Latest / It's Open with Ilana Glazer / “Zohran’s Snow Day, Maybe Florida Rocks, and Announcing Moms & Neighbors For Safe & Fair US Midterm Elections 2026” with Ilana Glazer

Transcript

“Zohran’s Snow Day, Maybe Florida Rocks, and Announcing Moms & Neighbors For Safe & Fair US Midterm Elections 2026” with Ilana Glazer · It's Open with Ilana Glazer

• 0:00
  Welcome to It's Open with Ilana Glazer.
• 0:02
  I'm Ilana Glazer and I'm so excited that today is my first solo solo record.
• 0:07
  I set the studio up by myself. This is so cool.
• 0:15
  I'm like a scientist and camera person and I really need to get my Carhartt on because I'm a little camera boy. Oh my gosh, this is so cool.
• 0:31
  I went to Florida last week.
• 0:31
  My kiddo was off from school, so we went to Florida.
• 0:39
  There were so many millennials with children visiting their boomer parents in Florida. So many people got three kids.
• 0:50
  That's three. Is it a lot?
• 0:54
  It feels like many, many, many children to meet.
• 0:58
  You can't carry three children between two parents. It's like, wow, there is a necessary nonchalance to having three kids where you're like, you have to be like, yeah, I can't hold all my children at once.
• 1:06
  Florida felt so good on my damn bones. I'm 38 and I really, this last week I was like, holy shit, I am starting to get it.
• 1:21
  My joints feel good down here and it's February, my muscles, my knees.
• 1:27
  I'm sort of bouncing around with soft knees. It was so, it felt so good.
• 1:31
  Florida is like the fuck, buddy, I cannot quit the fuck, buddy.
• 1:34
  I cannot quit. And I'm like, am I going to end up with this guy? And this last week I was like, it's possible. It's really, really possible.
• 1:50
  All my friends are like, don't do it. Stop yourself. And I'm like, it just feels right. It feels so, so right. He's grody in ways, but there's a sweetness.
• 2:07
  It's not like, oh, I'm so blown away by the sex with Florida. Oh my God, it just, I explode every time. It's not like that, but it's reliable. And as I get older, the reliability is becoming the most valuable asset here. He used to be wild.
• 2:30
  He used to kind of be a shithead. And now I'm like, is he a sweetie pie?
• 2:34
  Is he a fucking sweetie pie, low key, reliable sweetie pie?
• 2:39
  He's like my Mr. Big. I don't know. I was fucking loving Florida.
• 2:43
  I was loving it. I was trusting it and I was having hope in it.
• 2:46
  That's what all that is.
• 2:46
  Definitely what it was.
• 2:49
  I have no fucking idea what's going on down there really. But so, okay, this week full on fucking New York City blizzard.
• 2:56
  So Wild Z Ron Momani is doing such a good job at being mayor. We are so proud of you. Zoran Ramani, holy shit. And I have specifically millennial pride in the way he is to see so damn cute.
• 3:15
  He's calling a kiddo about the snow day to give her the good news. This kiddo Victoria, and he's telling her it's a snow day, no online school even. And she's like, woo, just so much joy.
• 3:29
  He is doing such a good job.
• 3:32
  And from the blizzard a few weeks ago from then until now, his messaging over Instagram to use Instagram as this incredible tool, oh my gosh, I feel so lucky to be a New Yorker in Zoran.
• 3:47
  Mom's mayoral New York. It's just, there's joy, there's beauty, and there's incredibly effective communication and policy from a few weeks ago is Blizzard till now.
• 4:02
  He changed the policy based on comments in social media to his first video a few weeks ago.
• 4:11
  Changed the plowing on the sidewalks to being four feet wide for disabled New Yorkers, like using the tools at hand.
• 4:19
  Got the people in place on the team to take this all in, make the changes and communicate it effectively. And then Zoran, what a wonderful face of this whole operation.
• 4:31
  Okay, so I thought I was going to be doing an announcement today.
• 4:35
  I have a pre-announcement and then I have suppose an announcement.
• 4:39
  My pre-announcement is that I have an announcement coming next Tuesday and a teaser for that announcement drops on Instagram today. So check that out.
• 4:52
  And if you want to be the first to hear this announcement and have access to all its fruits, I invite you to sign up for my newsletter@substack.com slash at alana glazer. Again, that's substack.com/at Alana glazer.
• 5:11
  So, okay, my other announcement.
