WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.980 Welcome to the Deep Dive. Today we're doing something 00:00:02.980 --> 00:00:05.879 a bit different. We're taking just one really 00:00:05.879 --> 00:00:08.759 comprehensive source document. Just one source. 00:00:09.039 --> 00:00:11.980 Exactly. And using it to unpack the career of 00:00:11.980 --> 00:00:15.519 an American creative. And honestly, her path 00:00:15.519 --> 00:00:18.500 is less a straight line, more like a series of, 00:00:18.519 --> 00:00:21.440 I don't know, artistic explosions. That's a good 00:00:21.440 --> 00:00:24.079 way to put it. Detonations, maybe. We're looking 00:00:24.079 --> 00:00:25.960 at how someone moves, and pretty successfully 00:00:25.960 --> 00:00:28.899 too, from something as raw as blue comedy. Right, 00:00:28.960 --> 00:00:31.379 really out there stuff. To the, well, the very 00:00:31.379 --> 00:00:33.280 refined world of award -winning international 00:00:33.280 --> 00:00:36.240 photojournalism. It's quite a jump. It really 00:00:36.240 --> 00:00:39.719 is. So our mission today, using this single source, 00:00:39.880 --> 00:00:42.240 is to trace that evolution. We're talking about 00:00:42.240 --> 00:00:45.380 Felicia Michaels, born 1963. Known as a stand 00:00:45.380 --> 00:00:46.960 -up, absolutely. I know, for sure. Primarily 00:00:46.960 --> 00:00:48.719 known that way. But the source makes it clear 00:00:48.719 --> 00:00:50.939 she's way more than that. TV personality, filmmaker, 00:00:51.299 --> 00:00:53.429 and this is the kicker, a global... recognized 00:00:53.429 --> 00:00:56.369 fine art photographer. Yeah. And that's the core 00:00:56.369 --> 00:00:58.509 of it, isn't it? That fluidity. How does someone 00:00:58.509 --> 00:01:01.289 pivot so intentionally? How do those skills, 00:01:01.329 --> 00:01:04.890 like Keem observation, which you need for comedy, 00:01:04.969 --> 00:01:08.129 how do they transfer? And the source we have 00:01:08.129 --> 00:01:10.170 is fantastic for this. It gives us all these 00:01:10.170 --> 00:01:13.170 details, you know, from growing up as a military 00:01:13.170 --> 00:01:15.790 kid. All that moving around. To winning Star 00:01:15.790 --> 00:01:19.489 Search, which was huge back then. Massive platform. 00:01:19.549 --> 00:01:22.299 So this isn't just a list of jobs. It feels more 00:01:22.299 --> 00:01:25.280 like a blueprint for how you can maybe control 00:01:25.280 --> 00:01:27.920 your own image across completely different creative 00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:30.879 fields. And that duality is the central question, 00:01:30.959 --> 00:01:33.379 I think. How do you go from being the sensual 00:01:33.379 --> 00:01:37.019 feminist on stage, which is all about being provocative, 00:01:37.260 --> 00:01:40.099 immediate, spoken. Right. Connecting with a live 00:01:40.099 --> 00:01:42.719 audience. To winning gold in photojournalism 00:01:42.719 --> 00:01:45.579 in Paris, where the connection is, well, silent, 00:01:45.700 --> 00:01:50.420 visual, documented. That shift. It's just phenomenal. 00:01:50.579 --> 00:01:53.060 It suggests this deep understanding of people, 00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:55.659 of vulnerability, no matter the medium. Okay, 00:01:55.719 --> 00:01:57.719 I'm hooked already. Let's dive in. Where does 00:01:57.719 --> 00:01:59.640 the source tell us to start? Right at the beginning. 00:01:59.799 --> 00:02:02.700 Her early life. Hashtag TyTech2. Early foundations 00:02:02.700 --> 00:02:04.599 and influences. Okay, so if we want to understand 00:02:04.599 --> 00:02:08.599 a comic who really relies on observation, you 00:02:08.599 --> 00:02:10.520 have to look at where those skills were honed, 00:02:10.520 --> 00:02:11.939 right? Absolutely. You have to look at the early 00:02:11.939 --> 00:02:15.120 years. And for Felicia Michaels, the source paints 00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:18.580 a picture of, well, a lot of movement. Instability, 00:02:18.719 --> 00:02:21.819 even. born on fort riley kansas father in the 00:02:21.819 --> 00:02:24.819 arnie yeah that military background is key it's 00:02:24.819 --> 00:02:27.919 not just changing houses it's constant displacement 00:02:27.919 --> 00:02:31.000 always the new environment and it wasn't just 00:02:31.000 --> 00:02:33.580 within the u .s the source mentions an early 00:02:33.580 --> 00:02:36.659 international stint That's right. Two years living 00:02:36.659 --> 00:02:39.020 in Berlin where her mother was originally from. 00:02:39.099 --> 00:02:41.199 Her mother was German. So imagine that as a young 00:02:41.199 --> 00:02:43.900 kid. Wow. Before you're even properly in school, 00:02:44.020 --> 00:02:46.060 you're already dealing with new languages, different 00:02:46.060 --> 00:02:48.680 social rules, whole other cultures. You'd have 00:02:48.680 --> 00:02:50.699 to become a quick study. Exactly. You'd have 00:02:50.699 --> 00:02:53.259 to learn to read people, read the room just to 00:02:53.259 --> 00:02:56.280 fit in or even just to function socially. That's 00:02:56.280 --> 00:02:58.340 basically ground level training for a comedian, 00:02:58.500 --> 00:03:00.659 isn't it? That constant adaptation. That makes 00:03:00.659 --> 00:03:02.860 sense. So that period of moving around eventually 00:03:02.860 --> 00:03:04.990 stopped. It did. The family. settled down in 00:03:04.990 --> 00:03:07.750 Fountain, Colorado, but just because they stopped 00:03:07.750 --> 00:03:10.169 moving didn't mean life suddenly got stable. 