We made a rom-com! Falling in love during a pandemic unexpectedly distorts time to an exponential degree. In a fiction meets non-fiction romantic comedy, Megan Tan explains.
This LAist Studios podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp and our listeners get 10% off their first month of online therapy at BetterHelp.com/LAist
Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.
Show sponsors include:
TALKSPACE Match with a licensed therapist when you go to talkspace.com and get $100 off your first month with the promo code WILD.
FEALS Become a member and get 50% automatically taken off your first order with free shipping. Feals.com/WILD
This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.
ERICK: You’re listening to WILD by LAist Studios — a show about 10 WILD coming of age stories from the pandemic infused with joy. If you like this episode. Subscribe and start at Episode 1. Now, here’s th
SHAKA: This episode is based on a true story.
Erick: All right, you ready?
Megan: Yeah. I’m ready.
Erick: Megan — Tell me about love.
Megan: *laughing* … Oh man. Well, I can't tell you about love — as like, a broad term. I can only tell you about... the strange love that I've experienced in these last few months.
iPhone alarm Yawn
MEGAN: Everyday — I wake up alone.
Brushing teeth
MEGAN: I brush my teeth alone. And .. I make my breakfast alone.
Frying eggsRadio sounds
RADIO: The governor of California Gavin Newsom, has ordered that state’s 40 million people to stay at home indefinitely.
MEGAN: But when life becomes this island that we never expected — I didn’t want to be alone.
Megan singing: Things were destined to change cuz LOVEEEEEE…
MEGAN: I don’t know if you know this about me Erick but... I love love.
Megan singing: So many people use your name in vain… LOVEEEEEE…
MEGAN: Love is cozy, like a blanket. And comfort food.
Megan: I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible… Awww I love that line…
MEGAN: But as much as I love love, I hate dating apps. hahaha.
Erick: I admit it, I cannot picture you on a dating app.
Megan: Yeah, yeah, I was really bad at dating apps.
Erick: How were you bad at dating apps?
Daydreamin' (Instrumental) by Dr Crosby MEGAN: Dating apps were just so … flat. It’s like soda without the bubbles. You know… So like I would call people up. We would go out on dates. I would be sitting across from strangers at these beautiful restaurants. But — there was just always no chemistry. I felt like I was talking to a wall… And that happened all the time! So I swore them off.
Megan: I told myself I was going to meet people in real life.
Erick: Wait, tell me about that. Like at bars and restaurants and clubs and stuff?
Megan: Yeah.
Erick: Did you have a business card or what?
Megan: No, no… I just did it old fashioned.
Erick: What are some Megan Tan pickup lines?
Megan: It’s not a line.It's so basic, is like, so the first thing you do is … you catch their eye. Like...
Erick: Oh… is that it?
Megan: Kind of…
Erick: I’m that’s a very obvious… yeah, for sure come over here.
Megan: And then… you smile. And then… you literally just get closer to them… Any vicinity... and then you literally say anything.
Megan: Where’d you get that donut? Megan: I like your shoes. Megan: I like your face… *laughing* Megan: What’s your name?
MEGAN: Real life lines — they worked for me. At Bars. Salsa clubs. Farmer’s markets. There was this one time at Home Depot — I was just trying to get some bleach and I started talking it up with this guy in my aisle. He gave me his number and we went out. But then…
iPhone alarm
Yawn
Brushing teeth
Frying eggs
RADIO: California is shutting down again. Today, Governor Gavin Newsom ordered the statewide closure of restaurants, bars, and other entertainment venues…
MEGAN: When all of the bars in the country close down — my love of love does too.
Phone ringing
Megan: Are you there?
Mom: Yep. It’s going to be so wonderful for you.
Megan: Yeah, I’m excited. I’m excited to have a dog. Yeah… I have a good home and I think I’ll be strict and playful and caring.
Mom: Yeah, you will be. You’ll be fine.
Megan: Alright mom I’m going to go. Love you.
