Parenting is a Joke

In this episode of Parenting is a Joke, comedian and brand-new mom Vicky Kuperman joins Ophira Eisenberg just five weeks after giving birth—and no, she didn’t know she wanted kids until recently either. Vicky opens up about pivoting from a life focused solely on comedy to embracing IVF, sharing how her fourth and final covered cycle resulted in her daughter. She reveals she once had a miscarriage during a screening of the Barbie movie (yes, she jokes about it), and reflects on the double standards women face in comedy when tackling darker material. The two comedians swap birth stories—Ophira’s dramatic labor room moment vs. Vicky’s swift C-section where the team was chatting about Sex and the City as her daughter arrived. They also dissect the politics of pregnancy shame, how little anyone warns you about post-op edema, and why a Chanel gift bag might be the Upper East Side’s version of a baby bonus. You get to hear what’s inside that legendary Chanel postpartum bag! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this snack episode of Parenting is a Joke, Ophira Eisenberg catches up with comedian and dad Mike Cannon, who's juggling life with a kindergartener and a new baby. Mike talks honestly about how parenting the second time around comes with fewer toys, more perspective, and the realization that kids’ interests change faster than you can declutter. He recounts the chaotic beauty of raising a son who alphabetizes his dinosaurs, breaks toys within minutes, and treasures a lion stuffy so much that it once sparked a Medieval Times rescue mission. Mike shares the emotional toll of not finding a therapist and how cold plunging—yes, in a backyard ice tank—unexpectedly became his mental health lifeline. The episode also covers the perks and pitfalls of moving back to your hometown, coordinating dual creative careers with his floral-designer wife, and why yelling is off-limits in their household. Even without a therapist, Mike has figured out how to use cold water, deep breathing, and a sense of humor to stay present in the chaos of raising two small kids. 📍 June Shows are in NYC, Boulder, CO, Sag Harbor, Long Island, Nantucket, MA! Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Mike Cannon : https://www.instagram.com/iammikecannon/ 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

This week on Parenting is a Joke, Ophira Eisenberg welcomes comedian Mike Cannon for a Father’s Day–timed conversation packed with raw insight, humor, and real talk about parenting sensitive kids while holding onto your sanity and creative drive. Mike opens up about life with a kindergartner and a seven-month-old, reflecting on how jujitsu helped his son build emotional resilience—and how parenting has forced him to confront his own childhood trauma, OCD, and anger. The two comedians swap stories about navigating vulnerability, shifting identities post-kids, and finding joy (and a little stability) in edibles. Mike also unpacks the internal war he feels before going on stage and how childhood fears shape his on-stage energy. They cover everything from microdosing trends among parents to the strange poetry of seeing your father’s face in your baby’s crying eyes. He shares how a Don't Tell Comedy set pushed him to reshape his material for younger audiences, while still anchoring it in authentic parenting truths. Plus, he and Ophira bond over their shared frustration with schools punishing behavior by taking away recess—arguably the one thing kids need most. 📍 June Shows are in NYC, Boulder, CO, Sag Harbor, Long Island, Nantucket, MA!Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Mike Cannon : https://www.instagram.com/iammikecannon/ 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

In this quick-hit snack episode, Parenting is a Joke host Ophira Eisenberg reconnects with Deborah Goldstein, creator and host of the kids’ podcast The Big Fib, for a sharp and funny follow-up conversation about parenting, lying, and letting go. Deborah shares her experience raising two sons through the awkward "dumb liar" phase—like when one claimed he “found” a cow magnet stuck to a stranger’s car—and reflects on how surprisingly uptight her kids turned out despite her own rebellious youth. She and Ophira bond over the absurdity of structured parenting philosophies and the pressure to sign kids up for every activity, only to wonder if they’re overdoing it. They talk about screen addiction, anime, Dungeons & Dragons-style games, and the quest to let kids “find their thing”—even if it’s not what you had in mind. Deborah admits to being a rigid parent who now wishes her kids swore more, while Ophira jokes about dragging her child back to a birthday party to return stolen plastic gems. The episode wraps with a message many parents need to hear: loosen your grip, have faith, and remember—they probably won’t remember any of this anyway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Parenting is a Joke, Ophira Eisenberg welcomes Deborah Goldstein, co-host of the hit kids' podcast The Big Fib and producer of the nationwide storytelling series Listen to Your Mother. Deborah shares what it’s like raising two "man children" with her wife in a North Jersey suburb full of fellow Brooklyn expats, where being a cis, lesbian, monogamous couple is almost boring by local standards. The conversation spans everything from the surprising struggles of parenting highly responsible college kids (who could maybe stand to experiment a little) to the challenges of growing up with parents who withheld unconditional love. Deborah recounts her and her wife’s multi-continent, multi-wedding path to parenthood—including importing donor sperm from the U.S. to London when local clinics weren’t quite up to speed on queer family building. She and Ophira also unpack tracking your kids by phone, the shocking lack of time college students actually spend in class, and how kids on The Big Fib often have a better radar for truth than many adults. This episode is equal parts hilarious parenting chaos and refreshing perspective on raising kids in a rapidly changing world. 📍 June Shows are in NYC, Boulder, CO, Sag Harbor, Long Island, Nantucket, MA!Details at https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com Follow Deborah Goldstein: https://www.instagram.com/deborahy2k/ Listen to The Big Fib: https://gzmshows.com/shows/listing/the-big-fib/ 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

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

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

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.comFollow 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-upFollow 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/@ophiranycLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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.comFollow 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-upFollow 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/@ophiranycLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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