00:03:10.370 --> 00:03:13.050 Ah, what happened then? Well, her parents separated, 00:03:13.210 --> 00:03:16.629 and she was primarily raised by her mother, but 00:03:16.629 --> 00:03:18.389 there's a specific event the source highlights, 00:03:18.469 --> 00:03:20.849 something really tough, that you could argue 00:03:20.849 --> 00:03:23.650 really shaped her resilience and maybe even that 00:03:23.650 --> 00:03:26.930 darker blue sense of humor later on. Oh, is it? 00:03:27.050 --> 00:03:31.669 When Michaels was only 14, Her mother had a stroke. 00:03:31.789 --> 00:03:35.050 Oh, wow. 14. Yeah. And it left her physically 00:03:35.050 --> 00:03:37.310 disabled. Think about that impact on a teenager. 00:03:37.530 --> 00:03:40.189 Suddenly you're dealing with caregiving, maybe 00:03:40.189 --> 00:03:43.289 money worries, doctors. That's a massive weight. 00:03:43.330 --> 00:03:46.090 Forces you to grow up fast. Absolutely. And humor, 00:03:46.229 --> 00:03:49.030 especially that darker, edgier kind, it's often 00:03:49.030 --> 00:03:51.569 a way to cope, right? A defense mechanism for 00:03:51.569 --> 00:03:53.990 dealing with real pain. It gives her comedy this 00:03:53.990 --> 00:03:57.469 grounding in lived experience. She knows hardship. 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:00.000 So it's not just jokes about trivial stuff. Not 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:01.620 at all. She's seen the difference. And there's 00:04:01.620 --> 00:04:03.740 another interesting contrast in the source from 00:04:03.740 --> 00:04:06.379 that period, isn't there? While all this is happening 00:04:06.379 --> 00:04:09.759 at home, her father's career path. Yeah, it's 00:04:09.759 --> 00:04:12.259 fascinating. After leaving the military, he completely 00:04:12.259 --> 00:04:14.900 switched gears, became a film projectionist. 00:04:14.960 --> 00:04:18.060 And actually operated a drive -in movie theater 00:04:18.060 --> 00:04:20.750 in Stockton, California. A drive -in. So you've 00:04:20.750 --> 00:04:23.850 got this like intense reality at home. Right. 00:04:23.930 --> 00:04:26.250 The caregiving, the seriousness of it all, grounded 00:04:26.250 --> 00:04:29.029 reality, plus that military structure from her 00:04:29.029 --> 00:04:30.949 upbringing. But then also this world of escape, 00:04:31.230 --> 00:04:34.069 movies, performance, the whole drive and culture. 00:04:34.149 --> 00:04:36.430 Exactly. It's this kind of dual exposure, the 00:04:36.430 --> 00:04:39.029 discipline and reality on one side and the performance, 00:04:39.269 --> 00:04:41.350 the light, the business of movies on the other. 00:04:41.589 --> 00:04:44.329 So she saw performance and visual media early 00:04:44.329 --> 00:04:47.490 on, not just as art, but as a job, a business. 00:04:47.610 --> 00:04:51.259 So putting it all together. This mix of instability, 00:04:51.439 --> 00:04:55.019 having to observe constantly, then this major 00:04:55.019 --> 00:04:57.740 trauma requiring some kind of coping mechanism. 00:04:57.920 --> 00:05:00.300 Yeah, humor often fills that role. And this early 00:05:00.300 --> 00:05:02.860 exposure to film and performance. You can really 00:05:02.860 --> 00:05:05.379 start to see the roots, can't you? Why her comedy 00:05:05.379 --> 00:05:07.779 might lean towards being both really observational, 00:05:07.779 --> 00:05:11.279 but also, you know, blue, honest about the messy 00:05:11.279 --> 00:05:14.350 stuff. It almost demands a kind of radical honesty, 00:05:14.610 --> 00:05:17.589 doesn't it? The best observational comics, they're 00:05:17.589 --> 00:05:19.529 the ones pointing out what everyone else is trying 00:05:19.529 --> 00:05:22.589 to politely ignore. Her whole life, it seems, 00:05:22.730 --> 00:05:24.910 kind of forced her to look past the surface, 00:05:25.189 --> 00:05:28.009 which is, well, perfect fuel for a provocateur. 00:05:28.350 --> 00:05:31.189 Hashtag, hashtag tech three. The evolution of 00:05:31.189 --> 00:05:34.009 the stand -up persona. Okay, let's move to when 00:05:34.009 --> 00:05:36.629 she actually starts performing. The source says 00:05:36.629 --> 00:05:39.389 she started stand -up at 18. That's incredibly 00:05:39.389 --> 00:05:42.660 young. It really is. 18. But the jobs she held 00:05:42.660 --> 00:05:45.060 right before stepping onto the stage, they sound 00:05:45.060 --> 00:05:47.980 like pretty intense learning experiences themselves, 00:05:48.379 --> 00:05:51.519 especially around performance and, well, gender 00:05:51.519 --> 00:05:53.120 dynamics. What kind of jobs are we talking about? 