entertainment
TEAMWORK (Left) Carp on the set of Watch What Happens Live with her podcasting partner, John Thrasher; (Right) Carp with
Andy Cohen during 2019’s “Ask Andy” event at BravoCon in New York City.
Reality Check continues to be
Carp’s favorite part of the day,
especially during these challenging
times. “Whether it’s doing celebrity
interviews or featuring the latest
reality show news that People
reports, it is all fantastic,” she
says. “Twenty-twenty has been an
interesting year, but I am extremely
grateful and fortunate to work with
a team that is committed to bringing
quality content weekly. This
definitely keeps my spirits up in
spite of everything going on in the
world.”
MARTINIS &MURDER
Carp also hosts apair of
podcasts on the Oxygen network.
“John Thrasher and I started
Martinis &Murder in 2017,” she
says. “Oxygen had just rebranded
to be true crime. They wanted to
capitalize on the success of Serial
and other true crime documentaries.
Listeners were hungry for
real stories about real people.”
Carp and Thrasher brainstormed
ideas for a murder-inspired podcast,
and their producer suggested adding
boozy cocktails to the mix. “It’s
something that makes it fun and a
little more digestible for people
who don’t want to just hear scary
stories,” she says. “We consider
ourselves a news podcast, but we
are in the comedy section as well.”
Although Carp and Thrasher
like to have fun during the show,
they never make fun of the victims
or crimes. “We talk about serious
issues, but it’s a really digestible,
fun, snack-able podcast,” she says.
The podcast covers a full case
every Sunday, which can range
from talking about Charles Manson
to a local murder in Florida or New
Jersey. The duo also produces a
second podcast called Another
Shot that airs on Thursdays and
dives into Carp’s and Thrasher’s
personal lives. And thanks to modern
technology, Carp is still able to
record her podcasts, even though
she misses her co-host.
“This has definitely been a
reflective time, where I am taking
full stock of what Itook for
granted previously,” she says.
NOURISHING HER JERSEY ROOTS
Growing up, Carp lived in Essex
County, but liked to hang out in
Bergen County, too. “I grew up
basically going to Bergen County to
visit family,” she says. “I worked at
American Apparel in Garden State
Plaza back in the day. Iloved it
because everything was closed on
Sundays, so I didn’t have to work!”
Carp’s parents still live in her
childhood home in Montclair,
and she tries to visit them at least
once amonth. One of her favorite
places to stop when back in town is
Sandwich Theory on Valley Road.
“We used to walk into town from
Mount Hebron [Middle School] and
go to Sandwich Theory,” she says.
“We were all about it. Imiss
it genuinely.”
Another local favorite is
Ethiopian restaurant Mesob on
Bloomfield Avenue. “I try and
convince my parents to go every
time I visit,” Carp says. “It’s the
best Ethiopian around, even better
than anything in New York City.”
Though Carp spends most of her
time in New York City, she proudly
carries her Jersey roots with her.
“Montclair is just in my blood,” she
says. “It’s been something that’s
really proven to be helpful, and
this relatable thing throughout my
entire career.” ■
THRASHER: CHARLES SYKES/BRAVO; BRAVOCON: RALPH BAVARO/BRAVO
14 BACK TOSCHOOL 2020 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE