00:00:10
Speaker 1: I thought it would be fun for the two of us to hop on the microphone and just kind of talk through the massive, massive, you know, series that Committed became. I don't think we ever could have imagined. I don't think we ever could have imagined in the beginning that we would have done this many episodes. Do you actually know how many episodes we did? Because I don't know. I calculated it out. It's somewhere around a day. That is. That's not nothing. No, that's a lot. That's not nothing, my friend. And for people who don't know you longtime fans, know that Ramsey has been our producer since the the early days I've committed. But Ramsey introduced yourself to everybody. Oh yeah, my name is Ramsey Hunt. I am a supervising producer for My Heart Podcasts and I have been the producer from four Committed since the beginning, since the beginning, and I pulled up. Our first episode aired on June six. Okay, so for just over four years. But but we started making the show almost a year in advance, so correct, We've been working together for about five years now, correct, So do you in all of that time, what should we maybe tell the audience. What I the episodes I asked for in the beginning. What did I tell you that I wanted In terms of married couple stories, He told me you wanted prison, a couple that has married or has been married during prison. You said you wanted a porn couple. I wanted prison. I wanted porn. But I have to say our episode that we did UM with two married porn stars was one of the greatest episodes that we that we made. It was, it was beautiful, it was it was heart wrenching. Sometimes it was so so sad for reasons it had nothing to do with the pornography industry, but because they were struggling with starting a family and then struggling with how to have children. UM and explain to them what they what they had been been doing for careers for the past ten twenty years. And I loved this couple so much, And we actually got to go into their homes. This was pre COVID, so we got to do the interview in their house and I think, can we play a clip of them? Sure? Sure? Before it was one of my favorites too. I mean the fact that I was trying to think of whatever were my favorites, and I knew everyone are going to say porn, So I think the name of the title was I Don't Own Him, Don't Own Him? It was Mick Blue and all right, and the fact I think when you were standing in front of their porn trophy room, I was. I was. I walked into their house and they had a trophy case filled with little gold people and essentially the oscars of porn. They were the Meryl Streets of the porn industry. And they were also raising baby chickens from from hatchlings from eggs in their bathroom in their house, and it was the just exact opposite of what you would expect to to walk into when you walked into a porn star's house. And an except for the oscars and porn, but the baby chickens all over the place and just an adorable little like chatch keys from Etsy Um talking about blessing this home. It was just it was awesome. It was so great. Yeah, I want to play a little clip from Mick and Anica because we're also still I'm still Instagram friends with Becononica. I think that we've stayed social media friends with them. Almost almost everyone that we've had uncommitted. All right, let's play a little clip. Let's play a little cind of them. And so do you guys do a lot of work together, Yes, And do you think that that's some of your best work? Absolutely? Um, you know, make is my favorite performer to work with because we do know everything about each other, and you know our buttons and we have great chemistry. So it's I think it's natural that are scenes with each other going to be our best scenes. And it also shows coming back to their awards, it shows that other people see it the same way because many many of our awards from some of the poorn Oscars or other institutions were actually for scenes or movies that we have done together. Okay, so they were. I have to say they're one of my favorite couples. But our first stepisode, which I don't I mean, I don't even know if I want to play a clip of because I think that I sound so terrible in the entire first season and I'm vain, and our first episode, the couple that was blown up together in the Boston Marathon bombing. I didn't even know if I could keep doing this show after that because their story was so hard to report, and I do. I may'll let you pick out the part of that to play, because like I said, I can't, I can't listen to it because I can't hear my voice. And I also I don't know if I can hear their story again because it's so heartbreaking. But I feel like it's set the tone for what we wanted to do with Committed for the next so many eight seasons. But did we had not eight or nine seasons seasons? Yeah? For for me editing that episode because that was the first one we did, and that was kind of our I guess quote unquote pilot that we we pushed around the office quite a bit. So I listened to their story probably for a good solid two months almost just to get it down right, and I it was Yeah, I mean going back and even thinking about it is somewhat not necessarily overly triggering, but slightly triggering where I start to feel anxiety from it. And I mean, you know that's what these people have gone through, not just their episode, but you know all these episodes. I feel like I've learned so much about them and then just experiencing what they went through in a way where it's it was hard it was hard to edit. I mean, I'm not gonna lie. How often do you cry? Uh? This season, I've cried maybe two or three times, and that is generally. Like the first season, I think I cried in every episode. I think I cried in every episode in the first season too, And it just kind of started to whittle down. I guess I just became, you know, a little bit harden and what what some of our couples have been through just you know and all that. But um, I mean, they can't compassionate goodbye, like from this episode the season where the like that one really hit hard? Yeah, that was that was the That was the one with Amy Bloom And she's a writer, he's an author, and her husband had was going through um, the early symptoms of a dementing disease and he didn't want to die like that, and she helped him find a way to go abroad two give him a good death, to give him as as she says, and as we titled the episode a compassionate Goodbye. Let's play a little bit of Amy because that episode is so beautiful. But yeah, I lost it. I lost it on that. What did he want a good death to look like? And I think that's something that we don't