• 5:14
  So I've been teasing on here that I've been talking about organizing with moms and that I'm getting something going. And I thought yesterday in preparing for this recording, why don't I fully announce the thing and in fact, read the thing.
• 5:42
  Read the, the whole plan for this thing because the conservatives and the hate machine that they're operating, pulling all their levers and driving the steering wheel of, they announced their plans and they're fully transparent about it.
• 6:01
  And of course they have a trillion dollar funding machine behind them. So progressives never would be, it's never going to be the same thing to be transparent with our plans, but whatever. But it's like they're, they flash us with their little devil penises and tell us of their disgusting plans. And unfortunately the Democrats are like, no way man.
• 6:26
  No way.
• 6:27
  Let's keep the billionaire funding program in place so that we have access to that too and just no way is that going to happen.
• 6:36
  And then you're like, they did project 2025 in two months, so wish you had heated that the whole fucking time that we knew about it. But anyway. Anyway, I digress.
• 6:47
  So I'm going to tell you what I've been up to and what I am pursuing for this year and why am I in a new outfit? You know what?
• 6:57
  I came back the next day to rerecord the next part because it wasn't good enough. Alright, so what I want to do right now is I have this second announcement, LOL, to tell you about a campaign that I'm organizing.
• 7:15
  It's called Moms and Neighbors for Safe and Fair US Midterm Elections, 2026 Moms and Neighbors for Safe and Fair US Midterm Elections 2026 is a nine month media campaign and supercharged coalition of already existing nonpartisan voting organizations.
• 7:35
  Two things here, the goal making sure moms across the US understand how compromised the safety of the midterm elections are.
• 7:41
  Number two, we have a call to action.
• 7:45
  We volunteer to work the polls.
• 7:51
  This is a two-pronged approach that we'll provide. Here I go with my fingers.
• 7:56
  Again, A supercharged coalition for all the grassroots organizing already happening in communities led by moms and women that don't currently have a United brand.
• 8:05
  Two, a media campaign produced from inside the TV and film industry deploying messaging to actresses, actors, musicians, and artists already in the press circuit for projects.
• 8:18
  Our language is strategically deescalating from the incendiary, oops, from the incendiary toxic language and landscape.
• 8:26
  The title is this specific to Make it Unco and indictable and Centering Moms will undeniably Center human rights.
• 8:36
  From March through November, we produced 30 high level mainstream media hits from Legacy to new media.
• 8:42
  In recent talks with WME impact department, they stated 80% of artists have stepped back from speaking up in fear of being targeted by the federal government.
• 8:55
  And as the government's violence against civilians escalates, artists have spoken up in drips and drops with no larger program to plug into. Moms and neighbors will provide an inarguably safe container for artists to plug in internally. We need to call it out.
• 9:13
  Now the display of destruction we have seen and continue to see in Minnesota is a training ground to scale up and disrupt the midterm elections.
• 9:24
  And if this election does not get counted fairly, it may be our last with the right coordination when it is counted fairly, it will be an historic victory for democracy slowing the onslaught of authoritarian dictatorship in the United States.
• 9:43
  However, despite the urgency, the messaging we create and deploy necessitates and indictable and inviting easy nature, talking points will always lead with moms.
• 9:55
  For example, for an artist who is a mom. As a mom, I think it's important to vote fairly because or for a younger artist who is not a parent, I love my mom and I am so proud of her for signing up to volunteer at the polls this November. Or for child free artists who may not be so young, I have so many friends who are moms volunteering at the polls this November.
• 10:17
  See just a few examples below of how we plan to activate. So picture this, we're starting in March, March a town hall aimed at Gen Z and millennials with courier news move on and minus touch launch the digital footprint of this campaign softening the narrative around Gen Z and millennials by rooting the conversation in motherhood, the framing millennial motherhood adulting as millennials, and what our responsibility is as millennial Americans to Gen Zs deradicalize, the fight for human rights in this moment in history.
• 10:49
  To kick off our call to action volunteering at the polls in November.
• 10:55
  Also in March, the Oscars kicking off with the town hall.
• 10:58
  First we'll set a narrative precedent for artists who are ready to plug in with mom centric talking points to speak on the red carpet for sound bites and naming our call to action all very soft and delicious, talking about moms start to pepper in already existing press opportunities that can now reference the moms and neighbors movement and rename the call to action Picture actresses and actresses who are already set to appear in Good Morning America, Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Kelly and Mark and so on, plugging projects and then tacking on at the end. Anecdotes.