Mom: Ok, I love you too.
MEGAN: Fortunately it is — revived.
Megan to Levi: Hi baby… how are you? Hi…
MEGAN: In the form of a beautiful, fluffy, white-looking wolf dog named Levi.
Megan to Levi: Hi… that’s a microphone.
MEGAN: Who — for better and for worse is a man of very few words. But after three weeks of having the same conversation.
Erick: laughing Megan: Did you sleep well? MEGAN: I cave. Typing on phoneMEGAN: I walk into dating app land — And I take a deep breath.
Phone rings
Mom: So um… are you going to send me a picture of this guy?
Megan: So I did send you a photo, thank you very much.
Mom: I’m home now..
Megan: Well, good, now you can see the photo… haha.
Mom: Excellent. I’m excited to see what he looks like. Okedoey kiddo — I gotta go to bed, it’s later here than it is there. Megan: Alright, well I love you.
Mom: I love you too. Megan: I’m happy you’re my mom…
MEGAN: I love my mom and I need her encouragement because... if profiles could talk, they would sound like this...
Man: Are you a parking ticket, because you’ve got fine written all over...
MEGAN: Nope.
Man: Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?
MEGAN: Nope.
James: Ohhh baby, are you a pandemic? Because I want to lock you down.
Phone rings
MEGAN: I guess you gotta start somewhere.
Phone rings
MEGAN: It’s Sunday — I’m drinking coffee. And not wearing any makeup or deodorant. Maybe that’s you all the time, but to me this is Sunday… Andddd... I’m leaning into this new way of going out.
We get on the phone.
James: I was going to say chocolate always helps everything…
Megan: I know I hear it opens up your heart… hahaha
Come Together (Instrumental) by Soul City
James: It does yeah!
Megan: It does I friend of mine…
MEGAN: And this is the beginning of what I never saw coming…
ERICK: I’m Erick Galindo and this is WILD.
SHAKA: A show about what it was like to grow up during the pandemic. Season 1: Home Forever.
James and Megan conversation continues…
Erick: Then what happened? Megan: Umm…
Erick: Walk me through the stages of accelerated romance in the pandemic.
Megan: So ...you're on the phone with people. And you're asking them about their life in a way that is of concern.
Slap Happy Clap (Instrumental) by Grant Harold
Megan: So where do you work?
James: So I’m in HR Megan: Are you working with people who come through the door?
James: Well… So yeah…
Megan: Do you have roommates?
James: I don’t…
Megan: Do you hang out with a lot of people?
James: I don’t
Megan: Do you wear masks when you hang out…?
James: uh…
Erick: Is that awkward?
Megan: Yeah.
Megan: Especially in the beginning of the pandemic right, you’re like…
Megan: Are you getting tested regularly for covid?
James: Um… so they’re not actually enforcing testing right now…Megan: That’s crazy…
James: Yeah… I know…
Megan: You're interrogating their life and how they live …
Erick: And are they interrogating you too?
Megan:*laughing*...That’s a good question…
James: Tell about me about you, what’s going on with you? How’s your day been? Megan: It’s been good...
Come Together (Instrumental) by Soul City
Megan: So no… maybe not. Erick: Cuz guys are like… girl wants to talk to me, I’m going to talk to her.
Megan: Right… And I’m trying to figure out how much of my life I’m willing to risk to go on a date.
iPhone alarm
Yawn
Brushing teeth
RADIO: All right. So, 40 states are reporting coronavirus cases on the rise. The U.S. is setting and breaking new records each and every day.
RADIO: And with outbreaks surging, many states are weighing the public health value of things like mandatory face masks and whether or not to send kids back to school.
Picking up keys
Door opens and closes
Car starts
Car stops
Megan: I’m going to meet James for the first time in real life.
MEGAN: So I arrive at this parking lot 20 minutes early — and I’m not not nervous.
