Lizzy Cooperman

Lizzy Cooperman is a comedian and the host of In Your Hands. Follow her on Instagram here. (You have to follow her on Instagram to interact with her show!)

How did In Your Hands come about?
During the lockdown I was alone in my apartment except for a giant peacock who plopped down outside my door every morning and left gifts in the form of excrement. I couldn't maneuver around the peacock to physically leave my apartment. When my lease was up I told my therapist the only place I could think of that made me happy was New Mexico. He said, “Then go.” So I put all my stuff into storage, drove to Santa Fe, and waited out the worst of it in a tiny Airbnb above a crystal shop. It made me wonder what would happen if other people made big choices like that for me–because had he not given me that extra push I probably wouldn’t have gone. I also probably wouldn't have spent two full days searching for George R. R. Martin's house.

How did you come up with ideas for adventures? Did you map out the whole season?
No. I wanted each event to flow naturally into the next. It’s been tricky though because, surprisingly, there are weeks where no one offers me a job or asks for my hand in marriage.

Why are you the perfect host for this show?
Kim Cattrall turned it down.

What has making the show taught you about yourself?
I like pretending I’m a journalist so I can get more information. My apologies to everyone at the turtle race who thought I worked for the “LA Globe."

What has making the show taught you about the internet?
When two roads diverge in the wood, most people choose the one involving sex.

What do you hope people get out of In Your Hands?
I want them to feel like the protagonist, and I want them to have an adventure. Oh and I hope they get a tote bag out of it once I start selling them!

How did this show change from the moment of its inception to the first episode?
I originally wanted to call this show 11 and do 11 episodes. I wasn’t sure if it was sustainable to live like this. I’m still not sure. Time will tell! I say this as I sell plasma out of the trunk of my car.

Were you nervous about any of the challenges?
Yes for sure. I really wanted to up the stakes with the Journal Purge / Lotto Splurge episode and once the votes started coming in I realized I had given the listeners two outcomes that could both have negative effects. I was planning a different episode and the options just kept falling through so a half hour before we recorded I settled on Lotto Splurge. The fallout was intense. The first time I've ever stared into my hands.

What feedback have you gotten from fans?
For that journal episode I received some really concerned messages and vehement pleas. Eventually I want to ask the audience what they want to see next. 

Have any of the fan decisions surprised you?
I was surprised by the results of the Jewish Man / OnlyFans episode. I thought the listeners would want me to cultivate a relationship instead of doing tarot in a turtleneck. My dream is to someday do both, simultaneously.

If you were going to start another podcast—don’t worry about the logistics or whether or not anyone would like it—what would it be?
I’d do something really simple and with little to no planning involved! Like talk to a friend on the phone and just record it or something.  

Are you a podcast listener?
Yes! I listen to Weekly Energy Boost,  What’s It Called, The Schaefer Shakedown,  The Poundcast and The Todd Glass Show .

What’s a show you love that everyone already knows about?
I Said No Gifts! and World Record.

What’s a show you love that not enough people know about?
Baby Mouth, Mall Talk, and Hunk with Mike Bridenstine.

Thanks, Lizzy!