• 11:29
  And I know this is a big election year and I remember going to the polls with my mom as a kid, or it's so hard for America to be so divided right now.
• 11:38
  And I think about my mom who's overcome so much adversity in her life.
• 11:42
  Or my final example right now is as a mother in the United States right now, I really want to leave the campsite better than I found it.
• 11:49
  So I'm going to volunteer to work the polls and want to invite other moms around the country to do the same May a round table for Mother's Day with someone like Jake Tapper. The frame is the hopes and dreams of American mothers.
• 12:02
  This year we also create space for all the grief.
• 12:05
  American mothers are enduring from the killing of Renee Goode, who was a mother to the killing of Alex Preti and the statement from his father and mother.
• 12:12
  Oh gosh. And we look back at the way ice used Liam Ramos as bait the images of him from the detention center in Dilly, Texas.
• 12:26
  We make space to think about all the children who are there now to today, and we re-look at reports of conditions there or we update those reports.
• 12:37
  We end with hope and action items.
• 12:39
  We're seeing communities come together demonstrating nonviolently using their first amendment right and we know how important this year's elections are to all Americans who just want to see their country. United June, July, and August.
• 12:51
  We aim for more morning spots, but also get into late night messaging.
• 12:54
  Also coordinates with digital media and grassroots coalition to get more specific about what voting will look like and how moms and neighbors will protect each other.
• 13:02
  We can start to kick off a series of social campaigns like posting a picture with your mom and tying it into November, restating the call to action. We will also start to spread the way we see this group.
• 13:12
  So picture another social campaign where we insert different demos for neighbors taking pics with a mom, for example, sweet pictures like moms and grandparents for safe and fair, US midterm elections or hot beach pics for moms and gay guys for safe and fair US midterms, election or cool it all the way off with moms and clergy for safe and fair US midterm elections. I'm talking lesbians, musicians, old ladies, atheists, athletes, activists, nerds, whatever.
• 13:43
  Anybody and everybody is welcome to join this campaign.
• 13:46
  We can also create a booth at the national PTA annual convention happening in June in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and ask our artists to come through to take pictures with attendees. Okay, we are coming on to September.
• 13:55
  Here's the Holy Grail, a Labor Day concert in Philadelphia.
• 14:03
  It's called America two 50 Labor Love.
• 14:03
  It's a music concert with interstitials tracking America's history from stolen labor to labor unions.
• 14:13
  We go big like live aid.
• 14:15
  Big Bruce Springsteen and Billy and Phineas Eilish are our first asks once they say yes. Everybody going to roll in? Come on, we're talking Taylor Swift girl. Lord Bad Bunny's done his job, but he's Missy Elliot, the roots de soul dur. These are direct asks.
• 14:32
  The group we have here has access to, I don't know, can you just imagine John Stewart as our mc? I can.
• 14:39
  The crowd is filled with moms, neighbors and labor unions with free tickets.
• 14:44
  The call to action is stated again and again, volunteer to work the polls in November and artist messaging leads with moms and neighbors. Additionally, we plug into the Forbes Power Women's Summit September, 2026, and at this point in this campaign, we can start to paint the party vibes dog.
• 14:57
  We hit the call to action, but now with more color, we can refer to the call to action as chaperoning like moms are volunteering to work. The polls girl, they're chaperoning them like prom.
• 15:08
  We add the call to action with fun.
• 15:08
  Visuals, bring snacks, hand warmers, cookies, and we let everybody know there will be spirit tunnels a add.
• 15:16
  The Jennifer Hudson show. It's October.
• 15:16
  We lean into the organizing easy, actionable graphics pointing to non-partisan organizations pledged, who have plugged in to post and repost.
• 15:28
  We plug into the varieties power of women as well as town and country's philanthropy Summit to name a few. Okay, November.
• 15:35
  The goal is here optically to soften voting, bringing kids to polling places and volunteering at the polls.
• 15:40
  Picture people with mom shirts and others with I'm with mom, bright, unmistakable and inviting. We've got those snacks, hand warmers, and we're doing the spirit tunnel all day.
• 15:48
  We have been leading all year with moms as the organizing principle to this narrative, but it comes down to every single voter volunteer and organizer possible safeguarding the voting process as well as the votes counting process with so much narrative building, live streaming outside the polling places could create accountability for safety. We'll see what is legal there, which could be from the grassroots side, digital media, as well as local affiliates of legacy media. This group, who is the brain trust of this project.