00:05:53.259 --> 00:05:55.259 The source is quite specific. She'd been a wet 00:05:55.259 --> 00:05:58.360 t -shirt contestant, a stripper, and a cocktail 00:05:58.360 --> 00:06:00.319 waitress. Right, so not your typical office jobs. 00:06:00.519 --> 00:06:02.750 Definitely not. And you can't just dismiss these 00:06:02.750 --> 00:06:05.230 as like random things she did for money. They 00:06:05.230 --> 00:06:07.589 provided this really raw, high stakes education, 00:06:07.829 --> 00:06:10.389 performance of sexuality, the dynamics between 00:06:10.389 --> 00:06:13.149 men and women in those specific contexts. That's 00:06:13.149 --> 00:06:15.529 a really crucial point. So when she got on stage, 00:06:15.649 --> 00:06:19.050 she wasn't just guessing about male, female dynamics 00:06:19.050 --> 00:06:21.750 or sexuality. No, she had firsthand professional 00:06:21.750 --> 00:06:24.750 experience, intense experience dealing with. 00:06:25.050 --> 00:06:28.449 being looked at with desire power dynamics in 00:06:28.449 --> 00:06:31.310 those interactions it gave her this i don't know 00:06:31.310 --> 00:06:34.209 almost expert level insight into what would become 00:06:34.209 --> 00:06:36.370 her main subject matter so it wasn't just for 00:06:36.370 --> 00:06:38.430 shock value later on it came from a place of 00:06:38.430 --> 00:06:40.689 knowing exactly it gave her the confidence maybe 00:06:40.689 --> 00:06:42.889 the authority to tackle subjects others might 00:06:42.889 --> 00:06:45.410 shy away from she could frame it as observation 00:06:45.410 --> 00:06:49.350 as experience not just you know dirty jokes for 00:06:49.350 --> 00:06:51.870 the sake of it it elevates it comedy is a sociological 00:06:51.870 --> 00:06:55.000 tool almost which Leads us perfectly into this 00:06:55.000 --> 00:06:58.699 big shift the source mentions. In the 1990s, 00:06:58.699 --> 00:07:00.639 she made a very deliberate change to her stage 00:07:00.639 --> 00:07:03.360 identity. Yes, this was conscious, strategic. 00:07:03.899 --> 00:07:06.339 The source says she actively moved away from 00:07:06.339 --> 00:07:08.319 the dumb blonde stereotype. Which must have been 00:07:08.319 --> 00:07:09.959 tempting, right? That was a marketable box for 00:07:09.959 --> 00:07:12.160 female comics then. Very marketable. So rejecting 00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:14.540 it was a risk, but it was an act of artistic 00:07:14.540 --> 00:07:17.399 self -definition, getting rid of that limiting 00:07:17.399 --> 00:07:19.939 stereotype. What did she replace it with? Something 00:07:19.939 --> 00:07:22.290 much more interesting. The source calls her a 00:07:22.290 --> 00:07:25.649 soft -spoken provocateur. Soft -spoken provocateur. 00:07:25.810 --> 00:07:28.930 I like that. The contrast. It's brilliant, isn't 00:07:28.930 --> 00:07:32.230 it? The material is edgy, explicit, but the delivery 00:07:32.230 --> 00:07:34.910 is controlled, maybe even intimate. And that 00:07:34.910 --> 00:07:37.290 combination let her really specialize in what's 00:07:37.290 --> 00:07:39.350 called blue comedy. We should probably define 00:07:39.350 --> 00:07:40.910 that for listeners who aren't familiar. Right. 00:07:41.149 --> 00:07:45.629 Blue comedy basically thrives on, well, off -color 00:07:45.629 --> 00:07:48.959 material. Sexual themes, stuff that might be 00:07:48.959 --> 00:07:51.240 considered offensive, definitely boundary pushing. 00:07:51.480 --> 00:07:53.800 It's aimed squarely at adults who appreciate 00:07:53.800 --> 00:07:56.579 that kind of raw honesty. And what specifically 00:07:56.579 --> 00:07:58.699 was she provoking people about? What are her 00:07:58.699 --> 00:08:01.360 themes? The source highlights a few core areas. 00:08:01.620 --> 00:08:04.699 Deep dives into male -female relationship dynamics. 00:08:04.980 --> 00:08:07.079 Okay, drawing on that earlier experience. Exactly. 00:08:07.160 --> 00:08:09.660 Also, dirty thoughts exploring that internal 00:08:09.660 --> 00:08:13.060 landscape. And critically, this idea of the sensual 00:08:13.060 --> 00:08:16.040 feminist. Sensual feminist. That sounds like... 00:08:16.170 --> 00:08:18.470 the heart of it. I think it is. It's the thesis, 00:08:18.610 --> 00:08:20.970 really. It's not just being raunchy. It's using 00:08:20.970 --> 00:08:23.889 frank talk about female sexuality to claim autonomy, 00:08:24.170 --> 00:08:26.750 agency. It's taking control of the narrative 00:08:26.750 --> 00:08:29.709 around female desire, something maybe connected 00:08:29.709 --> 00:08:32.250 to those earlier jobs. Flipping the script on 00:08:32.250 --> 00:08:34.309 who's in control of the gays. Precisely. Making 00:08:34.309 --> 00:08:37.610 the personal political but also funny. the source 00:08:37.610 --> 00:08:40.129 emphasizes that sexuality wasn't just a phase 00:08:40.129 --> 00:08:44.330 