Liz Feldman Knows You Want Secret Lesbian Slang On TV: The Autostraddle Interview

The Liz Feldman-created, Ellen Degeneres-produced NBC sitcom One Big Happy premieres next week. I sat down with Liz, made my girlfriend take pictures of us, and asked her a bunch of questions. I am pretty stoked on this show because it’s on a major broadcast network, in a primetime slot, and the lead character is a lesbian, which feels a little life-changing for me. We live in a time where a lot of queer content is on the internet — be it Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, YouTube, whatever — but I keep wondering why there aren’t more queer-themed shows on TV. There has especially been a dearth of sitcoms with queer female characters.

One Big Happy wasn’t created with any agenda, but it is so nice to see something cute, funny, and gay-as-shit hit middle america.

Here are Liz and I talking about stuff:

unnamed-1

Photo by Julia Nunes.

And here is our interview:

Give me the elevator pitch. What’s the show about?

Okay, first of all: what floor am I going to? How long can the pitch be?

Okay, I’m gonna say we’re going to the 14th floor and I’ve never heard of your show.

Okay, who are you? Because that would depend on how I sell the show.

I am a queer, gender-neutral person in my mid-to-late twenties. I’m a feminist.

Hey, you! You seem cool. You should watch my new show. It’s about a new kind of family. Well, I gotta get off. It’s the 14th floor.

I guess fancy buildings have fast elevators?

Wait, what year is it? You didn’t say it was 1983!

[We laugh together]

I would say it’s a very funny show about a lesbian and her straight guy best friend who want to start a family together and then he meets the love of his life and that changes the course of their lives.

Does the show focus on their relationship — the lesbian and her best friend?

I would say the focus is on what happens when a new person comes into that kind of relationship. It’s based on my real life. I mean, me and my best friend were inseparable and spent our entire twenties hanging out together, and did have a plan to have a baby together. Then he met this girl, it was love at first sight, and what it did to me really surprised me. It was very threatening to me. I’ve always been a possessive and competitive, um, I guess, asshole. All of a sudden there was this other woman, and that obviously changed our plans.

I don’t have a child with him. So this show sort of became the fantasy version of what would have happened if we had already been in the process. That’s pretty specific, but the general notion of having a best friend who starts dating somebody and you have to learn to like that person, that’s what we’re examining in this show. In their situation, it’s just a little more heightened: they live together, they’re having a baby together, and now there’s a new person.

So it’s also about this newlywed couple who just got married very quickly and is getting to know each other. It’s also about this uptight, set-in-her-ways lesbian who now has to deal with this free-spirited, super outspoken English chick who is living in her house and walking around naked. It’s about the three people learning to deal with each other as a new unit, and it’s about two best friends who are looking at each other from a new lens because there’s a new person in the picture.

I assume the show is very funny, because you’re funny.

I appreciate that. And all the scripts did come through me. Some of them we wrote together, some of them I wrote myself, but I have the last say on every word. So know that it comes through me. It’s not being written by a bunch of straight people in a room, like, “What would a lesbian say?”

Well I was wondering how much secret lesbian slang will be in the show.

“Secret lesbian slang,” can you give me some? Do I even know any?

Well a lot of times, gay shows that are written by straight writers, they’re like, “Here’s the gay stuff! Here’s the gay guy who loves Madonna!”

Oh, yes. Yeah, I never do that. I mean, the character is really a fictionalized version of me. It’s definitely as close to me as any person I’ve ever written. Then we cast Elisha Cuthbert and I think she brings her own thing to it, but we’re also oddly similar, Rachael, [my wife], calls us “Frick” and “Frack.” I mean, she’s a wonderful Canadian person who is married to a hockey player, but I really made sure to make this a really authentic character. So it always had to pass the test of, “Is this true for me? Is this authentic for me?”

