This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox brings you a conversation he had with Hrishikesh Hirway, the host/producer of the podcast Song Exploder, live at Vulture Festival 2023. Song Exploder, a podcast in which a musician walks through the process of making a song, was the single biggest influence on Good One, so the two hosts had a fun time deconstructing the art of deconstructing art. Song Exploder is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month! Stream wherever you listen to podcasts. Order Jesse's book (out now!), Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To kick off the new year, here’s a little bonus episode to keep you warm as the show ramps up for its seventh year. Recorded live from Vulture Festival, comedian/comedy podcast legend Jonah Ray Rodrigues interviews his friend/idol Weird Al Yankovic about his long and varied career. Rodrigues has Al named the song that is his favorite to do live, was his most surprising hit, features the best accordion skills, and much much more.This was an event of the real Weird Al-heads. But, even a casual fan will appreciate this unique look back at Weird’s unique career. Stream Weird: The Al Yankovic Story on the Roku Channel. Order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's that time of year again: Vulture critic Kathryn VanArendonk's Best Specials of the Year list is out! Years removed from lockdown and with a rise of specials on YouTube, there was a lot to consider. But these are the 10 VanArendonk thought were best! Kathryn’s ranking: https://www.vulture.com/article/best-stand-up-comedy-specials-2023.html Order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox welcomes Zainab Johnson to the pod. Johnson, who is best known for her role on the sci-fi sitcom Upload. Earlier this year, she released her first stand-up special, Hijabs Off. One of the best, most visually interesting specials of the year, Hijabs Off displays Johnson’s ease onstage, unique pacing, and in-the-moment performance. You can stream Upload and Hijabs Off on Prime Video. Order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fresh off the release of his latest Netflix special, I Am Not For Everyone, comedian and podcaster Pete Holmes sits down with Vulture's Jesse David Fox to discuss one of his favorite jokes from his previous special Dirty Clean, and deep dives into his joke writing process. Watch I Am Not For Everyone on Netflix. Follow Pete Holmes on twitter and instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on twitter and instagram. Buy Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Good One host Jesse David Fox’s debut Comedy Book, a book of comedy criticism and history, is coming out today! To give listeners a taste of what to expect, this week we’re offering an exclusive first listen to the audiobook, read by Jesse. The excerpt answers the question: Has Jesse ever tried stand-up? Buy Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Buy tickets for Jesse’s November 7 Brooklyn book release comedy show: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-very-good-show-to-celebrate-the-release-of-comedy-book-tickets-696148497897?aff=odwdwdspacecraft Buy tickets for Jesse’s November 13 Los Angeles book release comedy show: https://www.squadup.com/events/a-very-good-show-to-celebrate-the-release-of-comedy-book-w-chris-fleming-jay-jurden-joel-kim-booster-naomi-ekperigin-and-more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Good One host Jesse David Fox’s debut Comedy Book, a book of comedy criticism and history, is coming out on November 7! To mark this occasion, this week on Good One, he will be the guest. Filling in as host is comedy legend and guest from the most popular episode of this show, Gary Gulman, whose own debut memoir, Misfit, came out earlier this year.  Pre-order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Buy tickets for Jesse’s November 7 Brooklyn book release comedy show: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-very-good-show-to-celebrate-the-release-of-comedy-book-tickets-696148497897?aff=odwdwdspacecraft Buy tickets for Jesse’s November 13 Los Angeles book release comedy show: https://www.squadup.com/events/a-very-good-show-to-celebrate-the-release-of-comedy-book-w-chris-fleming-jay-jurden-joel-kim-booster-naomi-ekperigin-and-more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox welcomes Sam Jay back to the show. Since they last spoke, Jay left her job writing for Saturday Night Live to host her own talk show, the revolutionary, provocative Pause on HBO and co-create Peacock’s Bust Down. Jay is here to talk about her newest special, Salute Me or Shoot Me where she displays what really edgy material looks like. You can stream Salute Me or Shoot Me and Pause on Max. Pre-order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Buy tickets for Jesse’s November 7 Brooklyn book release comedy show: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-very-good-show-to-celebrate-the-release-of-comedy-book-tickets-696148497897?aff=odwdwdspacecraft Buy tickets for Jesse’s November 13 Los Angeles book release comedy show: https://www.squadup.com/events/a-very-good-show-to-celebrate-the-release-of-comedy-book-w-chris-fleming-jay-jurden-joel-kim-booster-naomi-ekperigin-and-more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's that time of year again! Vulture dropped their annual list of all the future stars of comedy. In honor of this special occasion, we compiled mini Good One episodes featuring each list-honoree so they could introduce themselves to you