ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Julia Sweeney - Actor, comedian, playwright
Julia Sweeney creates comedic works that tackle deep issues: cancer, family, faith.

Why you should listen

Julia Sweeney is a writer, director, actress, comedian and monologist. She is known for being a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1990 to 1995, where she created and popularized the androgynous character, Pat. She is also well known for her comedic and dramatic monologues. God Said Ha! is a monologue about serious illness, her brother's lymphoma and her own cancer, and her family's crazy reactions to this crisis as they soldiered their way through struggle, confusion and death. This play was performed all over the U.S. and on Broadway at the Lyceum Theater. It was made into a film produced by Quentin Tarantino, and the comedy album from the show was nominated for a Grammy.

Sweeney's second monologue, In the Family Way, played in theatrical runs in New York and Los Angeles. It was ultimately fashioned into a book, a memoir titled If It's Not One Thing, It's Your Mother. Sweeney's third monologue, Letting Go of God, chronicled her journey from Catholicism to atheism. It was made into a film that played on Showtime.

More profile about the speaker
Julia Sweeney | Speaker | TED.com
TED2010

Julia Sweeney: It's time for "The Talk"

Julia Sweeney: Čas je za "Pogovor"

Filmed:
3,719,405 views

Kljub svojim najboljšim prizadevanjem se je bila komičarka Julia Sweeney prisiljena rahlo zlagati, ko se je njena osemletnica začela učiti o razmnoževanju žab - in pričela postavljati nekaj zelo pametnih vprašanj.
- Actor, comedian, playwright
Julia Sweeney creates comedic works that tackle deep issues: cancer, family, faith. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:15
I have a daughterhči, MulanMulan.
0
0
2000
Imam hčerko Mulan.
00:17
And when she was eightosem, last yearleto,
1
2000
3000
In ko je bila lansko leto stara osem let,
00:20
she was doing a reportporočilo for schoolšola
2
5000
2000
je za šolo pripravljala poročilo
00:22
or she had some homeworkDomača naloga about frogsžabe.
3
7000
2000
oziroma je imela domačo nalogo o žabah.
00:24
And we were at this restaurantrestavracija,
4
9000
2000
Bili sva v neki restavraciji,
00:26
and she said, "So, basicallyv bistvu,
5
11000
2000
ko je rekla: "Torej, v bistvu
00:28
frogsžabe layležati eggsjajca
6
13000
2000
žabe izležejo jajčeca
00:30
and the eggsjajca turnobrat into tadpolespaglavci,
7
15000
2000
in jajčeca se spremenijo v paglavce,
paglavci pa v žabe."
00:32
and tadpolespaglavci turnobrat into frogsžabe."
8
17000
2000
00:34
And I said, "Yeah. You know, I'm not really up on my frogžaba reproductionreprodukcija that much.
9
19000
3000
Odgovorila sem: "Veš, nisem najbolj
na tekočem glede razmnoževanja žab.
00:37
It's the femalessamice, I think, that layležati the eggsjajca,
10
22000
2000
Mislim, da so samice tiste, ki ležejo
jajčeca, in potem jih samci oplodijo.
00:39
and then the malesmoški fertilizeOploditi them.
11
24000
2000
00:41
And then they becomepostane tadpolespaglavci and frogsžabe."
12
26000
2000
In potem se razvijejo v paglavce in žabe."
00:43
And she sayspravi, "What? Only the femalessamice have eggsjajca?"
13
28000
2000
In vpraša: "Kaj?
Imajo samo samice jajčeca?"
00:45
And I said, "Yeah."
14
30000
2000
Odgovorila sem: "Ja."
00:47
And she goesgre, "And what's this fertilizinggnojenje?"
15
32000
2000
Pa nadaljuje: "In kaj je to oplojevanje?"
Rekla sem: "Ah,
to je ena dodatna sestavina,
00:49
So I kindvrste of said, "Oh, it's this extraekstra ingredientsestavina,
16
34000
2000
00:51
you know, that you need
17
36000
2000
veš, ki jo potrebuješ,
da narediš novo žabo
00:53
to createustvarite a newnovo frogžaba
18
38000
2000
iz mame žabe in očeta žabca."
00:55
from the mommama and dadOče frogžaba." (LaughterSmeh)
19
40000
2000
In rekla je: "A to drži tudi za ljudi?"
00:57
And she said, "Oh, so is that trueresnično for humansljudje too?"
20
42000
3000
01:00
And I thought, "Okay, here we go."