for her it was and is a fundamental ongoing theme 00:08:44.330 --> 00:08:48.389 and this unique evolved persona it got noticed 00:08:48.389 --> 00:08:51.850 big time oh yeah her national debut came as a 00:08:51.850 --> 00:08:54.309 grand champion on star search winning that back 00:08:54.309 --> 00:08:56.570 then that was the launch pad the biggest mainstream 00:08:56.570 --> 00:08:59.169 boost a comic could possibly get it seems almost 00:08:59.169 --> 00:09:01.399 contradictory though doesn't it Winning a mainstream 00:09:01.399 --> 00:09:04.480 family -friendly talent show with a persona rooted 00:09:04.480 --> 00:09:07.460 in blue comedy. It's a fascinating paradox. It 00:09:07.460 --> 00:09:09.440 means that despite the edgy material, she had 00:09:09.440 --> 00:09:11.840 this underlying charm, this delivery, something 00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:14.659 universally appealing enough to win over a primetime 00:09:14.659 --> 00:09:16.940 network audience. That versatility is pretty 00:09:16.940 --> 00:09:19.240 rare. So where did that win lead? Appearances 00:09:19.240 --> 00:09:24.279 everywhere. Showtime, MTV, VH1, NBC. The usual 00:09:24.279 --> 00:09:27.409 suspects for a hot comic. But the source points 00:09:27.409 --> 00:09:29.909 out something really unexpected, proof of that 00:09:29.909 --> 00:09:33.190 versatility. Go on. She appeared twice on ABC's 00:09:33.190 --> 00:09:35.830 Full House. Full House. The Olsen twins. Cut 00:09:35.830 --> 00:09:38.269 it out. Full House. The very same squeaky clean 00:09:38.269 --> 00:09:42.490 family sitcom. Wow. How do you even manage that? 00:09:42.950 --> 00:09:45.149 Toggling between the blue comedy circuit where 00:09:45.149 --> 00:09:47.330 you're deliberately pushing buttons. Yeah, saying 00:09:47.330 --> 00:09:49.250 the unsable. And then showing up on the most 00:09:49.250 --> 00:09:51.590 wholesome show on television. That takes incredible 00:09:51.590 --> 00:09:54.730 control. Did the source mention any, like... 00:09:55.259 --> 00:09:58.120 Whiplash from that? Any tension? It doesn't explicitly 00:09:58.120 --> 00:10:00.580 talk about tension, no. But the fact she could 00:10:00.580 --> 00:10:03.200 do it speaks volumes. She mastered the art of, 00:10:03.240 --> 00:10:05.220 what, code switching? She could be the charming 00:10:05.220 --> 00:10:07.500 performer for the masses, but keep that sharp 00:10:07.500 --> 00:10:10.200 observational edge for her core audience. Operating 00:10:10.200 --> 00:10:12.899 both worlds. Exactly. Which makes her a commercially 00:10:12.899 --> 00:10:15.120 successful provocateur. You can be edgy, but 00:10:15.120 --> 00:10:17.340 you also have to be, you know, bookable. And 00:10:17.340 --> 00:10:19.620 that ability to exist in that mainstream adjacent 00:10:19.620 --> 00:10:22.259 space, well, it set the stage for one of the 00:10:22.259 --> 00:10:25.580 biggest what -ifs of 90s TV comedy. Hashtag tag 00:10:25.580 --> 00:10:28.840 -tag 5e media, film, and the creative cross -pollination. 00:10:29.179 --> 00:10:31.480 Right. Speaking of being right there in the mix 00:10:31.480 --> 00:10:34.220 of that mid -90s comedy boom, we have to talk 00:10:34.220 --> 00:10:36.570 about the Friends anecdote. The almost Phoebe 00:10:36.570 --> 00:10:39.370 story. Ah, yes. The source confirms it. She auditioned 00:10:39.370 --> 00:10:42.090 for Phoebe Buffay on Friends. Which is just... 00:10:42.090 --> 00:10:44.929 Obviously, Lisa Kudrow got the part and was iconic. 00:10:45.190 --> 00:10:47.110 Absolutely. But the fact that Felicia Michaels 00:10:47.110 --> 00:10:49.759 was seriously considered... That's significant. 00:10:50.019 --> 00:10:51.899 Think about Phoebe's character. Quirky, eccentric. 00:10:52.299 --> 00:10:54.860 Yeah. Kind of grounded in a slightly weird reality. 00:10:55.179 --> 00:10:58.059 Exactly. A bit damaged, maybe, but funny and 00:10:58.059 --> 00:11:00.080 honest about it. It feels like a natural fit 00:11:00.080 --> 00:11:02.539 for a comic known for blending oddball observations 00:11:02.539 --> 00:11:05.460 with a certain raw honesty about life's difficulties. 00:11:05.860 --> 00:11:08.419 She had that toned down from her blue comedy 00:11:08.419 --> 00:11:11.360 and, bizarrely, her full house spots. It totally 00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:14.240 places her right in that alternative comedy scene 00:11:14.240 --> 00:11:17.299 that was exploding then. And she wasn't just 00:11:17.299 --> 00:11:19.720 doing TV appearances. She was active in indie 00:11:19.720 --> 00:11:22.659 film, too. Very active. The source lists three 00:11:22.659 --> 00:11:25.539 film involvements. First, Smart Alex, which was 00:11:25.539 --> 00:11:27.779 directed by Steve Odekirk. Known comedy guy, 00:11:27.879 --> 00:11:30.779 East Ventura writer. Right. Then, the second 00:11:30.779 --> 00:11:33.139 film really shows her stepping up her involvement. 