#whenever I see a scary headline about some new study I check out the actual study and 90% of the time I end up going

[reasonsforhope]

Your blog is a literal god send for me, I’ve been feeling so depressed, pessimistic, nihilistic and cynical at the state of the world right now and my fear of if I even have a future, but your blog is absolutely what I needed right now, so I can’t thank you enough. I’m just so happy to see someone who is hopeful and positive and not pessimistic, and it makes me legit want to cry tears of joy. How are you able to stay so positive and optimistic despite everything going on?

<3 <3 <3

As for how I stay optimistic and relatively positive? Lots of effort and hard work.

I'm not naturally an optimist. I spent most of my life (and certainly my adolescence lol) being pretty angry and cynical.

It's not that I never feel depressed or despairing about the state of the world. There's fucked up shit happening, indisputably, and hey, I'm trans, it's been a rough fucking year for that. But I guess I try to focus on the difference between passing moods and baseline worldview.

Some of the main ways I moved my baseline worldview to be optimistic and hopeful:

A lot of reading and looking at data and in-depth stories. The headlines never give you enough of the story - hell, most news articles don't these days, because they're so skewed toward negative news

Especially reading/looking at good news sites (I have a masterpost of good news sites here). There are good things happening everywhere that you never hear about. Mostly, you only ever hear about the good things when there's been a huge setback, which sucks!

I'm basically not on social media. Nothing except Tumblr, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and I only ever go on FB and linkedin briefly for business. It's fantastic, can't recommend ditching social media enough

I made sure I was doing something to help (aka I started this blog. I would also volunteer but my disabilities and a lot of logistics make that complicated)

My job involves reading a couple dozen self-help books a year lol, not gonna lie that def helps

Taking a long perspective of time. It often doesn't feel like it, but statistically, this really is the best time to be alive. (Here's a fantastic essay about many of the reasons why.) People really gloss over how much most of the past kinda fucking sucked to live in. 50% of all people used to die before their 15th birthday, for basically all of history until the past 200 years!! Imagine having to live with that. Imagine all of that pain and grief literally everywhere. I'm really happy about living in modern times, actually!

That last point is esp helpful to remember for me because I'm 100% for sure on the list of "people who would've died in childbirth" pre modern medicine (and my mom would've died having me, too). It was modern times or nothing lol

The vast majority of the world has spent the past 300 to 500 years being absolutely brutalized by white people and/or the West. There's still a lot of fallout to fix and colonialism to uproot, but I genuinely can't wait to see what people and nations will achieve with sustained self-rule and significantly fewer massive atrocities

Solarpunk and hopepunk stuff

I'm gonna make a whole post about this at some point but the fact that we eliminated scarcity in the past few decades actually changes the entire fucking game for the world (literally it's not a zero sum game anymore) and for the future. We're allowed a bit of a learning curve I think

I listen to the Rent soundtrack a lot and go "well you know what being trans right now sucks but being trans at the height of the aids crisis would've been way fucking worse" lol rip

Meds! Meds. Antidepressants and antianxiety meds unfortunately don't work for everyone (yet!), but also thank fuck for meds

Progress almost always happens in slow, tiny increments, with a lot of stops and starts and setbacks. You have to always remember that there are always people fighting somewhere, and if they're stopped, there will always be more people to pick up the fight in the future

[argumentl]

The Freedom of Expression Ep 51 - Amazing technology - 'Human with modified skull'

K: Hi this is Dir en grey's Kaoru with this week's  episode of The Freedom of Expression. Joe, Tasai, welcome.

T: And thank you too.

J: Ta-da! We are wearing it.

K: Hahaha

J: We are wearing it. This is naturally cool, isn't it?

T: Yes.

K: Um, if we don't say anything the viewers won't understand.

J: Uh, Tasai, could you explain?

T: Um, so this is another Tokyo Sports T-shirt collaboration. We are putting one out.

K: It was a hoodie before, right? 

T: Yes, that was a collaboration with Don Quijote. This time we've collaborated with the store Hardcore Chocolate in Higashinakano, to create this really cool tshirt.

K: I'm wearing it too.

T: Oh, thank you. Its a Core-choco × Tokyo Sports collaboration.

*clapping/cheering*

K: The back is nice too.

J: Yeah, I mean, I can't see it myself though. What is written on it?

T: Its past Tokyo Sports headlines. The black is pro-wrestling headlines, like 'Inoki's grand KO defeat'.....'Hansen...near murder' etc.

J: Wow.

T: These shocking headlines are...

J: All over?

T: Yes, all over it. And as for the front, Joe, could you turn around?

J: Yes.

T: Those are copies of Tokyo Sports tied up with string, just on the verge of being thrown away, giving a kind if melancholic feel.

J: Ahh, this is cool too.

T: Its very Tokyo Sportsy.

K: Are the white and back versions different?

T:  Yes, they are different.

J: Ah! They are different?

K: The white one has 'Matsui' written on it.

T: Matsui's wedding.

J: Oh yeah.

K: This black one says, 'Brody'.

J: Pro-wrestling?

T: Yes, its mainly pro-wrestling. And the white is showbiz...

J: Sports and showbiz? Oh, so it is.

T: 'Elvis lives' and so on.

J: This is great...ah..'The Monster with 21 faces'!

K: Its nostalgic, isn't it?

T: Yeah, this type of thing.

J: Ahh..of course...Ah, shocking photos.

K: 'Discovery of Kappa'....'Madonna had hemorrhoids' haha.

K, J, T: Hahaha.

J: Does it really matter? haha.

T: Haha, that was about one time a long time ago when Madonna came to do a show in Japan. She requested a bidet toilet, so we reckoned maybe its because she had hemorrhoids.

J: Just from that? You put this headline with it?

K: Your info is thin!

T: Haha.

J: Right?! Zero fact checking! Guess after guess!

K: Incredible. So, there are two of these.

J: What should we do with them?

T: Well, I thought we could make them presents for the people who always watch The Freedom of Expression.

J: Ohhh! *claps*

K: There is black and white.

J: One of each?

T: Yes.

K: The size is S.

J: S?

K: Joe is wearing M, I'm wearing XL. Anyone who wants a big one..

J: Please but it.

K: Yes. For people who want S...um, what should we do...you could leave a comment on my Twitter..

T: With your thoughts on this show.

J: Of course.

T: Yes.

K: Yeah.

T: And we could choose one from those.

J: Leave a decent comment..

T: Like which was your favourite episode or something?

J: Ahh, you know how to do this!

K: Joe, its just that you're always drunk.

J: I'm always drunk, haha. When I see Tasai, Im learning how to conduct myself.

T: Excuse me brother, thank you very much.

J: Your stocks will rise with this tshirt. Yours and Tokyo Sports' stocks.

T: I hope so.

K: Everyone will be cool wearing this.

J: They really will be cool.

K: Please buy it, really.

J: If someone wanted to buy this, where do they get it from?

T: Probably online. You can buy it on Corechoco's site.

J: I see.

K: Ok, so today's story is a Tokyo Sports selection.

J: Its a Tokyo Sports day today.

T: A Tokyo Sports produced story...

The headline is 'Will we rise up in 2021? - Amazing technology, human with modified skull'. As for the content of the story, it asks what new technology will appear in the year 2021, and its by our science writer Hisano, who wrote about some of the things he'd heard.

J: Oh, so he's done it properly?

T: Yes. So firstly, well, we hear a lot about this A.I. deepfake problem at the moment, don't we? Like changing faces without permission, and making these made-up sexy images which cause harm, for example. *1

J: Yeah, its the basis of fake news, right?

