Lexi Plata, a 63-year-old trans Ecuadorian-American comedian from Queens, joins Mary Houlihan for a wide-ranging conversation covering her life story, trans identity, and growing up in pre-gentrified New York City. They discuss the anti-trans media narrative, working for the Gambino family as a teenager, Lexi's complicated relationship with Catholicism, immigration, ICE, and why she has checked out of politics entirely.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Trailer

00:00:44 Intro

00:01:02 Trans People Under Attack and Media Representation

00:04:29 TikTok, Trans Visibility, and Censorship

00:09:26 Trans Sports and Identity from Age Five

00:10:33 Catholic School, Altar Boy, and the Gambinos

00:15:42 Mom's Reaction and Coming Out Later in Life

00:17:53 Immigration, Spanish in Schools, and Full Circle

00:20:16 Immigrants and the "Taking Our Jobs" Myth

00:21:58 Running Errands for the Mob at 16

00:27:05 Both Sides of Politics and Checking Out

00:51:23 Religion, God, and Historical Christ

00:57:54 Outro

Follow Lexi: www.instagram.com/lexicomic60/

Follow Mary:

YouTube - www.youtube.com/maryhoulihan

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/maryhoulie/

twitch - twitch.tv/maryhoulie

TikTok - tiktok.com/@maryhoulie

YouTube SEO Tags:

Lexi Plata, trans comedian, trans woman comedian, Ecuadorian American comedian, trans identity podcast, coming out later in life, trans representation media, Catholic school trans, immigration ICE, New York Queens comedian, Mary Houlihan Show, LGBTQ comedy podcast, trans over 60, funny trans woman

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Maebe Pudlo, candidate for California State Senate District 26, joins Mary Houlihan to discuss their political journey from challenging Adam Schiff to running for state senate. They cover the Palestine ceasefire resolution Maebe passed on the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council, trans representation in government, ICE raids in LA, and their platform on housing, policing, and how to fund it all.

Timestamps

00:00:00 Trailer

00:00:41 Intro

00:00:59 Running for Office in Drag

00:02:27 California State Senate District 26

00:02:58 Ceasefire Resolution and Jewish Identity

00:08:20 Challenging Adam Schiff for Congress

00:12:00 Trans Visibility in Government

00:14:27 Anti-LGBTQ Legislation and Running Anyway

00:20:16 LAPD Budget and Police Reform

00:21:10 ICE Raids: Eyewitness Account in LA

00:27:05 Advice for People Running for Office

00:29:58 Housing, Wealth Tax, and Funding the Platform

00:33:47 Outro

Follow Maebe:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/maebeagirl/?hl=en

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/maebeagirl/

Follow Mary:

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/maryhoulihan

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/maryhoulie/

twitch - twitch.tv/maryhoulie

TikTok - tiktok.com/@maryhoulie

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Amber Flannery Field is a tour guide, video essayist, community organizer, and big on TikTok. We talk doing comedy in New York in the 2010's, what trans activists can learn from previous civil rights movements, and why you should come out of the closet already.

Subscribe to The Mary Houlihan Show on YouTube for more videos, including my Cuba travel vlog: https://www.youtube.com/maryhoulihan

Follow Amber Flannery Field on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericasComic. She has an upcoming video about Contrapoints that isn't really about Contrapoints.

If you'd like to support the show, sign up at Patreon as either a free or paid member: https://www.patreon.com/maryhoulihan

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Mike Recine is a stand-up comedian, husband, father, and former garbage man. We talk the cultural divide in comedy, comedians who are edgy on stage but sweet in real life, and Mike's plan to reboot Cumtown.

This podcast is available on YouTube! Watch videos, including my Cuba travel vlog, at https://www.youtube.com/@maryhoulie

Follow Mike Recine and see when he's coming to your town at https://www.instagram.com/mikerecinecomedy/

If you'd like to support the show, sign up at Patreon as either a free or paid member: https://www.patreon.com/maryhoulihan

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Chuck Park is running for Congress in NY-6. He talks divesting from Israel, why Queens doesn't need a casino, and why we have such a problem of people in power being silent on these obvious issues. We might as well just be honest and see how it lands.

This podcast is available on YouTube! Watch videos, including my Cuba travel vlog, at https://www.youtube.com/@maryhoulie

Learn more about Chuck Park at https://chuckforqueens.com/

If you'd like to support the show, sign up at Patreon as either a free or paid member: https://www.patreon.com/maryhoulihan

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Rae Huang is the progressive candidate for Los Angeles mayor. Rae is a single mother, community organizer, and pastor. She breaks down her platform across four areas: social housing, a people-centered local economy, green infrastructure, and public safety reform. We also discuss ICE raids and their impact on LA's immigrant communities, police accountability, and why Rae refuses corporate donations.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Trailer

00:00:38 Intro

00:00:57 Who Is Rae Huang and Why She's Running

00:01:54 Platform Overview: Four Pillars

00:04:06 Public Bank and Local Economy

00:05:00 Free and Fast Public Transit

00:12:10 Police Accountability and Budget Reform

00:14:44 Unarmed Crisis Response Expansion

00:17:47 Background: From Pastor to Organizer

00:25:00 Sanctuary City and ICE Protection Policies

00:35:57 Social Housing: How It Gets Built and Funded

00:41:50 Luxury Development vs. Affordable Housing

00:48:03 No Corporate Donations and Campaign Funding

00:50:29 Outro

Follow Rae Instagram - Rae Huang (@raeforla) • Instagram photos and videos

Youtube - (239) Rae for LA - YouTube

Tiktok- TikTok - Make Your Day

Website - Rae For LA | Take Action for LA Change

Linktree - RAE FOR LA | Instagram, TikTok | Linktree

Follow Mary Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/maryhoulie/

twitch - twitch.tv/maryhoulie

TikTok - tiktok.com/@maryhoulie

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Francesca Fiorentini has been consistently making left-wing comedy, journalism, and comedy-journalism for over a decade. Having previously worked for big-name news organizations, she now produces her own hugely popular show on YouTube, "The Bitchuation Room."

In this era where people are starving for leftist political comedy, yet corporations are hesitant to invest in it, Francesca shares her wisdom in independently producing political comedy shows, and how to not be a softball interviewer.

We discuss the need for more progressive political comedy, why the "Joe Rogan of the left" conversation misses the point, and the role of humor in political organizing.

Timestamps

00:00:00 Trailer 

00:00:39 Intro 

00:01:12 The Joe Rogan of the Left Debate 

00:03:30 Sponsors, Palestine, and Political Silencing 

00:07:00 Independent Journalism After Mainstream Media 

00:09:54 The Left Needs to Be Less Serious 

00:13:00 Anti-Woke Backlash and Comedy 

00:27:00 Democratic Party Failures and 2024 Election 

00:30:00 Trans Rights and Identity Politics 

00:34:45 AJ+, Al Jazeera, and Lefty Comedy History 

00:41:08 Why the Joe Rogan Framework Is Flawed 

00:53:55 AI, Crypto, Prediction Markets, and Late Capitalism 

00:58:08 Women Leading the Resistance 

01:05:50 Outro

Follow Francesca

Instagram - Francesca Fiorentini (@franifio) • Instagram photos and videos 

Facebook - Francesca Fiorentini | Facebook 

Follow Mary 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/maryhoulie/ 

twitch - twitch.tv/maryhoulie 

TikTok - tiktok.com/@maryhoulie

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Gabe Dunn talks pivoting from TV writer to citizen journalist, covering ICE detention, immigration protests, and political activism in LA. They also discuss Gabe's Jewish and Zionist upbringing, evolving views on Israel and Palestine, trans identity in Hollywood, and what it's like to speak out publicly when peers stay silent.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Trailer

00:00:45 Intro

00:01:23 From Boston Globe to BuzzFeed to TV

00:03:37 Hollywood as a Political Litmus Test

00:06:17 Being "Crazy Early" on the Left

00:09:35 Meg Stalter, Media Literacy, and Social Media

00:11:28 Growing Up Zionist and Leaving That Behind

00:13:07 ICE Detention and Jewish Community Silence

00:28:46 Reporting From the LA Detention Center

00:37:05 Trans Rights, Propaganda, and Rainbow Railroad

00:46:08 Mary's Catholic Background and Faith

00:51:28 Trans Visibility, Representation, and Identity

01:06:21 Outro

Follow Gabe

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/gabesdunn/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriel-dunn-b201662a0

Follow Mary

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/maryhoulie/

twitch - http://twitch.tv/maryhoulie

TikTok - http://tiktok.com/@maryhoulie

#comedy #hollywood #journalism #buzzfeed #citizenjournalism #losangeles #ice #gabedunn

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Jodie Sweetin (Stephanie Tanner of "Full House" fame) talks about leveraging her fame as a child star to help get the word out about political causes and recovery resources to her large social media following. Now a director and standup comedian, Jodie works with Jane Fonda's First Amendment Committee to make digestible comedic content about the stories corporate news media misses.

Timestamps

00:00:00 Trailer

00:00:44 Intro

00:01:07 Full House, Fuller House, and What's Next

00:02:03 Political Activism and Jane Fonda Collab

00:08:44 Losing Followers for Being Principled

00:10:02 Online Activism vs. Real-World Organizing

00:15:08 Sobriety, Recovery, and Al-Anon

00:18:44 Parenting Two Teenage Daughters

00:22:02 Directing, Writing, and Hollywood's Future

00:26:08 AI, Mergers, and the Future of TV

00:28:17 Progressive Politics and LA Mayor Race

00:32:21 Outro

Follow Jodie

Instagram: @jodisweetin

TikTok: Jodie Sweetin (@jodiesweetin) | TikTok

Facebook: Jodie Sweetin | Facebook

Follow Mary

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/maryhoulie/

twitch - twitch.tv/maryhoulie

TikTok - tiktok.com/@maryhoulie

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Ahmed Al-kadri, a Yemeni American comedian from Dallas, Texas, talks building an independent touring career from scratch, his viral "Arab parents" sketch series, leaning in to taboo topics, and getting to tour with Sammy Obeid and Bassem Youssef. Ahmed also speaks about his support for Palestine and what it means to represent an underrepresented voice in entertainment.

00:00:00 Trailer

00:00:37 Intro

00:01:42 Yemeni American Identity and Family

00:05:57 Comedy Style, Sketches, and Material

00:12:50 Building an Independent Touring Career

00:20:00 Performing for Diverse Audiences

00:27:50 Palestine Advocacy and Acting Credits

00:33:14 Outro

Follow Ahmed Youtube - Ahmed Al-Kadri’s FULL SPECIAL I LIVE FROM D.C.

Instagram - Ahmed Al-kadri (@ahmedlovesbread) • Instagram photos and videos

Tiktok - Ahmed Al-kadri (@ahmedlovesbread) | TikTok

Facebook - Ahmed Al-kadri | Facebook

Website - AhmedLovesBread.com

Follow Mary

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/maryhoulie/

twitch - twitch.tv/maryhoulie

TikTok - tiktok.com/@maryhoulie

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.