Good One: A Podcast About Jokes

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox welcomes Kyle Kinane back to the podcast to talk about his sixth stand-up special, Dirt Nap, which is currently available on YouTube. Kyle discusses putting together the incredible, nearly 50-minute story that he closes the special with me. Order Jesse's book (out now!), Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox welcomes Ramy star/co-creator Ramy Youssef to the podcast to discuss his newest stand-up HBO special, More Feelings. Ramy had been touring his hour for years, but the set really came to focus in the weeks following October 7. This episode they discuss the first joke he wrote about what is happening in Gaza. Order Jesse's book (out now!), Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On a special bonus episode of Good One: A Podcast About Jokes, Host Jesse David Fox is talking about the creation of Good One: A Show About Jokes, the docu-special currently airing on Peacock about Mike Birbiglia’s search for his next hour. Jesse invites on Eddie Schmidt, the special’s director, to discuss how they went about adapting this very podcast for television. Order Jesse's book (out now!), Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox welcomes Judd Apatow back to the pod. While last time Apatow spoke about The King of Staten Island and his movie making process, this time he talks about his approach to hosting an award show. Specifically, how he’s approached the five times he’s hosted the Directors Guild of America Awards. Recorded live at SXSW in Austin on March 8, 2024, Apatow and Fox use the DGA monologue as a jumping-off point for a wide-ranging conversation about the state of comedy and the film industry. Order Jesse's book (out now!), Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox welcomes the “Egyptian Jon Stewart” Bassem Youssef to the podcast. A decade ago Youssef was a key figure in the Egyptian Revolution, hosting a satirical comedy show throughout it. But more recently Youssef garnered attention for his international viral appearance on Pier Morgan Uncensored. Youssef discusses how he approached the news segment as a piece of comedy and what satire can or cannot do. Bassem is on tour now. Head to www.bassemyoussef.xyz/upcoming-shows for dates. The Good One TV show, starring Mike Birbiglia, is premiering on March 26, on Peacock! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox welcomes Jon Lovett to the pod. Before co-hosting Pod Save America and hosting Lovett or Leave It, Lovett was a speechwriter for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. And in that role, he was known as the go-to comedy guy. This episode looks back at the first three White House Correspondents’ Dinner speeches Lovett worked on under Obama, as a way to have a conversation about the role of humor in politics. Stream Pod Save America and Lovett or Leave It Order Jesse's book (out now!), Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox welcomes Jacqueline Novak to the pod. After years touring it around the world, Novak released her debut special, Get on Your Knees, on Netflix earlier this year. Fox and Novak dove deep into the extremely ambitious special about oral sex, that is not actually about oral sex. Stream Get on Your Knees on Netflix. Order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox brings you a conversation he had with Hrishikesh Hirway, the host/producer of the podcast Song Exploder, live at Vulture Festival 2023. Song Exploder, a podcast in which a musician walks through the process of making a song, was the single biggest influence on Good One, so the two hosts had a fun time deconstructing the art of deconstructing art. Song Exploder is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month! Stream wherever you listen to podcasts. Order Jesse's book (out now!), Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To kick off the new year, here’s a little bonus episode to keep you warm as the show ramps up for its seventh year. Recorded live from Vulture Festival, comedian/comedy podcast legend Jonah Ray Rodrigues interviews his friend/idol Weird Al Yankovic about his long and varied career. Rodrigues has Al named the song that is his favorite to do live, was his most surprising hit, features the best accordion skills, and much much more.This was an event of the real Weird Al-heads. But, even a casual fan will appreciate this unique look back at Weird’s unique career. Stream Weird: The Al Yankovic Story on the Roku Channel. Order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's that time of year again: Vulture critic Kathryn VanArendonk's Best Specials of the Year list is out! Years removed from lockdown and with a rise of specials on YouTube, there was a lot to consider. But these are the 10 VanArendonk thought were best! Kathryn’s ranking: https://www.vulture.com/article/best-stand-up-comedy-specials-2023.html Order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox welcomes Zainab Johnson to the pod. Johnson, who is best known for her role on the sci-fi sitcom Upload. Earlier this year, she released her first stand-up special, Hijabs Off. One of the best, most visually interesting specials of the year, Hijabs Off displays Johnson’s ease onstage, unique pacing, and in-the-moment performance. You can stream Upload and Hijabs Off on Prime Video. Order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fresh off the release of his latest Netflix special, I Am Not For Everyone, comedian and podcaster Pete Holmes sits down with Vulture's Jesse David Fox to discuss one of his favorite jokes from his previous special Dirty Clean, and deep dives into his joke writing process. Watch I Am Not For Everyone on Netflix. Follow Pete Holmes on twitter and instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on twitter and instagram. Buy Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Good One host Jesse David Fox’s debut Comedy Book, a book of comedy criticism and history, is coming out today! To give listeners a taste of what to expect, this week we’re offering an exclusive first listen to the audiobook, read by Jesse. The excerpt answers the question: Has Jesse ever tried stand-up? Buy Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Buy tickets for Jesse’s November 7 Brooklyn book release comedy show: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-very-good-show-to-celebrate-the-release-of-comedy-book-tickets-696148497897?aff=odwdwdspacecraft Buy tickets for Jesse’s November 13 Los Angeles book release comedy show: https://www.squadup.com/events/a-very-good-show-to-celebrate-the-release-of-comedy-book-w-chris-fleming-jay-jurden-joel-kim-booster-naomi-ekperigin-and-more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Good One host Jesse David Fox’s debut Comedy Book, a book of comedy criticism and history, is coming out on November 7! To mark this occasion, this week on Good One, he will be the guest. Filling in as host is comedy legend and guest from the most popular episode of this show, Gary Gulman, whose own debut memoir, Misfit, came out earlier this year.  Pre-order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Buy tickets for Jesse’s November 7 Brooklyn book release comedy show: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-very-good-show-to-celebrate-the-release-of-comedy-book-tickets-696148497897?aff=odwdwdspacecraft Buy tickets for Jesse’s November 13 Los Angeles book release comedy show: https://www.squadup.com/events/a-very-good-show-to-celebrate-the-release-of-comedy-book-w-chris-fleming-jay-jurden-joel-kim-booster-naomi-ekperigin-and-more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox welcomes Sam Jay back to the show. Since they last spoke, Jay left her job writing for Saturday Night Live to host her own talk show, the revolutionary, provocative Pause on HBO and co-create Peacock’s Bust Down. Jay is here to talk about her newest special, Salute Me or Shoot Me where she displays what really edgy material looks like. You can stream Salute Me or Shoot Me and Pause on Max. Pre-order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Buy tickets for Jesse’s November 7 Brooklyn book release comedy show: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-very-good-show-to-celebrate-the-release-of-comedy-book-tickets-696148497897?aff=odwdwdspacecraft Buy tickets for Jesse’s November 13 Los Angeles book release comedy show: https://www.squadup.com/events/a-very-good-show-to-celebrate-the-release-of-comedy-book-w-chris-fleming-jay-jurden-joel-kim-booster-naomi-ekperigin-and-more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's that time of year again! Vulture dropped their annual list of all the future stars of comedy. In honor of this special occasion, we compiled mini Good One episodes featuring each list-honoree so they could introduce themselves to you personally. This week—in alphabetical order by first name—we present to you the Comedians You Should and Will Know, 2023: Andrea Jin Asha Ward Auguste White Brian Bahe Curtis Cook Edy Modica Fumi Abe Jordan Jensen Jordan Temple Katrina Davis Maggie Winters Natalie Rotter-Laitman & Charlie Bardey Nimesh Patel Opeyemi Olabaju Rachel Kaly Ralph Barbosa Richard Perez Rob Haze Sabrina Wu Sophie Buddle Stavros Halkias Zach Zimmerman Zach Zucker Learn more about the list on Vulture.com  Pre-order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Buy tickets for Jesse’s November 7 Brooklyn book release comedy show: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-very-good-show-to-celebrate-the-release-of-comedy-book-tickets-696148497897?aff=odwdwdspacecraft Buy tickets for Jesse’s November 13 Los Angeles book release comedy show: https://www.squadup.com/events/a-very-good-show-to-celebrate-the-release-of-comedy-book-w-chris-fleming-jay-jurden-joel-kim-booster-naomi-ekperigin-and-more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox talks to comedian Hari Kondabolu! From his time as a writer/performer on Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell to his 2017 documentary The Problem with Apu to his 2018 Netflix special Warn Your Relatives, Kondabolu has been one of the foremost political comedians. His work brings to mind the question of what comedy actually can do to foster social progress. Now Kondabolu is back with a new YouTube special, Vacation Baby, which seems him heading in a more personal direction, talking about the birth of his son while keeping his socio-political bent. You can stream Vacation Baby on YouTube. Pre-order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Follow Hari on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. THIS INTERVIEW WAS RECORDED BEFORE THE WGA AND SAG-AFTRA STRIKES. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, stand-up comedian and podcast host Chris Gethard steps in for Jesse for an interview with SNL-Alum and comedian Sasheer Zamata to discuss her latest comedy special The First Woman. The two discuss their humble beginnings at UCB and how their unique approach to improv and stand-up shaped their comedy voices, how Sasheer handles being a voice for many women while also staying true to herself, and gives us a deep die into her comedy writing process. Watch Sasheer Zamata's latest special The First Woman free on YouTube. Pre-order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Follow Sasheer on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Chris on Twitter and Instagram. Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, comedian and television host W. Kamau Bell fills in for Jesse for a Good One-style interview with comedy legend/Daily Show mainstay Lewis Black. Coming off the heels of his fifteenth (yes, you read that right) stand-up special, Kamau and Lewis do a bit of a retrospective of Black’s career, and give us a peak behind the process of how he writes his comedy. Watch Lewis Black's latest special Tragically, I Need You free on YouTube. Pre-order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Follow Lewis on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Kamau on Twitter. Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox talks to comedian Paul F. Tompkins! Paul is a comedy podcasting legend, whether it is from hosting shows like "The Pod F. Tompkast," "Spontaneanation," and "The Neighborhood Listen" or setting the standard for being a podcast guest. You might also know Tompkins versatile from his roles on such shows as "BoJack Horseman," "Mr. Show," and "Community." Still, Tompkins is probably best known as one of the greatest stand-ups ever! You can buy or stream Impersonal wherever you get albums. Paul’s specials are available on Paramount+. You can listen to Threedom, Stay F. Homekins, and any of Paul’s old podcasts wherever you get your podcasts. Head to Paulftompkins.com to buy tickets for future Varietopias or to stream video from old Varietopias. Pre-order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Follow Paul on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram THIS INTERVIEW WAS RECORDED BEFORE THE WGA AND SAG-AFTRA STRIKES. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this week’s Good One, host Jesse David Fox sits down with longtime standup and podcaster Jackie Kashian! Jackie has appeared on numerous late-night talk shows, including "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien," "The Late Late Show with James Corden," and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," and her comedy album releases, such as "It Is Never Going to Be Bread" and "I Am Not the Hero of This Story," have garnered critical acclaim and enjoyed success on comedy charts. Pre order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Follow Jackie Kashian on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox is joined by UK comedian Jack Whitehall! Beyond his stand-up work, Whitehall has also made a mark in television and film, starring in popular shows such as "Bad Education" and "Travels with My Father." Watch Jack’s specials and Travels with my Father on Netflix. Watch the after party on Apple TV+. Pre order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Follow Jack Whitehall on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s that time of year again! Good One proudly presents the best specials of the year… so far! With Vulture critic Kathryn VanArendonk. Here are the specials shared, in alphabetical order: John Early Kyle Kinane Mae Martin Marc Maron Mo’nique John Mulaney Ali Siddiq Marlon Wayans  Pre order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Follow Kathryn VanArendonk on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox sat down with writers/actors/co-creators Bashir Sallahudin and Diallo Riddle! The pair met at Harvard, worked as writers on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon together, and co-created the shows Sherman Showcase and South Side. You can watch South Side on Max and Sherman Showcase on Hulu. Pre order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Follow Diallo Riddle on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on the show, Good One goes LIVE! A few months ago Jesse David Fox hosted a live version of his beloved show in his favorite venue for comedy: Union Hall in Park Slope. The night featured five comedians each performing a bit, then chatting with Jesse about it on stage. It was so epic, we had to spread it across two episodes; this is Part Two. Follow Francesca D'uva on Twitter and Instagram, Straightio Lab on Twitter and Instagram, and Marcia Belsky on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Pre order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on the show, Good One goes LIVE! A few months ago Jesse David Fox hosted a live version of his beloved show in his favorite venue for comedy: Union Hall in Park Slope. The night featured five comedians each performing a bit, then chatting with Jesse about it on stage. It was so epic, we had to spread it across two episodes; this is Part One. Follow Adam Pally on Twitter and Instagram, follow Jay Jurden on Twitter and Instagram, and follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Pre order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this weeks episode of Good One, host Jesse David Fox is joined by three SNL legends: Dana Carvey, Kevin Nealon, and Robert Smigel. Dana and Kevin left many memorable recurring characters behind when they left SNL, but there was one pair that stuck with them enough to make a movie about. Together with some friends (Robert and Conan O'Brien), they wrote the silliest script they could imagine. And then, like many a script, it didn't get made. This is the story of that script. Follow Dana Carvey on Instagram and Twitter, and Kevin Nealon on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Robert Smigel on Instagram and Twitter and Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Subscribe to the Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend feed @ https://listen.teamcoco.com/hansfranz to be the first to hear The Lost Hans & Franz Movie episodes when they drop on 5/17/23 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Earlier this year, host Jesse David Fox was invited by USC Film School to moderate a panel for the USC Comedy Festival: The Changing Flavor of Series Comedy, featuring Rachel Bloom, Steve Levitan, and Gina Yashere. Follow Rachel Bloom on Instagram. Follow Steve Levitan on Twitter and Instagram. Follow. Gina Yashere on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Pre order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week's guest is living legend Kathleen Madigan! With over 30 years in the game and countlesss hours on the road, Kathleen is one of the hardest working stand ups in the industry. In this episode she talks to Jesse about how her life changed (improved) during the pandemic, how much she doesn't like being in TV/film, and what she feels her generation can learn from millennials and gen z in the workplace. Watch Kathleen's latest special Hunting Bigfoot on Prime Video. Listen to her podcast, Madigan's Pubcast, wherever you get your podcasts. Pre order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Follow Kathleen Madigan on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

That’s right: We’ll be hanging out with the full Broken Lizard crew in honor of the cult comedy hit Super Troopers. Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, and Erik Stolhanske will join us for a look back at the comedy that went from an indie premiere at Sundance to being quoted by everyone everywhere for the ensuing 21 years. So stop freaking out, man, and get your tickets right meow! Watch the trailer for the Broken Lizard crew's new movie Quasi here: https://www.vulture.com/2018/02/deadpool-meets-grizzled-co-star-cable-in-new-quasi-trailer.html Pre order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Good One host Jesse David Fox traveled to the west coast to host a panel for the USC Comedy Festival that investigates the modern philosophical question: does comedy have to be funny? Featuring Comics Niles Abston, Jena Friedman, Alyssa Limperis, Christina Catherine Martinez, and Moses Storm. Watch their specials! Niles's is on his Youtube, Jena and Alyssa's are on Peacock, and Christina's should drop later this year. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on the show, host Jesse David Fox does something a little different and sits down with actor Adam Scott (Parks and Rec, Big Little Lies, Severance, Step Brothers) and writer John Enbom (Veronica Mars, iZombie) to discuss the character they created, Henry, from their show Party Down that's about to premiere it's third season after a decade-plus break. Watch Party Down on Starz. Follow Adam Scott on Twitter and Instagram. Follow John Enbom on Twitter. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Marc Maron is an American comedian, podcaster, writer, and actor. He is best known for hosting the popular podcast "WTF with Marc Maron," in which he interviews a wide range of guests, including comedians, actors, and musicians. Maron is also a stand-up comedian and has released several comedy albums. In addition to his work in podcasting and stand-up comedy, Maron has appeared in a number of TV shows and films, including "Maron," a television series he starred in and co-created. The last time Marc Maron was on Good One, it was the early days of the pandemic. We're talking late March 2020. A month and change later, his girlfriend Lynn Shelton unexpectedly passed away. Marc's newest special, From Bleak to Dark, explores that grief. Together, Marc and host Jesse David Fox discuss the concept of "too soon," and processing pain with comedy. Watch From Bleak to Dark on HBO. Follow Marc on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Emmy-nominated creator, writer, producer, and actor Natasha Lyonne sits down with Abbi Jacobson to reflect, dissect, and connect. From Slums of Beverly Hills to Netflix’s Russian Doll and the upcoming Poker Face, Lyonne’s prolific creativity continues to inspire and delight—and this interview is no exception! Follow Natasha Lyonne on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Abbi Jacobson on Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vulture podcast critic Nick Quah sits down with film director Rian Johnson, live from Vulture Fest '22, to discuss his new film Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Follow Rian Johnson on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Nick Quah on Twitter. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's that time of year again: Vulture critic Kathryn VanArendonk's Best Specials of the Year list is out! And with a healthy amount of specials finally back in circulation, this year's list is more interesting and exciting than ever. The specials are, from 10-1: Atsuko Okatsuka, The Intruder Lil Rel Howery, I Said It. Y’all Thinking It. Taylor Tomlinson, Look at You Sheng Wang, Sweet and Juicy Bill Burr, Live at Red Rocks Catherine Cohen, The Twist …? She’s Gorgeous Kate Berlant, Cinnamon in the Wind Ali Siddiq, The Domino Effect Matt Rogers, Have You Heard of Christmas? and #1: Jerrod Carmichael, Rothaniel Honorable mentions: Moses Storm, Trash White, Fortune Feimster, Good Fortune, and Josh Gondelman, People Pleaser. Listen to The Specials on Patreon. You can follow Kathryn on Twitter. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox sat down with Matt Rogers, co-host of the Las Culturistas podcast and co-star of Showtime’s I Love That For You. Rogers was on to talk about his new comedy special, Have You Heard of Christmas?, which is premiering on Showtime on December 2. Jesse has long been obsessed with the show and friends with Matt, so it was a very special, extra-long episode of the pod. Follow Matt Rogers on Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox sat down with Kumail Nanjiani at Vulture Festival for a live recording of Good One to discuss his career — from his time as a stand-up comedian to co-writing the Oscar-nominated comedy The Big Sick to his upcoming Hulu limited series, Welcome to Chippendales, which premieres on November 22. Follow Kumail Nanjiani on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Good One is off this week, but as a bonus we wanted to give you a listen of Vulture new podcast, Into It with Sam Sanders. In this episode, Sanders talks with Atlanta showrunner, Stephen Glover about the show’s final season. You can listen to Into It every Thursday. Follow Sam Sanders on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on the show, host Jesse David Fox welcomes FLUFFY to the e-studio! With chihuahua in hand, Gabriel spoke to Jesse about his back to back Dodger stadium shows (and new special Stadium Fluffy), the topics he absolutely always avoids in his stand up, and so much more. Watch Gabriel Iglesias: Stadium Fluffy on Netflix. Follow Gabriel on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After 30+ years of being on the air, The Simpsons team are surprisingly still able ways to make the show feel fresh and funny as it did during its "golden era." But how do they do it? This week, writers Matt Selman, Brian Kelly, and Christine Nangle, join Jesse to explain just that, by giving a behind-the-scenes look at Episode 3 of Season 34, Lisa The Boy Scout. They discuss how they drew inspiration for and wrote the episode, and how that process has as evolved within the show over time. Follow Christine Nangle on Twitter, Matt Selman on Twitter, and Brian Kelly on Twitter. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There is maybe no modern author more respected among comedians than George Saunders. So, Good One is thrilled to offer this exclusive audio excerpt from his new story collection, Liberation Day (out this week). Better yet, reading the excerpt is none other than Tina Fey. We'll be back with a traditional Good One interview next Thursday. To buy tickets to see Jesse David Fox interview Kumail Nanjiani at Vulture Festival, on November 12th, in LA, head here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on the show, host Jesse David Fox *finally* sits down with one of his MOST requested guests: *drumroll please....* Sam Morril! Sam is a stand up, actor, and writer known for his mastery of joke writing. He can be heard on the podcast We Might Be Drunk with co-host Mark Normand, or via any of his specials; his newest one being Sam Morril: Same Time Tomorrow (which can viewed on Netflix). His other specials include Up On The Roof (2020), in which Sam does comedy from various NYC rooftops, and I Got This (Comedy Central, 2020) released on Youtube, and currently sitting at over 11 million views. His first one hour special, Amy Schumer Presents Sam Morril: Positive Influence premiered on Comedy Central in 2018.  Follow Sam Morril on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox is joined by famed filmmaker Kevin Smith! The director, actor, writer, comedian, podcaster, etc came to prominence in 1994 with his first film Clerks, which became an instant cult classic. Since then he's known for his subsequent hit films Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and so many more. Kevin's newest film, Clerks III, rounds out the Clerks Trilogy, and is a love letter to his younger self and that younger self's artistic vision. Join him and Jesse as they laugh and cry—yes, cry—over the mainstream-ification of nerd culture, the role fans and critics played in the shaping of Clerks III, just how Kevin's career has finally come full circle, and so much more. Check Fathom Events to see if Clerks III is available in a theater near you and Smodcast.com/events to see if the Convenience Tour is coming to your town. Follow Kevin Smith on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's that time of year again! Vulture dropped their annual comprehensive list of all the future stars of comedy. And in honor of this special occasion, we compiled mini Good One episodes featuring each list-honoree so they could introduce themselves to you personally. This week—in alphabetical order by first name—we present to you the Comedians You Should and Will Know, 2022: Alex English Alison Leiby Amy Miller Andrew Lopez Brittany Carney Celeste Yim Clare O'Kane Devon Walker Dylan Adler Ever Mainard Frankie Quiñones Holmes Holmes Ikechukwu Ufomadu Jaye McBride Julia Shiplett Laura Peek Lisa Gilroy Niles Abston Nore Davis Pat Regan Sheng Wang Vinny Thomas Yamaneika Saunders Yedoye Travis Peep the list on Vulture dot com. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox welcomes stand up Tom Segura to the zoom. Tom's well known for his Netflix specials Ball Hog, Disgraceful, Completely Normal, and Mostly Stories, Segura has also made feature film appearances that include Instant Family, Countdown, Flinch, and The Opening Act, among others. Tom is one of the top-selling touring acts in the world, having sold hundreds of thousands of tickets on multiple international tours. Additionally, he co-hosts two of the most popular comedy podcasts, “Your Mom’s House,” with his wife, comedian Christina P. and “Two Bears, One Cave” with fellow comedian (and repeat Good One guest) Bert Kreischer. You can watch all of Tom Segura's specials on Netflix. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week is BIG for Good One -- we've booked our first drag queen! And not just any drag queen, but the Queen of Queens, the winner of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars: All Winners, Jinkx Monsoon! Jinx's first Drag Race victory came in season five in 2013. Nine years later Jinkx reclaimed the victory, thanks in part to her uncanny impressions. In addition to her stints in Drag Race, Jinkx also hosts podcast Hi Jinkx! and has a new sketch show on the WOW network premiering in September: Sketchy Queens. Watch the full Snatch Game here. Watch RuPaul’s Drag Race, All Stars 7 on Paramount Plus. Follow Jinkx Monsoon on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we've got a rerun with recent Saturday Night Live alumn Aidy Bryant! In addition to Aidy being a highlight of the show since she joined in 2012, she also starred in and executive produced the Hulu series Shrill, a show that is “about a fat young woman who wants to change her life — but not her body.” In this Good One episode, Jesse talks to Aidy about her SNL sketch “Overnight Salad,” a digital short that aired in the last episode before quarantine shut down in-studio production. As Aidy discusses in the interview, it’s a sketch that she might not have felt comfortable pitching or writing much earlier in her career. Similarly, Shrill feels like a creative milestone in Aidy’s career, with characters and humor that feel more authentically Aidy.  You can watch episodes of Shrill on Hulu. Episodes of Saturday Night Live are available on Hulu or the NBC app, and you can catch clips on YouTube. You can follow Aidy on Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Good One is graced with Saturday Night Live royalty: Kate McKinnon! Famous for her kooky characters and spot on impressions, Kate recently said goodbye to SNL after 11 memorable seasons. She joined host Jesse David Fox to talk about her incredible run; together they go over her repertoire of characters (including a deep dive on the Close Encounters sketches' Colleen Rafferty), Kate tells a silly story about sharing an office with Aidy Bryant, and she tells us what it was like break the news of her exit to SNL creator Lorne Michaels. We laughed, we cried, and we think you will, too. Watch every Close Encounter sketch here and here. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox is joined by stand up, writer (Saturday Night Live, Full Frontal with Sam Bee), and TikTok star Nimesh Patel! Watch Thank You China and It's Dark and Patel is Hot on Youtube. Follow Nimesh Patel on Twitter and Instagram, Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox invites old friend and originating member of the Good One Guest Hosts Club Josh Gondelman to the show! Josh is a comedian, the author of the recent collection of essays, Nice Try, and a co-executive producer and head writer of the recently ended Showtime show, Desus & Mero. The two talk about being a "nice guy" in comedy, Josh's debut special People Pleaser, and pour one out for the legendary Desus and Mero duo. Watch People Pleaser on VOD. Follow Josh Gondelman on Twitter and Instagram, Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As we pass the midpoint in this our year of 2022, host Jesse David Fox and Vulture staff writer Kathryn VanArendonk review her rankings of the best comedy specials so far. The specials discussed, in order: Jerrod Carmichael, Rothanial (HBO) Ali Siddiq, The Domino Effect (Youtube) Cristela Alonzo, Middle Classy (Netflix) Catherine Cohen, The Twist...? She's Gorgeous (Netflix) Mike Epps, Indiana Mike (Netflix) Josh Gondelman, People Pleaser (VOD) Norm Macdonald, Nothing Special (Netflix) Moses Storm, White Trash (HBO Max) Taylor Tomlinson, Look At You (Netflix) You can follow Kathryn on Twitter. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox welcomes back standup Nikki Glaser for the third time! Nikki's new special, Good Clean Filth drops this week on HBO Max, and it was only fitting to bring a sneak preview of the long awaited hour to the show. While Jesse and Nikki have previously spent their time together talking about Glaser's incredible roast performances, this week is all about her stand up. The pair discuss how the things Nikki fears are actually what drives her, her obsession with the twisted dark world of pedophilia (it's not unlike the current obsession with murder content!), and just how long and difficult it was for her to edit this special. Plus, if you stick around til the end, you can find out what roast jokes Jesse actually wrote for Nikki! Watch Good Clean Filth on HBO Max starting this Saturday, July 16th. Follow Nikki Glaser on Twitter and Instagram, Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox sits down *in person* with the legendary Earthquake. Recorded in LA around the time of the Netflix Is A Joke festival, the pair got together at LOL Studios to discuss Earthquake's career: from his famous pacing, to being the comedian's favorite comedian, to the story behind his first Netflix special + tour, Legendary. You can watch Legendary on Netflix. Or, see the show on tour this summer (dates and tickets on his website). Follow Earthquake on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox welcomes comedian, actor, writer, and producer Cristela Alonzo! Creator and star of the ABC sitcom Cristela, Alonzo was the first Latina woman to create, produce, write, and star in her own US primetime comedy. Her debut Netflix special Lower Classy was released in 2017, and now Cristela's back with her second: Middle Classy. Instead of choosing a joke from her aforementioned new special, Cristela decided to go with something a little more symbolic of her life and career as a stand up: Hello, Es NASA. Not only is it the first joke she ever wrote about her family, but it's one of her first big jokes, period. From Conan to Last Comic Standing, to getting feedback that directly led to jokes written for Middle Classy, this joke and interview are a case study for Cristela Alonzo's success. Watch Middle Classy and Lower Classy on Netflix. Follow Cristela on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox gets ahold of A Black Lady Sketch Show creator, writer, and actor Robin Thede! After three strong seasons and working on a fourth, Robin came on the show to nerd out about sketch comedy. From her passionate explanation of the difference between a sketch and a skit, to describing the "round robin" auditions for the ABLSS cast, this episode is, in Jesse's words, "Robin's Masterclass." Watch A Black Lady Sketch Show on HBO Max. Follow Robin Thede on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello and welcome to Good One: A Podcast About Jokes, on a Tuesday! This week in addition to our regularly scheduled Thursday programming, we're bringing you a special Tuesday bonus! If you're a Barry fan, you'll know the HBO Max show's season 3 finale aired last week, and it was nuts. Host Jesse David Fox sat down with Bill Hader for a very spoiler-heavy chat about what went down: Hader explained why it was time for Barry to get caught, how Cousineau found the courage to give the best performance of his life, and what season three is saying about forgiveness, love, and existence. Here is a link to Jesse's article about the finale on Vulture. Watch Barry on HBO Max. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox invites writer and TV showrunner Liz Meriwether to the mic! Liz is best known for writing the 2011 romantic comedy No Strings Attached and developing and writing the Zooey Deschanel-led hit sitcom New Girl. More recently, Liz took a break from comedy to create the Hulu drama The Dropout, based on the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes and her company Theranos. Jesse and Liz chat Liz's evolution from New Girl to The Dropout, discuss how being a professional comedy writer can be key for writing a drama, and more. Watch The Dropout on Hulu and New Girl on Netflix. Follow Liz Meriwether on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Comedian Joel Kim Booster talks to Jesse about the evolution of his late night sets and career, focusing in partiuclar on his January 2019 performance on The Late Late Show with James Corden. Joel addresses Asian and gay stereotypes as they've appeared in comedy, as well as why he adopts a "hot idiot" persona onstage despite only being one of those two things. (He's hot, not an idiot.) Watch Fire Island on Hulu, Psychosexual on Netflix, and Loot on Apple TV+ Follow Joel Kim Booster on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Read Alex Jung's profile of Joel Kim Booster on Vulture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week's episode of Good One is a bit of a doozy: it was recorded when host Jesse David Fox was still on book leave, and so we booked the indescribable Ms. Pat to talk to her good friend and fellow podcaster/comedian Bert Kreischer about a joke from her new Netflix special, Y'all Wanna Hear Something Crazy? Ms. Pat is also the creator and star of The Ms. Pat Show (BET+), the host of hit podcast The Patdown, and is co-host of Atlanta’s V-103’s 'The Big Tigger Morning Show.' Follow Ms. Pat on twitter and instagram. Follow Bert Kreischer on twitter and instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox talks to the one and only, the legendary Katt Williams, who is promoting his TWELFTH stand-up special, World War III. They discuss how and why Williams doesn’t work in clubs, how he’s maintained a close relationship with his audience, the real story behind his name, and how he became the sex-joke master. Watch World War III on Netflix. Follow Katt on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Celebrating the return of their beloved and influential sketch show, streaming now on Amazon Prime, this week’s guests are The Kids In The Hall… yes, seriously, we got all of them. Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson join Jesse David Fox for a hilarious (and at times somewhat chaotic) interview breaking down one of their favorite sketches from the new season, “Tart.” With a unique behind-the-scenes look at just how this talented group of friends manages to still find that comedy spark with each other after all these years, this episode will surely satisfy fans new and old. Watch new episodes of The Kids in the Hall, streaming now on Amazon Prime. Follow The Kids in the Hall on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I know we say this a lot, but this week, host Jesse David Fox is bringing something a little different to the Good One feed: Instead of a comedian talking about a bit they wrote and love that explains what they're trying to do with their comedy, he brought two academics into the (digital) studio! Meet Matt Sienkiewicz and Nick Marx, authors of the new book That's Not Funny: How The Right Makes Comedy Work For Them. The book is a call to pay attention to the emergence of right-wing comedy and the political power of humor. That's Not Funny argues that it is both an intellectual and politically strategic mistake to assume that comedy has a liberal bias. Matt Sienkiewicz and Nick Marx take readers––particularly self-described liberals––on a tour of contemporary conservative comedy and the "right-wing comedy complex." Together, Matt and Nick walk Jesse through every section of the book, and discuss everything from Jesse Watters's branding as the "conservative John Stewart", to Joe Rogan's hold on pop culture, to the intentional political incorrectness of shows like Legion of Skanks. They also cover the history of right wing comedy, and how the genre manages to successfully capture the ad dollars of the straight while male. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last year, Henry Winkler put on a virtual acting class for us that blew our minds. Lucky for us, the time for virtual learning is over, and Professor Winkler is here to teach us all a thing or two *in person*. Winkler’s approach to the craft has earned him a career that’s spanned almost 50 years as an actor, producer, and director. From his role as The Fonz in Happy Days, where he set a new standard for “cool,” to his heartbreaking turn as beloved acting teacher Gene Cousineau in HBO’s Barry, Winkler’s range is unparalleled. Now, he’s looking forward to helping you find your muse, as he answers questions from students and lovers of the craft. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vanessa Bayer stops in to discuss the creation of her character Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy. She talks about her formative years of comedy, Judaism, and how the process of writing a subtle and specific character evolved each time Jacob returned. Watch I Love that For You, Fridays, on Showtime. Listen to Vanessa's podcast HOW DID WE GET WEIRD? wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow Vanessa on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox is not only back in the hosting seat, but he's back in the studio, too! Recorded live and edited later in New York, Jesse is joined by musical comedian Craig Robinson. Known for his roles on The Office, Eastbound and Down, and more, Craig made his mark in stand up with his trademark suits, keyboard, and deadpan delivery. Now he's the star of the new Peacock Original series, Killing It: a comedy about class, capitalism, and one man's quest to achieve the American dream. Together, Jesse and Craig chat about coming from a musical family, what it was like to play Def Jam, Will Ferrell's famous Eastbound and Down bloopers, and more. Craig even breaks out into song once or twice! Watch Killing It on Peacock. Follow Craig on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox is pleased to present another episode from his Patreon podcast, The Specials! Do you ever think to yourself, "hmmm, I wonder what Nanette discourse sounds like four years post-Nanette?" Well then you're in luck! Because today's episode is all about Nanette; Nanette then, Nanette now, Nanette forever!!! Listen in as hosts Jesse David Fox, Kathryn VanArendonk, producer Jessamine Molli, and guest (Skidmore College Associate Professor and Comedy Expert) Beck Krefting recount their first time watching Nanette, how Hannah Gadsby ended up with the Biggest Special of All Time, and more! And most important of all, get the group's final verdict on the ever present question: Is Nanette stand-up or a TED Talk? Subscribe to The Specials on Patreon. Follow Beck Krefting on Twitter. Follow Jessamine Molli on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Kathryn VanArendonk on Twitter. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox passes the mic to guest host Dulce Sloan and guest Solomon Georgio. Solomon is a stand up comedian who flawlessly intertwines biting social commentary with stories of his life as an openly gay African immigrant. Solomon made his television debut as a featured comedian on CONAN and in 2017, Comedy Central released Solomon’s first televised special for Comedy Central Standup Presents. Now, Solomon is releasing his first Team Coco podcast, The Juice. Stream The Juice wherever you get your podcasts. Follow Solomon Georgio on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Dulce Sloan on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Good One has a new interview for you! Since host Jesse David Fox is still on book leave, he proudly presents to you, our faithful listener, a conversation between Chris Redd and Moses Storm. Former guest Moses Storm (Trash White, HBO Max) interviews his friend and collaborator Chris Redd (Saturday Night Live, Kenan, Bust Down) about all the stuff he's been putting out into the world recently: from his first big political impression on SNL (playing new NYC Mayor Eric Adams) to his new comedy on Peacock, Bust Down, there's a lot to cover. Watch Bust Down on Peacock, Kenan on Hulu and Peacock, and Saturday Night Live on NBC. Follow Chris Redd on Twitter and Instagram. Watch Trash White on HBO Max. Follow Moses Storm on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox is doing something a little different. Instead of interviewing a successful comedian about one of their bits and how it fits into their comedy, Jesse sat down with fellow comedy journalist Jason Zinoman of the New York Times! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we have another favorite we wanted to rerun: host Jesse David Fox sat down with Nick Kroll to discuss the difference between shame and guilt and how both concepts factor into writing a show like Big Mouth. Stream Big Mouth and Human Resources on Netflix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we're rerunning the time host Jesse David Fox spoke to Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino, the creators and co-writers of the tv-show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Despite the titular Mrs. Maisel being a fictional comedian, Jesse wants to know where she might draw her material from, and how she might write and perform comedy within the context of the show. Jesse asks Amy and Daniel about Mrs. Maisel's creation, and how they go about writing and pulling off a realistic standup performance. Also included: the parallels between Mrs. Maisel and Breaking Bad. Watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime Video. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this week’s episode, standup comedian wunderkind Taylor Tomlinson (Self-Helpless podcast) talks about becoming one of the youngest comics ever to have their own Netflix one-hour stand-up special. Her path to taping her hilarious Quarter-Life Crisis at the age of 25 is an extremely nontraditional one: she started as a teenage Christian comedian, after taking a stand-up class with her father. This meant to fully become the comedian she wanted to be, she had to distance herself from her church and her dad. As a result of her religious upbringing, Taylor lost her virginity after she had already become an established comedian. The joke she discusses this episode mines the absolute absurdity of that for comedy, while slyly touching on more serious issues of consent. All building to a perfect classic movie reference! Watch Quarter-Life Crisis on Netflix. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Good One features Drew Michael and is hosted by the one and only Jesse David Fox! Drew is a writer and stand-up, known for writing on Saturday Night Live and for his two HBO Max specials, Drew Michael (2018) and Red Blue Green (2021). Drew spoke with Jesse about growing up hard of hearing, directing his new special himself, and why he dislikes social media so much. Watch Drew Michael and Red Blue Green on HBO Max. Follow Drew on Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Good One turns five today, and to celebrate host Jesse David Fox is giving you THE Laughning-Palooza: an amalgamation of all our favorite Laughning Round moments over the years. We combed through our repertoire to bring you the best of the best, all wrapped up together in a neat little podcast episode, with love. We hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed putting it together. Thank you to all our listeners, old and new; here's to five more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode on Good One, we're doing things a little differently. Your beloved host Jesse David Fox is on book leave, so this week you're hosted by none other than Good One's favorite guest, Roy Wood Jr. Roy joins us today to interview the illustrious Moses Storm as he celebrates the release of his new HBO Max special, Trash White Moses is a talented comedian and actor who can be seen on NBC's Sunnyside, Showtime's I'm Dying Up Here, and Netflix's Arrested Development. In late night, he's appeared twice as a performer on Conan, hosts the live variety show "Team Coco's Up & Up," and joined Conan on his late 2018 multi-city live tour. In 2015, he had the prestigious honor of being chosen as a “New Face” at the Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal. Moses's new special, Trash White, is about his experience growing up in poverty. In this episode, Moses and Roy discuss dumpster diving, breaking into pools, and the luxury of ice cream. Watch Trash White on HBO Max. Follow Moses Storm on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Roy Wood Jr on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With a storied career spanning decades — in which he’s escaped dinosaurs, fought aliens, solved murders, and imprisoned Thor — it’s about time we realize we’re living in the world according to Jeff Goldblum. His wonder for the world knows no bounds, and in the new season of his Disney+ original series, The World According to Jeff Goldblum, viewers are taken on a wild and inquisitive adventure to uncover more surprising secrets about seemingly familiar topics. Luckily for us, he’s agreed to come to Vulture Festival to discuss his work we all know and love and everything that goes on inside his curious head … all while being his beguiling self.  Moderating this conversation is musician, actor, writer, director and Portlandia co-creator Carrie Brownstein. Watch The World According to Jeff Goldblum on Disney+. Follow Jeff Goldblum on instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox takes a deep dive into one of his favorite topics: alt comedy! Called the godmother of alternative comedy by The LA Times, Beth Lapides is the creator and host of Los Angeles’ legendary storytelling show UnCabaret. Now in its 28th year, UnCabaret is the un-homophobic, un-xenophobic, un-misogynistic and un-hacky place for comedy luminaries to tell stories ripped from the headlines of their lives. Beth Lapides recently released a new audiobook, So You Need to Decide, that delivers a funny and heartfelt meditation on the power of decisions, the place for regret, and the space for grace. This series of intimate conversations with a diverse group of comedians, writers, and cultural icons revolves around five universal experiences: family, work, love, moving, and spirituality. Follow Beth Lapides on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's another new episode of Good One, and blessing the feed this week are the talented and hysterical Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton! Host Jesse David Fox sat down with these two-thirds of the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia brainchild in honor of their recent record-breaking 15th season. In this episode the guys break down episode six of the season (and episode two of the Ireland arc), The Gang's Still in Ireland. In addition to hearing all about their writing process and how much longer they plan on making the show, Charlie and Glenn share the biggest fights they had this season, and whether or not they and Rob ever go to couples therapy. Watch It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia on Hulu. Follow Charlie Day on Instagram. Follow Glenn Howerton on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Danny McBride walks Jesse through the opening scene of his new HBO series The Righteous Gemstones. Along the way, they also touch on the first scenes of his other series and films, including Eastbound & Down, The Foot Fist Way, and Vice Principals. Danny talks about where he wanted to go after Vice Principals ended, as well as the research that went into creating a show about Christian megachurches and superstar preachers. Jesse also asks Danny about how he constructs his antiheroes, and the different ways he utilizes the writers rooms on each of his projects. Also included: dick symbolism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy New Year everyone! Here at Good One we're kicking off 2022 by throwing it back to 2021 and continuing our Vulture Fest series. This week, it's all about the fifth and final season of Search Party. If you were hoping Vulture Festival would offer you clues about the upcoming fifth season of HBO Max’s Search Party, you’re in luck! Cast members Alia Shawkat, Meredith Hagner, John Early, and John Reynolds, as well as showrunners Sarah-Violet Bliss and Charles Rogers, join us for a special sneak peek at what’s to come next in the comedy series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

New York based Naomi Ekperigin is quickly becoming an influential voice in modern comedy. She’s worked as a staff writer for Broad City and Great News, and was listed as one of the "20 Comedians You Should and Will Know" by Vulture. Jesse talks to Naomi about a joke from her most recent set on Late Night with Seth Meyers. Learn how Naomi crafted her tight 5 for late night, how she writes comedy conversationally, and the application process behind booking a spot on Seth Meyers. Watch Naomi Ekperigin on Netflix's The Standups. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox brings you a gift fit for the holidays: a brand new episode of Good One with stand up comedian Aida Rodriguez! Aida Rodriguez is an American comedian of Puerto Rican/Dominican descent who is best known for her appearance as a contestant on the eighth season of Last Comic Standing and as a commentator on The Young Turks. Her debut special, Fighting Words, premiered earlier this year on HBO Max, and is featured in last week's Best Specials of 2021 episode with Kathryn VanArendonk. Watch They Ready on Netflix and Fighting Words on HBO Max. Follow Aida Rodriguez on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A second, full year into these unprecedented times means another Best Specials lists that looks a little different from lists past. Join host Jesse David Fox and frequent Good One guest & Vulture staff writer Kathryn VanArendonk as they discuss (and for the first time, argue!?) over Kathryn's annual list. List of specials mentioned: Aida Rodriguez, Fighting Words, (HBO Max) Nicole Byer, BBW (Big Beautiful Weirdo), (Netflix) Vir Das, 10 on 10 (Youtube) Ricky Velez, Here's Everything, (HBO) James Acaster, Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999, (self-released, jamesacaster.com) Josh Johnson, # (Hashtag), (Comedy Central) Tig Notaro, Drawn, (HBO) Roy Wood Jr., Imperfect Messenger, (Comedy Central) Jo Firestone, Good Timing with Jo Firestone, (Peacock) Bo Burnham, Inside (Netflix) Honorable Mention: Michael Che, Shame The Devil (Netflix) You can follow Kathryn VanArendonk on Twitter. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're back with another episode of Good One: Vulture Festival Version and this week we bring you the vibrant Issa Rae and Yvonne Orji! Before the curtain falls on the final season of HBO’s Insecure, we’re going to get one more wine-down with Issa and Molly. Join stars Issa Rae and Yvonne Orji for a little pre-union, which is what we call a reunion for a show that hasn’t ended yet and that we want to prolong as much as possible. You can follow Issa Rae on Twitter and Instagram. You can follow Yvonne on Twitter and Instagram. You can follow Alex Jung on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello, Good One Listeners! We're here in your feeds on a Monday afternoon to give you—yes you—a bonus minisode in honor of Mel Book's new memoir, All About Me! My Remarkable Life in Show Business. Mel Brooks is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a creator of broad farces and parodies widely considered to be among the best film comedies ever made. Follow Mel Brooks on Twitter. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One x Vulture Festival 2021, we present to you Seth Rogen: A Holiday Spectacular! Prepare yourself for the holiday season with one of Hollywood’s jolliest celebrities, Seth Rogen. So much so, he is literally playing Santa Claus in the upcoming HBO Max animated series, Santa Inc.! A man who brings joy and merriment to millions, Rogen is coming to Vulture Festival to tell us some holiday tales and give you an opportunity to start a new family tradition of going to see Seth Rogen talk live right before Thanksgiving. Follow Seth Rogen in Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, we're bringing you another offering from Vulture Fest 2021: The Great-est Panel You've Ever Seen! That’s right, Vulture Fest brought together Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult for a great panel about The Great: Hulu's genre-bending, anti-historical ride through 18th-century Russia. Following the wildly comedic rise of Catherine the Nothing to Catherine the Great, the stars got together ahead of the show's season two premiere. And yes, the last time we saw them, they were trying to kill each other onscreen. So it’ll be nice to see them getting along in person. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vulture Fest 2021 was this past weekend, and now we want—nay, *have*—to share all this vulture-y pop culture-y goodness with all you Good One listeners back home! So over the next few weeks we'll be publishing our favorite V Fest panels here on the Good One feed, and first off is... Incoming message from the Big Giant Head: It’s a whole extraterrestrial family reunion for the Solomons as the cast of 3rd Rock From the Sun comes together for the beloved NBC series’ 25th anniversary. John Lithgow, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Kristen Johnston, and French Stewart will join moderator and friend of Good One Kathryn VanArendonk to celebrate — and oh my God, they’re GORGEOUS! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, stand up comedian and Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood Jr returns to Good One and becomes the first member of the Five Timers Club. That's right, this is Roy's fifth appearance on the show, and we can't think of a better fit for the title. In this episode Roy sits down with host Jesse David Fox to talk about Black Brits, Idris Elba, MLK impressions, and how racism looks different across the pond. Watch Imperfect Messenger on cc.com. Follow Roy Wood Jr on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox continues to do something different! Instead of a feature length, in-depth interview with a well known comedian, we're giving you a bunch of mini interviews, with every comedian that's on the rise and who frankly, should be on your radar. Based off a list Vulture releases every year, you'll hear 19 comedians pick a joke of theirs they really love, and explain the story behind it. Past list honorees include Amy Schumer, Broad City, John Mulaney, Hannibal Buress, and more. So yeah, this list is legit. Give it a listen; you might just end up discovering your new favorite comedian. See this year's full list here. Get tickets to Vulture Fest! More info here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox decides to do something a little different. In honor of the season finale of FX's What We Do in the Shadows tonight, we thought we'd celebrate this silly and brilliant show by blessing you all with their official panel from this year's New York City Comic-Con. In this episode, you’ll hear from cast members Natasia Demetriou, Matt Berry, Kayvan Novak, and Harvey Guillen, and writers Sarah Naftalis, Yana Groskaya, Sam Johnson, Paul Simms. The panel was moderated by Vulture Multimedia Editor Anne Clark, and it's a hoot. Seriously, if you haven't seen the show yet—WATCH IT. And thank us later. You can watch all three seasons of What We Do in the Shadows on Hulu. Follow Anne Clark on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox welcomes stand-up Ricky Velez into the studio. Ricky is a born and bred New Yorker best known for his role in last year's King of Staten Island. Last year we here at Vulture featured him as a Comedian You Should Know, and now after 13 years as a stand-up, Ricky is releasing his debut special Here's Everything! Executive produced by Judd Apatow and directed by Mike Bonfiglio, the special premieres on October 23rd on HBO. Watch Here's Everything on HBO and HBO Max. Follow Ricky on instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this week's brand new episode of Good One, host Jesse David Fox sits down with comedian and TV writer Jo Firestone! Jo is a comedian whose work can be seen on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Joe Pera Talks With You, High Maintenance, Shrill, and more. She can be heard on Maximum Fun’s Dr. Gameshow, a podcast she co-hosts with Manolo Moreno and Comedy Central’s “Everyday Decisions,” a podcast she hosts all alone. Her album, "The Hits" is available on Comedy Central Records, and she co-hosts the weekly comedy show Butterboy at Littlefield in Brooklyn every Monday night. Today, she's speaking to Jesse about her newest special, Good Timing With Jo Firestone; part documentary, the special follows Jo's weekly class at the Greenwich House Senior Center where she teaches comedy to a group of seniors who prove to be more provocative, political and unfiltered on-stage than off. Watch Good Timing on Peacock starting October 15. Find Jo’s podcasts Dr. Gameshow and Everyday Decisions wherever podcasts are found. Follow Jo on instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox sits down with comedian and Mystery Science Theater 3000 host Jonah Ray and writer Dave Schilling to do a special crossover episode with their podcast, Galaxy Brains that’s all about Jesse’s favorite sitcom of all time, Seinfeld. Jesse, Jonah, and Dave discuss whether or not Seinfeld’s best joke is actually that these characters who hate each other are stuck together for eternity. Is Seinfeld actually an elaborate dramatization of purgatory? They also dive into what each character represents in Jerry’s psyche, how Jerry’s approach to comedy differs from Larry David’s, and if Seinfeld was the pinnacle of New York comedy. Click here to listen to more hilarious, mind-blowing episodes of Galaxy Brains. Follow Galaxy Brains on Twitter. Follow Jonah Ray on Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter. Follow Dave Schilling on Twitter.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox sits down with long time friend of the show, Vulture staff writer Kathryn VanArendonk! Jesse has gathered Kathryn here today to talk about a topic that's been really irking her for a while now: the new trend of using documentary footage in stand up specials. From Yvonne Orji to Gary Gulman to Jenny Slate, Kathryn explains exactly why she feels specials are better off without it. You can follow Kathryn VanArendonk on Twitter. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox sits down with stand-up legend Paula Poundstone. Rising to prominence in the late 80s and early 90s, Paula became well known for her off-the-cuff conversational humor (not "crowd work", because she hates that term). She also details her humble beginnings in the Boston comedy scene before moving to San Francisco, where she truly found her voice. She later breaks down one of her most iconic bits from her 1990 HBO Special, "Paula Poundstone: Cats, Cops and Stuff". I know, she had a comedy special on HBO before they were cool. Go see Paula on tour! For more information head to PaulaPoundstone.com/Tour. Stream or download Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone wherever you get your podcasts. Follow Paula on twitter and instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, you all are in for a treat: host Jesse David Fox is joined by the one and only comedy legend Martin Short! Martin—or Marty, as Jesse affectionately calls him—is a Canadian-American comic, actor, writer, etc known for his work on SCTV, Saturday Night Live, Primetime Glick, and countless more. In this episode, he breaks down one of his most famous characters Jiminy Glick, talks confronting grief at a young age, and takes the Good One world record for Most Stories About Legendary Comedians. Watch Only Murders in the Building on Hulu, and get Martin's book, I Must Say: My Life As a Humble Comedy Legend, wherever books are sold. You can't follow Martin on social media cuz he's not on social media, but you can follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox welcomes Gabe Liedman—co-creator of Netflix's new animated series Q-Force—and more importantly, the third and final member of the former Williamsburg comedy show Big Terrific to be a guest on the show! Gabe is a stand up, but he's also an actor, writer, producer, show runner, etc. He's best known for his work on PEN15, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Kroll Show, and Inside Amy Schumer. He (virtually) sat down with Jesse to chat about his new Netflix show Q-Force: the inspiration behind it ("gay James Bond"), who the characters are based off and how they were cast, and what it means to make queer TV, for queer audiences, by queer creators. You can watch Q-Force on Netflix. Follow Gabe Liedman on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we have a rerun! Host Jesse David Fox deconstructs the legendary joke "The Aristocrats" with the help of its most infamous teller, Gilbert Gottfried. This one's marked explicit for a reason, folks. You'll hear Gilbert's personal history with the joke, along with his retelling of his set the night of the Hugh Hefner roast, where he launched this joke into the public eye. Jesse asks Gilbert about the evolution of his onstage persona and his relationship with audiences. Also included: Jesse's Bubbe's favorite joke, and Gilbert's shortest version of "The Aristocrats". Follow Gilbert on Twitter and listen to Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast wherever you listen to your podcasts. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox decides to give the people what they want: some Bo Burnham's Inside content! BUT Bo isn't doing any interviews, so an episode of Jesse's Patreon podcast, The Specials, will have to suffice. The Specials is a podcast devoted to the fine and noble art of stand-up comedy, hosted by journalist and comedy expert Jesse David Fox (Vulture, Good One); writer and critic Kathryn VanArendonk (Vulture); and producer/comedy fan Jessamine Molli. Every episode, Jesse, Kathryn, and Jessamine dissect, rate, and review a stand-up special. It could be a classic like Dave Chappelle's Killing Them Softly or a newer special like Maria Bamford's Old Baby. We could also review something bad...for a price. Whatever we review, you'll hear the three of us do a deep dive into the cultural and artistic significance of the comedian in question and his or her work. If you are a fan of stand-up, this is an essential listen. Subscribe to the podcast on Patreon. You can follow Kathryn on Twitter. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox zooms with NY-based comedian, actor, and writer Rosebud Baker! Known as the Just For Laughs 2018 New Face of Comedy, Rosebud is known for her intensely personal, dry, and remorselessly dark brand of humor. And that's going to be on display today, as Jesse and Rosebud dive deep into a joke Rosebud wrote about her sister's death. Watch Whiskey Fists on the Comedy Central YouTube channel. Listen to Devil's Advocate with Rosebud Baker and Find Your Beach wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow Rosebud on twitter and instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, we're bringing you something a little different! The 10 year anniversary of the premiere of New Girl is right around the corner, and to celebrate, Host Jesse David Fox is excited to present the New Girl Boys! Also known as a panel from last year’s virtual Vulture Festival with the New Girls boys, meaning Jake Johnson, Lamorne Morris, Damon Wayans Jr, and Max Greenfield, moderated by the creator of New Girl, Liz Meriweather. You can stream old episodes of New Girl on Netflix. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox sits down with Rory Scovel, who you might know from his multiple appearances on Conan, roles in movies like I Feel Pretty, the Apple TV plus series Physical, his Comedy Central show Robbie, and his Netflix special Rory Scovel Tries Standup for the first time. They discuss Rory's decision to book a slate of six shows back to back in Atlanta in 2018 where he showed up with no material. That's right, he did six nights of improvised stand up, and then he turned it into a documentary/special called Live With Fear. Watch Live Without Fear on Rory's youtube channel. Listen to his podcast Pen Pals wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow Rory on twitter and instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Good One, host Jesse David Fox sits down with the co-creator and co-star of one of his top two favorite shows of all times: Sam Richardson! And if you're wondering the show, it's Detroiters, and if you're wondering what joke Sam and Jesse are going to talk about, it's the episode of Detroiters where Sam accidentally becomes an escort. Together Sam and Jesse talk about playing genuinely nice guys, finding your comedy soulmate, and what it was like filming in the place your family also lives. Watch both seasons of Detroiters on Paramount Plus, The Tomorrow War on Prime Video, I Think You Should Leave on Netflix, and Werewolves Within on VOD.Follow Sam Richardson on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this week's episode of Good One, we have the exciting return of the stand=up, writer, and actor Tig Notaro! Host Jesse David Fox sat down with Tig IRL to discuss her sixth grade music class joke, also known as the closer for her 2015 special Boyish Girl Interrupted. Then they discuss her newest special, Drawn, which is not only animated, but dropping via HBO Max later this month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox had the absolute pleasure to travel to L.A. and sit down with the one and only Dan Harmon. Dan is an American writer, producer, actor and comedian best known for creating and producing the NBC sitcom Community, an co-creating the Adult Swim animated series Rick and Morty and its subsequent franchise. The pair sat down and chatted about story structure, being a bad (and then better) boss, and what it might take to get a Community reunion. Watch Community on Hulu, Netflix, and Prime and Rick and Morty on Adult Swim. Follow Dan Harmon on Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As we pass the midpoint in this our year of 2021, host Jesse David Fox and Vulture staff writer Kathryn VanArendonk review her rankings of the best comedy specials so far (yeah, it's a short list). The specials discussed, in alphabetical order: James Acaster, Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999, (self-released, jamesacaster.com) Bo Burnham, Inside (Netflix) Vir Das, 10 on 10 (Youtube) Josh Johnson, # (Hashtag), (Comedy Central) You can follow Kathryn on Twitter. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse and Chris Gethard discuss the transition from improviser to stand-up comedian, and then dissect the quintessential “Gethard Joke.” Chris recounts wrapping The Chris Gethard Show, his ambitious HBO special Career Suicide, and what’s problematic about applying the idea of “swim at your own risk” to live comedy. You can follow Chris Gethard on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox zooms with legendary British comedian Gina Yashere! Gina was born and raised in the UK to Nigerian parents, an experience that's shaped a lot of her stand up. Gina moved to the U.S. 14 years ago when she hit a ceiling she says all Black British comedians hit in the U.K., and currently writes, produces, and acts in the CBS sitcom Bob hearts Abishola, which she co-created with Chuck Lorre. Watch Gina on Netflix! Two of her self-produced seasons are on the platform (Skinny Bitch and Laughing To America), and you can catch her on The Stand Ups season two. You can follow Gina Yashere on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox sits down with Samantha Bee! You know, longest running Daily Show correspondent (12 years!) and current host and Executive Producer of her own Emmy-award winning show Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. The pair spoke about her show's recent special, Full Frontal Wants to Take Your Guns; specifically about the process of buying a car and converting it into a death machine. Just 'cause! Watch Full Frontal with Samantha Bee on TBS and listen to her podcast Full Release with Samantha Bee wherever you get your pods. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox has a different kind of guest on the show: American author and public speaker Fran Lebowitz! Fran is known for her sardonic social commentary on American life as filtered through her New York City sensibilities. She is known for her books Metropolitan Life and Social Studies, and is the subject of two projects directed by Martin Scorsese, the HBO documentary film Public Speaking, and the Netflix docu-series Pretend It's a City. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox welcomes Canadian-born, UK-based comedian, actor and writer Mae Martin! Mae started their stand up career in Toronto at the age of 13, moved to the UK at age 24, and has been living there as a "UK comic" for the past decade. On today's episode, the pair talk about a scene from Feel Good, Mae's semi-autobiographical Netflix series. You can watch Feel Good and Mae’s DOPE as part of the Comedians of the World specials on Netflix. Follow Mae on Twitter and on Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we decided to do something a little bit different. Instead of sitting down with a comedian and talking about one of their jokes, host Jesse David Fox decided bring writer, podcaster, comedian, and professor Wayne Federman into the (virtual) studio to help walk us through the history of stand-up. Follow Wayne on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Jesse David Fox talks to Bo Burnham, comedian and writer/director of the critically acclaimed Eight Grade, about the closing number from Burnham's Netflix special titled 'Make Happy.' Recorded live at Vulture Festival, they dissect Bo's relationship to the audience, comedy, authenticity, and performance- and how that informed his vision as he makes his directorial debut. Follow Bo on social media @BoBurnham. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox sits down with the dynamic duo behind Garfunkel and Oates: Riki Lindhome and Kate Micucci! The actors and comedy singer-songwriters first came together to write and record music as a result of the Writer's Guild of America strike of 2008. Since then the pair have been prolific; they have three studio albums: All Over Your Face, Slippery When Moist, Secretions, had their own TV show in 2013 self-titled Garfunkel and Oates, and have written numerous songs for TV and film. In this week's episode, the three dissect the musical duo's viral song The Loophole, discuss the rollercoaster ride that is writing songs on spec, and talk about writing the songs for Michelle Obama's Netflix kid show, Waffles + Mochi. You can watch Garfunkel and Oates's music videos on their Youtube channel, Garfunkel and Oates, and stream their albums wherever you stream music. You can stream Waffles + Mochi on Netflix. Follow Rikki on Instagram, and Kate on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Good One goes international with the Indian comedian and actor, Vir Das! Since 2017, Vir has released four specials on Netflix. In 2021, Vir started doing something called 10 on 10, 10 minute specials released on the 10th of every month. Filmed in a secret stage, deep in the forests of Goa. Jesse zoomed Vir to discuss the first special in the series, which was about religion. As noted in the interview, India is experiencing record high covid cases. Here are some links to more information, how to help, and where to donate: A coronavirus surge is overwhelming India’s health care system How to help India during its COVID surge — 12 places you can donate You can watch four of Vir's specials on Netflix. Watch Ten On Ten on Vir's Youtube channel. Follow Vir on Twitter and on Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week's Good One features Howie Mandel! Celebrated stand up comedian and TV host, Howie got his start at the Comedy Store in LA in the late '70s. He's known for roles in St. Elsewhere, Bobby's World, Deal or No Deal, America's Got Talent, and so much more. You can stream his podcast, Howie Mandel Does Stuff, wherever you get your podcasts. Follow Howie on Twitter and on Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox sits down with English comedian James Acaster. James has a record breaking number of consecutive nominations for Best Show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, a four hour stand up mini series named Repertoire, and in 2019 completed an insanely long tour for his most recent and hugely successful show, Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999. He and Jesse dissect a ~20 minute story from this newest special regarding James's infamous stint on the Great British Bake Off. You can't follow James on social media (he's not on any), but you can watch Repertoire on Netflix and Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999 on his website, JamesAcaster.com. You can listen to his podcasts, Perfect Sounds and Off Menu, wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kenan Thompson and collaborator Bryan Tucker have been working on SNL together for years. In August 2017, they debuted Kenan’s take on NBA personality Lavar Ball. It went over so well that the impression returned for three additional Weekend Updates. Jesse asks Kenan and Bryan about how they come up with their best work that spans 16 seasons of SNL. Watch Kenan and SNL on NBC or stream them on Peacock. Follow Kenan Thompson on Twitter and on Instagram. Follow Bryan Tucker on Twitter. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's guest is Jamie Lee: stand-up comedian, actor and established television writer/producer known for starring as Ali Reissen, the female lead in the second season of the Judd Apatow-produced HBO series Crashing, opposite Pete Holmes. You also know her from being one of the core cast members of MTV’s hit show “Girl Code,” her role as Co-Executive Producer on the mega-hit Apple Plus series Ted Lasso (which won her two WGA Awards), and her 2016 debut book Weddiculous (Harper Collins), which has just adapted as an upcoming series for Netflix hosted and Executive Produced by Jamie! In this episode, host Jesse David Fox and Jamie Lee get real about wedding woes, doubts, expectations, and the pressure that comes with it all. You can get Weddiculous wherever books are sold. Watch “The Wedding Coach” now on Netflix. You can follow Jamie Lee on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of Good One, host Jesse David Fox sits down with Vulture staff writer Kathryn VanArendonk to talk about the idea of "women in comedy" as a concept. This comes as a response to FX's new documentary about—you guessed it—women in comedy: Hysterical. Watch Hysterical on FX April 2nd, and on Hulu thereafter. You can follow Kathryn VanArendonk on Twitter. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this week’s episode of Good One, host Jesse David Fox sits down with the legendary Margaret Cho! A San Francisco-bred comic, Cho started her career at just 14. Now nearly 40 years later, Margaret is not only a household name, but as Jesse sees it, “one of the most important comedians of the last 30 years.” Together, the two chat about the recent violence against Asians and Asian-Americans in America, the comedy scene in the 80s and 90s, and making samurai faces. Stream Revolution on Video on Demand. You can watch Hysterical on FX starting April 2nd. Follow Margaret on Twitter and on Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nate Bargatze is one of the the few comedians whose funniness Jesse couldn't fully put his finger on. He wrote about Nate's Dead Horse joke in April 2018 after Nate performed a shortened version of it on Jimmy Fallon. It was an atypical joke for late night not only because of the length of the joke, but because it was a story about an actual dead horse. But Nate pulled it off, and he pulled it off again in his 2019 Netflix special The Tennessee Kid. Nate talks to Jesse about how he balances punchlines with a conversational joke-telling style, and what actually happened to make him want to turn a dead horse into a joke. They also touch on Nate's father being a clown and magician, and how that upbringing gave Nate the specific ability to make extraordinary and fantastic parts of life seem...regular. Also included: Nate's best heckler. You can watch The Greatest Average American, The Tennessee Kid, and The Standups and on Netflix. Follow Nate on Twitter and on Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s guest is none other than writer and stand up Fortune Feimster. Fortune made her TV debut on Last Comic Standing in 2010, and is known for roles in The Mindy Project, Office Christmas Party, and the upcoming Netflix film Yes Day. Fortune sat down with host Jesse David Fox to chat about Hooters, growing up in the south, and sharing her coming out story on stage. You can watch Sweet and Salty on Netflix. You can watch Yes Day on Netflix starting March 12th. Follow Fortune on Twitter and on Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This month, host Jesse David Fox dives into a world he’s never been before… Youtube. More specifically, Youtube drama/tea channels.  So to help, Jesse sits down with stand up, sketch, and improv comedian Dennis Feitosa. In addition to giving Jesse a quick Youtube explainer, Dennis breaks down his successful parody Youtube commentary/drama/news/tea channel, and the character he created at the center of it all: a UCLA student and/or cat called Def Noodles. You can watch Def Noodles on Youtube. Follow Dennis on Twitter and on Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox sits down with stand-up comedian Brian Regan. In the business for 40 years, Brian is known for his observational & squeaky clean comedy. Jesse and Brian chat about "dumb" comedy, connecting with audiences right away, and OCD. You can listen to the Epitome of Hyperbole wherever you stream music, or rent it on VOD. You can stream On the Rocks on Netflix. Follow Brian on Twitter and on Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox sits down with legendary Washington, D.C. comedian Tony Woods. In 2019, when Dave Chappelle won the Mark Twain Prize, the first person he thanked was Tony, saying where when Miles Davis was coming up he tried to play like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, “I was trying to play like you.” Chappelle added, “You were the first person I ever saw do it absolutely right.” Jesse and Tony talk about his influential style, playing all around the world, Def Comedy Jam, and his comeback of sorts, as part of Tiffany Haddish’s They Ready series. You can watch They Ready on Netflix. Follow Tony on Twitter and on Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Good One revisits one of our favorite interviews: the Lucas Brothers! Kenny and Keith Lucas, aka comedy duo The Lucas Brothers, sit down with Jesse to discuss a joke-in-progress about Bertrand Russell's A History of Western Philosophy. The two reflect on their relationship as brothers, identical twins, writing partners, travel companions, and performers while musing on the intersection of comedy and philosophy. Watch the Lucas Brothers' special on Netflix, and watch Judas and the Black Messiah on HBO Max. Follow the Lucas Brothers on Twitter and on Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox sits down with British stand-up comedian, writer, actor, and host London Hughes! In 2019, London performed her stand-up show “To Catch a Dick” at the 2019 Edinburgh Festival Fringe Festival, where she was the first British Black woman to be nominated for the Dave Edinburgh Comedy ‘Best Show’ Award. In early 2020, London moved to L.A. and recorded the show as her debut comedy special. Jesse and London chat double standards for dating male and female comedians, a failed run at Edinburgh, and genuinely wanting to be famous. You can watch To Catch a Dick and The Netflix Afterparty on Netflix. Follow London on Twitter and on Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox is joined by Borat Subsequent Moviefilm's director, Jason Woliner!  Jason is a comedy director and writer, known for his work on MTV's Human Giant and Adult Swim's Eagleheart, to name a few; but today, he sat down with Jesse to chat about all the crazy things that go into making a film like Borat. From disguises to off camera improvising, Jason takes Jesse through them all!  Watch Borat Subsequent Moviefilm on Amazon. Follow Jason Woliner on Twitter. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this bonus episode of Good One, host Jesse David Fox sits down to talk to Hollywood Handbook podcast host and former comedy writer Hayes Davenport about pivoting from a career as a sitcom show runner to working in local politics. Listen to Hollywood Handbook wherever you get your podcasts. Follow Hayes Davenport on Twitter. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week is President-Elect Joe Biden's Inauguration! And President Donald Trump's final days in office. In honor of this presidential transition, host Jesse David Fox sat down with five different comedians to discuss how Trump changed the nature of comedy—for better or for worse. Guests featured by order of appearance: Jenny Hagel: twitter Sarah Cooper: twitter & instagram Anthony Atamanuik: twitter & instagram Roy Wood Jr.: twitter & instagram Ayo Edebiri: twitter & instagram Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox sits. down with former SNL cast member, Bobby Moynihan. Bobby started out in improv at the Upright Citizens Brigade in NYC, and spent 9 seasons on SNL. In addition to being a prolific voice actor, Bobby also stars in the new Tina Fey and Robert Carlock NBC sitcom, Mr. Mayor. Bobby and Jesse unpack his Janet Peckinpaugh sketches, chat about some highs and lows of working at SNL, and more. You can watch Mr. Mayor on NBC Thursday nights, and Saturday Night Live on NBC Saturday Night. Follow Bobby on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox previews his new Patreon podcast, The Specials. Along with his co-host, Dave Schilling, and producer, Jessamine Molli, each episode they watch a noteworthy stand-up special from the history of comedy and have as much fun as possible analyzing it as deeply as they can. The first episode, which we are sharing here, is a breakdown of Dave Chappelle's 2000 HBO special, Killin' Them Softly. In between discussions of some of the best jokes of the 21st century, Fox, Schilling, and Molli reckon with the mythology that has been created around Chappelle over the last decade. To subscribe to The Specials go to Patreon.com/TheSpecials. Follow Dave Schilling on Twitter @Dave_Schilling Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter @JesseDavidFox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As this crazy year comes to a close, host Jesse David Fox and Vulture staff writer Kathryn VanArendonk review her rankings of the best comedy specials of 2020.  The specials discussed, in order of Kathryn's ranking: 10. Taylor Tomlinson, Quarter-Life Crisis (Netflix) 9. Hannah Gadsby, Douglas (Netflix) 8. Leslie Jones, Time Machine (Netflix) 7. Patton Oswalt, I Love Everything (Netflix) 6. Hannibal Buress, Miami Nights (Youtube) 5. Kevin Hart, 0 F**ks Given (Netflix) 4. Maria Bamford, Weakness Is the Brand (Amazon Prime / VOD)  3. Yvonne Orji, Momma, I Made It (HBO) 2. Natalie Palamides, Nate - A One Man Show (Netflix) 1. Marc Maron, End Times Fun (Netflix)   You can follow Kathryn VanArendonk on Twitter. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, for part two of Good One's series on comedy in book form, host Jesse David Fox sits down with beloved blogger and personal friend, Kelly Conaboy! Kelly is a Brooklyn-based writer who most recently was writer-at-large at New York Magazine’s The Cut. Before that, she was a writer at the Hairpin, Gawker, and Videogum. If you remember these now-defunct websites for being staples in the golden blogging era that was the 2010s, then you'll love today's episode as Jesse and Kelly take a trip down memory lane and relive their blogging glory days. She also have a dog named Peter, and they wrote a book together called The Particulars of Peter! It's out now, so you should go ahead and get it (wherever books are sold). Follow Kelly on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week is part one of Good One’s two-part series on written comedy, you know, comedy in ~book form~ Host Jesse David Fox’s guest this week is humorist David Sedaris, the bestselling author of the books Calypso, Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, and many more. He is also a regular contributor to The New Yorker. The pair sit down and chat about how David’s writing process compares to that of a stand up’s, what type of person makes a good character, and where to find the best public bathrooms in New York City, especially during Covid Times. You can buy David’s newest book, The Best of Me, wherever books are sold. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox sits down with comedian, writer, and voice actor Natalie Palamides! Natalie is known for voicing Buttercup in the most recent Powerpuff Girls iteration, and for winning Best Newcomer at the 2017 Edinburgh Comedy Awards. In today’s episode, Natalie joins Jesse to chat about her new special, Nate, which premieres *today* on Netflix! In the one-woman show, Natalie Palamides plays Nate Palamino, a lovable idiot trying to figure out dating and overcome toxic masculinity in the post- MeToo era. In addition to breaking down what it’s like to wrestle men shirtless on stage, the pair also chat about fearlessness, consent, and clowning. You can watch Nate on Netflix. Follow Natalie on Twitter and on Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox talks to one of his favorite comedians, Chicago-native stand up, actor, and producer Hannibal Buress! Hannibal has racked up a myriad of credits ranging from his Comedy Central show Why? With Hannibal Buress, to the 2018 Baywatch reboot, and many more. In this episode, Jesse and Hannibal chat about his 2020 special Miami Nights, which comes after a four year gap after his last special, Comedy Camisado. The two talk about asthma, a late in life ADHD diagnosis, and his 2017 run in with the Miami PD. You can watch Miami Nights on Youtube. Follow Hannibal Buress on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox sits down with the Comics’ Comic, Colin Quinn. Colin is a stand-up comedian, writer, and actor. He’s best known for being an SNL cast member in the late 90s where he also anchored Weekend Update, with other credits including roles in the films Trainwreck and Grown Ups.  In today’s episode, Jesse and Colin break down a joke from Colin Quinn & Friends: A Parking Lot Show, which is exactly what it sounds like: a comedy show in a parking lot, as part of our new normal. It’s part stand up special and part documentary, about shooting a special during a pandemic. They also chat about Colin’s new book Overstated, in which he roasts each and everyone one of the 50 united states. You can watch Colin Quinn & Friends: A Parking Lot Show on HBO Max. You can watch Colin’s last three standup specials on Netflix. Buy Overstated: A Coast-to-Coast Roast of the 50 States, wherever you buy books. Follow Colin on twitter and instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox sat down with The Machine himself, Bert Kreischer, to find out the story behind the infamous story. Bert Kreischer is a legendary human: he got his start when he was profiled by Rolling Stone Magazine as the Top Partyer at the Top Party School in the nation, FSU. Soon after he moved to NYC, where six months in he was discovered by Will Smith, and started developing shows with him. For the next decade, he was a road comedian and a Travel Channel host. And then, his story The Machine went viral, and his life and career changed forever. You watch The Machine, The Cabin, and Bert’s last two specials on Netflix. Listen to The Bert Cast where you listen to podcasts. Follow Bert on social media on twitter and instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we’re bringing you an extra fun episode in hopes it’ll help distract you, from, ehh, you know... And so with that in mind, host Jesse David Fox sat down with improviser and actor Lauren Lapkus, star of the Netflix comedy The Wrong Missy, part of Netflix’s The Characters special, and a comedy podcast icon (Comedy Bang Bang, With Special Guest Lauren Lapkus, Threedom, and The Newcomers). The two discuss her character Pamela from Big Bear, a character Lauren first performed on a With Special Guest episode with James Adomian, and which later became a beloved staple of Comedy Bang Bang live shows. Here, they dissect a clip of Pamela from Lauren’s Netflix The Characters special. You can watch The Characters and The Wrong Missy on Netflix. Listen to Threedom and The Newcomers where you listen to podcasts. Listen to old episodes of With Special Guest Lauren Lapkus and the Comedy Bang Bang tour shows on Stitcher Premium. Follow Lauren on social media on twitter and instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this rerun, host Jesse David Fox sits down with Gary Gulman to talk about a joke from his 2016 special It’s About Time. The joke is about an experience Gary had at Trader Joe’s, but it’s way, waaaaaaaay bigger than that. Gary takes his audience through TJ’s snack selection and into Narnia, making companions of old women on the Upper West Side, finally culminating in a rumination on the nature of New Yorkers and taking a stand when injustice rears its ugly head. Jesse and Gary dissect this joke from start to finish, picking apart word choice down to the syllable. Gary reflects on the inciting incident, as well as how his mental illness plays a part in the whole thing. You can watch The Great Depresh Tour on HBO Max. For all of Gary’s tips, follow Gary on Twitter. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox sits down with New York stand-up comedian Shane Torres to discuss one of the greatest jokes of the last decade - Torres’s now legendary defense of Guy Fieri.  Torres started working on the joke in 2016, after seeing Fieri used as a cliche example of someone who sucked. Quickly he realized he was onto something special and that there was room to build on it. A year later, the result was both hilarious and surprisingly poignant. After going viral in the summer of 2017, the joke forever changed the perception of Guy Fieri in our culture, revealing the power of comedy. You can listen to Shane Torres’s album, Established 1981, wherever you stream music. Follow Shane Torres on Twitter @ShaneTorres and Instagram at @SyrupMountain. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram @JesseDavidFox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox sits down with Jamie Demetriou, the creator/writer/star of the acclaimed British comedy, Stath Lets Flats.   During the summer, Stath Lets Flats took home the Best Scripted Comedy award at the BAFTAs, beating out Catastrophe, Derry Girls, and even Fleabag. To translate the title to American English, Stath is Jamie’s character’s name and “lets flats” means leases apartments. That’s what the show’s about - a English-Greek idiot working at his family’s leasing agency.   The scene we play comes from season 2, episode 5, in which Stath goes on a double date with his sister, Sophie (played by Jamie’s real life sister, Natasia). Sophie brings her new boyfriend, Cem (David Mumeni). Stath asked Sophie’s roommate/music and dance partner, Katia (played by Natasia’s real life comedy partner, Ellie White), who said no, but showed up anyway. When she said no, Stath invited his best friend Al (Al Roberts), but the only problem is Al and Sophie secretly love each other. Comedy ensues!  You can watch Stath Lets Flats on HBO Max. Follow Jamie Demetriou on twitter at @JamieTonight and Instagram at @JamieDemetriou. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox sits down with the reality bending comedic rapper Nikki Fre$h, aka Nicole Richie! Nicole is known for starring in The Simple Life alongside Paris Hilton from 2003-2007. After the show wrapped, Nicole filmed Candidly Nicole, which she started as a web series in 2013 before running for 2 seasons on VH1 from 2014 and 2015. Her most recent endeavor is a new Quibi show, Nikki Fre$h, and its accompanying album Unearthed. Like every track on the album, there’s a music video for the song that was included in an episode of the Quibi series. We’re starting with her song Bee’s Tea, an homage to bees The episode co-starred Bill Nye and Nicole’s real-life father, Lionel Richie. You can watch Nikki Fre$h on Quibi. Follow Nicole Richie on twitter and instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox sits down with the legendary George Wallace. A stand-up since the 70s, Wallace is once one of the country’s most in-demand comedians, and has recently found a new fan base via Twitter. This week’s clip is a supercut of a type of joke George tells a lot, jokes under the theme of the catchphrase, “stupid stuff.” The clips are from shows spanning decades, including his 2016 Montreal Just for Laughs Festival appearance, a set from his historic 10 year run at the Flamingo in Las Vegas, and his 1991 HBO One Night Stand Special. You can find George Wallace on Twitter and Instagram, too. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Good One is made possible by the team at New York Magazine. Subscribe today to support their work at nymag.com/goodone Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Good One airs one of our favorite episodes: Daniel "Desus Nice" Baker and Joel "The Kid Mero" Martinez, aka the Bronx-born comedy duo Deus & Mero. The two met in high school and reconnected on Twitter. From 2013-2014 they cohosted their podcast Desus vs Mero, then went on to appear on MTV's Guy Code in 2015. Around the same time they launched their current podcast Bodega Boys, which propelled them towards their own TV show, first on VICE and most recently on Showtime. Jesse charts their careers to understand what sets them apart from other Late Night television personalities, examining their roots as well as how their definition of authenticity affects their comedy. Also included: puns. Follow Desus & Mero on Twitter and watch them on Showtime. Their new book, God-Level Knowledge Darts: Life Lessons from the Bronx, is out now. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Good One is made possible by the team at New York Magazine. Subscribe today to support their work at nymag.com/goodone Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox sits down with stand-up Ali Siddiq. Ali is best known for going viral in 2015 after performing a story called “Mexicans Got On Boots” for the Comedy Central storytelling show, This Is Not Happening. The story has nearly 10 million views on Youtube, and in this interview, Jesse and Ali dive into what happened that day before the joke starts, what happened after, how he became a “storytelling” comedian, and so much more. Coming 17 years into doing stand-up, with a number of TV appearances and three albums already under his belt, this one story was an unexpected jolt to his career. The next year he got a half hour special on Comedy Central, and in 2018 he released It’s Bigger than These Bars, an hour special shot in a Texas jail. You can watch Ali’s This Is Not Happening stories—Mexicans Got On Boots, Mitchell, and more—on Comedy Central’s Youtube channel. You can watch Ali’s special, It's Bigger Than These Bars, on Comedy Central. You can find Ali Siddiq on Twitter and Instagram, too. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes no more than five minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here: voxmedia.com/podsurvey.  Good One is made possible by the team at New York Magazine. Subscribe today to support their work at nymag.com/goodone Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox zooms with stand-up Felipe Esparza! At the time of this episode dropping, Felipe won Last Comic Standing 10 years and one month ago. Since then his standing in the industry has only continued to grow, from his 2012 Showtime Special, They’re Not Gonna Laugh at You, to his 2017 HBO special Translate This. Now he’s celebrating the release of his newest Netflix special Bad Decisions, which he released in both English *and* Spanish. Felipe’s joke is about an episode of domestic violence in his home, quickly followed by a trip to Disneyland. In the episode he speaks with Jesse about how his journey to comedy started (hint: there’s a librarian involved), finding healing through reliving trauma onstage, and how he hustled his way to success without a car in L.A. We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes no more than five minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here: voxmedia.com/podsurvey You can watch Bad Decisions, in both English and Spanish, on Netflix. You can find Felipe Esparza on Twitter and Instagram, too. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Good One dives into the world of dramedy and traumedy with Dead To Me creator and executive producer Liz Feldman. Liz is a comedy writer who started performing stand-up at 16, and got her first writing and performing job at 18 on Nickelodeon’s All That. Since then she’s worked on a number of sitcoms and award shows, all before creating the four-time emmy-nominated Netflix hit, Dead To Me. In this episode, they chat about season two, episode two’s opening scene, and most importantly we find out - are semi identical twins actually a real thing? You can watch Dead to Me on Netflix. You can find Liz Feldman on Twitter and Instagram, too. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Good One celebrates its 100th episode! Well, its 100th Classic Good One Longform Interview (the 100th C.G.O.L.I!). And who better to celebrate with than Good One veteran, stand-up John Mulaney! Since John’s first appearance on the show, he’s hosted SNL three times, had an unbelievable broadway run with Oh, Hello, and sold out seven nights at Radio City Music Hall on his Kid Gorgeous tour (oh, and did we mention he won an Emmy for that special?) With all that industry clout, John knew what he wanted to do next: a throwback children’s musical variety show for Netflix called John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch. In this episode, he chats with host Jesse David Fox about some of his favorite scenes from his two-time Emmy-nominated special, like the kids movie focus group where John plays a movie producer getting a group of kids’ opinions on the next big animated blockbuster. You can watch John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch on Netflix. You can find John Mulaney on Twitter and Instagram, too. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s guest is Saturday Night Live star Cecily Strong. A cast member since 2012, Cecily had one of the most active first seasons in the last 20 years. In addition to being a stunning performer, Cecily has grown into a fantastic sketch writer as well, co-writing some of the best SNL sketches of the last few years: her Erika Jayne parody (that caused episode host Larry David to break), Hot Tub Christmas, and 80s Music Video, to name a few. In this episode, Cecily and host Jesse David Fox talk about the evolution of her Jeanine Pirro Weekend Update sketches, and receiving her first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series this year. You can watch old episodes of Saturday Night Live on NBC and Peacock. You can follow Cecily on Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Originally from Boston, longtime stand-up Sam Jay is an Emmy-nominated writer for “Saturday Night Live” -- her most notable SNL sketches include “Them Trumps,” recent “Black Jeopardy”s, and “Released Early” (from the “At Home” editions). In 2018, she made her Netflix debut on “The Comedy Lineup” and released her first stand-up album, “Donna’s Daughter.” In this episode Sam talks to host Jesse David Fox about her airplane joke, birthed from a fear of death plus an increase in air travel. She notes that most debut stand-up specials have some sort of airplane joke, but she doesn’t care; hers is still funny. You can watch Sam’s new special, 3 In The Morning, on Netflix. You can follow Sam on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Back in April, when most of the world had been in lockdown for about a month, we asked Roy Wood Jr. and Maria Bamford what it was like to try to perform comedy. At the time, the outlook for comedy (and the world) was uncertain and not especially hopeful. Four months later, Jesse David Fox checks in with five stand-ups to see how they’ve adapted, and how comedy has changed. Nikki Glaser (social media @NikkiGlaser) was all set to start her first theater stand-up tour when COVID-19 hit, and she decided to go back home to St. Louis to be with her parents for a week or two. Five months later, she’s still there, and wondering if stand-up will ever really return.   Los Angeles-based comedian Jenny Yang (@JennyYangTV) has taken Zoom comedy performances to a whole new level by hosting shows on everyone’s favorite social simulation video game, Animal Crossing: New Horizons. On July 3rd, Nore Davis (@NoreDavis) released his latest comedy album, Live from the Comedy Trap House, four days after taping it in front of an audience over Zoom. The album is the first of its kind, recorded in quarantine about quarantine. A writer on “CONAN,” Laurie Kilmartin (@anylaurie16) may be best known for tweeting and then filming a special of jokes about her father dying of cancer in 2014. She then wrote a book about the grieving process, Dead People Suck. So it may not have been too surprising that when her mother got COVID-19 early this summer, her first instinct was to tweet about it. Jim Gaffigan (@JimGaffigan) was in Europe when things started shutting down, working on a special in which he does a set of comedy completely about the country he’s performing in. He was only able to finish two countries in time - Canada and Spain. That special, The Pale Tourist, came out on July 24 on Amazon Prime. Now back in the U.S., Jim has tried performing shows at drive-ins, with the audience inside their cars. It’s as surreal as it sounds.  Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s guest is standup comedian, The Daily Show correspondent, and host of the podcast That Blackass Show, Dulce Sloan. Dulce has appeared on Good One before, as part of a Clusterfest panel with Trevor Noah and The Daily Show correspondents. In this episode, Jesse David Fox talks to Dulce about her standup. The joke she chose to discuss is about New York City, which she moved to when she joined The Daily Show in 2017. Dulce dedicated the first third of her 2019 Comedy Central half-hour special to how much she dislikes New York, especially after moving there from Los Angeles, and growing up in Atlanta.   You can listen to Dulce’s podcast, That Blackass Show, wherever you get your podcasts. You can watch her Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents half hour special on the Comedy Central website. You can follow Dulce on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As we pass the halfway mark on this unprecedented year, host Jesse David Fox and Vulture staff writer Kathryn VanArendonk review her rankings of 2020’s best standup specials so far.  The specials discussed, in alphabetical order by first name: Dave Chappelle, 8:46, available on Netflix’s YouTube account. Fortune Feimster, Sweet & Salty (Netflix) Hannah Gadsby, Douglas (Netflix) Leslie Jones, Time Machine (Netflix) Marc Maron, End Times Fun (Netflix) Maria Bamford, Weakness Is the Brand (Amazon Prime / VOD)  Patton Oswalt, I Love Everything (Netflix) Taylor Tomlinson, Quarter-Life Crisis (Netflix) Ted Alexandro, Stay at Home Comedian (YouTube) Yvonne Orji, Momma, I Made It (HBO)   You can follow Kathryn VanArendonk on Twitter. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this week’s episode, host Jesse David Fox calls up stand-up comedian and actor Jenny Slate, who is known for her one-season stint on SNL and appearances on Kroll Show and Parks & Recreation, her breakout role in the 2014 indie film Obvious Child, her voicing the incredibly adorable Marcel the Shell, and much more. The two discuss Jenny’s recent book “Little Weirds” and how writing it changed her life, and she explains why the Nanette discourse of 2018 inspired her to not only return to stand-up, but to record a special for the first time ever. Oh, and Jenny may or may not tell a story about a high so absolutely frightening, it made her quit weed for good. You can watch Jenny’s new special, Stage Fright, on Netflix. You can follow Jenny on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox chats with Saturday Night Live veteran Aidy Bryant, who has been a highlight of the show since she joined in 2012. Bryant also currently stars in and executive produces the Hulu series Shrill, a show that is “about a fat young woman who wants to change her life — but not her body.” In this Good One episode, Jesse talks to Aidy about her SNL sketch “Overnight Salad,” a digital short that aired in the last episode before quarantine shut down in-studio production. As Aidy discusses in the interview, it’s a sketch that she might not have felt comfortable pitching or writing much earlier in her career. Similarly, Shrill feels like a creative milestone in Aidy’s career, with characters and humor that feel more authentically Aidy.  You can watch episodes of Shrill on Hulu. Episodes of Saturday Night Live are available on Hulu or the NBC app, and you can catch clips on YouTube. You can follow Aidy on Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While an episode of Hasan Minhaj’s political comedy talk show “Patriot Act” usually takes weeks, if not months, of research and writing, after the murder of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police on May 25th, Hasan felt he couldn’t wait -- he needed to speak out right away. The result was “We Cannot Stay Silent About George Floyd,” a powerful digital short released on Wednesday, June 3rd, which would eventually be uploaded on Netflix as a regular episode. Though there is comedy throughout the 12-minute address, often Hasan eschews laughs to convey the gravity of his words.  In this episode, host Jesse David Fox talks to the former “Daily Show” correspondent about when comedy is most effective to raise difficult issues and when it’s not, how his show differs from other late night talk shows, and whether Hasan should have become a civil rights lawyer instead of a comedian. You can watch all six seasons of “Patriot Act” on Netflix. You can follow Hasan on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox calls up comedian and actor Yvonne Orji. Yvonne appears on the HBO series Insecure as Molly, Issa Dee’s best friend, but this week Yvonne is on to talk about her new hour special, “Momma, I Made It!” Born in Nigeria and raised in Maryland, Yvonne took an unusual path to comedy. She was attending graduate school in Washington, D.C. for a master’s degree in public health when she decided to compete in a local beauty pageant. When it came to the talent portion of the competition, she couldn’t think of a talent, so she decided to try telling jokes. That led to a career change and years on the comedy club circuit, culminating in Yvonne opening for Chris Rock on his 2017 Total Blackout tour.  With her new special, Yvonne is ready to show people who she really is. Beyond her standup, which is so good - joyous and filled with hyper-specific, richly drawn characters - the special includes documentary footage of Yvonne returning to Nigeria to visit her family. Yvonne’s impressions of her family members are so funny, but it’s another level to meet those people and see how spot on she is. The clip of Yvonne’s joke from “Momma, I Made It!” courtesy HBO. You can follow Yvonne on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox talks to comedian and prankster extraordinaire Eric Andre. You may know Eric from his Adult Swim show, The Eric Andre Show, but this week he’s on Good One to talk about his first hour stand-up special, Legalize Everything. This interview was recorded during the first week in June, a time which saw the issues of police brutality, institutional racism and flat out bigotry towards black people in America boil over, as countless Americans broke quarantine to protest the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and so many others at the hands of police in this country every year. During this time, Eric joined in the widespread protests and called for the Los Angeles police chief to be fired.  In that vein, Eric and Jesse discuss a joke from his special about “Cops,” the TV show that for over 30 years served essentially as propaganda for police departments across the world. Eric wrote the joke over a decade ago; the fact that it’s still relevant today says everything. Days after this interview was conducted, the Paramount Network canceled Cops. You can watch Legalize Everything on Netflix starting June 23rd. You can follow Eric on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox calls up legendary comedy writer/director/producer Judd Apatow. You know, Anchorman, Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Step Brothers, Bridesmaids, Girls, Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday, Popstar, The Big Sick, Love -- any of these ring a bell?  In this episode, Jesse talks to Judd about his return to the director’s chair. Judd got his start as a director in 1998 on The Larry Sanders Show and went on to direct episodes of Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared. His feature film debut came in 2005, when he made The 40-Year-Old Virgin with Steve Carell, quickly followed by Knocked Up in 2007, the 2009 Adam Sandler film about comedy, Funny People, and 2012’s This Is 40. Eventually, after spending years working with Amy Schumer developing Trainwreck, he decided to direct it. Now, five years after Trainwreck, Judd has his latest offering: The King of Staten Island. A fictionalized version of star Pete Davidson’s life, it’s a bit of a departure for Judd in terms of the world it depicts, the themes it explores, and the balance of drama and comedy. You can watch The King of Staten Island on Video on Demand on June 12th. You can follow Judd on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox goes global, calling comedian Hannah Gadsby all the way in Melbourne, Australia. Hannah began her career in comedy in 2006, but found international success in 2018 when her special Nanette debuted on Netflix. Nanette won the top prizes at the Melbourne Comedy Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2017, and its Netflix release won Hannah an Emmy and a Peabody Award. While Nanette tackled weighty issues and questioned the very meaning of comedy, in her newest special, Douglas, Hannah mostly just tries to be really funny. It has a ton of jokes, some structural inventiveness, and more. It’s hard to say the special is about one thing, but as Hannah and Jesse discuss, it’s largely about showing us how she thinks the way she does and then trying to explain why, as she tells the story of how she was diagnosed with autism. As she puts it, it’s meant to be a romantic comedy. You can watch Hannah’s new special “Douglas” now on Netflix. You can follow Hannah on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Jesse David Fox welcomes Gil Faizon and George St. Geegland to the show! Gil and George are two 70-year-old jerks slash roommates slash Alan Alda fans, living on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, best known for their fish-themed prank show “Too Much Tuna.” After a successful “Oh, Hello” Broadway run and subsequent Netflix special, the guys decided to try their hand at the hottest new trend, launching a murder mystery podcast called “Oh, Hello: the P’dcast, The Life and Death of Lady Di.”  In this free-flowing interview, Gil and George speak about their co-collaborators, Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, and which of their projects they were keeping up with and which they reckon you could skip. They also dive into their podcast-making process, and tell us about all the great people they got to work with, like Ira Glass and Sarah Koenig. Note: We used a site called Squadcast to record the conversation, and Jesse gets dropped from the interview a couple of times. The plus side is that this results in a makeshift song performed by Gil and George that makes it all worth it. You can listen to their podcast “Oh, Hello: The P’dcast” wherever you listen to podcasts. You can follow Gil and George on Twitter. You can follow Nick Kroll on Twitter and Instagram, and you can find John Mulaney on Twitter and Instagram, too. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One we have a sequel! That’s right. We’re joined again by Patton Oswalt, nearly two whole years since his Good One debut in May 2018. In that episode we discussed his special Annihilation, which we touch on again today.  But this episode is mainly about the evolution of a joke about breakfast cereal from his new special, I Love Everything. When preparing, we found him doing a version of the joke on Conan in August 2018. The joke stays structurally the same, but it clearly changed quite a bit over the next year, leading up to its recording in September 2019. Jesse David Fox dives deep into why Patton made the changes he made, and how his approach to standup has changed, now that he’s turned 50 (!). You can watch Patton’s latest special “I Love Everything” now on Netflix. You can follow Patton on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Jesse revisits his interview with comedian Aparna Nancherla of Comedy Central's Corporate and Netflix’s The Standups. The joke is from her debut album, Just Putting It Out There, which came out in 2016. Aparna first started doing this joke when she moved to New York from L.A. in late 2012 to work on Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell. Around then, Jesse would see her perform her deeply silly act around Brooklyn. And then, he distinctly remembers when her material shifted. The silliness was still there, but now Aparna was also talking about her struggles with depression and anxiety. This episode is about that breakthrough, how her career in comedy is connected to her history with mental illness, and how her comedy isn't as much about anxiety and depression as people think. And, you know, writing very good jokes. You can follow Aparna on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode, Jesse talks to stand-up comedian and TV writer Sara Schaefer. Back in 2013, Sara and fellow comedian Nikki Glaser adapted their podcast “You Had to Be There” into the MTV late night show Nikki & Sara Live, which ran for two seasons. Since then, Sara has written for numerous TV programs, including The Fake News with Ted Nelms, The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, and Problematic with Moshe Kasher. Sara started working on the joke discussed here in early 2017, before performing it as part of her Edinburgh Fringe Festival show that summer; however, the version you’ll hear is from her 2019 album LIVE LAUGH LOVE. It’s a sixteen-and-a-half-minute magnum opus about her first trip to Hobby Lobby—you know, the arts & crafts chain store that won a Supreme Court case allowing them to not cover contraceptives in their employees’ health insurance plans? Yeah, that one. In the joke Sara tries to reconcile her views on the company with her desperate need to get a basket for her crafts nook. It’s an epic journey.  You can listen to LIVE LAUGH LOVE wherever you buy or stream music. You can pre-order a copy of her memoir Grand, which comes out August 11, wherever books are sold. Follow Sara on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. NOTE: In the interview, Sara misidentified a radio host who was fired for making racist tweets. It was not Opie, but Opie's former co-host, Anthony Cumia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode, Jesse talks to Scottish comedian Daniel Sloss, who made a name for himself at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, which he started performing at as a teen and has since done 10 full shows. Daniel’s joke started as a tweet in 2012, was workshopped at multiple Edinburgh shows, evolving as he continued to have new experiences with it, including an eye-opening trip to America in 2014, finally ending as part of his 2015 show, titled Dark. But the filmed version of Dark wouldn’t come out on Netflix until 2018, which meant Daniel worked on and performed multiple shows in between.  For Daniel, this joke marked a turning point in his comedic development, where he began talking about topics that were meaningful to him as opposed to generic observational comedy. Since then, his specials have tackled difficult subject matter such as toxic masculinity and early childhood tragedy. NOTE: This episode contains a discussion of sexual assault and a significant amount of profanity.  You can stream Daniel’s specials Dark and Jigsaw on Netflix and his special X on HBO Go or HBO Now. Follow Daniel on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this week’s episode, Jesse talks to comedian Chelsea Peretti, who in early 2019 left her role as Gina Linetti on the sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine. After departing the show, she decided she wanted to spend time following her muse. And her muse turned out to be ...coffee.  With the help of her friend, music producer Kool Kojak, she recorded dozens, if not hundreds, of songs just about coffee that are not actually just about coffee but actually are definitely just about coffee. The songs are funny, except when they’re not. And, in those cases, the comedy comes from the fact that a person put this much work into a serious song about coffee.  On the day this episode comes out, Chelsea is dropping an EP entitled Foam and Flotsam, as well as two music videos. This will be the first of two EPs, with a full album scheduled to come out in June. She also put together a Spotify playlist of nearly 250 songs called “Extremely Meaningful Music.” In this interview, Chelsea explores just why she went to such lengths to make an album about coffee, and what it says about comedy now. You can hear all of Chelsea’s music on Spotify or wherever you stream music. Follow Chelsea on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this week’s episode, Jesse talks to actor/writer/director David Wain, whose wide body of work ranges from films Wet Hot American Summer, Wanderlust and Role Models to TV series Children’s Hospital and Medical Police. David’s career began in the late 80s in a comedy troupe called the State, which was started by a group of college friends at NYU. After graduation, they convinced MTV to give them a sketch show -- and David and the other 10 members of the State wound up writing, acting in, directing, and editing the entire show. Although the series only lasted 26 episodes, the State gained a cult following, and it’s now considered one of the most influential sketch shows of all time. The sketch David and Jesse talk about in this episode, “Taco Man,” epitomizes the State’s version of highbrow/lowbrow comedy -- a simple premise (a mailman who delivers tacos) that leads to comedic moments both silly and profound. David calls it one of his favorite State sketches, and you will too.  You can stream The State on MTV Hits or rent/purchase it wherever you get your TV series. Stream David’s most recent series, Medical Police, on Netflix. Follow David on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this week’s special coronavirus-focused episode, stand-up comedians Roy Wood Jr. and Maria Bamford discuss how comedy has been affected and has adapted to COVID-19 and self-quarantining. First, Roy explains just how radically different it is for stand-ups to be unable to perform in front of audiences, and how the temporary closing of clubs (and the resulting recession) will cripple comedy club employees and touring comedians. Then Maria talks about what it’s like to perform comedy every day to 100 silent strangers over Zoom. Follow on social media: Roy Wood Jr. (Twitter, Instagram); Maria Bamford (Twitter, Instagram); Jesse David Fox (Twitter, Instagram) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this week’s episode, Daily Show senior correspondent Ronnie Chieng talks about his journey to his first Netflix stand-up special, Asian Comedian Destroys America! Born in Malaysia, Ronny grew up in Singapore and began doing stand-up in Australia, where starting comedians quickly put together hour-long sets to perform at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. So when Trevor Noah tapped him to join the Daily Show in 2015, Ronny moved to New York and faced a very different comedy scene in a very different country.   Four years later, Ronny’s joke examines American consumerism from the perspective of an outsider who has embraced American values, for better, and for worse. NOTE: This interview was recorded in January 2020. Watch Asian Comedian Destroys America! on Netflix. Follow Ronny on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When veteran stand-up Marc Maron recorded his latest hour special, End Times Fun, back in October 2019, he had no idea how topical it would be. Seven months later, End Times Fun has proven to be bizarrely, morosely timely, as it deals with themes of uncertainty, fear, and isolation, in the face of a looming apocalypse.  In this episode, recorded in the shadow of the growing coronavirus pandemic, Jesse David Fox talks to the host of the seminal comedy podcast WTF about his opening, table-setting joke, which involves questioning how we know anything, and the utility of taking spices for medicinal purposes. Watch End Times Fun on Netflix. Follow Marc on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this week’s episode, standup comedian wunderkind Taylor Tomlinson (Self-Helpless podcast) talks about becoming one of the youngest comics ever to have their own Netflix one-hour stand-up special. Her path to taping her hilarious Quarter-Life Crisis at the age of 25 is an extremely nontraditional one: she started as a teenage Christian comedian, after taking a stand-up class with her father. This meant to fully become the comedian she wanted to be, she had to distance herself from her church and her dad. As a result of her religious upbringing, Taylor lost her virginity after she had already become an established comedian. The joke she discusses this episode mines the absolute absurdity of that for comedy, while slyly touching on more serious issues of consent. All building to a perfect classic movie reference! Watch Quarter-Life Crisis on Netflix. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this week’s episode, we welcome back Moshe Kasher, a comedian who’s best known as an early podcast pioneer (R.I.P. the Champs, long live Houndtall and The Endless Honeymoon) and one-half of the standup power couple with wife Natasha Leggero, who he starred alongside in Netflix’s Honeymoon Stand Up Special. This time he’s discussing the much maligned art of crowd work, where the comedian talks to audience members in search of laughs or a funny story. Moshe has become a modern master, able to turn the form that is often lazy and hacky into something ambitious and damn near spiritual. He compares crowd work to walking out on a tightrope and hoping that the rope goes all the way to the other side. The joke we discuss is a sex story from a Washington, D.C. woman that twists and turns, forcing Moshe to ride it like a wave. It’s off his appropriately titled album Crowd Surfing Vol. 1, which he released last year.  Listen to the album wherever you listen to music. Follow Moshe on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our two-part series on “comedians named Michelle” continues this week with Michelle Wolf. Michelle has been known to comedy fans for years for writing and performing on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.” But her headliner performance at the 2018 White House Correspondents Dinner made her a household name and changed the expectations of the audiences that went to see her stand-up.  The joke discussed in this episode, which starts off with otter pictures on social media, opens her recent Netflix special, “Joke Show,” and is her attempt to reckon with her public perception, and to define her comedy by what she says, and not the reactions to it. NOTE: This episode contains a discussion about rape jokes. Watch “Michelle Wolf: Joke Show” on Netflix. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram and check out her upcoming tour dates on her website. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Good One relaunches with comedian Michelle Buteau, who you may know as host of the Netflix reality show "The Circle," or her roles in "Always Be My Maybe" and the "First Wives Club" reboot on BET+. Michelle’s about to bring her conversational, big-hearted stand-up to a worldwide audience with her first Netflix one-hour special. Host Jesse David Fox talks to Michelle about a joke featured in her 15-minute set from Netflix’s “The Comedy Lineup.” The joke was recorded in February 2018, three months after the reports of sexual misconduct came out about Harvey Weinstein, leading to the explosion of the #MeToo movement. Michelle’s joke is her processing all she was seeing and hearing and, in turn, boiling it down to one perfect phrase. Also included: mid-century modern furniture.  Watch “The Comedy Lineup” on Netflix and see Michelle record her Netflix special on March 1st at New York’s Sony Hall. Tickets on sale here. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What goes into writing and telling a joke? Each week, Vulture senior editor Jesse David Fox breaks down a joke with the comedian or performer who told it. New episodes drop Tuesday mornings. From Vulture and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is the episode you've been asking for -- yes all of you! The tables are turned as Josh Gondelman interviews Good One host Jesse David Fox (@JesseDavidFox), and poses all the big questions -- why a podcast about jokes? What's changed about comedy today? How are you relaunching the show? And what's up with the laughning round? Josh Gondelman (@JoshGondleman) is a comedian, the author of the recent collection of essays, Nice Try, and a co-executive producer of the Showtime series Desus & Mero, New episodes of Good One drop weekly on Tuesdays starting February 25th. Subscribe to Good One on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. From Vulture and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In anticipation of the series finale of The Good Place, stars D’Arcy Carden and Manny Jacinto talk about how the show's writers came up with the unconventional romance between their characters Janet and Jason, what they're going to miss most about the show, and how playing Jason inspired Manny to propose to his fiancé. This panel was recorded live at Vulture Festival in Los Angeles on November 9th, 2019, and was moderated by The Good Place: The Podcast host/demon Shawn Marc Evan Jackson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse David Fox and Moshe Kasher deconstruct a joke about heaven from Moshe's 2013 "Live From Oakland" special -- it's a bit that's evolved over time, as he first tried a much shorter version of the joke on his 2009 album. They talk about religion, Moshe's 2017 Comedy Central show "Problematic", and how Moshe mastered the art of "highbrow-lowbrow." BONUS: At the end of the episode, we've got a special preview of Moshe's new comedy album, Crowd Surfing, which comes out January 24, 2020. Live in Oakland is available on all streaming platforms. Featuring: Moshe Kasher (@MosheKasher). Host: Jesse David Fox (@JesseDavidFox) is Senior Editor at Vulture. Subscribe to Good One on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode originally aired on May 8th, 2017. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nikki Glaser asserted herself as a ruthless and talented roaster at Comedy Central's Roast of Rob Lowe in 2016, so it was no surprise that she was invited back for Bruce Willis in 2018. Nikki walks Jesse through the roast process from start to finish, explaining the massive undertaking that is writing effective insults. Follow Nikki on Twitter and Instagram, and check out her website for her upcoming live shows. This episode originally aired on October 29th, 2018. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ok, here we go. The most requested joke/sketch/idea for this show, ever. Recorded live from Vulture Festival 2019 in LA, it's the first ever "Live Oral History" featuring one of the year's best pieces of comedy. "Ford Focus Group" is a sketch from Netflix's I Think You Should Leave. It stars writers and creators Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin, along with Ruben Rabasa, who plays a boisterous but endearing participant in a focus group for a car development. Hilarity ensues. Director Akiva Schaffer also joins to discuss the creation and execution of this sketch, from development to writing to casting to shooting to reception. Also included: Someone with only great car ideas. Watch the sketch here. This episode was recorded on November 10th, 2019. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aaaaaaand we're back. Jesse and Vulture Staff Writer Kathryn VanArendonk continue their review of the year's ten best standup specials, counting down numbers 5 to 1. Discussed in this episode: Nikki Glaser - Bangin' Gary Gulman - The Great Depresh Mike Birbiglia - The New One Anthony Jeselnik - Fire in the Maternity Ward Lil Rel Howery - Live in Crenshaw This is Part 2 of a 2-part episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As 2019 draws to a close, Jesse and Vulture Staff Writer Kathryn VanArendonk review her ranking of the year's ten best standup specials, with some added honorable mentions. Discussed in this episode: Nate Bargatze - The Tennessee Kid Whitney Cummings - Can I Touch It? Wanda Sykes - Not Normal Julio Torres - My Favorite Shapes Emily Heller's - Ice Thickeners Bill Burr's - Paper Tiger Roy Wood Jr. - No One Loves You This is Part 1 of a 2-part episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In another live panel recorded at Vulturefest 2019 in LA, we're bringing you the first ever Party Down reunion. Jesse talks with the show's creators and stars about what went into casting the show, and then runs through their favorite episodes and moments. Everyone talks about how much they got paid, Megan has a wig, Martin talks about "playing" with other actors, and the panel agrees that while there probably won't be a movie, there's bound to be new Party Down coming down the line at some point. Also included: Woah. I can't believe he showed up for this. This episode was recorded on November 10th, 2019. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Recorded live at Vulture Festival 2019 in LA, holy shit, it's a live Community reunion! The cast and creators of the hit show Community talk about their favorite episodes and moments from the series. Jim raps, Danny does the Batman voice, everyone talks about Chevy and Donald, there was a scene that got cut where Shirley was supposed to poop in a drawer? Everyone gushes about the fun and hard work that went into the show, on camera behind the scenes. A story about being on the set of War of the Worlds gets repeated a couple times. It's great. Also included: movie? This panel was recorded on November 10th, 2019. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A lot of people tell us we should talk to Maria Bamford, and you know what? They're right. They're so right that we're re-airing the episode she was on two years ago. The interview focuses on the commencement speech she gave at the University of Minnesota—her alma mater—in which she discussed the negotiations that took place to arrive at her fee for said speech, along with a long list of the mistakes she'd made in her life. Maria talks frankly about her financial status, and how to deal with being lowballed. The conversation also touches on Maria's relationship with her audience, the evolution of her specials, and how her struggle with unwanted thoughts affected her comedy. This episode is one of the most detailed looks at the business side of comedy, and is a must listen for anyone who's ever needed to negotiate their monetary worth in any field. Also included: a fart noise. Watch the speech here. Follow Maria on Twitter and Instagram, and check out her live dates on her website. This episode originally aired on October 27th, 2017. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse talks to Ron Funches about his short but sweet joke "F Linda". The "F" in this joke title stands for f**k, so you're going to hear the word f**k a lot. Wait, where are those stars coming from. I can't type f**k here? Ok. Fine. Moving on. "F Linda" is just over a minute and half long, but Ron Funches achieves maximum hang time in between the few words that comprise the joke. Jesse asks Ron about how true the joke is (it's true), his singsong delivery and how he allows his audience time to catch up with the joke. Also included: A joke from Ron's kid. Follow Ron on Twitter and Instagram. Listen to or watch Ron's latest special Giggle Fit wherever you listen to or watch comedy. Here's one of those places! This episode originally aired October 29, 2017. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode from Season 1, Jen Kirkman looks at the closer of her 2017 special Just Keep Livin'? She and Jesse start at the very kernel of this joke, going back to its inciting incident in a Starbuck's parking lot in North Carolina. Jen took that event and incorporated it into her act that night, and kept reworking it at subsequent shows. From there, Jen built a whole drama around the character she encountered in that parking lot. Realizing the joke's potential to close out her show, Jen took the larger conversation on street harassment and constructed a bit around it. Every element of the joke is a tool she consciously employed to make the topic something that could simultaneously crack the audience up while making them slightly more aware of the innate horror of unsolicited compliments from strangers on the street. Jesse asks Jen to describe her strategy when crafting this special, and the two analyze the origins of its political undertones. Also included: the first joke Jen ever told. See Jen live. Follow Jen on Twitter. This episode originally aired March 27th, 2017. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Back in Season 2, Jesse got to speak with actor, writer, and director Taika Waititi about his remarkably comedic take on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor: Ragnarok. The interview touches on Taika's New Zealand style of comedy, and how he approached changing a historically serious protagonist like Thor into the goofy, muscly, laugh-inducing character that he is in Ragnarok. Jesse and Taika talk pre and post production, as well as what role improvisation takes on set. Also included: eggs. Follow Taika on Twitter and see Jojo Rabbit while it's still in theaters. This episode originally aired on November 5th, 2017. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 2017, Jesse recorded a live episode of Good One with Roy Wood Jr. at the Just For Laughs Festival in Toronto. The bit that they discussed was "Black Patriotism?", from Roy's 2017 special Father Figure. Roy reveals the staggering amount of live comedy he watches in order to ensure his material is truly his own. He's a brilliant comedic strategist who understands that for a joke to truly be funny, it needs to be funny everywhere--even in front of the people it pokes fun at. Also included: Roy recounts working with Ron Jeremy. Watch Roy's latest special No One Loves You on Comedy Central. Follow Roy on Twitter. This episode originally aired on November 19, 2017. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tig Notaro has been one of the most requested Good One guests, so we're replaying our interview with her from Season 1. Tig and Jesse talk at her house about her breakthrough Taylor Dayne joke, in which Tig chronicles her various run-ins with singer/songwriter/actress Taylor Dayne. We walk through a few different performances of the joke, specifically from her album Good One (ha), her appearance on Conan, and a small, little-known indie podcast called This American Life. What was originally a 30 minute joke was whittled down to half that length for the album, with various encounters with Taylor Dayne (all of them true) shuffled in and out. Also included: Tig presses Jesse regarding the cuteness of her children. Follow Tig on Instagram. This episode originally aired on March 19, 2017. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Jesse's first "holy shit, I'm interviewing this person" interview, "Weird Al" Yankovic explains what went into his song "Word Crimes" from his 2014 album Mandatory Fun. Based on Robin Thicke's multiplatinum, misogynistic club theme "Blurred Lines", Al's parody goes the educational route and confronts the multitude of offenses committed against proper grammar and syntax. In true Good One fashion, Jesse breaks down "Word Crimes" to the syllable, having Al walk him through brainstorming the concept, navigating communication with Thicke's camp, and ultimately recording and releasing the parody. Also included: all of the parody ideas Al went through before landing on "Word Crimes". Follow Al on Twitter. Listen to "Weird Al" wherever you get music.Apple MusicSpotifyGoogle Play This episode originally aired on March 5, 2017. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Haven't bothered to check out the Good One back catalogue yet? Well, don't worry. We're digging out the classics to bring to you while you wait for our next season. In this proto-episode of Good One, hear the interview with Jerry Seinfeld that inspired this whole show. Recorded live at Vulturefest in 2015, Jesse was given the opportunity to interview Jerry in front of a live audience. The conversation is based around a clip from Jerry's series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (now on Netflix), but quickly branches out to include Jerry's history with his Seinfeld costars, his past and present material, and even the his feelings on filming a new special--something that wouldn't happen until two years later in 2017. Also included: Jerry really, really doesn't want to use a mic for Q&A. Follow Jerry on Twitter. This episode originally aired on May 14, 2017. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the Season 6 finale of Good One, we finally deconstruct the legendary joke "The Aristocrats" with the help of its most infamous teller, Gilbert Gottfried. This one's marked explicit for a reason, folks. You'll hear Gilbert's personal history with the joke, along with his retelling of his set the night of the Hugh Hefner roast, where he launched this joke into the public eye. Jesse asks Gilbert about the evolution of his onstage persona and his relationship with audiences. Also included: Jesse's Bubbe's favorite joke, and Gilbert's shortest version of "The Aristocrats". Follow Gilbert on Twitter and listen to Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast wherever you listen to your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nate Bargatze is one of the the few comedians whose funniness Jesse couldn't fully put his finger on. He wrote about Nate's Dead Horse joke in April 2018 after Nate performed a shortened version of it on Jimmy Fallon. It was an atypical joke for late night not only because of the length of the joke, but because it was a story about an actual dead horse. But Nate pulled it off, and he pulled it off again in his 2019 Netflix special The Tennessee Kid. Nate talks to Jesse about how he balances punchlines with a conversational joke-telling style, and what actually happened to make him want to turn a dead horse into a joke. They also touch on Nate's father being a clown and magician, and how that upbringing gave Nate the specific ability to make extraordinary and fantastic parts of life seem...regular. Also included: Nate's best heckler. Follow Nate on Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Whitney Cummings released her latest stand-up special Can I Touch It? on July 30, 2019. Its title can be read a few different ways, one of which being a question of what is and isn't ok for comedians to joke about. Jesse talks to to Whitney about tackling sensitive topics in her act, and how it relates to #metoo and feminism. Whitney reflects on past jokes and behaviors, and how it makes sense at this point in her career to be self-critical. The conversation also focuses on her rigorous daily writing process, in which she spends hours researching topics to determine what's already been said about it. Also included: Whitney picks her favorite roast jokes--by her and about her. Follow Whitney on Twitter and watch Can I Touch It? on Netflix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Danny McBride walks Jesse through the opening scene of his new HBO series The Righteous Gemstones. Along the way, they also touch on the first scenes of his other series and films, including Eastbound & Down, The Foot Fist Way, and Vice Principals. Danny talks about where he wanted to go after Vice Principals ended, as well as the research that went into creating a show about Christian megachurches and superstar preachers. Jesse also asks Danny about how he constructs his antiheroes, and the different ways he utilizes the writers rooms on each of his projects. Also included: dick symbolism. The Righteous Gemstones premieres August 18th on HBO. Follow Danny on Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we're looking at the greatest joke of all: death. More specifically, the twenty-two deaths that occur over the course of the Netflix series Russian Doll. Jesse talks to Leslye Headland, the show's co-creator, writer and director, about the protagonist Nadia's (Natasha Lyonne) journey episode-by-episode, and the significance behind each death she experiences. The show uses death to explore overcoming trauma and self-destructive behaviors under a deeply dark yet comedic veil. Just a heads-up, this episode's going to spoil the entire plot of the show. So if you haven't seen it yet, we're recommending you go watch the show now. Also included: Natasha Lyonne says "cockroach" funny. Follow Leslye on social media. You can watch Vulture's supercut of all of Russian Doll's death scenes here. Watch Russian Doll on Netflix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse speaks to Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino, the creators and co-writers of the tv-show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Despite the titular Mrs. Maisel being a fictional comedian, Jesse wants to know where she might draw her material from, and how she might write and perform comedy within the context of the show. Jesse asks Amy and Daniel about Mrs. Maisel's creation, and how they go about writing and pulling off a realistic standup performance. Also included: the parallels between Mrs. Maisel and Breaking Bad. Watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime Video. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Comedian, writer and actor Emily Heller talks to Jesse about a joke from both her album Pasta and her Comedy Central standup special Ice Thickeners. Despite being recorded about six months apart, her delivery and wording is almost exactly the same in each version. Jesse and Emily go over her meticulousness and handling of tropes, as well as the writing retreats she employs to develop new material. Ultimately, the two get around to discussing how Emily actually hasn't done stand-up for some time due to her work in writing for television--namely HBO's Barry. Also included: riding hairy shoulders to the moon. Follow Emily on Twitter and watch her special Ice Thickeners on YouTube or Comedy Central. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse once again dives into the world of Late Night television, hosting another panel of writers at NeueHouse in Los Angeles. While the writers answer Jesse's questions about their starts in Late Night and their daily routines, a good chunk of the conversation involves the guests grilling one another on how their shows function, comparing their processes for pitching, writing and producing. Jesse asks the writers how they maintain their individual voices when writing for their respective hosts, what it's like to write in the current political climate, and for advice for aspiring writers. Also included: Jesse once again needs to know what Late Night writers eat for lunch. This panel includes:Jessie Gaskell (Conan)Matt Gunn (Real Time with Bill Maher)Jocelyn Richard (I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman)Danny Ricker (Jimmy Kimmel Live!)Jenny Yang (Busy Tonight with Busy Phillipps) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Comedian, actor, and impressionist James Adomian talks to Jesse about a joke from his first album Low Hangin Fruit about the gay villain archetype portrayed in Disney films, and many other forms of media. James recounts how the joke snowballed from one impression to many, and eventually became his closer. James also reflects on gay comedy and where it stands today, and how he balances gay material within the context of his entire set. Listen to James on his podcast The Underculture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amanda Seales does a lot. Besides being an actress, poet, musician, DJ, lecturer and activist, she's also a great comedian. Jesse and Amanda talk about her natural progression into comedy after being a prominent figure in all other forms of media, and a joke about catcalling from her 2019 HBO special I Be Knowin'. While the joke itself stems directly from Amanda's experience, it took shape after her appearance on a CNN panel in which a white male panelist asserted that catcalling is a compliment. Jesse looks at the differences between the joke as it appears on her special and the version in her Late Night with Seth Meyers appearance, highlighting Amanda's ability to adjust her material on the fly. Follow Amanda on Twitter, and catch her on her Smart Funny & Black Tour this summer, and check Also included: Amanda's first-ever time performing comedy on-stage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join Jesse as he interviews Anthony Jeselnik in front of an audience at Clusterfest in San Francisco. While the interview is based around a specific joke from Anthony's latest special Fire in the Maternity Ward, Jesse walks Anthony through his past jokes that deal with the same subject matter. The two also touch on Anthony's persona and regard (or disregard) for his audience, as well as the unanticipated changes he's made to his act due to current events. Also included: a very large audience applauds in an adjacent auditorium, and it's definitely not because John Mulaney is onstage in said auditorium. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Daniel "Desus Nice" Baker and Joel "The Kid Mero" Martinez make up the Bronx-born comedy duo Deus & Mero. The two met in high school and reconnected on Twitter. From 2013-2014 they cohosted their podcast Desus vs Mero, then went on to appear on MTV's Guy Code in 2015. Around the same time they launched their current podcast Bodega Boys, which propelled them towards their own TV show, first on VICE and most recently on Showtime. Jesse charts their careers to understand what sets them apart from other Late Night television personalities, examining their roots as well as how their definition of authenticity affects their comedy. Also included: puns. Follow Desus & Mero on Twitter and watch them on Showtime, Mondays and Thursdays at 11PM. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse talks to a panel of writers from NYC's Late Night TV shows. Recorded in front of an audience in conjunction with 92Y Talks, the guests guide Jesse through a day in the life of a Late Night TV writer. The group shares how they got started, their career landmarks, and advice for aspiring comedy writers. Also included: what Late Night writers eat for lunch. The panel includes:Ziwe Fumudoh (Desus & Mero, The Rundown with Robin Thede)Josh Gondelman (Desus & Mero, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver)Jenny Hagel (Late Night with Seth Meyers, White Guy Talk Show)Kat Radley (The Daily Show with Trevor Noah)Nicole Silverberg (Full Frontal with Samantha Bee)Kate Sidley (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert)  Rebecca Shaw (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Comedian Joel Kim Booster talks to Jesse about the evolution of his late night sets and career, focusing in partiuclar on his January 2019 performance on The Late Late Show with James Corden. Joel addresses Asian and gay stereotypes as they've appeared in comedy, as well as why he adopts a "hot idiot" persona onstage despite only being one of those two things. (He's hot, not an idiot.) Follow Joel Kim Booster on Twitter and watch Joel on NBC's Sunnyside, Thursday nights this fall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Akiva Schaffer and Andy Samberg of The Lonely Island talk to Jesse about a track off of their newest release, The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience, a "visual poem" about the imagined rap careers of former Oakland Athletics sluggers Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco. The two frappers talk writing lyrics and music, the work they're producing now, and the difference between being dumb and being dumb on purpose. Also included: Andy's Beetlejuice impression. Get tickets for The Lonely Island's summer tour. Seriously. Go find tickets right now! Watch The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience on Netflix, and listen to the accompanying album wherever you get your music. Read Jesse's piece on The Lonely Island's first-ever show here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

James Corden is the host of The Late Late Show on CBS. He and Jesse walk through the history of one of the show's recurring segments, Crosswalk the Musical which is...well...a musical in a crosswalk. Initially a performance of Grease in front of The Late Late Show's Los Angeles studios, the segment spread to the streets of London and New York City and featured hit musicals like The Sound of Music, Hair, and Beauty and the Beast, to name a few. James recounts some behind the scenes stories and talks about the spirit of The Late Late Show. Follow James on Twitter and watch him on The Late Late Show weeknights at 12:37a/11:37pC on CBS Also included: Late Late Show Head Writer Ian Karmel looks back on pitching Crosswalk the Musical. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Good One's Season 6 premiere, comedian Beth Stelling breaks down a joke from her first album Sweet Beth. The joke is about a trip Beth took to the Florida water park Wet 'n Wild with her father and siblings. Beth points out what she likes and doesn't like about the joke, and how her performance of it changed since recording the album. Beth talks about the specificity of her worda and the shorthand on her set-lists. Also included: Beth sings. Catch Beth live by checking out the dates on her website. See Beth live at Littlefield in Brooklyn on June 2nd, and Dynasty Typewriter in LA on June 19th. Listen to Beth and her mom on their podcast We Called Your Mom, and watch her half-hour special on Netflix's The Standups. Follow Beth on Twitter @bethstelling Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What miracle is this? Audio once forgotten and buried within the darkest recesses of Vulture's dungeons has found its way back to the light. Jesse hosts a live panel with the stars and creators of the cult-classic TV show Happy Endings. Recorded live at the 2016 Brooklyn Vulturefest, this panel features creator David Caspe and showrunner Jonathan Groff, along with the cast members:Eliza Coupe (Jane)Elisha Cuthbert (Alex)Zachary Knighton (Dave)Adam Pally (Max)Damon Wayans Jr. (Brad)Casey Wilson (Penny)The panel guests go through their favorite episodes, the show's beginnings, and what went into making the most memorable scenes of the series. Also included: hypothetical storylines for a Happy Endings revival. Stream Happy Endings on Hulu or wherever else you get TV. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse leads a live panel discussion with the cast and creators of the cult-classic MTV animated series Clone High. The show itself, co-created by Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and Bill Lawrence, was about a high school filled with clones of famous historical figures. Despite its cancelation after only one season, the show had a cast list full of up-and-comers and established stars of its time, including Will Forte, Phil Lord, Chris Miller, Michael MacDonald, Christa Miller, Nicole Sullivan, Donald Faison, Neil Flynn, Andy Dick, Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, Jack Black, Tom Green, Michael J. Fox, Mandy Moore, Marilyn Manson...the list will go on forever if I keep typing. Recorded live at Vulturefest in 2017, the live panel included:Chris Miller (JFK, Vice Principal Mr. Butlertron)Phil Lord (Principal Scudworth, Genghis Khan,Bill Lawrence (Co-Creator)Nicole Sullivan (Joan of Arc)Christa Miller (Cleopatra)Will Forte (Abe Lincoln)Michael McDonald (Gandhi)Watch Clone High wherever you can legally download TV shows. There are a lot of great clips on YouTube, too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Here's another bonus episode as we lead up to our Season 6 premiere! Jesse interviews comedian Catherine Cohen live at Union Hall in Brooklyn, following a musical tribute to her totally normal and not-at-all-bizarre dreams. Follow Catherine on Twitter. Listen to Catherine on the Seek Treatment podcast, and catch her solo show at Joe's Pub in NYC on May 15th, June 17th and July 11th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we're going back to the 2018 Brooklyn Podcast Festival for a short interview Jesse did with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, AKA Las Culturistas. Matt and Bowen each demonstrate an "I Don't Think So, Honey!" or their cathartic, one-minute cultural rant turned art form. Listen to Las Culturistas wherever you get podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Good One Season 5 comes to a close with another superstar comedian, Kevin Hart. Jesse takes a trip to Atlanta to speak with Kevin just before the release of his newest stand-up special Irresponsible. They discuss the show's opener, a story about when Kevin's kids caught him having sex. Kevin explains how his jokes go from from small clubs to arenas. The conversation also touches on some of the controversy surrounding his comedy, as well as the high expectations he's striving to execute at his level of fame. Also included: potpourri. Watch “Irresponsible” on Netflix on April 2nd, along with all of Kevin’s other specials. Follow Kevin on Twitter. Special thanks to DonTaé Hodge for engineering this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse finally sits down with Gary Gulman to talk about a joke from his 2016 special It’s About Time. The joke is about an experience Gary had at Trader Joe’s, but it’s way, waaaaaaaay bigger than that. Gary takes his audience through TJ’s snack selection and into Narnia, making companions of old women on the Upper West Side, finally culminating in a rumination on the nature of New Yorkers and taking a stand when injustice rears its ugly head. Jesse and Gary dissect this joke from start to finish, picking apart word choice down to the syllable. Gary reflects on the inciting incident, as well as how his mental illness plays a part in the whole thing. Also included: someone finally tells Jesse how his tweets could be better.  For all of Gary’s tips, follow Gary on Twitter, and catch him live on the The Great Depresh Tour when he’s in your city. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Fall 2018, we recorded a live panel discussion with the writers of The Good Place at Vulturefest LA. Moderated by Marc Evan Jackson, the panel guests reveal what comedy inspired them, how their writers room was formed, and offer advice to aspiring writers. Watch The Good Place on NBC, Hulu, Netflix, or a bunch of other places on the internet. Listen to The Good Place: The Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow [most of] the panel on Twitter:Marc Evan JacksonMike SchurMegan AmramJen StatskyJosh SiegalDylan MorganMatt Murray Cord JeffersonKassia MillerDan SchofieldAndrew LawChristopher EncellRae Sanni Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse speaks to standup comic, actor, and writer Rhea Butcher about two versions of their joke about being misgendered. The first iteration comes from Rhea's album Butcher, and the second was performed on one of Jessica Williams and Phoebe Robinson's 2 Dope Queens HBO specials. Rhea goes over the similarities and differences between each telling, along with how their identity and experiences shaped the joke's evolution. Follow Rhea on Twitter Listen to Rhea's podcasts Three Swings and Put Your Hands Together Listen to Rhea's special Butcher wherever you listen to things. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse speaks with actor, comedian, writer and producer Lil Rel Howery live at Vulturefest in October 2018. The conversation centers around a joke Rel told on Martin Lawrence's 1st Amendment Stand Up in 2010, and ties into material from his 2015 stand-up special RELevent. Rel discusses family, his hometown Chicago, and the comedians that shaped him, like Bernie Mac and Robin Harris. Watch Rel in Rel on FOX. Follow Rel on Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kenny and Keith Lucas, aka comedy duo The Lucas Brothers, sit down with Jesse to discuss a joke-in-progress about Bertrand Russell's A History of Western Philosophy. The two reflect on their relationship as brothers, identical twins, writing partners, travel companions, and performers while musing on the intersection of comedy and philosophy. Watch the Lucas Brothers' special on Netflix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse’s back in the Late Night with Seth Meyers conference room with—wait for it—Seth Meyers! While there's plenty to talk about, the conversation centers around Seth writing the Documentary Now! episode Juan Likes Rice and Chicken. The two touch on Seth's parodies from when he was Head Writer at Saturday Night Live, along with his semi-autobiographical ties to Juan and Arturo.  