We’ve profiled myriad artists in our Thursday Spotlight series, but it’s rare we get the pleasure of speaking with a podcaster, especially one whose comedic prowess is as fierce as Stewart Fullerton’s. New to Greenpoint (but not the city), Stewart has been hosting a weekly podcast Stayin’ Humble with Stew for almost six months where she rebels against, celebrates, and (per the title) humbles pop culture and those who stir it.
The podcast is nihilistic with a life-affirming, souther gothic spin, and is rich in millennial upspeak without an ounce of irony. Stayin’ Humble with Stew highlights how New York rains on each of our parades when we step outside in Ray Bans, high on Kimmy Schmidt levels of hopeful and entrepreneurial spirit. Personal recounts pepper the episodes (a funny one follows our hostess through the Pride parade, forgetting her wallet in the gay shuffle while dizzy on stolen treats from Slack’s Narnia closet full of expensive snacks), as do tips on Venmo etiquette (it’s not that hard), how to feel about Taylor Swift (sentiments change like the weather), and who should be the face of the Me Too movement (spoiler: it’s Brad Pitt). Follow her on Insta here, and dive into her saucy responses below!
Greenpointers: She’s new to the nabe! How has it treated you? Any fave spots yet?
Stewart Fullerton: I am absolutely loving this neighborhood. Everyone here is SO hot and the girls here wear the most creative flats I’ve ever seen. The second I moved all my stuff in I needed to go shopping for trendier clothes and a pair of clogs. I live right around the corner from Goldie’s Bar which is where I’m currently spending my paycheck. I also LOVE Three’s Brewing, best beer/ burger combo in the game. For my margaritas: Calexico, great happy hour. And shout out to Variety Coffee.
Stewart Fullerton: I am absolutely loving this neighborhood. Everyone here is SO hot and the girls here wear the most creative flats I’ve ever seen. The second I moved all my stuff in I needed to go shopping for trendier clothes and a pair of clogs. I live right around the corner from Goldie’s Bar which is where I’m currently spending my paycheck. I also LOVE Three’s Brewing, best beer/ burger combo in the game. For my margaritas: Calexico, great happy hour. And shout out to Variety Coffee.
This pod has been going strong for a couple months now, I believe. What was the impetus for creating Stayin’ Humble with Stew?
People have always told me I have the perfect face for podcasting. JK. As a comedian, you have to think of yourself as your own business and do anything you can do to get your name out there. Once I realized I wanted to start a podcast I knew I wanted it to be about celebrity culture in some way. Celebrities are not from the same planet as us mere mortals and I have always been obsessed with that. I also wanted my podcast to feel like a slumber party where I am catching up with my listeners. So I just combined my two favorite things, talking bad about celebrities and updating people on the humbling things that happen in my life. Also, starting a podcast is the new gluten free: everyone’s doing it!
People have always told me I have the perfect face for podcasting. JK. As a comedian, you have to think of yourself as your own business and do anything you can do to get your name out there. Once I realized I wanted to start a podcast I knew I wanted it to be about celebrity culture in some way. Celebrities are not from the same planet as us mere mortals and I have always been obsessed with that. I also wanted my podcast to feel like a slumber party where I am catching up with my listeners. So I just combined my two favorite things, talking bad about celebrities and updating people on the humbling things that happen in my life. Also, starting a podcast is the new gluten free: everyone’s doing it!
You tackle everything from pop culture gossip to Venmo etiquette to (hysterical) weight loss journeys that you recommend for celebs. As director Robert O’Hara says, “Everyone is welcome and no one is safe.” Does that feel pretty apt to the tone and vibe of your podcast and its grab bag assortment of topics?
Wow. You get me. That is the exact vibe of my podcast and that director sounds like a genius. I am someone who could talk shit about the sky for being blue. No one is safe at all. Not my friends, not my mom and especially not you, Drew Barrymore. I definitely keep a grab bag assortment of topics because I like to sprinkle in my life while I keep celebs humble! You know what, now that you mention it… Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen are safe. I like them. I would never talk bad about them.
Wow. You get me. That is the exact vibe of my podcast and that director sounds like a genius. I am someone who could talk shit about the sky for being blue. No one is safe at all. Not my friends, not my mom and especially not you, Drew Barrymore. I definitely keep a grab bag assortment of topics because I like to sprinkle in my life while I keep celebs humble! You know what, now that you mention it… Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen are safe. I like them. I would never talk bad about them.