Yes, some of the jokes will be maybe more expected, because it is for a broader audience. I recently sat down with one lesbian journalist who said the jokes feel a little stereotypical, but I did that on purpose on some level. Now, that’s not in every episode. But there’s one episode that’s particularly focusing on how you can tell if a person is a lesbian or not. So yes, of course, I did make some more obvious jokes. But even Ellen thought they were funny!

Truthfully, I did that because this is a show for the mass audience of America, not just for lesbians. I can’t make a network show for just lesbians. So these are jokes you know that America has never heard. Have we heard them? Maybe.

But also to let the mainstream feel comfortable in a lot of ways, you have to let them laugh sometimes.

Exactly. There are a lot of ways to make people laugh. One way is to surprise them. We do that a lot. There’s a lot of funny, surprising things that happen on the show. But the other thing is that you laugh because it’s familiar to you. Or at least you know you’re in on the joke. And you don’t always want the audience to be behind the joke; you really want them to feel like they’re a part of it, like they’re in on it with you. And if I want that, I have to make jokes that are going to be tangible to most people, not just for us.

One Big Happy - Season Pilot

Photo courtesy of NBC.

So this is a prime time network with a lesbian lead role. When did you write it and when were people finally ready to put that on?

That’s a really good question, and most people don’t know this, but because we’re friends I’ll tell you. I actually wrote a very early version of this in 2008, which is when it was happening for me. So I didn’t write it for public consumption, I didn’t write it for anyone to read it. In fact, it was the Writer’s Strike at the time. I wasn’t supposed to be writing at all, but I wrote it because it was how I was dealing with going through the actual thing at the time. Some people keep a diary, I write sitcoms. I don’t know. It’s weird, but that’s what I do.

So my best friend was getting more serious with his now-wife and the only way I knew how to process it was to write a version of it, so I wrote a really early version and I never sold it to anyone. I kept it for myself and showed it to him and he was like, “It’s good, it’s funny.” That’s sort of all we ever talked about it, which is classic.

Then I put it away and I started developing other pilots and I pretty much exclusively have written pilots with a lesbian lead character. Literally every single pilot I have been paid to write has had a lesbian lead character in it. And that’s honestly not part of some agenda; it’s part of the fact that it’s who I am. The television that I like best seems to be semi-autobiographical. It seems to come from truth, from reality, from a place of real vulnerability.

I think there are other really great TV shows too, like I thought 30 Rock was great, but guess what? That came from reality. That came from Tina Fey’s life and she made it a crazy version of it. So Girls, you know, or Transparent, that comes from Jill Soloway’s life. Those are my favorite shows; that’s why I do that. For years I worked on pilots that didn’t get picked up. Then in my third year, I was allowed to develop a show and I thought, “Wow, I actually have a story that’s good but I’ve never actually told it to anyone but myself.” I decided to reinvent that original pilot that I wrote in 2008.

I kind of felt like maybe the world was ready for it, but I really wasn’t sure. Because as I took it around to the networks to pitch, they all said no, except for NBC.

Wow. Really?

They all were really kind. At this point, I’d been doing this a long time. I had nice relationships with these people. These were lovely people, but their feedback was: “This is a good idea, and we’d love to work with you, but this will never make it on the air.”

Were there specific reasons? Was it because there is a lesbian lead?

Well, I mean they’re not going to come out and say…

Right. They’re not going to say that.

It’s not, honestly, just that there’s a lesbian lead. It’s also that it’s a very non-traditional concept. Having a baby out of wedlock, and having a baby with your friend, and a lesbian having a baby.

Yeah. It’s a lot of new information.

It’s a lot of information for middle America. I was really lucky in that Ellen DeGeneres’ company wanted to produce it because that obviously lends a certain amount of palatability. She’s a lesbian everyone can digest. Is that a bad turn of phrase?

No, it’s true.

It is true, but, you know, I’m very much in the same ilk as her. And not just because we’ve worked together so long. In my nature, I’m just kind of the lesbian next door. I really am. I’m not that edgy. Though I’m super liberal in my politics and socially liberal, I’m pretty conservative in my way.

So why do you think people are ready for this now?