T: We are hearing about that more and more, thats the first thing. Secondly, there is apparently this idea called, 'Trans-human' where people power up their own body with technology, and Hisano wondered whether Trans-human technology with develop a lot during this year. Specifically, well, there is actually someone doing this in Spain, Manel de Aguas. He peeled back the skin on his head and attatched self-mafe fin shaped devices to his skull. The fins contain a bone conducting oscillator and temperature sensor, so he can tell if the weather is hot or cold through vibrations in his head. So, this is a way to catch very small atmospheric changes that regular people wouldn't normally be able to sense.

J: I see.

T: And there are pictures of him, so please take a look.

J: If you go to the Tokyo Sports website?

T: Yes, you can see it there. Furthermore, well, there are quite a lot of other examples, like a 'trans-human' using prosthetics, or having an IC chip implanted into your hand to use for the train etc. On top of that, France has plans to make a conscription army like this. The name  of the project is 'The Bionic Soldier Project', which is a really cool name. They would be like super strong soldiers who never got tired and didn't need sleep, and who could heighten their sight and hearing with medication, and would have communication equipment embedded in their brains to connect directly to wireless  netwoks. Bionic soldiers..scary, right?

J: Yeah. Its like the end to the era of traditional fighting.

T: Research has been going on even longer America, in their Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, where paralyzed patients have had chips embedded in their brain, and have successfully been able to control drones with their thoughts. They've already done that. Even bedridden people can control drones. Technology his also being developed to go without sleep for 48 hours by running electric currents through the brain. This is not the talk of dreams, we are closing in on these things. There is also a plan by Nasa, a mission to redirect asteroids, where a robot spaceship would grab an asteroid, carry it over to the moon's orbit, and dig up minerals from it. Its like the world of Gundam. What do you think of this for 2021?

J: So, like these might become a reality within this year?

T: Yeah, some of them, as far as the technology goes.

K: It'll be like Robocop.

T: Yeah.

K: Its incredible, its like the world of 'Terminator'.

J: Yeah, it is.

T: In reality, controling a drone with the brain is aleady being used in China with toys.

J: With the brain..?

T: Like, controlling it with your thoughts by just imagining it rising. And in Japan..

J: You have to operate it.

T: In Japan they can be controlled with radio waves *2, but in China they can already move drones around using brain waves. Like, its technologically possible to attatch a bomb to a drone and make it fly somewhere and explode...its scary.

J: If technology advances this far, people won't need to study for exams and stuff, will they?

T: Thats right.

J: With a chip embedded...we talk about preventing cheating these days, but you would have all that data within you, or you could just go outside and remotely update.

K: Or you could send questions with just your eyes and get answers back.

J: Yeah, its like already at the point where you don't have to bother with tests or exams.

K: And it would mean no more back entrance admissions.

T, J: Yeah.

J: Yeah, like whoever has the money.

T: They might starts scanning people with metal detectors when they do exams to see if they have chips or something in them. Like, have you got a chip in your brain?? If it beeps, you'll know they have a chip.

K: They could put the people who have chips inside like anti-vibration shields..

J: Yeah, like to stop the transmissions.

T: Oh, yeah.

J: We're already getting to this point in time.

T: Do we even need to study anymore?

J: Yeah, like the era of people using their brains is ending.

K: We don't even really need universities and stuff anymore

J: We don't! Cause you have have access to all the information in the world in your head, whenever you like.

K:Yeah, if you have it ???*3

J: Well, there's also the issue of whether this kind of thing will be permitted by law. Like how far..

K: Yeah, it wouldn't be allowed immediately.

J: Yeah, like how far can human ability be harnessed in this way. I mean, there is the problem of genetic engineering too, but..thats where we are at now.

K: Well, there might already be people like this out there.

J: Well, yeah, the technology is there already.

K: You don't know whats going on in other peoples' heads.

J: Well, yeah. Eh, what if Kami is one of them?

K: No, I don't think he is. Absolutely not.

