Margy Rochlin
Appearances
This American Life
699: Fiasco!
In this little bit that she does on the song, she's using a lot of this language that, you know, sort of vowel speak that no one had ever heard before. And it was considered really exotic. And so I was from the Valley, so I was sent to go talk to her.
This American Life
699: Fiasco!
Exactly. And of course, what is so touching to me is that I totally bought that. You're right. I'm the right person for the job. I'm going to go speak to her in the Valley language and we will bond.
This American Life
699: Fiasco!
Well, what I noticed was that it was a tense situation. I just didn't feel like it was going very well. And the mother was sort of hovering.
This American Life
699: Fiasco!
Yes. What are some other hangouts in the Valley besides the Galleria? Boeing alleys with big arcades are very popular. Oh, I'm trying. At this point, I'm sort of at that rock-bottom level that everyone can get at in an interview where you're just saying, you know, like, what's your favorite color? And she's trying to help me along. Kirkwood's is gone. It's now the Sports Center.
This American Life
699: Fiasco!
Oh, it's the same thing? Yeah, it's still very popular. So we're seated in the den, and the mother made me coffee. But I was too nervous to drink it. But I sort of kept staring at it and she kept staring at it. And I felt like it was pretty important that at some point I better drain that coffee cup. And so what happened was Moon told me a joke. And I didn't
This American Life
699: Fiasco!
And I was really embarrassed, but simultaneously, I couldn't breathe. At the same time, I was choking. And I jumped up, and I sort of started running around the room, knocking things over. And I don't think they, I think that they didn't know what was going on, but the mother began chasing me. She began chasing you.
This American Life
699: Fiasco!
She began chasing me because she could, you know, I was sort of running from corner to corner trying to catch my breath. And she began sort of chasing me. And at a certain point, she got behind me and she gave me the Heimlich maneuver.
This American Life
699: Fiasco!
Well, I always say that it's a benchmark. It's a very low benchmark. And I can do any interview. I can get thrown off a set. I can be cursed out by the subject, but I can leave and get in the car and I can drive home and think, you know, I didn't blow coffee out my nose.
This American Life
699: Fiasco!
it was sort of like we'd all been in an earthquake together. And all of the nervousness left the room and suddenly we were three gals just chatting. And I remember I sort of like hugged them both when I left. They were now my friends.
This American Life
699: Fiasco!
Yeah. No, it was really – and I have to say that, you know, it was a very embarrassing experience and it completely made me feel close to them. Yeah. It was so interesting when Moon's father died a while ago, I bumped into her somewhere and we both burst into tears. I mean, I really felt like a little sister of mine had a loss. The starting point was, you know.
This American Life
699: Fiasco!
Right. You know, it was actually this huge success to me. I'd never been sent out, you know, under these kind of circumstances before. And I remember we beat the local paper. The Herald Examiner followed us a week later. And so we had the first story, and it was sort of considered the definitive one because we had this glossary of terms that I had made or put together.
This American Life
699: Fiasco!
Exactly. It's a technique I don't suggest anyone try. For years afterwards, Moon would send me postcards. And on the postcard somewhere would be a picture of a nose and there would be liquid coming out of it. Sort of like my logo.