Megan: I’m going to have a little snack beforehand. MEGAN: So I start to ease my nerves with a little comfort…
Megan: Man this snack is good.
MEGAN: And mantras...
Megan: No expectations, no expectations, no expectations.
MEGAN: And I start playing a game that I make up.
Megan: That’s not him.
MEGAN: To pass the time…
Megan: Nope. not him.
MEGAN: Two minutes later.
Megan: *laughing*...Nope. not him.
MEGAN: Five minutes later.
Megan: What about an Audi? mmmmm...That is him — hahaha. Megan: What’s uppppp! You made it!
James: I made it! Megan: I was like….
MEGAN: When our elbows touch — The spark I’m expecting isn’t there. As we start walking up the hill — it’s clear that we’re both out-of-shape.
[MONTAGE]
James: What do you do for fun? Megan: What do I do for fun…
Megan: Do you go to parks usually?
James: Is that where you’re from — you’re from Minneapolis?
Megan: No, I’m from Ohio.
James: Oh ok.
Megan: Do you know anything about Ohio?
James: I do know a little bit about Ohio — actually I had an ex that was from Ohio…
Megan: Oh…
Megan: Yo — I hate when people bring up exes on the first date! I’m like what am I supposed to say to that?!?
Erick: Yeah…
Megan: How did that go?
James: It went well.
Megan: Ohio people are nice
James: Yeah, Ohio people are nice people.
MEGAN: Finally — the incline stops.
James: What, how have I never seen this view before?
Megan: I don’t know.
James: This is a great view. Look at that — woahhh.
Megan: Wow… a whole new world!
James … love it.
MEGAN: As we turn and walk back down the hill — We’re not going against gravity anymore. Something between us changes.
Megan: What kind of poetry did you write?
James: I used to write raps.
Megan: really! Whattttttt!?!? Tell me about these raps… MEGAN: I always envision that the person who is my person will be my best friend too. Megan: Wait — tell me about these raps. MEGAN: And as James and I, when we laugh — there’s a hint of that between us. There’s that easiness. A you-speak-my-language-ness. That feeling — that we’ve known each other — before this moment.
Megan: oh that’s so interesting… I really want my mom to have a boyfriend. Yeah…
Megan: I call it Car-e-oke.
EYYYYYY! James: How have gone my entire life without hearing that term?
Megan: I don’t know!
MEGAN: When we reach the bottom of the hill, we put a blanket on the ground. Lay down. And whisper into each other’s ears…
Megan: Are you a hand holder?
James: Yeah…
Megan: yeah? What about when you go to the grocery store? Do you hold people’s hands at the grocery store? James: yeah, everybody’s.
Erick: You guys both know what’s going to happen right?
Megan: Well, you don’t actually. One person has to cross the threshold.
Erick: Did you feel going into that like you were ready for that… or did something happen on that date that made you feel ready…
Megan: Yeah — yeah… haha. Ok the thing that happened on that date is...
MEGAN: You know the mood shifts. And the sun sets. My tone changes…
Megan: So what did you write about this morning?
James: Oh you wanna know what I wrote about this morning?
MEGAN: The world around us is a little fuzzier. Most of it is out of focus.
James: Well... that is usually a secret.
Megan: I like listening to people’s secrets.
James: Yeah — alright, well I like you, so I’ll let you in on my secrets.
Game 6 (with Oohs) (Instrumental) by Cee Goods
James: Here, give me this…
Megan: I took my shoes off and he starts massaging my feet.
James: ohhh...Did you feel that?
Megan: I know. I did feel that.
James: Oh that was a good one.
Megan: you know, no one has really rubbed my feet like this before.
James: Really…
Megan: yeah…
Megan: And umm... I use to be a dancer so I have some really nasty feet. Like... for real, like calloused, like, I don’t even want to touch my own feet. Haha…
Erick laughing
Megan: and I was like WOW —
Erick: I mean, pandemic or no pandemic, that’s a fucking bold move.
Megan: Is it? Wait, walk me through - why is that such a bold move?
Erick: It’s not a base but it’s like — you’re trying to steal a base you know. You’re in between the bases running.
Megan: Thank you.
James: you’re welcome.
MEGAN: When he puts my foot down, I take off my mask. I inch my face closer.
Megan: Can I thank you in a different way? Heart beats
MEGAN: I ignore the CDC. Break all my rules.
Pop
Chimes
Hmming
Kiss
MEGAN: And I pop my own bubble.
Game 6 (with Oohs) (Instrumental) by Cee Goods
Megan: Well, that’s what happened. Haha.. base was stolen. Erick: That’s badass…
Erick: Like, it almost feels very romantic to me to be like, if we do this... Like we're trusting each other with our lives.
Megan: And it's scary — because this person is still a stranger. From a dating app.
Erick: Right
Megan: Like I don’t know any of your people and you don’t know any of my people. Like my family is 3000 miles away from me. If I get sick — I don’t know what would happen. And I don’t know who would be there for me… Erick: Yeah, that’s fucking scary…
MEGAN: Now there’s nothing I can do besides lean into it… Megan: I would really like to see you again…
MEGAN: I start saying things I would NEVER say to a man after a first kiss...
Megan: It doesn’t make sense for us to really date other people right? Or see other people? or kiss other people — you know what I mean? Cause COVID…James: Yeah…
Megan: Yeah…
MEGAN: Everything escalates. In minutes and all of a sudden, we’re in an exclusive relationship. We are each other’s person. He’s the only person who does the dishes after I make us dinner. Who dances with me to Daniel Caesar in the kitchen. Who moves me to the inside of the sidewalk away from the street. I fucking love that. He’s the man who watches “Love is Blind” on Netflix so we can talk about it later.
Who workshops my days when they’re bad. And showers me with appreciation when they’re not. I fall asleep in his arms. And I wake up in them too. Because we’re in a bubble within a bubble, three weeks between us feels like three months.
Erick: I want to know, how high did you get in this relationship? Like, what was the absolute peak of like this is my person, I’ve found the guy for me. Did that ever happen? Megan: Yeah.
Erick: Describe that to me.
iPhone alarm
Yawn
Brushing teeth
Megan: There was this one moment...
RADIO: How strained are hospitals in this country, really? We've heard about coronavirus hot spots - first New York, then Houston, some other places. Now, as new cases surge in almost every state...
Keys
Door
MEGAN: The moment where I was like wow I could really be with this person...
Ocean sounds
Megan: Is when we were on the beach. And…
Megan: So I love cards. I don’t know if you know this about me.
James: I do know this about you.
Megan: We’re playing cards. And we’re having so much fun.
James: Oh it’s not because I’m special?
Megan: I mean, you alright.
James: I’ll take it, I’ll take it.
Megan: And I was like, Wow … when the routine becomes routine and when things get tiring, if we can play cards, and have a great time? Like I could play cards with you for the rest of my life.
Megan: Your turn.
[chuckle]
Erick: That's beautiful… And how long did you sit in that idea?
Megan: I sat in it for awhile.... Yeah, months… months.
James + Megan: So…
Car song comes in
Megan: *humming*… James: yeah you know it… Megan: Yeah, we should bring up the lyrics though.
Phone rings
Megan: Ok you there?
Mom: Yes. Megan: The moment we got on the phone, we had instant chemistry. Like instant! Mom: My gosh really!
James: Punderdome!?!
Megan: Yeah!
James: Oh my god….
Megan: He’s just so attentive.
Megan + James singing together
Megan: He’s like, we should just be together now! Let’s just one and done it. You know…
Mom: Oh my gosh!
Megan: I know. I feel like he likes me and how much we value each other…
Megan and James: *laughing*
Mom: *Laughing* Mom: If you like him Megan ... and you’ve gone through all kinds of situations.
Megan: Yeah…
Megan: I agree but I’m biased
Megan and James: Oh…
Megan: He’s just so genuine …
James singing
Ocean sounds
SHAKA: WILD will be right back after this commercial breakBabylon (Instrumental) by Fenton Joseph
——————————————————————————————————————————————
MIDROLL
——————————————————————————————————————————————
SHAKA: Now — back to the show. Babylon (Instrumental) by Fenton Joseph
iPhone alarm
Yawn
MEGAN: So the thing about dating someone while the world is shut down is — I don’t actually know who James is outside of our bubble. Brushing teeth
MEGAN: I never see if he looks at other women at a restaurant. Or if he orders too many drinks with his friends. I don’t meet his group of friends. He doesn’t meet mine. I only know who he is when he’s with me.
SpitEggs frying
MEGAN: And I find myself negotiating whether or not that matters.
RADIO: California Governor Gavin Newsom embraced that while also warning that the nation's most populous state is struggling with the virus's deadliest wave yet.GAVIN NEWSOM: Light at the end of the tunnel, but we're still in the tunnel.
Carol of the Bells by Up With People
MEGAN: Until Christmas time. December 2020. This is after we spend a romantic vacation up north for his birthday after Thanksgiving with his family. He gets a call in the middle of the night. It goes to voicemail. It’s from a woman. He calls her back. Half asleep — he yells into the phone. She’s drunk and rude. I’m asleep. At first I’m confused. And then I’m irritated. And then I’m upset. When he hangs up — he tells me it’s just a friend. I start to question who he is — if he has friends like this.
Carol of the Bells by Up With PeopleMEGAN: Society is slowly starting to seep into our relationship and I’m starting to see someone I’ve never met before.
iPhone alarm
Yawn
Brush teethSpit out toothpaste
Eggs frying
RADIO: It is a hazardous time to be living in California or Arizona. We are ending 2020 with coronavirus cases surging in almost all of this country and even in that context, those two states have the highest infection rates. In a moment we meet a travelling nurse...
Phone ring
James: Hello
Megan: Hey…
James: Hey — how are you feeling?
Megan: I’m tired...
MEGAN: January 2, I test positive for covid — and it’s a silent delivery. There’s no doctor, no nurse, no compassion on the other end of an email. The virus that I’ve dodged, and read about for the past year — is now nesting inside of me. And there’s nothing I can really do — except reach for comfort.
James: You gotta eat…
Megan: yeah… Are you gonna come over?
MEGAN: James is positive too. But we’re not feeling the same feelings. His body isn’t burning like mine. He’s not tired like I’m tired. He doesn’t have aches or a shortness of breath. And he doesn’t feel the distance between him and his family like I feel the distance from mine. My mother is 3000 miles away from me.
Phone ring
James: Hello?
Megan: *coughing*
James: Is it getting worse?
Megan: … Are you going to come over?
MEGAN: On day two, my temperature reaches 102 — and I have to mother myself.
Megan: I made sure before I go to bed that I have a thermometer…
MEGAN: I tuck myself in at night. And I make up a song… and sing myself to sleep.
Megan: It’s ok, you’re going to be ok. It’s ok, you’re going to be ok. It’s ok, you’re going to be ok.
MEGAN: The scariest thing isn’t the fever or the chills or the shortness of breath — It’s all of the different endings that come with COVID. And I don’t know what mine is going to be… and neither does he. But at least we can be together, we can hold each other as the endings unfold.
Phone ring
Phone ring
Phone ring
MEGAN: But he doesn’t come over.
Phone ring
Megan: It’s ok, you’re going to be ok. It’s ok, you’re going to be ok. It’s ok, you’re going to be ok.
MEGAN: Every night when we’re apart, I fall into my own routine. As the dogs around my neighborhood sing into the night — I wonder if they’re also mourning — a love that may never love them back in the way that they need.
Dogs barking
Erick: Do you think he thought you gave him covid? I’m just trying to figure out what happened to him for him to be so all of a sudden small.
