Playing House - Blog Posts
Dear Jess and Lenn – An Open Love Letter/Thank You Note
Almost two years ago exactly, I wrote a post entitled “Save BFF – A Treatise” about the best new show I’d seen maybe ever. And now, after those long years, our national nightmare is over. Our patience has been rewarded in the form of Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham returning to our TVs on a weekly basis, and they’re bringing a whole crew of your favorite comedy weirdos from UCB and beyond with them. So to show just a fraction of my gratitude, here is my open love letter to these two highly influential women.
Dear Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham,
How do I love you? Let me count the ways: as Marissa Wompler and Charlotte Listler on Comedy Bang! Bang!; as Jessica and Lennon on Best Friends Forever; as Jessica and Lennon IRL; and now, shortly, as Maggie and Emma on Playing House which premiers on USA TONIGHT, April 29th at 10/9C.
The entertainment you have brought me over the years is priceless to me. Because with the hours I’ve spent with you, I’ve spent equivalent time with my own best friends talking about it and reliving it. There is no real way to calculate the time I’ve spent enjoying your comedy stylings because for one thing, it would be astronomical, and also, that enjoyment isn’t quantitative.
I can’t quantify how grateful I am for one of my best friends in the world Mary Catherine. Our soul-mate level friendship was probably inevitable, but it was because one night at work I said to her, “I’m the closer! Just like Brenda Leigh Johnson!” And she said, “OH MY GOD. DO YOU WATCH BFF?” and I said, “OH MY GOD, YES. DO YOU?” that we first truly imprinted. And now it’s been two years and so many bottles of wine and bags of scoops and late nights prancing around in our matching fox and red panda fleece onesies later. That’s real. That’s a real BFF that I have in my life directly because of you. And I can’t quantify that.
I can’t quantify the way that I exclusively refer to Mark Ruffalo as Mark Buffalo now, and it makes my friend Candice laugh every single time. Or how much the advice “Cinch it in at the waist! Men love a natural proportion!” has been breathed by one of us before a night on the town where we try and meet men and usually just end up snuggled up with our individual containers of ice cream watching one of the several versions of Pride & Prejudice we own. We were best friends before discovering you two as our life mentors, but since discovering the joy of Jess&Lenn, our friendship has been enriched in a way that I can’t quantify.
I can’t quantify the way that your particular brand of the absurd meets “slice-of-life” has helped me realize that my voice in comedy might be a strong enough one. When I was just starting off into the brave new world of comedy, I worried if I was smart enough, or had anything to say. And in walk these two incredibly strong, smart, beautiful, self-actualized women as walking proof that you can “do you”, and get where you want to go in comedy. And really, the only way to get where you want to go is to “do you.” And I am still a tiny, fluffy baby bird not quite able to fly, but dammit, I’m getting there. You have both inspired me so, so much, and given me such great models to look up to. And I can’t quantify that.
So now that tonight, Playing House actually premiers and is real, I feel like it’s my own friends I’ll be tuning in to. And I’ll be rooting for you both every step of the way. And to my own circle of BFFs who are reading this, prepare yourselves for an avalanche of quotes and hugs and new traditions. And to my other readers, prepare yourselves for the deluge of Playing House content I’m going to rain down on you. This wasn’t the first post, and it certainly won’t be the last.
And to Jessica and Lennon, I can’t say thank you enough. And I hope that one day I get to meet you and hug you and tell your beautiful faces thank you, but until then, I hope you know how much I mean every word. And how I’ll be indebted to you both forever for everything you’ve given me.
Thank you. I love you.
Cassie Niespodziewanski
Before you get the good times rolling with the ladies of PLAYING HOUSE, roll on over here http://interactivehouse.usanetwork.com/home. Series premiere April 29 Tuesdays 10/9c on USA #playinghouseusa
Hey kids, what's that? Two posts in one day? YES OF COURSE I CAN! IT'S FEMALE EMPOWERMENT FRIDAY! Anyways I'm constructing a lengthy and exhaustive post dedicated to the ways that Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham have directly improved my life (THEY ARE MYRIAD). But for right now and until Playing House premiers next week (Tuesday 4/29 10/9C) tide yourself over with this interactive adventure!
I may or may not have spent the last 40+ minutes with the gals, and let me tell you it is worth it. It's worth it, if for nothing else, to hear Jessica proclaim she is "good with a meat". Woman, I feel you. Ditto to the highest degree.