114 – David Letterman Flashing: Drew Barrymore's Wild 1995 Stunt - How Do You Drew

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Hello there and welcome to How Do You Drew? This is a Drew Barrymore podcast brought to you by the drewzam.com. And sponsored by our friends at Positive Medium. I'm Anne and I'm. Ashley. And hello. Hello Woo doesn't really work on audio, but I just pretended to flash Anne. It's a greeting, you know, It's a lovely greeting. It's a very sweet thing. All right, So yeah, we're going to be getting into the David Letterman flashing from 1995. We've got some stuff at the top before we get there, but this is going to be a little bit of like a fun little mini thing that we're jam packing with all of this, like reference after reference to this.

It's so fun so. Buckle up, let's do it. OK, so. I guess we've got an oopsie. At the top, yes, a little oopsie. Daisy and I kind of have to blame Drew, but also us. OK, so we our last episode was about little girl lost and we were talking about, I think it was in that episode. It could have been one of the Patreon episodes, you know, how Drew got emancipated from her parents legally. And we're like, yeah, it happened right after this book came out because I knew it was right before her birthday. But we.

We kept like reiterating it like because I was like, wait, when was? It and she always says she was 14 when it happened. OK, so it was one of those things, you know, just like just happened to us. And I'll explain that later where it sticks in me and I'm like, I have to find out the truth. I have to find out the truth. I have to get the details. And I knew I had this clipping from People magazine. So anyway, with a lot of research, I found out it was actually February 1991, right before she turned 16 is when she was emancipated.

So that's actually quite a bit later, you know, like there's a big difference between 14 and almost 16 in my mind. Totally. But I mean, I, I guess also she like says she got her own apartment at 14. Yeah. And that's true. But I I totally imagine those things coinciding. Because the way. She tells the story. Yeah, she said she was emancipated at 14. Yes, you know, we know a girl and and dates and ages. But also I just I recently on her show she said something like I'm a Pisces and there was like talking about how bad she was with numbers.

Because she was trying to say, she was trying to say The Wedding Singer was filmed in 96 and came out in 97. So it's almost 30 years old. And I'm like, no. And so of course I had to comment. And a lot of people liked my comments because they were probably like, that doesn't seem right, like. What did you what did you say? I wrote. Actually it was filmed in 97, came out in 98. We got you, Drew.

We got you, Drew. We. Got you, Drew we. Literally study you. That's our job, our unpaid job. OK, I have one other little follow up with Deja Drew. This is a really cool thing that I wish we had included in our Batman Forever episode. This is just such a fun little nugget. When I was doing research for this episode, I came across it. The creator of Batman, Bob Crane, would be on set during filming of Batman Forever, and he drew a photo for True of her grandfather, John Barrymore. That's so cool. How freaking I want to see that.

How cool is that? I love seeing caricatures of like, her family anyway. I mean, I've seen a few of John. I feel like. Yeah, I don't know if I, I mean, Oh my God, that's such a cool little nugget, isn't? It and you know what I'm going to have. Deja Drews, I feel like this is like going to be our life. The research will never stop the new, the new old will always come up. But I will add this to our Drew details page on the Drews AM we have a page. If you guys don't know, it's just tidbits galore as we love.

It's just little factoids about Drew's life and I'll put this in there cuz it's so fun. It's been a while since I've like, gone through that page. It might almost be like to like do an episode of Drew. Details. We're just like and then this and then did you notice? And then how about this? It's like the most like know it all episode. I mean, it's I don't. Know every episode is a know it all episode when I'm involved. True. True, but we also were like, it's a gift to you that we know all this information in our heads.

OK, Speaking of gifts, tell me what she has proclaimed her love for this week. I love, love. OK, we have a lot thanks to the Drew Barrymore Show being back. Yes. Content. All right. Drew loves a clash, and she means, like, patterns. Yeah, she loves pioneers, and she meant, like, people who are, like, innovators in their field. Yeah, she loves a debate. OK, a hearty vegetable soup in the morning. In the. Morning. Yeah, you know that she loves a puree. OK, An egg cracked over a salad. I'm not sure about that either.

She loves a pole. OK, a Jeremy Irons singular and finally true loves a mullet. No surprise, no. She said that her wig from Full Throttle the dirt bike one was one of her favorite wigs. She's upper worn so cute. I mean is there any? Is there any other mullet like hairstyle of hers that like in any iteration? I don't. Think so. I don't think like SNL wigs there was any like. Melody thing. There is that one where she's like in the last time she hosted where she's like a pool player. That could be a little melody.

I'll have to look. I have to look back at it. If it is, we'll put a picture in the episode. If not, OK, so let's go into our mailbag. We always like going in there. We sure do. You've got mail all. Right, what's inside the mailbag? This week we got a really nice message on Instagram and this is in regards to our incredible interview with Little Girl Lost co-author Todd Gold. If you guys missed that, it was quite a big deal for us and we think you'd really enjoy listening to it. Yes, please do if you're if you're listening to this and you haven't heard, I heard that, please.

OK, so this is from Instagram user Angela Marcor. And they said this was fascinating, one of your best apps yet. He's clearly such an intelligent, curious and sensitive man and I loved him giving you to your flowers for all the hard and heartfelt work you do too. Oh. That's really sweet because that that mean it really like surprised us. I think I surprised me to, to, for him to say that for and for it to have been conveyed to him enough like what we were doing, you know, like I just, I don't know, like I'm sure you explained what we did and that you know.