talk about nearly enough in our culture, Like what should a good death look like? I think that depends entirely on the person experience and saying it. For him, he wanted it to be peaceful and painless, and he wanted me by his side. Okay, but now that we're crying, I'm not crying. You're crying. You're not crying. I'm crying. Um, what episode made you laugh so hard? To pet Japans Geez? The man under the bush? Oh my god, the man under the bush, The man under the bush. I you know what I need to do a quick google because the man under the bush. Um, this is the story of a woman who named Emmy, woman named Emmy who fell in love with a homeless man who was literally living under a bush. And they and they went through it. They were he was still homeless. They were dating, and then he eventually moved in with her and he hadn't been living in a house in years, and they geared it out and they got married and they had babies. But he was so funny. Yeah, he cracked me up. But I'm googling it now. Um, because she was she was writing a screenplay for their love story, and I want to see if it ever got made. That was one of the fun ones for me. I mean, just because his whole attitude and his outlook on life and everything else, and I mean where he's been and what he went through and you know, hopefully they're still doing soon great when when we talked to them, I'm gonna email Emmy right out and ask her if we can see their romantic comedy on the on the screen at some point, because yeah, all right, I want to play a little bit of Emmy and vict. Also, I had forgotten until I just googled Emmy and vict like Vic was really hot. He was a hot homeless guy living under a bush. He really was, who really was? I mean, and she's beautiful, but like you know, if you're gonna fall in love with and with with the man who lives in the bush, it helps when he's he's very handsome. I think, all right, let's oh my gosh. And I'm looking at their adorable twins too, Okay, let's play a little bit of Emmy. In fact, one night, she was sitting in Vondal Park waiting to meet a friend for dinner. As usual, I was early, and somebody sat down next to me, and even before I had looked at him, I kind of felt this electricity and energy between us. And then suddenly he asked me what time it was, which I thought was a very silly question and an obvious pickup line, because right in front of us was a clock. So I know that Vick and I met at ten to seven on Sunday, September two thousand and six. She was super hard just sitting there, And only a fool would would not go and approach a beautiful woman who's sitting on a on a bench looking happy like she was. She was. She didn't look uncomfortable or anything, and I knew she was waiting for somebody, So I had the movie quick, all right. Yeah, I have to say the episode that made me laugh out loud, that made me pee my pants a little bit, was when we interviewed Nick Offerman and Megan Mollale. That was that was That was a fun one. That was a really fun one, right, Yeah, that was really it was a good mid pandemic interview. I mean, spending an hour with those two was was a wonderful day. And all the other stuff that was happening in our lives. So it was great to just hear them talk. And I totally, I totally forgot that that was that was mid pandemic because time, you know, has no meaning at this point. But yeah, they were really a bright spot in my in my pandemic days, and just hearing them, I really liked, Uh Megan talking a little bit about how she was kind of a cougar and she wasn't expecting anything from her relationship with Nick. Uh and he was just he was all in, he was there for it. So uh, yeah, I want to I want to play a little bit of that. Megan said, let's make a two week rule. Let's never take a job or get in a situation that will keep us apart for more than two weeks. And I said, put her there, let's shake on it. And we have done that. I mean really, that's the bottom line is we make our marriage or priority over our careers. So if we get a wonderful opportunity in Australia or England or wherever, we say, okay, I have this offer. You know, Megan gets offered a Broadway show. It's very exciting, but part of the negotiation is she has to say Okay, I've been offered Young Frankenstein on Broadway. Can we move to New York for Yeah? And like the last time I did a Broadway show and it was a play, and Nick had a book deal, and so I was like, great, I'll come to New York and I'll write my book. I mean, it's not always that easy to work out, but that was that was a pretty good one. But that making that having that room, I mean, liking each other is one thing, but that's kind of amorphous. But in terms of like nuts and bolts things, that has been the single most important thing that we have done. That and joining that sex club. Yea top two. Now I'm going now, now I'm going. Oh, and now I'm scrolling through our episodes. Amanda Clutes, The Amanda Clutes and Nick. The Amanda Clutes and Nick Cordero story. Nick was the Broadway star who went into the ICU with COVID. He was only forty one and they thought he'd be out of the hospital in a week or two. And the world rallied around Nick and then Amanda lost him. He was one of the most high profile COVID COVID deaths in the news, and Amanda story they had they had a little baby, and we don't usually just have one part of a couple. I'm committed, but Amanda's story really made me ball. Yeah. I mean I think we were still I mean, I think we're just about to get vaccinated at that time when that came out. But that one hit really hard because I think one thing that really hit me on that one was like he just went in he thought he had a common cold or something like that and really didn't know what COVID was about. And he went in the hospital and that was the last time he ever saw Amanda in the flesh. Was him leaving to go into the hospital. That just really hit because obviously we were all living through all that not knowing a lot of stuff. You want to play a little bit about what Amanda said about her last goodbye with Nick. He was clearly sick, you know, he clearly had something we thought pneumonia, and he was leaving me as the sole parent of our son. So he couldn't hug me, he couldn't kiss me. We didn't he didn't hugger kiss Oh this I don't even remember what we said, to be honest, I think I know I said, you know, I'll drive around, or I'll go for a walk with Elvius. I'll be in the neighborhood. Call me when you're done. I thought it was going to be an hour or two and he would be out of the e er with his with new meds. No way did I think it would be they're keeping me overnight. No way did I think