, to put that stuff out there. And even now, I don’t like to tell people the exact fanfic I’m reading. I’m I do your research yourself. I’m not going to tell you. So I do love when people kind of say, oh, my God, I’ve gone looking for blah, blah, blah, and I found blah, blah, blah because of something that we said on the show or whatever. So I’m just like Unicol. I am glad and grateful that we got to do it. I’m so glad that we got a a steady audience of people who told us in no uncertain terms that they enjoyed what we were doing and to continue doing it and gave us so much love over the years. Like people still vote in these travels. Years later we put the pole up and people still vote even from the get go. When we said, hey, there are no losers here, we’re all winners. Everyone’s enjoying themselves, but people still take part. People still write emails to Nicole specifically to kind of be like, hey, that rabble, you did fucked me up. And that’s always lovely to hear. Lovely to see. We still get messages on Tumblr. And then the best part of it all is that our fanfic encourage you to write fanfic. And we were very iffy at the beginning, like, oh, can we do this about real people? Because I don’t believe in shipping real people. It’s weird, but we made it very clear again that what we were writing was a source of projection of fantasy onto another set of projections. Like these are just like situations that we wanted to kind of highlight as I suppose, examples of the shape desire can take. And I’m really glad that we got to experiment so much. I think we covered most genres except maybe horror, right?

S3: Yeah, right. I think we covered everything.

S8: Like you could make a very loose, short film off of every single thing that we wrote on the show in these several seasons. So I’m super proud of our travels, too. And yes, I got a little bit like a lead weight in my belly when I realized that I had to travel for this episode. And we didn’t have the normally steadying anchor of a wand first object to base it on. So I don’t know who Nicole has written her fanfic about this week, and I’m excited to find out. But I knew as soon as I like it, we’ll settle that we were going to write drawable. So this episode, I was like, oh, it has to be one of my longest running crushes. And if you listen to the show for more than five minutes, you probably know who it is because I never shut up about him. So I’m excited to read the travel today.

S10: Nicole, I cannot wait.

S6: I’m ready. I’m ready.

S8: Nicole I decided to write my trouble about Andrew Lincoln. Surprise, surprise, surprise.

S6: Who else could it be, really?

S3: Could it be anyone else? Like, I think he may have been the first person I a focused like the first show that I focused, the first object of my own, you know, the British base. Yeah. So it may be er I think that was when I first mentioned it, but like prior to that point I had fancied him for more than half my life like. Right. What was the show teachers or something.

S6: Yeah. Oh I’m going to call you. Really. Oh yes it was.

S8: But even before teachers on this line like teachers is when I fell in love with him. But on this level I remember kind of thinking, who the fuck is that guy? I just like being so enamored of him. And and then that only grew. And then by the time he got to The Walking Dead and they finally paired him with Michaux and played by the like, I was like, bro, there’s nothing you can do. I mean, like, I, I love him. So this struggle is about Andrew Lincoln. It is in a way, a sort of. Parallel story to the end of first aid kit as a podcast, so that’s what I was feeling when I wrote it.

S3: And so that’s what’s here. OK, all right. OK, you ready?

S13: I had Andrew ask from the hallway, followed by the familiar vibrations of his signature tread across the floorboards. We had been here in this house for six years and now it was time to go. He told me many years ago that home was wherever we were, but this building had been witness to so much of our lives, the ups, the downs and naturally the unknown, noteworthy middles and so living now was heavier than anywhere else we’d ever stayed. I leaned my head back against the wall, but kept my eyes closed still and I felt him sink to the floor beside me, denim thigh scraping against my bare leg. Your mom’s handling the movies, he murmured. I think they’ve never had a supervisor quite like her before. I laughed at this, imagining my relatively tiny mother taking on the mountain sized men charged with emptying out our home safely. She lives to order people around. I said I felt his hand reach for mine, placing our fingers loosely together. What’s up, then? He asked, bumping our hands on my thigh. The tone of his voice made me naturally open one eye to peer at him, and he smiled at my inadvertent pirate impression. I mean, I know you’re going to miss this house, but what else? I sighed, knowing what I was going to say was not new and wasn’t even very logical. I just don’t know who I’ll be outside of London, I said. He waited patiently, a thoughtful expression on his face. I know I can write anywhere, I continued, and I know there’s more space and I know life will be less stressful. But London is all I know.

S14: He frowned. But I on what if I hate it? They’re like, what if? He noted a couple of times, and I knew it wasn’t just for show, he always wore his feelings on his face plainly and without apology. If we give this a try and you hate it, he said, waiting for our eyes to connect, then we’ll just move back, he said. Walt. He shrugged, as if this were a simple thing being proposed, we just move back just like that. He nodded again, as if I were being very silly. Yes, we’d move back. You do that for me. You’d let me pack it all up and come back to London. He raised our joined hands and separated them, so he gained gain access to my wrist. He considered it for a moment and then kissed the inside of it. Don’t you know, he said I’d do anything for you. You pulled me into his lap, wrapping his arms around me, bearing his nose in the hollow of my neck, I felt his words rumble through him and into me.

S13: Home is wherever we are. The rest is just geography.

S3: Oh, film is not an allegory for Thursday.

S6: Kids for us, wherever we are.

S3: Niccolò thirst is wherever we are. You are absolutely correct. Thank you. Thank you so much. I am excited to hear who yours is about. I imagine that will be just as much surprise when you reveal who it is. It is Hozier.

S6: I’m shocked. I’m shocked. I am. Wow.

S8: I feel like that meme of that guy.

S3: That video was Nicole writing a travel about a long haired musician called Hozier. I well, I never I absolutely never heard. OK, all right. Take me away, Nicole. Take me somewhere special, OK? And just remember that. Hope here is his stage name, so obviously I would not call him Hozier, you know. Yeah, you’re a romantic, intimate sort. Why would you. All right. Oh my God. You love him so much. This is one of my favorite crushes I have watched play out in your life.

S6: It really bothers me. But anyway, OK.

S12: I’d broken a nail and told Andrew I had to get it fixed right away because of an upcoming meeting, but really we needed a little break even though cities were opening back up. We were both trying to be careful about leaving the house unnecessarily, but our patience with each other was running thin. He was working on new material and had started to become a bit more internal. I had chapters to finish and was scared that the whole book thing had been a waste of time, which meant I wanted more cuddle time at night. When he was in his studio, my manicure repair took maybe 30 minutes, but I was gone about four or five hours, driving around aimlessly, hitting some bookstores for curbside pickups before I went to the ice cream shop he loves. When I got home, I could smell one of my favorite candles had been lit and he wasn’t in his studio, our office, our living room. He wasn’t outside on the patio or near the fire pit. He was in the bedroom lying in the middle of the floor, one of my candles, flickering shadows over him. I rushed to his side, worried he’d fallen. Angel, you’re OK. I brushed his hair back from his face and then he curled his arms around me and pulled my head against his shoulder. He kissed me between my eyebrows. I missed you, he said, dropping another kiss to my nose.

S15: You’re so dramatic, I whispered back to him, settling into his arms, hooking my leg around his waist and letting my fingers curl in his hair. We stayed like that for a moment, listening to the soft crackle of a candle, each other’s breathing, Andrew began to hum something as he stroked my back. It was something new, and I let it soothe me as I briefed him. And I knew not to ask him about the melody rumbling through his chest. He told me when he was ready. My eyes grew heavy as a piece of lying on the floor with him took over. He traced nonsensical lines over my arms and asked me very quietly if I wanted to know what the song was about. I nodded silently with his mouth against my hairline, he said. It’s about a woman who thinks her claws into a man and she breaks one into his skin. He begs her to let it stay. I pulled away to look down at him. He sat up and cupped the hand along my jawline. Will you stay? He asked.

S11: Wow.

S3: I mean, oh, well, we last travel, I guess.

S6: Oh, I just want to write a song for me. I mean, I don’t know.

S7: I think you were pretty quiet about it. I don’t think there’s any way he can read that and come to that conclusion.

S6: Wow. Wow.

S3: Oh, my God. I’m so.

S11: Oh, I’ve always replenished when I listen to your read one of your own travels, it gives me such a bone deep pleasure because I know I know just how you’re going to make me move.

S3: I don’t know. I love I listen, I’ve already said this. If I had the money, I would be bankrolling you in any number of projects. But, you know, I don’t have the money. But the minute I do it, the money touches my bank account. I’m like, all right, just funnel it back. I’ll give it to Nicole. I make some shit. You’re very good at this. Nicole, has anyone ever told you that?

S6: No. No. OK, all right. Well, let me be the first.

S7: Good job. Well done.

S8: That was amazing. That was lovely. And that was perfect. Adam. Wow. There’ll be a poll on Twitter. But honestly, guys, just accept the riches. You could vote if you want, but, you know, they call. And I feel very strongly that we win every single week. And it’s nice to include you on that. And you guys are always, always so vocal about your love and enjoyment of the troubles. And please feel free to go onto our Twitter, which is at first aid kit and just, you know, drop a little drop a little a little acknowledgement that you see us and that maybe you miss some of our weekly travels because we are going to miss them, too. OK, so this is the bit of the show, what we do our credit. But since this is the last time we’re doing this for our weekly podcast, we wanted to kind of throw it way back and say a big thank you to not only our current researcher, Vincent, who always comes up at the end of the show, but all the producers, all the the midwives and the doodlers along the way, all the people who helped make the show, the show, really I think people correctly think of it as me and Nicole.

S11: But there is a whole team that puts in so much time and effort and blood and sweat and tears minus the blood and help to make the show the thing that so many people listen to every week and love and email us about and talk about. So shout out to all our producers from years past to present day. Elena Kagan, Julia Furlan, a girl shock, T.K. Duties, Camila Salazar, Nina Patrick, Meg Kramer, Megan D.G and again, share.

