Good One: A Podcast About Jokes

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 Ins

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