Isn’t it crazy that Ellen came out eighteen years ago? It was eighteen years ago, almost to the day. So eighteen years later there’s a show with the anchor character being a lesbian. It’s funny. We’ll see if America is ready for it. NBC is very cool and has always been pretty progressive with the kind of shows they put on the air so hopefully they’ve tapped into something but they test it for audiences, they do the whole thing they do with every show, and it’s tested really positively.

One Big Happy - Season Pilot

Photo courtesy of NBC.

I’m wondering what kind of things you were thinking when this got picked up. Like, “Whoa. This will change the world.” Did you have any of those thoughts at all?

You know? No. Because that’s not a great place to start creating comedy from. You don’t set out to create a groundbreaking show. Really I’m just telling a story that felt authentic to me. I know what Ellen did for me when she came out, so somewhere in the back of my mind I understand that there’s a possibility that this show can positively affect young people, or maybe older people who might be struggling to accept who they are, or accept who their children are. So obviously, yes, if this show continues some sort of conversation about acceptance and love and what it means to be a family, that will be awesome. But truly my intention is to make people laugh.

Have you been surprised by any questions about the show?

Yes. So let me just paint a picture for you. The TCA is the Television Critics Association, and they’re this thing that you never really think about. Maybe other people do, but when I’m writing a pilot I never think about critics. I was just trying to write something funny so people don’t think I’m a total fucking asshole. I mean, they’re paying me to write this pilot, and I just wanted them to read it and be like, “Okay, she’s not a dick.”

That’s my goal. You just want to make a great pilot. You never think in a million years that it will get on the air. Then it gets on the air and you’re like, “Shit. I really haven’t thought this far.” Because the odds are so not ever in your favor. Then all of a sudden you’re at the TCA’s, which is the weirdest press event in the history of press events. So it’s you, it’s the creator, the executive producer — who is me — and then Ellen, who is the executive producer, and the cast. We’re sitting on a panel and they show this fun preview of the show; then the lights come up and all of a sudden you’re sitting in front of two hundred and fifty reporters and their computers and no one claps. It is so bizarre. I’ve been a performer most of my life and I’ve never been on a stage before where you wouldn’t clap for Ellen.

Anyway, the first question they asked was, “Why aren’t there more lesbians on the show?” I have to admit, this was not a question I ever thought I would be asked. You have a few talking points you know you can rely on if you have to, but that’s not something we were expecting at all. The first few questions really dictate the narrative that comes out in the press. So Ellen, in her response was like, “Well, this isn’t a show about lesbians. This is a show about a lesbian, and her best friend, and their family and their friends.” So that becomes the narrative in the press. Ellen says this isn’t a show about lesbians. That is why that was the headline. Because that is the first question that was asked.

That is so interesting.

I’m so glad you asked me that because I’ve been dying to say that. We didn’t go to the TCA to be like, “This isn’t a show about lesbians!” Of course this is a show for lesbians, it’s for everyone. It has to be. When I saw all those headlines coming out, I was happy to see that the show was being written about at all, but also if I was a lesbian at home reading that, I would feel alienated by that headline. But that is truly what happened.

It’s so interesting too because I bet they thought that was a positive quote. “The show isn’t just for lesbians!”

I guess, or they’re just trying to get you to click the link. I get it, that’s their job. I think that’s a pretty hot button quote. Ellen says this isn’t a show about lesbians! Ellen says she doesn’t have an agenda! That was the first question, then I think the second question was: “Will there be more lesbians?” Which is something I’ve really started to understand better, which is that we, as lesbians, are so, so hungry to be represented. We really are. We want to watch something and say, “That’s like me.” Because we never get that. But, instead, because there is such a lack of representation on television, we look for it in these very subtextual ways on shows that are not at all about us.

