The Last Laugh The Daily Beast

As a mainstay at New York’s prestigious Comedy Cellar for many years, Keith Robinson has long been the definition of a comedian’s comedian. But it wasn’t until he suffered two debilitating strokes over the course of four years that he finally landed his first hour-long special on Netflix. In this episode, Robinson talks about how managed to get back on stage so quickly after his first stroke (against medical advice) and how he was able to find so many cathartic laughs in what has otherwise been a truly terrifying experience. He also discusses how he felt about the standing ovation that opens his special ‘Different Strokes’—especially with so many comedian friends in the room—and looks back at the chaotic early days of his career, including stories about working with Wanda Sykes, Amy Schumer, Chris Rock and more.
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It’s been nearly a year since John Early released his first stand-up special, Max’s ‘Now More Than Ever.’ But it’s only now that he’s gotten the chance to talk about the go-for-broke special in-depth, with any chance at promotion waylaid by last summer and fall’s back-to-back strikes. And the comedian, best known for his work on ‘Search Party,’ ‘30 Rock,’ and with collaborator Kate Berlant, is relishing his overdue moment in the spotlight. In this episode of The Last Laugh podcast—Early’s second appearance on the show, following his 2022 visit with Berlant—he opens up about the genesis of his Emmys category-breaking special, including how he sees himself as less in step with his fellow campaigning comics and more in the mold of performers like Bette Midler.
Plus, Matt and Allegra take a look at John Early’s Emmy competition in the Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-recorded) category and share their thoughts on who else deserves some love over the same old contenders.
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It’s been more than three decades since Wanda Sykes first stepped onto the stand-up stage. And sometimes, it feels like she’s just now getting her due. This past year, the legendary comedian received her first-ever Grammy nomination for her latest Netflix special ‘I’m an Entertainer,’ which also landed nods at the Emmys and Golden Globes. The hard-hitting hour takes on many of the most divisive topics of the year without pandering to either side or ever punching down. “It’s just noise. And I like to try to cut through that,” she says of the way her comedy reacts to the broader political conversation. In this episode, Sykes takes on everything from the problem with Dave Chappelle’s anti-trans jokes to why she was shocked Will Smith didn’t get dragged out of the Oscars for slapping her friend Chris Rock to what Joe Biden has to do to win back Black men in 2024 to how she thinks about her place in the comedy pantheon and a lot more. 
This episode was originally published on December 20th, 2023.
Follow Wanda Sykes on Twitter @iamwandasykes and Instagram @iamwandasykes
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Since first getting what she thought was her big break on ‘Last Comic Standing’ almost 15 years ago, comedian Rachel Feinstein has been waiting for something to come along and help her achieve the next level of success. “By the time this comes, I’m going to be a star,” Feinstein says. “Hopefully after this interview, I’ll at least get a Clorox commercial or something.” In this episode, recorded just after she taped her latest ‘Tonight Show’ appearance and right before her debut Netflix special ‘Big Guy’ premiered, Feinstein reveals that she may never have gotten this breakthrough moment in her career had she not done the one thing that “scared” her the most: getting married to the New York firefighter husband she spends much of her special mocking and then having a daughter. She also shares stories about mentoring Lil Jon in stand-up comedy on Donald Trump’s ‘The Apprentice,’ roasting Gilbert Gottfried’s Hitler as Anne Frank on Netflix’s ‘Historical Roasts,’ and more. 
Plus, Matt and Allegra break down what makes ‘Hacks’ the only funny comedy series on TV right now—and why Shane Gillis’ ‘Tires’ on Netflix is the exact opposite.
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With his delightfully silly roles on shows like ‘The League,’ ‘Veep,’ ‘The Good Place’ and many others, comedian Paul Scheer has always projected a sense of unencumbered fun. That’s partly why, as he explains in both his new memoir ‘Joyful Recollections of Trauma’ and on this episode, he was so hesitant to reveal the very real pain that dominated much of his childhood. Scheer talks about how comedy helped rescue him from the violently abusive household in which he was raised and has continued to be an essential part of his life as he raises children of his own. He also tells some unbelievable stories about his bizarre run-ins with celebrities like Christopher Walken and Bill Cosby, describes the unique experience of improvising opposite Larry David on ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ and explains how he was able to emotionally move past a whopping four unsuccessful auditions for ‘Saturday Night Live.’ 
Buy ‘Joyful Recollections of Trauma’ by Paul Scheer on Amazon
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Live from Netflix Is a Joke Fest in Los Angeles this past week, comedian Mae Martin returns to the podcast to share stories about making out with ‘Ted Lasso’s’ Brett Goldstein on stage, making Jon Stewart laugh on ‘John Mulaney Presents: ‘Everybody’s in LA’ and the exhilarating feeling when a new stand-up bit that kills for the first time. Martin also looks back on the surreal experience of watching their autobiographical show ‘Feel Good’ take off on Netflix at the very start of the pandemic and teases their new narrative series for which they are strongly considering becoming a brunette. And make sure to stick around until the end of the show to hear a very special acoustic performance by Claud. 
Plus, ‘John Mulaney Presents: ‘Everybody’s in LA’ wildly exceeded our expectations, leading Matt and Allegra to wonder whether we deserve more or should just be happy with the perfect six episodes that streamed during the festival.
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