Mary Adams, with the nine and a half fingers.

August 5, 2010 6:48 PM

Amy Sedaris has appeared as a frequent guest on Letterman (David Letterman's late night talk show in the US), usually delivering rapid-fire improvisation to a bemused Dave and Paul under the guise of an interview. With the magic of the internet, some of these videos are now on YouTube.

You may know Amy Sedaris from Strangers with Candy (all the episodes for people in the United States) or I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence.

More interviews:

• January 14, 2005
• April 27, 2005, part two
• January 6, 2006 (linked above), part two
• October 6, 2006 (linked above), part two
• June 7, 2007, part two
• August 31, 2007
• February 20, 2008, part two
• August 29, 2008, part two
• May 21, 2009, part two

She gave a tour of her neighborhood, which is only a little seedy, in 2004.

posted by shadytrees (34 comments total)

One of my favorite Letterman guests. She can fluster him like nobody's business. I really believe he has the hots for her.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 6:55 PM on August 5, 2010

My favorite Amy Sedaris anecdote from her brother's books is when she was going to be featured in a magazine article called something like "The Most Beautiful Women of New York" or something.

She asked the makeup artist to "make it look like someone beat the shit out of me," and the makeup artist complied. Then, after the shoot, she trolled supermarkets and when anyone would look at her with concern she would say something to them like, "Can you believe it? I finally met the guy for me. I'm so happy!"
posted by mreleganza at 7:00 PM on August 5, 2010 [7 favorites]

I love Amy Sedaris. I watch her Letterman appearances on YouTube on a regular basis. Her dresses slay me. I particularly enjoy the story David tells about her wearing the fatty suit and driving their father over the edge.
posted by wv kay in ga at 7:04 PM on August 5, 2010

mreleganza - a close second would be shouting, "Bye, David! Good luck beating that rape charge!" as she exited a crowded El train in Chicago, leaving her brother behind to a carful of hateful glares.
posted by contessa at 7:05 PM on August 5, 2010 [2 favorites]

Her best bit was when she was on Martha Stewart's show. I love Amy Sedaris.
posted by ColdChef at 7:05 PM on August 5, 2010 [2 favorites]

I saw her on Glenn Beck, promoting her book, it was surreal.
posted by dipolemoment at 7:15 PM on August 5, 2010 [2 favorites]

God. She is just the cutest person in the world.
posted by ColdChef at 7:17 PM on August 5, 2010 [3 favorites]

She's a hoot and a holler.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 7:26 PM on August 5, 2010

She was on Glenn Beck?? Oh, I have to see that.
posted by wv kay in ga at 7:28 PM on August 5, 2010 [2 favorites]

She's also a jewish Betty Draper.
posted by i less than three nsima at 8:00 PM on August 5, 2010 [2 favorites]

You should see that hospitality book of hers. I checked it out of the library about a month ago. It's pretty dang wild.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 8:00 PM on August 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

She's one of the best people in the world.
posted by moxiedoll at 8:01 PM on August 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

She was on Glenn Beck?? Oh, I have to see that.

I can't find a video, but I found a transcript from Glenn Beck's show on CNN from November 2006 here. The segment with Amy is about 3/4 of the way down the page.
posted by marsha56 at 8:07 PM on August 5, 2010 [2 favorites]

I saw her on Glenn Beck, promoting her book, it was surreal.

You were watching Glenn Beck??
posted by i_have_a_computer at 9:08 PM on August 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

Out of her ever-loving mind, ain't she?
posted by Gilbert at 9:18 PM on August 5, 2010

"Dusty's Cupcakes-hold please!"

My favorite Amy Sedaris ANYTHING.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 9:27 PM on August 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

Wow. She is completely out of her mind. Thanks for this.
posted by Gilbert at 9:56 PM on August 5, 2010

I can't find very many Martha Stewart Clips, but they are amazing!

"Oh, you're one of those people"
Homekeeping test
Cheeseballs (Part 2)
posted by yellowbinder at 9:57 PM on August 5, 2010 [3 favorites]

I love her hospitality book, but I wouldn't recommend following the recipes. Colbert's shrimp spread was bullshit.
posted by queensissy at 9:57 PM on August 5, 2010

Strangers with Candy was such a wonderful bit of work. I had no idea anyone could hold their face like that for so long. Her unfortunately small role in Jennifer's Body still had her touch to it.

