2023-10-14
27 分钟Note: There is swearing in this episode. In 2017, The University of Minnesota asked comedian Maria Bamford to give their commencement speech. But the University may not have known what it was in for. In her speech, Bamford told the crowd of graduates how much the university offered to pay her (nothing), her counteroffer ($20,000), and the amount they settled on ($10,000), which (after taxes and fees, etc.) she gave away to students in the audience to pay down their student loans. Maria Bamford is a big believer in full disclosure of her finances, a philosophy she's adopted after decades in a Debtors Anonymous support group. In meetings, she learned important financial tips and tricks to go from thousands of dollars in debt to her current net worth of $3.5 million (a number which, true to her philosophy, she will share with anyone). She spoke with us about her financial issues, how she recovered, and why she believes in total financial transparency, even when it makes her look kinda bad. Disclaimer: Planet Money is not qualified or certified to give financial advice. And Maria is not a spokesperson for Debtors Anonymous in any way. This show was hosted by Kenny Malone and Mary Childs. It was produced by Emma Peaslee, edited by Jess Jiang, fact-checked by Sierra Juarez, and engineered by Neisha Heinis. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money's executive producer. Help support Planet Money and get bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Just a quick note before we get started.
Someone does swear in this episode just one time.
It is a comedian, though, so I feel like just one swear is doing pretty good.
Okay, here's the show.
This is planet money from NPR.
You may have heard comedian Maria Bamford's voice on SpongeBob SquarePants.
Hey, Uncle SpongeBob.
We're seeing her on arrested development.
Tobias had found a friend.
Yurdi.
Your neat Yurdie.
Or maybe you saw her in some target commercials.
All know there is no I in team, but there is an I in Christmas and at the target two days.
But for, like, the past five or six years, we at Planet money have been talking about Maria Bamford's work as a commencement speaker.
Let us begin at the beginning.
I will read a section of the email sent to me by the university.
Quote, in 2017, the University of Minnesota asked Maria Bamper to give their commencement speech.
It is unclear, though, if they asked her to give this kind of commencement speech, in which she paraphrases from the university's own email to a crowd of rapt graduates.
And this is my emphasis.
Normally, the college does not pay for commencement speakers.