21
45000
3000
In sem si mislila: "Ok, pa smo tam."
01:03
I didn't know it would happense zgodi so quickhitro, at eightosem.
22
48000
2000
Nisem vedela, da se bo to zgodilo
že pri osmih.
01:05
I was tryingposkušam to rememberZapomni si all the guidebookspriročniki,
23
50000
2000
Poskušala sem se spomniti vseh vodičev
in spomnila sem se samo tega:
01:07
and all I could rememberZapomni si was,
24
52000
2000
"Odgovori samo na vprašanje,
ki ga postavljajo.
01:09
"Only answerodgovor the questionvprašanje they're askingsprašujem.
25
54000
2000
Ne dajaj dodatnih informacij."
(smeh)
01:11
Don't give any more informationinformacije." (LaughterSmeh)
26
56000
3000
Tako sem odvrnila: "Ja."
01:14
So I said, "Yes."
27
59000
2000
01:16
And she said, "And where do, umsistem poenotenega sporočanja,
28
61000
3000
Pa je vprašala: "In kje, em,
01:19
where do humančlovek womenženske,
29
64000
2000
kje človeške ženske,
01:21
like, where do womenženske layležati theirnjihovi eggsjajca?"
30
66000
2000
kje ženske ležejo svoja jajčeca?"
01:23
And I said, "Well,
31
68000
2000
In sem rekla: "No,
01:25
funnysmešno you should askvprašajte. (LaughterSmeh)
32
70000
3000
zanimivo, da vprašaš."
(smeh)
01:28
We have evolvedevolucijo to have our ownlastno pondribnik.
33
73000
3000
"Razvile smo se tako,
da imamo svoj lasten ribnik.
01:31
We have our very ownlastno pondribnik insideznotraj our bodiestelesa.
34
76000
3000
Imamo svoj ribnik v svojih telesih.
01:34
And we layležati our eggsjajca there,
35
79000
2000
In svoja jajčeca ležemo tam,
01:36
we don't have to worryskrbi about other eggsjajca or anything like that.
36
81000
3000
ni nas treba skrbeti zaradi
tujih jajčec ali česa podobnega.
01:39
It's our ownlastno pondribnik. And that's how it happensse zgodi."
37
84000
3000
Je naš lasten ribnik.
In tako se to dogaja."
01:42
And she goesgre, "Then how do they get fertilizedoplojeno?"
38
87000
2000
In nadaljuje: "Kako pa se oplodijo?"
01:44
And I said, "Well,
39
89000
2000
In ji povem: "Torej,
01:46
MenMoški, throughskozi theirnjihovi penispenis,
40
91000
3000
moški, skozi svoj penis,
01:49
they fertilizeOploditi the eggsjajca by the spermsperme comingprihajajo out.
41
94000
3000
oplodijo jajčeca s spermo, ki pride ven.
01:52
And you go throughskozi the woman'sženska vaginavagina."
42
97000
3000
Ti pa potem prideš skozi žensko vagino."
In tako medtem ko jeva,
njena čeljust kar pade in pravi:
01:55
And so we're just eatingjedo, and her jawčeljusti just dropskapljice,
43
100000
2000
01:57
and she goesgre, "MomMama!
44
102000
2000
"Mama! Od tam, kjer lulamo?"
01:59
Like, where you go to the bathroomkopalnica?"
45
104000
3000
02:02
And I said, "I know.
46
107000
2000
In ji rečem: "Vem, vem."
02:04
I know."
47
109000
2000
02:06
(LaughterSmeh)
48
111000
6000
(smeh)
Tako smo se razvile. Res se zdi čudno.
02:12
That's how we evolvedevolucijo. It does seemzdi se oddčudno.
49
117000
2000
Je nekako tako, kot da bi imeli
tovarno za predelavo odpadkov
02:14
It is a little bitbit like havingimeti a wasteodpadki treatmentzdravljenje plantrastlina
50
119000
3000
čisto zraven zabaviščnega parka...
02:17
right nextNaslednji to an amusementzabaviščni parkparkirati ...
51
122000
3000
02:20
Badslabo zoningobmočje, but ..." (LaughterSmeh)
52
125000
2000
Slabo pozicioniranje, toda..."
(smeh)
02:22
She's like, "What?" And she goesgre, "But MomMama,
53
127000
3000
In vpraša: "Kaj?"
In nadaljuje: "Ampak mama!
02:25
but menmoški and womenženske can't ever see eachvsak other nakedgola, MomMama.
54
130000
3000
Moški in ženske eni drugih
ne smejo videti nagih, mama.
02:28
So how could that ever happense zgodi?"
55
133000
2000
Kako se lahko to potem sploh zgodi?"
02:30
And then I go, "Well," and then I put my MargaretMargaret MeadMead hatklobuk on.
56
135000
3000
In rečem: "Torej,"
kot da bi bila Margaret Mead.
02:34
"HumanLjudi malesmoški and femalessamice
57
139000
2000
"Človeški samci in samice
02:36
developrazviti a specialposeben bondvez,
58
141000
3000
razvijejo posebno vez
02:39