Megan: I don’t know...
iPhone alarm
Yawn
Brushing teeth
Megan: I put aside my anger and was like… and was just like, let’s keep moving.
Spit
Eggs frying
RADIO: OK. Developing a COVID-19 vaccine was in and of itself a huge accomplishment, but it's an entirely separate challenge to get the vaccine into people.
MEGAN: I start to feel better and I go over to his house
When Harry Met Sally: Hi. You alright?
MEGAN: And we watch When Harry Met Sally which is one of my favorite rom coms. He’s never seen it before.
When Harry Met Sally: I’m sorry to call you so late.
MEGAN: And we get to this scene. Sally calls up Harry on the phone and she’s bawling her eyes out. He rushes over to her apartment and they're laying on her bed and he’s stroking her hair and giving her tissues and consoling her… When Harry Met Sally:
I’m difficult.
You’re challenging.
I’m too structured and completely closed off.
But in a good way.
No.. no no… I drove him away.
MEGAN: And I look James in the eye and I say — you see that, that’s what I need.
Harry: It’s going to be ok. It’s going to be fine, you’ll see.
Erick: And what does he say?
Megan: He hugs me harder. You know, and he’s like I get it. Absolutely.
Harry: I’ll make some tea. Sally: Harry — can you just hold me a little longer?
Harry: sure…
MEGAN: And... I want to believe him — but it’s hard… because … There’s something that happened in the beginning of the relationship that I haven’t told you …
Game 6 (with Oohs) (Instrumental) by Cee Goods
MEGAN: You remember when we kiss for the very first time?
Megan: Can I thank you in a different way?
Pop
Hum
Kiss
MEGAN: Shortly after that — he spends the night. We go to sleep — and I wake up to him doing things to me that I don’t want. And … I’m confused because … A part of me doesn’t want to admit that he’s doing these things to me. And I don’t know if he knows how his actions are impacting me.
Consent Tea Video:
If you're still struggling with consent, just imagine instead of initiating sex, you're making them a cup of tea.
MEGAN: So I talk to my therapist about what happened that night … and she sends me a video I’ve never seen before.
You say, Hey, would you like a cup of tea? And they’re like, uh, I’m not really sure…
MEGAN: It’s a black and white cartoon — Stick figures, no genders. And it’s kind of cute. And it’s easy to see when the stick figure is super happy because it has this giant smile. It’s also easy to see what not to do because there’s an “x” around people that’s red.
And if they don't drink it, then - and this is the important bit - Don't make them drink it. Just because you made it doesn't mean you're entitled to watch them drink it.
MEGAN: So I send the video to James. And we get on the phone to talk. I tell him I need some space.
He says he understands. Trust is rebuilt between us. We create a new way to communicate our desires. And we push forward. We go to the beach. We play cards. We say I love you.
Consent Tea Video:
And if they're unconscious, don't make them tea. Unconscious people don't want tea, and they can't answer the question. Do you want tea? Because they're unconscious…
When Harry Met Sally:
I’m difficult...
MEGAN: That was 8 months ago. And as we’re watching when Harry Met Sally — I really want him to be my Harry. But it’s clear that he’s not. Because what happened 8 months ago — happens again.
Consent Tea Video:
And they can’t answer the question “Do you want tea?” because they’re unconscious. You should just put the tea down, make sure the unconscious person is safe, and this is the important part again - don’t make them drink the tea.
Erick: I’m sorry.
Megan: It happens more than it doesn’t…
iPhone alarm
Yawn
Brushing teeth
RADIO: OK. The coronavirus death toll in the United States stands at more than 400,000 now, and the virus has killed more than 100,000 of those people ...
Eggs frying
Phone ringing
Mom: Hello?
Megan: Hello
Mom: Yeah.
Megan: Hi…
Mom: How are you doing?
Megan: I’m good… yeah… ummm.