I mean, ish, it's not like he could have listened to anything unless he's a secret Patreon member. But yeah, it still is like, pinch me crazy. I do want to give Angela extra thanks. I think this is the same Angela, different last names, but should be the same Angela. Because the same day, a member on Patreon upgraded to our doozy of Drew tier, our $5 tier. And so thank you, Angela. And there will be a goodie package coming your way via snail mail soon. If you guys don't know, our higher tier of Patreon members get goodie packages of drew clippings and such.

So you get some little physical stuff if if. You. Have a love for physical things like we do. I love paper. Yeah, yes.

All right, any chance we get to use that? I try to segue into it and that one was. Easy, always. Someone sent me a letter.

Someone sent me a letter. The paper crumbling. Love it. Paper, some paper. An envelope in the mail coming to you for signing up for a higher tier of Patreon. And anyone else who wants to join, come on over. I was going to say might as well just plug it because we're talking about Todd Golds. We didn't even really say what the heck we're talking about if you didn't listen to last episode of You are new to Us that I don't know. It blows my mind to think of new people just listening to an episode. Like we just finished going through Little Girl Lots chapter by chapter on Patreon and then we did our last episode as a wrap up.

So if you didn't know that, and that excites you, here's where you go. Patreon.com slash. Yeah. You get 16 exclusive episodes over there for a dollar a month. We got to try because we're doing this for nothing. For our own enjoyment, all right. $0.00 lots of heart. OK, so we have another, another corner to go in. Let's go over there. So sweet. In the kind comments corner. Yeah, this is I just, I actually picked this for you. This is a YouTube comment that I noticed on the Letterman flashing video.

OK, so they said Brisby on YouTube said she's months older than me and she looks like such a flapper in this interview. Some timeless jewel from the 1920s. She was so very beautiful and she still is, but we all get older. What a piece of time, what a moment to love. Pretty cool. I love that. And I can see it like also like Drew's her vibe totally had like a. Yeah. I mean, also like short hair is kind of like a little bit synonymous. I love that. You're right. Thanks for pulling that for me. I love that.

Like now I'm just like other than other than fever pitch. Should we get to see like Drew in like actual flapper? Just like. Anything in Grey Gardens get close. No, it's like, it's like, it's like 40s, right? Is like the earliest anyway, yeah. OK, so. Let's go back in time for the first time in this episode. Before we go back to 95, we're going to go back a little bit further. For this week in true. History. OK. September 24th, 1990. And I really only picked this one because I've always personally loved how she looks here.

Drew attended the Pacific Heights premiere. I don't even know, like, why that was relevant to her. Sometimes she just went to events in the early 90s, I think, when she was kind of trying to get her career back on track. Yep. She. Attended this with Balz Lazar Getty who she was dating seemingly most of the time back then and then also her mother Jade was there. This was a rare updo for her at this time and she has this really cute purple bandana tied around and I totally remember trying to copy this look in like the year 2001 with a bandana with the hoop earrings and I'm sure I looked just as cute as she did now.

Her face just looked beautiful that day it. Does look really beautiful and like thinking back to that 1920s thing, it's like you almost get like a a vision of what she would look like with really short hair. And it's 1990. So you're right. Like I didn't think of like how uncharacteristic at the time. Like she always had her long blonde hair down totally. 90. 90 like almost like through her cutting it off I don't. Know totally. Of course, I had to note that she's got her marble Reds in her hand on on this little red carpet, a red carpet.

It's probably just outside the event, but that was such a thing for her to do back then. Yep, just. Carry around her cigarettes. Yeah, and it's just crazy to think like how fresh out of Little Girl Lost that this was. Like, the book had been out for seven months and like, yeah, it's that also. Feels weird, yeah. She's like completely had her life turn it around. It's just so cool. One of the coolest things about us doing this, like going back into the Drew history, like going back into the vault and like pulling something out is like we're revisiting something we know well, yeah.

But then it's suddenly we have this like, new perspective because of like, yeah, like a. Different context, yeah. Like I'm like, wait a minute, that timeline. Yeah, for you to say that like that's just, I'm like, whoa, I'm thinking of her mindset. I'm thinking of at how recently, quote UN quote sober she was. Yeah, she looks beautiful. She looks. I know. So pretty. Both of us, I get he's really cute.

OK, so let's get into what's new with Drew. Here we go with the news. Everybody. OK, not much to report on, but we do have a new cover, kind of new. So this is the October issue of Real Simple magazine, which I think we kind of like guessed this was coming because she designed that room for them. Yeah. And I think maybe we, we said, I think we said like, oh, that magazine. So her vibe, if she like has it, we said something about maybe she said she loved the magazine. And I was like, I'm not surprised anyway.

Unfortunately, they didn't do a new photo shoot. They used an old photo. It was taken by Landon Mcmahan and it was taken for that Weird and Me supplement brand that she did a little campaign with in 2024, right? But it's also interesting because does she just do shoots that will go into any like route? You know when you think. I know that. Like, literally. One of the commercials has her wearing the same silk. Yeah, there's. Like pictures of her posing with the supplement and with like, the woman from the company.

