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An interview with Bridget McManus

If you’ve never heard the name Bridget McManus, well, welcome to your first visit to AfterEllen.com! (Enjoy a cup of our delicious organic, free trade Twig Kukicha tea while you peruse the greatest lesbian website in the world!)

Bridget McManus is a stand-up comic, actress and writer, who is most famous around these parts for her vlog, Brunch With Bridget and her Logo variety show, Bridget McManus Presents: That Time of the Month. Well, that and her Grey’s Anatomy recaps. And her Afternoon Delight column. And her ubiquitous presence in every reader-voted-upon poll we ever conduct. Most recently, you voted her onto the AfterEllen.com Les/Bi list and the 2008, 2009 and 2010 AfterEllen.com Hot 100. You love Bridget McManus, is what I am saying, and that means I’ve got some good news for you: She has recently partnered with tellofilms to create her own mockumentary series, McManusLand!

Even though Bridget’s wife, AfterEllen.com editor-in-chief Karman Kregloe, is my boss, and even though Bridget herself has conducted hundreds of interviews (from her bed!), it was nearly impossible for me to pin her down and make her talk about herself. But when I promised to give some press to her McManusLand co-star, Taffy Davenport the dog, she acquiesced. We chatted about her new show, about creating art, and about almost passing over her wife for the role of “her wife” in her mockumentary. AfterEllen.com: I just finished watching the first episode of McManusLand. It’s really, really funny. I almost choked when you accosted your cat for not making it to the family meeting. It’s different than your other stuff, being scripted and everything. Why’d you decide to do a mockumentary? Bridget McManus: I’m sorry you “almost choked” but what would it take to make you officially choke? You’re proof that lesbians are a tough audience. My two favorite genres are documentary and mockumentary. I am not currently doing anything interesting enough to be documented, but I’m always doing something ridiculous that I’d like to make fun of.

I am a big fan of Christopher Guest‘s movies (Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman) because his characters are desperate and real, which I relate to. McManusLand was born out of reality combined with my desire to showcase the US obsession with “fame.” These days people want to be famous and they don’t even know why they want to be famous. I find that to be sad and depressing, which makes me laugh. Hence I created a mockumentary! To me, McManusLand is the lesbian Curb Your Enthusiasm.

AE: What are the major differences between Real Life Bridget and McManusLand Bridget? BM: McManusLand Bridget is smarter and thinner than Real Life Bridget. Actually, I based McManusLand Bridget on Teri Garr‘s actress character in Tootsie. (Am I dating myself?) McManusLand Bridget is chasing a dream that isn’t obtainable, even if she does obtain it. She has this idea that once she’s famous then all of her problems will be solved. But, as Notorious B.I.G. once said, “Mo money mo problems!” When McManusland Bridget gets a break, you can be sure that some sort of disaster will follow.

Real Life Bridget is a realist and doesn’t actually go jogging with Taffy. Taffy pulls too hard on her leash and makes numerous pee stops, so Real Life Bridget never breaks a sweat.

AE: You wrote the whole series, right? Is this your first time writing scripted comedy? Would you like to write more scripted comedy? BM: Yes, McManusLand is my baby, I created and wrote the series but I left some wiggle room for improvisation. When you’re working with comedian Fortune Feimster you should always leave room for the unknown.

McManusLand is my first scripted comedy and I am actually surprised by how much I enjoyed writing the show. I would love to write more episodes and transform the show into something bigger. Could you imagine a network comedy with a lesbian couple as the leads? I would also like to write for a real half-hour sitcom. Is Modern Family hiring staff writers?

AE: How hard was it to rope Karman into playing the role of Karman? BM: I actually reached out to Milla Jovovich to play the role of “Karman” but she wasn’t available, so I turned to the next best thing, my real wife Karman. Karman is a good sport in all aspects of my life, so she was willing to recreate some of our real-life situations, like our daily emergency family meetings and my incessant nagging that she kiss Taffy. I still can’t believe Karman married me. How lucky am I?

AE: Everyone in the entertainment world is trying to move up the fame ladder. Oprah’s trying to become more famous and powerful than the sun. In the first episode of McManusLand, you’re trying to become more famous and powerful than Oprah. And all over Hollywood, there are people trying to become as famous and powerful as Bridget McManus. You made a list of ways to become Oprah. Make a list of ways the burgeoning celebrities can become Bridget McManus. BM: First I would tell them to set their goals higher than being like me. Being Bridget McManus is easy: step one, drink lots of coffee, step two, have tons of props and costumes on hand (leotards are a must!). Step three, never stop moving. I’m like a shark, if I stop moving I die. But I’m a vegetarian shark. I’m the shark who is friends with all the fish, although I don’t like the ocean because it’s dirty and creepy and I’m scared my contacts will pop out of my eyes and float away. Wait, what was the question again?

