Let's Talk About Sets!

PAIN The delightful charm monster, Patrick Holbert, joins us to pick away at PAIN in stand-up comedy. We talk about how pain is the source of much of stand-up, both physical and emotional, and how usually the audience needs to know that the pain is ultimately “ok” in order to laugh. We cover generational pain, the occupational hazards of talking about pain, how to refocus personal pain onto a “shared” experience rather than just making it about you, and how Patrick went about talking about his painful experiences the first time. It’s a fun talk with old friends about a major element of comedy as a whole, and stand-up in particular, which we trace through a few key bits from Patrick’s own material and a seminal late night set by Gary Gulman. ABOUT THE GUEST COMIC Patrick Holbert is a working NYC comic with a funny, sex positive podcast with his wife, “Who Cares About Ross and Patrick.” He performs nationally in his one man show for colleges called “Punch Line Drunk,” and he’s debuting his sex positive solo show with the semi-working title “Charming Pervert.” He also performs in rehab centers and shelters for audiences new to recovery. He has performed on Sirius XM and hosted the internationally syndicated TV show “The Movie Loft.” He has appeared on TruTV’s “Hack My Life” and “Mysteries at the Museum” on the Travel Channel. Patrick is often asked to emcee comedy shows because of his playful wit and affability. The NY Times called him the “charming M.C.” of the children’s variety show he previously performed in weekly. You can also check our his archives from when he was co-hosting “The Comic’s Table” podcast. FEATURED BITS ON THIS EPISODE – Gary Gulman – The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2017) – Patrick Holbert – On Alcoholism: https://youtu.be/_sVw8klAQwI – Patrick Holbert – On Infidelity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P1Dg02d2h4 And a huge thanks to to our guest, Patrick Holbert! FOLLOW PATRICK HOLBERT: INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/theholbertreport TWITTER: https://twitter.com/holberreport FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/patmiscellaneous WEBSITE: https://patrickholbert.com GET MORE PATRICK: Podcast – Who Cares?…about Ross & Patrick: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/who-cares-about-ross-patrick/id1317664095 Trailer for his show “Punchline Drunk”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuReV1-soAU Oh Salt N’ Peppa, will you be our quarantine? SUPPORT “Let’s Talk About Sets!”: If you’re feeling grateful, consider sponsoring us on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/letstalkaboutsets Or, if you want to send us a one-time tip say thanks: Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/Jeff-McBride Paypal: jeff@letstalkaboutsets.com AND PLEASE DO SHARE US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: https://www.facebook.com/letstalkaboutsets https://www.twitter.com/letstalksets https://www.instagram.com/letstalkaboutsets Special thanks to our intern Mona Ahmed!

GAY SHIT In this episode, the "illustrious" Jay Jurden joined us to gayly talk about gay humor and also humor about gayness. Our goal was to examine the relationship between stand-up comedy, homosexuality, and homophobia, tracing a path from Richard Pryor to the present. We cover how approaches to jokes about male homosexuality have shifted over the decades as American values have changed. We REALLY enjoyed listening to how crowds received this kind of material from one decade to the next. We asked why is homophobia funny, why do the tensions between male masculinity and femininity evoke such laughter, and why aren't there world famous gay comics? Jay talked about performing material (gay or otherwise) as a queer-identified comic, and how he snuck that stuff right onto The Tonight Show! And we really unpacked the word, "faggot," so if that's a trigger for you, we encourage you to ignore any and all context of the discussion so you can focus only on your outrage at hearing that word, because this show has a high FPM (faggots per minute) rating. It's a 2 hour show, so we covered a lot more than that! And then we all fucked but only in a straight way, no homo! EXTRA LINKS - Rip Taylor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg5WbHYcV4Q - Jay's Fallon set: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nts9krLSbV8 - On February 6th, Jay's FANTASTIC Comedy Central Stand-Up Digital set was published. Here's the link: https://youtu.be/8eCg_inRHI4 ABOUT THE GUEST COMIC Sure, whatever, Jay Jurden is funny, but he's also a delightfully witty and opinionated thinker who can really light up a conversation. He's a New York-based comedian, writer, and actor originally from Mississippi. Jay recently performed on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon and was featured on Comedy Central Stand-Up. A Stand-Up NBC alum, he was also selected for Just For Laughs festival's New faces in 2019. Timeout New York named him one of the "Comedians to watch in 2019." He has been awarded "best LGBTQ comic" by Manhattan Comedy Festival and was the first winner of the Comedy Mob Festival. Jays' writing credits include Vulture, The New Yorker, and McSweeney's. He has also been featured on MTV News' "Need to know." Film/TV credits include High Maintenance on HBO. He regualarly performs comedy all over New york City. He is currently represented by APA and managed by Seven Summits. His first album will be released very soon. FEATURED BITS ON THIS EPISODE - Richard Pryor - Dick Junkie (Live And Smokin', 1971) - Eddie Murphy- Faggots (Delirious, 1983) - Jay Jurden - Jay Jurden Stand-Up (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, 2019) - Jamie Foxx - Prince (I Might Need Security, 2002) - Solomon Georgio - Gayest Thing in the World (Homonegro Superior, 2017) FOLLOW HIM: - INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/jayjurden - TWITTER: https://twitter.com/jayjurden - FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/jayjurdencomedy - WEBSITE: https://www.jayjurdencomedy.com And, as always, big thanks to Salt N’ Peppa for how much for being the seasoning on this nourishing meal.

