When women take a few steps forward, some people want to take them 10 steps back. Plus, dealing with salespeople who won't leave you alone, and a conversation with Kelly Zemnickis!
The show opens with a short monologue, and then goes into the news roundup, followed by a sketch and a special guest interview with comedian and documentary filmmaker Kelly Zemnickis.
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You can find more about our incredible producer Todd Manley here.
Mariam Sobh: The pronunciation police are out to get you, or maybe just me. That's when someone waits for you to say a word wrong more than once, and then they say it for you. I was at a store planning to purchase coffee and was asking about a machine that had the ability to brew a large amount into a glass jug. And I was trying to explain which machine I was talking about.
Mariam Sobh: You know, the one with the "care-uff".. The sales person looked at me confused and was just like, excuse me? And I repeated myself a few more times, you know, that big jug thing, the glass container, the "care-uff". The salesperson responded, "I'm not sure we have what you were looking for, but we do have a machine with a carafe."
Mariam Sobh: Thank you for that passive aggressive correction! Not all of us are walking dictionaries, but if we're going to be specific, it's carafe (french pronunciation).. And on that note, let's get this show started!
voices: Welcome to news with a bite session five.
Mariam Sobh: And now it's time for the news Roundup.
Mariam Sobh: Naughty girls are kept at home. That's according to a recent interview. CNN's Christiane Amanpour had with Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban's co deputy leader, when asked about when girls will be able to go back to school. The article went on to say that Haqqani was joking and clarified something to the effect that "the women who are trying to take down the government are naughty.
Mariam Sobh: I feel a business idea coming on! Hats and shirts with the phrase, "naughty girl" on them. Fighting the patriarchy one slogan at a time.
Mariam Sobh: Meantime, the world cup in Qatar later this year, will have female referees for the first time in history. BBC reports. The chairman of FIFA's referee's committee says he hopes in the future, the selection of elite women's match officials for important men's competitions will be "perceived as something normal and no longer sensational."
Mariam Sobh: Maybe the Taliban could learn a thing or two from FIFA.
Mariam Sobh: And finally, one of the dresses worn by Judy Garland in the Wizard of Oz was up for auction and then blocked from being sold. That's because the 81 year old niece of the man who was given the memorabilia, claims she's the rightful heir to the dress as the closest living relative. The associated press reports, the Catholic school, where the dress was found, is countering her claim. The school says because the woman's uncle was a Dominican Priest, he took a vow not to accept personal gifts.
Mariam Sobh: Well, I hate to break it to you, but he did accept the gift, which makes me think we need to start an investigation into priests allegedly not following their vows. Maybe we'll find some more rare artifacts?
voices: Sound from Wizard of Oz
Mariam Sobh: And that's it for the news roundup. Just ahead. We'll hear from Kelly Zemnickis who's documentary, No Responders Left Behind, was nominated for a Canadian screen award for best social political documentary.
Mariam Sobh: But first, when you walk into a store and there are overly helpful salespeople, let the commission competition begin!
Sales Person 1: Hi, what brings you in today? I'm just browsing. Are you looking for anything in particular?
Customer: Just browsing.
Sales Person 1: Is this for a birthday or an event coming up?
Customer: I'm just looking around to see what's new.
Sales Person 1: Oh, that's wonderful. There are so many new items that just came in there. Take, for example, this pendant with rhinestones diamonds, very exclusive. I actually have one on, see you can't beat this price. Look at the details.
Customer: I guess I should play along. Wow that's beautiful.
Sales Person 1: Would you like to try it on and see how it looks in the mirror here? Let me put it on you.
Customer: That's definitely a stunning necklace.
Sales Person 1: Only one left in stock. Once it's gone, it's gone. That's why I bought it right as soon as I saw it go on sale.
Customer: Let me think about it. I'm going to go browse some more.
Sales Person 1: Absolutely. Take your time. Let me know if you need anything. My name is Sam and I'm totally here to help you out
Transition: A few moments later.
Customer: Oh, that looks interesting. Hmm.
Sales Person 2: Hello. How are you? I noticed you're browsing the bracelet. Anything I can help you with?
Customer: Uh, I'm just trying to see the price tag on that tennis bracelet. It's so hard to see.
Sales Person 2: I can get that information for you. Hold on one second, Sam, can you get me the price on this tennis bracelet?
Sales Person 1: No, no, no, no, no, no. I was helping her. I was helping her she's my client.
Sales Person 2: Well, no one told me that she was already being helped!
Sales Person 1: Hi. So are you interested in the tennis bracelet? Let me get that for you. Would you like to try it on?