You know, Rizzoli & Isles, which is a fine show, that’s not about lesbians. Even 2 Broke Girls, the show I worked on, people try to find that lesbian undertone. There is no lesbian undertone. They’re friends. We create lesbian storylines where there aren’t any. Then when there is actually something for us, which I hope is how you’ll feel with my show, this is about a real lesbian character. She’s living her life as a lesbian, wants all the things that we all want, and what I found initially is that there was a bit of resistance to it from our community. There’s a lot of really harsh scrutiny about it. So we’re willing to accept these little bits and pieces of just subtext on another show, but when there’s actually something that’s for us, we kind of immediately reject it.

That much be so interesting for you, because the main character is you.

A version, yeah.

It is weird that there’s a show with a queer person and you have to be like, “But no! It is a real lesbian!”

But that’s the point I’m trying to get out there. The point that I really wrote this, guys. This is really from me. This character is certainly a version of me. She’s a way better looking version of me. And wouldn’t you all cast Elisha Cuthbert to play you in a show?

One hundred percent.

Of course you would. She’s fantastic. She’s awesome. Like, she came out with me and a lot of my friends, like she hung out with us, and you know, did her research. She really did it. We spent a lot of time together in social situations with our other lesbian friends and she really, truly was just trying to get it right. And she did a great job.

One Big Happy - Season Pilot

Photo courtesy of NBC.

I was also wondering if there were any questions you thought you had to be prepared for but nobody has even asked?

Yeah, I thought somebody was going to ask me why I didn’t cast a lesbian. Because I tried. I did. I would’ve loved to cast a lesbian. Tell me who I should have cast is what I would say. Unfortunately, there are not many out comedic lesbians in their thirties. That’s the truth. And the truth is, this is the star of the show. It wasn’t going to go to an unknown person. It would have to go to someone who you’ve heard of, who has had success in television before. And I would have loved to cast a lesbian in this part. But the truth is that when those auditions came and went, there were some great people, but when Elisha’s name came up, I was like, “Of course. Yes.”

So those were all the questions I had, unless there’s something you want to talk about?

Absolutely. So I used to do a show called This Just Out. It was through AfterEllen, but it was my show. They were very kind to put it on their website. The whole thing was that I interviewed famous lesbians and women who were interesting to the lesbian audience in my kitchen. Basically the gist of the show was that I hit on them. Pretty much. I was single. I had such luminaries as Kate Moennig, Tegan and Sara and Emily Deschanel, some really interesting, great people. Like Clea DuVall and Leisha Hailey, pretty much the entire cast of The L Word. I stopped doing it a few years ago because I had to start working for money.

Oh I thought you were gonna say you ran out of lesbians.

Well, that too. I mean truly it was getting harder to book people. But I recently relaunched the show!

I want to be able to tell my story the way I want to tell it as opposed to the way it’s sometimes told in the press. Sometimes it’s wonderfully told in the press, but sometimes you get quoted in a way that makes you feel crummy, in like “This is not a show about lesbians.” Because I’m really about making people feel good about themselves. Literally the tagline of that show was, “You’re so gay.” In a good way, you know? So I started doing it again, just as an outlet for myself because I have some free time while I’m waiting for the show to air.

Also just as a way to reconnect with that audience because it’s amazing. I literally stopped doing the show about four or five years ago and on a daily basis I get a Tweet or an Instagram comment or someone coming to me asking when I’m going to do it again. So I decided I’m going to do it again. You can find it on our YouTube page, but don’t worry, if you follow me on Twitter @thelizfeldman, you’ll hear about it. There will be a new episode up this afternoon.

[Editor’s note: You can watch the new episode below, thanks to the magical power of YouTube embedding!]
Okay, great. I can’t wait to see it and hear about it and also see One Big Happy.

I can’t wait for you also. Thank you for reading this and thanks for watching One Big Happy. It premieres March 17th, 9:30pm/8:30 Central.

 

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Dannielle

Dannielle holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Performance, and spent three years in Chicago studying improv and sketch comedy (that’s where the funny comes from). During that time she was also teaching drama to kids ages 8 – 18. Dannielle is the creator of Lesbians Who Look Like Justin Bieber, was the runner-up to be the first ever MTVTJ (twitter jockey), ran social media for Virgin Mobile on the Lady Gaga Monster Ball Tour, and starred as Justin Bieber in Not Another Celebrity Movie. She believes herself to be a “stellar problem solver,” has the ability to see both sides of the situation #libra, and gets her dance moves from her dad.

