Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out - 139. Catherine Cohen: How to Make Your Doctor Laugh

Episode Date: July 29, 2024

Mike welcomes the multi-talented Catherine Cohen to the podcast to discuss making doctors laugh, lessons learned from the Ashley Madison documentary, and the medical ordeal that Cat went through last summer. She and Mike break down the best ways to work out a long story in small increments and how to ease an audience to heavy subject matter. Plus, jokes and stories about 1980s parachute pants, and falling down drunk on a candle.Please consider donating to The Loveland Foundation

On your podcast, See Treatment, you asked your guests three questions. Who were you, who are you now, and who do you want to be? So I'm just going to ask you those questions. Oh, okay, okay. Who was I? Yeah. I was chubby, no boys liked me,

I'm a girl in Texas wanting attention. I am glamorous, star of stage and screen, and I want to be that on a bigger level. Wow. Do you like that? It's a, it's bald. Why not? Ha ha ha ha ha.

["The Great Kat Cohen"] That is the voice of the great Kat Cohen. Welcome back to Working It Out. Great episode today. Kat Cohen is a very original and funny comic writer-actor. She has a Netflix special called The Twist, dot, dot, dot. She's gorgeous, which is fantastic. She wrote a book of poetry called God, I Feel Modern Tonight. She hosts a podcast with another funny comic, Pat Regan, called Seek Treatment. Kat is a one of a kind performer. She grew up in Texas, came to New York to be an actress,

started doing improv. She is in Edinburgh, French, if you're in Edinburgh, Scotland, in the month of August doing a new show called Come For Me. I am on tour right now with the new tours called Please Stop the Ride this weekend. I was in Sag Harbor in the fall. I'll be in Red Bank, New Jersey at the Count Basie Theater. I'll be in Seattle. I'll be in Portland. We added a third and final show in Portland, Oregon, San Francisco, Oakland, Philadelphia, and a beautiful hall in Philadelphia. I'm

so excited about that. Minneapolis, Madison, Milwaukee, Champaign, Indianapolis. I'm so excited about that. Minneapolis, Madison, Milwaukee, Champaign, Indianapolis. I'm at Clues Hall, which I always love, Ann Arbor, Detroit at the Fillmore, which I love. Just great, great theaters on this tour. Dayton, Ohio. The Biome in Pittsburgh, which I love. The Brown in Louisville, which I love. The Ryman in Nashville. The Tennessee Theater in Knoxville, which I've never played but is in Nashville, the Tennessee Theater in Knoxville, which I've never played but is gorgeous. I'll be in Asheville and then in Charleston, South Carolina.

All of this is on BurrBigz.com. Join the mailing list to be the first to know. This is a great episode with Kat Cohen today. One interesting thing is that moments before she arrived at the studio, one of our producers mentioned that she had had a stroke last summer, which is not a typical thing of younger folks in my experience. And so I mentioned it and then she said, oh, that's actually one of the things she wanted

to talk about on the show today because she's trying to work towards a one person show that digs into that, but also finds the comedy in it. And so we kind of take apart that idea of how do you find comedy in something that is inherently very challenging and hard. So we talk about that today, we talk about relationships, we talk about anxiety, we talk about she has great stories, she has great insights. Enjoy my chat with the great Kat Cohen. Be completely honest. In your interaction with the medical staff. Oh, I love them.

Did you ever say like, just so you know, like, I know you're seeing me like this, I have a stroke, when I'm in front of a crowd, I knock people out. Well, obviously my favorite thing in life is making a doctor laugh. Like I'm trying so hard, I'm literally tap dancing. There was one moment when this nurse who I really thought we were vibing asked what I did and usually I would ignore it and said,

I was like, I'm gonna throw him a bone. I'm a comedian. Yeah. And he's like, oh and instead I was like, I'm gonna throw him a bone. I'm a comedian. And he's like, oh, and I was like, you can watch my special on Netflix. Guess what he says? Oh, I don't have Netflix. I was like, ah, eee, flatlining. She's flatlining.

That's so crazy. I love doctors, I love nurses. Doctors and nurses, is it taboo to say? Sexy group of people. Yeah. Specialists, very sexy. Specialists are incredibly sexy. My sexy ass neurologist, you know why?

Because she goes, she wrote me an email, because she knew I was freaking out. She wrote me an email that said I was going to have a long, happy life. Oh! Can you believe that? How lucky is that? My boyfriend's like, they don't just say that.

They don't just say that. Of course she's just saying that. He's like, they wouldn't put it in writing. Ha ha ha. They kind of do though, don't they? That's kind of what I thought. But what she did say, which was nice, was she was like, when we deal with this,

you'll be healthier than you were before, which is true. Well, that's wonderful. So they diagnose this thing and they say, the good news, there's a procedure you can get where you basically just plug the hole with like a piece of mesh kind of. And they can do, what's so amazing is they can do it. This is where the jokes just like start writing themselves.

They go through your groin. So I'm like major. And this is where- They go through an artery, right? They go through a big artery in your groin. And you go home that night, you're awake during the surgery. I'm like, hold please. You're probably on like a cocktail of drugs.