it would go the way it did. It was very unfortunately in a way cold, I guess you could say, Amanda writes in her book, he was never the same again. He woke up, but Nick never really came back. I have one for you. You do, okay? And yeah, all right? Tell me, So what episode have you talked to Nick about your husband and my husband? Nick? Which one do I talk about that? Hey, you know what we should do in our relationship? Oh gosh, all of them. I mean, honestly, all of them. I have I didn't you know. And I say this all the time in our trailers and our promos, and people are sick of hearing it. But I think making committed has been better for my marriage than going to therapy because every episode brings something up where I I have a new way to talk about our marriage and to talk about the things that are percolating in our marriage without talking about us in particular. Um. And so all we've talked about almost every single episode, but I'm trying to think of the one that comes up a lot for the two of us. I will say that, Um, we did well. I we we talked about em Astrob and her husband Mike a lot, the couple that that opened the bookstore book There Magic in Brooklyn, mostly because Nick and I want to open a bookstore, and yet we also realized that it's really hard, and especially on a marriage. And so every time I'm like, oh my gosh, it's time let's open our bookstore, Nick makes me really listen to the episode all adults here with Emma and Mike and just talking about the very real messiness of launching a business with your husband. Um, and it's every time I listen to it, I still want to open the bookstore. So, uh, it's it. But it is a good reminder that it is not all not all magic, not all no no, Um we should Yeah, let's play a little bout that. Emma bet me she was going to break out with me in three months. I think I said six, And I was like, I'll take that bet, and here we are sixteen years later. Here they are Emma and Mike sixteen years, two kids and a bookstore later. Yeah, a bookstore. That's what this story is about. Every couple I know has their career escaped fantasy. I have friends who daydream about buying a goat farm, even though they've never touched a goat. Seriously, I think maybe they've eaten goat cheese once, and goat farms look pretty on Instagram. What about you? Do? You? And Carrie Ramsey's Wife's name is Carrie, and she's wonderful. What is that noise that sounds like that? I was just making like a we're both still married. You and I are both still married to our respective same spouses, which we cannot say for every couple that's been on committed no, we can't. See. The thing is, Carrie does not like, she does not listen to podcasts, So me recommending something for her to listen to, would you know, just go you know, out one area and it I'll mention episodes to her so she'll get excited. I'm like, she's very supportive of me working uncommitted and my job and all that, but she's just like, you know, I think she listens to basketball podcasts, which is different. Which is different, Yeah, completely except for I told her that we interviewed Renee Montgomery and her wife Serena Grace, and she came to me the day after like it it published, and said, hey, I listened to Loving Basketball and I really loved it. So I was like, Okay, she does listen to one episode. Yeah, but I can't like think of anything like I mean, there's so much, you know, like when when you talk to a couple it's been you know, through the thick of it, order a couple that's been married for years, and you know, you you think about your own marriage. I think it just kind of gives us, or gave me, gives me like confidence that you know, I can I can kind of weather through if I'm having a bad day or she's having a bad day. You know, we're they're kind of to support each other so that you can get through anything pretty much, pretty much pretty much anything we you know, I just I just found out that the B fifty two's are going on tour, and so I really listened to our interview with Kate Pearson and her wife Monica Coleman, who run the very hip Cat Skills motel case Lazy Meadow Together, which is right down the road from me here in the Cat Skills. And yeah, I just like again, I I always every episode on a real listen brings me joy, all of them, even the ones that are that could be kind of depressing. I still because of exactly what you said. It's the show is proof that you can get through hard things together. And so I always and each episode, whether I'm just making it or re listening to it, filled with happiness, enjoy and optimism. And yeah, I do. I love it so much. I'm gonna miss working with you. I'm gonna miss working with you too. Well, what are we going to talk? Like? What are we going to text each other about? Now? Oh, by the way, I have a I have a present coming for you, Ramsay. There's a present in the mail for you. Oh my goodness, I know. Get excited. And I just got an email notification that it shipped, so it's on its way to you. Yeah. Um, I feel bad I didn't get you. You have got me many a gift, many a season. I am not. Yeah, I did. Now it was my turn. I had to. I had to get you something. So I hope, I hope that you like it. We'll just have to make another show, is the thing. Um, if you can recommend one episode two someone what episode? What episode would you recommend one episode I would recommend to someone. I mean I I always have to explain what I do, and then I have to explain what the show is. I always used the first episode as an example, just because it was such a it is such a like what we had strived for for committed. It's just one of those things that we can, you know, really explains what the show is about. But then I always go to you know, um, I love you buddy. When when we talked to to her, I always because that one. It was always the ones where I we went to locations, because I went down there. Ye'll explain explain I love you, buddy to people who haven't listened to it. Guy named Buddy wood All who's serving three life sentences for murder and his wife Christy Um hadn't been married for probably close to twenty five years now. He was convicted of of killing two people Um. He still claims his innocence Um of the murders, and she refuses to accept his divorce from from him, and I drove down to South Georgia where she she lives and it was just a powerful experience, like going there, Christie and her mom basically took me in and welcomed me, and um, we spent the afternoon with him and we did that interview with Buddy in prison, mainly because like she she had a phone that she could always talk to him, but it was also you know, it