Lennon Parham and Jessica St Clair - Ep. 24

There’s something about Jessica St Clair and Lennon Parham. Ever since discovering their awesome but sadly, short-lived, 2012 NBC sitcom - Best Friends Forever - this bonafide comedy nerd has been hooked on their unique, and oddly soulful brand of comedy which can currently be seen on their most recent creation - USA’s critical darling Playing House.  

Both ventures dip their toes into similar thematic territory - namely the nuances and complexities of the female friendship. Not surprising given the duo are real life besties. But that’s where the similarities end, and the two sitcoms veer off in vastly different directions. BFF is more grounded and subtle while Playing House isn’t afraid to go big by offering an abundance of physical comedy, and broader, dare I say more absurdist sensibilities. Magically, both shows work - largely due to the writing and performances of its creators/stars but also because they manage to tackle big themes and meaty subject matter without hitting their audience over the head with Pinterest-worthy messaging. 

Playing House in particular achieves this tricky balance. Parham and St Clair - along with a stellar supporting cast including Keegan Michael Key, Jane Kaczmarek and Zach Woods carefully disguise “said meat” with oddball humor that is ferociously specific, unique, and authentic. Simply put, it will nourish your soul while making you laugh out loud. In fact, its one of the few comedies I have to watch twice - once for the genius one liners and partially improvised banter. And two - so I can marvel at the way it seamlessly weaves high level comedy with profound truths. They’re meme and Ted Talk worthy - all at the same time. Hence, my double dipping.  

It’s a show where people speak like people speak - namely over and under each other with everyone wrestling to be heard and understood. And it’s just one small example of how ALL the relationships the show tackles - whether it be best friends, mother/daughters, husbands/wives or ex lovers - feels richly steeped in dynamics that no doubt have been plucked directly from the lives of its stars and writing staff. 

Though I refuse to get into a detailed conversation about whether or not women are funny mainly because my aim with this podcast is to neither bore myself - or you dear listener - with banal and stupid debates - I do feel its necessary to point out that as someone who was bred on the weekly shenanigans of Lucy and Ethel, Mary and Rhoda and Laverne and Shirley (thank you Mum) - my comedy brain has been trained to embrace and seek out shows that explore the foibles, hi jinx and dynamics of two best friends who despite their best intentions can’t help but get themselves in an endless array of pickles. Playing House follows this awesome history and adds even more depth and heart to this rich sitcom tradition.  

This episode was a real thrill for me. Not only did I get to sit down with two of my comedy heroes, turns out, Lennon and Jessica are also good humans. Brunch-worthy if you ask me. Which you didn’t but its my show so I’ll gush if I want to. My chat with Lennon and Jessica covers a lot of territory; from favorite podcasts and self-help books, to our collective French woman envy, how their need to scale back their working hours in order to balance career and motherhood actually increased not decreased their productivity, and why we’re all mad at Keegan-Michael Key. 

Check out Playing House - Tuesdays on USA. 

This episode is sponsored by The Podcasters' Studio.

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