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Hello readers, Katie's publicists and finalists.

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We are interrupting the last Culture East Feed for

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a preview of the latest episode from

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our friends at Stradio Lab, a

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podcast about straight culture hosted by

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Culture Award winner Sam Taggart and George

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Severis. This week they talk to

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none other than comedy legend

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Kathy Griffin. Here's a sneak

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peek and to hear the full episode, search

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for Stradio Lab. No spaces in

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your podcast app of choice.

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Okay, podcast starts now Wowow.

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Today we are in the studio in Hollywood,

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California.

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The life updates are NonStop, NonStop.

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I wish they would stop. I literally wish for

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one day there were no life updates.

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I would actually be so grateful for how to

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have one day where I don't have to text anyone that anything has happened.

0:45

I swear to God, the way I am fielding

0:47

phone calls left and right, you would not believe. So. First

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of all, I'm visiting La That's right to do my

0:52

famous stand up show. So now

0:54

two nights, Baby and I

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the other day, in the same day, you were in the

1:00

hospital getting surgery while my sister

1:02

in law was giving birth.

1:04

Two hospitals, two coasts, two

1:06

patients, two.

1:07

Shows, and I am I'm feeling like,

1:09

you know, the carmelo soprano,

1:12

the matriarch at home. That's like, oh,

1:14

my boys are are okay, that's

1:17

my that's Carmel Southern Carmel

1:19

soprando. And meanwhile,

1:22

my mom, who's very invested in both things,

1:24

like how's Sam, how's the baby?

1:25

How's Sam? Calling me?

1:27

The second I'm you know, entering a

1:29

work there whatever. Yeah, And

1:31

then I'm visiting you at the hospital. I'm saying, I need to bring

1:33

him two pastries. What if he's hungry? What if my boy is hungry?

1:36

And guess what I was, and you were. Of course,

1:38

I'm getting a FaceTime to meet the baby while I'm at the

1:40

other hospital. Then I'm like in the

1:42

lobby of the hospital, people around me,

1:44

you know, having god knows what. And then I'm

1:46

like in the best mood ever, being like she's so cute,

1:49

and then everyone around me is like in

1:51

the process of like dealing with some terrible

1:53

illness.

1:54

Yeah, yeah, yeah, well you've really held

1:56

it all together, my rock.

1:58

You've been the rock to so many people this week.

2:02

And yeah, I had a surgery and

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you know, I'm to the point and so

2:08

many calls, so many texts. My family's

2:10

like what's wrong, how are you? And I'm like, I don't have

2:13

time.

2:13

Yeah, well there is a I'm there

2:15

is a sort of Munchausen esque thing

2:18

happening with you where no one knows exactly what

2:20

they do.

2:20

Is well, it's because it's not like it's

2:22

not like an easy it's not a quick word.

2:24

You can't be like, oh, I had an appendectomy before,

2:27

you know, it's sort of it's mine was sort.

2:29

Of custom, yes, and you

2:31

always go customer.

2:32

I've never if you're getting your surgeries off

2:34

the rack, you need to grow up. It's twenty

2:36

twenty four.

2:37

Yeah, in Los Angeleshilosopher's

2:39

weekend, like if you're if you're out there

2:41

literally getting like you're like amputated, Like, grow

2:43

up up, get a custom surgery.

2:46

Yeah, I just know that it's perfectly

2:48

fine. And was sort of kidney related and yeah,

2:50

I'm going to say it. I have a catheterin currently.

2:55

So we were saying, you know, we'll bring our guests in a second,

2:57

and I am dying too. But the big

2:59

debate this weekend was we are having

3:01

you know, one of our true idols,

3:04

role models, like she is mother,

3:07

you know, everyone a raise, everyone has voted,

3:09

and she is the President of the United States.

3:11

Yes, and meanwhile, you have a catheter

3:13

and there's no way around it around debate is

3:15

do.

3:16

We were like, will.

3:17

Kathy find it funny if we bring it up,

3:19

or will she immediately leave

3:21

the room?

3:23

To me?

3:24

To me, it had to be brought up because it

3:26

is so notable it is

3:28

and I didn't.

3:29

Know what was going to happen.

3:30

Yeah, and I like the fear

3:32

that struck me when the doctor told me that, And then I was

3:34

like, the first thing I thought was like, so I'm going to be in

3:36

a room with Kathy Griffin trying to do

3:38

a comedy podcast while I have a catheter in.

3:40

Okay, we actually need to bring her in because I'm shaking

3:42

with anticipation. Oh my god, please welcome you

3:45

become literally the president of the United States.

3:47

Kathy Griffins.

3:47

Oh my god, I love her. She is around

3:50

applause all right, first time. I'm so honored

3:52

because I went on Twitter

3:54

before it became x which is now just a Nazi

3:56

playground, but prior to that, when it mattered,

3:59

I asked to my fans, I said,

4:01

Gaga has her monsters, Nick

4:04

Minaj has the barbs. What do you guys want to be

4:06

called? And the number one vote was they wanted

4:08

to be called catheters. Oh my god, wow,

4:11

I am honored and my catheters

4:14

support you. I have had a catheter.

4:17

I found it to be a great relief because when

4:19

I didn't have it and could not void, which

4:21

is the doctor word for me, it was so

4:23

painful. I felt like somebody was standing on my bladder

4:26

with a combat boot laughing. So my question

4:28

is, how does your dick feel uncomfortable?

4:32

Okay, it feels uncomfortable, but it's

4:35

been getting better every day. And

4:38

yeah, I've had it since Thursday. How

4:41

long do we have it till Monday?

4:43

Okay?

4:44

But will say it feels

4:46

every time I move. I'm like, oh yeah

4:48

yeah.

4:49

And the big part of the narrative is Sam's

4:51

doctor is being very chill about all of this.

4:54

Sam didn't even know he was going to have to do this,

4:56

and the doctor was like, what's the big deal, right.

4:59

He was like, well, most people

5:01

will even want this, Like why are you being so weird about

5:03

it?

5:03

And You're like, well, I have to I have work, Like why

5:05

be able to go to work? She's like, yeah, why wouldn't you.

5:08

He's like, okay, well it's a normal letter that

5:10

the doctors acting like none of us don't have a

5:13

catheter.

5:13

Yeah.

5:15

And then I also felt gaslap because I told my mom

5:17

and I was like, isn't it crazy that we're going to you know, have

5:20

to record in sama the caather And she's like, what's the big deal.

5:22

I'm like, why is everyone trying to getsbating?

5:25

It's normal?

5:26

My mom was like that's horrible, And

5:28

I was like, okay, well, don't go that hard, like I do

5:31

have to do it with the baby.

5:33

Wish I had one in, But I'm also granting

5:35

that it's horrible and it also could be normalized for people.

5:38

Normal normalized guys.

5:41

Thank you. It's about time.

5:42

It's about time I start the movement.

5:44

I'm going out to dinner tonight, and I think it's I

5:46

cannot something about how funny it will be to be

5:49

having a martini and a

5:51

catheter.

5:51

As you can often.

5:54

Are you going to drain yourself?

5:55

I think I'm going to go as often as maybe

5:58

like every.

5:58

Hour, when the bag feels when the else.

6:01

I keep saying for some reason,

6:03

I keep referring to having the catheter as Diva

6:06

Mode unlocked.

6:08

Well, that's fabulous, that is fabulous.

6:11

Right, turn that front upside down with

6:13

that, I don't even need to pee.

6:15

No Diva, honestly, Disa Mode

6:17

Unlocked would be a great album title for you.

6:19

It would be really good special type.

6:21

Yeah.

6:21

I think that's really genius.

6:22

I love it.

6:24

I have to confront about something which is so I'm

6:26

as everyone every listener knows.

6:28

I grew up in Greece. My family is Greek. And

6:31

I happened.

6:32

To see on a social media platform that you

6:35

went to Madonna with ne e Verdalos my

6:37

number one.

6:38

The Queen of Greece, literally, the queen. She is the Britney

6:40

spears of Greece. She cannot go three

6:43

feet in Greece without being mobbed by.

6:45

Fans literally, and that's not a joke.