So I mean, yeah, it's a. Beautiful picture of her. And because she so infrequently changes her look these days, yeah, like, she basically looks the same music. But you know, I get mad. It's lazy. I want something but also. Like we get another like. Do we have this in print already? No. We didn't even have so. At all. So if if we're still appreciating and loving paper like we do, the real simple, physical magazine will be fun to have if we can find it. Magazines are hard to get these days, you guys.

You know what? Right before we started filming our friends over at Blockbuster Wives, the amazing podcast, Stacey texted me a picture and she said, do you have this? Do you want this? And I was like, yes, I want it. Thank you so much. So thanks, Stacey. Go listen to Blockbuster wives. Oh. That's so cool. I love it all, man. That. I mean, I think I've always been so touched when somebody like saves a physical like Drew related artifact for me totally. It's. Always been like clippings or magazines but people don't think to do that even if I mean they don't really understand collecting like even if it's.

True, you know. I mean, I've had people though, like past like like classmates who I've like reached out and been like, does anyone have like this newspaper? And then like someone else, he gets like a newspaper in the last like several years. And I'm like so touched, especially if like it's like very little effort for them if they like have it and they're going to throw it away. You know, guys, we want all the paper. We love paper. We love paper. I like. Paper. I want paper. Paper. Paper. Yeah. It never gets old OK.

So yes, so yeah, you as you mentioned, she did design AA room in this real simple house in New York City so that it's really cute. Of course she's using it's all it's got a bunch of her beautiful by Drew stuff. I do really like that pillow. Actually, there are two like decorative pillows in this that are really cute. Yeah, those are. Definitely your vibe. This room is kind of a mash up of our vibes actually. So good job. Yeah, it kind. Of is there's like a boho kind of rug and then like sort of art Deco looking pillows, Yeah.

The only thing I pulled from the article, which we will link to it if you guys want to check it out. I thought this was a really cool and inspiring quote, she said. If I imagine something and I can't find it, I want to make it. That really lights my fire and then once the fire starts it's hard to extinguish. That's so. True No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. That's supposed to be fire starter by Prodigy, in case you can tell. That's great. OK, Charlie McGee, back off. Just back off.

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Are we ready? To get into our weekly topic, Yeah. You know, what's funny is this has been on our list for a long time, but I think we sort of felt like once we had done Playboy, that like, this was maybe overkill, but it's just like out in the world right now. And Drew's bringing it up again so much that it's like. Yes. Is calling to us, Yes. Exactly. And it's telling us to lift up our shirt on David Letterman's desk. So let's go back to 1995. Let's like get us in can. We play like. We are go, we are literally travelling there guys right now.

Give it anything. Although I was in 8th grade, which was not a great time. That's great time. We're going back there like at, you know, like in our 20s, you know, like or something where we're like smart enough, but we're like also like not so tired, you know, of the. 90s so 19. 95 Drew is 20 years old, so she's very much in her what she literally is called, exhibitionist, wild child, little wood nymph and also taking off her clothes. Period.

Yes. And you mentioned that we've done an episode on this. She had posed for the Playboy January issue. And also in February, Drew had stripped during a performance art piece at a nightclub called the Blue Angel, which we'll get into a little bit more. So this is like kind of putting you in that place, yeah. She's very much known for taking it off. So a quote from a little bit later that year, she said, I'm so comfortable in my skin. If you ever are lucky enough to get to that place in your life, and I had to go through tons and tons of shit to get there, you have to take advantage of it.

It's not about exhibitionism. That's where it goes wrong. When it becomes about wanting to show yourself instead of just being able to, which I love because like, you know, in Little Girl Lash, it's it's not mentioned a lot, but she definitely deals with feeling fat or overweight. Yes. And I remember we even kind of theorized that this could come a little bit from her mom, who is always described as frail. She's extremely teeny tiny. She only had like health food in the house. I think there's something there that she's never really talked about.

Sure that there was some kind of food obsession or at least like body obsession within the house with Jade we had to it totally it just. Fits this is. Also speaking to like, she's saying what she like went through. Yeah, like she feels free. She feels good in her. Body five years after she released little girl last. So we're also like putting that in perspective too and also like kind of put another thing in perspective regarding this topic is that Drew had been crushing on Letterman for most of her life, she said.

And her first appearance on this show was February 2nd of 1995 while she was promoting boys on the side. So literally just a couple of months before. Yeah, it's crazy. Yeah. So they like, if you guys haven't seen that one, it's not available online, unfortunately. But there's definitely a chemistry between them. There's definitely a flirtation right off the bat. It was very like, it didn't feel gross to me ever, even though he's so old and she's only 20. Like they had a like back and forth that was really fun to watch I think.

That David Letterman tended to keep his distance while saying whatever. Like wow, he never even really like said inappropriate things. Yeah, so that first appearance, like the kind of tone is set. He invites her to come back anytime. And later on she's like, I really appreciate you actually did that. Like you did let me come back. So she's coming back. So you guys, here's the that's setting the scene. You kind of understand what's going on. So now it is April 12th, 1995. This is when history is about to be made and it's Dave's birthday, so there's like a festive vibe in the show.

Andrew was a guest for really no specific reason. And Wildflower. She says that she was on to promote a film, but she's not at this time. She was the time before and the time after, but they don't talk about a movie while she's up and she brings him daisies in a glass bottle, which was just so. Cute. The cuteest with like, some like cute or like some like rough. Yeah yeah. Tied around the glass bottle. It's so cute. Straight out of Real Simple Magazine.

