Hot Takes & Deep Dives

Latest Episodes:

Jill Zarin Dishes Dating & Relationship Advice (feat. Ally Shapiro) May 04, 2022

Show notes

Jess is joined by the OG of RHONY, Jill Zarin (and daughter Ally!), for a Mother's Day Special in which Jill doles out advice, Secrets of a Jewish Mother-style. First we get into Jill's reaction to the RHONY split and upcoming Housewives Berkshires Girls Trip.

Then, Jill & Ally answer questions related to dating, relationships and friendships including: the Instagram follow in dating, deleting and rewriting your profile on the apps, how Jill would feel if Ally fell in love with a non-Jewish guy, starting a business with a romantic partner, love-bombing and societal pressure to be in a relationship when you prefer being single. Plus, Jill discusses using a sperm donor to conceive Ally due to infertility with her first husband… and a lot more!

IG: @jessxnyc | @hottakesdeepdives

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Gary Janetti on Writing Will & Grace, Family Guy & Brad Goreski May 02, 2022

Show notes

Jess is joined by Gary Janetti, best known for writing/producing Will & Grace, Family Guy and being married to Brad Goreski! Gary discusses meeting a 23 year-old Brad Goreski while on vacation in Mykonos and turning it into a 20+ year relationship, writing Will & Grace, working on Britney & Madonna's guest appearances and the sexual ambiguity of Family Guy's Stewie. Plus, TripAdvisor reviews, Gary's travel tips, gay restaurants, anticipating RHOBH + a lot more!

IG: @jessxnyc | @garyjanetti

Real World New Orleans Melissa Beck — MTV Contracts, Homecoming & more Apr 25, 2022

Show notes

Jess is joined by Real World: New Orleans' breakout fave, Melissa Beck! Melissa chats about her journey through the MTV machine from auditioning, filming for five months (OG show), paid just $5,000 total. Post-MTV, Melissa discusses trying to make it in comedy and getting cast on Girls Behaving Badly alongside an unknown Chelsea Handler. Plus, the impact of "Come On Be My Baby Tonight," how Mariah Carey informed Melissa's biracial identity (Black & Filipino), converting to Judaism and nearly NOT going back for RW Homecoming, now airing on Paramount Plus!

IG: @jessxnyc | @melissabeckrwno

Bethenny Talk Show Deep Dive (w/ Zack Peter) Apr 18, 2022

Show notes

Jess is joined by Zack Peter for a deep dive into the waters of Bethenny's one season talk show. We review her episodes with Kim Richards, Ramona stealing the dress, Luann, Tracy Anderson, Andy Cohen as well as bizarre yet fascinating segments with audience members. We also discuss B's manic podcast, the time Jess called into Bethenny's SiriusXM show, Jason & Bryn Hoppy and do a tight 5 on good eyebrows. Zack also recaps his "Spilling Tea Live" shows in LA and Nashville feat. Tom Sandoval, Tom Schwartz, Scheana, Brock and Emily D. Baker.

IG: @jessxnyc, @justplainzack, @nofilterwithzack

* spillingtealive.com *

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Comedian Judy Gold on Writing Rosie's Talk Show, Baby Lourdes Leon & more! Apr 11, 2022

Show notes

Jess is joined by JUDY GOLD, Emmy-winning writer/producer for The Rosie O'Donnell Show and NYC stand-up fixture over the last two decades. Judy chats about Joan Rivers, Janeane Garofalo and Rosie's talk show vs. Ellen. Plus, Madonna using Judy's son as a stand-in for baby Lourdes Leon, meeting her partner via a Time Out New York dating ad, reality stars (Countess Luann, Stormy Daniels) doing cabaret/stand-up and a lot more!

IG: @jessxnyc | @hottakesdeepdives | @jewdygold

RHONY's Leah McSweeney on Britney, Bethenny, Club Kids & Psych Wards Apr 04, 2022

Show notes

Jess is joined by RHONY's Leah McSweeney (aka LeahMob)!! Leah chats about everything including growing up in Chelsea club-kid culture, sex with girls in high school, her love (and concern) for Britney, Madonna & Courtney Love at the VMAs, experiences in rehab, psych wards and dating a married couple. We also discuss Bethenny quitting RHONY right before Leah started, friendship with Kelly Cutrone and her reaction to cast-mates' comments in Not All Diamonds and Rosé.

IG @jessxnyc, @hottakesdeepdives, @leahmob

Reaction to A Tale of Two RHONY's (w/ Melody Kamali & Carolyn Bergier) Mar 28, 2022

Show notes

Wow, RHONY, Wow. Jess is joined by writer/comedians (and co-hosts of the pod Dyking Out), Melody Kamali & Carolyn Bergier, to react to the breaking news of RHONY being split into two shows. We discuss why the new RHONY should be built around style icon Jenna Lyons, plus the Carole Radziwill / Samantha Ronson connection. We also discuss Carolyn & Melody's foiled attempt to get Sara Ramirez to appear as Che Diaz at their Stonewall stand-up show, news of And Just Like That's season two renewal, and comparisons to The L Word Gen Q.

IG: @jessxnyc, @tgicarolyn, @melodykamali

Margaret Cho on Joan Rivers, Fire Island, Provincetown, '90s Diet Pills Mar 21, 2022

Show notes

Jess is joined by queer comedy icon MARGARET CHO! We chat about Margaret's incredibly prolific career, including her stand-up specials and iconic TV appearances (30 Rock, Sex and the City). Margaret goes deep about her experience starring in a sitcom based on her life where the network (ABC) fed her diet pills and zero-fat cookies in an effort to compete against the casts of Friends and My So-Called Life. We also discuss growing up in the San Francisco gay bookstore owned by her parents, becoming Ellen's opening act in the '90s, why she is still afraid of Ellen, Joan Rivers' advice, loving gay summer on Fire Island / Provincetown and more!

IG: @jessxnyc, @hottakesdeepdives, @margaret_cho

SNL's Cheri Oteri on Barbara Walters, Lorne Michaels, Larry David & more Mar 14, 2022

Show notes

Jess is joined by SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE character queen CHERI OTERI! Cheri recounts being discovered at The Groundlings, alongside Lisa Kudrow, Kathy Griffin and fellow SNL hopefuls Will Ferrell, Chris Kattan and (gasp) Jennifer Coolidge. Highlights include — origins of her Barbara Walters impression and the cutthroat pressure between cast & writers for airtime. Plus — Jim Carrey's iconic episode, working w/ Betty White (Hot in Cleveland) & Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm).

IG: @jessxnyc | @hottakesdeepdives

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Evan Ross Katz on Kim Cattrall, SJP, State of Housewives, Buffy & Survivor Mar 07, 2022

Show notes

Jess is joined by the king of all culture vultures, EVAN ROSS KATZ, on the heels of his first book dedicated to the cultural impact of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. We dive into why KIM CATTRALL blocked (and later unblocked) Evan on Twitter, SJP inviting him to the premiere of AND JUST LIKE THAT... and recently admitting she hasn't watched an episode since. Evan gives his hot take RHONY casting couch, parallels between RENT and BUFFY, Buffy's queer subtext, our mutual love for SURVIVOR's Jerri Manthey, and why JENNIFER COOLIDGE requested a "do-over" interview on Evan's podcast, Shut Up Evan.

IG: @jessxnyc, @hottakesdeepdives, @evanrosskatz

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