personally. This week—in alphabetical order by first name—we present to you the Comedians You Should and Will Know, 2023: Andrea Jin Asha Ward Auguste White Brian Bahe Curtis Cook Edy Modica Fumi Abe Jordan Jensen Jordan Temple Katrina Davis Maggie Winters Natalie Rotter-Laitman & Charlie Bardey Nimesh Patel Opeyemi Olabaju Rachel Kaly Ralph Barbosa Richard Perez Rob Haze Sabrina Wu Sophie Buddle Stavros Halkias Zach Zimmerman Zach Zucker Learn more about the list on Vulture.com  Pre-order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Buy tickets for Jesse’s November 7 Brooklyn book release comedy show: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-very-good-show-to-celebrate-the-release-of-comedy-book-tickets-696148497897?aff=odwdwdspacecraft Buy tickets for Jesse’s November 13 Los Angeles book release comedy show: https://www.squadup.com/events/a-very-good-show-to-celebrate-the-release-of-comedy-book-w-chris-fleming-jay-jurden-joel-kim-booster-naomi-ekperigin-and-more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox talks to comedian Hari Kondabolu! From his time as a writer/performer on Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell to his 2017 documentary The Problem with Apu to his 2018 Netflix special Warn Your Relatives, Kondabolu has been one of the foremost political comedians. His work brings to mind the question of what comedy actually can do to foster social progress. Now Kondabolu is back with a new YouTube special, Vacation Baby, which seems him heading in a more personal direction, talking about the birth of his son while keeping his socio-political bent. You can stream Vacation Baby on YouTube. Pre-order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Follow Hari on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. THIS INTERVIEW WAS RECORDED BEFORE THE WGA AND SAG-AFTRA STRIKES. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, stand-up comedian and podcast host Chris Gethard steps in for Jesse for an interview with SNL-Alum and comedian Sasheer Zamata to discuss her latest comedy special The First Woman. The two discuss their humble beginnings at UCB and how their unique approach to improv and stand-up shaped their comedy voices, how Sasheer handles being a voice for many women while also staying true to herself, and gives us a deep die into her comedy writing process. Watch Sasheer Zamata's latest special The First Woman free on YouTube. Pre-order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Follow Sasheer on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Chris on Twitter and Instagram. Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, comedian and television host W. Kamau Bell fills in for Jesse for a Good One-style interview with comedy legend/Daily Show mainstay Lewis Black. Coming off the heels of his fifteenth (yes, you read that right) stand-up special, Kamau and Lewis do a bit of a retrospective of Black’s career, and give us a peak behind the process of how he writes his comedy. Watch Lewis Black's latest special Tragically, I Need You free on YouTube. Pre-order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Follow Lewis on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Kamau on Twitter. Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox talks to comedian Paul F. Tompkins! Paul is a comedy podcasting legend, whether it is from hosting shows like "The Pod F. Tompkast," "Spontaneanation," and "The Neighborhood Listen" or setting the standard for being a podcast guest. You might also know Tompkins versatile from his roles on such shows as "BoJack Horseman," "Mr. Show," and "Community." Still, Tompkins is probably best known as one of the greatest stand-ups ever! You can buy or stream Impersonal wherever you get albums. Paul’s specials are available on Paramount+. You can listen to Threedom, Stay F. Homekins, and any of Paul’s old podcasts wherever you get your podcasts. Head to Paulftompkins.com to buy tickets for future Varietopias or to stream video from old Varietopias. Pre-order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Follow Paul on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram THIS INTERVIEW WAS RECORDED BEFORE THE WGA AND SAG-AFTRA STRIKES. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this week’s Good One, host Jesse David Fox sits down with longtime standup and podcaster Jackie Kashian! Jackie has appeared on numerous late-night talk shows, including "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien," "The Late Late Show with James Corden," and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," and her comedy album releases, such as "It Is Never Going to Be Bread" and "I Am Not the Hero of This Story," have garnered critical acclaim and enjoyed success on comedy charts. Pre order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Follow Jackie Kashian 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 is joined by UK comedian Jack Whitehall! Beyond his stand-up work, Whitehall has also made a mark in television and film, starring in popular shows such as "Bad Education" and "Travels with My Father." Watch Jack’s specials and Travels with my Father on Netflix. Watch the after party on Apple TV+. Pre order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Follow Jack Whitehall on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s that time of year again! Good One proudly presents the best specials of the year… so far! With Vulture critic Kathryn VanArendonk. Here are the specials shared, in alphabetical order: John Early Kyle Kinane Mae Martin Marc Maron Mo’nique John Mulaney Ali Siddiq Marlon Wayans  Pre order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Follow Kathryn VanArendonk on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox sat down with writers/actors/co-creators Bashir Sallahudin and Diallo Riddle! The pair met at Harvard, worked as writers on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon together, and co-created the shows Sherman Showcase and South Side. You can watch South Side on Max and Sherman Showcase on Hulu. Pre order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Follow Diallo Riddle on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on the show, Good One goes LIVE! A few months ago Jesse David Fox hosted a live version of his beloved show in his favorite venue for comedy: Union Hall in Park Slope. The night featured five comedians each performing a bit, then chatting with Jesse about it on stage. It was so epic, we had to spread it across two episodes; this is Part Two. Follow Francesca D'uva on Twitter and Instagram, Straightio Lab on Twitter and Instagram, and Marcia Belsky on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Pre order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on the show, Good One goes LIVE! A few months ago Jesse David Fox hosted a live version of his beloved show in his favorite venue for comedy: Union Hall in Park Slope. The night featured five comedians each performing a bit, then chatting with Jesse about it on stage. It was so epic, we had to spread it across two episodes; this is Part One. Follow Adam Pally on Twitter and Instagram, follow Jay Jurden on Twitter and Instagram, and follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Pre order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this weeks episode of Good One, host Jesse David Fox is joined by three SNL legends: Dana Carvey, Kevin Nealon, and Robert Smigel. Dana and Kevin left many memorable recurring characters behind when they left SNL, but there was one pair that stuck with them enough to make a movie about. Together with some friends (Robert and Conan O'Brien), they wrote the silliest script they could imagine. And then, like many a script, it didn't get made. This is the story of that script. Follow Dana Carvey on Instagram and Twitter, and Kevin Nealon on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Robert Smigel on Instagram and Twitter and Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Subscribe to the Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend feed @ https://listen.teamcoco.com/hansfranz to be the first to hear The Lost Hans & Franz Movie episodes when they drop on 5/17/23 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Earlier this year, host Jesse David Fox was invited by USC Film School to moderate a panel for the USC Comedy Festival: The Changing Flavor of Series Comedy, featuring Rachel Bloom, Steve Levitan, and Gina Yashere. Follow Rachel Bloom on Instagram. Follow Steve Levitan on Twitter and Instagram. Follow. Gina Yashere on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Pre order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week's guest is living legend Kathleen Madigan! With over 30 years in the game and countlesss hours on the road, Kathleen is one of the hardest working stand ups in the industry. In this episode she talks to Jesse about how her life changed (improved) during the pandemic, how much she doesn't like being in TV/film, and what she feels her generation can learn from millennials and gen z in the workplace. Watch Kathleen's latest special Hunting Bigfoot on Prime Video. Listen to her podcast, Madigan's Pubcast, wherever you get your podcasts. Pre order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Follow Kathleen Madigan on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

That’s right: We’ll be hanging out with the full Broken Lizard crew in honor of the cult comedy hit Super Troopers. Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, and Erik Stolhanske will join us for a look back at the comedy that went from an indie premiere at Sundance to being quoted by everyone everywhere for the ensuing 21 years. So stop freaking out, man, and get your tickets right meow! Watch the trailer for the Broken Lizard crew's new movie Quasi here: https://www.vulture.com/2018/02/deadpool-meets-grizzled-co-star-cable-in-new-quasi-trailer.html Pre order Jesse's book, Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374604714/comedybook Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Good One host Jesse David Fox traveled to the west coast to host a panel for the USC Comedy Festival that investigates the modern philosophical question: does comedy have to be funny? Featuring Comics Niles Abston, Jena Friedman, Alyssa Limperis, Christina Catherine Martinez, and Moses Storm. Watch their specials! Niles's is on his Youtube, Jena and Alyssa's are on Peacock, and Christina's should drop later this year. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on the show, host Jesse David Fox does something a little different and sits down with actor Adam Scott (Parks and Rec, Big Little Lies, Severance, Step Brothers) and writer John Enbom (Veronica Mars, iZombie) to discuss the character they created, Henry, from their show Party Down that's about to premiere it's third season after a decade-plus break. Watch Party Down on Starz. Follow Adam Scott on Twitter and Instagram. Follow John Enbom on Twitter. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Marc Maron is an American comedian, podcaster, writer, and actor. He is best known for hosting the popular podcast "WTF with Marc Maron," in which he interviews a wide range of guests, including comedians, actors, and musicians. Maron is also a stand-up comedian and has released several comedy albums. In addition to his work in podcasting and stand-up comedy, Maron has appeared in a number of TV shows and films, including "Maron," a television series he starred in and co-created. The last time Marc Maron was on Good One, it was the early days of the pandemic. We're talking late March 2020. A month and change later, his girlfriend Lynn Shelton unexpectedly passed away. Marc's newest special, From Bleak to Dark, explores that grief. Together, Marc and host Jesse David Fox discuss the concept of "too soon," and processing pain with comedy. Watch From Bleak to Dark on HBO. Follow Marc on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Emmy-nominated creator, writer, producer, and actor Natasha Lyonne sits down with Abbi Jacobson to reflect, dissect, and connect. From Slums of Beverly Hills to Netflix’s Russian Doll and the upcoming Poker Face, Lyonne’s prolific creativity continues to inspire and delight—and this interview is no exception! Follow Natasha Lyonne on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Abbi Jacobson on Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vulture podcast critic Nick Quah sits down with film director Rian Johnson, live from Vulture Fest '22, to discuss his new film Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Follow Rian Johnson on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Nick Quah on Twitter. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's that time of year again: Vulture critic Kathryn VanArendonk's Best Specials of the Year list is out! And with a healthy amount of specials finally back in circulation, this year's list is more interesting and exciting than ever. The specials are, from 10-1: Atsuko Okatsuka, The Intruder Lil Rel Howery, I Said It. Y’all Thinking It. Taylor Tomlinson, Look at You Sheng Wang, Sweet and Juicy Bill Burr, Live at Red Rocks Catherine Cohen, The Twist …? She’s Gorgeous Kate Berlant, Cinnamon in the Wind Ali Siddiq, The Domino Effect Matt Rogers, Have You Heard of Christmas? and #1: Jerrod Carmichael, Rothaniel Honorable mentions: Moses Storm, Trash White, Fortune Feimster, Good Fortune, and Josh Gondelman, People Pleaser. Listen to The Specials on Patreon. You can follow Kathryn on Twitter. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, host Jesse David Fox sat down with Matt Rogers, co-host of the Las Culturistas podcast and co-star of Showtime’s I Love That For You. Rogers was on to talk about his new comedy special, Have You Heard of Christmas?, which is premiering on Showtime on December 2. Jesse has long been obsessed with the show and friends with Matt, so it was a very special, extra-long episode of the pod. Follow Matt Rogers 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 sat down with Kumail Nanjiani at Vulture Festival for a live recording of Good One to discuss his career — from his time as a stand-up comedian to co-writing the Oscar-nominated comedy The Big Sick to his upcoming Hulu limited series, Welcome to Chippendales, which premieres on November 22. Follow Kumail Nanjiani on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Good One is off this week, but as a bonus we wanted to give you a listen of Vulture new podcast, Into It with Sam Sanders. In this episode, Sanders talks with Atlanta showrunner, Stephen Glover about the show’s final season. You can listen to Into It every Thursday. Follow Sam Sanders on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After 30+ years of being on the air, The Simpsons team are surprisingly still able ways to make the show feel fresh and funny as it did during its "golden era." But how do they do it? This week, writers Matt Selman, Brian Kelly, and Christine Nangle, join Jesse to explain just that, by giving a behind-the-scenes look at Episode 3 of Season 34, Lisa The Boy Scout. They discuss how they drew inspiration for and wrote the episode, and how that process has as evolved within the show over time. Follow Christine Nangle on Twitter, Matt Selman on Twitter, and Brian Kelly on Twitter. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There is maybe no modern author more respected among comedians than George Saunders. So, Good One is thrilled to offer this exclusive audio excerpt from his new story collection, Liberation Day (out this week). Better yet, reading the excerpt is none other than Tina Fey. We'll be back with a traditional Good One interview next Thursday. To buy tickets to see Jesse David Fox interview Kumail Nanjiani at Vulture Festival, on November 12th, in LA, head here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week is BIG for Good One -- we've booked our first drag queen! And not just any drag queen, but the Queen of Queens, the winner of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars: All Winners, Jinkx Monsoon! Jinx's first Drag Race victory came in season five in 2013. Nine years later Jinkx reclaimed the victory, thanks in part to her uncanny impressions. In addition to her stints in Drag Race, Jinkx also hosts podcast Hi Jinkx! and has a new sketch show on the WOW network premiering in September: Sketchy Queens. Watch the full Snatch Game here. Watch RuPaul’s Drag Race, All Stars 7 on Paramount Plus. Follow Jinkx Monsoon 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 talks to the one and only, the legendary Katt Williams, who is promoting his TWELFTH stand-up special, World War III. They discuss how and why Williams doesn’t work in clubs, how he’s maintained a close relationship with his audience, the real story behind his name, and how he became the sex-joke master. Watch World War III on Netflix. Follow Katt on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Celebrating the return of their beloved and influential sketch show, streaming now on Amazon Prime, this week’s guests are The Kids In The Hall… yes, seriously, we got all of them. Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson join Jesse David Fox for a hilarious (and at times somewhat chaotic) interview breaking down one of their favorite sketches from the new season, “Tart.” With a unique behind-the-scenes look at just how this talented group of friends manages to still find that comedy spark with each other after all these years, this episode will surely satisfy fans new and old. Watch new episodes of The Kids in the Hall, streaming now on Amazon Prime. Follow The Kids in the Hall on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Jesse David Fox on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox is doing something a little different. Instead of interviewing a successful comedian about one of their bits and how it fits into their comedy, Jesse sat down with fellow comedy journalist Jason Zinoman of the New York Times! 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 Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What goes into writing and telling a joke? Each week, Vulture senior editor Jesse David Fox breaks down a joke with the comedian or performer who told it. New episodes drop Tuesday mornings. From Vulture and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse speaks with Will Forte about what it was like to make the sex scenes in MacGruber (the SNL Macgyver parody turned '80s action movie) movie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tim Minchin created the music for the musical Groundhog Day. He joins Jesse David Fox to talk about the musical and about one song in particular called "Stuck." Plus he plays a us little keyboard.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse David Fox and Moshe Kasher deconstruct a joke about heaven from Moshe's 2013 Live From Oakland special-- It's a bit that's evolved over time, as he first tried a much shorter version of the joke on his 2009 album. They talk about religion, Moshe's new show Problematic on Comedy Central, and how he mastered the art of "highbrow-lowbrow." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse David Fox and John Early recorded a special, live episode of Good One during SXSW at TBS's In Search Of Pop-Up. John picked a scene from his episode of Characters on Netflix, in which he is giving a wedding toast and hijacks the room for way too long. He breaks down why he chose to play this type of character, why he loves upstate New York, and closes with he next best impersonation. (His best is Britney.)  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse David Fox sits down with Justin Simien, the director of the movie Dear White People and creator of the new TV show premiering on Netflix this month. They talk about a scene from the first episode in which a group of students are gathering to watch Defamation a parody of Shonda Rhimes' Scandal. Simien offers thoughts on his process, the benefits of adapting the movie to television and how the show fits into today's political landscape.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Litt is the former senior presidential speechwriter for President Obama and he wrote his jokes, too. On this Good One, Litt shares about what it's like to write for the former president, why Obama is pretty good at delivering jokes and how they finally managed to incorporate Keegan-Michael Key's character of Luther, Obama's anger translater, into the White House Correspondence dinner.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Horatio Sanz debuted his "Don's Apothecary" sketch during his fifth year on SNL. He sits down with Jesse David Fox to talk about the inspiration for the sketch, his SNL days and why he sometimes laughs at his own jokes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse David Fox and Kyle Kinane talk about a joke from Kyle's 2010 special Death of the Party and how it was so pivotal in his stand-up career. And we highly recommend staying for this laughning round.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Paul Scheer explains the inspiration behind creating the sketch series "The Illusionators," which appeared on MTV's Human Giant. Scheer created the show with Aziz Ansari, Rob Huebel, and Jason Woliner. Plus, hear the story about how Paul and Aziz encountered Criss Angel at a Las Vegas club. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kristen Schaal joins Jesse David Fox to talk about the origins of one of her earliest jokes Dancing Bird. She shares why she often uses animals in her comedy and what it was like to break out as a stand-up comic using conceptual bits.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Host Jesse David Fox and Neal Brennan talk about a joke Neal wrote for Half Baked and how it's representative of his early career writing for the Chapelle's Show, and Neal shares about his new stand-up special on Netflix 3 Mics.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse David Fox sits down with Jim Gaffigan to break down a joke from Jim’s Netflix special Cinco about newscasters and how they’re so good looking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices