Good One: A Podcast About Jokes

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