Yeah, Why didn't she put that in that room that she designed?

Should we talk about her look a little bit because we love her so much at this time, but also like this is an iconic moment. So it's also fun to like point out some of the little details because why are there so many fun details? Because it's Drew and because we love her. Because it's. Drew And it's 95, right? All right, so she was wearing black seemingly corduroy pants are definitely like dark. They're either like corduroy or velvety maybe. And they have a weird patch that's on like the crotch and butt area, and we see it because of this moment and so.

Many people, I don't know if you've like, read recent comments in the videos that have been posted. People are so weirded out by it. What is that? Does she have a pad on outside of Oh my? God, I know it. Is very weird looking but like I don't know, it just fits what her vibe was at that time. She probably had a RIP and she just had somebody say something over it feels so. Her and I feel like anyone who would have seen it at the time would have been like, Oh my God, she's so cool, you know, like I don't know.

So anyway, she has this patch this visible like a couple times, like her putting her legs up, you see it and when she's on the desk, you see it. She's wearing black heeled boots, which she loves black heeled boots. That's such a vibe. And then she's got like the most iconic thing. I feel like for a couple reasons. She's wearing this iconic long sleeved blue tee that says I'm bananas over you with the cartoon banana. And I I've never like looked super closely at it, but you noted that it's got blush and eyelashes like it is.

It's a girl banana and. I know so I made a note merch idea because like I've always wanted this shirt yeah What do you guys think? I already I actually reached out to my cousin Roxy Prima, who is the designer of our logo and I was like I am totally just floating an idea. This is early stages. Would you be able to recreate this like your own version? Like yeah, different enough we couldn't get sued even though who freaking knows where this shirt came from? And now I want. To do like a reverse Google and oh I already.

Tried. I didn't find. Anything. Yeah. So the odds of someone suing us over it are pretty slim, but we'll make sure if there's any. Interest out there like let us know like I want it, I do. Too imagine how cute it would be if we had matching. Oh my God. That would be so cute. OK, that also. Makes me think of the Banana Mores shirt that she had that was apparently like a one off that we inquired about and we're like, it's got a little cartoon banana on that one too. Yeah, it's so. Cute. OK, anyway, we love this shirt It it's just adorable.

It's so it's so 95 Drew. Like I know that it's like we are going to forever associate it because it is part of this historical moment, but also like totally it's so her like I'm also anyway, OK, one more I guess one more little a couple little details. She's got her usual like 1995 jewelry. So does she have like her butterfly ring or something on Yeah and her? Like Daisy necklace and her hemp necklace that we had versions of at one point, the safety pin on the bracelet, All of that, Yes, and her.

Blonde Pixie hair. Yeah, it's got a. Daisy in it if you can't. Picture it yet? I hope you're on our website looking at the pictures right now on the drewzium.com so. Good, yes. Anyway, so. And that's what she's looking like. And we all love it. So Drew and Dave, they very briefly discuss her recent 20th birthday. But immediately after they pivot into the story of what happened at this nude performance art place, the Blue Angel. So Drew has a friend named John Rosen, who I'm 90% sure is the guy who did those little comics, the misfits that she writes the book forward for.

Has to be right. Has to be. And he had this actor. He would play like a very unfunny comedian. And then this night, Drew joined him on stage as a character called Lolita. Because of course, we know she has some weird, like, problematic obsession with Lolita. Yep. And she started stripping her clothes off.

In Wildflower, this is part of Drew talking about this moment. We have a little bit more later, but the nice thing is there's a chapter about it and we get to kind of extract from a little bit. We also Speaking of Patreon, we're going to be doing Wildflower chapter by chapter. That's true. We'll be. Talking about this all over again. Anyway, so this chapter from Wildflower.

OK. So Drew's like kind of saying like no one had been there at the Blue Angel to like, document what actually happened. Like, you know, this is pretty soft. It's all that stuff. But. It had gotten out in the news and word had reached the Letterman producer. So when she was going to go on they did a pre interview and he asked about it. So in the book she says his Booker said. Is it true that you and your friend did a show downtown? I described Dick Haney, that's John Rosen's character and my character Lolita, and how silly and quick and crazy it was.

So he said, if it was OK, could I talk about it on the show with David? Sure. I said again, I was in a very Free State and I'd always loved David Letterman since the day he went on the air. I loved people who were smart and funny. It would become my favorite combination of someone's personality. So of course I would discuss it with Mr. Letterman. They love that so much. And also that is so true about her. Smart and funny. Yeah, she's always intellect. And humor. So Drew's telling the story of the Blue Angel on the episode 95, and she stops herself short.

Like she's just like, stops and says. Would you like me to do a dance for you? Hi, Paul. Oh. My God.

Oh man, Paul, give me some Blues. It's so like classic so. Good. So it's it started you guys, the runaway. Train, as she's explained in later. So she just is so fun. This is so like, characteristic. It's not uncharacteristic. It's characteristic of Drew. You know, she's a fun, free loving gal. She jumps on Dave's desk and starts dancing. It's very, like, cute and sexy like Drew is. Yeah. And you get, like, her cherub tattoos on her lower back are peeking out. Like, we always love a tattoo peek. But also like, that adds to this.