My dream Sedaris date is to take her to a coffee shop and to sit there, buying her caffeine and sugar as she becomes steadily more wound up. Such a crush I have.
posted by adipocere at 10:01 PM on August 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

Wonderful.
posted by unknowncommand at 10:39 PM on August 5, 2010

If you get the chance to catch an episode of Strangers With Candy, do so. It's pretty weird, dark, and hilarious.
posted by Xoebe at 11:02 PM on August 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

Remember Exit 57? Lots of classic sketches, like this one featuring Amy Sedaris and Stephen Colbert.
posted by bonefish at 12:08 AM on August 6, 2010

I can't find very many Martha Stewart Clips, but they are amazing!

Ha, hysterical! They should have a show together.

And wow, she is either extremely tiny or Martha is a freakin' giant!
posted by cottonswab at 4:24 AM on August 6, 2010

Amy Sedaris was booked on Late Night with Conan O'Brian in the early 2000s on the same show that Martha Stewart was booked on. She showed them how to make prison-style grilled cheese sandwiches (with an iron). It was HILARIOUS, and strangely useful for Martha's later life. NBC seems to have pulled most of the clips from the web, I'm sorry to say.

Sedaris has a new book ("Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People") coming out this fall, too.
posted by julen at 4:55 AM on August 6, 2010 [1 favorite]

Animals love snacks!
posted by orme at 8:11 AM on August 6, 2010 [1 favorite]

OMG that Martha Steward appearance is a thing of beauty, the swipes, the passive-aggression, Martha trying to kill Amy WITH HER VERY MIND oh god it is wonderful.
posted by The Whelk at 8:26 AM on August 6, 2010

David finds guests who just work, oddballs who I really couldn't see making the cut on Conan or Leno. People who are genuinely funny and interesting without having to work at it. Harvey Pekar and Harmony Korine come to mind, and the show where Letterman uses Harvey to harass the "Live at Five" cast is awesome.
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:47 AM on August 6, 2010 [1 favorite]

I've been going through a recent "watching vintage letterman clips on youtube" phase.

I think Dave's written bits are just awful, but then I think the premise of writing a fresh series of jokes five nights a week is pretty much doomed, no matter who is on your writing staff. But when a guest forces Dave to improvise, I love him.

Ted Koppel: "Do you mind if I insert something here?"
Dave: "As long as it's not a cucumber."
posted by neuromodulator at 10:30 AM on August 6, 2010

julen wrote: "Amy Sedaris was booked on Late Night with Conan O'Brian in the early 2000s on the same show that Martha Stewart was booked on. "

That clip and a bunch more from Conan were tacked onto a DVD boot of Strangers with Candy (well before the real DVDs came out). Those clips became the highlight of many drunken get togethers at my apartment. The best are her raunchy skits as "Piglet." I love this woman.

There was also a DVD (I think it was a lot longer than the clips on youtube) of an after school special featuring former drug addict Florence "Florrie" Fisher, the inspiration for Jerri Blank. Good times.
posted by ajourneyroundmyskull at 12:42 PM on August 6, 2010

The Florrie Fisher special is included on one of the DVD sets (I would guess the first one). A surprisingly large portion of Jerri's dialogue in the first season is lifted almost verbatim.
posted by yellowbinder at 1:06 PM on August 6, 2010

Then, after the shoot, she trolled supermarkets and when anyone would look at her with concern she would say something to them like, "Can you believe it? I finally met the guy for me. I'm so happy!"

Something more like this:

In a "Shiner Like a Diamond," Sedaris' essay about his sister, father Lou exhibits his one normal desire. He wants Amy to look pretty for a photo shoot a magazine is doing on interesting young women from New York. He desperately wants her to settle down and get married, and figures a nice picture will get her a few dates.

When it was her turn at the styling table, Amy said, “I want to look like someone has beaten the shit out of me.” The makeup artist did a fine job... Amy adored both the new look and the new person it allowed her to be. Following the photo shoot, she wore her bruises to the dry cleaner and the grocery store. Most people nervously looked away, but on the rare occasions someone would ask what happened, my sister would smile as brightly as possible, saying, "I'm in love. Can you believe it? I'm finally, totally in love, and I feel great ."

posted by y2karl at 1:32 PM on August 6, 2010

Something more like this:

So basically something relatively close to what he said, yeah?
posted by QuarterlyProphet at 2:21 PM on August 6, 2010

So basically something relatively close to what he said, yeah?

Well, no.

For sure, Can you believe it ? appears in both accounts.

With I'm so happy vs. and I feel great -- relatively close, maybe.

But, as for I finally met the guy for me. vs. I'm in love.. I'm totally in love... - not relatively close at all.

No guy, girl, other person or gender thereof and no meeting mentioned in the actual quote

And I'm in love... I'm totally in love packs a hella lot more punch than I finally met the guy...
Enough to make it worth mentioning. But YMMV, etc.
posted by y2karl at 5:29 PM on August 6, 2010