Best Specials of 2023 with Kathryn VanArendonk

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox welcomes Kyle Kinane back to the podcast to talk about his sixth stand-up special, Dirt Nap, which is currently available on YouTube. Kyle discusses putting together the incredible, nearly 50-minute story that he closes the special with me. 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

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox welcomes Ramy star/co-creator Ramy Youssef to the podcast to discuss his newest stand-up HBO special, More Feelings. Ramy had been touring his hour for years, but the set really came to focus in the weeks following October 7. This episode they discuss the first joke he wrote about what is happening in Gaza. 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

On a special bonus episode of Good One: A Podcast About Jokes, Host Jesse David Fox is talking about the creation of Good One: A Show About Jokes, the docu-special currently airing on Peacock about Mike Birbiglia’s search for his next hour. Jesse invites on Eddie Schmidt, the special’s director, to discuss how they went about adapting this very podcast for television. 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

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox welcomes Judd Apatow back to the pod. While last time Apatow spoke about The King of Staten Island and his movie making process, this time he talks about his approach to hosting an award show. Specifically, how he’s approached the five times he’s hosted the Directors Guild of America Awards. Recorded live at SXSW in Austin on March 8, 2024, Apatow and Fox use the DGA monologue as a jumping-off point for a wide-ranging conversation about the state of comedy and the film industry. 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

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox welcomes the “Egyptian Jon Stewart” Bassem Youssef to the podcast. A decade ago Youssef was a key figure in the Egyptian Revolution, hosting a satirical comedy show throughout it. But more recently Youssef garnered attention for his international viral appearance on Pier Morgan Uncensored. Youssef discusses how he approached the news segment as a piece of comedy and what satire can or cannot do. Bassem is on tour now. Head to www.bassemyoussef.xyz/upcoming-shows for dates. The Good One TV show, starring Mike Birbiglia, is premiering on March 26, on Peacock! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox welcomes Jon Lovett to the pod. Before co-hosting Pod Save America and hosting Lovett or Leave It, Lovett was a speechwriter for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. And in that role, he was known as the go-to comedy guy. This episode looks back at the first three White House Correspondents’ Dinner speeches Lovett worked on under Obama, as a way to have a conversation about the role of humor in politics. Stream Pod Save America and Lovett or Leave It 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

This week on Good One, host Jesse David Fox welcomes Jacqueline Novak to the pod. After years touring it around the world, Novak released her debut special, Get on Your Knees, on Netflix earlier this year. Fox and Novak dove deep into the extremely ambitious special about oral sex, that is not actually about oral sex. Stream Get on Your Knees on Netflix. 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

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