00:11:33.620 --> 00:11:36.259 Los Enchiladas. Directed by the legendary Mitch 00:11:36.259 --> 00:11:39.259 Hedberg. The one and only. But here's the crucial 00:11:39.259 --> 00:11:42.120 detail the source adds. She didn't just act in 00:11:42.120 --> 00:11:44.860 it. She was also the line producer. Okay, hold 00:11:44.860 --> 00:11:48.019 on. Line producer, that sounds important, but 00:11:48.019 --> 00:11:50.159 what does that actually involve? Why is that 00:11:50.159 --> 00:11:52.200 a big deal for understanding her trajectory? 00:11:52.539 --> 00:11:54.740 It's a huge deal. A line producer is basically 00:11:54.740 --> 00:11:57.940 the operations manager of a film set. They handle 00:11:57.940 --> 00:11:59.980 the budget day to day, manage the schedule, hire 00:11:59.980 --> 00:12:02.500 crew, negotiate deals, make sure everything runs 00:12:02.500 --> 00:12:04.980 smoothly and on time. It's all logistics, organization, 00:12:05.500 --> 00:12:08.299 business. So not a performing role at all. It's 00:12:08.299 --> 00:12:10.340 behind the scenes making it happen. Completely. 00:12:10.340 --> 00:12:12.720 The fact that she took on this demanding, non 00:12:12.720 --> 00:12:16.639 -glamorous role shows a major pivot. It demonstrates 00:12:16.639 --> 00:12:19.559 she had serious organizational and business jobs, 00:12:19.620 --> 00:12:22.000 not just talent in front of an audience. She 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:23.960 could deliver a finished product, manage the 00:12:23.960 --> 00:12:25.899 process. That's a different skill set entirely. 00:12:26.340 --> 00:12:27.779 That's a really important piece of the puzzle. 00:12:27.919 --> 00:12:30.440 She also kept connections to the... Comedy World 00:12:30.440 --> 00:12:32.960 appeared in that documentary. Yeah. Later on 00:12:32.960 --> 00:12:35.840 in 2010, she was in I Am Comic, directed by Jordan 00:12:35.840 --> 00:12:38.399 Brady. And she had a regular role in a TV show 00:12:38.399 --> 00:12:40.700 called Parental Discretion. But there's another 00:12:40.700 --> 00:12:42.720 piece of media exposure we can't skip over from 00:12:42.720 --> 00:12:45.740 the 90s. A big one. Ah, you mean Playboy. Exactly. 00:12:45.899 --> 00:12:49.480 The source notes she posed nude for the October 00:12:49.480 --> 00:12:52.600 1992 issue. And when you think about her whole 00:12:52.600 --> 00:12:55.799 sensual feminist comedy persona we discussed. 00:12:56.600 --> 00:12:59.039 the playboy shoot fits right in doesn't it also 00:12:59.039 --> 00:13:01.059 well it wasn't just about taking her clothes 00:13:01.059 --> 00:13:03.919 off it was a very visible very public statement 00:13:03.919 --> 00:13:07.200 using this massive platform to embody the very 00:13:07.200 --> 00:13:10.519 autonomy and control over female sexuality that 00:13:10.519 --> 00:13:12.600 she was exploring on stage it was almost like 00:13:12.600 --> 00:13:15.940 reinforcing her brand her provocative self -defined 00:13:15.940 --> 00:13:18.919 image on a huge scale Taking control of the narrative 00:13:18.919 --> 00:13:22.879 again. Exactly. But the real proof of her shift 00:13:22.879 --> 00:13:25.139 towards serious production, towards documentation, 00:13:25.500 --> 00:13:28.279 that comes with her own film project. The one 00:13:28.279 --> 00:13:30.200 she wrote and directed. Yes. And this wasn't 00:13:30.200 --> 00:13:32.820 just a little indie project. It got major industry 00:13:32.820 --> 00:13:35.399 recognition outside of comedy circles. Tell us 00:13:35.399 --> 00:13:38.360 about it. She wrote and directed a short film 00:13:38.360 --> 00:13:41.940 called In the Weeds in 2010. And here's the payoff 00:13:41.940 --> 00:13:45.379 for that line producing experience, maybe. The 00:13:45.379 --> 00:13:49.159 film won a... Cyan Golden Eagle Award. Cyan Golden 00:13:49.159 --> 00:13:51.419 Eagle. What's the significance of that particular 00:13:51.419 --> 00:13:54.120 award? Cyan Awards have been around for ages, 00:13:54.200 --> 00:14:12.830 recognizing excellence in, like, So this confirms 00:14:12.830 --> 00:14:15.789 her transition. She wasn't just a performer trying 00:14:15.789 --> 00:14:18.210 directing. She was recognized as a legitimate 00:14:18.210 --> 00:14:20.470 filmmaker, especially in that documentary or 00:14:20.470 --> 00:14:22.850 high -quality short form style. Absolutely. It's 00:14:22.850 --> 00:14:24.929 the bridge, really. From blue comedy performer 00:14:24.929 --> 00:14:28.669 to... Zion winning director. That's the path 00:14:28.669 --> 00:14:31.549 that leads logically towards her work in photojournalism. 