Yes, not enough. Not enough? But a little bit. But then- Are you saying that because it was painful or like- It wasn't painful, just my anxiety was out, obviously out of control. I could literally feel them jostling is the word that comes to mind. I go, oh my God, painful? It wasn't painful, just my anxiety was obviously out of control. I could literally feel them jostling, is the word that comes to mind.

I go, oh my God, don't worry, that's just us. I was like, yeah, I hope so. What do you mean? Jostling, jostling. But, oh, and then this is a real kicker. The neurologist goes, I have an amazing cardiologist for you. Don't laugh. I'm like, okay, what? His name's Dr. Love. Oh, sweet.

How sweet is that? And he's gonna fill the hole in my heart. That's beautiful. I know. Two on the nose. That's what I'm saying for the show. I'm like, it's actually like not funny. Well, it's funny because like you walked up today

and you were like, and I was like, you had a stroke. And you're like, yeah, gonna talk about it on the show. No, I think you're the perfect person to talk to. Well, because you're gonna talk about it on the show. You're the perfect person to talk to. Well, because you're gonna talk about it on stage, and I've talked a lot about medical issues, like in Old Man in the Pool, I talk about medical issues quite a bit. What do you think, do you want to make a whole show about it?

Yes, so basically, this is why it's so great to talk to you, because I feel like in the past, the two shows I've done so far are very just like, jokey bit here, like very quick, like switching between topics super fast, no storytelling at all really. And so now I'm like, okay, I kind of have a story to tell. So now I'm like, how I've never thought in that mode

or written in that mode, like, okay, how do I start from the beginning of this? And you know, what have I learned? And what does it mean to me? And like, why is it funny, I guess, all this stuff. But yeah, so I'm about to tape my show right now in two weeks and then do it all summer. And then September, I got to start writing what's next.

So it's exciting. Or I should start this summer, really. Well, can I ask you, are you able to be writing the new show while you're performing the old one? It's very hard. Yeah, I really struggle with that. I had that last year where I was doing, I did nine months of a new hour

after I filmed Old Man in the Pool, and then I had to do Old Man in the Pool in London for a month. Oh yeah. So I had to relearn the show and kind of unlearn the other show. And it was, my brain just couldn't handle it. Yeah, and weren't you dying to do the newer stuff in between? Yeah, and it was, my brain just couldn't handle it. Yeah, and weren't you like dying to do like the newer stuff?

Yeah. In between? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, so that was, yeah, it's a hard thing. But, yeah, I think one of the things that I think is exciting about this project that you're describing is that your comedy already is kind of simultaneously surreal, but then also genuine. And I feel like-

I hope so, yeah. Yeah, but that's unique, I feel like, in your universe in a sense that like, your contemporaries like John Early or Kate Berlant, who I think are hilarious- I look up to, they're everything. Who have both been on this pod, and I love, I feel like are more in the surreal side of the universe,

or the character side of the universe. I feel like you're open to just being like, this is how I feel about this, with no irony. I actually feel like because I do music, people just call me alt, but in reality I'm actually just talking about dating in my life and I'm actually not saying, the stuff I'm saying isn't very surreal at all. I'm kind of just like, here's me freezing my eggs. It's very straight ahead stand up in some ways, but because I do songs, people are like, she's kooky.

Do you know what I mean? And because I wear a fun outfit, they're like, she's alternative. But I'm actually so straight ahead. Right. How did you, so okay, so you want to make this as a show. I guess my question is like, what's the easiest part about it is that it has stakes to it. So like, there's genuinely life and death stakes.

And so it makes everything a little bit more... It mattered a little bit more. Yeah. And also like, you could have it again, probably. Or maybe not, I don't know. How do you guys put up with this? I could have it again? I tell them every day that they could have a stroke at any moment. No, I can't have it again, that's because I have a thing.

All right, you get the email. No, because I have the surgery. You're gonna have a long happy life. I have the thing. Oh, all right, you get the email. No, because I have the surgery. You're going to have a long happy life. I had a surgery. This is, you are going to do terrors to my, you're going to wreak havoc on my home. If you put it in my brain, that's going to happen again. No, I've been, well, here's what I've been told.

Long happy life? I could have a stroke again, but not for the reason I have one the first time. Okay, okay. Can we deal with that? Yeah, no, I'm actually, I apologize to the listeners, to the viewers. Don't apologize, don't apologize.

Own it. I apologize to you. You want me dead, you want me dead. But there's very high stakes. And I guess what I would say is like, what were the, when you were going through this, what were your darkest thoughts? Yeah, my darkest thoughts, I think the main thing was would I be able to do what I love ever again?

And so I do think the show, maybe it's something along the lines of like, I always said if I make it through this, I'm gonna do what I love. And it's like, what is that? Do I start tap dancing at the end? Like, what is that? Like, being a performer or whatever.

Well, I think that the, I think that there's so much potential with your show because you have, I mean, I just tell stories. You have an actual talent, you can sing. You can write songs. Sure. So that's exciting. I think storytelling is an actual talent. Yeah, yeah, storytelling is a talent too,

but you have that too. But I guess what would I, I would say, okay, so your biggest fear was you'll never be able to do what you want to do again. And then I would say, what's the biggest surprise about the experience? These are great questions. Biggest surprise that everything's fine.

