KPCC In Person

How did you two meet?

Amy went to high school with Rebecca’s husband. We met in 2008 — ahem way after high school — through him (while Rebecca and her husband were in grad school) and it was friend-love at first sight. We immediately started talking about all of the mash-up stuff we have in common navigating big life changes, like getting married and having kids.

What is your favorite episode of your show?

Amy: I love when Rebecca goes to Margaret Cho's house. Margaret is a childhood (and adulthood) hero for me, and she did not disappoint! Also loved when we spoke with Dr. Mindy Fullilove after the presidential election. She is a research psychiatrist and expert in collective trauma and it was so, so healing to talk to her when we were really feeling our most vulnerable.

Rebecca: It’s a toss-up for me! I think when Amy interviewed Esther Perel while I was on maternity leave; it was an incredible opportunity for me to hear our show from a listener’s perspective. I learned so much about cultural approaches to sex. It was so illuminating. And I love our interview with Alan Yang, co-creator of Master of None. We just had a great time with him.

Who is one memorable guest you’ve had on your show?

Awkwafina’s grandmother, who gave excellent dating advice.

How is it working bicoastally?

We’re thankful every single day for technology. We use many tools to feel connected and we do a lot of video meetings. In fact, we always have a video chat open when we are recording to be able to see each other. It is certainly challenging, but it is also a wonderful way to have our pulse on many different interesting things happening in the culture.

What does mash-up mean to you?

Mashing up describes the beauty and also the tension that comes with flowing between multiple identities, whether that’s as an immigrant and an American, as a mother and an executive, an entrepreneur and a creative and as an English speaker who thinks in multiple languages. Mash-ups are the living bridges between traditions and we’re actively creating new culture every day.

What is your favorite mash-up?

Amy: My kids! The Korean-Colombian-Mexican-American future of America.

Rebecca: Having mariachis come to Shabbat dinner.

What duo or pair would you say you and your cohost are most like?

We are each both Oprah AND Gayle. Also, Kristin Wiig and Maya Rudolph in Bridesmaids, just because we like them.

What is one fun fact about your cohost?

Amy is a secret genius music supervisor. The playlists she puts together for our show are just incredible.

Rebecca frequently laughs so hard she cries, and her laugh is so infectious that soon you'll be crying too. She has a really dry wit, but the things that get her going the hardest are often like... silly Facebook memes about what happens if you accidentally fall in the toilet. Also she knows the words to every '90s R&B song ever.

What is something you and your cohost have in common? What is something that is very different between you and your cohost?

What we have in common: A deep love for fermented, pickly foods. Tangy and sour is our favorite flavor: Think kimchi, sauerkraut, feta.

What is very different? Our approach to the sun: one of us is really into it, and one of us is afraid of it. You can guess who is who.

How did you two (cohosts) meet?

A mutual friend introduced us after Cate made a short film about women and math and Christina learned that Cate happened to be a theater geek, just like herself. Christina thought she was the only math-theater hybrid geek in the world and so naturally she had to meet Cate. We had a Skype chat and then a year later, when Christina was in Los Angeles for vacation, we met up for green juice and hung out at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (as you do).

What is your favorite episode of your show?

That's impossible to choose! But OK, fine. Probably the two-part series where Cate interviewed Christina's boyfriend, Chas, and where Christina interviewed Cate's fiancé, Ross, about what it's like when two #HumanVennDiagrams partner up. But we admit this is a totally biased answer because #boyfriends.

Who is one memorable guest you’ve had on your show?

They’re all memorable to us (again, how can we choose?!), but we’ll happily shout out Bobak Ferdowsi, our first guest and fantastic tour guide of that fateful hangout at JPL in Pasadena. Bobak is a brilliant engineer who was the flight director for NASA's Mars Curiosity rover, but you may also know him as “Mohawk Guy” (Google it).

How is it working bicoastally?

We've gotten it down to a science at this point, but the time difference can still be challenging. We record at night, so it’s 10 or 10:30 p.m. in New York when Christina gets done. And it's tough for Cate because she has to conquer rush hour traffic to get to the studio in L.A. But through the power of the internet and our shared signature combination of passion and grit, we make it work!

Your shows deal a lot with overlaps and mash-ups. What are two entirely unrelated interests you each have?

Math and theater are the original unrelated interests that made us realize we were supposed to be friends. Additionally, Christina is a classically trained pianist and loves public speaking; Cate is a classically trained violinist and loves performing improv comedy.

What is your favorite mash-up or combination (of anything)?

Christina: Wendy's fries and chocolate Frosty. Dip the fries in the Frosty and enjoy the mash-up of both salty-sweet and hot-cold. Although now I have a dairy allergy and can't eat it anymore. But it's still the best.

Cate: My brother, CAMS, is an incredible DJ who first introduced me to the idea of mash-ups. He crafted an entire mathematical mix called “Algorhythms” in which he mashed up quotes from Freaks and Geeks and My So Called Life with Jay-Z and Dolly Parton. It’s still hands down my favorite mash-up of all time.

What duo or pair would you say you and your co-host are most like?

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, if they were both redheads and eight inches taller.

What is one fun fact about your cohost?

Christina: Cate is a human emoji. Literally she has the most expressive face ever, which is probably good given that she is an actress.

Cate: Christina is a human force. She exudes power and energy. I may be mixing my physics terms here, but they all apply.

Imagining a Venn diagram: What is something you and your cohost have in common? What is something that is very different between you and your cohost?

We're both tall, expressive, Hamilton-obsessed redheads who say “Wow!" a lot and revere the Oxford comma. On the different side: Cate has a penchant for shoulder pads while Christina already has swimmer shoulders and doesn't need extra bulk in her blazers.