just felt like it was going to it was this. It was when we started, when we realized we can't do this weekly. Yeah. So it was the last episode for the first season, so I mean we we we almost went a whole year doing the sweet NonStop, NonStop nonp and um, so it was like the last It was a good way to end the first season as well. Um. But yeah, it just it was just I think the whole part of it going there and being part of that experience kind of really set home. I mean, just like the porn episode and you know the other episodes where you would go to location. I always pushed for that when you said, hey, I might be able to go there, like go it, do it, do it, do it? Yeah, the pandemic pandemic ended that it did. Um but but that and I was gonna say, like the you know, talking to astronaut, So if you do, you have to you can't just say to pack and then I'll explain what to tope topek. I had no idea what to pick was. I had to watch. I had to watch the movie. Okay, we're talking about two married Olympic ice skaters, by the way, and we are. I called it our Cutting Edge episode because obviously the cutting Edge amazing romantic comedy starring Moira Kelly and that other guy who never made another movie. And Ramsey had never seen The Cutting Edge, which broke my heart for him, and I forced him to watch it. And it was worth it. You loved it, didn't it was? It was fun. It was fun. It was a good, good, classic eighties style movie. And enjoyed it very much and now I know it too. But going to see Chris and Alexa, that was that was a lot of fun. I feel like I could do this all day. Alright, Let's let's play a little bit of Chris and Alexa having a big Olympic win. Yeah, let's play it a little bit of that. That was the kiss witnessed around the world, and I have to ask was it planned, was it staged? Or are you too really just that adorable? Well, when Chris and I compete, we kiss or don't kiss, sweet whatever we feel the moment will do. So the kiss on Valentine's Day, I mean, we didn't even I think it's Valentine's Day, let's kiss. I actually didn't even know, like it was a big deal. But what was cute was that the crowd in Korea was so like shocked by the public display of affection and they were like ooing when we kissed. So I did it. I had to do it one more time. I know that Chris and I will have a hard time topping Valentine's Day ever again, because you know, we were living our dream in that moment of being at the Olympics. Okay, I I am going to I'm going to end our stroll down memory Lane with the episode that I recommend to people because I Love You, which was Levi and Jared and Levi had been keeping his relationship with Jared a secret from his family since the beginning of their relationship, and he wanted to essentially come out um to his family about his relationship with Jared on the podcast, and I was so honored and so scared for him and that episode they were just so raw and so brave, and the fact that he wanted to share his love story with us and our audience, Like, it still gets me. It still gets me. I want to so I want to play. I want to play a little bit of of Levibe. I told myself, if I don't say the words I'm gay, then I could always argue against it. People die every day, and what if we get into a car accident and then I have to be the one to call Mike and be like, Hi, this is Jared, your son's living lover, and um, he's now passed away. If I were to die tomorrow with Jared, like Jared would be like a stranger at my funeral, and like he's the most important person in my life, and like would he feel comfortable coming to my funeral? Would he be allowed to like mourn my death? I want to see what those guys are doing. I just emailed them, so yeah, I just emailed them. I'll update everyone on our Instagram, our Instagram at committed pod is. I'm gonna gonna keep updating. I'll keep updating it with update with them, new info about all of our couples. And I you know, I don't necessarily think this is the end for Committed. I think we're just going to take a break for a while. We've done a lot of episodes, we've done a lot of love stories, and we're still here. So if you have a love story that you want to share with us, tell us, tell us, and we can always come out of semi retirement to tell your love story. And I think we're we'll just take a pause, we'll take up, We'll take a pause, much like much like Elton John is having a very long retirement tour. I don't think Committed will ever end. No, I mean I don't think we can. We've every episode I think has never been the same as the last, and I think we can could still go on for a lot longer time. Um, but I'm looking forward to the new projects I'll be working on, and I know you are too. And this really wasn't an end. I never really saw this is an end and all that. And you know, if you called me up the next day and say, Hey, Ramsey, let's do this again, I'd be right there to me too. I'm here I'm here, so it's it's not the end, but this wasn't. This is a nice look back at our at our at our committed relationship together Ramsey, a different a different kind commitment. Yep, no, totally. So all right, so let's say goodbye. Let's say goodbye but not but not forever. Goodbye to the audience and guys stick around. Let us know what other stories you want to hear, what other podcasts you want to hear. Ramsey and I are both still with high heart, We're both still making great shows, and we love you. We couldn't have made this show without our incredible and devoted audience who told us how much they appreciated the show and these love stories. And some people even told us it helped them not get divorced, which you know, and some people made them get divorced. And good on you, Good on you for making the decision for you, happy to help, happy to be here, and and joy, I completely agree. And I just want to say, I know I told you this in text, but it's been a pleasure working with you. I'm not crying. You're not crying. It's been wonderful working with you. It's been one it's been wonderful working with you. This whole experience as has been a life, life changing experience for me, So thank you, Thank you. This episode was hosted and reported by Joe Piazza with a very special thanks to you our listeners. Committed is produced by ramsay Ent. The executive producers are Joe Piazza and Tyler Klang. Theme song and music by Tristan McNeil. To keep up with Joe and the Committed podcast family, follow us on Instagram at Committed Pod. That's at Committed Pod. Committed as a production of I Heart Radio and produced in our studios located in Atlanta, Georgia. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. M
