Episodes

  • Snot Goblins with Rob Kutner

    Snot Goblins with Rob Kutner
    May 29 2025
    In this snack-sized episode of Parenting Is a Joke, Ophira Eisenberg chats with comedy writer Rob Kutner about parenting teens, creative careers, and why his daughter called him and his wife “hippies.” Rob opens up about raising a 16-year-old navigating academic pressure, social anxiety, and her first heartbreak—with plenty of Gilmore Girls marathons to get through it. He shares how his 12-year-old son, who’s gearing up for his bar mitzvah, is increasingly independent (and stubborn about button-down shirts), giving Rob more time to write everything from graphic novels (Snot Goblins) to animated series (God's Gang). The two discuss how their creative careers make them the oddballs in their communities, what it’s like to be the “cringey” parent during your kid’s first relationship, and the reality of working from home while your tween wants to be left alone with Legos and ramen. Also, find out why Rob’s daughter roasted her parents’ outfits as “coastal grandmother chic.” Thank you to Lumen for sponsoring this episode! Head to http://lumen.me/JOKE for 15% off your purchase. 📍 May Shows are in NYC, Iowa, Halifax Comedy Festival, NJ, and Seattle! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Rob Kutner :https://www.instagram.com/robkutner/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ: https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/ Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    25 mins
  • Rob Kutner Celebrates 5,000 Years and His Tween's Bar Mitzvah

    Rob Kutner Celebrates 5,000 Years and His Tween's Bar Mitzvah
    May 27 2025
    In this episode of Parenting Is a Joke, comedian and late-night writer Rob Kutner (The Daily Show, Conan, The Tonight Show) joins Ophira Eisenberg to talk parenting while producing comedy—and building epic Lego cities. Rob shares how his son’s rediscovered passion for Lego led to an IKEA-based organizing hack courtesy of his wife, complete with color-coded bins and DIY design books. He reflects on raising a sophisticated 12-year-old boy with a penchant for Frank Sinatra and Pokemon, and preparing for his upcoming bar mitzvah. Rob also opens up about balancing parenting with his writing career, including the unexpected silver lining of unemployment after the Tonight Show implosion—precious bonding time with his daughter. He and Ophira compare their anthropological backgrounds, unpack how Lego obsession evolves with age, and discuss the not-so-glamorous realities of parenting in New York. Rob also talks about his new book The Jews: 5,000 Years and Counting, offering surprising stories from Jewish history—including a Jewish sorceress in Yemen and an Ethiopian Jewish state—and pushes back on tired stereotypes about wealth and power. This episode is rich with hilarious parenting truths, obscure historical gems, and very sharp Donatello action figure fists. Thank you to Lumen for sponsoring this episode! Head to http://lumen.me/JOKE for 15% off your purchase. 📍 May Shows are in NYC, Iowa, Halifax Comedy Festival, NJ, and Seattle! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Rob Kutner :https://www.instagram.com/robkutner/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ: https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/ Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    49 mins
  • Unexpected Potty Training with Janae Burris

    Unexpected Potty Training with Janae Burris
    May 22 2025
    In this snack-sized episode, Denver comic Janae Burris returns to talk to Ophira about parenting logistics, chaos management, and the sticker shock of daycare in Colorado. She opens up about choosing to keep her toddler home with her—despite everyone around her insisting she needs a break—and how that decision slowly unraveled once the “fast and sticky” two-year-old phase kicked in. Janae shares the sticker price of a Montessori tour that nearly sent her packing, the unexpected benefits (and side-eye) of sending her son to visit family in California, and how her toddler came back from Grandma’s with new clothes, sign language skills, and potty training in progress. The conversation also touches on career balance, her dream of raising a nomadic child via arts grants and library visits, and the bittersweet reality of watching your kid absorb—and mimic—your every gesture, even your sass. Plus, Janae imagines how her son would roast her on stage, and it's all too real. Thank you to Lumen for sponsoring this episode! Head to http://lumen.me/JOKE for 15% off your purchase. 📍 May Shows are in NYC, Iowa, Halifax Comedy Festival, NJ, and Seattle! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Janae Burris :https://www.instagram.com/negativenegro/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ: https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/ Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    26 mins
  • Janae Burris is the Funniest Mom in Fresno