and when they're much olderstarejši, much, much olderstarejši than you,
59
144000
3000
in ko so mnogo starejši,
mnogo, mnogo starejši kot ti
02:42
and they have a very specialposeben feelingobčutek,
60
147000
2000
in imajo poseben občutek,
02:44
then they can be nakedgola togetherskupaj."
61
149000
2000
takrat so lahko goli skupaj."
02:46
And she said, "MomMama,
62
151000
2000
In me vpraša: "Mama,
02:48
have you doneKončano this before?"
63
153000
2000
si ti tudi že to počela?"
02:50
And I said, "Yes."
64
155000
3000
In ji povem: "Ja."
02:53
And she said, "But MomMama, you can't have kidsotroci."
65
158000
2000
In reče: "Ampak mama,
ti ne moreš imeti otrok."
02:55
Because she knowsve that I adoptedsprejeta her and that I can't have kidsotroci.
66
160000
2000
Ker ve, da je posvojena in da
ne morem imeti otrok. In rečem: "Ja."
02:57
And I said, "Yes."
67
162000
2000
02:59
And she said, "Well, you don't have to do that again."
68
164000
2000
In pravi: "No,
tega ti ni treba več početi."
03:01
And I said, "..."
69
166000
3000
In rečem: "..."
03:04
And then she said, "But how does it happense zgodi when a man and womanženska are togetherskupaj?
70
169000
3000
Potem vpraša: "Kako pa se zgodi,
ko sta moški in ženska skupaj?
03:07
Like, how do they know that's the time?
71
172000
2000
Mislim, kako vesta, da je čas za to?
03:09
MomMama, does the man just say,
72
174000
2000
Mama, ali moški kar reče:
03:11
'Is now the time to take off my pantshlače?'"
73
176000
2000
'Je zdaj čas, da slečem hlače?'"
03:13
(LaughterSmeh)
74
178000
2000
(smeh)
03:15
And I said, "Yes."
75
180000
2000
In ji rečem: "Ja."
03:17
(LaughterSmeh)
76
182000
2000
(smeh)
03:19
"That is exactlytočno right.
77
184000
3000
"Točno tako.
03:22
That's exactlytočno how it happensse zgodi."
78
187000
2000
Točno tako se zgodi."
03:24
So we're drivingvožnja home and she's looking out the windowokno, and she goesgre,
79
189000
3000
In potem se peljeva domov
in gleda skozi okno, ko spet vpraša:
03:27
"MomMama. What if two just people saw eachvsak other on the streetulica,
80
192000
2000
"Mama, kaj če se dva človeka
srečata na ulici,
03:29
like a man and a womanženska, they just startedzačel doing it. Would that ever happense zgodi?"
81
194000
3000
moški in ženska in kar začneta to početi.
Se to lahko zgodi?"
03:32
And I said, "Oh, no. HumansLjudi are so privatezasebno.
82
197000
3000
In ji rečem: "O, ne.
Ljudje to počnemo v zasebnosti.
03:35
Oh ..."
83
200000
2000
Ne..."
03:37
And then she goesgre, "What if there was like a partyzabava,
84
202000
2000
In nadaljuje: "Kaj pa, če bi bila zabava
in bi bilo mnogo deklet in mnogo fantov
03:39
and there was just like a wholeceloto bunchkup of girlsdekleta and a wholeceloto bunchkup of boysfantje,
85
204000
2000
03:41
and there was a bunchkup of menmoški and womenženske and they just startedzačel doing it, MomMama?
86
206000
3000
in mnogo moških in žensk
in bi kar začeli to početi?
03:44
Would that ever happense zgodi?"
87
209000
2000
Se to lahko zgodi?"
In odgovorim: "O, ne, ne.
03:46
And I said, "Oh, no, no.
88
211000
3000
03:49
That's not how we do it."
89
214000
3000
Tega ne delamo tako."
Potem pa prispeva domov in vidiva mačko.
03:52
Then we got home and we see the catmačka. And she goesgre,
90
217000
2000
In že vpraša: "Mama,
kako pa mačke to počnejo?"
03:54
"MomMama, how do catsmačke do it?"
91
219000
2000
03:56
And I go, "Oh, it's the sameenako. It's basicallyv bistvu the sameenako."
92
221000
2000
In ji povem: "V bistvu je enako."
In potem se je zataknila pri nogah.
"Kam pa gredo noge, mama?
03:58
And then she got all caughtujet up in the legsnog. "But how would the legsnog go, MomMama?
93
223000
2000
04:00
I don't understandrazumeti the legsnog."
94
225000
2000
Ne razumem, kako je z nogami."
04:02
She goesgre, "MomMama, everyonevsi can't do the splitsrazdeli."
95
227000
2000
In reče: "Mama,
ne znajo vsi narediti špage."
04:04
And I go, "I know, but the legsnog ..."
96
229000
2000
In ji rečem: "Vem, ampak noge..."
in verjetno rečem:
"Z nogami se že znajdemo."
04:06