J: Haha

Kami: No, gods are different. But the bionic soldiers who don't need sleep, never get tired, and use medication to improve their sight and hearing...they've been around in Nishinari for a long time.

K: In Nishinari?

J: Haha

Kami: People who look like zombies, there have always been tonnes of them. There is also an article about a 'robot girlfriend to go for a walk with you', which Gifu University made, I'm interested  in that. I'd like to support Gifu University with that.

T: I see. Yeah, its a robot girlfriend who holds your hand and goes for walks with you, made by Gifu University.

K: What did Kami say earlier about women, doesn't he have woman trouble?

J: Oh yeah. Kami, don't women like you, being a god?

Kani: Thats a whole different story. Um, this is just a hand holding robot, but I'd like them to try harder with more in-depth research on this.

K: In-depth research? Haha

J: I don't know what he means by that. Kami!!

K: I mean, if they've been able to make the robot to this level, Im pretty sure they can also manage 'in-depth' research. haha.

J: They just won't announce it as university research, they stopped at holding hands.

Kami: Ah, I see. I wanna support deepfake technology too.

K: Ha, you wanna support it.

T: Well, this type of technology was originally invented for mens' pleasure. New technology can even start from such places. Like videos...

K: Ah, yeh, popular people from videos turned up a lot in this erotic stuff (*Sorry if I got this wrong*)

J: Ahh, yes, necessity is the mother of invention. Technology increases due human desires.

T: Yeah, thats it.

J: Well, this could be used for evil ways, or for more interesting ways. There are various ways to use it. Kaoru is there any kind of technology that you ever wanted to invent?

K: That I wanted to invent?

J: Like a specific type of robot or anything like that?

T: If you had a chip in your brain though, and you didn't have to study, what would you do?

K: But if all this stuff becomes normal, I think on the contrary, will might start to want to do things in more detail again. When you can get anything effortlessly, you will start to want to do those things that don't come effortlessly.

J: Ahh, hand made things will become nostalgic.

K: Our sense of value would change. People will want to go out and do things...if you can get everything you need without ever going out. And with food, it will be all there, ready as soon as you open the cupboard, right?

J: Yeah

K: Like, wouldn't you feel like going out instead?

T: Yeah, you'd want to go out and see live performances and stuff too.

K: People were told not to go out on New Years eve, but so many people still went out. haha

T: Oh, yeah.

J: Yep, human mentality just goes like that.

K: People will still go out. So, I think thats the direction it will head.

T: A.I. is pretty popular in human competions at the moment, for example with Shōgi, but in the end, what people really want to see is a human competing with another human.

J: Yes, I think thats true.

K: Yeah, its those natural variations

J: Thats it, we need those. Its that type of thing  that is impossible to calculate.

K: A computer couldn't come up with this type of thing. (*holds up Tokyo Sports tshirt*)

T: Haha

K: Its a product of wild fantasies.

T: Hahaha

J: Yeah, that would be impossible.

T: If we let A.I. do this kind of thing we would have lost. Tokyo Sports would be finished.

K: A.I. couldn't make this.

J: Its incredible.

K: 'Human gives birth to frog'.

J: Haha, A.I. could never write this.

K: It probably couldn't, right?

J: Only some bombed out person could do it otherwise.

K: It was worth making, naturally Tokyo Sports.

T: Oh, thank you.

K: So, everyone, please buy one of these tshirts. We have a black and white in size S here, so please send a tweet. Ok, we'll finish here this week. Please subscribe, thank you very much.

*1, 2 Not sure its exactly right.

*3 Couldn't figure out

Back to top page

[recentnews18-blog]

New Post has been published on https://shovelnews.com/snls-vanessa-bayer-talks-battling-leukemia-and-her-epic-end-of-chemo-party-huffpost/

SNL's Vanessa Bayer Talks Battling Leukemia And Her Epic End-Of-Chemo Party - HuffPost

Vanessa Bayer is eternally cheerful ― even when she’s talking about her battle with blood cancer. 