6:47

And I last summer was in Greece

6:49

and my friend

6:51

of mine.

6:52

From my big fact the

6:54

Empire franchise.

6:56

And by the way, I was recently watching Curb.

6:58

She's in a season one episod sort

7:00

of Curb. Oh, Larry's

7:02

like doctor or something. Remember, she's great, She's

7:04

incredible. One of the biggest like pains

7:09

of my life was I was in Greece and my friend

7:12

had me over for lunch or something, and

7:14

it turned out that the day previous,

7:16

the previous day, she had had Nea Verdalos over

7:18

and I had missed that lunch and went to the other lunch.

7:21

That is a.

7:21

Stranger That.

7:24

Is not appropriate when you could have been with the

7:26

Queen of Greece.

7:27

Literally, So how was are

7:29

you friends with her?

7:30

I'm friends with there. We've been friends for a long time.

7:32

I don't even remember how I met her. You know, a lot

7:34

of these clubs I meet him at like that.

7:36

I call it the charity circuit.

7:37

Yes, you know.

7:38

I went to a thing last night for the Gay and Lesbian

7:40

Center and I ran into Gabrielle

7:42

Union, who I haven't seen in years, or

7:45

Gabby as I call her, or at least

7:47

as she was called back in the day. And

7:49

I don't know how I know Nia, but I love

7:51

that she has this one country where she

7:53

can go and she's got to have security

7:56

and everybody wants a piece of her.

7:59

And then she goes and Hey is out with Tom and Rita.

8:01

Oh yeah, oh I know Rita.

8:04

The honorary King and Queen of.

8:05

Greece and not even honorary.

8:08

Excuse you, Rita will sorry.

8:09

That's right, that's right, but

8:12

there are two Greeks queens.

8:13

When I was growing up, the big thing was Tom

8:15

and Rita had a home in I believe

8:18

in Tipers, which is an island, and he would there

8:20

were stories that he would grill on the beach and like give

8:22

everyone like a little blacky little.

8:24

Sausage, getting getting

8:26

sausage from Tom Hanks and.

8:27

readA of course, you know, dancing in the corner traditional.

8:30

Yea, yeah, do you feel

8:32

like the neoverardalas? Okay, guys kind

8:34

of yeah.

8:37

When we went to Madonna, I

8:39

don't know if you know the movie Soap Dish, but it's one of my favorites.

8:42

And there's a great scene where Sally

8:45

Field isn't getting recognized enough and so Woopy

8:47

Gilbert takes her to a mall in Jersey. And

8:49

I have to admit walking into the Madonna

8:51

concert with Cia Harris,

8:54

Hilton Lunel and the of ar Dallas

8:57

and I got a lot of shout outs, like a lot

8:59

of hay hay, and I was stopping

9:02

and they are of course very famous, so they're all

9:04

going really fast get into the seats.

9:06

I'm not gonna speed up that moment,

9:08

so I was slowing down posing I

9:11

like it. Old Paris at least three times and said, you're

9:13

on your own, bitch, it's my time now.

9:16

But it was a fantastic night. We had

9:18

a wild girls evening and I did

9:20

do a post about it on my TikTok or my Instagram

9:23

you can see it. Because as

9:25

much as we all worship the Queen Madonna,

9:27

I did not know she has a strict no air

9:29

conditioning policy, which

9:31

Rosie o'donnald said extends to her life

9:33

and her homes. Yes,

9:36

because she thinks it's unhealthy. And

9:38

so we ended up leaving early

9:40

because I'm an older

9:43

gal, and we actually started

9:45

getting overheated. And even though

9:47

Paris Hilton was dressed up like S and M Madonna

9:49

in some little off of sheet got from trashy

9:52

laingerie that day, Lunelle was

9:54

in like these fendy sweaters and

9:56

see you had on this big taff at

9:58

a gown that had layer to it, and

10:00

we kept tripping on it and sitting on it. So

10:03

we ended up having to leave early. And as

10:05

a gay man. I feel very pachy about

10:07

that, and I would not be surprised

10:09

if man Donna yelled at me, although I don't know

10:11

her, but if I ever met her, I'm

10:13

ready for her to yell at me and say, who do

10:15

you think you are leaving my show?

