It’s Daniel’s birthday and he’s not very happy about it. Is Alison in line to replace Ellen? Is Daniel being a little extra mean today? Plus the most emo decade, false starts, Daniel’s diet, Quantzercise, ageism, your calls and so much more.
First-time guest Tim Kalpakis (Birthday Boys, The Sloppy Boys) joins us from his standing desk and he’s into creepy stuff but in a lovable way. Plus his band has a new album out! Jackie Johnson is here and she’s pro probiotic. Tony is still happy and we’re not about it to let it go unnoticed. Also Tony and Jackie are both friends with Tim so we do a spontaneous test to see who knows him better. I’m wondering if as podcasters and creators we should be thinking of the new people or the regulars and also, isn’t Tim getting tired of standing? Plus Yes Please or Oh Puhleeze (black licorice) and Just Me Or Everyone and some hot Claremont Colleges consortium talk. Plus Uranus!
Actor, writer and producer Melissa Gilbert joins this episode of Alison Rosen Is Your New Best Friend. Melissa is probably best known for her work on Little House on the Prairie where she played Laura Ingalls Wilder from 1974 to 1984. She also appeared in The Diary of Anne Frank and The Miracle Worker and went on to do voice work and musical theater. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, was president of SAG for four years and competed on Dancing with the Stars. She’s written three books: a memoir,a cookbook and a children’s book and even run for Congress. Now she has a production company with her husband Timothy Busfield and Jeff Daniels and they’ve just released their first feature, Guest Artist. Melissa and I talked about all of this, her quarantine chickens, plastic surgery, wanting to change the SAG culture, family secrets, her father’s death, needing to live in reality, the podcast she’s started with her husband Timothy Busfield and so much more. We also answered your questions.
Doug Benson and Doug Mellard of the new podcast Wide World of Dougs join the show to take an informal Doug quiz, discuss bears and fish preparations and weigh in on our constant conversation about card shuffling, juggling and bar flair. Also I mixed up guests and no one is making me feel better about it and Doug Mellard’s dog is more famous than he is. Plus we do a round of Just Me Or Everyone.
Sarah Ellis suffered a spinal cord injury at the beginning of the year and has been re-learning how to walk in the months since. But her story gets crazier than that. After emergency surgery to preserve mobility and a number of days in the hospital she was transferred to a rehab facility where the nurses noticed she seemed short of breath. An ultrasound revealed 15 blood clots in her legs and lungs—a rare side effect from the common blood thinner she’d been put on. She nearly died. After another emergency surgery to remove the clots she spent more time in the hospital and then it was back to the live-in rehab facility. I’ve been following her journey on social media and wondered how she manages to maintain such a seemingly positive attitude. We talked about all this, her experiences as an Apple Genius, IVF, dogs, musical theater and more.
Alison claims she knows all four (or is it five) military branch theme songs and Daniel calls her bluff. Also some behind-the-scenes soundcheck chat, Alison’s experience with hypnotherapy which apparently she never discussed with Daniel, a visit to her parents, listener calls, Covid testing, heartbreak, Daniel’s descriptions of Owen and Elliot’s personalities and more including iTunes Comments of the Week.
Comedian Lisa Curry is here and she knows a lot about live bait and foot basins. Joe Kwaczala returns and he’s trying to convince us a comfortable futon exists. I’m barely showering and Tony trusts his tongs. Plus Just Me Or Everyone!
Helen Hong (Go Fact Yourself, Silicon Valley) joins us this week from her closet where she’s hoarding four rolls of scented toilet paper. Jackie Johnson is here and Chooch had to go to the emergency vet where Jackie talked to a doctor on the phone whom she’s convinced is hot. Is he? Helen CALLS THE ANIMAL HOSPITAL TO FIND OUT. And Alison won something in a raffle. Plus Yes Please or Oh Puhleeze and Just Me Or Everyone!
Comic, actor, writer and host Candice Thompson (Lights Out with David Spade, The New Negroes) joins the show to talk about processing world events without standup as an outlet, feeling a responsibility to speak about race, not fitting into a “box” due to her appearance, her childhood, her spirit pastry, learning to be vulnerable, doing comedy with Tiffany Haddish and Kevin Hart, her podcast The Struggle with Candice Thompson and so much more. We also did a round of Just Me Or Everyone.
Greg Heller AND Jenna Kim Jones AND The Hashtag Al (Allan Moss)??? That’s right! We’re all together on this episode. Greg has a special song he sings during diaper blowouts with his baby, Jenna and Al have periodic pests and I’m reminiscing about Orange County punk shows and that special blend of having a crush on someone but also being afraid for my life. Plus iTunes Comments of the Week, Greg Heller ASMR, Just Me Or Everyone, Jo from Supernanny and more.
