The JV Club with Janet Varney

Dance your way into a shoe commercial with this week’s fantastic Amy Okuda (“Atypical" on Netflix), who also talks pandemic-livestreams, being a Non-Tryer (a term we just made up), and how fascinating and scary it would be to get a close-up look at the deep ocean’s most f***ed-up fish! 

Experience the conversation that JV must describe as “a little slice of heaven” with this week’s guest, the terrific comedian/author Sara Schaefer! Hear about Sara’s marvelous new book, “Grand,” the problematic-hair-yet-nostalgic-appeal of Counting Crows, and dollhouses, Dollhouses, DOLLHOUSES!

It’s the other half of the charming What Are Friends For podcast, Gabrielle Ruiz ("Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”), who sang, danced, and counted down her teen years in Texas as she readied herself for the Big Apple. This is a very talented woman who knows the value of a good beef stew!

It’s JV’s first guest who has had— and fully recovered from, yay! — the thing that’s keeping us all on our toes this year. Celebrate the good news with Pallavi Sastry ("What Are Friends For podcast"), who expounds on many fascinating subjects both heavy and light on this almost-the-end-of-2020 JV Club episode!

Twin Peaks! Black Dahlias! Breakfast burritos! This week JV geeks out with one of her podcast host crushes, Dr. Shiloh (LA Not So Confidential), who talks police reform, psychology, cheerleading, LA noir, and generally proves that she’s every bit as cool as JV suspected she would be!

If you don’t already adore this week’s guest, Negin Farsad (Fake the Nation), YOU WILL BY THE END OF THIS EPISODE! Dish on the coolest uncool Palm Springs local hangs! Rummage vintage in Tennessee and end up answering questions about 9/11! A conversation about current political divides that is actually upbeat! It’s all right here for YOU.

This week marks the 400th new episode of The JV Club! To celebrate the occasion, JV was incredibly excited to be joined by someone who was a huge inspiration during her late teens (and beyond, to today!): singer/songwriter/playwright Jonatha Brooke. This episode also includes a duet of Jonatha’s song (as the band The Story) “So Much Mine" that she graciously sang with JV, which is also viewable as a video!

Blogging at work, Flagging at school, and how to carefully pick which horror movies you jump into during a rousing game of M.A.S.H. with this week’s guest, comedian/writer/actor/podcaster Halle Kiefer!

Samantha! Heidi! The Girls Next Door! This week JV reconnects with her audition buddy, comedian and actor Melinda Hill (“Inappropriate”), who chats about lifehacks for the kid who moves a lot, does Siouxsie Sioux impressions, and relishes a good doughnut.

If you like your thrills in the form of chewing gum (called, you guessed it, “Thrills”), you might be Canadian, and you might like the taste of soap! This wisdom and so many other important lessons come this week from comedian Jess Salomon (The El-Salomons), who talks cilantro, triathlons, and Quebec City and so much more.