The ‘Raised by TV’ co-host gets nostalgic -- which, you know, is what her podcast is all about.
It’s hard to find a ‘90s kid who doesn’t love talking about the decade -- and that includes Lauren Lapkus.
The 32-year-old comedian is already a podcast veteran, hosting the hit show With Special Guest Lauren Lapkus, but that didn’t stop her from launching yet another podcast with fellow improver Jon Gabrus. Launched in November, Raised by TV features the hilarious duo going deep into nostalgia, reminiscing about their memories of TV shows, snacks, commercials and general pop culture of the ‘80s and ‘90s.
Though she’s a comedy force to be reckoned with on her own, teaming up with Gabrus is really a perfect fit. The pairing came about after Lapkus appeared on an episode of Gabrus’ podcast, High and Mighty, where guests go in-depth about a topic of their choice.
“I chose ‘80s and ‘90s TV, because I felt like I had a deep well of memories from that time. The second we started recording, we were having such a great time and it felt like we could’ve kept going for hours and hours,” she told ET. “We figured we might as well do just that, if only to entertain ourselves! He’s such a great co-host for me because he’s equally excited about all this silly stuff. He watched way too much TV as a kid, just like me, and, to top it off, he’s hilarious. He really makes me laugh.”
Those must-watch shows included Golden Girls, My So-Called Life, Wonder Years and Roseanne, as well as Full House and Saved by the Bell, which she admits she’ll watch “at any moment.” “I just re-watched both of those series in their entirety, including College Years. That was before this podcast even existed, so thank God those many, many hours of unnecessary viewing served a purpose.”
Though she admits that most people probably feel some type of deep connection to the shows they watched in whatever decade they grew up in, for Lapkus, it’s all about just being innocent and young again. “Thinking about these TV shows and toys and gross, artificial foods makes me think about being a little kid, escaping from my zero responsibilities into the television,” she admits. “It all played a part in shaping my personality, and these references burrowed deeply into the wrinkles of my then-unformed brain.”
There were five stars that really made an impact on a young Lapkus -- here’s who she totally wanted to be in those cowabunga years:
Saved By the Bell's Kelly Kapowski
"I'd be insane if I left Kelly Kapowksi off my list. She’s a trained lifeguard in a lip-syncing girl band with Little Mermaid bangs!"
Full House's Michelle Tanner
"Michelle's the baby, so she gets all of the attention from day one. She has a great home life, with six or seven older people constantly trying to teach her every life lesson they can. And when she gets tired, her secret twin can take over for her!"
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s Vivian Banks (The First One!)
"Aunt Viv is strong, funny as hell, and rich. She’s also a UCLA professor and an incredible dancer. I can only imagine her life soared to new heights when Aunt Viv No. 2 took over."
The Golden Girls' Dorothy Zbornak
"Dorothy is one of the funniest characters ever -- and she has the bite marks in her knuckles to prove it. She always has a zinger but is ready to comfort you with a piece of cheesecake at the end of a long day."
Space Jam's Lola Bunny
"I would be absolutely thrilled to be a hot-ass, basketball-playing bunny."
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