The “Saturday Night Live” star, who left the show in 2017 after seven seasons of Rachel Green impressions and Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy sketches, recently spoke with HuffPost about having leukemia as a teenager and her new partnership with Gift of Life ― a bone marrow registry dedicated to fighting blood cancer.

Somehow Bayer ― known for her megawatt smile ― manages to make talking about her battle with blood cancer like just another thing that happens to anyone — like something as simple as getting stitches or a cast for a broken bone. 

Aside from opening up about defeating cancer, the 37-year-old comedian also spoke about her epic end-of-chemo party that got busted by the police, Pete Davidson ruling the headlines this summer and, of course, performing that infamous “Porn Stars” sketch with Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live.” 

NBC via Getty Images

Vanessa Bayer, Donald Trump and Cecily Strong during the Nov. 7, 2015, “Porn Stars” sketch on “Saturday Night Live.”

How did you get involved with Gift of Life?

They came to me. As a survivor of blood cancer ― it was just something really close to my heart. And when I heard about their amazing work that they’ve done I definitely wanted to get involved.

Tell me about your childhood and battling cancer. 

When I was 15 I was diagnosed with ALL ― acute lymphoblastic leukemia ― and so I was treated for about two-and-a-half years. It was obviously a difficult thing to go through. I do think surviving something like that definitely affected my sense of humor and made me want to go into comedy because my family, my friends and I all laughed about it a lot.

I was very lucky because once I was treated for leukemia it never recurred, but I know that had it recurred there was a likelihood I would have had to get a bone marrow transplant. The Gift of Life registry was created out of someone needing a bone marrow transplant and that’s why it’s so close to my heart.

How did you find out that you had blood cancer?

It generally shows somewhere and my eyes swelled up. I getting sick and not getting better ― this was all in ninth grade. I was having all of these issues and then I was diagnosed. I think they took a sample ― biopsied my bone marrow or something ― and saw that I had it. Again, I was 15 and it’s a long treatment but it’s curable right now. I was very lucky.

What was it like to hear that you had cancer? Who was in the room with you?

I feel like my parents were in the room with me ―  it was such a long time ago. It was definitely a scary thing, but I had a lot of support from my family and I was always very optimistic in general. I always felt like I was on a path to recovery.

What would you say to someone who’s scared to sign up for the registry?

I understand, but it’s actually not a scary thing at all. Basically, the way that the process works is that you get swabbed and if you find out that you’re a match you do something that’s similar to giving plasma or platelets, basically blood is drawn.

They take the stem cells out of it and then they give you back the blood. It’s nothing scary, it’s nothing crazy. I think that’s one of the biggest misconceptions ― that giving stem cells or giving bone marrow is this scary thing and it’s not.

NBC via Getty Images

Bayer talking about battling blood cancer on the “Today” show on Nov. 30. 

Sometimes people don’t know what to say when someone has cancer. What would you want them to know? 

I think the most important thing with someone with cancer or any kind of illness is just to say something. And just remember that it’s the same person and they’re still your friend or your colleague. I think it’s just important to show up for that person.

What did you think of someone like Tig Notaro integrating cancer into her comedy?

It’s amazing. I mean, she is so funny. I think she was on “Conan” when she did that bit where she was like “cancer has made me be so much more present,” and then she was like, looking on her cell phone. I mean, she’s a genius. I think it’s great [she talks about cancer in her work]. It’s kind of like what we were saying before ― if someone has cancer or has something, they’re still the same person. And I think when someone can joke about it, it puts everyone else at ease a little bit.

How did having leukemia shape your comedy? 

In college I was in this all-female sketch group called Bloomers. But I just think in general in my comedy there were just so many funny and interesting and awkward moments when I was sick. I think that kind of getting through that made me be able to see funny things in all situations.

