Comedy History 101

Why did Harpo Marx stop talking? How did Hollywood manage to derail Buster Keaton's career? And why was one of radio's biggest stars a ventriloquist? Comedy historian Garry Berman joins Comedy History 101 to discuss his new book, 100 Years of Laughter: American Comedy in the Twentieth Century. We get into Charlie Chaplin's fear of talking pictures, the Marx Brothers' chaotic vaudeville years, the connection between Abbott and Costello's legendary “Who's on First?” routine and Nathan Fielder's latest documentary, plus how Ellen DeGeneres' Tonight Show debut drew on a routine that stretched back decades. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What do Happy Tree Friends, Sonic the Hedgehog, Gumby, and Mr. Bumpy of Bumps in the Night have in common? Ken Pontac has been a creative force behind all these wonderfully bizarre projects Ken joins CH101 to talk about how dropping acid before an Eraserhead screening led to working on Gumby, why tragedy equals comedy on Happy Tree Friends and the overall ethos behind his creative process. Ken also has a new documentary, Colors of the Spectrum: Beauty in Neurodiversity, centerED on autistic artists at Autistry Studios, exploring the relationship between autism & creativity. Check out Ken’s documentary series: https://www.youtube.com/@colorsofthespectrum Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ophira Eisenberg is known for hosting NPR’s Ask Me Another, The Moth mainstage, and her new stand-up special, I Used to Be Nicer. She also has the distinction of filming her previous special when she was 8 ½ months pregnant. Ophira joins Comedy History 101 to dive into the history of comedians who filmed their stand-up specials while pregnant. From Joan Rivers pushing pregnancy taboos on The Ed Sullivan Show to Ali Wong’s Baby Cobra, Jena Friedman’s Ladykiller, Kira Soltanovich’s You Did This to Me, and Ophira’s own pregnancy special, Inside Joke. At one time, a comedian couldn’t say the word ‘pregnant’ on TV. Now being pregnant on stage can make for the centerpiece of a stand-up special. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

O.J. Unseen: Exploitation of Evil is the new HBO Max doc series that revisits Juiced, O.J. Simpson’s trainwreck hidden-camera prank show. It was meant as a comeback project for the double “alleged” murderer. And, I, Harmon Leon was hired off Craigslist to be O.J. Simpson’s “funny little sidekick.” In this CH101 reprise episode, I go behind the scenes of Juiced and what it was really like pulling pranks with O.J. Simpson on the worst idea ever conceived for a reality TV show - now featured in O.J. Unseen: Exploitation of Evil. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You Can’t Do That on Television defined Nickelodeon—and gave the world GREEN SLIME! Comedy History 101 talks to Abby Hagyard, who portrayed “Mom” on YCDTOT, to reveal the wonderfully weird history behind the Ottawa-based cult comedy classic. From working with a young Alanis Morissette to kids telling jokes inside lockers, to the show’s Laugh-In, SCTV, and Monty Python influences. Plus, find out exactly what it felt like to be ‘slimed.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices