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Aisha Tyler and The Talk Head to the Super Bowl
She's an actress, author, podcaster, standup comic and co-host of The Talk, not to mention a know-it-all sports jock and card-carrying sci fi supergeek. Is there anything Aisha Tyler isn't? Yeah, boring!
She's an actress, author, podcaster, standup comic and co-host of The Talk, not to mention a know-it-all sports jock and card-carrying sci fi supergeek. Is there anything Aisha Tyler isn't? Yeah, boring!
TV Guide Magazine: The Talk will air a week of Super Bowl shows from the Big Easy, starting Jan. 28. [Guests include Neil Patrick Harris, Craig Ferguson and Train]. Got your locker-room jokes ready?
Tyler: Lots of 'em! I'm also planning to gain 20 pounds because, hey, it's New Orleans. We'll be talking sports with a lot of the players. I really do know football. But, when in doubt, I go with the team that has the nicest asses.
TV Guide Magazine: You're also cohosting CBS's Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials 2013 [Wednesday, Jan. 30 at 8/7c] from down there. What's in store?
Tyler: They've got Boomer Esiason hanging out in the Superdome and I'll hit the streets to show you the city and do the "Who dat? Who dere?" thing. I'm going where the cocktails are. Obviously, I'm making up for my nerd childhood.
TV Guide Magazine: Have you noticed everyone claims to be a nerd these days, including most supermodels?
Tyler: You don't get to be in the club just because you collect things obsessively or watch Star Trek! People challenge my nerd cred all the time. I just show them the photo of me winning my middle-school science fair, wearing my Casio calculator watch and eyeglasses so big they look like they can see the future. Unless you played alone during recess — just you and your transistor radio — then spare me your geek sob story!
TV Guide Magazine: And now you're a star! Sweet revenge?
Tyler: Delicious revenge! When I get old and slow down I want to look behind me and see all the fire and the wreckage and no stone left unturned. [Laughs] I want to be able to say, "I tore s--t up!"
TV Guide Magazine: What do you make of The Talk's recent surge in the ratings? You five gals have jelled beautifully at a time when The View has officially become unwatchable.
Tyler: The zeitgeist certainly seems to be leaning in our favor. We're not trying to figure out what people want. We're just being ourselves and the audience seems to like that.
TV Guide Magazine: You also seem to genuinely like and respect each other. Where are the five-way scream matches? The Rosie O'Donnell-type meltdowns? The Star Jones-style implosions?
Tyler: It's been so wonderful with this particular group and, so far, no one's cracked up and gone off the deep end. We always joke that we're waiting for somebody's head to explode and a demon to come jumping out but, the truth is, there's no jealousy or competitiveness, no fighting for air time. We all feel like a point scored by one of us is a point scored by the team, and that's different from other shows with a group dynamic. I think the reason a lot of men love our show — and I'm not just talking about gay men — is the genuine kindness and support that's on display. You rarely see women being nice to each other on television anymore. No one's pulling out anyone's weave. [Laughs] And, these days, that's really kind of shocking!