00:14:31.669 --> 00:14:33.990 She's now a proven director of documentary style 00:14:33.990 --> 00:14:36.889 visuals. And even as she's doing this, she stays 00:14:36.889 --> 00:14:39.750 current in the media landscape. The source mentions 00:14:39.750 --> 00:14:43.049 podcasting. Right. In the early 2010s, digital 00:14:43.049 --> 00:14:46.470 media is taking off and she jumps in. Co -hosted 00:14:46.470 --> 00:14:48.850 a popular weekly podcast, Beauty and the Beast 00:14:48.850 --> 00:14:51.610 with Joey Diaz. Another comedian. So keeping 00:14:51.610 --> 00:14:54.169 that conversational comedy muscle flexed. Yeah, 00:14:54.210 --> 00:14:56.549 but in a new format. showing she could adapt 00:14:56.549 --> 00:14:59.269 stay relevant and it wasn't just a small side 00:14:59.269 --> 00:15:02.250 project no was it successful very the source 00:15:02.250 --> 00:15:05.029 notes it was nominated for funniest podcast by 00:15:05.029 --> 00:15:08.509 the podcast awards in 2012 so that unique voice 00:15:08.509 --> 00:15:11.210 maybe combined now with her producer's eye for 00:15:11.210 --> 00:15:13.590 shaping content it translated perfectly to this 00:15:13.590 --> 00:15:16.389 new long form audio world she had staying power 00:15:16.389 --> 00:15:18.870 okay this feels like the summit of the deep dive 00:15:18.870 --> 00:15:22.470 the pivot from performer director podcaster to 00:15:22.470 --> 00:15:25.460 photographer A silent observer. This is the most 00:15:25.460 --> 00:15:28.039 maybe surprising turn. It is remarkable. It seems 00:15:28.039 --> 00:15:31.179 like a complete change of medium. But, and this 00:15:31.179 --> 00:15:33.360 is crucial, it wasn't really a change of theme. 00:15:33.480 --> 00:15:35.440 The source is clear. She's a working photographer. 00:15:36.279 --> 00:15:39.360 And the subject she chose for her big project. 00:15:39.879 --> 00:15:41.740 That's where it all connects back. Let's get 00:15:41.740 --> 00:15:44.360 into that. The 2008 project, stand -up stripped 00:15:44.360 --> 00:15:47.679 down. The concept alone, using her unique position. 00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:50.279 It's brilliant. Isn't it? The title itself, Stand 00:15:50.279 --> 00:15:52.580 Up, Strip Down, it's like her own career in miniature. 00:15:53.139 --> 00:15:55.240 Stripping away the persona, the project, the 00:15:55.240 --> 00:15:57.480 sources, documents, comedians, and I'm quoting 00:15:57.480 --> 00:16:00.299 here, the mystery of what happens backstage in 00:16:00.299 --> 00:16:02.399 the shadows that lead from the green room to 00:16:02.399 --> 00:16:05.600 the power of the stage. Wow. Using her camera 00:16:05.600 --> 00:16:08.159 to capture that vulnerability before and after 00:16:08.159 --> 00:16:10.419 the performance. Exactly. The vulnerability inherent 00:16:10.419 --> 00:16:12.500 in putting yourself out there. So how do those 00:16:12.500 --> 00:16:15.019 skills transfer? A great stand up needs impeccable 00:16:15.019 --> 00:16:17.580 timing, right? Knowing when to build tension, 00:16:17.720 --> 00:16:20.100 when to release it with a laugh. How does that 00:16:20.100 --> 00:16:22.679 translate to taking still photos? I think the 00:16:22.679 --> 00:16:24.940 core skills are remarkably similar. It's all 00:16:24.940 --> 00:16:28.159 about observation, timing, and having an eye 00:16:28.159 --> 00:16:31.399 for tension. A comedian sees the absurdity or 00:16:31.399 --> 00:16:33.840 the pain in a moment and frames it with words. 00:16:34.080 --> 00:16:36.720 A photojournalist sees the emotional truth in 00:16:36.720 --> 00:16:39.779 a moment, maybe a gesture, a look in the eyes, 00:16:39.840 --> 00:16:42.320 that flicker of doubt, and frames it visually. 00:16:42.940 --> 00:16:47.059 In comedy, the setup builds tension. In photography, 00:16:47.320 --> 00:16:49.860 the composition, the captured moment itself holds 00:16:49.860 --> 00:16:52.179 the tension. And because she lived that backstage 00:16:52.179 --> 00:16:54.559 world. She had an advantage. She could anticipate 00:16:54.559 --> 00:16:57.399 those emotional moments, the nerves before going 00:16:57.399 --> 00:17:00.500 on, the deflation or relief afterwards. She wasn't 00:17:00.500 --> 00:17:02.299 just some outsider taking pictures of famous 00:17:02.299 --> 00:17:05.500 people. She was documenting her peers, her colleagues 00:17:05.500 --> 00:17:08.319 in these incredibly charged private moments. 00:17:08.500 --> 00:17:11.000 That insider status. It's not just about access, 00:17:11.039 --> 00:17:13.059 is it? It's about trust. That's absolutely key. 00:17:13.259 --> 00:17:16.049 An outsider might get a posed shot. But because 00:17:16.049 --> 00:17:18.230 they likely trusted her, understood she got it, 00:17:18.289 --> 00:17:20.430 she could capture something more real, that unguarded 00:17:20.430 --> 00:17:22.529 moment in the shadows. They knew she understood 00:17:22.529 --> 00:17:25.069 the weight of it all. So the photos become this 00:17:25.069 --> 00:17:28.130 really profound, almost anthropological study 00:17:28.130 --> 00:17:30.630 of her own profession. Done from the inside. 