AE: I’ve heard a lot of actors say they refuse to be on camera with cute kids or adorable pets because they don’t want to be up-staged. Are you worried about that with your dog? ‘Cause just from that one episode, I can see she’s got a lot of star potential. BM: Taffy Davenport steals every scene she is in. For some reason my dog knows where the camera and her light are at all times. She knows her angles and she’s always ready to perform. I have a stage in my living room and whenever I get on it to practice my stand up, Taffy jumps on it too as if you say, “it’s my turn, Mommy.” I wonder where she gets that from?

AE: Can you tell us a little bit about your partnership with tellofilms? BM: I first collaborated with Tellofilms in 2009 on a game show also called McManusLand. I flew to Chicago, where tellofilms is based, and hosted the improv game show with a group of Second City members. When tellofilms decided to create original content and produce their own projects, they approached me with a budget and said what do you want to do? I immediately thought of doing a dark comedy in which I make fun of myself. I wrote up a pitch, sent it to tello and my producing partner Adriana Torres and we kicked ideas around until McManusLand was resurrected and transformed into a mockumentary.

I describe tellofilms as the online HBO for lesbians. tello produces terrific content for lesbians by lesbians. Their website is free, but to access the premium content, like episodes of McManusLand and Cowgirl Up, there is a $3.99/ monthly fee. What tellofilms is doing is revolutionary. They are developing and funding lesbian films. Too often straight stories get funded by big studios and then lesbian films don’t get made. tello is actually making great content, but they can’t do it alone.

I think a lot of people still balk at the idea of paying for online content when so much is still available at no cost. But it’s about quality, not quantity. When production teams have budgets, they can hire the best people to do the best jobs. As a result, you can (and, I think, should) expect a better product. In our world, artists of every type are regularly expected to work for free, even though most of us went to school and pursued training just like people in every other profession. So just as you might pay to stream a movie on Netflix, watch a show on HBO or rent a movie at the video store, you can pay for premium content online. Only at tellofilms.com, you will actually have your choice of shows that are made by and for lesbian audiences. I think it’s a great bargain, and it’s good karma to subscribe. And I would say that even if I didn’t have a show on tello!

AE: It’s $3.99 a month for a premium subscription, which is, as you say, less than the cost of one latte. What other four-buck items could we give up to make room for a tellofilms subscription in our monthly budgets? BM: Well do we really need toilet paper? One drink at a bar can run you $6 or $14 if you live in Los Angeles, yet for less than $4 a month you can see terrific content that is tailored specifically to you. I encourage everyone to subscribe because the more demand the more tello will supply.

AE: What kind of shenanigans can we expect in the rest of the season? BM: There are a few chase scenes, Fortune Feimster and I will be in costumes shooting a new action series (which is a series within the McManusLand series) and you might recognize some familiar faces from the AfterEllen.com staff making cameos. Let’s just say that McManusLand Bridget will truly stop at nothing to achieve her delusional aspirations. No one is safe, not even her closest friends.

AE: McManusLand Bridget’s number one dream is to be the next Oprah/Megan Fox; what is Real Life Bridget’s number one dream? BM: To be the lesbian Larry David. I want to write and produce smart, entertaining television.

AE: Instead of sitting around and waiting for the mainstream industry to offer up mainstream projects to you, you make a lot of your own art. Why? And do you have any advice for artists who would like to do the same? BM: I have a great agent and I audition regularly for mainstream film and TV, but that’s not enough. Last year I was up for a role opposite Ryan Reynolds in a raunchy comedy and I had to wear a see-through nightie and ride a chair in the audition. But, not surprisingly, the role went to a Maxim model.

I don’t like the idea of being a passive performer. The idea of me waiting for someone else to like me and include me in their projects so I can work seems ridiculous. If you want to be an artist make art. Who cares if it sucks? Most art sucks but you have to suck for a while in order to get better at whatever you want to do. Marilyn Monroe once said, “Well behaved women rarely make history.” So don’t behave and don’t ever be scared, if you want to do something then do it!

Do you think Marilyn Monroe actually said that or do you think a writer wrote that line for her to say? The real life Bridget is cynical.

Here’s an exclusive clip from McManusLand: You can watch new episodes of McManusLand every Wednesday at tellofilms.com. become a subscriber to tellofilms.com, then login to the tello Premium section, where you’ll see the first two episode of the show, as well as episodes of Cowgirl Up, exclusive interviews and more.

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