Speaker 1: I thought it would be fun for the two of us to hop on the microphone and just kind of talk through the massive, massive, you know, series that Committed became. I don't think we ever could have imagined. I don't think we ever could have imagined in the beginning that we would have done this many episodes. Do you actually know how many episodes we did? Because I don't know. I calculated it out. It's somewhere around a day. That is. That's not nothing. No, that's a lot. That's not nothing, my friend. And for people who don't know you longtime fans, know that Ramsey has been our producer since the the early days I've committed. But Ramsey introduced yourself to everybody. Oh yeah, my name is Ramsey Hunt. I am a supervising producer for My Heart Podcasts and I have been the producer from four Committed since the beginning, since the beginning, and I pulled up. Our first episode aired on June six. Okay, so for just over four years. But but we started making the show almost a year in advance, so correct, We've been working together for about five years now, correct, So do you in all of that time, what should we maybe tell the audience. What I the episodes I asked for in the beginning. What did I tell you that I wanted In terms of married couple stories, He told me you wanted prison, a couple that has married or has been married during prison. You said you wanted a porn couple. I wanted prison. I wanted porn. But I have to say our episode that we did UM with two married porn stars was one of the greatest episodes that we that we made. It was, it was beautiful, it was it was heart wrenching. Sometimes it was so so sad for reasons it had nothing to do with the pornography industry, but because they were struggling with starting a family and then struggling with how to have children. UM and explain to them what they what they had been been doing for careers for the past ten twenty years. And I loved this couple so much, And we actually got to go into their homes. This was pre COVID, so we got to do the interview in their house and I think, can we play a clip of them? Sure? Sure? Before it was one of my favorites too. I mean the fact that I was trying to think of whatever were my favorites, and I knew everyone are going to say porn, So I think the name of the title was I Don't Own Him, Don't Own Him? It was Mick Blue and all right, and the fact I think when you were standing in front of their porn trophy room, I was. I was. I walked into their house and they had a trophy case filled with little gold people and essentially the oscars of porn. They were the Meryl Streets of the porn industry. And they were also raising baby chickens from from hatchlings from eggs in their bathroom in their house, and it was the just exact opposite of what you would expect to to walk into when you walked into a porn star's house. And an except for the oscars and porn, but the baby chickens all over the place and just an adorable little like chatch keys from Etsy Um talking about blessing this home. It was just it was awesome. It was so great. Yeah, I want to play a little clip from Mick and Anica because we're also still I'm still Instagram friends with Becononica. I think that we've stayed social media friends with them. Almost almost everyone that we've had uncommitted. All right, let's play a little clip. Let's play a little cind of them. And so do you guys do a lot of work together, Yes, And do you think that that's some of your best work? Absolutely? Um, you know, make is my favorite performer to work with because we do know everything about each other, and you know our buttons and we have great chemistry. So it's I think it's natural that are scenes with each other going to be our best scenes. And it also shows coming back to their awards, it shows that other people see it the same way because many many of our awards from some of the poorn Oscars or other institutions were actually for scenes or movies that we have done together. Okay, so they were. I have to say they're one of my favorite couples. But our first stepisode, which I don't I mean, I don't even know if I want to play a clip of because I think that I sound so terrible in the entire first season and I'm vain, and our first episode, the couple that was blown up together in the Boston Marathon bombing. I didn't even know if I could keep doing this show after that because their story was so hard to report, and I do. I may'll let you pick out the part of that to play, because like I said, I can't, I can't listen to it because I can't hear my voice. And I also I don't know if I can hear their story again because it's so heartbreaking. But I feel like it's set the tone for what we wanted to do with Committed for the next so many eight seasons. But did we had not eight or nine seasons seasons? Yeah? For for me editing that episode because that was the first one we did, and that was kind of our I guess quote unquote pilot that we we pushed around the office quite a bit. So I listened to their story probably for a good solid two months almost just to get it down right, and I it was Yeah, I mean going back and even thinking about it is somewhat not necessarily overly triggering, but slightly triggering where I start to feel anxiety from it. And I mean, you know that's what these people have gone through, not just their episode, but you know all these episodes. I feel like I've learned so much about them and then just experiencing what they went through in a way where it's it was hard it was hard to edit. I mean, I'm not gonna lie. How often do you cry? Uh? This season, I've cried maybe two or three times, and that is generally. Like the first season, I think I cried in every episode. I think I cried in every episode in the first season too, And it just kind of started to whittle down. I guess I just became, you know, a little bit harden and what what some of our couples have been through just you know and all that. But um, I mean, they can't compassionate goodbye, like from this episode the season where the like that one really hit hard? Yeah, that was that was the That was the one with Amy Bloom And she's a writer, he's an author, and her husband had was going through um, the early symptoms of a dementing disease and he didn't want to die like that, and she helped him find a way to go abroad two give him a good death, to give him as as she says, and as we titled the episode a compassionate Goodbye. Let's play a little bit of Amy because that episode is so beautiful. But yeah, I lost it. I lost it on that. What did he want a good death to look like? And I think that's something that we don't