What were some of the awkward moments about getting sick?

Well, I mean anyone who spends a lot of the time in the hospital knows and, by the way, I’m not like ― my comedy isn’t full of poop jokes or anything, it’s just that you’re so monitored on how much, your poop is checked so much. You know, it’s important. Whenever you’re in a hospital setting, they’re always kind of like, “Did you go?”

How many times were you asked that [did you go]?

I just feel like I was asked it all the time. When you’re in a hospital setting, [Bayer turns to her PR team laughing and says “Is this a great thing for me to be talking about?”] pooping is important. And my best friend Gwen is a nurse and she’s like “Yeah, you gotta [ask].”

How long were you in the hospital?

I was in and out. When I was first there, I was there for a couple weeks, but then I’d have to go in for certain procedures or if something came up I’d have to go back. I had the most intensive treatment for 10 months and then I had what they call maintenance chemo for two more years after that. I think the summer before my senior year of high school is when I finally stopped chemo. And I had an end-of-chemo party.

What was that like?

It was so fun. My parents got me a really big cake. I think I had a big sheet cake and I think it said, “Happy End-of-Chemo Vanessa” or something and so many of my friends came and it was so fun. And then my brother was in a band and his band played in our backyard and then the police came ’cause they thought that it was like a “rager” ― my parents and I were just talking about this over Thanksgiving.

The police thought we were drinking and we were like, “No, we’re literally celebrating the end of me having chemo.” My parents said they were going through the trash and trying to find bottles and stuff and [we were like] this couldn’t be a more positive party. We’re literally just celebrating the end of me having chemo.

What did the police end up doing?

I think they finally left, but said ’cause of the noise my brother’s band had to stop playing.

How did you balance having cancer with applying for colleges?

Well, I guess ― if you really think about it ― I had a great thing to write a college essay about.

I did think about that. But just the amount of work that goes into applying for school, too. 

I guess I was just hyper-focused on school because I wanted to make sure that having this illness wouldn’t affect my future. Especially once the more intense of my chemo [treatments] were over, I really was so focused on school. It was really a priority for me.

What did you go to school for? What did you think you were going to do?

I thought I would maybe be a biology major [at the University of Pennsylvania, where Bayer went] because I thought that I could do medical research and stuff like that. But then everyone was so smart [laughs].

I was in some really intense science classes and I always thought that I wanted to be a medical researcher who was on TV or something, so then I was like, “Oh I think I want to be on TV.” So I actually ended up being a communications major, and I was a French major as well because I studied abroad.  

How did you go from college to being on “SNL” about six years later? 

I made the transition from biology pretty quickly my freshman year. I did this sketch group, Bloomers, in college and I performed a lot. I also interned one summer at “Conan” and I kind of realized that I wanted to pursue comedy when I was in college. I moved to Chicago after school and I started taking classes at Second City and the iO [theater] and The Annoyance [Theater] and stuff.

And I saw that you interned at Sesame Street ― what was that like?

It was over the summer so they weren’t in production, but it was really magical. We got to go to the set once and it was really amazing.

What memories do you have from your first and your last day at “Saturday Night Live?”

I remember from my first day just meeting a lot of the other cast and just being so starstruck by them. And just being like okay, I’m going to have to act like this is normal until I think that it’s normal. And then my last day was just so special, I just remember we were being carried off stage and stuff and it was just so amazing. 

NBC via Getty Images

Vanessa Bayer getting carried off stage after her last “SNL” show on May 20, 2017. 

Why did you leave? 

I just felt like it was time. I just had this feeling like it’s time for me to go and I knew that the show was in such great hands with Aidy [Bryant] and Kate [McKinnon] and Beck Bennett and Kyle Mooney and everybody. 

How do you tell Lorne Michaels that you were leaving?

I think that we had a discussion about it. He’s always been very supportive. So I feel like I can be very honest with him. I felt like we had a very honest conversation about it.