Like, Oh my God, she's so cool. Yeah, like there's like in 1995, like, I, I know I was too young to really understand, but like, we've got 90s love deep. Yeah, Anyway, deep in our. Soul all. Right, so Drew like does this adorable spin with her back to the audience. She impulsively and quickly just lifts her shirt and flashes Dave. It's it's so. Fast. It's so fast. I'm almost like. Did he even see it? And then she, you know, like, then she immediately turns around with like, a look of disbelief and excitement on her face.

And this is like the most printed picture basically is her like flipping around and looking at the audience and like he's like celebrating totally like I. Can't believe. This. Yeah. And it's, I just want to make it clear, like, what's so like, it wasn't like she was flashing like the live audience. Like, she wasn't like she didn't bare her chest to the TV. It was like this fun moment. And she's clearly braless, which is, like, exactly her vibe at the time. So everything about it is just playful.

It's like so playful. I do like people there. I've definitely seen negative comments about it in recent times and we won't get too into that. But some people just miss the point and they're like, oh, if a dude did this, I'm like, how do you even begin to compare those things? Get out of here. OK, so a few more quotes about the moment while we're in the moment. So let's play the audio from Wildflower the. Moment was just one of completely uncalculated silliness that just started gaining motion like a runaway train.

If I was trying to be sexy or get attention, it would have felt that way. You could see me trying to catch up to the train that was going and after I was dancing on his desk. I guess I wondered how I could up the ante and strike a finishing moment and boom, I lifted my top in a flash, only for David where no one else could see. I was. Shocked at myself and again feeling like the train was ahead of me, I turned around and threw my arms up in the air and looked to the audience like what did I just do?

Is this OK? Am I in trouble? I didn't even know. But then I just thought it's time to get off the desk and go back to my chair. And on my way there I grabbed David by the tie and brought him in for a sweet kiss on the cheek. And it was sweet, but the reaction of what he would think of this whole moment hung in the balance. Thank God. He threw his head back and laughed. He let. Everyone know that it was OK to enjoy the moment and not overthink. This was a true moment of freedom, and it got to be something fun rather than something wrong.

Thank you for that, Dave. It's really sweet. It's like, it's like making me smile because it's like she's talking about it in such a tender way. Yeah. And it makes, it makes sense. Like if you hear that, you can't really be like, oh, she's so whatever. They're still. Going to people, people who have their opinions. We happen to love her and her opinions. So anyway, there here's some other quotes. This is from 1997 from U.S. magazine, She said. Talk about moments. Definitely one of the best moments of my life.

I'm just standing there on Dave's desk and the only thing that's going through my mind is, what are you doing? It was never planned. I just did it, and that was so liberating. For the rest of my life, I get to go back to that moment anytime I want. And that same year in 97, she told Jane that was so fun. It was so spontaneous and so out of body. I can't believe I did that. I would never have the nerve now. I kind of like that. She always went like, I still can't believe this happened. I still don't know what I was doing.

Like, there's no part of her that's like, yeah, that was me. I was a badass. Like, she's still like, what? How did this happen? Right. And. She's she lived her life publicly so I feel like her even thinking about the fact that's like national TV, it's probably not even really on her mind, no. We're going to get into that too. OK, so as Drew said in Wildflower, she gives David kiss on the cheek. He looks totally stunned. They actually showed this little shot of his shocked face several times in her next visit to the show.

And he eventually was like, stop showing that it's it's. Really funny. It is like a really funny clip, yeah, a really funny image. And she just I. Know. And she hops back down, gets in her chair in like a fit of giggles, and this is what she had to say. Let's hear it. I would. Have. Always done it, but it was your birthday, you know? You know, I, I can't thank you enough for that. She's so happy she gets. Up and does the the cutest little like VV the approval you know it's like that she was talking about Oh yeah.

Yeah, because she was probably inside, like a little scared. How is he going to react? You know this, she said. Like, this could have gone real bad. It is really funny as they go to commercial. You have to listen for it. I don't even know if the version online has it. I think it's cut. But Drew shouts really quickly. I'm sorry, Mary. And that was for Erik Erlinson's mom, her boyfriend at the time, Eric. And we'll talk a little bit more about that in a minute. That's so. Funny, when they come back from commercial break, it's it shows that it's being shown on the Megatron, which is like a big, huge TV in Times Square.

And yeah, and I'm like, but they're reacting to it. Live. I don't understand, did his show air live? Yeah, so why would it be playing in Times Square? I'm so confused. I don't know. I don't get it either. Maybe there's something that went on back then that we don't understand about how his show aired in New York on the street, I felt. I guess maybe because I'm such an like an AI and like you just needed the edit mindset that I'm like, is that real? Like that would be so funny if they did that. But like what?

I mean, yeah, who knows? Who knows? They had this, you said, like a Direct Line to the Times Square TV. OK, so in this episode, they talk about other things, like Drew's career. And she sarcastically says that she can't wait to hear what Steven Spielberg would say about what she just did. He's like. Really like a father to me. I mean, he really is. And he still looks at me like I'm his little girl. In fact, I can't wait to hear what he's going to say about what I just did. Dave's cracking up. Yeah.

Another thing Drew said later in Harper's Bazaar in 2007 was how can I top that with a wry smile? I was so out of body when that moment happened. After what I said to Nancy Javonin, did I just do that? And she was like, I think you did. And I was like, do you? Here's what you were saying, she said. I think I was like, do you think anyone's going to notice She doesn't know she's Drew Barrymore, guys. She also doesn't. Realize like how national TV is national, you know, like, yeah, I don't know. And.