Dannielle has written 12 articles for us.

32 Comments

  1. This interview addressed sooo many cool and interesting things. Loved This Just Out as a baby gay and glad it’s back. I’m crossing my fingers for a Happy Endings callback with Elisha eating ribs in One Just Happy. Who’s with me?

  2. I adore Liz Feldman with all of my heart parts.

    I’m so thrilled to see more This Just Out, and I can’t wait to check out One Big Happy.

  3. I’m so glad she did this interview. It really clarified what the media said vs. her intentions. I look forward to watching this now!

  4. It would appear this new character of hers isn’t appealing to the lesbian community, who have also characterized her jokes as stereotypical. That has got to sting. So I guess then you criticize the community; why don’t you like this lesbian character/storyline when you’re willing to settle for mere subtext otherwise. I guess the answer to that would be – because we find those other shows more appealing, better in some way. I have yet to see One Big Happy but her defensiveness is making me skeptical. Criticizing your audience does not sound like the best way to learn and improve on your storytelling. The audience is trying to tell you something.

  5. Is it just me or does it seem like a lot of the stories featuring grown-up lesbians on tv involve having babies in some way? Like, I hope all the best for Big Happy, but the premise just doesn’t really jump out to me and I really wish we’d get more variety in the plot lines for lesbian characters.

    • I was trying to sort some stuff about that as well. For instance: why did Ellen, who has been super-vocal about NOT wanting children, produce a TV show about a lesbian having a child and still involve a male so directly? Is there some sort of deflection from the ongoing talk about her choice to be childless going on in the premise itself here, or am I overthinking? Is the single mother/best friend thing needed to actually get it ON an actual network as opposed to the Internet? I have no idea if that’s somehow necessary to hit a broad enough demographic to give the show a chance at viability; maybe it is. But then she says it’s “for us,” and I’m not entirely sure who “us” is.

      I’m really glad this interview is on here and that it’s so comprehensive, because I’ve wanted to know more about this show since the first article about it showed up. I feel like this gave a lot more information and dug a lot deeper. I think what I’m lacking is an understanding of television marketing (I completely made that up; I don’t know the right word), and I just plain need to see the show to really and truly see what’s up.

      • I don’t get the vibe there is any deeper issue about why Ellen supported this show (as opposed to something else?) other than here was a story that had been mulled over for a while, with a great writer, and that has the potential to have strong broad appeal. That kind of fits with Ellen’s thing I think. I dunno, but I can’t see Ellen jumping into producing a lesbian version of Breaking Bad or Broad City – doesn’t feel like a fit with her brand so much. I think this really does.

        As for talking it up for being for “us”, well I reckon most of that is just your normal talking up your show so it has the best chance of success, and maybe a bit of allaying fears that they might play down the lesbian angle. I think they might be hoping for a Modern Family or Will and Grace kind of appeal. Is Modern Family *my* type of show? Nope. But it is a *lot* of other peoples’ kind of show. It would be awesome to know there’s a show getting a win in that space with a lead lesbian character – there is no way I want to begrudge that happening just because it’s not showing my kind of lesbian or not exactly to my kind of show preference. Meanwhile, I’ll keep banging on and demanding networks give me the edgy stuff with lesbian leads that’s more “me” as well.

        • I certainly do overanalyze, so that could very well be going on here. I just went back and looked– I missed the part about her *choosing* to produce this show specifically as opposed to her being the one (or her general brand being the one) conceptualizing it, so that was part of what I was getting screwed up on.

          I also agree about the us, definitely– I just wish she had sort of been a little less general (I had a similar issue with Transparent). Again, there’s major potential I’m missing something about audience, though; I haven’t seen any of these shows that are coming up as comparisons, so I’m pretty unclear about what audience they’re going for here (which, again, could be causing confusion– just not being able to connect the dots and see how this falls into a logical slot in a TV lineup, that sort of thing).