Celeb guest you’d most want on the show — go. (Or maybe having a celeb would de-humble the podcast? Brainteaser!)Â
This is a hard one! Having a celeb guest would definitely de-humble my whole thing but how could I resist putting someone in their place?? The hard thing is if I had a celeb on I would probably end up getting along with them and liking them and I can’t do that…love to hate them too much. Maybe The Rock or James Franco… I would love to humble those guys.
This is a hard one! Having a celeb guest would definitely de-humble my whole thing but how could I resist putting someone in their place?? The hard thing is if I had a celeb on I would probably end up getting along with them and liking them and I can’t do that…love to hate them too much. Maybe The Rock or James Franco… I would love to humble those guys.
To me, there’s an amusing irony to the humility referenced in the title. We’re privileged white people living in New York with time to spare to dissect (and bitch about) celebrity culture. Yet there is a truth to very real-life scenarios you discuss and how, while minor obstacles, are also meant to keep us in check. Is that a balance you were striving to strike?
For sure. It is so hilarious to me that my biggest problem these days is that I keep getting GOOP ads on my phone even though I hate Gwenyth Paltrow. Keeping our generation in check would be my cause if I was the first lady. Our generation has started to act as if we are all celebrities in our own right. It’s almost impossible for us to stay humble these days. Everyone has their own private show on their Instagram story or snapchat or podcast (me included). All of this attention all the time naturally weighs on all of us and makes us borderline insufferable. I think we could all use a little humility. At the same time, I find that New York is one thing that really keeps us all humble. The city doesn’t care who you are or where you’re from and it humbles me every day. I’m constantly walking down the street with my head held high thinking I look great when a giant drop of brown mystery water drops right onto my white shirt and I remember that I ain’t shit. It so important for us to have humility and be able to laugh at ourselves and others.
For sure. It is so hilarious to me that my biggest problem these days is that I keep getting GOOP ads on my phone even though I hate Gwenyth Paltrow. Keeping our generation in check would be my cause if I was the first lady. Our generation has started to act as if we are all celebrities in our own right. It’s almost impossible for us to stay humble these days. Everyone has their own private show on their Instagram story or snapchat or podcast (me included). All of this attention all the time naturally weighs on all of us and makes us borderline insufferable. I think we could all use a little humility. At the same time, I find that New York is one thing that really keeps us all humble. The city doesn’t care who you are or where you’re from and it humbles me every day. I’m constantly walking down the street with my head held high thinking I look great when a giant drop of brown mystery water drops right onto my white shirt and I remember that I ain’t shit. It so important for us to have humility and be able to laugh at ourselves and others.
You are also a comedienne, and I feel like I see podcasts as a natural extension of many comedians’ work. Does it scratch and itch for you and function as a creative outlet that enhances your comedy life?
This is one of the main reasons I started my podcast. If you’re going to talk into a microphone for an hour once a week something funny is bound to come out. I always try to work some of the jokes that come up on the podcast into my Stand Up set. Unfortunately, they don’t always work because not everyone on this planet watches Southern Charm and hates Kylie Jenner which is a true travesty.
This is one of the main reasons I started my podcast. If you’re going to talk into a microphone for an hour once a week something funny is bound to come out. I always try to work some of the jokes that come up on the podcast into my Stand Up set. Unfortunately, they don’t always work because not everyone on this planet watches Southern Charm and hates Kylie Jenner which is a true travesty.
Any upcoming projects you’d like to discuss, or anything else you’d wanna touch on?
I am always looking for ways to turn Staying Humble With Stew into a real show! Hit me up if you wanna produce. I have the idea of taking someone who is big in their industry and forcing them to do challenges that remind them where they came from and bring them back to earth. For example, what if we took Matthew McConaughey and made him drive around 4 drunk girls in an Uber all night long. Or what if we took Jennifer Lawrence and made her make protein smoothies at 5 AM for grouchy New Yorkers. That idea is so funny to me. I currently perform stand up all over New York City which you can find on my Instagram and am headed to headline at the ACANSA Arts Festival in Arkansas this September!
I am always looking for ways to turn Staying Humble With Stew into a real show! Hit me up if you wanna produce. I have the idea of taking someone who is big in their industry and forcing them to do challenges that remind them where they came from and bring them back to earth. For example, what if we took Matthew McConaughey and made him drive around 4 drunk girls in an Uber all night long. Or what if we took Jennifer Lawrence and made her make protein smoothies at 5 AM for grouchy New Yorkers. That idea is so funny to me. I currently perform stand up all over New York City which you can find on my Instagram and am headed to headline at the ACANSA Arts Festival in Arkansas this September!