Then she said, you know, I couldn't do anything like that now, but have the blast of your youth, you know, go for it. I love that she said that in 2007. Like, this is like, yeah, which to us is recent, guys, I know it's 18 years ago. She would say the same thing now. All right, a couple more little clips because it's so fun to, like, see how she, how she was feeling about it. You know, we're already completely on board with how fun this moment was. So Drew also said in 1995, she said, any woman who tells me she sat next to Dave's desk and didn't want to get up and dance for him, they're lying or just really different than me, and I can't understand them.

I love that, too. So then Letterman said this is also from the same article from 1995. He said. I guess an argument can be made that it was in bad taste, but I have to say from a professional standpoint and also from a personal standpoint, it was certainly one of the delights of my adult life. I mean, yeah, you got to think professionally, too, because this got like a ton of coverage. So now his show is in the public, in the press, right? Like, people want to see this. Adorable. Moment like and and I guess maybe I just do you know anyone who watched it live?

No, not that I know of, because I'm pretty. Sure. My high school boyfriend, George, you know him? I'm pretty sure he told me that he watched it live. And he, like, remembers, like who already loved her at the time. And he would regularly watch David Letterman. So he like, remembers being like hell yeah no. I bet, I bet. I do love the photo of her walking to the car afterwards. There's a couple, actually. You can see that Nancy is there with her in the background of one of them. But yeah, it's funny.

Like, she looks a little like, like, almost in a daze. Like, I don't know what's going to happen now. Yeah, like. She does look a little, I mean she looks like her normal happy self, but with this like. Yeah, yeah. And then one more quote from Wildflower about the aftermath of this. She said when we got in the car, after I realized that this might make waves, I met up with my friends from the Lower East Side, and we watched the show together. When it aired that night as the show started, I said, so this might be a little crazy.

And they asked me why, and I said let's just watch. And we did. As my dance on the desk started to fly, my friends were as shocked as anything you have ever seen, but elated. And the whole thing ended in cheers and people saying Oh my God and I can't believe it. They weren't judging me, but they weren't exactly condoning it either. Wow. I had done something really out there by actually putting it all out there. As I watched myself and my friends laughing from an objective perspective, I realized right then and there that this was the end of an era for me.

And that's true. It was a whole. Thing it was an event, yeah. All right, so we've got a clip from 2021. She's always being asked about this, of course. Still, Yeah, I'm. Glad that Dave went with it because Dave's tricky, you know, he could have turned on me in that moment and he had my back in a moment where I did not know what I was doing. But I grew up, literally my biggest crush growing up was David Letterman. So I think I just wanted to do something silly for him because I've just loved what he put out into the world.

I wasn't trying to be sexual. I was just, I don't know what I was doing. I still to this day, I don't even know how I would have the courage to do something like that because now I'm so appropriate and I just don't even think I have that. I would never do anything like that now. So it was, it was fun and.

We have like so many quotes of her being like this is not who I am anymore. Of course, and like how I mean, just one of the many things that like as a mom, like this very public life, she's had her children being like, oh, so she was on a talk show and flashed them. Interesting. And I can't wear a crop top. OK, so. I think it'd be really fun for you to introduce this thing because you got some confirmation. That was really fun. Like, as we hit record, yes. OK, so we knew of this really adorable little skit that Late Show at David Letterman ran and we didn't know when we have finally gotten the answer as of recording.

There's this guy who has this incredible David Letterman database that's like I've just read a couple of his blog posts about what it entails and it's unbelievably cool right up our alley, totally nice and nerdy. So you can find him at Don's DONZ blog dot home dot blog for that. But thanks to him. I I messaged him before like an hour ago. He got back to me. He had the date. So on May 5th, 1995 S just less than a month after this happened, there's this little skit where Dave all of a sudden runs out of the studio because he realizes he's late for something.

And they show him like running down the streets of New York. He runs up to this church, throws up on the door, runs up to the front of the church, and it's his wedding and who is the bride? It's true. It's so cute. Reveal So yes, like thank you to this Don's blog. Like so cool to have this date because you and I were talking before we started recording that. Like I didn't think about it being right after the flashing, like I don't know, I just didn't really associate them. So that just makes it like that much more funny and sweet.

Like he's almost like, oh, now that she flashed me, we got to get married. That's how I got to be. Make an honest man out of me or. It's so, it's so adorable. It's like flash, like literally a flash in the pan. Is that what? Yeah. And she gets. To kiss him, which she was pretty pumped about me, yeah. Yeah, I get that her she's like she said she's had a crush on her whole life All right so then there was a follow up appearance on May 22nd of 1995 we're. Just living the dream back then, I mean. Yeah, Why weren't we?

Why weren't we older? I don't know. How. How do I how do I wish that I was ready for Drew at that point? All right, so in Dave's introduction, he says that Drew's appearances always cheer him up. Yeah, I bet. And Drew does a little like, miming like a flash when she comes out because of course, it's hilarious. That's everything they want to, you know, joke about. And let's get into a little bit of this interview.

