SmartLess

Re Release Jenny Slate

November 13, 2025

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • Jenny Slate is currently living in a supply closet in a small town in Massachusetts, where her husband owns the general store, due to poor Wi-Fi connectivity. 
  • Slate shared a harrowing story about accidentally taking 120 times the recommended dose of a THC tincture, which led her to believe she almost died and caused her to quit using cannabis. 
  • The creation of Marcel the Shell with Shoes On involved an improvised audio play recorded in a cramped hotel room, followed by seven years of stop-motion animation production. 

Segments

Opening Banter and Workout Talk
Copied to clipboard!
(00:01:04)
  • Key Takeaway: One host humorously exaggerates the effects of a recent workout, claiming extreme muscle pump.
  • Summary: A host opened the segment by describing feeling like they had a massive workout, noting their thighs and everything else felt pumped up. This feeling was immediately undercut by the admission that they never actually worked out. The segment quickly transitioned into the official welcome for the podcast, SmartLess.
Voyager and MRI Results
Copied to clipboard!
(00:01:46)
  • Key Takeaway: A host mentioned recent news about the Voyager probe experiencing communication issues 15 billion miles away.
  • Summary: One host brought up a news item concerning the Voyager spacecraft, which is 15 billion miles away, reporting that they are receiving incorrect information. This was quickly followed by another host stating they had received their MRI results for their neck, which was deemed a better story to discuss.
Haircut and Salon Kindness
Copied to clipboard!
(00:02:33)
  • Key Takeaway: Jenny Slate received a surprise bag of chocolates from her hairstylist, Chris McMillan, after asking for a snack.
  • Summary: Jenny Slate detailed getting a new short haircut and color. When she asked her stylist, Chris McMillan, for a piece of candy, he offered a peanut butter sandwich, which she declined. Instead, McMillan sent someone out to get her a bag of chocolates, which Slate found to be a very nice gesture.
Introduction of Jenny Slate
Copied to clipboard!
(00:04:35)
  • Key Takeaway: Jenny Slate is introduced as a talented, kind, and funny guest known for her work in film and voice acting, including Marcel The Shell with Shoes On.
  • Summary: The hosts introduced Jenny Slate, highlighting her work on Q-Force and praising her as an epitome of a workaholic. Her academic background, graduating valedictorian from Milton Academy before Columbia, was noted alongside her starring roles in films like Obvious Child and Gifted. She was specifically celebrated for voicing Marcel in Marcel The Shell with Shoes On.
Guest’s Supply Closet Location
Copied to clipboard!
(00:05:52)
  • Key Takeaway: Jenny Slate is recording the podcast from a supply closet because the Wi-Fi at her home in Massachusetts is unreliable, especially when it rains.
  • Summary: Slate revealed she was recording from a supply closet, which appeared to have a toilet underneath her. She explained she lives on a peninsula in Massachusetts where the internet connection, installed in the late 90s, becomes very bad when it rains. She was using the Wi-Fi at the general store owned by her husband to connect to the podcast.
Massachusetts Life and Meeting Husband
Copied to clipboard!
(00:08:40)
  • Key Takeaway: Slate met her husband in Arctic Norway while she was there making a movie, and they now live in Massachusetts where he owns a general store.
  • Summary: Slate confirmed she is from Milton, Massachusetts, which surprised one host. She revealed she met her husband in Arctic Norway while filming a movie; he was invited to visit her there. They now live in Massachusetts, though they still maintain a house in LA.
Childhood Messiness and OCD Tendencies
Copied to clipboard!
(00:13:30)
  • Key Takeaway: Slate attributes her need for tidiness to having a messy childhood, contrasting it with the orderliness of her grandmothers’ homes.
  • Summary: The conversation turned to Slate’s reported OCD tendencies, which she linked to a messy childhood environment. She clarified that for her, untidiness equates to an unsettled mind, citing annoyance over things like open cabinets or ajar dishwashers. One host shared a severe disciplinary story from his all-boys boarding school where his belongings were dumped six miles away for not cleaning his room.
Voice Acting Appeal and Marcel Origin
Copied to clipboard!
(00:23:17)
  • Key Takeaway: Slate finds voice acting creatively challenging yet easy, and Marcel the Shell originated from her ribbing friends in a cramped hotel room.
  • Summary: Slate expressed that voice acting is one of the most fun jobs, balancing creative challenge with ease, especially since she can record in pajamas. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On began when she used the voice to tease friends while sharing a cramped hotel room. Her partner then filmed an interview with her using that voice, leading to the creation of the character’s body and the first video.
Marcel Movie Production Details
Copied to clipboard!
(00:43:37)
  • Key Takeaway: The Marcel The Shell with Shoes On movie took seven years to make, utilizing an improvised audio script developed from recorded improvisations.
  • Summary: The film took seven years to complete because it is stop-motion animation, funded by arts grants which allowed for total creative freedom. The script was developed by culling through audio recordings of improvised dialogue between Slate (Marcel), Dean Fleischer-Kamp, and Isabella Rossellini (Grandmother). The live-action elements were filmed first, followed by the stop-motion animation.
Stand-Up Fear and Motivation
Copied to clipboard!
(00:35:41)
  • Key Takeaway: Slate’s primary fear in stand-up comedy is that the audience will dislike her, but she is motivated by the adrenaline of potentially mastering chaos on stage.
  • Summary: Referencing her special Stage Fright, Slate admitted her fear is that people won’t like her, feeling exposed and out of control on stage. She contrasted this with the potential reward of being seen as a master of chaos if she succeeds. She mentioned she tries to perform stand-up twice a week in LA to develop new material for a future special.
Sponsor Reads and Outro
Copied to clipboard!
(00:16:53)
  • Key Takeaway: Sponsors included Alexa Plus, GoodRX for cold/flu savings, Macy’s Fall Fashion Guide, Jolie Filtered Shower Head, Doritos Golden Sriracha, and Whole Foods Market for Thanksgiving needs.
  • Summary: The podcast featured several ad reads covering technology (Alexa Plus), prescription savings (GoodRX), fashion (Macy’s), personal care (Jolie shower heads), snacks (Doritos), and holiday groceries (Whole Foods Market). The episode concluded with final thanks to Jenny Slate and host banter.