Was it hard to tell the cast that you were leaving? When did you tell them?

I don’t remember it exactly. I feel like everyone was supportive and we’ll miss you, but we understand. It’s a very hectic schedule so it’s like, after seven years, I want to take a nap [laughs].

Speaking of that, your New York Times “Sunday Routine” has a cult following. Why do you think it resonates so much?

You know, someone else just brought this up to me. That’s really nice. I do think that normally those “Sunday Routines” are so busy and I think it just makes you feel bad about yourself. Like, I don’t get up at six a.m. and make breakfast with my kids or whatever and go to, like, spin class. I think it puts people at ease that most of us are just ordering bagels and then spending whatever I said, spending like 10 minutes being mad that it’s not toasted.

And [as you mentioned in your NYT piece] it’s such a New York thing to wonder what your doorman thinks of you. What do you think your doorman thinks of you?

Well, in my building now, not to brag, but I have several different doormen. So I could order breakfast and if I wait two hours and order lunch, they don’t know. But you know if I order multiple dinners, they’re gonna know.

What do you think most people’s impression of you is? How do you think you come across to fans?

I think most people think I’m just like a stone-cold bitch.

REALLY?

No [laughs]. I think everyone knows that I smile a lot so they probably think that I’m pretty nice, but again… [shrugs]. 

NBC via Getty Images

Michael Che and Vanessa Bayer as ‘Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy’ during “Weekend Update” on “SNL” on April 15, 2017.

What do people ― when they recognize you on the street ― what do they say to you?

Sometimes people think they’ve gone to high school with me. But people are generally very nice. A lot of guys mention [my “SNL” character] the Bar Mitzvah Boy and say they can relate to that time in their life. But people are generally very nice or they think they know me from high school. ’Cause you know, we wore so many wigs on “SNL,” so they know your face, but they’re just like, “New Jersey?” and I’m like, “Nope.”

Is it weird that people you’ve known for so long, like Pete Davidson, can suddenly be every headline in the news?

Yeah, I guess so, although that happens a lot, you know what I mean? I feel like there’s a lot of people that I’ve known that that’s happened to. And that stuff’s always kind of, you know, it has a moment and then it dies down ― thank goodness for them ― ’cause it’s a lot.

It is ever a lot for you when people ask you personal questions, like are you dating?

Yeah, I mean it is, but I feel like it sort of comes with the territory. And you know, I never feel like I have to answer everything.

But you did talk to Drake about JDate [an online dating service for Jewish singles] one time. 

Yes, Drake did my web series [“Sound Advice”], which I did with my brother. And yeah, he was a great sport about it. I mean, I was kind of asking him in character, but apparently he’s not on JDate. Which, missed opportunity, right?

What’s your inspiration for the character you play on “Sound Advice?”

I feel like my brother and I would always say we wanted ― and we did it with this ”[Weekend] Update” writer Pete Schultz ― we always wanted it to be the woman from “Millionaire Matchmaker,” Patti Stanger, and Zach Galifianakis from “Between Two Ferns.” That was the combo we were always trying to meet. And so once someone said that it seemed like a combo of those two, we were like, “We’ve done our job.” 

What was it like working with Donald Trump on “SNL?” Do you regret working with him at all?

I mean, it was just interesting. It was so weird because he could only do a certain amount of time because he’s running for president. Cecily and I did the ex-porn stars thing with him and I remember he asked me like, “Should I do it?” and I was like, “Yeah.” I wanted to do this sketch and we couldn’t believe that he was gonna do it and it was just sort of surreal. We were all sort of like, “Why is he here?” But also nobody thought that he was gonna win, you know? It was weird, it was crazy.

Did you ever have any interaction with him in the week leading up to his appearance?  

Not a ton. Every week is sort of like a blur, but yeah it’s just so crazy that he did that ― that he was on the show. It’s so weird. 

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. 

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