Let's Talk About Sets‪!‬ Jeff McBride & Harrison Tweed

PAIN

The delightful charm monster, Patrick Holbert, joins us to pick away at PAIN in stand-up comedy. We talk about how pain is the source of much of stand-up, both physical and emotional, and how usually the audience needs to know that the pain is ultimately “ok” in order to laugh. We cover generational pain, the occupational hazards of talking about pain, how to refocus personal pain onto a “shared” experience rather than just making it about you, and how Patrick went about talking about his painful experiences the first time. It’s a fun talk with old friends about a major element of comedy as a whole, and stand-up in particular, which we trace through a few key bits from Patrick’s own material and a seminal late night set by Gary Gulman.



ABOUT THE GUEST COMIC

Patrick Holbert is a working NYC comic with a funny, sex positive podcast with his wife, “Who Cares About Ross and Patrick.” He performs nationally in his one man show for colleges called “Punch Line Drunk,” and he’s debuting his sex positive solo show with the semi-working title “Charming Pervert.” He also performs in rehab centers and shelters for audiences new to recovery. He has performed on Sirius XM and hosted the internationally syndicated TV show “The Movie Loft.” He has appeared on TruTV’s “Hack My Life” and “Mysteries at the Museum” on the Travel Channel. Patrick is often asked to emcee comedy shows because of his playful wit and affability. The NY Times called him the “charming M.C.” of the children’s variety show he previously performed in weekly. You can also check our his archives from when he was co-hosting “The Comic’s Table” podcast.



FEATURED BITS ON THIS EPISODE

– Gary Gulman – The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2017)

– Patrick Holbert – On Alcoholism: https://youtu.be/_sVw8klAQwI

– Patrick Holbert – On Infidelity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P1Dg02d2h4



And a huge thanks to to our guest, Patrick Holbert!



FOLLOW PATRICK HOLBERT:

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/theholbertreport

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/holberreport

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/patmiscellaneous

WEBSITE: https://patrickholbert.com



GET MORE PATRICK:

Podcast – Who Cares?…about Ross & Patrick:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/who-cares-about-ross-patrick/id1317664095

Trailer for his show “Punchline Drunk”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuReV1-soAU



Oh Salt N’ Peppa, will you be our quarantine?



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Special thanks to our intern Mona Ahmed!

GAY SHIT

In this episode, the "illustrious" Jay Jurden joined us to gayly talk about gay humor and also humor about gayness. Our goal was to examine the relationship between stand-up comedy, homosexuality, and homophobia, tracing a path from Richard Pryor to the present. We cover how approaches to jokes about male homosexuality have shifted over the decades as American values have changed. We REALLY enjoyed listening to how crowds received this kind of material from one decade to the next. We asked why is homophobia funny, why do the tensions between male masculinity and femininity evoke such laughter, and why aren't there world famous gay comics? Jay talked about performing material (gay or otherwise) as a queer-identified comic, and how he snuck that stuff right onto The Tonight Show! And we really unpacked the word, "faggot," so if that's a trigger for you, we encourage you to ignore any and all context of the discussion so you can focus only on your outrage at hearing that word, because this show has a high FPM (faggots per minute) rating. It's a 2 hour show, so we covered a lot more than that! And then we all fucked but only in a straight way, no homo!



EXTRA LINKS

- Rip Taylor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg5WbHYcV4Q

- Jay's Fallon set: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nts9krLSbV8

- On February 6th, Jay's FANTASTIC Comedy Central Stand-Up Digital set was published. Here's the link:

https://youtu.be/8eCg_inRHI4



ABOUT THE GUEST COMIC





Sure, whatever, Jay Jurden is funny, but he's also a delightfully witty and opinionated thinker who can really light up a conversation. He's a New York-based comedian, writer, and actor originally from Mississippi. Jay recently performed on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon and was featured on Comedy Central Stand-Up. A Stand-Up NBC alum, he was also selected for Just For Laughs festival's New faces in 2019. Timeout New York named him one of the "Comedians to watch in 2019." He has been awarded "best LGBTQ comic" by Manhattan Comedy Festival and was the first winner of the Comedy Mob Festival. Jays' writing credits include Vulture, The New Yorker, and McSweeney's. He has also been featured on MTV News' "Need to know." Film/TV credits include High Maintenance on HBO. He regualarly performs comedy all over New york City. He is currently represented by APA and managed by Seven Summits. His first album will be released very soon.