• 16:17
  We have the relationships and we have the reach.
• 16:20
  We can't control people's response to this, but if we land the language just right and stay within the parameters we set, it will be easy for talent to jump in. Okay, paired with a grassroots organizing campaign, the media campaign will hit one directive over and over, volunteer to work the polls.
• 16:37
  While this will be the one piece of information repeated at the highest levels of amplification, all the other pieces, organizing this enormous, complex puzzle will fall into place and be normalized to the average deactivated voter moms first and move ons nonpartisan C3 arm to create opportunities through virtual meetings to leverage the power of moms and women's relationship to hold the stakes of this election and convince each other to join the fight, to convince male partners and family members to participate. And the container of neighbors invites Americans of all identities who may not have normally stepped up to help save democracy for just a finite period of time.
• 17:12
  Just until November, using moms as an organizing principle of our narrative will deradicalize our messaging to the average American voter.
• 17:17
  We said it, but it's worth standing.
• 17:21
  We will leverage a curated web of nonpartisan organizations to activate all year. For example, legislation.
• 17:27
  We author nonpartisan bills to protect the midterm elections from ices, violence from masked federal agents and other intimidation tactics.
• 17:34
  Whether or not it passes, it will feed the narrative and Mark history calling your reps.
• 17:39
  We work with nonpartisan calling organizations to get calls made about this bill. And we also add a call instructing voters to call the representatives and ask day in and day out until November, how are you protecting my vote?
• 17:56
  How are you protecting my vote and voting experience come November? That's a nonpartisan question to Democrats and Republicans alike, peaceful, nonviolent demonstration.
• 18:03
  We educate and empower through these grassroots activations that are already happening.
• 18:09
  We plug into those to educate and empower Americans to use their freedom of speech while we still have it through nonviolent protest and partner with nonpartisan organizations to lend the unimpeach ability of our moms and neighbor narrative to cool the flames of the federal government and mainstream media's story around peaceful protest, which is that it's not peaceful, but it is.
• 18:28
  That's why we call it peaceful protest.
• 18:29
  Phone banking and social banking educate and empower moms and neighbors to connect with fellow Americans on the phone and type and type in and protecting communities against masked anonymous federal agents using violence against citizens.
• 18:45
  Upon seeing what's been happening in Minnesota and all over the country, lots of education is happening right now within communities to protect families and neighbors.
• 18:52
  We will raise awareness, connect the dots that neighborhoods across the country are doing the same thing.
• 18:58
  We'll connect this to preparing for November, organizing neighbors to help voters get to and from their polling stations safely.
• 19:06
  There's organizations that we have access to relationships with and the reach to as well as the talent.
• 19:12
  And we're going to plug into them for a nonpartisan supercharged coalition.
• 19:17
  The Brain Trust. The Brain Trust.
• 19:17
  Here is Brittany Pnet Cunningham, internationally acclaimed speaker and strategist on Liberation through social justice organizing. Reshma Sajani, who founded Girls Who Code and is the founder and CEO of Moms. First me, Ilana Glazer.
• 19:32
  I'm technically an internationally acclaimed comedian and Generator Collective.
• 19:36
  We got Rania Batrice, Future It's Open podcast guest and brilliant political strategist and consultant, Glennis Meagher, political strategist and consultant, a producer on its open as well as my co-founder of Generator Collective. And finally, Hannah Linkenhoker, senior Policy and political advisor at WME. Okay, that's moms and neighbors.
• 19:59
  Send this to friends who you think might be interested.
• 20:02
  I'm going to send it to people I hope will fund this to wealthy people, I hope will fund this.
• 20:06
  So I'm going to wrap it up and say that this has been a Starrpix Production.
• 20:10
  I want to thank It's Open Brain Trust, Annika Carlson, David Rooklin, Madeline Kim, Kelsie Kiley, and Glennis Meagher. I want to thank our editor, Tovah Lebowitz. I want to thank Raymo Ventura, who makes the graphics and the opening musical sting, as well as Don Hur who does this outra music.
• 20:27
  I want to thank the brilliant people who made this look and sound so good, which is Lexa Krebs, Kevin Deming, and Nicole Maupin.
• 20:35
  And that's it.
• 20:37
  I hope you are staying warm and safe and sending you love.
• 20:42
  God bless you.