58 min

W. Kamau Bell Returns! Plus, ‘Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show‪’‬ The Last Laugh

    • Society & Culture

It’s been six years since W. Kamau Bell’s last special ‘Private School Negro’ premiered on Netflix. And after hosting CNN’s ‘United Shades of America’ for seven seasons and directing two hit documentaries, he’s not totally sure that he should still be considered a stand-up comedian. In his third appearance on the podcast—taped in-studio in his native Oakland—Bell speaks frankly about his ambivalence around pursuing the life of a comic right now and why he keeps finding himself on stage, especially as the 2024 election heats up. Bell discusses comedy’s role in the Biden vs. Trump rematch, why comedians like Joe Rogan have embraced third-party spoiler RFK Jr., the fallout from his ‘We Need to Talk About Cosby’ docuseries and a lot more. 
But first, The Daily Beast’s Allegra Frank joins host Matt Wilstein to answer some burning questions about the first episode of ‘Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show.’ How real is it? Is the identity of the anonymous masked man supposed to be so obvious? And why do we find this deeply sad show so funny? 
Follow W. Kamau Bell on Twitter @wkamaubell and Instagram @wkamaubell
Follow Matt Wilstein on Threads @mattwilstein
Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod and Threads @lastlaughpod
Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s been six years since W. Kamau Bell’s last special ‘Private School Negro’ premiered on Netflix. And after hosting CNN’s ‘United Shades of America’ for seven seasons and directing two hit documentaries, he’s not totally sure that he should still be considered a stand-up comedian. In his third appearance on the podcast—taped in-studio in his native Oakland—Bell speaks frankly about his ambivalence around pursuing the life of a comic right now and why he keeps finding himself on stage, especially as the 2024 election heats up. Bell discusses comedy’s role in the Biden vs. Trump rematch, why comedians like Joe Rogan have embraced third-party spoiler RFK Jr., the fallout from his ‘We Need to Talk About Cosby’ docuseries and a lot more. 
But first, The Daily Beast’s Allegra Frank joins host Matt Wilstein to answer some burning questions about the first episode of ‘Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show.’ How real is it? Is the identity of the anonymous masked man supposed to be so obvious? And why do we find this deeply sad show so funny? 
Follow W. Kamau Bell on Twitter @wkamaubell and Instagram @wkamaubell
Follow Matt Wilstein on Threads @mattwilstein
Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod and Threads @lastlaughpod
Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

58 min

Top Podcasts In Society & Culture

The Interview
The New York Times
Inconceivable Truth
Wavland
This American Life
This American Life
Shawn Ryan Show
Shawn Ryan | Cumulus Podcast Network
Stuff You Should Know
iHeartPodcasts
Everybody's Crazy
THT Studios

More by The Daily Beast

The New Abnormal
The Daily Beast
The Last Laugh
The Daily Beast
Fever Dreams
The Daily Beast
Cheat Sheet Podcast from The Daily Beast
The Daily Beast
Life Behind Bars with Noah Rothbaum & David Wondrich
The Daily Beast