10:17

I think it would be an honor for you to be Yeah, that would

10:19

be I would.

10:20

Be laughing and crying at the same time. And Dovini,

10:22

you know.

10:22

She yelled at him. She

10:24

yelled at Andy Cohen when I saw her. Somebody

10:27

should well.

10:28

I mean you're talking I think there are now

10:30

Yeah, that's true.

10:32

Wait, why did she yell at him because she was like she

10:35

sort of saw him stop saying bad show?

10:37

Yeah because he yeah, because he like talks about

10:39

her on Watch What Happens Live, and she like spotted

10:42

him in the crowd and was like, Andy, you stupid.

10:47

Yes, I look.

10:49

I gotta say. I loved her show.

10:51

I think it's an amazing show. You should go see

10:53

it if you can't. And

10:56

the fact that she's doing the same dance moves

10:58

as the freaking videos in the MTV Heyday

11:01

and she's sixty five is pure

11:03

inspiration. And so I've been reading

11:06

a lot of ages comments on

11:08

TikTok and Instagram, and I'm not having it. That

11:11

is our queen. And does

11:13

she sing? You know, probably not, but

11:15

we don't really go to hear.

11:16

The actual scene.

11:22

She's not Maria Collis. I'm just saying she

11:24

never was, but she's our Madonna. And

11:26

the way she gives up the hits and she

11:29

sings bad Girl, which she hardly ever sings

11:31

Live and Lived to Tell, and

11:33

she gives up the hits and it's a two and

11:35

a half hour show, you know, not that

11:37

I know because we love her. They

11:39

tell me no, but it's a great show. And

11:42

I love that she's doing it at sixty

11:44

five because I don't think it's

11:46

desperate. I think she's proving a point

11:49

that while Share still tours,

11:51

which is also one of my faves, but

11:53

Madonna, just the dancing part is what

11:55

kills me. And just you know that Jana Jackson

11:58

tour is also amazing, and

12:00

Janet at sixty is doing the

12:02

same moves from the videos and also

12:04

not singing, but not important to me,

12:07

not important to me.

12:08

Who is singing?

12:10

Sea?

12:11

Okay, Miley,

12:13

I.

12:14

Love my.

12:16

Y I am over.

12:18

I don't need everyone. I mean here's

12:20

the big question.

12:20

For I need to sing. Oh god, no.

12:22

But when I did go see her Vegus residency,

12:25

I did go with a genuine heterosexual

12:27

who I dragged.

12:28

Beautiful, who I'm divorcing because

12:30

of this. No, I'm just kidding.

12:32

But he turned to me and he about

12:34

twenty minutes in, so sincerely, he goes,

12:37

I don't think she's even really singing.

12:39

I think she's lip singing, sinking. I

12:41

go, look around, you think these guys care. These

12:43

guys are doing.

12:44

Car wheels, their phones are out, they're jumping

12:46

up and down and dancing.

12:48

Nobody gives a shit. She's doing the best she

12:50

can. Brittany.

12:51

Yeah, And that's why Miley is such a big deal

12:54

when she comes out, because people are like, oh my god.

12:56

People can sing if they want.

12:57

Kelly Clarkson, Kelly

13:00

Clarkson, she can see anything.

13:02

No, you know what, the big mystery

13:05

is what Beyonce.

13:08

Beyonce probably does. I would think she

13:10

does like half it half because you can't dance that much

13:12

and say, that's what people have to understand.

13:14

She's really really moving around doing

13:17

real choreography. So she's probably

13:19

got the autotune mic, which is also fine.

13:21

With me, with Me, it's part of the show,

13:23

and it's a show, not a recording

13:26

session. No, we're not in the studio

13:28

with Phil Spector trying not to get shot. We're

13:31

just trying to make the case happy and

13:33

do a lot of fun dancing.

13:35

M That was an incredible little

13:37

snippet to hear the rest of the episode.

13:39

Fine Stradio Lab, wherever you get your podcasts.

13:42

Now, get back to work. We don't pay to just

13:44

sit around and listen to gay guys talk. Bye.