Also included: Seth is unable to make Jesse’s tweets any better than they already are.  Season 3 of Documentary Now! starts February 20th, airing Wednesdays on IFC at 11p EST Late Night With Seth Meyers airs weeknights on NBC at 12:35/11:35c Follow Seth on Twitter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ray Romano sits down with Jesse to talk about his new Netflix special, Right Here, Around the Corner. The two go over Ray’s jokes about his son Joe, why he continues to see his family as a source of new material, and what made the Comedy Cellar the right place to tape his new special. Also, Ray does an impression of an impression of Ray Romano.  Watch Ray’s new special on Netflix.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s sequel time! Sort of. On a Good One episode from way back in the year 2018, Jesse asked Vanessa Bayer about Saturday Night Live's series of ad parodies for Totino’s pizza rolls. What started as a take on gender stereotypes in advertising evolved over the next two years into a surreal X-Files promo, and ultimately a triumphant, French romance film trailer. Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider are the former SNL head writers behind the Totino’s Trilogy. Jesse talks to them about the evolution of Vanessa’s nameless character, and draws parallels to Chris and Sarah’s new series The Other Two.  Highly recommended: watching the Totino’s Ad Trilogy. Part IPart IIPart IIIFollow Chris on Twitter! Sarah never uses Twitter. Watch Chris and Sarah's show The Other Two on Comedy Central, Thursdays at 10:30/9:30c Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse talks to actor, comedian, writer, and friend Julie Klausner about a seemingly random joke from her Hulu series Difficult People. Recorded live at Union Hall in Brooklyn, the two talk about equal treatment of male and female genitalia in comedy, Julie’s writing process on Difficult People, and much, much, much more. ALSO: a super secret surprise guest. ALSO ALSO: get ready to find out if your favorite sketch comedians are dogs or cats. Watch Difficult People on Hulu.Follow Julie on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse talks to comedian Sebastian Maniscalco about the creation of one of his most well-known jokes, “Doorbell”. Not only does Sebastian have a new Netflix special out, but at the time of the interview he was days away from headlining a weekend of stand-up shows at Madison Square Garden. Listen to how Sebastian refined his act-outs, and how nostalgia and disbelief came to shape his comedy. Watch Sebastian’s act outs to get a full picture of "Doorbell".Check out the interior of Sebastian and wife Lana Gomez’s house. Watch Sebastian’s new standup special “Stay Hungry” on Netflix.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome back to Good One. We missed you dearly. For our Season 5 premiere, comedian, actress, and improviser Nicole Byer invited Jesse over to talk about the opening jokes of her new Netflix special, Aggressively Adorable.  For more Nicole check out Comedians of the World and Nailed It! on Netflix and listen to her on What the Tuck? A RuPaul's Drag Race Podcast and Why Won't You Date Me? wherever you listen to podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With all of his standup specials, records, and multiple roles in TV and film, Sinbad has no shortage of material to dissect. But when Jesse reached out to to ask what joke Sinbad wanted to discuss on the podcast, Sinbad didn’t want to pick one. Why? Because he doesn’t write his act in the way that most other comedians do. Sinbad will build an entire routine from a fleeting thought in the moment while he’s on-stage—and it will change the course of the performance in an instant. Jesse and Sinbad trace his style back to its roots, and Jesse also gets closure on a Sinbad question he’s been holding onto for a long time. This week's episode is sponsored by Mack Weldon! For 20% off your first order, visit mackweldon.com and enter promo code GOODONE at checkout! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Years before creating and starring in the show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Rachel Bloom wrote and performed a musical sketch about a young actress’s obsession with Space Jam, the 1996 animated and live-action crossover starring Michael Jordan and a bunch of Looney Tunes. Jesse and Rachel talk about the compromise she made between musical theater and sketch comedy. Along the way they discuss the importance of nailing down a premise when writing, how rhyming can ruin a joke’s potential, and most importantly, why Space Jam? Watch Rachel’s “Space Jam” here, and read along with the lyrics below. “Space Jam” Lyrics I'VE NEVER FOUND A TRUE CALLING I WOULDN'T CALL THEATER MY LIFE FROM VOCATION TO VOCATION LOCATION TO LOCATION I'M JUST LOOKING FOR SOMETHING ENTHRALLING. (spoken) It's true. I'VE NEVER HAD MY OWN "THING" UNREMARKABLE: A COMMUNISTS' DREAM. BUT THERE IS ONE MOVIE THAT'S JUST SO DAMN GROOVY IT GIVES ME A REASON TO SING. AND THAT IS THE MOVIE SPACE JAM! OH MY GOD I LOVE THE MOVIE SPACE JAM! HAS ANYONE ELSE HERE SEEN SPACE JAM?! ALLOW ME TO DESCRIBE THE PLOT OF SPACE JAM! THE SETTING IS CIRCA 1996 AN INNOCENT AGE, I RECALL. MICHAEL JORDAN GOT HIMSELF IN A FIX 'CAUSE NOW HE PLAYS MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL. MEANWHILE, ON A PLANET FAR OFF IN SPACE SOME CARTOON ALIENS HAVE AN AMUSEMENT PARK BUSINESS IS BAD, THEY'RE GONNA SHUT DOWN THE PLACE TILL THE ALIEN CEO HAS A GENIUS SPARK! (spoken) He's voiced by Danny DeVito. THE PLAN IS TO KIDNAP THE LOONEY TUNES WHO IN THIS FILM ARE SELF-AWARE AND HAVE FREE WILL AND ONCE THE ALIENS KIDNAP THE LOONEY TUNES THEY'LL ENSLAVE THEM TO CREATE A COMEDY MILL! (spoken) Now at this point, you're probably like, "What do cartoon aliens kidnapping Looney Tunes have to do with Michael Jordan?" Well that's the magic of- SPACE JAM! MUCH MORE HAPPENS IN THE MOVIE SPACE JAM! AREN'T YOU STARTING TO GET EMOTIONALLY INVOLVED WITH SPACE JAM?! RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU WANNA HEAR MORE ABOUT SPACE JAM! ZACH (V.O.) I'd actually prefer if you stopped. RACHEL Oh, come on! ZACH (V.O.) I want to hear about something EMOTIONAL. RACHEL Ok, fine. I'll talk about the time I came out of the closet instead, ok? ZACH (V.O.) Uh, yeah, that'd be great. RACHEL Ok. Well, when I first realized I was gay, I thought that no girl would ever- (singing again) SO THESE TINY CARTOON ALIENS GO TO LOONEY TUNE LAND/ AND GET LAUGHED AT 'CAUSE THEY'RE SO SMALL/ HA HA HA! ZACH (V.O.) OK, that's not what I meant... RACHEL THE LOONEY TUNES WANNA DEFEND THEMSELVES SO THEY CHALLENGE THEM TO A GAME OF BASKETBALL BUT THEN THE ALIENS TO GO A BASKETBALL GAME TO STEAL THE TALENTS OF THE PLAYERS IN THE NBA AND THEN THEY BECOME MONSTERS- NO- MONSTARS! WHICH MAKES THE LOONEY TUNES DESPERATE IN A MAJOR WAY! (spoken) And then, one day Michael Jordan is playing golf with Larry Bird and Bill Murray and he gets sucked down a golf hole. And this is when you're like "Oh man, this movie just got intense. I might have to leave the theater it's so intense!" And when Michael Jordan gets to Looney Tunes Land, he's surprisingly calm for what just happened to him, dubious really, because he just says, "What are you guys doing here?" SO THE LOONEY TUNES TELL MICHAEL THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE SLAVES UNLESS HE HELPS THEM WIN MICHAEL AGREES LIKE THE MENSCH HE IS AND SO THEY START PRACTICIN' FOR THE- ZACH (V.O.) Stop! Stop! RACHEL What? ZACH (V.O.) You're just singing the plot of the movie Space Jam! RACHEL It's really important to me! ZACH (V.O.) Yes, but why? Why is "Space Jam" so important to you? RACHEL WHEN I WAS 5 MY DADDY LEFT AND MY MOMMA WAS ADDICTED TO COKE SO I JOINED A GROUP OF RUNAWAY KIDS WHO WERE JUST AS SAD AND BROKE. THEN ONE NIGHT, THIS BOY NAMED JAKE GAVE ME MY FIRST KISS. BUT THE DAY AFTER THAT, HE DIED OF AIDS MAKING ME ASSOCIATE SICKNESS WITH BLISS. AFTER GOING ON A 3 DAY METH BINGE I DECIDED TO KILL MYSELF WHEN SUDDENLY, LIKE AN ANGEL, LIKE A BEACON I SAW THE POSTER FOR "SPACE JAM." AND THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED: IF LOONEY TUNES CAN PLAY BASKETBALL WHO SAYS I CAN'T QUIT DRUGS? IF TINY ALIENS CAN BE LARGE AND SCARY THEN I CAN PUT MYSELF BACK TOGETHER. EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE IN "SPACE JAM" SO EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE FOR ME. I WAS ABOUT TO JUMP IN FRONT OF A TRAIN. WHEN "SPACE JAM" ENDED MY PAIN. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Laurie Kilmartin is a stand-up comedian and writer for Conan. She's also cohost of the podcast The Jackie and Laurie Show along with comedian Jackie Kashian. Laurie discusses the formation of her 2017 Conan set, finding a new muse 20-years into her career, and how to know when to inform the audience that “Domingo” is Spanish for “Sunday”. Read Laurie’s tweet about joke transitions here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mike Birbiglia cemented his style of comedic storytelling in specials like Sleepwalk With Me, My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend, and Thank God For Jokes. He’s also the writer and director of Don’t Think Twice and the movie adaptation of Sleepwalk With Me. Now, his latest show, The New One, is running on Broadway. In this episode, we’re talking about an earlier one of Mike’s jokes—his Celebrity Golf story, from the album My Secret Public Journal Live. Mike describes how he identifies moments from his life that become his jokes, how to align with an audience, and the inherent error that has to exist in a piece of art. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kenan Thompson and collaborator Bryan Tucker have been working on SNL together for years. In August 2017, they debuted Kenan’s take on NBA personality Lavar Ball. It went over so well that the impression returned for three additional Weekend Updates. Jesse asks Kenan and Bryan about how they come up with their best work that spans 16 seasons of SNL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Comedian Max Silvestri and writer Leah Beckmann have been together for seven years. They have a dog. For years Max hosted the New York alt-comedy showcase Big Terrific, which Leah had been to a couple of times before approaching Max on the subway to say hi. Fast forward to today, when Jesse sits down with the couple to discuss what it’s like to be written about as a significant other, the vetting process for relationship jokes, and why buttholes work when assholes don’t. Watch Max on Netflix’s The Comedy Lineup and see his work on Big Mouth. Read and watch Leah’s work on The Cut, Gawker, and Cartoon Network’s Summer Camp Island. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nikki Glaser asserted herself as a ruthless and talented roaster at Comedy Central's Roast of Rob Lowe in 2016, so it was no surprise that she was invited back for Bruce Willis in 2018. Nikki walks Jesse through the roast process from start to finish, explaining the massive undertaking that is writing effective insults. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse and Chris Gethard discuss the transition from improviser to stand-up comedian, and then dissect the quintessential “Gethard Joke.” Chris recounts wrapping The Chris Gethard Show, his ambitious HBO special Career Suicide, and what’s problematic about applying the idea of “swim at your own risk” to live comedy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Comedian, actress, and author Phoebe Robinson (2 Dope Queens, You Can’t Touch My Hair, Ibiza) talks Jesse through getting a swimming lesson from Julia Roberts on the Adriatic sea—what she calls one of her life’s “Non-Trash Moments” in her forthcoming book Everything’s Trash, But It’s Okay. Phoebe explains her writing process, along with her love for abbreviations, typos, and mixed metaphors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the Season 4 premiere of Good One, Nick Kroll discusses the difference between shame and guilt and how both concepts factor into writing a show like Big Mouth, which returned October 5th for its second season on Netflix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the season finale of Good One, Jesse and Aparna Nancherla (Just Putting It Out There, Comedy Central's Corporate, Netflix's The Standups) discuss how depression and anxiety came to be a part of her act, how her jokes about mental health have been received over time, and the inherent stress of interacting with babies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse talks to Will about the Last Man on Earth’s final scene, the show’s journey, and what would have come next if the show hadn't been cancelled. Recorded live in Montreal at the 2018 Just for Laughs Festival. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

New York based Naomi Ekperigin is quickly becoming an influential voice in modern comedy. She’s worked as a staff writer for Broad City and Great News, and was listed as one of the "20 Comedians You Should and Will Know" by Vulture. Jesse talks to Naomi about a joke from her most recent set on Late Night with Seth Meyers. Learn how Naomi crafted her tight 5 for late night, how she writes comedy conversationally, and the application process behind booking a spot on Seth Meyers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reggie Watts doesn't write jokes. With nothing but a microphone and some looping pedals, he crafts one-of-a-kind musical improv comedy. So on this special episode of Good One, Reggie improvises a song in the studio and we break down his process. He explains his love for improv over scripted comedy, his passion for science and technology, and shares his experiences making music on different drugs and psychedelics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vanessa Bayer stops in to discuss the creation of her character Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy. She talks about her formative years of comedy, Judaism, and how the process of writing a subtle and specific character evolved each time Jacob returned. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week Bo Burnham, writer and director of the feature Eight Grade, was interviewed live at Vulturefest. Vulture senior editor Jesse David Fox and Bo discuss his auto-tuned rant that closed out Burnham's Netflix special titled 'Make Happy.' They dissect Bo's relationship to audience, comedy, authenticity and performance- and how that informed his vision as he makes his directorial debut. This week's episode is brought to you by Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jimmy Fallon drops by to talk about his bit 'Do Not Play,' sharing songs so bad that you just have to listen to them. Fallon discusses finding his calling with the Tonight Show, a variety show and an institution, with the mission of putting a smile on your face before bed. He delves into the value of a silly bit inside of a show like his and reflects on his career, now and for the next twenty years. This episode is brought to you by Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Patton Oswalt talks about the process of writing comedy in the face of real and personal tragedy. Oswalt's passion for crafting jokes, turns of phrase, and the way in which he talks about the world were thrown into intense perspective as he dealt with the loss of his wife, and the responsibility to care for his also grieving daughter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a special edition of Good One recorded live at Clusterfest, host Jesse David Fox discusses the process of creating the Daily Show with a panel of writers including Trevor Noah, Dulce Sloan, Michael Costa, Desi Lydic, Ronny Chang, Roy Wood Jr. This week's episode is sponsored by Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Cross breaks down a joke from early in his career about the fast casual chain COSI's attempt to make the bagel 'cool.' He discusses balancing material between the silly, serious, and political, as well his his relationship to the South. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cameron Esposito discusses a joke about the misrepresentation of sexual assault in popular culture. In this interview with Jesse David Fox, Cameron speaks to the challenge of sharing her own experience, drawing the audience in, and creating a space to perform the kind of material that confronts through humor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to season 3 of Good One! Kid Gorgeous a.k.a. John Mulaney stops by to break down a joke in defense of financiers. John shares how he found his stride in an 'old timey' voice, expands on his fascination with OJ Simpson, and talks about how working on Oh Hello influenced his writing style. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse David Fox talks to Pete Holmes about a joke from his 2016 special Faces & Sounds. They talk about Pete's "spidey sense" as a comedian, why anger can be a great cue, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this live taped episode of Good One, Jesse talks to Wyatt Cenac about his Black History Month joke, which appears on his last album, Furry Dumb Fighter. Hear about Wyatt's writing process, why he often uses comic books as a source of material, and how he feels about including the n-word in his work.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Jesse David Fox and Natasha Leggero deconstruct a joke from her 2015 Comedy Central special. They talk about Burning Man, her process of trial and error, and how her persona has evolved over time.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this live taped episode of Good One, Jesse talks to Bill Burr about a joke from his most recent special Walk Your Way Out. Hear how a trip to India helped shape that joke, what Bill thinks about doing characters, and how he manages his relationship with offended audience members.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this live taped episode of Good One from the Montreal Just for Laughs Festival, Jesse speaks with Eugene Mirman about his joke -- which is a real letter published in the Portsmouth, New Hampshire summer guide.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this live episode of Good One from Vulture Festival LA, Jesse speaks with Paul Feig about a fight scene from his movie Spy, why he works best with women and the trials of editing a film.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse David Fox talks to Julio Torres and Jeremy Beiler, the writers behind the Saturday Night Live sketch “Wells for Boys.” In this episode, you'll hear how it came together, how it was received in the studio, and whether political art is the only art that matters.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse sits with Jeff Garlin for a somewhat flipped version of Good One. Jeff didn’t feel he’d be a right fit for the show as he's not one for dissecting his process. Hear why that is, why he thinks Eddie Murphy is the Babe Ruth of standup, and about making the latest season of Curb Your Enthusiasm.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse speaks with Will Forte about what it was like to make the sex scenes in MacGruber (the SNL Macgyver parody turned '80s action movie) movie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tim Minchin created the music for the musical Groundhog Day. He joins Jesse David Fox to talk about the musical and about one song in particular called "Stuck." Plus he plays a us little keyboard.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse David Fox and Moshe Kasher deconstruct a joke about heaven from Moshe's 2013 Live From Oakland special-- It's a bit that's evolved over time, as he first tried a much shorter version of the joke on his 2009 album. They talk about religion, Moshe's new show Problematic on Comedy Central, and how he mastered the art of "highbrow-lowbrow." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse David Fox and John Early recorded a special, live episode of Good One during SXSW at TBS's In Search Of Pop-Up. John picked a scene from his episode of Characters on Netflix, in which he is giving a wedding toast and hijacks the room for way too long. He breaks down why he chose to play this type of character, why he loves upstate New York, and closes with he next best impersonation. (His best is Britney.)  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse David Fox sits down with Justin Simien, the director of the movie Dear White People and creator of the new TV show premiering on Netflix this month. They talk about a scene from the first episode in which a group of students are gathering to watch Defamation a parody of Shonda Rhimes' Scandal. Simien offers thoughts on his process, the benefits of adapting the movie to television and how the show fits into today's political landscape.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Litt is the former senior presidential speechwriter for President Obama and he wrote his jokes, too. On this Good One, Litt shares about what it's like to write for the former president, why Obama is pretty good at delivering jokes and how they finally managed to incorporate Keegan-Michael Key's character of Luther, Obama's anger translater, into the White House Correspondence dinner.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Horatio Sanz debuted his "Don's Apothecary" sketch during his fifth year on SNL. He sits down with Jesse David Fox to talk about the inspiration for the sketch, his SNL days and why he sometimes laughs at his own jokes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse David Fox and Kyle Kinane talk about a joke from Kyle's 2010 special Death of the Party and how it was so pivotal in his stand-up career. And we highly recommend staying for this laughning round.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Paul Scheer explains the inspiration behind creating the sketch series "The Illusionators," which appeared on MTV's Human Giant. Scheer created the show with Aziz Ansari, Rob Huebel, and Jason Woliner. Plus, hear the story about how Paul and Aziz encountered Criss Angel at a Las Vegas club. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kristen Schaal joins Jesse David Fox to talk about the origins of one of her earliest jokes Dancing Bird. She shares why she often uses animals in her comedy and what it was like to break out as a stand-up comic using conceptual bits.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Host Jesse David Fox and Neal Brennan talk about a joke Neal wrote for Half Baked and how it's representative of his early career writing for the Chapelle's Show, and Neal shares about his new stand-up special on Netflix 3 Mics.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse David Fox sits down with Jim Gaffigan to break down a joke from Jim’s Netflix special Cinco about newscasters and how they’re so good looking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices