エピソード

  • Rachel Dratch’s Psychic Predicted Her Child

    Rachel Dratch’s Psychic Predicted Her Child
    2025/10/02
    Rachel Dratch joins Ophira Eisenberg to talk about raising her 13-year-old son Eli, reflecting on how his confident, social personality contrasts with her own bookish teen years. She recalls once assuming she wouldn’t have children, only to be surprised when a channeler predicted she’d meet someone and have one child—a prophecy that eerily came true when she met Eli’s father months later and became pregnant at 44. Rachel discusses the challenges of managing screen time, joking about how her hierarchy of goals slid from “read a book” to “at least watch TV instead of TikTok shorts.” She shares how Eli’s friendships overlap with the kids of fellow SNL alums Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, and Emily Spivey, and how he joined her as her date to the Tony Awards when she was nominated for POTUS. The conversation also covers her son’s passion for basketball, her abandoned dream of playing cello for him, and Halloween costumes she still brags about years later—including a homemade Doritos bag. A recurring theme is Rachel’s mix of skepticism and bemusement around the supernatural, from crystals in her pocket to Eli’s deep pronouncement that “time isn’t real.” The episode ends with her warning against trampoline parks, after two of Eli’s birthday parties ended with ER visits. 📍October Shows are in Bozeman, MT, WI, MN, MO and NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Rachel Dratch: https://www.instagram.com/raedratch/Follow Mom’s Unhinged: https://www.instagram.com/momsunhingedcomedy/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ: https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/ Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    41 分
  • Jordan Carlos is in The Simon & Garfunkel Phase of Parenting

    Jordan Carlos is in The Simon & Garfunkel Phase of Parenting
    2025/09/30
    Comedian Jordan Carlos joins Ophira Eisenberg to talk about parenting two kids with very different personalities—his 10-year-old daughter, a perfectionist baker supplied with Costco-sized vanilla extract, and his six-year-old son, who polices Halloween candy wrappers with post-it notes. Jordan shares how his daughter’s three grandmothers got her hooked on baking, and how his son’s sharp eye caught him sneaking Whoppers late at night. The conversation moves into the emotional leap from age eight to ten, the Simon & Garfunkel “Hello Darkness” phase, and balancing attention between siblings. Jordan also compares Black and White Thanksgivings—Dallas versus New Hampshire—while marveling at his in-laws’ quiet avoidance of conflict. He tells a wild story about losing his wallet while paddle boating on Governor’s Island, diving into the muck to retrieve it as his son scolded him for swearing. From babysitters drinking beer on the job to a childhood broken arm he let heal on its own out of fear of getting in trouble, Jordan reflects on rule-following, parenting negotiations, and the strange privileges kids have today. The episode ends with Jordan imagining how much more his kids might care about U.S. history if Taylor Swift told the story of Ellis Island. 📍September Shows are in Fairfield, CT, Bloomington & Plainfield IN, Iowa City, IA, and NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Jordan Carlos : https://www.instagram.com/jordancarlosofficial/ Follow Mom’s Unhinged: https://www.instagram.com/momsunhingedcomedy/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ: https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/ Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    43 分
  • The Smallest Hecklers with Danny Ricker

    The Smallest Hecklers with Danny Ricker
    2025/09/25
    On this Parenting is a Joke snack episode, ​head-writer of Jimmy Kimmel Live! Danny Ricker joins Ophira Eisenberg to talk about how his work and family worlds overlap in unpredictable ways. He shares how writing jokes for Kimmel during the pandemic meant working from his garage while his kids crashed Zoom meetings, and why pitching jokes with a toddler tugging on his sleeve changed the whole dynamic of the room. Danny recalls how his children’s blunt feedback sometimes lands harder than a network note, and how bedtime stories often turn into test runs for monologue material. He describes the strange pride of seeing his kids repeat late-night style jokes at school, including one about Guillermo that got surprisingly big laughs on the playground. The conversation comes full circle when Danny admits the most nerve-wracking audience he’s ever faced isn’t Jimmy, the network, or a celebrity guest—but his own kids at the dinner table. 📍October Shows are in Bozeman, MT, WI, MN, MO and in November new Standup Special Taping at The Comedy Cellar in NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.comCome to the Taping at the Comedy Cellar on Sun Nov 9th! 5pm: https://www.comedycellar.com/reservations-newyork/?showid=1762725600 7pm: https://www.comedycellar.com/reservations-newyork/?showid=1762732860 Follow Danny Ricker: https://www.instagram.com/heydannyricker/ Follow Mom’s Unhinged: https://www.instagram.com/momsunhingedcomedy/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ: https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/ Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    27 分
  • Danny Ricker is Living One Lego a Day