talk about nearly enough in our culture, Like what should a good death look like? I think that depends entirely on the person experience and saying it. For him, he wanted it to be peaceful and painless, and he wanted me by his side. Okay, but now that we're crying, I'm not crying. You're crying. You're not crying. I'm crying. Um, what episode made you laugh so hard? To pet Japans Geez? The man under the bush? Oh my god, the man under the bush, The man under the bush. I you know what I need to do a quick google because the man under the bush. Um, this is the story of a woman who named Emmy, woman named Emmy who fell in love with a homeless man who was literally living under a bush. And they and they went through it. They were he was still homeless. They were dating, and then he eventually moved in with her and he hadn't been living in a house in years, and they geared it out and they got married and they had babies. But he was so funny. Yeah, he cracked me up. But I'm googling it now. Um, because she was she was writing a screenplay for their love story, and I want to see if it ever got made. That was one of the fun ones for me. I mean, just because his whole attitude and his outlook on life and everything else, and I mean where he's been and what he went through and you know, hopefully they're still doing soon great when when we talked to them, I'm gonna email Emmy right out and ask her if we can see their romantic comedy on the on the screen at some point, because yeah, all right, I want to play a little bit of Emmy and vict. Also, I had forgotten until I just googled Emmy and vict like Vic was really hot. He was a hot homeless guy living under a bush. He really was, who really was? I mean, and she's beautiful, but like you know, if you're gonna fall in love with and with with the man who lives in the bush, it helps when he's he's very handsome. I think, all right, let's oh my gosh. And I'm looking at their adorable twins too, Okay, let's play a little bit of Emmy. In fact, one night, she was sitting in Vondal Park waiting to meet a friend for dinner. As usual, I was early, and somebody sat down next to me, and even before I had looked at him, I kind of felt this electricity and energy between us. And then suddenly he asked me what time it was, which I thought was a very silly question and an obvious pickup line, because right in front of us was a clock. So I know that Vick and I met at ten to seven on Sunday, September two thousand and six. She was super hard just sitting there, And only a fool would would not go and approach a beautiful woman who's sitting on a on a bench looking happy like she was. She was. She didn't look uncomfortable or anything, and I knew she was waiting for somebody, So I had the movie quick, all right. Yeah, I have to say the episode that made me laugh out loud, that made me pee my pants a little bit, was when we interviewed Nick Offerman and Megan Mollale. That was that was That was a fun one. That was a really fun one, right, Yeah, that was really it was a good mid pandemic interview. I mean, spending an hour with those two was was a wonderful day. And all the other stuff that was happening in our lives. So it was great to just hear them talk. And I totally, I totally forgot that that was that was mid pandemic because time, you know, has no meaning at this point. But yeah, they were really a bright spot in my in my pandemic days, and just hearing them, I really liked, Uh Megan talking a little bit about how she was kind of a cougar and she wasn't expecting anything from her relationship with Nick. Uh and he was just he was all in, he was there for it. So uh, yeah, I want to I want to play a little bit of that. Megan said, let's make a two week rule. Let's never take a job or get in a situation that will keep us apart for more than two weeks. And I said, put her there, let's shake on it. And we have done that. I mean really, that's the bottom line is we make our marriage or priority over our careers. So if we get a wonderful opportunity in Australia or England or wherever, we say, okay, I have this offer. You know, Megan gets offered a Broadway show. It's very exciting, but part of the negotiation is she has to say Okay, I've been offered Young Frankenstein on Broadway. Can we move to New York for Yeah? And like the last time I did a Broadway show and it was a play, and Nick had a book deal, and so I was like, great, I'll come to New York and I'll write my book. I mean, it's not always that easy to work out, but that was that was a pretty good one. But that making that having that room, I mean, liking each other is one thing, but that's kind of amorphous. But in terms of like nuts and bolts things, that has been the single most important thing that we have done. That and joining that sex club. Yea top two. Now I'm going now, now I'm going. Oh, and now I'm scrolling through our episodes. Amanda Clutes, The Amanda Clutes and Nick. The Amanda Clutes and Nick Cordero story. Nick was the Broadway star who went into the ICU with COVID. He was only forty one and they thought he'd be out of the hospital in a week or two. And the world rallied around Nick and then Amanda lost him. He was one of the most high profile COVID COVID deaths in the news, and Amanda story they had they had a little baby, and we don't usually just have one part of a couple. I'm committed, but Amanda's story really made me ball. Yeah. I mean I think we were still I mean, I think we're just about to get vaccinated at that time when that came out. But that one hit really hard because I think one thing that really hit me on that one was like he just went in he thought he had a common cold or something like that and really didn't know what COVID was about. And he went in the hospital and that was the last time he ever saw Amanda in the flesh. Was him leaving to go into the hospital. That just really hit because obviously we were all living through all that not knowing a lot of stuff. You want to play a little bit about what Amanda said about her last goodbye with Nick. He was clearly sick, you know, he clearly had something we thought pneumonia, and he was leaving me as the sole parent of our son. So he couldn't hug me, he couldn't kiss me. We didn't he didn't hugger kiss Oh this I don't even remember what we said, to be honest, I think I know I said, you know, I'll drive around, or I'll go for a walk with Elvius. I'll be in the neighborhood. Call me when you're done. I thought it was going to be an hour or two and he would be out of the e er with his with new meds. No way did I think it would be they're keeping me overnight. No way did I think it