FEATURED BITS ON THIS EPISODE

- Richard Pryor - Dick Junkie (Live And Smokin', 1971)

- Eddie Murphy- Faggots (Delirious, 1983)

- Jay Jurden - Jay Jurden Stand-Up (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, 2019)

- Jamie Foxx - Prince (I Might Need Security, 2002)

- Solomon Georgio - Gayest Thing in the World (Homonegro Superior, 2017)



FOLLOW HIM:

- INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/jayjurden

- TWITTER: https://twitter.com/jayjurden

- FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/jayjurdencomedy

- WEBSITE: https://www.jayjurdencomedy.com





And, as always, big thanks to Salt N’ Peppa for how much for being the seasoning on this nourishing meal.

MORALITY

The Daily Show’s Roy Wood Jr. examines MORALITY in the context of stand-up comedy. Stand-up dances the lines of right and wrong, good and bad, proper and improper. Sometimes the question is,”Why in the world are you behaving like this?”



Other times it’s, “Why is the world behaving like this?” The comedy we laugh at the most always plays with transgression, so what are some methods a comedian uses can deal with topics that push our moral sensibilities? Roy discusses how he spoke with an upset audience member at a show that went off the rails, how to he avoids “I’m right” comedy, and how he moved from “just funny” to “funny with something to say.” We get into how the Daily Show taught him that sometimes the joke is adjacent to the issue, rather than the issue itself. Some of the best parts of the interview are at the end where we talk about the road, how Roy worked the system to get ahead, the way he organizes his material, and when gives advice to inexperienced comics.



ABOUT THE GUEST COMIC

“I try to be what I wish I’d had. That is exactly how I see it.” – Roy Wood Jr.



A comic who works with him recently said me, “People talk about Roy like he’s dead.” Like they’re giving a eulogy. From his profound work ethic to his commitment to help with black issues to the way he treats younger comics, Roy’s reputation is matched only by his skill as a comedian.



Roy Wood Jr’s comedy has entertained millions across stage, television, and radio. Roy joined “The Best F#@ing News Team” in 2015 as a correspondent on Comedy Central’s Emmy-nominated hit series, “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.” In 2017, he was named the new host of Comedy Central’s storytelling series, “This is Not Happening,” which will launch a fifth season next year. His first Comedy Central one-hour stand-up special, “Father Figure,” premiered in 2017 along with an extended uncensored album of the same name released by Comedy Central Records. His second Comedy Central one-hour stand-up special, “Roy Wood Jr.: No One Loves You,” will premiere at the beginning of 2019 on January 25th.



Wood, a native of Birmingham, Alabama, began his comedy career in 1999 at the age of 19 while attending Florida A&M University. In October 2006, Wood made his network television debut on “The Late Show with David Letterman.” In 2008, he appeared on HBO’s historic “Def Comedy Jam” and was later selected by America as one of the top three finalists on “Last Comic Standing” on NBC. Wood has appeared on “The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson,” TBS’ “Conan,” “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” He also performed for the troops on USO tours to Guam and The Philippines.



FEATURED BITS ON THIS EPISODE

– Roy Wood Jr. – Love Snitchin’ (No One Loves You, 2019)

– Roy Wood Jr. – America Hazes Minorities (Father Figure, 2017)

– Roy Wood Jr. – Why I Chose Wisconsin (Things I Think, I Think, 2013)



SEE ALL THINGS ROY: https://www.roywoodjr.com



Buy to his albums:

https://www.roywoodjr.com/store



FOLLOW HIM:



– INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/roywoodjr

– TWITTER: https://twitter.com/roywoodjr

– FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/roywoodjr

– WEBSITE: https://www.roywoodjr.com



And, as always, big thanks to Salt N’ Peppa for how much you don’t get hot and bothered by all this parody song shit we do.