Listen, the last time you were here, you did something. I I've just I still, you know, I start to Yammer. Have you been? Having the same thing that I have, that everyone's just talking about it and every person a lot of. People. Yeah, yeah. And what is the response you get from having done that all? Positive, which is great. You know, I thank people for enjoying that because I'll tell you how. I hope I'm still on the list. Well, you're. Who I wanted to please. That was very. Nice. And you did it because it was my birthday.

We're all a videotape. Here it is, April 12th.

That's when they keep showing his face going.

All right, so then Drew, in this interview, she says that her boyfriend Eric Erlinson's whole family was watching when it happened, and she was really embarrassed. But she said they all got a kick out of it, which is great. Yeah, thank goodness. Yeah. Drew gives props to the perfect angle of the camera, which let's hear her listen to. But I also love this idea because on when she was on that bill March, she was like like saying, oh, the coverage is great in here. Oh my gosh. You're right, she's just very aware of that stuff where the camera is.

Before she was actually directing, of course she was. All right, so let's listen to her talk about the perfect camera angle. You know what though? I gotta say, that was perfect. Like, yeah, I know. I know. It was great. Felt better. Yeah. Well, I think I had the best angle.

Speaking of angles, I love that you remembered. Somehow this is less cute, but it's so funny. In 2000, Dave had like, heart surgery, and instead of having the regular show, they were doing this thing called Late Show backstage, and they were doing these, like, kind of private interviews. Paul Shaffer interviewed Drew and he tells her that he had the perfect view of the Barrymore profile that night. I think it's I. Mean. Yeah, it's a little gross, but like, I love that. I love the acknowledgement.

But a different profile than we are used to being referred to as the Barrymore profile. True. All right, so let's let's kind of get into how Drew has changed since, of course, this is a huge thing. Drew is not this little wood nymph anymore. She is deep in her heart, the same person. Let's listen to this little clip to start us off. I don't know, but I'm just so glad I got to have a moment of that in my life. I hope it comes back because it's gone, I don't think. So and I. Would love it to come back and also when my boobs are hanging down at my feet when I'm older I'm going to be like look at where they were once, look at that.

Whoo, I mean. That's so. Great. Look at that. So that was in. 1999 And as we know, she's gotten even more and more prudish over the years. Yes, in 2005, she told people Back then I had a spontaneity and a wildness that I totally don't have now. No more Playboy, no more standing on Letterman's desk. I don't regret any of it. I'm just past it. And then she also told that her favorite magazine, the AARP, back in 2020. I was an absolute free spirit. Glad I got that out of my system because I'm a puritan old lady now.

I wear clothes up to my neck. True, that kind of. Was true at one point she was, yeah, like not showing her chest for a while. All right, so now let's get it back into Wildflower a little bit. So she said. And so I started my journey into no sex scenes and movies, modesty clauses in my contract, and a total lack of nudity in any public forum from there on out. And year after year, I became more uptight. 1 button higher on the blouse, 1 inch lower on the skirt. So true. After that, even though it went so well and couldn't have come off with a better, more playful tone, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

I knew that film had been my great opportunity in the past, so I needed to make it my big opportunity again. I wanted to be a good girl and I wanted goodness to be the theme of my life and work.

It's interesting how she frequently thinks of herself as bad. You know, like, she was a wild child. Yeah, but like, well. She said she's finally getting over like the whole idea that she's going to get in trouble for everything, right? Yeah. It just makes me a little sad that, like, this part of her life that we admire and love so much, she thinks of like, I was a bad girl and I needed to behave after this. You know, I wish she could reframe that. Maybe she has by now. Yeah. So the good. Girl roles kind of follow after this.

We've got everyone says I love you, Scream, The Wedding Singer Ever after. I mean, it goes on. So this really was, like the path that she put herself on after that. Like, she's like, OK. And then Pinnacle, yeah. I feel like before reading this chapter, you know, when a book first came out, I don't really feel like I ever made that correlation that like, me neither. This was the end of this era. Because she was like frequently nude movies in the early 90s didn't care like, you know, inner, inner skin and loving it.

But it's really you can really like draw the line in the sand. This is when it all shifted. Yep, a little more of the aftermath. So I just wanted to include this because it's kind of a lesser known thing, but I think it's funny. In 1998, she did a cameo as herself on a season 6 episode of the Larry Sanders Show, which was about like a fictional talk show. And I think like that show is ending. And so she's is making a little video saying goodbye. Thank you for everything. Let's play this clip, OK?

So show your tits. What? Well, you know. Like you did on on on Letterman, you know. Little whoop de doodle. What the fuck? Are you talking about cut? Cut. Cut. I thought that was like your shtick. You know, like I do. Hey now. It's pretty funny in like a 98 Drew to be dropping the F bomb. It felt very like, Oh yeah, she is still a bad girl. Yeah, I really like. It and yeah, I love that she had this little like Larry Sanders show like little, you know, bop in there it's. Pretty fun. And then we go.

Forward to 2002 and there's some flirtiness going on in this one. So in a cute little call back to the appearance, Drew, like laid on top of Dave's desk and it was just a cute little like, like before the commercial break or something. Right? Like, yeah, I don't totally. Remember the I feel like she there, it was Christmas time. I feel like she picked up some, like, prop presents and got up on the desk. And yeah, she's just laying there kicking her heels up. But we all know what the. What's a little call back to?