Car sounds
Megan: Hey James: Hey
Megan: You remember you asked me what is someone like when they’re angry…
Mom: mhmmm…
Megan: Or sad or whatever… And I had actually never experienced that so I didn’t know how he was going to react to be honest.
Megan: I got you something I know you love, it’s a pork bun.
James: Thank you.
Megan: Yeah, no problem.
Megan: It was like he knew it was coming. And he just wanted to get to it.
James: So what do you want to talk about?
Megan: Um….
Megan: And then, once we got to it...
Megan: You know I know there’s been a lot of distance between us. And…
Megan: It was just like he just shut down
James: *deep breath*
James: *deep breath*
Megan: It felt a little transactional.
Door opens
Door shuts
Megan: Which is understandable, everyone copes in different ways.
Mom: You can see clearly.
Megan: It’s just hard because I really liked him and I really cared for him. I’m just sad.
Mom: Megan it’ll be ok… You just have to tell yourself it’ll be ok. You have a strong sense of self and determination and you just have to determine that there is somebody who fully treasures you…
Megan: Yeah…
iPhone alarm
Yawn
Brushing teeth
RADIO: President Joe Biden has dreams of late summer. I mean, don’t we all? But that is specifically when he’s hoping nearly every American will be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Eggs frying
Megan singing “Love” by Musiq Soulchild
Erick: Do you feel like it changed you?
Megan: Absolutely. The first thing you go to is, I will never find love. You sink to like this fact in your life that you created.
Erick: Mhmmm.
Megan: And so what I did was I wrote down the opposite. I was like, Megan, you will absolutely find the love of your life. Because I thought to myself, if I walked around with the heart of a person who, who didn't think that they were going to find love, then even when love came into my life, I wouldn't be able to see it.
Erick: Right.
Megan: And then the second thing was, you know, I'm Buddhist. And so I had to go and chant, which is what I do. And basically asked myself, who are these men that I attract? You know, I attract men who are really gregarious but are deeply insecure on the inside. And I was like… oh my god that’s me.
Megan and Erick laughing
Megan: I was like, oh my god that’s me. I’m super gracious and outgoing and deeply insecure on the inside about who I am. And every single morning, you know, do my morning routine, I fill my life and my heart with that phrase of like — I fucking know who I am.
Megan: The person I attract next, will be secure with themselves because I’m going to be secure with myself first and they will hopefully be a reflection of me.
Erick clapping
Come Together (Instrumental) by Soul City
Megan: laughing … So with that said. I recently got on another dating app…. Hahaha….
Erick: I had a match.com profile once.
Megan: Did you?
Erick: Yeah, I made it in the middle of a fight with an ex…
Erick and Megan laughing
ERICK: CREDITS
This episode of WILD was written, directed and produced by Megan Tan with a little help from me, Erick Galindo.
It was sound designed by Megan Tan. It was mixed and engineered by Eduardo Perez. It stars Dwarka Pazavelil as James. With Gab Chabran and Drake Witham as our cringy pick up artists. Also, special thanks to Susan Tan and the BPs.
Megan Tan is our senior producer. Our producers are Victoria Alejandro and Lushik Wahba. Marina Peña is our associate producer and fact checker. Shaka Mali is an associate producer at large and our announcer. Erick Galindo is our host and editor. Jessica Pilot is our Talent Producer. Our Executive Producers are Antonia Cereijido and Leo G.
Shoutout to Marisa Klug-Moratya for shooting our album art and Steve Rosa for the assist.
The theme song is I Got Everything by Mz.007
Our website, LAistStudios.com, is designed by Andy Cheatwood and the digital team, and by our marketing team, who also created our branding.
WILD is a production of LAist Studios.
Special Thanks to the team over there, including: Taylor Coffman, Kristen Hayford, Kristen Muller, and Leo G.
This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.
[GOODBYE]
WOO! I nailed it. I think...
I’m Erick G — I’ll catch you next time