    Janae Burris is the Funniest Mom in Fresno
    May 20 2025
    In this episode of Parenting is a Joke, comedian and Denver arts staple Janae Burris joins Ophira Eisenberg to talk about becoming a mom at 41 after thinking parenthood had passed her by. She recounts the surreal moment she realized she was pregnant—just after performing at a comedy show—and how fear and humor carried her through a high-risk pregnancy. Janae reflects on her path from dropping out of high school to earning an avant-garde theater degree and eventually finding a creative home in Denver, where she juggles stand-up, plays, and teaching. She opens up about shifting professional priorities, bringing her toddler (and sometimes guacamole-stained pants) on the road, and why she now sees moms in the audience as the most electric crowd she could ask for. With honest laughs about crib fails, mom guilt, and the awkwardness of post-show hangs, Janae paints a vivid picture of what parenting and performing really look like when your setlist includes bedtime and baby gear. She also shares how her comedy special MomBod became a time capsule of her pregnancy fears, filmed while she was visibly pregnant and quietly panicking about whether her baby would make it to term. Thank you to Lumen for sponsoring this episode! Head to http://lumen.me/JOKE for 15% off your purchase. 📍 May Shows are in NYC, Iowa, Halifax Comedy Festival, NJ, and Seattle! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Janae Burris :https://www.instagram.com/negativenegro/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ: https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/ Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    52 mins
  • Getting Roasted by Your Teenage with Amy Millan

    Getting Roasted by Your Teenage with Amy Millan
    May 15 2025
    In this Parenting is a Joke Snack Episode, singer-songwriter Amy Millan shares hilarious and heartfelt stories about parenting a 14-year-old aspiring musical theater star and an 8-year-old who’s always one snack away from bedtime stalling. Amy reveals that her daughter's only use for a smartphone is belting out songs for hours, but that didn’t stop the teen from hitting her with a brutal “You didn’t live your dreams” when Amy suggested she write and direct. Amy opens up about her own creative childhood, including the ballet teacher who told her she “walked like an elephant,” and the Portuguese nanny named Rita who helped raise her after her father died when she was five—a loss that inspired her new album I Went to Find You. She and host Ophira Eisenberg swap stories about parenting through hormones, resisting Uber Eats requests, and why ordering from local bookstores is a moral mission, even if it means telling your kid their book is coming by “horse and carriage.” Thank you to Lumen for sponsoring this episode! Head to ⁠http://lumen.me/JOKE⁠ for 15% off your purchase. 📍 May Shows are in NYC, Iowa, Halifax Comedy Festival, NJ, and Seattle! Details at ⁠https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com⁠ Follow Amy Millan :https://www.instagram.com/amymillanforreal/ See Ophira LIVE:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/⁠ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing:⁠ https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up⁠ Follow PIAJ: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/⁠ ⁠https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/⁠ Follow Ophira: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/⁠ ⁠https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/⁠ ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit⁠ megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    22 mins
  • Amy Millan Plays Blackjack For Bathtime