Yeah, in 2021 on the 1st birthday surprise episode of the Drew Barrymore Show. So this is the first time they, like, just packed an episode full of surprises for her. Dave actually showed up and this was still like pretty COVID time. Like people were still zooming in. I think he actually starts as a zoom call and then surprises her by actually walking out to the stage, which is. Really cool I. Remember being very touched by this, but very full circle because, you know, it was his birthday when she did that and then he is surprising her for her birthday.

I kind of love it. And they of course, had to discuss the classic moment. All right. Let's hear it. I had no plan of doing that. It was one of those moments in my life where I felt like a magnet was pulling me and it was all very playful and well intended and I just had no idea where it was going. I couldn't almost believe it was happening. I think a little bit I was on the ride too, wondering what was going to happen next. And you taught me in that moment how to be as a human being because I was shocked.

And I almost was like, should I be embarrassed? Did I do something bad? Am I in trouble? And I knew in that moment that with one turn, you could have gone. Why did you do that? What's what's wrong with you? And instead, you had that smile. And you said to everyone, this moment is OK. And I thought I will treat people, I will handle, I will be the conductor for the rest of my life to see when spontaneity happens or something is going on. I hope that I. Can man? Dave is right now and just let something innocent and spontaneous be innocent and spontaneous.

Well, I. Recognized it immediately as being unique. It had, it had not happened prior to me, has not happened since to me. And later I was thinking, oh geez, now what if she goes and does this on Leno's show? Then I'll. Really be upset. That's actually. The perfect segue. Actually. Kind of is. All right. So now let's go to 2025. So that's this year. We get Drew doing a fun little dance on another talk show host desk. Not Leno. Not. Leno.

So just a few weeks ago, we talked about it already on the show. But just in case you didn't listen to that one, Drew went on the current version of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. And there's some stuff going on politically over there. I don't want to get into it. I'm stressed out about the world. But in order to show her love for him, she said, oh, I have a lot of memories in this theater with Dave. I had a lot of fun. And she gets up on his desk. She does not flash him, but she pulls off her jacket and the back of her shirt and like beautiful sequins said we heart Steven.

And it was a very cute tribute. She didn't say like this feels really different now or something like. That she did when she was like kind of crawling back and forth on top of his desk. Like she's like, it's not the same. Not the same, but so sweet. So sweet. And then Letterman was on Drew's show literally a week later, which it's like, it was like, really like, really soon after, right? It was like so soon after. And they spoke very fondly about it. And of course, Dave had to tease, like, pretending to be mad that she did a dance for Colbert.

Like I thought that was our thing. Yeah, it was really sweet. It's. Always really sweet seeing them together. Well, I mean, it's crazy. So I was doing the math on it from our records. From what I could find, I ended up making a spreadsheet because that's the kind of loser I am. I love a. Spreadsheet. Same, same. Drew had made what I count as 18 regular appearances on Late Show with Letterman from 1995 to 2010. And then there were three other random appearances. So that cameo in the wedding skit that we talked about, there's another weird, totally random cameo we know nothing about from 1999 where she, like, kisses him, quote UN quote.

It's a camera and the pants catch on fire. Remember that weird thing it sounds? Vaguely familiar, I don't remember. If I want to show you and then also as we already discussed, that Late Show backstage interview from 2000 when Dave was recovering from heart surgery and Paul Schaefer interviewed her, which I would love to get my hands on that one. I actually reached out to Drew Barrymore Daisy to see if she had that and I haven't heard back yet, but fingers crossed. Fingers crossed. All right, so guys, we're caught up.

This was this fun historic thing. OK, so we're how many years from that having happened? 30 years. This is the 30 year anniversary, 30 years so special. You say so special, Yeah. I mean, what a thing in your life. Like of all these things that happened in Drew's life, this is one of the big ones. This is one of those like this never gets left out of any story about her. Any autobiography, I mean, any biography, any special about her, this is always mentioned. It's one of those really iconic moments in the her very colorful history.

I'm glad that we. Covered it. I almost felt like it wasn't going to be enough and then like, yeah, guys, it was enough. It always is. There's always layers upon layers and many many quotes from her. Hopefully it wasn't overkill, but I just pulled anything I could find because it was just too much fun. Really fun. And the repeating of the like, the consistency of how she's felt about it, almost like since it happened, even through now I like it. I like me too. The reiteration of the same kind of intention.

Yeah, she's never changed her story. She's sticking to it. Yeah, All right, If you want to stick to us guys, go like subscribe wherever you're listening. That would be cool. You could also rate a review. We would love that. No one's doing it these days and it's the cool thing to do Be cool. If you're not already following us on Instagram or at how do you Drew pod? We also have our other account at Drew ZM for all other Drew content. And also just a reminder, you can now leave comments on episodes on Spotify.

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All right, everybody all. Right, that's enough. Let's wrap this up. Thank you, Ross. He's always getting things back on track. We need a Ross around here. Yeah, we. Do all right, guys. We'll see you all next Tuesday. Thank you for joining us. Thank you. Bye bye bye bye Oh my God. This episode of the How Do You Drew podcast was researched and produced by Ashley and Anne from thedrezium.com with help from our sponsor, Positive Medium. Special thanks to Matt Costa for our lovely theme song, Roxy Prima for our adorable logo, and last but not least, Drew Barrymore and all the Drewbies who love her.

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114 – David Letterman Flashing: Drew Barrymore's Wild 1995 Stunt

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