00:17:30.890 --> 00:17:33.569 Precisely. A documentary exploration. And this 00:17:33.569 --> 00:17:36.599 project, Stand Up, Strip Down. It wasn't just 00:17:36.599 --> 00:17:38.859 praised by friends. It got serious international 00:17:38.859 --> 00:17:42.380 awards. Major awards. At the 2008 Prix de la 00:17:42.380 --> 00:17:46.299 Photographie, Paris, often called PX3, we really 00:17:46.299 --> 00:17:48.920 need to emphasize how prestigious this is. Okay, 00:17:48.960 --> 00:17:51.700 tell us, what is PX3? It's one of the top global 00:17:51.700 --> 00:17:54.400 competitions for professional and fine art photography, 00:17:54.680 --> 00:17:57.680 judged by major figures in the industry. Winning 00:17:57.680 --> 00:17:59.299 there means your work is considered visually 00:17:59.299 --> 00:18:01.480 excellent on an international level. And what 00:18:01.480 --> 00:18:03.640 did she win specifically? This is what's staggering. 00:18:04.329 --> 00:18:07.450 She won gold in the category of photojournalism 00:18:07.450 --> 00:18:10.650 performing arts. And even bigger picture, she 00:18:10.650 --> 00:18:13.170 won the overall second place prize in photojournalism. 00:18:13.210 --> 00:18:15.529 Second place in all photojournalism. Second place. 00:18:16.809 --> 00:18:19.089 Photojournalism is about telling true stories 00:18:19.089 --> 00:18:22.750 visually, documenting reality. This puts her 00:18:22.750 --> 00:18:25.710 work right alongside serious, established documentary 00:18:25.710 --> 00:18:28.309 photographers. It's this incredible validation 00:18:28.309 --> 00:18:30.650 that the observational skill she honed telling 00:18:30.650 --> 00:18:33.730 jokes on stage, it translated directly into a 00:18:33.730 --> 00:18:36.569 globally recognized form of visual art and communication. 00:18:37.049 --> 00:18:39.029 So that really answers our opening question, 00:18:39.170 --> 00:18:41.509 doesn't it? The skill set, that ability to see 00:18:41.509 --> 00:18:44.130 and capture a moment of tension, whether it's 00:18:44.130 --> 00:18:46.690 funny or deeply human, it's completely portable. 00:18:46.930 --> 00:18:49.289 It connects Star Search to a gold medal in Paris. 00:18:49.490 --> 00:18:52.700 Incredible. Hashtag, hashtag, hashtag six. Achievements, 00:18:52.700 --> 00:18:55.500 albums, and conclusion. Okay, before we wrap 00:18:55.500 --> 00:18:57.900 up, let's just make sure we circle back and properly 00:18:57.900 --> 00:18:59.839 acknowledge her achievements, specifically within 00:18:59.839 --> 00:19:02.019 comedy. Even while she was branching out, her 00:19:02.019 --> 00:19:04.039 original craft was still getting major recognition. 00:19:04.400 --> 00:19:06.579 Absolutely. She wasn't just dabbling elsewhere. 00:19:06.579 --> 00:19:09.319 She remained a force in stand -up. The source 00:19:09.319 --> 00:19:11.359 notes she was nominated twice for Funny Inc. 00:19:11.380 --> 00:19:13.619 Female Comic at the American Comedy Award. Which 00:19:13.619 --> 00:19:15.640 is voted on by peers, right? Industry recognition. 00:19:16.039 --> 00:19:19.119 Exactly. That signifies real respect within the 00:19:19.119 --> 00:19:20.859 comedy world. And she didn't just get nominated. 00:19:21.140 --> 00:19:24.779 In 1999, she won the award, tied actually with 00:19:24.779 --> 00:19:27.660 Etta Mae, another powerhouse comic. So winning 00:19:27.660 --> 00:19:30.940 that cements her place. One of the defining female 00:19:30.940 --> 00:19:33.599 comics of that era. No question. And this work 00:19:33.599 --> 00:19:36.140 is captured on albums, too. Yes. The source mentions, 00:19:36.279 --> 00:19:40.059 too. Her first was called Lewd Awakenings on 00:19:40.059 --> 00:19:43.319 the Whatta Records Shaha Records label, the title 00:19:43.319 --> 00:19:45.960 itself. Lewd Awakenings, perfect for the sensual 00:19:45.960 --> 00:19:48.500 feminist persona, right? Yeah. Clever, provocative. 00:19:48.940 --> 00:19:51.380 Exactly. It perfectly packages that blend of 00:19:51.380 --> 00:19:53.900 intelligence and raw subject matter. And she 00:19:53.900 --> 00:19:56.400 kept that focus. Her second CD came out in 2011 00:19:56.400 --> 00:19:58.759 called Chew on This. Chew on This, okay. And 00:19:58.759 --> 00:20:00.880 the source says it, quote, continues where Lewd 00:20:00.880 --> 00:20:04.480 Awakenings left off. So consistency. A dedicated 00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:07.559 thematic voice spanning really decades of performing. 00:20:07.740 --> 00:20:09.579 So when we pull back and look at this whole arc, 00:20:09.720 --> 00:20:12.960 the source lays out this journey from... You 00:20:12.960 --> 00:20:15.460 know, that unstable childhood. The military brat 00:20:15.460 --> 00:20:17.740 years. To the discipline of being a line producer. 00:20:17.980 --> 00:20:20.980 Managing budgets, schedules. From the raw confrontational 00:20:20.980 --> 00:20:23.839 style of blue comedy. Yeah. The sensual feminist. 00:20:23.940 --> 00:20:26.000 All the way to the quiet, artistic excellence 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:29.380 of award -winning photojournalism. What's the 00:20:29.380 --> 00:20:31.279 big takeaway here for the listener? What does 00:20:31.279 --> 00:20:33.460 this whole picture tell us about a creative life? 00:20:34.029 --> 00:20:36.349 I think it tells us that a creative career doesn't 00:20:36.349 --> 00:20:38.450 have to be one thing. It doesn't have to be linear. 