Customer: I actually, oh shoot. I'm getting a phone call. I really have to take it. I'll be back later, actually scratch that. Never!
Mariam Sobh: Kelly's M Nick is, is a comedian writer, producer storyteller, and someone I met virtually during the lockdown of 2020. We finally met in person a few weeks ago, and I'm really thrilled to have her on the show. Kelly, welcome to news with a bite!
Kelly Zemnickis: Thank you so much for having me. This is a treat.
Mariam Sobh: So you wear so many different hats from comedy performance to producing a documentary with Jon Stewart. How did you get started in your career?
Kelly Zemnickis: Oh my that's a good question. Cause I kind of, I've had a lot of different pathways over my life. I've I've done like production coordination on TV and stuff, but I've always been a writer first and foremost. Like I've always been looking for a story to tell. I was always the kid in class who wanted to like jump up and do a presentation and talk about something.
Kelly Zemnickis: So it probably started long before it actually did, but I, um, I got into stand up, uh, when I was 37. And, um, I had been working in TV production and I was super burnt out and I did a total 180 and started waitressing. And, um, I was, I was really grateful for that job because that got me talking to people and finding my voice.
Kelly Zemnickis: And so I feel like when I was 37, that was sort of like the big shapeshifter, um, and, and doing what I do now of, of comedy and filmmaking and.
Mariam Sobh: Yeah, that is quite a shift to go from, like sort of a corporate job to just working with folks every day. Did you feel a shift in that? Like, did that feel different?
Kelly Zemnickis: Oh, absolutely. I had been, um, I'd been working on, uh, what became a very popular and I'm still friends with these guys, but I was working on Property Brothers, um, first season, which was such a circus. Cause we didn't know what was going to become of these two guys. Um, and, and I was, I was burnt out and I was stressed out and I was frustrated and not long after that show, the diner across the street from where I lived was looking for a waitress and they were like, you are here every single day. Do you want a job here? And I just took that as a beautiful door opened, exit sign, flashing up, like change your life. Um, and, but it was hard at first because I recognized a lot of people in the diner from shows that I worked on, who were there for lunch.
Kelly Zemnickis: And I felt a little like, oh God, you know, kind of like a turtle. Okay. Crawl into my shell. And then it was one day where one guy came in and he talked about how busy he was. And I was like, oh my gosh. The only thing I have to do is take home this sandwich. That's the only work I'm taking home with me and my, my shoulders kind of lifted.
Kelly Zemnickis: And that day sort of gave me this opportunity to like go into work each day and start collecting stories and start collecting little, you know, little bits for maybe a play cause I'm also a playwright.. Um, and, uh, it, it led to the standup comedy, which was a result of, um, a sad part of my life of losing someone I loved. Which was the gate, the door opening to do stand up.
Mariam Sobh: All of this stuff that you're saying, it really resonates just thinking about, um, you know, switching career paths or trying different things or finding that maybe the true passion is connecting with people and telling their stories. Maybe that's what it was all along. And you had to go through different things to get there.
Kelly Zemnickis: I've worn like a lot of different hats and some of those hats, I felt like were, you know, grown up, be a proper adult hat like get the big corporate job. I owned a house. Um, and I was, uh, you know, that was in my twenties. And it was like all the things that you are supposed to do after graduating from college.
Kelly Zemnickis: And then I basically went, see ya! Um, because I realized I wasn't happy, which I think was monumental. Um, That's a really big shift, because I think some people realize they're not doing exactly what they want to be doing, but they feel very stuck either, you know, uh, because they've got family to support or there's all these other things.
Kelly Zemnickis: And. I, I just, I feel like I was given a really big light bulb moment when I got that waitressing job, even though it took a bit to sort of figure it out. Because in TV I was, uh, I was a cog in the wheel, you know, I was doing the things. If I felt like if anybody noticed I was doing my job, then I was doing it wrong because I was anticipating your problems on a good day.
Kelly Zemnickis: I was making sure things were taken care of before they happened. And I kind of got very used to shutting up and forgetting that I had opinions.
Mariam Sobh: Yeah. Oh, that's such a good perspective. Um, yeah, I'm just, I, you know, I'm just thinking back to even my own experiences, not to be like, oh, this is about me. Um, because we're, we're talking about you today, but just the fact that sometimes you can get so, maybe wrapped up in the cycle and pattern of, of a workplace where maybe it kind of, I've heard people saying they're like dream killers, jobs are dream killers. Um, where maybe you're, you're a really creative person, but you just put that to the side.