would go the way it did. It was very unfortunately in a way cold, I guess you could say, Amanda writes in her book, he was never the same again. He woke up, but Nick never really came back. I have one for you. You do, okay? And yeah, all right? Tell me, So what episode have you talked to Nick about your husband and my husband? Nick? Which one do I talk about that? Hey, you know what we should do in our relationship? Oh gosh, all of them. I mean, honestly, all of them. I have I didn't you know. And I say this all the time in our trailers and our promos, and people are sick of hearing it. But I think making committed has been better for my marriage than going to therapy because every episode brings something up where I I have a new way to talk about our marriage and to talk about the things that are percolating in our marriage without talking about us in particular. Um. And so all we've talked about almost every single episode, but I'm trying to think of the one that comes up a lot for the two of us. I will say that, Um, we did well. I we we talked about em Astrob and her husband Mike a lot, the couple that that opened the bookstore book There Magic in Brooklyn, mostly because Nick and I want to open a bookstore, and yet we also realized that it's really hard, and especially on a marriage. And so every time I'm like, oh my gosh, it's time let's open our bookstore, Nick makes me really listen to the episode all adults here with Emma and Mike and just talking about the very real messiness of launching a business with your husband. Um, and it's every time I listen to it, I still want to open the bookstore. So, uh, it's it. But it is a good reminder that it is not all not all magic, not all no no, Um we should Yeah, let's play a little bout that. Emma bet me she was going to break out with me in three months. I think I said six, And I was like, I'll take that bet, and here we are sixteen years later. Here they are Emma and Mike sixteen years, two kids and a bookstore later. Yeah, a bookstore. That's what this story is about. Every couple I know has their career escaped fantasy. I have friends who daydream about buying a goat farm, even though they've never touched a goat. Seriously, I think maybe they've eaten goat cheese once, and goat farms look pretty on Instagram. What about you? Do? You? And Carrie Ramsey's Wife's name is Carrie, and she's wonderful. What is that noise that sounds like that? I was just making like a we're both still married. You and I are both still married to our respective same spouses, which we cannot say for every couple that's been on committed no, we can't. See. The thing is, Carrie does not like, she does not listen to podcasts, So me recommending something for her to listen to, would you know, just go you know, out one area and it I'll mention episodes to her so she'll get excited. I'm like, she's very supportive of me working uncommitted and my job and all that, but she's just like, you know, I think she listens to basketball podcasts, which is different. Which is different, Yeah, completely except for I told her that we interviewed Renee Montgomery and her wife Serena Grace, and she came to me the day after like it it published, and said, hey, I listened to Loving Basketball and I really loved it. So I was like, Okay, she does listen to one episode. Yeah, but I can't like think of anything like I mean, there's so much, you know, like when when you talk to a couple it's been you know, through the thick of it, order a couple that's been married for years, and you know, you you think about your own marriage. I think it just kind of gives us, or gave me, gives me like confidence that you know, I can I can kind of weather through if I'm having a bad day or she's having a bad day. You know, we're they're kind of to support each other so that you can get through anything pretty much, pretty much pretty much anything we you know, I just I just found out that the B fifty two's are going on tour, and so I really listened to our interview with Kate Pearson and her wife Monica Coleman, who run the very hip Cat Skills motel case Lazy Meadow Together, which is right down the road from me here in the Cat Skills. And yeah, I just like again, I I always every episode on a real listen brings me joy, all of them, even the ones that are that could be kind of depressing. I still because of exactly what you said. It's the show is proof that you can get through hard things together. And so I always and each episode, whether I'm just making it or re listening to it, filled with happiness, enjoy and optimism. And yeah, I do. I love it so much. I'm gonna miss working with you. I'm gonna miss working with you too. Well, what are we going to talk? Like? What are we going to text each other about? Now? Oh, by the way, I have a I have a present coming for you, Ramsay. There's a present in the mail for you. Oh my goodness, I know. Get excited. And I just got an email notification that it shipped, so it's on its way to you. Yeah. Um, I feel bad I didn't get you. You have got me many a gift, many a season. I am not. Yeah, I did. Now it was my turn. I had to. I had to get you something. So I hope, I hope that you like it. We'll just have to make another show, is the thing. Um, if you can recommend one episode two someone what episode? What episode would you recommend one episode I would recommend to someone. I mean I I always have to explain what I do, and then I have to explain what the show is. I always used the first episode as an example, just because it was such a it is such a like what we had strived for for committed. It's just one of those things that we can, you know, really explains what the show is about. But then I always go to you know, um, I love you buddy. When when we talked to to her, I always because that one. It was always the ones where I we went to locations, because I went down there. Ye'll explain explain I love you, buddy to people who haven't listened to it. Guy named Buddy wood All who's serving three life sentences for murder and his wife Christy Um hadn't been married for probably close to twenty five years now. He was convicted of of killing two people Um. He still claims his innocence Um of the murders, and she refuses to accept his divorce from from him, and I drove down to South Georgia where she she lives and it was just a powerful experience, like going there, Christie and her mom basically took me in and welcomed me, and um, we spent the afternoon with him and we did that interview with Buddy in prison, mainly because like she she had a phone that she could always talk to him, but it was also you know, it just