It's Open with Ilana Glazer

After the U.S. Midterms 2026, now known as the Blunami, Ilana unpacks the last 10 years (and really, 407 years) of fascism that have led to this moment. The U.S.’s spectrum from fascism to democracy for different kinds of Americans, at different times in history, has become exposed. And now it is so transparent, so obvious, that the veil has lifted, and Americans are making the country what it alw...

In Season 1 of It’s Open, we had the privilege of hosting Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, aka AOC. She and Ilana talk about how, when being sexualized as Millennial teenagers in the early-2000s by full-grown men, their instincts were correct: this is not normal, and decades later, revealed itself to be connected to the dark truth of the Epstein files and worldwide child sex trafficking rin...

Ilana sits down with renowned NYC-based national touring stand-ups and longggg time comedy buddies Nimesh Patel and Mookie Thompson to reminisce hard about the good ol’ days coming up as young comics in the Brooklyn and Manhattan comedy scenes of the 2010s. Celebrating the Netflix release of Nimesh’s fourth full-length comedy special BUY THE DIP, directed by Mookie, the group confronts getting OLD...

Texas Senator James Talarico & Ilana Glazer talk about how faith is a practice, not something that just happens. And when you practice hope, a higher power starts to emerge — however you see it, whatever you call it — that deepens a person’s love for the people. This practice of hope, faith, & trust is what feels like the foundation for the Blue-nami of the Midterms 2026. Love won this ele...

Washington State Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal is one of the realest elected officials out there right now. Currently serving her fifth term, she’s an immigrant who came to the US at age 16 all by herself, and, when elected in 2016, became the first Indian American woman to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.  The congresswoman led the wave of progressive fighters 2 years ahead of AOC’s 20...

Today, Ilana sits down with her brilliant and dear friend, Erica Chidi. Erica lives, works, and creates at the intersections of human health, culture, and technology. She is a full-spectrum doula, the co-founder and former CEO of the digital sexual and reproductive health platform LOOM (acquired by Perelel Health in 2024), author of NURTURE: A MODERN GUIDE TO PREGNANCY, BIRTH, EARLY MOTHERHOOD—AND...

Today on It’s Open, Ilana is joined by the sensational, the trailblazing, the thought leader and activist: Miss Peppermint. She was the first openly trans contestant on RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE, the first trans woman to originate a lead Broadway role for the musical HEAD OVER HEELS, is an Out Magazine’s Out100 honoree, and Pep is the biographical subject of the documentary film A DEEPER LOVE: THE STORY...

Joining us today is the brilliant, noble, and hilarious Jennifer Welch — co-creator of the breakthrough political and cultural podcast I’VE HAD IT, which disrupted the political media landscape, amassing over 4.5 million followers across platforms with razor-sharp, unfiltered, anti-authoritarian critical commentary, first broadcast from the “Buckle of the Bible Belt”, Oklahoma City!  Jennifer talk...

Anointed by Rolling Stone in 2017 as one of the 20 greatest stand-up comedians of ALL TIME, our guest today has released 12 highly acclaimed stand-up comedy specials including his most recent Drop Dead Years in 2025, has trail-blazed the podcasting genre since the launch of his Monday Morning Podcast in 2007, continues to add outstanding TV and film performances to his credentials from roles in Br...

Today on It’s Open we are joined by one of the most popular and influential creators of infant, toddler, and early childhood educational content in the world today—with over 21 million subscribers, and over 17 billion views on YouTube—it’s the one-and-only Ms Rachel! Ilana and Rachel’s burgeoning friendship brings them together as they connect deeply about standing up and speaking out for the safe...

As our final compilation episode from season one, we’ve gathered some of the incredible women who shared their perspectives on It’s Open. Being a woman isn’t one simple thing, it’s many complicated things. We unpacked it together over the course of season one, and at times disheartening but generally hopeful conclusions our guests came to feel that much more empowering when strung together. Featur...

Keeping it up during this break between seasons, we compiled some of our favorite moments from Season One of It’s Open and reorganized them around themes that have cropped up. Over and over again this year, we’ve discussed billionaires and the system that empowers their existence. People all over America (and the world, frankly) are suffering due to a lack of resources while a very small minority...

During our break between seasons, reviewing past episodes has revealed a few recurring themes. For the next few weeks, we’re compiling some of our favorite moments from Season One of It’s Open and reorganizing them around those themes. This week, we’ve focused on a topic we discuss at length on the pod: transness, the fluidity of gender, and the ways we can liberate and support trans people as a w...

