STEPHANIE MILLER
Miller is an American political commentator, comedian, and host of The Stephanie Miller Show, a liberal talk radio program produced in Los Angeles and syndicated nationally by Dial Global. In 2012, Talkers magazine ranked her the 11th most important radio talk show host out of 13 syndicated radio programs broadcast in America.
The worlds of politics and comedy seem to be colliding more now than ever in the history of both. They walk hand in hand now. What’s that like from your vantage point?
As we like to say, Donald Trump is great for comedians – horrible for America. A dream come true for comedy and a nightmare of epic proportions for America. Who could have even written this election cycle? We’ve been doing this tour for a while now, with a bunch of different people. And everyone who has seen the tour says that this version of it is the best. And it’s a combination of the events of this election cycle and those currently on it. Frangelina is so great. John Fugelsang is fantastic, and it just speaks to so many of the issues we have going on in the nation. You name any issues, this is the most amazing campaign I’ve ever covered.
How do we save ourselves from this? Where can it go next? Will things only get crazier as time goes on?
Well, if Trump wins, it will be the apocalypse. So there will be nothing. No future. There will only be darkness.
Where’s that time machine when you need it just in case? Are Marty and Doc going to be able to save us all?
Honestly, I think Donald Trump is going to pull his mask off and it’s going to be Andy Kaufman. We’re going to get a “Thank You Very Much” and we’re all going to say, “Ok, you got us!”
Would that not be the ultimate return of Andy?
Absolutely. I don’t know what universe could be even close. Trump has done and said so many unbelievably disqualifying things it’s hard to believe that we’re even at this point.
For lack of a better term, most comedians would say that Donald Trump is a comedian’s wet dream.
Yes. We like to say that Sexy Liberals, the radio show, without the FCC is hopefully funny and filthy, but it’s hard to be as filthy as his campaign. I mean, when the candidate is caught on tape saying, well, what he said, newscasters have to say what he said.
Now politics have been engrained in your life from day one. Your family almost was a part of the President/Vice Presidential family of this country. And you grew up switching sides of the aisle.
Yeah. It’s been crazy. Now my dad’s been gone for 30 years now, but I’ve said years ago and years before this that my dad would be appalled at what’s happened to his party. I fear that Zombie Reagan is going to come to life and massacre entire Trump rallies. Look at all of the top republicans and no living Presidents are supporting Trump. It’s not just me saying it now. This has become an unbelievable embarrassment for the Republican Party.
Why do you think comedy has become such an important door to opening up doors to discussion about politics?
Well, I think what is so interesting is that this whole thing has opened up a national conversation about bullying. There are a lot of instances in schools across the country where Trump has become a hate word. We’ve always felt that the success of Sexy Liberal was that we punch up. Bullies punch down. So we are trying to fight back and prove that it’s even funnier. We would always say in the comedy clubs, there could always be that element of racism and sexism – that kind of humor – so we’re kind of turning that on its head.
When did you realize the power of your words?
We joke on the radio show how many times people say to me, “My god, you saved my sanity.” I always say that is something surprising considered how lightly tethered I am to my own. I think the Sexy Liberal Tour, it’s that same thing, that there are so many people in red states that really mean it when they say, “Well, you don’t understand what it feels like to feel all alone.” I think now it’s about us standing up as a country and really saying who we are as a country. Not only here, but around the world.
It must look like clowntown from the outside looking in from around the world?
I’ve said that the one thing that Donald Trump has been good for: #1 – The Trump Piñata business and also the lapel business. Everyone that I know that has traveled overseas has had their lapels ripped off by someone saying, “What are you people doing? Are you really going to elect him?”
Thank god I can pull off a Canadian accent.
Hahaha. It’s been documented, the number of searches by Americans on how to move to Canada. It really is terrifying. A lot of comedians that I’ve talked to have said, “This all started as so much fun and really funny, but there is certainly a point where it’s not funny anymore.” I think there is a real fear that someone is going to get hurt. I always joke that we have two choices. Hillary and Orange Hitler. It’s getting a little too close to violence and the threats of violence that you see at these rallies. It’s getting terrifying.
It’s pretty amazing that I can say that I have as much political experience as Donald Trump. Maybe I should throw my hat in the ring here last second.
Hahaha, why not?
You are going to be in theaters the night before the big election and we’re going to be able to check out the Sexy Liberal Comedy Tour.
We are going to be having big celebrity guest surprises which I can’t tell you about right now or I’d have to kill you. We are going to be having Jill Sobule and her band closing out the show with her new song “America Back.“ We’re going to have a live DJ, more celebrity surprises on panel with us. What’s great is you are going to have the same feeling as the live Sexy Liberal shows across the country. You’ll be surrounded by Sexy Liberals. And there is usually a Republican spouse or friend that gets dragged along and still has a great time because it’s a hilarious comedy show. And now we can be in every city all at the same time thanks to Fathom and Fathom Events. It’s going to be a great final “get out and vote” event. We’re beyond thrilled. It’s going to be amazing.
Last question I guess is, “How sexy should I dress for this thing?”
Haha, you can sex it up. I would go with a patriotic thong of some sort if I were you.
I don’t know if you realize how pale I am, I’m from the Cleveland area, it could be bad for everyone.
Hahaha.