Kelly Zemnickis: Yeah. And I had to, because I was feeling those instincts of, you know, working, especially I was working on a long running Canadian comedy show up here in Canada called Royal Canadian Air Farce, very respected and beloved show. I had been a fan of their radio show, um, before they got, uh, the TV thing. And, um, yeah, like I, I knew when I saw these scripts coming by I was like, oh, I think I've got an idea for something.
Kelly Zemnickis: And I would pipe up and some people would listen and other people would be like, you're adorable. Can you photocopy this? And, you know, sort of carry on my way. And it was on a major network. And with parents, immigrant parents to Canada, they were very proud that their daughter worked at this big TV station that they had known since they immigrated to Canada.
Kelly Zemnickis: So it was a lot of, it was a lot of pressure and they were not pleased when I left, because it was like, well, what did we tell people you do now?
Mariam Sobh: Yeah. Or what did we, what did we sacrifice everything to come here for?
Kelly Zemnickis: Exactly. Yeah, it was, um, it was a lot, but I was given a really big gift and I had the means of failing. You know, I had the opportunity to fail. Um, yeah. Which I'm grateful for.
Mariam Sobh: Did you ever imagine you to end up what you're doing? Uh, now?
Kelly Zemnickis: No, not, not in a billion years. I mean, when I think back to that Kelly who was working on Air Farce and photocopying the scripts, I had dreams of like, oh, it'd be great if maybe I produce my own show one day or, or I you know, with the plays I was writing, like maybe one of my plays would get, you know, a bit more traction. Um, but doing standup and eventually making the documentary. No, I, I, when I was like, I don't know about you, but like when I was a kid and I thought about when I got older, after 30, it was like blank., which kind of freaked me out.
Kelly Zemnickis: Cause I was like, am I going to be alive after 30? Is that why I can't see anything going forward? But I think it's because there's no way on earth I could have, um, I could have seen this coming, but you know, again, when I think back to being a kid and like sneaking to stay up late to watch SNL or Carson or Letterman, those signs were there, they were just they were never encouraged.
Mariam Sobh: Yeah. Yeah.
Kelly Zemnickis: You know?
Mariam Sobh: Yeah. I can totally get that. I think, um, there's these expectations maybe even societal, not necessarily just from our families, but societal expectations. Cause I think, you know, um, especially in media it feels like if you don't accomplish something by this age, you're just not part of the conversation anymore. Like you might as well go. I dunno wilt.
Kelly Zemnickis: Absolutely, Yeah yeah. There, there are certain things for sure. Cause like I've definitely come across a number of folks who are like, oh, I started doing this when I was 16 or, you know, I, I perform on shows with people who have just turned 20 and they've got credits far beyond what I have.
Kelly Zemnickis: Um, but I, you know, I kinda, I got to tip my cap to them because I didn't have the courage to do that when I was their age. Because I was doing a lot of things that people told me I should be doing. Um, you know, and, and yeah, I, I, you know, there's a, there's a bit of jealousy there too a little bit when I, when I really dive in and put on my therapist hat.
Kelly Zemnickis: But, um, but yeah, I, I didn't, I didn't know who I was at their age. It took a bit of time and I'm glad it did.
Mariam Sobh: Let's talk about the documentary. What was that journey like, taking an idea and then having it actually manifest into something that you could share with others?
Kelly Zemnickis: Oh my gosh. So my journey of doing the documentary No Responders Left Behind, and stand up are totally in sync. Which is wild. Um, but the, um, this, , the documentary, I I've always been a fan of The Daily Show and I do credit a great deal to John Stewart's advocacy of how 9/11 first responders were not being treated properly. Um, because it wasn't on the news here in Canada. I really didn't have a clue about what was going on. And in December of 2015, he went back to The Daily Show.. Uh, I don't know how many shows in Trevor Noah was, but it was a big deal that he was going back. And I, I turned in, I tuned in rather, uh, to see what was going on. And he ended up reconstituting this panel that he had had about five years earlier with these 9/11 first responders.
Kelly Zemnickis: But on that show, the chairs were empty because someone had either passed away or they were too sick to be there. And he was just with this one first responder, Kenny Specht and I was watching it just in tears, like. Just bawling my eyes out. And he was like tweet with this hashtag first responder. Uh, and I tweeted and I was like, as a Canadian, I can't really do anything, but you guys should pass this bill.
Kelly Zemnickis: Um, which in hindsight is kind of funny because of what I ended up doing. Um, but, uh, but yeah, I tweeted that and then a first responder replied to me and I just went, oh my God. And I wrote him and I was like, what can I do to help you guys? I don't know where that came from. That was again, another gift of just being open and hearing my, you know, hearing that inner dialogue of like trust you're gut.