    Danny Ricker is Living One Lego a Day
    2025/09/23
    In this episode of Parenting is a Joke, Ophira Eisenberg talks with Danny Ricker, head writer of Jimmy Kimmel Live and author of Wow, You Look Terrible: How to Parent Less and Live More. Ricker shares how the book’s title came from the daily mirror shock of his early parenting years, when exhaustion rewired him permanently into a 5:30 a.m. riser. He describes raising two kids—an 11-year-old daughter who now bonds with him over The Simpsons and an eight-year-old son who still delights in simple joys like rocks—while recalling how his wife and he started dating at 15 and played husband and wife in a high school production of Neil Simon’s Rumors. The conversation touches on his long career at Kimmel, his obsession with productivity and self-help books, and his favorite invention from his own parenting survival guide: the “purgatory cabinet,” a foolproof system for making unwanted toys disappear. By the end, he explains why tossing one Lego a day might be the most effective jailbreak from clutter, comparing it to tunneling out of prison “one scratch at a time.” 📍October Shows are in Bozeman, MT, WI, MN, MO and in November new Standup Special Taping at The Comedy Cellar in NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.comCome to the Taping at the Comedy Cellar on Sun Nov 9th! 5pm: https://www.comedycellar.com/reservations-newyork/?showid=1762725600 7pm: https://www.comedycellar.com/reservations-newyork/?showid=1762732860 Follow Danny Ricker: https://www.instagram.com/heydannyricker/ Follow Mom’s Unhinged: https://www.instagram.com/momsunhingedcomedy/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ: https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/ Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    51 分
  • Moms Unhinged with Andrea Marie

    Moms Unhinged with Andrea Marie
    2025/09/18
    In this snack episode, Andrea Marie talks about what it’s like dating as an empty nester after her “Zoom divorce” during the pandemic, and how she approaches relationships differently in her fifties—more confident about saying no, more aware of her priorities, and less interested in rushing toward marriage. She shares the efficiency of dating apps (though admits to fantasizing about faking an ankle injury to escape a bad hiking date), the humor of having a boyfriend eight years younger who referred to things as being from “her era,” and the fact that she has still never received a dick pic. Andrea contrasts her own parenting years with today’s challenges, especially the role of phones and social media, and recalls her kids joking about her “weird rules,” including banning SpongeBob and punishing them with a month-long Walgreens ban over a two-for-one candy fight. She reflects on moments of losing her temper—her kids nicknaming her “crazy eyes”—but also on the joy of finding the right activities, like her son’s lasting love of Ultimate Frisbee. The conversation closes with Andrea laughing at the memory of strategizing free Bible camps as summer childcare, a reminder that resourcefulness (and comedy) often go hand in hand in parenting. 📍September Shows are in Fairfield, CT, Bloomington & Plainfield IN, Iowa City, IA, and NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Andrea Marie Vahl : https://www.instagram.com/andreavahl/ Follow Mom’s Unhinged: https://www.instagram.com/momsunhingedcomedy/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ: https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/ Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    20 分
  • Andrea Marie is Loving Her Empty Nest