Oh. Yeah. But I got really lucky. Like, you know, the thing about this whole stroke story is like it's silly because it sounds so much worse than it actually was. Yeah. Like in reality, it was like two months of my life where I was like stressed out, but I was like,

I was walking around, I was eating whatever I wanted. Like it wasn't a real, you know what, the main thing that made me think was just, I'm so grateful, like there are so many people who are actually so sick and can't do things. And like, I have so much life in me and like, I'm so lucky that this is all I have. Like, this is like good luck.

It literally is like amazing that they found out what it was the same day. I got in to have the procedure, you know, three weeks later. I was hiking two weeks after that. Like it was just so lucky when so many people, that's not the case. So I think that just like breaks my heart and makes me feel grateful. When so many people are, that's not the case. So I think that just like breaks my heart.

It makes me feel grateful. On your podcast and on stage, you're genuine about a lot of your feelings. Do you remember a time recently where in your life you couldn't convey how you genuinely felt. I'm like, no. I mean, my whole life it's been like, stop telling them what you feel. Like I'm like, well, I feel like I am too, I could benefit from having some restraint. I'd say this joke on stage in my current show,

but I say, I'm, say, my wife Jenny describes me as the narrator of our marriage who nobody asked for. What are you saying? I'm just like, I'm washing the dishes. And I'm like, I'm going to grab ice cream for your parents to give me over later. I'm going to take this hair out of the drain. You don't have to say all that.

That's so funny. Does that feel like what you are? No, no, I would think more of like, more of like emotion, like, what am I trying to say? I just have very emotional reactions to like, and extreme reactions to most things that happen to me in my whole life has been like trying to rein those in. And like in therapy, it's like trying to like,

not jump to conclusions, not like freak out about every little email I get. and trying to not jump to conclusions, not freak out about every little email I get. When I was on vacation with my boyfriend, we made this catchphrase, it's all fun and games till you get an email. We'd be enjoying our vacation, then I'd see some email about work stuff,

and I'd be completely spiral. It's endless, right? Yeah, I'm really trying to process. Okay, when you're spiraling like that, what are you thinking about? Like, is everything, everything I've achieved, will it disappear in one second? Oh.

And does everyone hate me? And why, and what did I do wrong? Oh. You're stressing me out. Oh please, stop. No, in a good way. Stressing me out in a good way. Why? Okay, so let's unpack that. Could everything go away? Oh, I can't. No, in a good way.

Okay, so let's unpack that. Could everything go away? Yes. The second one is, do people hate me? Which is how I feel when I used to smoke weed. Oh yeah, definitely. Do you guys hate me? Why does my heart hurt?

Is that Ricketts? You know what I mean? That's just my whole existence. I don't use drugs of any kind anymore. Yeah. And do they hate me? And then why? And what did I do?

Or more like, did I do something wrong? Right. Did I do something wrong and I forgot? Right. It makes sense. Just chill, just chill Steph. Just cool girl shit. Does any, did I do something wrong and what was it?

But I feel, you know what? I don't know if this helps any. You're beloved. Oh, well right back at you. Did it help? Is anything helping here? People are so, no, I actually, I'm in a good place. Like, I have a new healer.

We've been doing amazing work. Okay, I'm worried. I'm actually stressing you out. I'm stressing you out more and more. I have a new healer. Okay. What type of healer? Well, she is an amazing woman who lives in New Zealand. Okay.

This is nothing. You're literally saying nothing. I would say it's more of like a therapist. You said her location. Well, to me that evokes so much. Doesn't that evoke so much? Sure. Like you can just put like, ooh. She's all about positive thinking, which is good for me. I love that. evokes so much. Doesn't that evoke so much? Sure. Like you can just put like, ooh.

She's all about positive thinking, which is good for me. I love that, power of positive thinking. Positive thinking, manifesting not in a cringey way, but more just like, instead of being like, does everyone hate me? You should be like, no, or who cares, whatever. Yeah.

Like, here I am, I love this, I love that, I'm so grateful, that kind of stuff. Well, that's great. Yeah. That seems really positive. It is, it is. That's similar to grateful, that kind of stuff. Well, that's great. Yeah. That seems really positive. It is, it is. That's similar to the thing that sort of get, jostles me out of my, in my head thing,

which is Eckhart Tolle, Power of Now. If you're breathing, there's more right with you than there's wrong with you. Yeah, you read it? I have not read it. I feel like it's been downloaded on my whatever. Oh, it's very key, based on what you're describing. Might save you a few bucks on your healer.

Alright, enough. This is not what I came here for. No, because it's all just separation of your mind from your consciousness. Yes, I should do that. I'll give it a listen. It's just analyzing like, okay, those are my thoughts. And my thoughts aren't real. They're not real and they can't hurt me. I know, but I'm like, what does that even mean? It's so abstract.

If they're not real, then what am I? If they're not real. If my thoughts aren't real, then what's real? What's real is your soul. And what's going on there? And what's going on there? How long have you been doing this? Doing what?

Comedy. I need to show you something. Okay. This is so incredible. Okay. I got this text yesterday from my aunt. A text from my aunt yesterday, it's a screenshot of a Facebook memory from 10 years ago.

And it's my Facebook status. Hello, I am making my standup comedy debut tomorrow night at 6 p.m. at the Broadway Comedy Club. Laugh with me, laugh at me, let's go, heart. 10 years ago, so it's your 10 year anniversary. Today. Beautiful. Isn't that crazy? I love that. It's so beautiful to share this with you. It's going so great for you.

It is going great, I'm so lucky. So in your special, you say, you sing a song about how boys didn't want to kiss you and now you do comedy. Do you feel the attention now in your career? I think in terms of the boys wanting to kiss me, I think I swung too far in the other direction and then I was using male attention for validation

for like 10 years and I had like horrific relationships and I'm only now, I would just like fuck everything and now I'm just coming out of that and now I'm in like a nice happy relationship and I don't need that as much. Jenny showed me this documentary about the Ashley Madison. I just started it. Okay.

It's so sad. Okay, it's a lot. The Frozen couple. Yeah, so I was just gonna bring this up in relation to the attention. Oh, that was so twisted. Yeah, so- That made me sick.

So people, I'll have to bring people up to speed on this. There's a documentary about Ashley Madison, which is a website, if you don't know, that's for dating for people who are already married but wanna have an affair. The significant thing about it is it was huge, or is or was, it's got 40 million... I know, I'm like, 40 million people?

40 million subscribers? Where are they? I know, where are they? They're among us. I go, break up, break up. Right, and it's for married people wanting to have an affair. There's 40 million subscribers and there was a data breach. So funny.

And so all the people got outed, maybe I'm not that far in the documentary, but here's a significant thing that your special made me think of. That one of the guys, he's having an affair. Not me making you think of this. One of the guys, he just wanted attention,

which is why he had the affair. And then in the middle of Ashley Madison, his life, like he had a login and he was meeting up with people, he and his wife, who's like very sweet and like, maybe like Texan or Southern or something, they made a viral video of lip syncing a song from Frozen and love is an open door. Yeah, we do it.

We're going to remake the video. Love is an open door. But that satiated him. Well, what he said was, he goes, because I was like, I can't believe he just said that. He goes, I was meeting up with these people. He goes, and then something major happened. I'm like, can't believe he just said that. He goes, I was meeting up with these people. He goes, and then something major happened. I'm like, what?

And he's like, the movie Frozen came out. I'm like, how? How could this possibly circle back to this guy's relationship? So yeah, he got validation from YouTube comments. Yes. And so he didn't need to cheat on his wife anymore. Yeah. And that made me die.

It made me think of you. Thank you so much. I think for a while I was, like when I first started and when I was doing well, it was like that. And then I realized like people can flip on you so quickly that I actually don't. Say more about that. Like I think someone saying you're their everything means as much as someone saying like,

you're not funny and I hate you. Sure. And especially if you have a, like nowadays it's so easy to see because you have a clip go viral or go big. Anytime a clip goes big, you get just as much I hate you. Sure. And especially if you have a, like nowadays it's so easy to see because you have a clip go viral or go big. Anytime a clip goes big, you get just as much hate as you do love. Yes.

Or at least you see the hate. And so for a while, because I was in such a small little community, I was just getting love, love, love, love. I was like, oh my God, everyone loves me. I'm so good, I'm so good, I'm so good. And then like, you know, inevitably you get a little bigger and it opens you up to trolls and random people.

And then like, now I have like, just the craziest comments from people. And I like now I have like just the craziest comments from people and I'm like all it means is that I'm doing well professionally, but I used to let both of those things build me up and tear me down so much. And now I'm just like, I don't care. Does one of, does the negative comment, is there one that gets to you?

Of course. A type of negative comment? Yeah, so many. I mean, I brush them. I can kind of process them more quickly, but even silly ones like, you're fat. I'm like, obviously I don't care. I love whatever, fuck off. But even that, like the first thing I'm like, I am fat.

Like, and it's like, no, because it's like, it's literally my childhood trauma, whatever. But what I'm saying is, do they get, yes, the mean comments get to me, but not as much as they used to. And similarly, I used to really be built up by people being like, oh my God, queen, you are the funniest person in the world, but I love you. And it's like, that doesn't mean anything to me either. Because those people, if they're in a bad mood,

could be like making the mean comments. It's just like, it doesn't mean anything. That sounds great. What means something to me is like, people I like and respect liking me, my friends and family liking me. Yeah. And that's been kind of the past few years, like dealing with that. I'm sure, yeah.

What do you think about all that stuff? Do people comment mean stuff on your videos? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Really? I feel like you're so beloved. No, it's I think that. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. So weirdly, as artists, we're trying to be understood. And it's not going to happen. Sometimes people, the thing that'll get to me is people will be like,

oh, Mike is middle of the road, or Mike is like, I'm actually not, oddly. I'm actually putting myself out there in a way that is maybe not connecting with you, but is connecting with these other people. Exactly. And so it hurts me in a way that's tough. I know. But because it's fundamentally what I'm trying to do. I know. And they're like, meh, no.