          I don’t begrudge the show; hope it didn’t sound like that. I was more generally just trying to express mixed feelings and confusion pending getting a chance to see it– get beyond hype and see the actual product. But lord knows how seldom I make sense.

          • And I just caught that I failed to make sense again. I’m NOT calling this interview “hype.” I enjoyed it a lot, as I said before, and it filled in a lot of blanks. What I was trying, and failing to say, is that I look forward to putting an end to my own vague and ill-informed speculations by seeing the show. And then probably progressing to vague and ill-informed things based on that. Anyway. I should really go to bed.

          • Oh, my begrudging comment was not in response to your post and I am also prone to some over analysis myself. It was more my internal monologue going off and checking myself for being too half glass empty about these things – cause I think when Liz talks about our hunger for representation, how we look for subtext in the shows we love when it isn’t there, but then pick at something that does give front and centre text representation is totally true. I do it with most of my fav shows, sitting there thinking “the only thing that would make this better is women loving women as well”. But it’s not this show’s fault that it’s not giving me Veep, but gay Veep. That’s what femslash is for.

            The shows I used as examples were just ones I could think of as prime-time shows that were/are broadly popular with lead gay characters. As far as what ticks the box to make a broadly successful and popular prime-time tv show – I think if people (especially network executives) really had the answers you’d never, ever see a show flop. What I do suspect, is that execs will always be conservative for those timeslots and might assume audiences are more conservative than they really are. So what you get are baby steps in progress/variety/representation from show to show, with the occasional more “risky” than usual show thrown in (but to take a risk it would probably be backed by someone with a proven record ie Shonda Rhimes). I’m no expert though, just my random musings.

    • Yeah, totally. It’s just another trope. It’s like a distraction tactic. Like, oh yes we are super queer- but JAZZ HANDS look over here- we’re gentle nurturers too! Ugh.

  6. Also: “free-spirited, super outspoken English chick who is living in her house and walking around naked”

    So basically the friend marries Lila the Gross English Titty Vampire from Dexter? Which I only bring up because how AMAZING would this show be if the friend’s new wife was actually a vampire and the lesbian was trying to save the friend from her nefarious undead clutches???

    L: “Dude, you have to divorce her.”

    F: “What? Why?”

    L: “Because she’s going to suck your-”

    F: “Already did, bro-sis! High-five?!”

    L: “EW. DUDE TMI WTF. No, I mean she’s going to suck your blood and turn you into a demonic vessel of pure evil! You have to leave her!”

    F: “Nah, buddy. I love her. And have you seen dem boobs??”

    L: “I HAVE and they ARE totally bodacious, but they’re not worth selling your soul to the forces of darkness! Also, boundaries!”

  7. I will definitely give this a go. I’m not sure if the premise is really going to be my thing but would love to be proven wrong. Being a ‘network’ comedy has me a little worried it might be on the blandish side with the ‘appealing to middle America comments (and not just in regard to lesbian content, but overall fun), but then I remember there have been some great network comedies in the past few years so I’ll be keeping an open mind. (My caution is also because I’m still coming down from the joy of binging Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt which NBC passed on). Even if it isn’t my particular thing, I really hope it hits its market and does well.

  8. I’ve always liked Liz Feldman, but maybe I’ve been spoiled by the Internet, and have become weary (and wary) of broad, network comedies? I don’t know. I’ll give it a shot to support The Team though.

  9. I will watch it and all but I wish we could have an adult childfree lesbian on TV

  10. I’m looking forward to this! Granted, I somehow have a soft spot of unwed pregnancy sitcoms, but this one has a character with the awkward charm of Liz Feldman, and the “This Just Out”-watching me from 2010 is so on board with that.

  11. First of all, this was a great interview! It really was. But I’m just sitting here going “So are there going to be more lesbian (or otherwise queer lady) characters or not?”