S12: Vincent, thank you so much. You know, it means so much to us that we have been able to do this with a crew of women behind us every step of the way. Um, you know, when we do videos, most of our producers are video producers have been women as well. We have had them in along the way. Help us. So thank you to those men. But, you know, if it meant a lot to us to be able to do a show with a primary focus and the primary target audience were women with women backing us, with women making sure that we were doing the right thing, that we had all the help that we needed to make the show.

S10: It is not lost on us what that means in this day and age, still to be able to produce a show for almost three years with women producers, that it’s.

S3: Yes, I mean, when you put it like that, it suddenly becomes a sort of miracle to kind of even recount it. Yeah.

S11: And not only were they women, oftentimes they were women of color. They were queer women. And I have been in awe of the fact that, like Nicole said, in this day and age, that was very much foundational stone was that this is going to be a bunch of women doing this shit and there’s never a shortage. We always had amazing people with such a big amount of expertise and they were always so giving, so willing. So helpful and helped make us and the show better along the way. So the editors, the producers, the people who sometimes just kind of sat with us and just worked on something until it made sense and felt good. So thank you to all of our crew.

S4: It you know, the fact that we did not have to explain ourselves because everyone understood what we wanted to do and how we wanted to do it without anybody belittling or trying to dismiss what we wanted to accomplish, really just it helped create the dynamic show that we brought to you.

S10: It just I mean, I don’t know how else to say it, but it just really was significant for us. And the reason why the reasons why our podcast has been able to reach so many people is because we had such good support.

S8: One hundred percent. Well said. And on that note, we should say a big thank you also to Slate, who gave us a new home when things look like the lights were going out. So shout out to Gabe in June and the rest of the Slate crew who rallied for us and helped make even this last season so fun and great and jampacked with. I don’t know if you listen to the show where we had our Jack Johnson or the one where we had Mudgeeraba or the one where we had Jason Matsoukas shout out to the whole team, that helped make a lot of stuff happen. And I want to say specifically, shout out to Unical, oh, I’m like on a pure level of support.

S7: I know we talk a lot about the support that comes outside of the of us, but like within the power of us, I am grateful that you and I struck up a friendship on the Internet that became real and then became a podcast like that. Shit doesn’t happen all the time. And I have to say, like the minute we did the pilot, I was kind of like, this is going to be lit.

S6: I feel it in my heart.

S7: And over the last three years, it has been borne out every single time we step in and start recording. You are one of the best interviewers I have ever worked with or even listened to. You are incredibly kind. You are incredibly warm.

S8: And I know a lot of people kind of listen to us. And because I’m so gregarious and loud and chatty and people kind of think, oh, Ben does a lot of the talking, I do.

S7: But it’s not because Nicole doesn’t have stuff to say. She is just like a consistent rock. It kind of burns my grits when people don’t understand that we have a dynamic that works for us that we happen to put on the radio. But if it’s ever unclear that I respect and appreciate Nicole, let that not be unclear any longer. I couldn’t have asked for a better co-pilot. Oh, my God, no.

S3: But it’s true.

S6: So I love you very much, though. I love this stupid podcast that we made together. So I hope we get to do many more.

S7: I hope we get to do so many more. You are a light in my life and I love you, so you can’t make me cry.

S3: So you’re not going to cry. You’re not going to cry. Wipe your eyes. Come on, pull it together. Nicole, I remember many, many moons ago following you on Twitter.

S10: You were living in Berlin for a little bit. Oh, shit. I went, oh my God. And I just remember, you know, so many of the men and the shows that you were talking about were also the men in the shows that I was that I was thinking about.

S3: And we started doing each other and we kept being like, are we are we related somehow?

S4: Like, I don’t know how to be related to you. I’m from Tennessee in America, a British Nigerian.

S3: I don’t know where we connect. I’m not giving twenty three, I mean, my DNA. But somehow there is something that we have to be kids somehow. Right. All right. And you know, it’s wild because whatever format of communication there is, we talk on it every day like God we do with the idioms. Text WhatsApp.

S6: Yeah. Ridiculous e-mail like yeah it is all there.

S4: I remember when you were on you were I guess on another round one of their live shows and you were talking about what is a first trap.

S10: And then I came to New York for a fellowship and we finally met in person and I actually hugged you. And as you know, I am not a hugger.

S3: Listen, I was just surprised by that hug then, as I am today, all these years, because I’m like she is she says often and loudly, do not touch me. Yeah. And I was like, always a hug. And that’s fact. That was when I thought to myself, oh, OK. Oh, all right. We are definitely related. Yeah, we were talking to each other. We’d be having these really good animated conversations and people will walk by and just drop you off just our podcast and they leave and it’s like, oh huh. Maybe. But at the time that was the thing, right? Everybody was like, oh, we should start a podcast now. We should start a podcast, you know, and we didn’t want to be a cliche, but here we are inside a podcast. Yeah, the podcast.

S4: And it has been a joy in my life. All the frustrations.

S10: I mean, nothing, because the joy overpowered all of that. This is been such a boon to me and my life, my career, the things that I didn’t even realize that I wanted to do. You just helped me carve a path that I didn’t even know was there. So I appreciate you, Ben. I appreciate the show share.

S3: Thank you so much for joining us. Thank you, Sheriff, for coming in.

S10: It is it is hard to join something that’s already been established. And you came in and you are here with us and we will never forget you. We are so grateful to you. Thank you for being a part of Thursday.

S6: Keit, this is history share. This is this is live from New York history. Oh, wow. Yes. OK, but thank you to our first bucket.

S3: Oh, my God. Yes. Been there from day one who let us call you thirst buckets. Yes. That was no consent. Hey, I apologize. We just went in a name. Do you. Thank you. Oh my gosh. Yes.

S10: You know, our social media. Well, not necessarily go dark, but obviously we won’t be as prolific, shall we say. We won’t be on there as often. You know, one of our producers, Julia, liked to tell like to tell us there’s no such thing as a podcast emergency. Well, there’s no such thing as a Thursday emergency.

S6: But if you sign the light, we will be there. All right, Bruce.

S3: Yes. I feel like we’re going to like return at some point and touch the ground and be like something huge happened here and it’ll be a first earthquake, but I am. That’s exactly what you nailed it. Shine the light and we will Gotham will have its heroes, OK?

S8: We will get up and we will do something. Please stay tuned. If there is any news, we will put it on Twitter and Tumblr. You will see it. You will hear it. You will feel it in your qanda. You will wake up and you’ll reach for a can of pineapple juice and you’ll think something’s happening and it will be happening. So stay tuned. Thank you for talking with us this long and hope to see you at some point in the world out there doing stuff. We couldn’t have done any of this without you.

S11: We only make a podcast because there was an audience. So thank you for being that audience, whether you’re new or old. We appreciate your ears. We appreciate your heart. And, of course, we appreciate your thirst.

S16: First aid kit and late production produced by Cher and Nicole Perkins and out of me are music by Tanya Morgan.

S17: You can follow the show on Twitter at First Aid Kit. And we’re on Tumblr at First Aid Kit podcast, Tumblr, dot com, if you like a live tweet, your listen.

S16: There is a hashtag it’s trackpad to Cape Cod and you can join other third sparkies in reacting to the show in real time. Or if you prefer, you can write us an email and send it to Thursday at Slate dot com.

S17: You can find every one of our episodes and links to listen at Slate dot com slash podcast. If you’re a Slate plus member, please keep listening after the show for the subscription only Edstrom and you can join Slate plus the thirty five dollars for the first. You get a little extra from this show and all of the slate shows with zero ads. Visit Slate dot com against aid plus to sign up.

S3: Them all the people, I will see you in WhatsApp, but the this has been amazing. Oh, my God. See you on WhatsApp. Since I do love you, I love you the first never dies first, but it never dies. Never.

S6: I can see when when Nicole says, Andy, I looked up and she was like Andy wordlessly, I was like, Andy, I’m glad, I’m glad I saw you smile. He said it like, Oh, Andy, what is that? I said, I looked up at you and I was like, killed it. Same reaction, but I couldn’t say it because I love it so much. I was like, all right, sure.

S18: Hi, Nicole. Hi, Ben.

S11: We have come to the end of our road.

S18: No boys to men with first aid kit.

S11: Plus, it has been an honor and a pleasure to be doing these little extra segments. I’ve always felt like we were, as you pointed out weeks ago, doing our best late night voices whenever we started this segment.

S5: Yeah, you know, I really the the extra part of it, you know, for a second it was like, oh, no, what what are we going to talk about?

S3: But I think I think we found our groove, you know. I agree. Yeah. Yeah.

S4: But today now I’m not going to say this episode is sad, but it is the end of one leg of our journey.

S3: Oh, oh, we love we love a dramatic poet. End of one leg come through four by four. Really. I love it.

S5: But we wanted to talk about a few of the first objects we did not get a chance to talk about yet and get the chance to dedicate a full episode to them. They have been on our planning boards since day one. Right. And we just could not find a place for them. As you know, our schedules moved around and things happened in Hollywood and all this kind of stuff. But right. Very quickly, we wanted to talk about them and why we wanted to talk about them in the first place. Right, right.

S9: So when we were deciding on the content of this episode, we settled upon the language of pouring one out for all the boys we never got to, which is both very lowbrow, but also very childish. So we managed to combine two things to all the boys. We never got to this is for you because how do we have the time and had your schedules allowed? We would have loved the chance to talk about you all, to talk with you. And it’s just a shame that currently in a podcast form, we will not get to do that. But who can say maybe these people will turn up in one of our live shows in the future and just like rock up and have a nice chat?

S12: Who knows? Who knows what the future holds?

S3: Oh, I love it. Thank you, madam. Zorah, what you can’t tell right now is that Nicole is wearing a turban and some really glorious hoops and she does look like she is about to tell me my future and I’m into it. Turn your hand over. Let me fear you go easy first. That’s all I can see. Dry skin and thirst. Um, anyway, Nicole, who are we starting this tribute to? The ones that Kuda with. OK, Bill Hader. Mm. All right. Now ok. OK, real ones. No, I know some people like Bill Hader. What know. But you know, you know and we, we really know Nicole. We have now Bill Hader.

S10: Obviously he was super funny on Saturday Night Live.

S5: I love when he broke it. Just it cracked me up so much because if could that he was really trying to stay in character, stay professional. But he is one of those people who just loves to laugh. And so he had to, like, get it. I love that because, you know, sometimes some comedians are like they’re the only ones who are funny and they don’t want to laugh at their colleagues. But he you know, he gave his props to the to the people that they were, you know, they were do. But the 2015 movie Trainwreck, well, we got to see him as a romantic lead. Yes.

S8: We need more of that, AIMEN But hopefully in a better vehicle. I can’t stress to anyone how much I hated that movie. I found it aggressively mediocre and I was so upset when people love you love this, it’s a rom com. And I was like, first of all, how do you I did not enjoy that movie at all. I was saddened by almost everything except Bill Hader, who I could watch do anything, anywhere, forever. The thing that you said, Nicole, about him, like laughing at his colleagues when they were funny to me, strikes a very specific note for me, which is that I’m always looking for signs of.

S11: Generosity in men and to see Bill Hader give himself over to the pure pleasure of laughing at something that was funny and, you know, hearing conversations between Bill and the writer, the lead writer at the time, John Delaney, and seeing their chemistry and the fact that John was often writing a surprise line to make or break.

S3: Yes. Watch from the wings like that. To me, I was like, imagine having a partnership. I mean, I didn’t have to imagine because I have you, but like a partnership where there is so much knowledge of each other that you could be like, I know what this is going to do. Like, I feel like there are times where you are writing a line and you’re like, this is going to fuck them up. Let me say. Yes. So and I respond every time like this.

S6: What did you say? And I can see your little secret smile like.

S3: That’s right. I got you. And so I love seeing that at other people’s faces.

S11: And so to watch Bill Hader, especially when he was doing his Stefon and to see a line that, you know, John Mulaney, he had just slipped in and he would hold his face together because he was about to crack up. Yeah. That to me, there’s never a hustle, Bill Hader, than a laughing Bill Hader. So I’m always into watching him. And yeah, like he said, I want to see him do so many more rom coms.

S7: He’s not an odd duck to fancy. He is very funny. Seeable.

S5: I agree. I also love the fact that he never got his overbite fixed. And so it’s still there.

S3: You and your teeth. I love it. I know. I just if it’s just, you know, it’s so easy to get caught up in what Hollywood expects you to look like even when you’re a comedian.

S5: Right. Because, you know, comedians get some leeway for how they’re expected to look because they usually rely on maybe their unusual features as part of their routine or something like that. Right. And I don’t necessarily know if that’s his thinking for this, but maybe he’s just like, I don’t need veneers from me. I love that. Thank you, Bill Hader. You know, and we didn’t get to him. We have so much material for him. I loved him forgetting Sarah Marshall. I loved him in college. He was in a lot of different shows. He was in a lot of different movies where he just has an uncredited role and he just steals the scene. I loved him in Pineapple Express.

S9: I that’s one of my favorite bill haters. He is so funny in there. And I think a lot of the time I think there is that sort of sad clown energy to a bunch of like people. And he does have a little bit of that. But what I also really love is how open he is about his anxieties and about, you know, whatever social disorders he’s kind of like battling with and how nervous he gets and how stressed parts of his job used to make him. And I just love hearing him talk and break down his craft, because in addition to all those wonderful comedies that he is a bit and one of my favorite Bill Hader movies is actually the skeleton twins that he’s in with Kristen Wiig, another SNL alumni. And I could watch the two of them interact forever. They are both so funny. And to see them remove that familiar Funnybone persona from the role that they will end, you know, that they were playing they play these these siblings who have had a lot of stuff happen to them, you know, and and who are working through the other stuff. And at the end of the film, I felt incredibly uplifted and hopeful. And a lot of that was the fact that they just feel both those roles with such pathos. And I yeah, I will watch Bill Hader in anything. I’m just now I know don’t at me. I am just not getting into Barry and I am so on board with him, I’m like, I can’t believe that I am even rooting in any way for this character, but I am all the way there with him. And it’s because Bill Hader, if we had had the chance to have you on the show, I would have jumped at it. I really wanted him to be on the show.

S12: And, you know, maybe we’ll see you on a live show somewhere, like perhaps maybe maybe the next person that we got so close to dedicating an episode to him, another SNL alum, Andy Samberg.

S5: Mm. Andy has really glowed up. So I’m just going to sit like, OK, so he was cute on SNL. I love the dear sister sketch.

S3: Oh my God. And his little flyaway hair. I don’t know what it was. It was a white woman from the seventies. He was rocking a Farrah Fawcett. Yes, I’m here for it. They like because they also had kind of a picnic. It looked like been maybe working a little bit of. Yes, yes. That Jolli with cuts like the way that was singing. But I mean, right now, I want to turn to you and say what you said, because I am feeling it in every way. Oh, another one who really didn’t get his teeth fixed. Like, he doesn’t have, like, Hollywood mouth. I respect it. I like it here for Brooklyn. Nine nine. Of course. Yes. Problematic fame. Yes. It really changed the game for me and how I felt about Andy Samberg, particularly when I would see his hiatus beard. Oh. And he would have some little glasses on, you know, the glasses. Oh, my God.

