During CNN’s New Year’s Eve broadcast, comedian Amy Sedaris stirred the pot with a controversial joke, suggesting that the best place to meet a man nowadays is in the women’s restroom. Her comment, delivered with her trademark humor, came not long after the broadcast had begun.
Sedaris, who is known for her comedic flair, was responding to a viewer-inspired question posed by host Anderson Cooper. He asked, “Where’s the best place to meet a man in 2026?” Without missing a beat, Sedaris quipped, “Oh, where’s a good place to meet a man? I’d say in the ladies room, but—”
The joke was met with a notable pause from Cooper and his co-host Andy Cohen, both of whom are known for their support of the transgender community. Their silence seemed to catch Sedaris off guard, prompting her to quickly shift gears.
In an effort to keep the mood light, Sedaris pivoted away from the initial jest, suggesting, “I don’t know where. Can you meet a man? Maybe Bergdorf’s?” Her quick thinking helped navigate the situation, though the moment underscored the sensitivity surrounding such topics.
She trailed off while being met with a wall of silence from Cooper and co-host Andy Cohen, who is a hardline defender of the trans community.
Their silence left Sedaris to ad-lib. She continued: ‘I don’t know where. Can you meet a man? Maybe Bergdorf’s?’
The sarcastic follow-up also fell flat, leading the star to lightheartedly turn the question on the two men.
‘Where is a good place to meet a man in 2026? You guys should know,’ the Strangers With Candy star said. ‘A fire station? Where would that be.’
The 64-year-old comedian made the tongue-in-cheek crack not even a half hour into the broadcast.
It appeared to fall flat with the special’s left-leaning hosts
‘Yeah, a fire station,’ Cohen said, with him and Cooper now cracking smiles.
Sedaris was the hosts’ first guest, and she proved to be a handful.
Elsewhere in the spot, the former Comedy Central star accidentally swore on-camera, after another viewer had asked for ‘the number one best excuse to get out of a prior commitment’
‘I say, nothing, anything after because is bullsh*t,’ a characteristically frank Sedaris replied, to more silence from the hosts.
‘Oh I can’t say that? Sorry,’ Sedaris said as it became increasingly clear she made a flub.
Sedaris has appeared in shows like Broad City, BoJack Horseman, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt after her success as Jerri Blank in the Comedy Central television series.
She co-wrote the 2005 film follow-up with longtime friend Stephen Colbert, whom she mentioned while fielding another question.
‘What’s one thing about Colbert that would surprise us?’ Cohen had asked.
Elsewhere in the spot, Sedaris talked up her old friend Stephen Colbert, who has been a fierce critic of the Trump Administration
Sedaris is close pals with Cohen as well. The two are seen here last month at a SiriusXM event in Manhattan
‘Oh gosh…smartest person I know, very high reference level, he got that southern charm that he can pull out of his back pocket,’ Sedaris replied.
Sedaris is also close friends with Cohen, with whom she runs a New York-based ‘coloring club.’ Musician John Mayer also counts himself a member.
While not usually political, the comic provided some inkling of her beliefs ahead of the premiere of her since-cancelled sketch comedy show, At Home With Amy Sedaris, Sedaris, during a 2017 interview with entertainment Brandon Voss.
When asked if the show targeted ‘a gay audience’ due to its abundance of crafts and ‘wigs’, Sedaris replied: ‘I’m not targeting anyone, but that is one of my favorite audiences for sure.
‘If they accept the show, that’s really all that matters to me. They have the best sense of humor.’