They can sum up all your worst fears in three words. I'm like... And they don't even know necessarily they're doing it. But I'm like, wow, this person really hit close to home. Or like one time someone said like, oh, she just makes sounds, she doesn't even tell jokes. And I'm like, yeah, because I'm trying to save like a good joke, not for a clip,

but for something maybe bigger. And like, I'm just posting funny clips to have fun. Or that really pissed me off. I was like, you don't know me. This is a slow round. I feel like these questions are sort of made for you and simultaneously not made for you. What are people's favorite and least favorite thing about you?

What a crazy question. Favorite thing about me, I once had someone tell me that I was very generous with my energy, which I thought was one of the nicest things someone could say to me. I think you are. Thank you. In my experience. Isn't that a nice thing to say to someone? It was so thoughtful.

Very thoughtful. I always think of that. I love that. Worst thing about me, if I'm in a bad mood and you're close to me, you're gonna have to deal with that. Except for the wrath. Or even like, I can just, and this is what I'm working on too,

but I can just like flip into being like so angry and like taking it out on the person I'm with. Can you remember the last time that happened? Yeah, like last week. What'd you do, what'd you say? It's interesting because it's all directed towards myself. Like if I get bad news about work or something, I'm like, God, and this is a phrase I'm banned from using in my house, but I'm such a fucking loser. Like I'm a loser. It's interesting because it's all directed towards myself.

This is a phrase I'm banned from using in my house, but I'm such a fucking loser. I don't say these things anymore. I hate your life, you think you're a loser. Why are you saying that? So it's like this wrath I direct towards myself that then poisons those around me. That's deep. Thank you for having me, goodnight. I don't think we're going to close on that.

I think we're going to keep going. What's the time you lied and got away with it? Oh my God, I have such a hard time lying. Oh really? Like it'll eat me alive. Why? I think it's like an OCD thing of just, even if I lie about something inconsequential,

I'll be like, I shouldn't, that's actually not what happened. Okay. Do you know what I mean? So that's not a good one for you. So, can you? Lying out of the way with it. I stole something once.

What'd you steal? I worked at a boutique in Houston when I was in high school and I stole a ring and I still have it. You still have it? It's cute. Oh, that's nice. I just I still have it. You still have it? It's cute. Oh, that's nice. I just walked out with it.

You don't feel any guilt? I kind of do a little bit. Yeah? I'm very like, I have like good girl syndrome for sure. Like I'm like, I have to be perfect. Good student? Yeah. Yeah.

Was like so psycho. Right. Just like so hard on myself about school in this way that was like so unnecessarily intense because I didn't think I would get out. You know what I mean? I was like, I have to get out of this town. Right. Just like so hard on myself about school in this way that was like so unnecessarily intense. Because I didn't think I would get out, you know what I mean? I was like, I have to get out of this town. Right.

And that seemed like a good way to do it. Yeah, I think I had that from childhood. Right? I had the good student. Yeah. Well, cause it's sort of like, if you're trying to like, let's say you're trying to please your parents, it's sort of all, it's really the only move.

Yeah, you're like, here's what I got. There's only one place that gives me grades. Yeah, I don't do anything and then I got this. It's really the only move. There's only one place that gives me grades. But also, and that's why this career can be so hard because you want things to be like, I did this achievement, so then like you can't control anything. And as a good student, that can be frustrating. Yeah, I think that makes perfect sense. There's no, it's, and definitively, art is not a meritocracy.

It's crazy. Definitively, which is why awards shows are always so funny to watch. Cause you're like, oh, why is everyone's dressing up? What are we doing? It's so, I'd love to be invited. Ha ha ha ha. What's the best piece of advice someone's given you that you used?

I think I remember my friend from high school, her mom once told me people are going to, people do what they want to do. So you can't make someone do something. So if a friend doesn't want to hang out, if I'm not invited, I'm just like, okay, that's like, I'm not going to ever text them like, okay, that's like, I'm not going to ever text them, like, hey, things have been weird between us lately. It's like, they're doing what they want to do. It's fine.

Do you know what I mean? Yeah, there's the Bonnie Raitt song, I Can't Make You Love Me. Exactly. That really hits me for the exact reason you're saying, because it's true metaphorically of all things. Yes. It's like, well, if that person doesn't love you,

they don't love you. And that can mean love, it could mean anything. Yeah, exactly. It can mean they just don't want to do a thing with you. I know, and sometimes I'm like, I still am like, well, that doesn't make sense, but they should be, and it's like, whatever, they don't. Yeah.

They don't think of that, that's fine. Is there a song that makes you cry? So many. Name a couple. Well, you know, I just went to see Illinois on Broadway. Yeah, Sufjan Stevens. The Su Illinois on Broadway. I've seen it. Sufjan Stevens musical. It's so beautiful.

It's like a ballet. It's so, and the music is like, that album makes me cry. That album is stunning. It's just beyond. So obviously, Kazmir Plowsky Day makes me cry, but also my favorite is Wasp, or Pacific Wasp of the Palisades, whatever the title is. I can't explain.

Beautiful. I was like, it was so good and the show is so well done. Yeah. Yeah. I love Sufjan so much. I have a recollection of performing in Chicago. Oh. Starting out at the Lakeshore Theater. All things go.

Yeah. Listening to the Illinois' album as we were driving our van out of the Lakeshore Theater. All things go. Yeah, listening to the Illinois' album as we were driving our van out of the city. So cool. And it was just like one of those things, you just go, oh, I always remember that. Yes, it's great playing music. I like to be very introspective on a plane. Yeah.

What's the most absurd thing you've ever done while drunk? Oh, God. I hate being, I just have done so much stupid stuff. Absurd. I don't like being drunk anymore, because I was just like- Me neither. Do you drink?

Not really any longer. Yeah, I'm kind of like phasing it out. I fell on a candle two years ago. You fell on a candle? A lit candle? Yeah. You fell on a candle? A lit candle? Yeah. You fell on a lit candle. You know what was tricky is the pandemic

made me drink so much. Don't blame the pandemic. And if the pandemic hadn't happened, I would not have fallen on a candle. We have one rule around here and it's do not blame the pandemic. I don't care how many fucking candles you fell into that were lit. I went clubbing, which is something I don't often do.

I went clubbing with this friend. I was so drunk. And I stood up to dance on a table. And I was like, I'm young, I'm having fun. Tripp fell on a candle, like wax all over me. Oh, gosh. Yeah. And then it was amazing because I immediately just like walked out of the club. I was like, and it's time to go home.

Covered in wipes like that is my cue. Didn't even text. Like some of my friends were like on the dance floor, didn't say goodbye. I was just like, I left because I fell on a candle and I'll see y'all later. Did you light on fire or you get a burn? No, it somehow like was extinguished.

Okay. Yeah. Wow, that's a good one. Good answer. That's a hall of fame answer. Really? Yeah, I think that's a really good answer. I'm Wow, that's a good one. Good answer. That's a hall of fame answer. Really? Yeah, I think that's a really good answer. I'm like, that's a child's play. Oh, really?

Why do you have worse ones? I mean, none of them are like fun. That's like a silly one. Oh, okay. Other ones are just like, you know, texting someone 47 times. Oh. Yeah.

Tell me about that. Well, I just had this boyfriend from college we were on and off for a million years and whenever I'd get drunk I'd just be Well, I just had this boyfriend from college. We were on and off for a million years, and whenever I'd get drunk, I'd just be like, I miss you. Are you mad at me? The opposite. Ah ha ha ha ha.

I feel close to you. Yeah. That's hard. Yeah, it is bad. It's hard for you, and it's hard for him. So eventually he blocked me. Shout out. Ah ha ha ha ha. Shout out, nothing to respect for him. He's hard for him. So eventually he blocked me. Shout out.

Shout out. Nothing to respect for him. He's an amazing person. Oh my gosh. Didn't talk for a long time. How do you even block someone on your phone? Oh, I'll show you that. OK.

Maybe afterwards you could show me. I love to block. A few years ago, I ran into him in Prospect Park. And we were both so nervous shaking. And then it was so rom-com, because he was like, I was like, how are you? And he was like, I'm getting married in three weeks. And I was like, I'm happy for you.

It was so beautiful, because I'm happy too. But yeah, I used to be such a menace. Oh, I was so horrible, I was so horrible. I've been a bad girlfriend, I've been a bad roommate, I've been a nightmare. How were you a bad girlfriend? When I was younger, I would never like, I was obsessed with like breaking up with people

and getting back together when it suited me. You should talk about that on stage. Oh really? Would you consider talking about that on stage. Oh really? Would you consider talking about that on stage? Yeah, I'd love to. In the next show? Yeah, of course. I feel like people don't talk about that enough.

Interesting, yeah, think about that. In my girlfriend's boyfriend years ago, I talked about how when Jenny and I were first seeing each other, we would, we were both unfaithful, we were both a mess, we would fight all the time, we'd get in arguments, all that stuff. And it was like, I think a super cathartic show.

Yeah. Because I don't think people, I feel like so often in standup people are talking about kind of like the fun hot mess side of themselves, but maybe not the less awesome fun mess, the hot mess part of himself, but maybe not the less awesome fun mess, hot mess part of himself. I like that because I think I would often, especially when I was younger, I'd wanted a boyfriend for so long that whenever I got close to having one, I'd be like,

well, there must be a better one out there then when I'm sad, I'll come back to you, and then that kind of thing. Oh, that's deep. When I'm sad, I'll come back to you. Oh, hence this 45 texts. When I'm sad, I'll come back to you. Yeah, pathetic. That's a hard type of relationship. Well, thankfully it's in my past. Yeah, in three weeks, I'm getting married.

So beautiful, I wish getting the best. So on the show we work on material. Yes. And a lot of this stuff is like stuff where I haven't done it on stage, I've written it in the notebook and I don't know about you, I find talking to other comedians is helpful. So helpful. Just because it's like, you know, it makes you

a little less afraid of it. When I was in seventh grade at Shrewsbury Middle School, all the kids started wearing a parachute pant kind of thing called Skids. Is this a ring of bell at all? It's maybe well before your time. I'm excited to hear more. It was called Skids.