CALLBACKS

The 8’9″ LeClerc Andre crawled in on his hands and knees to get through the doorway to lay down on the ground while he helped us explore CALLBACKS in stand-up comedy. A specialty of his, LeClerc walked us through (crawled us through, really) how he writes callbacks, the effect they have on the crowd, and how much late night shows love callbacks for their short, 5 minute stand-up features. We compare and contrast callbacks with running gags, catchphrases, crowd work callbacks, and more, digging deeply into comedy nerdism. LeClerc also shares his writing process and his perspective on going all the way with comedy. We took notes.



[New feature–check out the chapters in your podcast app!]



ABOUT THE GUEST COMIC

Neither host could successfully say this on the episode, but LeClerc Andre IS having a breakout year. He was a featured New Face at the prestigious Just for Laughs Comedy Festival. He also made his network television debut on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and he just appeared on NBC’s Bring The Funny in August. And he’s got a great podcast with LTAS alum, Khalid Rahmaan where they make fun of people’s bad behavior as a way of trying to help us all have better manners. Links below.



FEATURED BITS ON THIS EPISODE

– Patrice O’Neal – Isn’t That Better (Comedy Kings Just For Laughs, 2009)

– LeClerc Andre – Stand Up Debut (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, 2018)

– Moshe Kasher – 20 Years Old (Laugh Factory, 2013)



Thank you, LeClerc, for an awesome episode. It was really fun to record and educational to edit.



SEE LECLERC LIVE: He posts all his shows on his Instagram account.



Listen to his podcast “Effin’ Up” with co-host Khalid Rahmaan:

Apple – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/effn-up/id1439021224

Libsyn – http://effnup.libsyn.com/



FOLLOW HIM:



– INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/LeClercAndre/

– TWITTER: https://twitter.com/iamleclerc

– FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/IamLeclerc/

– WEBSITE: https://leclercandre.com/



Special thanks to Patrice O’Neals enduring legend and Moshe Kasher’s eidetic memory.



AND A GARGANTUAN THANKS TO THE SHARP-AS-A-TACK AND ALWAYS RELIABLE MONAH AHMED!!! Seriously, Monnaahhh, you’re amazey-ballz. (She helps with research, organization, and communication; she makes the work that goes into this so much better. Anyone else who gets to work with her should count themselves lucky.) Thank you!



And, as always, big thanks to Salt N’ Peppa. I made eggs. Now you’re all that’s missing. Let’s brunch!

CLEAN (part 2 of 2)

In this second part of our CLEAN comedy interview of the pathologically nice Steven Rogers, we jump right into great material. We listen, laugh, and geek out over it through the lens of everything we explored about clean comedy in part one, so if you haven’t listened to the first installment, do that now. The bits we picked are fantastic–you’ll get some legendary Ray Romano, a taste of the genius Finish comic, Ismo Leikola, and some early hilarity from the brilliant buffoon that is Nate Bargatze. And we listen to Steven’s appearance on the The Late Show with Stephen Colbert! The episode touches on about how clean comedians get creative with curse-substitutes, how clean can be just making the audience fill in the filth themselves, “I know I look like” jokes, clean comedy and irony, logical absurdity, ya know, more things.



[New feature–check out the chapters in your podcast app!]



ABOUT THE GUEST COMIC

Steven Rogers is a “real sweetie pants” of a guy, and I have to say this next thing or else it’ll hurt his feelings: he’s very, very funny, too. His disarming charm is only matched by his humility, which translates into a delightful sense of humor about himself. You can feel the good-heartedness wafting off of him like the pungent scent of New York City street in the summertime. Steven made his national TV debut in 2019 on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and has been featured in multiple comedy festivals such as Lucy Fest in Jamestown, NY and the Manhattan Comedy Festival where he was named “Funniest Clean Comedian.” He also has a popular anxiety themed podcast with Andrew Schiavone called, “Panic Attacking.” Steven’s comedic ability has established him as a feature act in comedy clubs and also a regular opener for Brian Regan in theaters across the country.



FEATURED BITS ON THIS EPISODE

– Steven Rogers – Steven’s New Girlfriend

– Ismo Leikola – Chivalry Is Dead (2018)

– Ray Romano – Becoming 40 (Live at Carnegie Hall, 2001)

– Nate Bargatze – Cops (Laugh Factory, 2012)



Thank you, Steven, for a damn good time. Yes, we accept Brian’s request to be on the show. We’ll see if we can fit him in sometime.



SEE STEVEN LIVE: http://www.stevenrogerscomedy.com/shows



Listen to his podcast “Panic Attacking”:

Apple – https://open.spotify.com/show/6trZdCda1lC6f0U5B6m1dH

Spotify – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/panic-attacking-podcast/id1464091051



FOLLOW HIM:

– INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/notsteverogers/

– TWITTER: https://twitter.com/notsteverogers

– FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/srcomedy/

– WEBSITE: http://www.stevenrogerscomedy.com/



Special thanks to Ray Romano, Ismo Leikola, and Nate Bargatze.



AND A GARGANTUAN THANKS TO THE SHARP-AS-A-TACK AND ALWAYS RELIABLE MONAH AHMED!!! Seriously, Monnaahhh, you’re amazey-ballz. (She helps with research, organization, and communication; she makes the work that goes into this so much better. Anyone else who gets to work with her should count themselves lucky.) Thank you!



And, as always, big thanks to Salt N’ Peppa. Would you like a pony ride? I bet you like ponies. C’mon…you know you want to.



Oh, and we mention a podcast on “Parapraxis and Elvis” that is rather interesting. Here’s a link: http://revisionisthistory.com/episodes/30-analysis-parapraxis-elvis

CLEAN (part 1 of 2)

It’s hard to say whether Steven Rogers is nicer than he is funny or vice-a-versa, but with Stephen Colbert and Brian Regan giving him their official thumbs up, the formula works. Steven will hate this description, but he’s so neighborly, let’s call him stand-up’s young Mr. Rogers. As such he joins us to discuss CLEAN as it relates to stand-up comedy. What the heck does clean even mean? Clean content? Clean presentation? Swears, innuendo, drugs, religion, politics, general meanness–all the fun stuff is off limits with clean comedy. But some of the greatest comedians of all time adhere to this standard. How does clean vary from place to place and time to time? Clean is usually an expression of the moral majority values, but clean on a liberal college campus may mean something very different. Is clean comedy superior? And is there a benefit of having to work clean? How does being clean affect writing and performing? We also cover how clean relates to bookers and working with headliners, and we get some great insights as Steven shares his experiences of opening for Brian Regan and doing The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.



ABOUT THE GUEST COMIC

Steven Rogers is a “real sweetie pants” of a guy, and I have to say this next thing or else it’ll hurt his feelings: he’s very, very funny, too. His disarming charm is only matched by his humility, which translates into a delightful sense of humor about himself. You can feel the good-heartedness wafting off of him like the pungent scent of New York City street in the summertime. Steven made his national TV debut in 2019 on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and has been featured in multiple comedy festivals such as Lucy Fest in Jamestown, NY and the Manhattan Comedy Festival where he was named “Funniest Clean Comedian.” He also has a popular anxiety themed podcast with Andrew Schiavone called, “Panic Attacking.” Steven’s comedic ability has established him as a feature act in comedy clubs and also a regular opener for Brian Regan in theaters across the country.



FEATURED BITS ON THIS EPISODE

– Brian Regan – excerpt from TV Shows (Standing Up, 2007)



Thank you, Steven, for a damn good time. Yes, we accept Brian’s request to be on the show. We’ll see if we can fit him in sometime.



SEE STEVEN LIVE: http://www.stevenrogerscomedy.com/shows



Listen to his podcast “Panic Attacking”:

Apple – https://open.spotify.com/show/6trZdCda1lC6f0U5B6m1dH

Spotify – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/panic-attacking-podcast/id1464091051



FOLLOW HIM:

– INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/notsteverogers/

– TWITTER: https://twitter.com/notsteverogers

– FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/srcomedy/

– WEBSITE: http://www.stevenrogerscomedy.com/



Special thanks Brian Regan AGAIN for making us laugh and also for giving Steven a new dad.



And, as always, big thanks to Salt N’ Peppa for keepin’ the law out of our relationship.