Welcome to Drew Weekly, a column that highlights the very special moments of Drew Barrymore’s very special talk show, served sunny-side up (just like how Drew likes it!).
Losing none of her steam, Drew Barrymore plowed into the second week of her eponymous talk show with more Gertie-reminiscent screams, more effusive love for her guests (as well as garlic, Canada, and Google Images), a home-shopping segment during which she placed four pairs of sunglasses on her face at the same time, an interview with a doll, a presentation of her male guinea pig with she/her pronouns, and a truly remarkable toolbox of puns including “Dr. Drewlitte” and “Drewphemisms.” (The latter came from a segment that I actually thought was straightforwardly amusing, featuring Barrymore and Gwyneth Paltrow riffing on new ways to say words that daytime TV forbids.)
This week, Barrymore also introduced her Warm Topics segment, which seems like a joke SNL would make about a talk show host who’s so afraid of being offensive that she consciously tailors her material to be middle of the road. But no, it’s real. As Barrymore explained: “I don’t wanna get near that heat and alienate anyone out there.”
But despite her best efforts, she almost immediately decided that she had gone too far when, during a Warm Topics discussion about people eavesdropping on strangers’ text messages, she declared that she uses a “blind person’s font” on her phone. She apologized profusely while deciding this would be the nail in her talk-show host coffin: “Oh God, I’m going down! I made it a week! I’m fired.” Drew, you’re fine! But are you... okay?
I have watched every single episode of this show and plan on watching every episode moving forward. One day I’ll look back and say, “I’m a lifelong Drew Barrymore enthusiast.” Enjoy this week’s montage of highlights below.