Dan Has Jokes

In episode 2 of Dan's new podcast, he and his guests discuss the wonderfully insane TV show Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction

Dan is now hosting a new comedy podcast called The Dan and Mordecai Show, here is a short preview!

Dan talks to local headliner John Conroy about his experience as a professional comic. John talks about how certain things have changed since he started, and shares some thoughts about what a comic needs to do in order to be successful. Dan and John exchange some ideas for jokes that they're working on, and talk about the aspects of comedic success that don't depend on having good material. John also discusses some of his worst performing experiences.

How do you find the perfect comedy catch phrase? When is it good to back away from a unique branding opportunity? These are some of the topics that Dan discusses with Baltimore comic Woo Woo. Dan and Woo Woo talk about some recent shows they did together. Woo Woo talks about how comedy turned out to be more challenging than she realized, although she is a very strong performer. She and Dan compare notes on how they prepare for shows and write down new material. They agree that the time immediately following a good show is one of the best times to work on editing your jokes. Dan is working on a new joke how climate change has affected his jokes. Meanwhile Woo Woo is trying to find a catchphrase, and wants to expand on a funny line regarding being ready for the fall. In the bonus content (available on patreon.com/danhasjokes) Woo Woo tells some ghost stories, and Dan talks about an idea for a ghost-related joke. He then shares an idea for a longer bit based on a personal experience.

Dan talks to Liz Miele, who started performing stand-up when she was sixteen. Liz talks about what it was like to start out, why she started, and how her parents supported her. She shares how her comedy has changed over the course of time, although she’s still exploring very similar premises. Dan and Liz explore the balance that new comics must find between taking advantage of every opportunity and being honest about what you’re ready for. They agree that comics need to be brutally honest with themselves at all times, for the sake of becoming a stronger performer. Liz explains why it helps to have friends who can give you honest critical feedback. They discuss the challenge of recognizing when an audience sucks versus admitting that your own act needs work, and agree that even a shitty audience can provide an opportunity to have a rewarding performing experience. Liz speaks about the importance of self-care, and staying mentally healthy. This, it turns out, is crucial for better, more grounded comedy. Dan sees this as the correct response to the way that some comics seem to revel in being mentally unhealthy. Liz talks about a new joke she is working on about her mom. The challenge of the joke is that it touches on the theme of child abuse, but she also talks about learning to see her mother as a wonderful person. Meanwhile Dan has an idea for a joke about turning down social interactions with friends so that he can stay home and experience the illusion of hanging out with people via YouTube.

Dan sits down with DC comedian Pete Musto to talk about his comedy group The Midnight, who recently got their own show at the DC Improv. Dan and Pete talk about the distinctions between club comedy and alt comedy. After exploring the way that comedy can fail to translate into other cultural contexts, they discuss the nature of comedy and the tendency of certain comics to be offensive purely for the sake of being offensive. Dan shares a new joke idea based on a writing exercise that involves trying to add creative punchlines to old overused setups. They spend some time talking through the trials of trying to be funny on social media. Before ending, Pete talks about the infamous facebook post where he unwittingly got involved in major Denver comedy scene drama. Check out the bonus content (at patreon.com/danhasjokes) to hear Dan and Pete work on some new joke ideas.

Dan talks to DC comic Sandi Benton about bucket lists, bad date locations, and writing jokes that make no sense. Sandi has a joke about getting bullied at a seance, but feels it could be stronger. She and Dan discuss the many possibilities in the idea of someone using a Ouija Board to send passive aggressive messages to a person in the room. They share stories about accidentally making audiences feel sorry for them, and Dan talks about getting poked in the belly by David Koechner. They work their way back to the subject of the occult, and find the topic of demons to be fertile ground for comedy material.

Dan talks to King Tink about the origin of his stage name, and the strange phenomenon of YouTube and everything it entails. They do, however, commiserate with each other about the fact that all entertainers need to keep producing content. They kick around various ideas for kinds of content each of them could produce.  Dan tells Tink about a new joke that's going really well even though he put zero effort into writing it. Tink shares some new joke ideas about racism and Trump's wall. They also reminisce about the days of road maps and MapQuest. Hear the rest of the interview at patreon.com/danhasjokes!

This episode was previously released as a patreon-only episode. New episodes will return next week!

Chris Hudson stops by to talk about an ill-fated robot, while Dan talks about severely misguided translations of the Bible. They each talk about getting weird gifts from their dads, and then Dan and Chris have a somewhat in-depth discussion about the inner workings of Twitter comedy. Chris runs a very funny Twitter account, @cwhudson, and is bummed out that he can’t get @chrishudson even though the other Chris Hudson never tweets. They debate the merits of doing topical political jokes in light of the never-ending 24-hour news cycle, and discuss some of ways that Twitter comedy can get weird. Visit patreon.com/danhasjokes to hear Dan and Chris’ joke writing session.