S5: A lot of men get frustrated because they say that they’re not a object of desire until after they get married, when they are no longer available. Right. And I think part of that is the way we have been told that we have to improve men once once we marry them, we make them better because we are making sure they’re bathing every day, making sure that they’re they’re fed, they’re eating good food, that they clean up, you know, all this kind of stuff. And he kind of is living that truth right there that, you know, you get married and somebody just kind of cleans you up a little bit.

S3: That’s that’s just my opinion. I don’t you know, I don’t know what goes on in their marriage. I don’t care. But he has definitely matured. I’ll say that I agree on the matured.

S9: But I I will say also that maybe this is more of an insight into where my own head was at. But I don’t I mean, he definitely showed up, but I already had a raging crush on him long before Joanna Newsom was a twinkle in his eye. Like I was just like this dude is funny. Like he had a really goofy face, which I’m always into. I love a goofy face, a prominent nose shora to use, you know, I love a strong nose. And I was like, get all the way and I’m there. But he’s also just one of those people again, who is again, he gives himself over to the silliness of a joke. And that is always hot to me. Like, I’m just kind of like, wow, you’re really not afraid to look deeply silly. Yeah, I remember. You know, that was a great tweet where somebody said, wow, for a time, the men’s sense of humor was just Lonely Island. And we allowed that shit. And I was like, oh, shit.

S3: Yeah. There are so many people who had zero personalities but just repeated Lonely Island people.

S9: Like my guess is, OK, I just keep thinking about the men who just rode on the coattails of those three guys and just got laid for free. And I just can’t get over the fact that women would just like we were that blinded. We will let them know it’s funny. No, he’s not, baby. He’s copying the lonely island.

S3: But such was the power of Andy and his chums that we were like, yeah, I buy it anyway. I really love Andy. I really wish we had had a chance.

S9: And one of the other things I really love about Andy Samberg and his particular position in life is, again, you know, we never talk about personal lives on the show. We’re not here for that. But it is apparent whenever Andy is talking about Joanna Newsom, his wife, the the amazing musician, he softens in a way that I’m just kind of like they seem so happy and I’m happy for them.

S3: Like such as my first I become generous in my first. I’m like, oh, you get yours, mine. I love, love both of you. Hope you stay together forever. Never divorce. I love it. That’s me.

S9: So I love seeing any man be super luxurious because I’m like, you know what, I don’t even know your wife, but I know she married down when she married you because all women do. So all I want is for you to give her a smidgen of that love and appreciation and adoration back. And and whenever I look at him talking about his wife, I’m like, good job, everyone. Everyone here is on the same page. I’m proud. I’m I’m happy. So now I want to talk about a guy that I, I have fancied for such a long time. And he is in many ways my exact type to a tee.

S3: Nicole, I’m talking about Aldis Hodge. Oh, yes, yes, yes. We have tried to figure out how we were going to talk about him, but now it’s our time. Now it’s all time high. Aldus You’re welcome. Lucky you know what I look at. He is so handsome and. Oh, my. That’s the last words. His arms, his back. Like every so often there is a lingering shot. Shirota Underground RHP.

S8: And you just like I remember watching underground feeling so guilty, I’m like this is a show about enslaved people trying to get free. And he. You come them with your thirsty face and your eyes wide and your mouth open, objectifying this man who was trying to get free, and I always felt like a curious mix of like guilt and thirst because I was just like, but Aldus what it do because I wanted to climb inside him. I can’t there’s no clean way of putting I look in space and I’m just kind of like, should we have children?

S3: I want to extend the bloodline. That’s all I want to do. Can you imagine, Nicole, consider for a second a child that looks half like me and half half like Aldis Hodge, like beautiful takeno brown skinned. Listen, gorgeous it all of it. Thank you. Thank you for seeing the vision, Nicole, because I see it clear as day and I know I sound not well, but I have to speak my truth. OK, this is the last TICC plus and I’m going to put it out there.

S9: Aldus man call me. I don’t even know if he’s married. That’s how deep this is. I don’t even check to see his personal life status. I’m like, if I know that will only crush me. It’s best. Just assume that he’s single and searching for me. And I’ll just one day we will connect. All right. But in this life or the next, I don’t mean to sound as menacing as it does. I’m just saying I love you and I will wait for you. I’ll just call me. I love him, Nicole.

S5: I love him too. I understand he was in The Invisible Man that recently came out. And, you know, if it is a movie, let’s just say that.

S3: But wow, wow. He is he has an intense beauty. Oh, God, yes. He’s just yeah. It’s just like concentrated, distilled beauty to him. And his voice is just like raspy and strong. I’m just like I really feel myself becoming a version of myself that I am not usually what I’m kind of like. You can say anything. Yeah, OK. Like and that’s not me in any way, but I’m just kind of like he could tell me anything. I’d be like whatever you say old is absolutely. I’ll do it.