This week Ilana sits down with stand-up comedy sensation Gianmarco Soresi, who was named in Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch For 2025 and Deadline’s Comics Who Won 2025. He and Ilana discuss the relentless pursuit of craft, the charismatic leaders that populate the musical theater world, the state of stand up, moms who over-share, and generational Judaism. Gianmarco is currently touring North America,...

On this week’s episode, Ilana sits down with Andrew Rea, the self-made YouTuber behind two of the platform’s largest and most influential cooking shows—BINGING WITH BABISH and BASICS WITH BABISH—claiming over 10.5 million subscribers. Andrew shares the radical personal transformation that followed his discovery of anti-depressants as well as mushrooms, boosting his self confidence, and prompting t...

On this episode of It’s Open, Ilana sits down with friend and colleague Jay Jurden — a powerhouse, rising star comic whose first comedy album JAY JURDEN, Y’ALL debuted at #1 on iTunes, his debut stand-up special YES MA’AM is streaming on HULU, and you can catch him around the country on his NOTHING SPECIAL tour or at his London debut in August. Jay and Ilana dig into the fraught cultural landscape...

Join us today to get hyped on Gen-Z leadership because it rocks. We sit down with the spectacular Elise Joshi, a progressive political organizer, climate activist & journalist who has been lighting up digital media with clear, hard-hitting content since she was 17. Elise discusses how—growing up during COVID, California’s wild fires, and the emergent climate crisis—she learned to question auth...

Today, Ilana was thrilled to meet and talk with actor, comedian, singer John C. Reilly. For decades, and through his unique expression of sincerity and comedy, John’s performances have shaped the impact of American movie classics—like Chicago, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and Step Brothers. Ilana and John discuss his current and recent projects: a one-man-plus-band musical performance MR. ROMANTIC and...

Today Ilana sits down with the award-winning actor and cultural leader for queer rights, self-discovery, and truth: Elliot Page. Ilana and Elliot cover his new documentary SECOND NATURE, about queerness in the animal kingdom, the book Sex at Dawn, which was influential in both of their sexual developments, and the feeling of being in love 😍. In this generous and open discussion, Elliot describes...

Today Ilana sits down with Reshma Saujani, best known as the founder of Girls Who Code. Reshma’s an entrepreneur, social leader, and activist fighting to reshape the economic landscape for American mothers. llana and Reshma get right down to it, looking at depravity in America today, the enduring construct of “race,” and the manufactured rage-baiting that attempts to separate different groups of w...

This week on It’s Open, Ilana sits down with Jacob Tierney. Best known as the writer and director of Heated Rivalry— the TV adaptation of Rachel Reid’s hockey romance that positively rocked the culture in 2025— Jacob is a staple in Canadian television. He created the beloved series Letterkenny and its spin off Shorsey, and now Jacob discusses his personal career journey from Canadian child-actor t...

Matt Bernstein (aka @mattxiv) is a force to be reckoned with. A 27-year-old, progressive political commentator who has cultivated a 2M+ following by combining clear-eyed, heartfelt, sharp-witted cultural discourse with gorgeous glam and a calm, confident delivery. His video podcast, A Bit Fruity with Matt Bernstein, has become a touchstone in the digital landscape as a rational, ethical, and hilar...

It’s Open partners with More Perfect Union, the ground breaking and progressive non-profit news organization, to highlight the vital local coverage that is helping Americans stay informed and stay connected. Join us as MPU spotlights—and Ilana reacts to—the toxic fallout from mass data center installations nationwide. And then witness the wave of nonpartisan action welling across American towns RI...

Ilana’s dream comes true as she interviews the U.S. Congresswoman from New York, the luminous progressive brawler, the one-and-only… Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. AOC shares about her personal experience growing up Puerto Rican American in the Bronx and Westchester, New York. She unfolds the myth of capitalism, the unyielding profit monsters that uphold it, and its tragic reinforcement of our lesser i...

Today Ilana sits down with Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, a PhD marine biologist, leading climate conservationist and policy expert, and author of WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT, which Rolling Stone calls “The most helpful book on the planet right now for… anyone concerned with Earth’s rising temperatures”. Ayana and Ilana discuss the alarming scarcity (but desperate need for) climate crisis messaging in p...