We Called Your Mom Earwolf & Beth Stelling

What a wonderful way to end the pod. We didn’t get offered another season, but we are so thankful to you for listening, rating and leaving reviews. Who knows? We may find a way to do it on our own… but let’s be real we barely found our way into the Zoom room. I’m so thankful I got the chance from Earwolf to do this podcast with my mom. What started as calling my talented friends’ moms to hear fun stories about their childhood, turned into getting to know the amazing women who made them. The biggest thank you goes to all the moms who came on to speak with us, and of course to my mom Diane for agreeing to host with me knowing nothing of podcasts, let alone hosting one! She brought so much heart and curiosity, as she does all things in life. It’s incredible to have this audio scrapbook for my friends to cherish their mom’s episode recording in the years to come, and in some cases, learn something they didn’t know about them. Lastly a special thank you to Suchithra (Aparna Nancherla’s mom) for taking the time to speak with us in November. Hers was the only episode we lost because of recording error and I can’t express the sadness I have that you can’t hear it because it was such a lovely conversation we will cherish. Sweet dreams!

Joyce is a game changer. Roy called in at the beginning of this episode to suggest we ask his mom about her activism in the Civil Rights Movement, and we’re grateful Joyce was willing to share. Born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, Joyce went on to Delta State University where she was one of the first Black students to integrate the school. Her enrollment exposed her to innumerable tribulations due to the racism of teachers, students, the entire academic system and society at large. She didn’t succumb to racism and instead fought for her human rights by participating in sit-ins, protesting her grades from discriminatory professors and merely by using the bathrooms in her dorm. Despite these negative forces Joyce still went onto grad school and law school, and continues her remarkable work in the world of academia as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at a college in Birmingham, Alabama. She told us that Roy was a quiet child which worked quite nicely considering he was a toddler when she was in law school. She was influential in Roy attaining his college degree from Florida A&M, and was supportive of his comedy career once he completed his schooling. Listen to Roy’s latest special “No One Loves You” on Spotify or Apple and catch him on The Daily Show or hosting his show This Is Not Happening on Comedy Central. 

It was a pleasure catching up with Kathy Allan, the mother of actor and playwright, Will Allan! Will and Beth became friends in high school through Speech and Debate (Humorous Interpretation) and have kept in touch ever since. Kathy was a legal secretary for 10 years before switching gears to education. She earned her teaching certificate and taught social studies along with working as a theatre coach when Will was young. Kathy directed Will’s first role in middle school and has been encouraging of his journey as an actor ever since; she’s never missed a performance from Bye Bye Birdie at Oakwood High School to The History Boys at TimeLine Theatre in Chicago. Now retired from teaching, Kathy volunteers at RefugeeOne in Chicago, a non-profit agency that creates opportunity for refugees fleeing war, terror, and persecution. Kathy manages the Sewing Lab and has been active in distributing masks made by refugees. Visit RefugeeOne.org to purchase a mask.

Chris is a down-to-earth and refreshing woman. She was born in Jefferson City, Missouri and grew up on her family’s dairy farm. Chris was one of 7 children who were given their very own cow to raise and care for, eventually becoming 9-10 head of cattle to oversee. Chris was involved in band, pep squad, track, and 4-H in high school. Today, she is an accountant and credits her parents for the financial responsibilities they gave her on the dairy farm as a young girl. As a Mom, Chris shared her love of reading with her three sons. One of her favorite memories with her youngest son, Brooks, was standing out in the middle of their two-acre family home looking through a telescope waiting for a magnificent meteor shower...whispering to each other. Brooks is a stand-up comedian, writer and actor who has been featured on Seth Meyers, Conan, SNL, GIRLS and AP Bio. He hosts his own podcast called Entry Level.

A love of acting and the arts runs deeply in Rhonda's family. She was born on Sunset Blvd. and raised in the San Fernando Valley; her fondest memories were going to Grauman’s Chinese Theatre with her grandmother to see movies. Little did she know her children would grow to love acting as she did! Jonathan Lipnicki was 4 1/2 when he landed his first role as Ray Boyd in the movie Jerry Maguire, holding his own alongside Tom Cruise and Renee Zellweger. He went on to star in the Stuart Little movies, The Little Vampire, and Little Mike. The balance Jonathan maintained as he transitioned to television (Dawson’s Creek), and to films as a young adult, can be attributed to Rhonda always checking in to see if acting was still a passion. In Rhonda’s words, “Jonathan is a gifted actor, but more importantly, he is a kind soul.” Jonathan has two movies coming out soon: “Pooling to Paradise” and “Broil.”

The biggest takeaway from our conversation with Penny was the power of a mother’s intuition. Penny had a premonition on the day her family went to the zoo while Adam stayed home for the day. Her story is told on the Disney + program, Becoming. We also were treated to happier memories of Adam as a little boy before his tragic accident. You will enjoy hearing about “Sneaky” the four-year-old Adam with black glasses, cowboy boots, and no pants! He was a little boy with a big personality! Beth and Adam have something in common: leaping out of closets and dark spaces to scare their parents. Adam did this as a kid. Beth continues as an adult to taunt her Mom. You may know Adam from his hit TV show Workaholics, Modern Family, The Righteous Gemstones, as Bumper in the Pitch Perfect movies or his latest Netflix special Best Time of Our Lives.