“My comedy and work build on each other; what I do in live shows builds on how I would treat an interview. I’m working through what my art looks like in every single turn. Every facet of my career has prepared me for the next facet of my career.”
-Ziwe, episode 352 of Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
Writer and comedian Ziwe has made a career out of conducting charged and satirical interviews. She joins us this week to discuss her debut essay collection, Black Friend (5:45), the backstory behind her essay WikiFeet (10:19), her early affinity for broadcast news (13:06), the influence of satirists Jonathan Swift and Stephen Colbert (15:10), and her early, formative experiences working in comedy (35:05).
On the back-half, Ziwe reflects on the making of her YouTube series Baited (38:06), a memorable episode with Aparna Nancherla (41:30), her pandemic pivot to IG live (43:30), and the Showtime variety show that followed (46:30). To close, a philosophy on art-making from Ira Glass (50:40) and what Ziwe hopes for in her next chapter (56:15).
Show-notes:
- Order Ziwe’s new book, Black Friend.
- Find upcoming tour dates on her website.
- Stream two seasons of her series Ziwe on Showtime.
- Watch Baited featuring Aparna Nancherla.
- Follow Ziwe on Instagram and Twitter.
- For more talks, hear our conversations with Tessa Thompson, Pedro Pascal, Quinta Brunson, Fran Lebowitz, Natasha Lyonne, Tom Hanks, Oscar Isaac.
- Order your Talk Easy mug in cream and navy or our vinyl record with Fran Lebowitz.
Illustrations by Krishna Shenoi.
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