00:20:38.690 --> 00:20:42.769 It can be a series of investigations into certain 00:20:42.769 --> 00:20:45.509 themes just using different tools. So Felicia 00:20:45.509 --> 00:20:48.569 Michaels used her observation skills for comedy. 00:20:48.730 --> 00:20:51.529 Right, to build that unique stage persona. Then 00:20:51.529 --> 00:20:54.289 she used production skills, maybe learned partly 00:20:54.289 --> 00:20:57.410 from line producing, to control the message behind 00:20:57.410 --> 00:20:59.910 the camera in the weeds. And then she used her 00:20:59.910 --> 00:21:02.829 insider access, her eye for detail, her understanding 00:21:02.829 --> 00:21:05.700 of... vulnerability. To document her own community, 00:21:05.839 --> 00:21:08.079 her own world in stand -up stripped down. It's 00:21:08.079 --> 00:21:10.279 like she kept circling back to themes of performance, 00:21:10.559 --> 00:21:13.440 vulnerability, and honesty, but just changed 00:21:13.440 --> 00:21:15.460 the medium. It really is the ultimate example 00:21:15.460 --> 00:21:17.460 of using your life experience, even the really 00:21:17.460 --> 00:21:20.720 hard stuff, to fuel creativity across totally 00:21:20.720 --> 00:21:23.240 different, sometimes conflicting fields. Performance, 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:26.859 production, observation. She mastered all three. 00:21:27.150 --> 00:21:29.930 Yeah, her journey really confirms that core talent, 00:21:30.089 --> 00:21:32.849 the ability to see truth, to see tension, and 00:21:32.849 --> 00:21:35.430 convey it that's incredibly portable. You know, 00:21:35.450 --> 00:21:37.549 the focus needed to manage a film budget and 00:21:37.549 --> 00:21:39.930 the sensitivity needed to capture a fleeting 00:21:39.930 --> 00:21:43.049 backstage moment. They might seem worlds apart, 00:21:43.190 --> 00:21:45.890 but maybe they both come down to meticulous, 00:21:45.890 --> 00:21:49.809 focused attention. Hashtag tag tag tag tag. Outro. 00:21:50.200 --> 00:21:52.519 Well, this deep dive into Felicia Michaels using 00:21:52.519 --> 00:21:55.160 just that one source has definitely revealed 00:21:55.160 --> 00:21:58.660 someone far more complex, far more strategic, 00:21:58.740 --> 00:22:01.299 I think, than just the label stand -up comedian 00:22:01.299 --> 00:22:03.900 captures. We track that deliberate pivot. Yeah, 00:22:03.960 --> 00:22:06.180 from the dumb blonde stereotype she rejected. 00:22:06.299 --> 00:22:08.980 Right, to that soft -spoken provocateur, which... 00:22:09.200 --> 00:22:11.440 amazingly put her in the running for Phoebe on 00:22:11.440 --> 00:22:13.400 Friends. And then we followed her as she really 00:22:13.400 --> 00:22:15.420 took control behind the camera, directing in 00:22:15.420 --> 00:22:18.039 the weeds, getting that siney golden eagle. Which 00:22:18.039 --> 00:22:20.579 is serious recognition. Totally. And culminating 00:22:20.579 --> 00:22:22.799 really in that incredible artistic achievement 00:22:22.799 --> 00:22:25.740 with Stand Up Strip Down, winning gold for photojournalism 00:22:25.740 --> 00:22:28.740 in Paris. Just wow. What really strikes me looking 00:22:28.740 --> 00:22:31.420 back at it all is how intentionally she seemed 00:22:31.420 --> 00:22:34.779 to use every platform she had. The raw comedy, 00:22:34.940 --> 00:22:38.420 defining the sensual feminist, the playboy shoot. 00:22:39.060 --> 00:22:42.400 Even the vulnerability in her photos. It all 00:22:42.400 --> 00:22:45.019 feels like part of this larger project of controlling 00:22:45.019 --> 00:22:47.980 her own story. That's a great point. And it leaves 00:22:47.980 --> 00:22:50.579 us and you, the listener, with a fascinating 00:22:50.579 --> 00:22:53.319 question to think about, doesn't it? Given this 00:22:53.319 --> 00:22:57.480 huge range, mainstream sitcoms, edgy adult comedy, 00:22:57.599 --> 00:23:01.460 serious documentary art. How does that core skill, 00:23:01.640 --> 00:23:03.599 that act of observation. It's seeing the tension, 00:23:03.799 --> 00:23:06.180 whether it's funny or poignant. Exactly. How 00:23:06.180 --> 00:23:08.200 does that ability allow a creative person to 00:23:08.200 --> 00:23:10.980 constantly redefine themselves, to control their 00:23:10.980 --> 00:23:13.119 own narrative and avoid getting stuck in those 00:23:13.119 --> 00:23:16.359 limiting industry boxes or stereotypes? It seems 00:23:16.359 --> 00:23:18.240 like she never let the label define the work. 00:23:18.339 --> 00:23:20.460 The work always defined the label. That's definitely 00:23:20.460 --> 00:23:22.400 something to chew on. A really powerful takeaway. 00:23:22.579 --> 00:23:24.339 Thanks for walking us through that source. My 00:23:24.339 --> 00:23:26.200 pleasure. It was a fascinating story to unpack. 00:23:26.460 --> 00:23:28.480 Until our next deep dive. Thank you for joining 00:23:28.480 --> 00:23:28.700 us.