7th of 10 children
Robby Hoffman is the 7th of 10 children raised in a Hasidic household in Montreal, where the family was poor and comedy was a survival mechanism.
Where this was said
Introducing Robby Hoffman: Emmy Winner, Spec Script Courier, Gay Icon Adjacent
At 3:55 · chapter starts 3:45
Sean Hayes's introduction of Robby Hoffman is a masterclass in raising anticipation: she's the 7th of 10 kids from a Hasidic Montreal household, she studied accounting, did stand-up in college, once posed as a courier to hand-deliver a spec script to the president of HBO Canada, won an Emmy for writing, and had John Mulaney call her one of the funniest people alive before directing her Netflix special. The moment Robby appears, the chemistry is immediate. She teases Will Arnett for his film Switch, tells Sean Hayes that Jennifer Aniston is specifically a lesbian icon thanks to wearing a belt in the 1990s, and then levels Jason Bateman with the news that his website was once a gay porn hub — which Jason admits he found briefly flattering. The tone is set: Robby is quick, brutal, and warm in equal measure.
Posed as a courier to pitch HBO Canada
Robby Hoffman posed as a courier to hand-deliver her spec script directly to the president of HBO Canada early in her career.
JasonBateman.com was a gay porn hub
Jason Bateman's attorney once called him to reveal that JasonBateman.com was a gay porn hub website linking to hundreds of gay porn sites.
Similar snapshots
Bobby walked 7 miles with dicks drawn on face
At a childhood sleepover, Bobby Lee's friends drew penises on his face and he walked 7 miles home on a dirt road before being picked up by Eric Purvis's mom.
World poverty: 60% in 1950 vs 10% today
In 1950, about 60% of the world lived in extreme poverty; today it's about 1 in 10, attributable to capitalist economic growth.
6M US children fell into poverty 2021–24
From 2021 to 2024, 6 million children fell below the poverty line in the US after the expanded child tax credit expired.
Private adoption costs $40,000–$70,000
Private domestic infant and international adoptions typically cost $40,000 to $70,000, while foster care adoption is the most affordable route at $0 to $2,000.
Only 40% of men have ever reproduced
Historically, only 40% of men have ever reproduced — Galloway uses this to argue that romantic success requires effort, not a hall pass.
No concept of 'too soon'
Robby's Hasidic community had no concept of 'too soon' in comedy — if it was funny, you threw it, and if you bombed, your sibling told you immediately.
Discovered gay at 17
Robby didn't realize she was gay until age 17, when a persistent Italian classmate followed her into a bathroom stall at an end-of-semester bar event.
Father's one email after coming out
After Robby came out, her still-Hasidic father sent exactly one email saying the behavior was 'not befitting of a daughter of Israel' and calling it promiscuous, despite Robby having only one girlfriend.
$799 Vegas wedding
Robby and Gabby married in Las Vegas for $799, a package that included a limousine, an officiant named Reverend Nature, and a photographer named Nathan.