They were basically a specific brand of parachute pants. And I went home and I said to my mom, I need Skids. Because my entire social life I need skids. Because my entire social life hinges on skids. And she took me to the store, Spags, which is a warehouse. They didn't have skids. They had a generic brand of skids. And I said, Mom, these are not skids. And she said, this is what you're getting or nothing. It's the same thing and it's $20 cheaper.

And I cried real tears. And the next day, I wore imitation skids to school. I was mocked mercilessly by sixth graders who were wearing brand names skids. To this day, I do not love my parents. Because that was the moment I realized they are idiots and they know nothing. Yes, exactly.

So that's like just the thing I jotted down recently. I mean, it's so relatable. There's something in it, right? A hundred percent. It's like as a parent that makes so much sense, and as a kid it's like the worst thing they could do to you. It was, I remember it like it was goddamn yesteryear. What did they say when they mocked you?

Oh, it was really honestly just like, yeah, those aren't skits. Yeah. You know what I mean? Was there a logo or something? Yeah, the logo was a car skidding. That's sick. It's like this, like. Okay, that's actually cool.

I know it is kind of cool. So obviously, you know, there's an age gap between us. So you're not of the era of skids. So with the audience, I'm going to have to bring them along to, okay, this is what this was. And maybe there's some kind of comp for it in modern times. Maybe there's a brand that has a certain label logo.

It's kind of like this, like something modern. I don't know what that thing would be. You know, a lot of these young, because sometimes on TikTok I'll see like Gen Z, roasts, millennial, whatever. And Gen Z, the things they do, apparently are they wear really big clothes. They wear those star-faced pimple patches,

which is crazy. Have you seen this? They wear just like stickers on their faces when they have pimples. patches, which is crazy. Have you seen this? They wear just like stickers on their faces when they have pimples. No. It's great, it's like, and so if it's a star, you know it's like a cute thing,

but if you wore a normal pimple patch, it'd be crazy, but if you have the star, it's like cute. So that's something. I'm laughing because the idea that I would know that is outrageous. Well, you will when Una goes to school. Of course, of course. Yeah, of course, no, no, and you haven't seen this?

Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So that's a new thing that I'm thinking of putting on stage. Yeah, of course. No, no, and you haven't seen this? Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So that's a new thing that I'm thinking of putting on stage. Oh, I love that. Do you have anything you're working on that you want to mention? No, I just wanted to, you know, the one thing, so about this stroke show.

Yeah. I think the main thing is trying to work out material now when I have like a 10 minute slot. How do I, there's no easy way to go into, so I had a stroke because the audience goes silent. People ask me this all the time. Yeah, what do you think? Right, so the question is, a majority of your stage time

is probably five, 10, 15, 20 minute chunks of time, but you're trying to work on something that's basically 80 minutes. Yeah, hopefully. 70, 80 minutes. And it's like, and once you're burning up the thing, like years ago when I did Sleep Walk with me, I brought up cancer. I had bladder tumor when I was 20.

And you just lose the audience. Exactly. The audience is like, I'm so sorry. Yeah, they're like, oh God. I know. And you should explain like, no, no, it's fine, it's fine. No, no, for me with the cancer, so when I started talking about cancer on stage,

for me it's all about one joke that makes it okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like literally like I was, and when I came up with that, I was. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like literally, like I was, and when I came up with that I was like, ah, thank God. I go, I had cancer when I was 20, but it's funny, because I'm a hypochondriac, and I think the funniest thing that can happen

to a hypochondriac is you get cancer. You're like, see, I told you. Yes, exactly. You know, there's going to be a lot of changes around here. You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then people were like, oh, okay, I get it. You're in a place where you can laugh about it.

Exactly, it's that first sentence. I have a thing right now that my dad, talking about how my dad had a stroke, and I say, and it's sad, you know, but I go, you know, it's really intense and blah, blah, blah. And then I go, but it has calmed him down. That's so good. And then I go like, I go, I just want you to know,

like most of the jokes tonight are for you, but that one's for me. And then like it's my way of indicating to them, hey, don't worry about it, like this is my life, I'm going to make a joke about this thing, it's really close to the bone. And I think like with your stroke story, it's like how can you find a way in

that is getting people to know it's okay that you're okay? Yes, exactly. Like don't worry, I've done so much stupid shit since then. Or like don't worry, since then I've done blah, blah, blah. Like I'm healthy, I'm good. And making a joke in that way or something. Completely. Or like...

Or you could be like, or you could, you know, if you could hold up a notecard on stage and be like, don't worry, there's five other things on my set list. You know what I mean? Yeah, exactly. Like, to indicate, like, that's just one of the things. Yeah, that's the low-key thing. Yeah, it's interesting.

I saw, do you know Maggie Winters? She's a very funny standup. And I saw her in Chicago talk about this back surgery she had and she goes, I had crazy back surgery, you're jealous. And that was so good. Like, okay, you guys are so jealous that I had back surgery. I was like, oh, that's so good. That's nice.