    Andrea Marie is Loving Her Empty Nest
    2025/09/16
    In this Parenting is a Joke episode, comedian Andrea Marie talks about founding the Moms Unhinged Comedy Tour after becoming an empty nester and realizing she finally had the freedom to hit the road. She shares with host Ophira Eisenberg how her unconventional upbringing with a prank-loving mom who once greeted boyfriends in a gorilla costume—and even trained as an Italian-style clown—shaped her sense of humor. Andrea describes her first career as a Facebook marketing expert and author before pivoting into stand-up, where her earliest jokes came from midlife crises and parenting fails rather than ad campaigns. She reflects on juggling speaking gigs while raising kids, from blogging under an umbrella at water parks to arranging her schedule around school breaks. The conversation also covers her divorce, the loss of her mother, and the strange world of “cemetery surge pricing.” Andrea recalls wild moments from Moms Unhinged shows, like a woman breaking her ankle in Bend, Oregon, another falling down the stairs in Fort Dodge, and having to bounce a disruptive audience member in her hometown. She admits producing and performing can feel like being “the mom” of the show, but the sold-out theaters and grateful audiences—especially women new to comedy—have made it worthwhile. The episode closes with Andrea laughing about the Chardonnay shortages that nearly sparked a mutiny at Martha’s Vineyard, proof that the “unhinged” part of the tour title is sometimes more literal than metaphorical. 📍September Shows are in Fairfield, CT, Bloomington & Plainfield IN, Iowa City, IA, and NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Andrea Marie Vahl : https://www.instagram.com/andreavahl/ Follow Mom’s Unhinged: https://www.instagram.com/momsunhingedcomedy/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ: https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/ Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    48 分
  • Parent Math with Domenica Ruta

    Parent Math with Domenica Ruta
    2025/09/11
    In this Parenting Is a Joke snack episode, Ophira Eisenberg talks with bestselling author Domenica Ruta about the messy, improvised reality of writing and parenting while raising kids. Domenica describes how her creative process has nothing to do with 4 a.m. routines—rejecting Glennon Doyle’s approach with a “bitch, please” and instead likening her schedule to a Jackson Pollock painting made of poop. She recalls pounding out an “ugly” first draft while pregnant, then facing the absurd parent math of paying more for childcare than she earned from freelancing. The two trade stories about breast pumps that seemed to chant insults—never encouragement—and even hatch the idea of a pump that offers affirmations instead of taunts. Domenica also reflects on the painful friend attrition after her baby shower, the pushback she got from publishers who didn’t want a book about motherhood, and her insistence on telling her novel All the Mothers through many voices—including even babies’ points of view. The conversation ends with her pride in shaping a book that reflects the real chaos and shifting center of family life, even if, as Ophira jokes, the next draft should just add a sniper. 📍September Shows are in Fairfield, CT, Bloomington & Plainfield IN, Iowa City, IA, and NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Domenica Ruta: https://www.instagram.com/domenicaruta/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ: https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/ Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    27 分
  • Best-Selling Author Domenica Ruta Still Laughs at the Hard Parts

    Best-Selling Author Domenica Ruta Still Laughs at the Hard Parts
    2025/09/09
    Bestselling author Domenica Ruta joins Ophira Eisenberg on this episode to talk about her new book All The Mothers, and about the family dynamics that shaped her memoir With or Without You, including her relationship with her strong-willed, drug-dealing mother and her complicated bond with her father. She explains how turning those memories into a book forced her to confront the contradictions of love, resentment, and survival, and why she believes humor is sometimes the only way to tell the truth about painful experiences. Domenica and Ophira also discuss generational differences in parenting styles, from guilt and rage bubbling up in small daily battles to the impossibility of living up to “perfect parent” ideals. The conversation closes with Domenica recalling how readers insisted her father character must have been directly lifted from her own life—proof of just how thin the line between lived experience and literature can be. 📍September Shows are in Fairfield, CT, Bloomington & Plainfield IN, Iowa City, IA, and NY! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Domenica Ruta: https://www.instagram.com/domenicaruta/ Buy her new novel All The Mothers: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/all-the-mothers-domenica-ruta/1146138139 See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ: https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/ Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    49 分