You're going to be "in the field" during a lot of the shows. What does that mean?
It means that I'm going to do a lot of different [segments] from, like, "flying with children" to going to events. I think I'm going to be out talking to the people, asking people what they're really thinking because we can't bring all of the audience into the show. So I gather information and answers from the real world and bring it in. I think I'm going to be representing the viewers of the show, what the real moms are saying.
Just in California or everywhere?
I think I'm going to go everywhere. I want to go on trips. I just pitched the idea, a segment of me traveling with a child with no help, showing how hard it is to get through security check-in. Isn't that such a great idea? Actually, I have a trip to Disneyland in November, so to not cancel my trip, I pitched the idea of the cameras following me and going through security with a child, or going on an airplane. Secretly it's so I don't have to cancel my trip, but I think it'll be a good segment.
I talked to Julie Chen briefly before...
Yes. That must've been exciting, right?
Well, I asked her who she thought she'd spar with most on the show, and she picked you.
She did?! Did she really? I love that!
She didn't quite elaborate though. What do you think she meant?
Maybe because Julie and I have a child at about the same age and we're raising them differently, probably. We probably grew up differently and -- I don't know! You have to say that I'm shocked that it was her, or me. Actually, I think everyone's going to spar with me the most. Like for me, when it comes to clothes, I'm pretty much the same size as everybody in America. I'm what American girls look like. As a mom, I'm what a mom looks like. I do what moms do. I go to my gym with my kid. I go to the parks. I schedule play dates all day long because I don't want to be alone with my child. I mean, I think I can honestly say that, and I don't think any other celebrity will admit it. I think [Julie] probably wouldn't agree with that because it's not the popular thing to say. Like, I don't want to be alone all day with my kid, so at 8 AM I'm like, "Let's go to Target! Now we're going to the park! Now we've gotta make a play date! Now we're going through a drive-thru and we're eating crap! My son's watching TV and his favorite food is hot dogs and grilled cheese." And probably, I bet her child doesn't eat that way. But her child's only a year old! She has no idea! And I bet she doesn't eat all the Goldfish off the floor like I do, because when my son drops them I just eat them. I guarantee Julie Chen doesn't do that.
Why are you the cast member who's doing all the traveling?
When I did my first piece and it was amazing -- and I was scared at first, and I thought it was going to suck -- I bum-rushed people at Hollywood Boulevard, that's what I did. I found that people will talk to me and say anything to me. It's why I'm there. It's not in a "I sucker them in" way. I genuinely give a sh*t. I genuinely care about what their answers are. I just want to talk to people. Truthfully I feel better about myself when I hear that other people aren't great parents too. So the more I hear about it, the more I feel better about myself. The truth is it's hard to be a mom, and I don't think there's any right way. People would call me out tomorrow. And they will, those five women will. Like, Sara already came to my son's birthday party and like, I put her kids in a food coma. Her kids had never eaten what I was feeding her children. I truly was like, "More cake! More cake!" to her little daughter. And her kids would not leave my house -- she was like, "I cannot believe my kids won't leave this house." I made Sara get in the pool. I have like a hundred beach balls that I blew up myself. My gift bags -- I don't have my parties sponsored -- I do it all myself. I don't judge mothers who take the sponsored stuff, but I just choose not to.
Will you be the most candid member of the panel?
I think Leah's candid and she'll give me a run for her money.
Except I was a little disappointed that she clammed up upon fielding a question about Scientology at the TCA press conference. Maybe you and Sara Gilbert will the most candid?
I wanted someone at that press conference to ask me about being a Jew and my sexuality! I was like, "No one cares about me? Let's talk about my sex life! Like, oh yay, Sara has sex with a woman. What about me? What about my sex life?" I was nervous on that panel because I was nervous for everyone else -- but I wanted to talk about my sex life! I can't believe we've come so far in this f*cking world that [the press at the press conference] we're up in arms about Sara being a lesbian.
Lastly, did you watch any of season two of Dance Your Ass Off?
I started watching the new Dance Your Ass Off. I'm just going to say I started watching it. I watched the first two episodes. I can say that.