That's a good one. That was fun. Yeah, I think like anything where, essentially like when I'm working on my shows, I work on in clubs, like 10 minutes, essentially like, when I'm working on my shows, I work on, in clubs, like 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, of like the pieces of what I want to bring to the show. And it's never going to do as well as it's going to do

in the context of your final show. But you just want to get it to a point where you're like, oh, that's a joke that works. And then even out of context, people would have thought it would work. Exactly, that's been tricky. So you sort of have to lower your standards also for how well those specific parts are going to do,

as opposed to talking about your experience having a stroke for 80 minutes, the audience is going to be living in your shoes. Yeah, I have a great title for my show. What do you got? Broad Strokes. Oh, I love that. Thank you.

Broad Strokes. Fun, right? It's fantastic. Now I just love that. Thank you. Broad strokes. Fun, right? It's fantastic. Now I've got to write the show. That's, but I think it's, I mean, you have all the tools, you have the story, and you have the tools. I also almost don't even know,

because the stroke is linked to the heart surgery in this weird way, it's like a lot of explaining before you even get to the funny part, do you know what I mean? I'm going to throw out a pitch that's like not maybe what it is, but like I would try to throw out a pitch that's like, not maybe what it is, but like, I would try to do a thing. Rory Scoville was on this podcast recently,

and he says he highly recommends to his comic friends just taking the plunge and improvising on stage. And he was like, because you find that you're so much more capable of it than you think you are. And I would almost say, set up a challenge for yourself where you're like, I know I'm just gonna do 10 minutes, I'm gonna walk out on stage, I'm gonna talk about the stroke,

and I know I might eat shit. And I'm not gonna plan out the beats of it. I'm just literally gonna talk them through it and I'm gonna find the comedy. Because I think your like panicky brain will find the joke because deep down you're funny. Oh good, that's nice, yeah. That's one idea. your like panicky brain will find the joke because deep down you're funny. Oh good, that's nice, yeah.

That's one idea. I think that's really helpful. One of the main things I want to say is I'm like, I'm so grateful this happened, I had nothing else to talk about. My life's so easy, look at me, boom, boom, boom, everything I want. So now I have this amazing material. That's funny. Yeah, something like that.

Which thank God I had a stroke. That's funny, maybe if you go, don't, you know, I had a stroke, that's not right, don't worry, I have great material about it. Yeah, you're like, thank God. You're going to love this, thank God. Because I'm in a relationship, so I don't have any silly dating stories, so thank God, like thank God I had a stroke

because my life was getting so boring. The final thing we do on the show is working out for a cause. Is there a nonprofit you like to support? Oh, yes. There is one called the Love Land Foundation, which helps fund therapy sessions for black women and girls. That's wonderful. That's very cool.

We will contribute to them. I love that. We will link to them in the show notes. Kat Cohen, it's been so fun having you over. Thank you so much for having me. It's so cool. This is great. And I can't wait to see what happens with the show. I know. I'll be in touch.

Broad strokes. Broad strokes. Working it out, cause it's not done. Working it out, cause there's no. That's going to do it for another episode of Working It Out. You can follow Kat Cohen on Instagram at Kat Cohen and on TikTok at Kat underscore Cohen. And we'll see you next time. Bye.

Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. That's gonna do it for another episode of Working It Out. You can follow Kat Cohen on Instagram at Kat Cohen and on TikTok at Kat underscore Cohen. Find her live dates at Katherine-Cohen.com. She's gonna be at Edinburgh Fringe like I mentioned at the top for the month of August.

If you're going to Edinburgh, Scotland, absolutely see her live. She's a phenomenal performer. You can watch the full video of this episode on our YouTube channel at Mike Berbiglia and subscribe. We've got more and more videos coming. We've been on YouTube for about a year. There's like a year of YouTube episodes. Our producers of Working It Out are myself, along with Peter Salomon, Joseph Berbiglia, and Mabel Lewis. Associate producer Gary Simons, sound mix by Ben Cruz, supervising engineer Kate Belinsky. Special thanks to Jack Antonoff and Bleachers for their music.

Special thanks to my wife, the poet J. Hope Stein. Her audio book, Little Astronaut, is available now. Special thanks as always to our daughter, Una, who built the original radio fort made of pillows. And thanks most of all to you who are listening. If you enjoy the show, please rate and review on Apple Podcasts. If you're new to the podcast and you enjoyed this episode, we have, I think at this point, 140 episodes we've done. Since June 2020, they are all free, no paywall. We've had Quinta

Brunson, Gary Gullman, Seth Meyers, Nick Kroll, on and on and on. Last week we had Tig Notaro. That's a great episode. As always, tell your friends, tell your enemies, tell your exes. Let's say you run into an ex in some park and you ask how they're doing and they say, I'm getting married in three weeks, how are you doing? You could say, you know, I'm doing great. I'm listening to Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out podcast.

It's a comedian who talks to other creatives about the creative process and in many ways, listening to the podcast is more fulfilling than even a marriage. That should go over pretty well. Thanks everybody. We're working it out over here. We'll see you next time.