S10: Yeah.

S5: You know, one of the cliches when it comes to describing dark skin is like it’s burnished, but he really seems like there is gold underneath his skin.

S3: I niccol that’s exactly what it is. Oh, exactly what it is. It’s gold and perhaps it’s a bit of copper in there too. Yeah. Because that shit is reflective. So this is what I did. I see him and I’m just kind of like why don’t we go back to West Africa and begin a life together. I, I, oh my God. I can’t explain the depth of this crush.

S9: It has been like steadily building over years. And now whenever I see him, I just thought giggling like I’m just going to Alden’s, I like it. It’s very much like a it’s a natural reaction to him now. Burnishes exactly. He just looks like he’s a glow from within.

S11: And I’ll be honest, Nicole, I want to be the reason for that glow. I really do. I want to light up his life.

S3: I just yes, I would hope he would like my back. Yes, I want that for you. We will make it happen. I appreciate you. This is a real one lessness, Nicole. She is a real one. She’s not going to help him make my dreams come true. What have you done for your friend lately, huh? Avin Josia. OK, all right. Nicole, I know you have this is one of the characters that we spoke about in the early SDM. Yeah, well, watching a TV show at the time, weren’t we.

S5: Yes, a show called Twisted, which is where I first noticed him. But he has been in, you know, some teen stuff that. Yep, whatever like I Karlee victorious. You know, I don’t pay attention to that. You eighteens, though. I do. I do. But I remember talking to you about him because he was younger and I was like, I got to check his age with what’s going on with this boy, because he is if if he were a little bit older, he would definitely, definitely be Nicole catnip because that hair.

S3: Oh, you would not stop talking about his hair. I remember this. Oh, my gosh. That hair. And then he cut his hair and of course, all the teeth went into mourning over it, which I understood. But the one time you have related to teenagers is. Yeah, it’s a subject. Cut their hair. I love it. Yeah. So, um, Brent. Yeah. So Untwisted.

S5: He played this character called Danny Decide who had been accused of killing his aunt. Right. And so he went away.

S12: He served time in like, um, you know, some kind of teen kind of juvie.

S5: Yes. Yes. And so he came. Back to his hometown and went to school and one of the girls that kind of ended up forming a love triangle with him was Kylie Bunbury. And so that was also my first introduction to her. She went on to pitch, which we have talked about many times on this show, how much we love it. But, yeah, so twisted. Danny decided he was there. And then he went on and did this mini series where he played to the common right. And again, Kylie Bunbury was there. Their chemistry was off the charts.

S3: I mean. I mean, I remember watching even Untwisted, and I was like, this is a YHA, right, because this shit is crackling, right?

S11: And like, I remember just kind of thinking to myself, God, it must be so nice to go to work and to watch the dailies of whatever you recorded that day. I just think to yourself, we fucking killed it.

S3: Yes, because they did it was it was so watchable, like especially twisted, which, you know, very sort of I suppose as expected, it kind of focused more on the white little portion of the triangle, the white girl that was the character. And I was like, I guess. But it’s so obvious to me that the chemistry that is burning here is between a man and.

S11: I mean, the characters that surely that’s where the bulk of your energies should be show. And then that didn’t happen. And then it got canceled and didn’t get renewed. And I was like, fine, whatever. But then again, until it was like that, that wasn’t a one off says it was. This is something that we do when I was like, All right, well, carry on, guys.

S10: Good job. OK, so now even have gone on to do other things. He recently published a poetry book called Mixed Feelings About His Multiracial Identity. I have not read it, so I have no thoughts on it.

S5: And that is not my experience. So I can’t comment on it either way. But he also makes music with his brother. He is a multi hyphenated person. You know, he’s got a lot of talent happening and he is just fine as all get out like he’s grown his hair back out. So you are a delight. Yes. Yes, I do. I don’t often follow my crushes on social media because I do not like window shopping. I don’t like looking at something that I cannot have.

S3: So I don’t tell the truth and shame the devil. All right. I don’t I don’t enjoy that. But I do have some exceptions. Uh huh. Hozier of naturally Michael B. Jordan. Mm. OK, Floreana Montaño. Big nasty. You know, I love him like OK.

S8: I love the way that you love Floriane. I have to just say it like it gives me such joy to watch you lose your shit because he’s so outside of your regular type that I can see in your face.

S3: You’re like, why am I like this? And I’m like, don’t question it, lean in. Yes. And even Georgia is like I think my last first follow. I see. I see. Yeah. So judicious list. I have to be honest, that seems like a top notch list. Shout out to you. Oh thank you. He is such a cutie pie. I know.

S8: I can tell, I can see you sweating. You’re going to only sweat some more because the final guy that we never got to that I know has been on your radar in a very big way for a very long time. Look, I fancied him quite late in the game. I mean, I’m fully on board, but I was there many stops after you had first boarded the plane. So, Nicole, who is the guy that has you gesturing at me in the little room window right now? Who is it?

S3: Rob Delaney. Bitch. That is a big man. That is a lot of boy. Hey, boy. Yes, so he is he’s lost. That never happens and Nicole can’t handle this. I get it. I get it.