    Amy Millan Plays Blackjack For Bathtime
    May 13 2025
    In this episode of Parenting is a Joke, singer-songwriter Amy Millan of Stars and Broken Social Scene opens up about the wild logistics of parenting on the road, from breastfeeding backstage to taking her toddlers on European tour buses. Amy shares what it was like to return to the stage just 12 weeks postpartum, how a Canadian grant system once forced her to pretend her childcare provider was a photographer, and the creative lengths she’s gone to—like winning $150 at a casino—to get her daughter a clean bath. Amy reveals how she once had to pretend her childcare provider was part of the crew just to qualify for a tour grant—and how that policy has finally changed. She also shares how her second child was basically brought into the world by her friend Rima’s legendary carrot cake and martinis. Host Ophira Eisenberg and Amy compare late-in-life motherhood, traveling with gear and children through three climate zones, and raising kids who casually refer to their sibling as "Sister." The conversation also touches on fertility struggles, career sacrifices, and the everyday surrealism of going from soundcheck to bath time. Amy's new solo album I Went to Find You marks her first in over a decade, and she explains exactly why that gap makes perfect sense. Thank you to Lumen for sponsoring this episode! Head to http://lumen.me/JOKE for 15% off your purchase. 📍 May Shows are in NYC, Iowa, Halifax Comedy Festival, NJ, and Seattle! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Amy Milan :https://www.instagram.com/amymillanforreal/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ: https://www.instagram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/ Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    44 mins
  • From Isolation to Iced Coffee with Tara Clark

    From Isolation to Iced Coffee with Tara Clark
    May 8 2025
    In this snack-sized episode, Tara Clark of Modern Mom Probs returns to chat with Ophira Eisenberg about saying no (or more often, yes) to their kids, why the tween years might actually be the sweet spot of parenting, and how a learner-led school changed everything for her 12-year-old son. Tara opens up about resisting the urge to fast-forward conversations with her son—even when he's explaining every last Marvel Rivals stat—and the pressure moms feel to be constantly engaged. They also revisit the rise and fall of the "wine-in-a-sippy-cup" era of mom culture (good riddance), discuss whether microdosing is a modern coping mechanism or just another trend, and laugh about being labeled “boring” for not partying like it’s 2010. Most importantly, Tara speaks to the loneliness so many moms feel and how the lack of in-person community and constant comparison on social media makes things worse. Her advice? Put on pants, leave the house, and find your people—even if it starts with guac and iced coffee. Thank you to Lumen for sponsoring this episode! Head to http://lumen.me/JOKE for 15% off your purchase. 📍 May Shows are in NYC, Iowa, Halifax Comedy Festival, NJ, and Seattle! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Tara Clark:https://www.instagram.com/modernmomprobs/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ: https://www.instag ram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/ Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    23 mins
  • Tara Clark Shifts From Mama to Bro

    Tara Clark Shifts From Mama to Bro
    May 6 2025
    In this episode of Parenting is a Joke, host Ophira Eisenberg sits down with parenting content creator, meme queen, and Modern Mom Probs founder Tara Clark for a dynamic, deeply relatable conversation about the evolution of modern motherhood. From Tara’s early days running Nickelodeon’s social media and literally being the voice of Dora the Explorer on Facebook, to launching a meme empire built on honest parenting humor, this episode traces the hilarious and frustrating truths of parenting in the digital age. Tara shares why she left NYC for the suburbs, how her son's preschool closure reshaped their lives, and how her viral quote about the shift from “mama” to “bro” got endlessly merchandised—without credit. They also unpack why sleep training ignites online firestorms, how humor in mom content has shifted from wine memes to mental health, and why the algorithm can’t handle jokes about moms doing cocaine (yes, really). Plus, Tara opens up about infertility, her only-child household dynamic, and how pelvic health, social media rules for kids, and late diagnosis conversations are reshaping what moms actually talk about today. Thank you to Lumen for sponsoring this episode! Head to http://lumen.me/JOKE for 15% off your purchase.  📍 May Shows are in NYC, Iowa, Halifax Comedy Festival, NJ, and Seattle! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Tara Clark:https://www.instagram.com/modernmomprobs/ See Ophira LIVE: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/events/ SUBSCRIBE so you never miss O thing: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/sign-up Follow PIAJ: https://www.instag ram.com/parentingisajoke/ https://parentingisajoke.substack.com/ Follow Ophira: https://www.instagram.com/ophirae/ https://www.facebook.com/OphiraEisenberg/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ophiranyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    54 mins