Neil Drumming
Appearances
This American Life
638: Rom-Com
In a bonus episode just for our This American Life partners... Ladies and gentlemen, Ira Glass! We found a recording of Ira's first and only stand-up comedy set.
This American Life
638: Rom-Com
To hear the whole thing and all the other bonus episodes we've been releasing every two weeks, and more than anything, help us continue to make the show, subscribe at thisamericanlife.org. That link is also in the show notes.
This American Life
638: Rom-Com
The thought that someone actually made one of these runs in real life seemed so unlikely to me that I wanted to see where it had happened, retrace the steps of it. So I met Steve where the run began, at this burger place on Ludlow Street in New York City. Steve is the kind of guy who is not very good at hiding his feelings. Like, if this were a movie, you could title it Say Everything.
This American Life
638: Rom-Com
The setup to the run is this. He'd met this woman, Emily, at a birthday party. He was totally smitten.
This American Life
638: Rom-Com
He kept asking her, you want to go to a movie? Maybe we could hang out sometime.
This American Life
638: Rom-Com
A year passes. And just like in When Harry Met Sally, they meet a second time. In Steve and Emily's case, it's at the very same birthday party. Same apartment. And they become friends. It was the kind of friendship where, really, it could go either way. She seemed kind of interested in something more, but maybe not enough.
This American Life
638: Rom-Com
And the longer they were friends, it was like, well, maybe that's what they were. Steve had a job as a film critic. So they would go to movies, lots of movies, where they would not hold hands and not kiss.
This American Life
638: Rom-Com
The run happened on a night where they were not going to hang out. Steve thinks he was working on a review of some mutant Ninja Turtle movie. And after work, he goes out with some friends to a music place.
This American Life
638: Rom-Com
The place we are sitting in right now. Greasy spoon, tiled white walls, and painted brick. It's like a piece of a subway station that's somehow above ground.
This American Life
638: Rom-Com
In just two hours, it looked like she'd gone through all these phases. Everything laid out in all these texts. Ending with one that Steve was not expecting.
This American Life
638: Rom-Com
We are now jogging up Ludlow Street. It's actually kind of exciting.
This American Life
638: Rom-Com
But taxi after taxi is like, no, there's someone in it. So he keeps running.
This American Life
638: Rom-Com
In the movies they run, but usually it's because someone's about to get married or about to get on a plane, like...
This American Life
638: Rom-Com
Steve told me he'd been living in the friend universe for so long. And now it was like this little wormhole had opened up. He didn't know for how long, where he might be able to slip into the parallel universe of boyfriend. Steve did eventually get a taxi, made it to her apartment, and he stayed over. And they did become boyfriend and girlfriend. In the movies, this is often the final scene.
This American Life
638: Rom-Com
The end of the movie is the beginning of the relationship. You don't really get to see how it goes. How he gets too clingy. One of them meets someone else. How it just fades. But that is not this story.
This American Life
638: Rom-Com
I know things don't always work out in the end. But sometimes you just want to hear the ones that do.
This American Life
638: Rom-Com
Promotion for This American Life comes from Radiotopia and Defector's Normal Gossip, named one of the best podcasts of 2024 by Time magazine. Join new host Rachel Hampton as she shares the juiciest gossip from the real world. Each episode, she's joined by a special guest. Past guests include author Samantha Irby, TV personality Gabby Windy, and chef Samin Nosrat.
This American Life
638: Rom-Com
A quick warning. There are curse words that are unbeaped in today's episode of the show. If you prefer a beeped version, you can find that at our website, thisamericanlife.org.