Greg Billet returns to the podcast to talk about social media. Dan explains why he thinks a lot of his twitter followers are fake, and Greg wonders what the point of it all is. Should they become Instagram influencers? Are they even capable of pulling that off? The answer to both questions is probably no. Greg doesn’t understand why he’s not invited to the Neighborhood Watch. Are they watching him? Dan relates his recent problems with cockroaches. Greg doesn’t think he would survive a zombie apocalypse, even as a zombie. Then Dan imagines how much effort it would take to successfully rob an entire Walmart. Visit patreon.com/danhasjokes to hear further conversation between Dan and Greg.

Dan sits down with Jim Bryan, founder and owner of the Church of Satire Comedy Club in Hanover, Pennsylvania. Jim talks about living in Las Vegas and the perils of gambling. Dan talks about his time working in collections. They explore the challenge of writing comedy based on terrible job experiences, and finding the right approach to looking for humor in dark situations. Jim talks about his forthcoming, self-produced comedy special called “Where the Hell Is Easy Street?” Dan is working on a joke about success, and Jim shares his thoughts about roadkill. Finally, Jim talks about a chicken in his house, and Dan talks about a man who raised a raccoon from infancy to disastrous results. In the extended episode (available at patreon.com/danhasjokes), Jim and Dan discuss the comedic legacy of Bob Saget. Jim explains why his club is called the Church of Satire, and Dan talks about his past as a preacher. Dan shares a new joke about men who wear sandals at work. Then he and Jim talk about the meaning of accidental death and dismemberment.

Dan talks with T Moony about turtles and learning how to be yourself onstage, and then they work on jokes about Uber drivers and superheroes, among other things.

Sit back, relax, and snack on a bunch of pine needles as Dan talks to Archie Jamieson. Archie and Dan discuss the effect a physical environment has on a comedy show, whether it’s noise, lighting, seating, or anything else. They talk (or rather, rant) about social media and the way it causes us severe discontentment. Archie talks about his music career and his approach to working out material onstage. Together they work on jokes about food for children and spending time in the woods. In the extended episode (available at patreon.com/danhasjokes) Archie further unpacks his hatred of social media. Dan and Archie discuss some of the lessons from The Comedy Bible.

This episode consists of previously unused clips featuring Greg K, Christine Ferrera, and Jordan Levine.

Dan sits down with Lenny Shelton and Raja Michael to discuss their new comedy album, Brownie Points. Lenny talks about the older scene in Los Angeles, and Raja and Dan reminisce about their friendship and the parallel paths their lives have taken. Lenny shares a personal story about Jordan Peele, and then the conversation turns to Bruce Willis and surprise movie endings. Lenny is working on a joke about black people and Canada, while Raja works on a joke about being home alone, and Dan just wants listeners to email him weird jokes they wrote in their sleep. In the extended episode (available at patreon.com/danhasjokes) Raja and Lenny talk at a bit more length about their experience with recording an album, and Dan shares a joke idea about how divorces are announced on social media.

It might be odd to find yourself in competition with a baby, but then again, Andy Rider is an oddity. Dan talks with Andy about old comedy cassette tapes, weird Christian comedians, and lots of other topics as well. Dan shares an old memory about a middle school bully who nevertheless was the only person who would talk to him about Seinfeld. Andy talks about the time he bombed hard at a roller derby. Dan is working on a brand new joke about the time his grandfather allegedly met the Dalai Lama, who “was a nice guy.” Meanwhile Andy is trying to find a good joke about the way that people describe their romantic obsessions. They work on a couple other jokes as well, and discuss whether stand-up comedy specials are starting to rely too much on gimmicks.

What is the true measure of success? Whatever it is, it’s not associated with comedians, as Paige Wesley recently learned. Paige, the co-host of the wonderful Cult Podcast, sits down with Dan to talk about comedy life in Los Angeles, roast battles, and bombing. The conversation includes much information that would be valuable for any comic who is starting out or who has ever considered living in LA. Dan has a joke about a dolphin watching cruise in New Jersey, while Paige draws comedic inspiration from the funny way her father distinguishes his two daughters in conversation. In the extended episode, available at patreon.com/danhasjokes, Dan and Paige unpack roast battling a little bit further, and debate the best burgers in LA.

Dan talks with writer/comedian Ginny Hogan about open mics, satire, twitter, and lots of other stuff. They work on jokes about anxiety and less-than-impressive miracle stories. In the extended episode (available at patreon.com/danhasjokes), they talk about feedback they hate and work on jokes about t-shirt cannons.

Dan is out in LA! And this week he’s talking to Ray Easter. Dan and Ray downloaded an app called Citizen and now they keep receiving very upsetting alerts about violent crimes happening nearby. Ray is working on a joke about going to the movies with his dad, while Dan goes off on a rant about mattress salesmen. In the extended episode, available at patreon.com/danhajokes, Dan and Ray share a bunch of terrible stupid joke ideas with each other, which is basically what they do when they’re not recording a podcast.