Kelly Zemnickis: Um, and we had this conversation and he introduced me to this man named John Feal who ended up being the subject of the doc. And I think a week after my talking to John Feal, I did my very first standup set. So 2016, I think was the year. My life just changed completely.
Mariam Sobh: That's a, that's amazing though, just to hear that, that just the trajectory and then like stand up and this documentary.
Kelly Zemnickis: Yeah. Yeah. It was wild because I did my first set and I was so excited. Um, you know, I did to comedy for the first time and I was thrilled. And then these conversations with John Feal kept flowing and then, um, Uh, losing my first love James to cancer. Uh, about three weeks before we started filming the doc and, and then meeting all these people who their lives had changed because of cancer and 9/11.
Kelly Zemnickis: It w it was, it was a perfect storm really. There was so much happening in my life and all these, you know, all these stories going on around me. Um, yeah, that was a, that was pretty big year for me.
Mariam Sobh: Yeah. That sounds like a lot. I mean, I mean, how did you handle, if you don't mind my asking like the grieving process while also, you know, it's sort of a similar subject matter with the documentary?
Kelly Zemnickis: It was, it was a lot, there were a lot of conversations, um, with, with friends, uh, that, uh, It's funny to say now, but that I, that virtually in a workout, uh, in a, in a workout club, uh, that was set up by this guy Cody Sattler from The Bachelor, long other story, another podcast. But I had met these, these incredible people in this workout thing.
Kelly Zemnickis: And, um, they were amazing support systems to me. There were a lot of like online conversations that were really, really healing. And, you know, talking, especially to one of our crew members, uh, Jamie Sanchez, who to be completely honest is an ex-boyfriend of mine, but he was there on the project and it was, it was, you know, just talking to him and being like, what am I doing?
Kelly Zemnickis: Do I know what I'm doing? And he was. He was very encouraging as were, as were those online friendships, which is kind of funny how we met.
Mariam Sobh: Yeah. Isn't it such a, such a bizarre thing. When you look back, it's like, if the, if the lockdown hadn't happened and there wasn't the zoom comedy scene, I don't know that we would've met. And then it turns out like we have people we know in common,
Kelly Zemnickis: Right yeah. It's, it's wild. When you sort of, you know, you, you. You pulled the curtain back and you see how all these things are connected. Um, it's, it's pretty, it's pretty interesting that my life got richer, um, because of this incredibly horrific thing that we've experienced.
Kelly Zemnickis: Um, but I always kind of try to find, you know, like Monte Python saying that the bright side of life. What can you find in the darkness, that is a good thing about what's happening. It's a really hard task some days. Um, but I think if you're able to find some of those little gemstones, your, your life gets incredibly rare.
Mariam Sobh: Absolutely. And I, and I appreciate you and your, your positivity and all of that. I feel like whenever I talk to you, just like my day, is that much better.
Kelly Zemnickis: Oh my gosh. My therapist would be so grateful. Cause he's always asking me, he's like, why do you, why do you start your social? Because everyday on social media, uh, especially on Facebook, um, which is such a dark weird place sometimes. Um, I start with something light and bright and my therapist is like, why are you doing that? I'm like, well, it's for these other people. And he's like, really? I'm like, no, it's for me it's really for me, you know, cause as I, I, I definitely have a sunny disposition and an attitude of like, anything is possible.
Kelly Zemnickis: Cause it's tattooed on my arm. But I've got a lot of self doubt too. And I think there's a lot of days where I'm having to like, okay, I think I can. I think I can, you know, just for myself. Yeah.
Mariam Sobh: I think that's part of the creative process or folks that are in, in creative fields. I think maybe that's something we don't talk about a lot. There is a lot of self-doubt, but on the outside everyone's like, wow, that's amazing. You're doing great. And like, no, inside this was the worst thing ever.
Kelly Zemnickis: I remember hearing, I think it was a conversation with Nicole Kidman, um, who, who talked about just the heavy self-doubt before a project and like, did you guys call the right person?
Kelly Zemnickis: You know, and, and again, you know, as you just say from the outside I'm like, you're Nicole Kidman, but, but I can relate to that so hard. Um, which, you know, is, is perplexing to, to certain people in my life. And maybe they're very tired of my going, am I okay? Um, but yeah, it's, I, I don't know. I think it kind of keeps you honest in a way that you sort of make sure you're, you're doing the right thing and you're, you know, I don't have kids, but I regard my work and my plays and my film is as my children.
Kelly Zemnickis: And I'm like, I just want to make sure I'm leaving good stuff when I'm not here anymore, you know, so yeah.
Mariam Sobh: Well you also produce and host, It'll Be Fine.. A baking show, um, that I was excited to be a part of when we baked together via zoom. Uh, what inspired you to make that series? Did that happen before the pandemic or was it something you started during the.
Kelly Zemnickis: It was, again, this is such a funny, like blending of, of life, uh, then and now. Um, but it'll be fine. Uh, began when I had two friends, uh, uh, Lisa and Janice come over to my apartment to, uh, bake a cake. Lisa had been, I think there was something with Lisa, so she was like not feeling in the best of spirits and I was like, I don't know you that well, but come on over and let's bake something and, um, I invited Janice too.
Kelly Zemnickis: And I, we were trying to make a cake that did not turn out as most things, when you open up a cookbook and then you make it, you're like, this looks nothing like this picture. Um, and I kept muttering "it'll be fine" during that afternoon.
Kelly Zemnickis: And then I was like, you know what, that'd be a really good name for a baking show. If I ever were to have a baking show. Um, and not too long after, a couple of Toronto comics put out this post, and this was August of 2019, August, September, 2019. And they put out a post saying, Hey, we're doing this virtual 24 hour comedy thing who wants to come and do stand up on the computer? And I kid you not, my first thought was why on earth would I do stand up on my computer? Very ironic, but I messaged them and I was like, Hey, if you're taking sketches, could I pitch a baking show? And so Janice ended up being on it with me and we had an hour time slot. We baked an apple pie and, um, I had so much fun.
Kelly Zemnickis: I was like, you know what? I think I'm going to do another one of these. And it just was a very slow start. But once the pandemic began and Toronto went into lockdown, I think I had done about 12 or 13 episodes. Um, and I've just now aired episode 229.
Mariam Sobh: What are your plans looking forward to the future? Um, are there any sort of, I don't know, bucket list items you're hoping to cross off your list?
Kelly Zemnickis: Well, the first thing, um, Is the fact that I get to record my comedy album.
Mariam Sobh: Oh, nice wohoo!
Kelly Zemnickis: Yeah. So that's going to happen in June, uh, June 25th here in Toronto. Um, with that just the sublime Howl and Roar records. Uh, they're a great Canadian record label and, uh, I'm doing this alongside Deseree Walsh. Uh, another Toronto comedian.
Kelly Zemnickis: Um, we had recorded. Uh, an album on zoom last year, uh, which was just such a great fun project to do. And, um, but audio quality wise, it's not really good enough to release to the masses and we just got this opportunity to do it proper. So that's a huge bucket list item that, another thing that I didn't really see coming at all, um, and the whole online adventure.
Kelly Zemnickis: Uh, has resulted in my, uh, working on my directorial debut as a documentary filmmaker, which is great. Um, because I had, you know, thought at one point in my life I would direct music videos. And then when I got to college, I was like, I'm a terrible director. Um, but you know what, I'm just going to take the plunge and do it myself and see and see what happens there.
Kelly Zemnickis: And, um, You know, bucket list things. Now we're like do shows in Europe and do shows in, in Asia because I've made these wonderful connections, uh, through the virtual comedy scene that I'd love to go there, you know, and do shows in person. So, yeah, it's kind of like this, this whole new world. I got an idea for maybe a novel, you know, um, I'd love to write on the show, like, you know, the tonight show or Saturday night live.
Kelly Zemnickis: I'm dreaming now in ways that I didn't envision as a 20 year old and as a woman now kind of going more towards 50 I'm like, everything's possible, I've got that same childhood enthusiasm, you know? Um, but it's, it's just taken a whole nother direction as I've gotten older.
Mariam Sobh: Well, before we let you go, what would you say to folks who, you know, I mean, maybe they're listening and their like I don't know what she's talking about with self doubt. Sounds like she's got it all figured out. Um, you know, what, what is the, I don't know, the first step someone should take, um, to, to pursue what they want, whether it's arts or something else?
Kelly Zemnickis: Uh, it is something I've taped to my mirror that I look at every day, which is just do the thing, like whatever that is for you, go do it.
Kelly Zemnickis: You know, find, find a moment in your day. Um, and I'm getting like teary, which is silly, but, um, but it's really big. It's really big. Just, just go do it, stop talking about it. Go try it. If it doesn't work, you tried it.
Mariam Sobh: News with a bite is written and hosted by me Mariam Sobh. It's produced by Todd Manley of Ear Sight Studios.. If you'd like to catch all episodes, make sure to add this show to your list, wherever you get your podcasts.