and I'm probablyverjetno like, "The legsnog get workeddelal out."
97
231000
2000
04:08
And she goesgre, "But I just can't understandrazumeti it."
98
233000
1000
In nadaljuje: "Ampak ne razumem."
04:09
So I go, "You know, why don't we go on the InternetInternet,
99
234000
2000
In rečem: "Veš,
kaj če greva kar na internet
04:11
and maybe we can see ... like on WikipediaWikipedija." (LaughterSmeh)
100
236000
3000
in mogoče bova lahko videli...
recimo na Wikipediji." (smeh)
04:15
So we go onlinena spletu, and we put in "catsmačke matingparjenje."
101
240000
2000
Tako greva na splet
in vpiševa "parjenje mačk."
04:17
And, unfortunatelyna žalost, on YouTubeYouTube, there's manyveliko catsmačke matingparjenje videosvideo posnetke.
102
242000
3000
In na žalost je na YouTubu
mnogo posnetkov parjenja mačk.
04:20
And we watchedgledal them and I'm so thankfulhvaležen,
103
245000
2000
Pa sva jih gledali in sem zelo hvaležna,
04:22
because she's just like, "WowWow! This is so amazingneverjetno."
104
247000
2000
ker je govorila: "Uau!
To je tako neverjetno."
04:24
She goesgre, "What about dogspsi?"
105
249000
3000
In vpraša: "Kaj pa psi?"
04:27
So we put in dogspsi matingparjenje, and,
106
252000
2000
In sva vnesli "parjenje psov"
in, veste, gledava to in čisto jo posrka.
04:29
you know, we're watchinggledal it, and she's totallypopolnoma absorbedabsorbira.
107
254000
2000
04:31
And then she goesgre, "MomMama,
108
256000
2000
Potem pa vpraša: "Mama,
04:33
do you think they would have, on the InternetInternet,
109
258000
3000
misliš, da imajo na internetu
04:36
any humansljudje matingparjenje?"
110
261000
3000
tudi parjenje ljudi?"
04:39
(LaughterSmeh)
111
264000
2000
(smeh)
04:41
And then I realizedrealiziran that
112
266000
2000
In takrat sem spoznala,
da sem prijela svojo osemletnico za roko
04:43
I had takensprejeti my little eightosem yearleto old'sosebe stare handroka,
113
268000
2000
04:45
and takensprejeti her right into InternetInternet pornporno. (LaughterSmeh)
114
270000
2000
in jo popeljala naravnost
v internetno pornografijo.
04:47
And I lookedpogledal into this
115
272000
2000
Pogledala sem jo
04:49
trustingzaupanje, lovingljubezni faceobraz,
116
274000
2000
v njen zaupljiv, ljubeč obraz
04:51
and I said,
117
276000
2000
in rekla:
04:53
"Oh, no.
118
278000
2000
"Oh, ne.
04:55
That would never happense zgodi."
119
280000
2000
To se ne more zgoditi."
04:57
Thank you.
120
282000
2000
Hvala.
04:59
(ApplauseAplavz)
121
284000
2000
(aplavz)
05:01
Thank you.
122
286000
2000
Hvala.
(aplavz)
05:03
(ApplauseAplavz)
123
288000
3000
05:06
Thank you. I'm so happyvesel to be here.
124
291000
2000
Hvala. Vesela sem, da sem tukaj.
Translated by Matej Divjak
Reviewed by Klavdija Cernilogar

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Julia Sweeney - Actor, comedian, playwright
Julia Sweeney creates comedic works that tackle deep issues: cancer, family, faith.

Why you should listen

Julia Sweeney is a writer, director, actress, comedian and monologist. She is known for being a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1990 to 1995, where she created and popularized the androgynous character, Pat. She is also well known for her comedic and dramatic monologues. God Said Ha! is a monologue about serious illness, her brother's lymphoma and her own cancer, and her family's crazy reactions to this crisis as they soldiered their way through struggle, confusion and death. This play was performed all over the U.S. and on Broadway at the Lyceum Theater. It was made into a film produced by Quentin Tarantino, and the comedy album from the show was nominated for a Grammy.

Sweeney's second monologue, In the Family Way, played in theatrical runs in New York and Los Angeles. It was ultimately fashioned into a book, a memoir titled If It's Not One Thing, It's Your Mother. Sweeney's third monologue, Letting Go of God, chronicled her journey from Catholicism to atheism. It was made into a film that played on Showtime.

More profile about the speaker
Julia Sweeney | Speaker | TED.com