Nikki Glaser is just fine not being your role model in new HBO special

Lengthy gone are the times of Nikki Glaser’s WAP (her phrases, kinda) however in her new HBO particular, “Sometime You’ll Die,” taped on the Moore Theater in Seattle, her hilarity is on full show. Entwining matters like our ever-changing our bodies, navigating mates with infants, position taking part in, freezing eggs, the animal kingdom and, in the end, her personal mortality, she’s empathetic and uncooked, brutally sincere, and much more brutally darkish. Glaser is as actual because it will get and as humorous as they arrive, and on Could 11, there are two methods to soak her in. “Sometime You’ll Die” on HBO or on the Palladium in the course of the Netflix is a Joke Competition. We advocate each.

Glaser’s attain is worldwide as a result of she’s a lot greater than only a comedian and grasp roaster (Please see: Sunday’s roast of Tom Brady). She performed host on “FBOY Island” for 3 seasons, is the present host of its spinoff “Lovers and Liars,” and she or he’s additionally an unimaginable singer, as America realized when she took her Snowstorm head off on “The Masked Singer.”

Glaser picked up guitar in the course of the pandemic, which in the end led to “Sometime You’ll Die” having a theme tune, aptly titled “Sometime You’ll Die,” (obtainable on all streaming platforms Thursday) which Glaser wrote and recorded. Is she nice at all the things? Nicely, she did exit “Dancing With the Stars” (Season 27) a tad early, however as she says, “I’m so grateful that it went the way in which it did as a result of being voted off first is method funnier than any of the opposite numbers.”

And for somebody who seems to have the ability to do all of it fairly effectively, Glaser isn’t making an attempt to be a task mannequin. She simply inadvertently may be. And for somebody who claims to be getting older, she seems to be higher than ever — might she be the brand new George Clooney?

You significantly have by no means regarded higher whereas roasting your physique on stage. What’s your routine like heading right into a taping like this with a gown like that?

Nikki Glaser: There’s positively this thought that this can be a massive deal and wish to look nearly as good as potential. I’ve been listening to about Pilates for 20 years and I lastly gave in three months earlier than the particular. It was about aesthetics that I received into it, after which it was actually in regards to the power to drag off that closing gang bang act out. I couldn’t stability like that and interact my core had I not been doing Pilates. It’s so ironic that I began Pilates to look good, however I’d by no means have been in a position to maintain it that lengthy in the course of the bit had I not been doing it. I didn’t even notice I used to be coaching for that.

It’s an admirable bit. Additionally admirable, you being so open about your physique struggles.

Yeah, I simply battle with getting older and being perceived a sure method, and feeling like a part of my expertise relies on me being f—ready and engaging and now I want to keep up that. I really feel insecure that if I’m not humorous sufficient, at the least I may be good to take a look at and if I’m not good sufficient to take a look at, I’ve to be funnier. It’s all the time like a balancing act with these issues and it’s an enormous quantity of stress. Timing the spray tan proper, getting your hair finished in the appropriate method, ensuring you sleep effectively and drink sufficient water, then you must have a sure facial the day earlier than — I in all probability do as a lot stuff preparing as Victoria’s Secret fashions do earlier than a runway. It truly is ridiculous too as a result of nobody is anticipating that of me, and nobody wants it of me. I simply maintain myself to a degree of excellence for these items which are unachievable. I all the time really feel like I didn’t do sufficient. It doesn’t matter what, I’ll by no means really feel adequate. Which is, you understand, what the particular is about as effectively.

I feel lots of people really feel like that and generally they should hear it from somebody they give the impression of being as much as or are a fan of.

There’s part of me that’s like, OK, ought to I transfer into this section of my life the place I don’t say something detrimental about myself? Don’t discuss how I really feel about myself most days as a result of folks don’t wish to hear it? Particularly if somebody seems to be at me and goes, oh, she thinks she’s fats? I’m fatter than her, so I should be disgusting. All of us have one thing, and I do know that is probably not the most effective instance, however I’m not an instance to younger ladies. I’m simply telling my fact and it’s not my job as a comic to be a task mannequin. I’ve by no means wished to be a task mannequin as a result of I feel it’s an excessive amount of stress. I’d wish to be a task mannequin within the sense that folks really feel like they are often sincere about how they’re feeling.

It’s fascinating as a result of some would possibly say that admitting your flaws and self-doubt is position mannequin habits for them.

Yeah, that’s the one I like to listen to. I prefer it when folks say they’ve the identical ideas, or I’ve despair. What I’ve all the time actually wished from my celebrities was to not hear about how nice their lives are, how a lot they love themselves, and the way they’ve it collectively. I wish to hear from the those that I placed on a pedestal that they’re hanging on by a thread. That all the time makes me really feel method higher and it actually helps heal me greater than motivational issues like, you gotta get up each morning and love your self! It helps me extra to go, oh, my God, Taylor Swift feels insecure too?

That opens up my eyes to the truth that it’s not price dwelling on once I see somebody like Taylor Swift having the identical ideas as me. I feel, OK, then it’s ubiquitous. I’ll by no means overcome it as a result of if I have been Taylor Swift, I’d overcome it. And I don’t actually have options on the way to repair it. I’m extra of simply complaining about the way in which it’s. Generally I really feel like my materials doesn’t supply an answer, it’s simply telling folks principally that life sucks and in the future you die, however I feel there’s freedom within the fact and never placing a spin on it. I don’t wish to be instructed about what the answer is. If that works, we’d all do the answer.

You’re sort of like if T. Swift wrote lyrics we will’t publish within the L.A. Instances.

Oh, my gosh, meaning a lot to me! Taylor Swift is who I want to be if I might decide what I used to be good at. I’ve all the time cherished singing and I’ve all the time cherished music. I received some unhealthy suggestions once I was younger about my voice and I used to be simply discouraged till, you understand, my mid 30s. I used to be instructed I wasn’t good, so I made a decision I needed to discover one other trade. I attempted appearing however wasn’t actress and I used to be like, what the f—, man? How am I going to get in? That’s how I found stand-up and clearly the shoe match completely. It was precisely what I like about music, however I could possibly be extra particular. And it was precisely what I like about comedy, however I might write it myself.

What got here first, “Sometime You’ll Die” the particular or “Sometime You’ll Die” the tune?

We shot the particular first. My boyfriend [Chris Convy] government produced it, and we have been in enhancing speaking about what tune I wished for the credit and I used to be like, I like this tune! And this tune! And this tune! He’s like, OK, effectively, we’re a little bit over funds, so that is going to have to return out of your cash, which I used to be prepared to do as a result of ending on a very good tune is necessary to me. I used to be pondering, how a lot might or not it’s? He goes, it’s gonna vary from 20K to 35K for every tune. After listening to that I believed, I’ve been taking voice classes, I did all proper on “The Masked Singer,” and I’ve been taking part in guitar since COVID, so what if I wrote a tune?

I pitched it and the entire items got here collectively. I’ve all the time wished to put in writing a tune and it’s my favourite factor I’ve ever finished. It’s the proudest I’ve ever been as a result of I by no means tried to put in writing a tune earlier than; I used to be all the time scared I couldn’t do it. I feel in life you’re simply scared to take alternatives, so when this happened — writing a tune for my HBO comedy particular — I needed to do it. I feel it comes from a spot of insecurity. I say sure to all the things as a result of I’m scared that they’ll cease asking if I don’t. There’s additionally this factor of I by no means wish to get to some extent in my life once I’m 60 and I look again and go, oh, you didn’t try this since you have been scared.

Glaser has been in all places as of late, from TV reveals like “FBoy Island” and “The Masked Singer” to final Sunday’s Tom Brady roast on Netflix.

(Jennifer Rose Clasen)

At this level, you actually appear fearless in additional methods than one. OK, so Hollywood Palladium Could 11. Have you ever performed there earlier than?

Yeah, we did a roast there, I feel it was Bruce Willis? It may need been all of them. I actually don’t know the place I do these items, however there was some roast within the Palladium, so I’ve! I’m actually enthusiastic about this yr’s competition as a result of it seems to be so large. I can’t consider what number of reveals are occurring. I hope folks present up as a result of I’ve new materials and it’s an opportunity for me to make use of some saved stuff I’ve been engaged on. I even have stuff that perhaps was within the particular that I’ve labored on, simply expounding my emotions about all of it. It’s additionally simply such a giant enjoyable room and with the competition, vitality will probably be within the air. And it’s the final present I do for a heavy month of labor, and I all the time go to see Taylor Swift on the third evening she’s performing as a result of I do know as a performer, the primary evening you’re like, OK, I’ve two extra and must preserve my vitality. However on that third evening, you’re simply free and I’m telling you, the evening of my present I’m going to really feel so free. It’ll simply be a catharsis on stage. I can not wait.