    Because currently I have absolutely zero in common with a white lesbian whose whole world is apparently her white male best friend and his white British wife and her drama about how she can’t have his baby anymore. At least if I’m told YES the main character’s relationships with other queer women (whether romantic, sexual, platonic, familial, etc.) will be important, then I might tune in.

    Feldman does seem overly defensive. And I can imagine it hurts to have your community criticize a project which is so autobiographical, but it’s not as though the community hasn’t also criticized the blatant queerbaiting in Rizzoli & Isles or 2 Broke Girls. To say “well, why do you embrace these shows but not mine???” is dodge the question. (FTR I don’t currently watch either of those shows, and actively revile 2BG, so maybe Feldman’s new show would’ve never interested me.)

  12. I’m pretty excited about this. I’m oddly excited that it might NOT appeal to me.

    White cis straight dudes have about a bajillion shows about them and 0% are geared toward ALL of them. That’s the shame of underrepresentation: having to appeal to everyone in a “group.” There should be so many options for us out there that plenty of them are bland and not remotely interesting to us, just the way TV already works for the regularly-represented among us.

    I look forward to that day, and am thinking an overly-broad cheesy network sitcom that I don’t even find funny but somehow appeals to enough people to stay afloat is a very good sign indeed.

    I can’t wait to one day feel like I don’t have to watch ALL the lesbian shows out of thirst, and just watch the ones I like. Bring on the lesbian milquetoast mega-hits that I don’t have to watch!

    (Disclaimer: I will totally watch this show if it’s good! I have no idea if it will be, nor any proof that it won’t. Was just speaking hypothetically, in case it’s lousy.)

  13. “I’ve always been a possessive and competitive, um, I guess, asshole” lol I feel so related. Awesome interview and great news to find out her internet show is back!

  14. this was such a good interview! it was really interesting what she said about how she wrote the pilot in a certain context and wanted to get it done, and then suddenly they were at TCA and all this other stuff was said that she hadn’t even thought about. it’s a really interesting part of the artistic process

    “…when I’m writing a pilot I never think about critics. I was just trying to write something funny so people don’t think I’m a total fucking asshole. I mean, they’re paying me to write this pilot, and I just wanted them to read it and be like, “Okay, she’s not a dick.”… That’s my goal. You just want to make a great pilot. You never think in a million years that it will get on the air. Then it gets on the air and you’re like, “Shit. I really haven’t thought this far.”

    I found this so interesting, because I feel like that applies to so many aspects of the artistic process, and nobody outside of that process really understands that. You’re writing a thing for a specific goal, to please a specific audience/gatekeeper, and then when that thing is lifted out of that context into another context, you’re like oh ok shit now what, because all these issues you never thought of suddenly rise to the surface. like how when i’m being interviewed on camera all i care about in that moment is making the person behind the camera laugh and think i’m funny and then the whole world watches the video and i’m like, oops

    ANYHOW GREAT INTERVIEW!

  15. Thanks for doing this interview! It was really interesting to read what Liz herself has to say about the show and some of the decisions behind it. I already watched the first two interviews of the new version of This Just Out, but now I feel the need to go and watch the Kate Moennig episode again (and again and again)

  16. This comment has been removed by the Autostraddle Mods as it is in violation of the Comment Policy.

    • See, I would be more impressed if your mother in law was making $77/hour working from home

  17. I was already planning to watch this show because I’ll basically watch anything with a lesbian, bi, or queer woman lead and most things with gay people in them, in general, because that is the world we live in. THE THIRST.

    But I’m a million times more excited now because of this interview! Liz seems so down-to-earth and real and also hilarious. I loved everything she said about her creative process and about the “It’s not just about lesbians” narrative in the press.

  18. Great interview, Danielle. Very interesting process as how Liz’s show came to air, but I think I will skip the show premise and the show but will continue to watch This Just Out. Brilliant undiluted Liz Feldman. Also excellent sparring and flirting between Liz and Kate whilst making beer butt chicken.

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