S5: He’s funny. I love the show catastrophe. I thought it was refreshing to see, you know, this couple just trying to figure things out. He was ridiculous. He doesn’t have a problem making fun of himself. Very hot, as we know. Yes. And then I can’t remember who pointed this out to me, but I’m so grateful that they did. But I learned that he likes to joke about a certain sex act that I.

S3: I love receiving. Oh, God. And he seems to love giving. Yes. Yes. Based on the tenor of those tweets. Yes. Yes, yes. So I. To my shame, but not really my shame.

S5: I went through and I just did a search of his tweets for all of you know, relating to this particular act. And I have like I got like about ten to screenshots of some of my favorites. I’m not going to read any of them.

S8: I’m not going to I don’t need to. People can do the search themselves, do your own homework class. But what I will say is this. Nicole not only is a co-host of Thursday, Kate, she is out there living the first aid kit credo. She is finding what gives her in fact, you could say she is, I don’t know, seeking hopeless. And she is collecting it in a folder on her phone that she can check on any time she wants.

S3: And I would encourage everyone out there, if there is something that you like, just have it on your phone as a reminder of just like, oh, I think I have I think I have the right to this at some point because I’ve read those I’ve seen those screenshots. Nicole, you have been very lucky. You’ve been lovely and shared them with me. I just put like a question mark up, kind of like, can you believe this shit? And I’m like this I can and I’m with you because those tweets are vivid and they are ecstatic. Like, Rob is not fucking around. No, he is not. Oh, my gosh.

S5: That is a picture of him on Instagram. It’s fairly old now, maybe like two years, three or something like that old he is in like this yellow linen shorts that I don’t I don’t know what’s happening. It’s yellow and he is stretched out in a chair. He’s just got a pedicure.

S10: So he is like stretched out and he is looking at the camera.

S3: Is he so hairy? I love that he is so hair and he’s just looking at the camera like it with that.

S6: And I’m like, what do you think I love no love yourself. Oh boy. Because there is so much practice to it. Oh my God.

S10: Oh, you know, he is also you know, he’s a good writer as a comedian and a screenwriter for a TV shows, but he is also a good writer when it comes to, you know, personal essays.

S5: He recently wrote an essay about getting a vasectomy after he and his wife had decided their family was complete. And it was so it was funny, but also touching because you talked about some of the challenges that his family has experienced in the last several years. But he would always bring in this humor to kind of anchor you and bring you back so that you did not become too overwhelmed by anything. And I really appreciate that.

S10: I think that he is, you know, a touching writer, like he is so humane in the way that he in the way that he writes. So I really like that. But also, he is a very handsome big boy who likes to do certain things. And I I love him.

S9: I mean, I have almost nothing to add. I do want to echo his incredible humanity. As you pointed out, again, we say this often and we mean it. We are not looking to kind of hash over anyone’s personal life at all. But the thing about Rob is that, again, when he does do those pieces that are deeply personal to him, for example, the piece he wrote after his son died, and again, it’s just full of such moments of pure humanity that just make you think God like, again, it’s not a side that we see a lot from men in general. And to see it done so eloquently despite the well of pain at the core of it, I find that incredibly moving. It’s not something that a lot of people can or should do, but I’m super grateful that he did. He put like a really human voice to what I imagine to be unbelievable loss, like unfathomable. And I’m so glad to see him doing the work, and he seems very politically active. He is someone who kind of stands up for what he believes in and at the same time is just incredibly silly. And there is something to be said for, you know, we’ve spoken about it before. The competency king here is somebody doing a bang up job in so many parts of their life and doing it so well and seemingly effortlessly, even though you can see the work that goes into it. And that is just very hot. I don’t know. I mean, you could look like the back end of a bus and the competency psychic would carry through. But it just so happens that Rob Delaney does not look like the back end of a bus. He’s tall and large and hairy, and I just want to spend time with him and it has to be via TV. Fine, I’ll do that. But in another life, man, Bionicle would be out there duking it out on the streets, just trying to get access to say.

S3: I just say so. Shout out to Rob Delaney.

S11: I hope maybe one day we can make it happen the live show, because I think it would be such a fun, funny, engaged guest. And I really want that personally as a little a little personal milestone. I would love to interview Rob Delaney. So, Rob, if you’re listening and if people out there who know Robin are listening, tell him that we want to talk to him. He is great and we have such affection for him.

S5: OK, Slate plus listeners, thank you for joining us. We appreciate you. Thanks for joining us right now.

S3: We appreciate that. Because there were people who were very vocal and said, fine, I did it. I did it for you. Yeah. Oh, my God. Thanks, guys. That’s always my favorite kind of subscription is of like I did it. Are you happy? And I’m like, you know what? I really am. Thanks.

S17: So thank you to everybody who subscribed after they heard us talk about Slate. Plus on the show, we hope to be in your ears in some other capacity. Keep it is out, will be on other shows, I’m sure to come. And hopefully this is not the last you hear from us. So stay tuned.

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