Mother's Day Advice From Louie Anderson, TV's Best Mother

louie anderson baskets
Frank Ockenfels/FX
Frank Ockenfels/FX

Christine Baskets, the matronly character Louie Anderson plays with a surprising amount of grace on FX's Baskets, deserves to get whatever she wants for Mother's Day. Raising Chip (Zach Galifianakis) and Dale (also Zach Galifianakis) was that difficult.

Luckily, we can learn from her sons' mistakes and make sure other mothers' Mother's Days don't suck. While interviewing Anderson a few months back at a Costco in Las Vegas, Thrillist asked the comedian to riff in character about the insights Mama Baskets might have gleaned from past Mother's Days gone wrong and he was more than happy to channel Christine while shopping at the mecca of wholesale merch.

A single day is not enough

"There should be two days for mothers, not just one. There should be a Mother's Day which is just the day where the kids take you to breakfast and spend the day with you, of course. And put in all new lightbulbs and fix the garage, all those things you need to have done but just can't do anymore. The other day should just be a fun day. Maybe they take you on a trip somewhere for a weekend. Somewhere exotic, but not dangerous. In terms of gifts, I like money. I shop so much at Costco, a Costco card would be great. Or if they made something for me, that would be nice. I mean, but only if they were good at it."

There's no shame in dining at Denny's

"Restaurant-wise, what I like is a quiet, elegant place, but if you can't find that, Denny's is delicious. And you know, at Denny's, if you get a corner booth, you wouldn't know where you were. You could be in Paris! Eating a Grand Slam."

louie anderson zach galifianakis baskets
Byron Cohen/FX

Father's Day? No way

"I feel bad for Father's Day because the kids just get him cologne, or tools, or cigarettes, or more cologne. The Father's Day thing is fun, but it doesn't really measure up to Mother's Day because the father, let's face it, while he participates in the raising of the children, he didn't bring them into the world. That's why there should be two, maybe three days for Mother's Day. A Mother's Short Week, or a Mother's Long Weekend."


Always give her a card

"I like a Mother's Day card that has a place to write something personal and heartfelt, like, 'I remember all the things you did for me, Mom,' or 'Thanks so much for the time you bailed me out of jail,' or 'Thank you for paying for clown college.'"

Sign up here for our daily Thrillist email, and get your fix of the best in food/drink/fun.

Keith Staskiewicz is a writer based in Los Angeles who forgot to renew his Costco membership a few years back. And for more Mother's Day advice from Louie Anderson as Christine Baskets, check out six new videos that FX put together.