felt like it was going to it was this. It was when we started, when we realized we can't do this weekly. Yeah. So it was the last episode for the first season, so I mean we we we almost went a whole year doing the sweet NonStop, NonStop nonp and um, so it was like the last It was a good way to end the first season as well. Um. But yeah, it just it was just I think the whole part of it going there and being part of that experience kind of really set home. I mean, just like the porn episode and you know the other episodes where you would go to location. I always pushed for that when you said, hey, I might be able to go there, like go it, do it, do it, do it? Yeah, the pandemic pandemic ended that it did. Um but but that and I was gonna say, like the you know, talking to astronaut, So if you do, you have to you can't just say to pack and then I'll explain what to tope topek. I had no idea what to pick was. I had to watch. I had to watch the movie. Okay, we're talking about two married Olympic ice skaters, by the way, and we are. I called it our Cutting Edge episode because obviously the cutting Edge amazing romantic comedy starring Moira Kelly and that other guy who never made another movie. And Ramsey had never seen The Cutting Edge, which broke my heart for him, and I forced him to watch it. And it was worth it. You loved it, didn't it was? It was fun. It was fun. It was a good, good, classic eighties style movie. And enjoyed it very much and now I know it too. But going to see Chris and Alexa, that was that was a lot of fun. I feel like I could do this all day. Alright, Let's let's play a little bit of Chris and Alexa having a big Olympic win. Yeah, let's play it a little bit of that. That was the kiss witnessed around the world, and I have to ask was it planned, was it staged? Or are you too really just that adorable? Well, when Chris and I compete, we kiss or don't kiss, sweet whatever we feel the moment will do. So the kiss on Valentine's Day, I mean, we didn't even I think it's Valentine's Day, let's kiss. I actually didn't even know, like it was a big deal. But what was cute was that the crowd in Korea was so like shocked by the public display of affection and they were like ooing when we kissed. So I did it. I had to do it one more time. I know that Chris and I will have a hard time topping Valentine's Day ever again, because you know, we were living our dream in that moment of being at the Olympics. Okay, I I am going to I'm going to end our stroll down memory Lane with the episode that I recommend to people because I Love You, which was Levi and Jared and Levi had been keeping his relationship with Jared a secret from his family since the beginning of their relationship, and he wanted to essentially come out um to his family about his relationship with Jared on the podcast, and I was so honored and so scared for him and that episode they were just so raw and so brave, and the fact that he wanted to share his love story with us and our audience, Like, it still gets me. It still gets me. I want to so I want to play. I want to play a little bit of of Levibe. I told myself, if I don't say the words I'm gay, then I could always argue against it. People die every day, and what if we get into a car accident and then I have to be the one to call Mike and be like, Hi, this is Jared, your son's living lover, and um, he's now passed away. If I were to die tomorrow with Jared, like Jared would be like a stranger at my funeral, and like he's the most important person in my life, and like would he feel comfortable coming to my funeral? Would he be allowed to like mourn my death? I want to see what those guys are doing. I just emailed them, so yeah, I just emailed them. I'll update everyone on our Instagram, our Instagram at committed pod is. I'm gonna gonna keep updating. I'll keep updating it with update with them, new info about all of our couples. And I you know, I don't necessarily think this is the end for Committed. I think we're just going to take a break for a while. We've done a lot of episodes, we've done a lot of love stories, and we're still here. So if you have a love story that you want to share with us, tell us, tell us, and we can always come out of semi retirement to tell your love story. And I think we're we'll just take a pause, we'll take up, We'll take a pause, much like much like Elton John is having a very long retirement tour. I don't think Committed will ever end. No, I mean I don't think we can. We've every episode I think has never been the same as the last, and I think we can could still go on for a lot longer time. Um, but I'm looking forward to the new projects I'll be working on, and I know you are too. And this really wasn't an end. I never really saw this is an end and all that. And you know, if you called me up the next day and say, Hey, Ramsey, let's do this again, I'd be right there to me too. I'm here I'm here, so it's it's not the end, but this wasn't. This is a nice look back at our at our at our committed relationship together Ramsey, a different a different kind commitment. Yep, no, totally. So all right, so let's say goodbye. Let's say goodbye but not but not forever. Goodbye to the audience and guys stick around. Let us know what other stories you want to hear, what other podcasts you want to hear. Ramsey and I are both still with high heart, We're both still making great shows, and we love you. We couldn't have made this show without our incredible and devoted audience who told us how much they appreciated the show and these love stories. And some people even told us it helped them not get divorced, which you know, and some people made them get divorced. And good on you, Good on you for making the decision for you, happy to help, happy to be here, and and joy, I completely agree. And I just want to say, I know I told you this in text, but it's been a pleasure working with you. I'm not crying. You're not crying. It's been wonderful working with you. It's been one it's been wonderful working with you. This whole experience as has been a life, life changing experience for me, So thank you, Thank you. This episode was hosted and reported by Joe Piazza with a very special thanks to you our listeners. Committed is produced by ramsay Ent. The executive producers are Joe Piazza and Tyler Klang. Theme song and music by Tristan McNeil. To keep up with Joe and the Committed podcast family, follow us on Instagram at Committed Pod. That's at Committed Pod. Committed as a production of I Heart Radio and produced in our studios located in Atlanta, Georgia. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. M