MORALITY The Daily Show’s Roy Wood Jr. examines MORALITY in the context of stand-up comedy. Stand-up dances the lines of right and wrong, good and bad, proper and improper. Sometimes the question is,”Why in the world are you behaving like this?” Other times it’s, “Why is the world behaving like this?” The comedy we laugh at the most always plays with transgression, so what are some methods a comedian uses can deal with topics that push our moral sensibilities? Roy discusses how he spoke with an upset audience member at a show that went off the rails, how to he avoids “I’m right” comedy, and how he moved from “just funny” to “funny with something to say.” We get into how the Daily Show taught him that sometimes the joke is adjacent to the issue, rather than the issue itself. Some of the best parts of the interview are at the end where we talk about the road, how Roy worked the system to get ahead, the way he organizes his material, and when gives advice to inexperienced comics. ABOUT THE GUEST COMIC “I try to be what I wish I’d had. That is exactly how I see it.” – Roy Wood Jr. A comic who works with him recently said me, “People talk about Roy like he’s dead.” Like they’re giving a eulogy. From his profound work ethic to his commitment to help with black issues to the way he treats younger comics, Roy’s reputation is matched only by his skill as a comedian. Roy Wood Jr’s comedy has entertained millions across stage, television, and radio. Roy joined “The Best F#@ing News Team” in 2015 as a correspondent on Comedy Central’s Emmy-nominated hit series, “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.” In 2017, he was named the new host of Comedy Central’s storytelling series, “This is Not Happening,” which will launch a fifth season next year. His first Comedy Central one-hour stand-up special, “Father Figure,” premiered in 2017 along with an extended uncensored album of the same name released by Comedy Central Records. His second Comedy Central one-hour stand-up special, “Roy Wood Jr.: No One Loves You,” will premiere at the beginning of 2019 on January 25th. Wood, a native of Birmingham, Alabama, began his comedy career in 1999 at the age of 19 while attending Florida A&M University. In October 2006, Wood made his network television debut on “The Late Show with David Letterman.” In 2008, he appeared on HBO’s historic “Def Comedy Jam” and was later selected by America as one of the top three finalists on “Last Comic Standing” on NBC. Wood has appeared on “The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson,” TBS’ “Conan,” “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” He also performed for the troops on USO tours to Guam and The Philippines. FEATURED BITS ON THIS EPISODE – Roy Wood Jr. – Love Snitchin’ (No One Loves You, 2019) – Roy Wood Jr. – America Hazes Minorities (Father Figure, 2017) – Roy Wood Jr. – Why I Chose Wisconsin (Things I Think, I Think, 2013) SEE ALL THINGS ROY: https://www.roywoodjr.com Buy to his albums: https://www.roywoodjr.com/store FOLLOW HIM: – INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/roywoodjr – TWITTER: https://twitter.com/roywoodjr – FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/roywoodjr – WEBSITE: https://www.roywoodjr.com And, as always, big thanks to Salt N’ Peppa for how much you don’t get hot and bothered by all this parody song shit we do.

CALLBACKS The 8’9″ LeClerc Andre crawled in on his hands and knees to get through the doorway to lay down on the ground while he helped us explore CALLBACKS in stand-up comedy. A specialty of his, LeClerc walked us through (crawled us through, really) how he writes callbacks, the effect they have on the crowd, and how much late night shows love callbacks for their short, 5 minute stand-up features. We compare and contrast callbacks with running gags, catchphrases, crowd work callbacks, and more, digging deeply into comedy nerdism. LeClerc also shares his writing process and his perspective on going all the way with comedy. We took notes. [New feature–check out the chapters in your podcast app!] ABOUT THE GUEST COMIC Neither host could successfully say this on the episode, but LeClerc Andre IS having a breakout year. He was a featured New Face at the prestigious Just for Laughs Comedy Festival. He also made his network television debut on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and he just appeared on NBC’s Bring The Funny in August. And he’s got a great podcast with LTAS alum, Khalid Rahmaan where they make fun of people’s bad behavior as a way of trying to help us all have better manners. Links below. FEATURED BITS ON THIS EPISODE – Patrice O’Neal – Isn’t That Better (Comedy Kings Just For Laughs, 2009) – LeClerc Andre – Stand Up Debut (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, 2018) – Moshe Kasher – 20 Years Old (Laugh Factory, 2013) Thank you, LeClerc, for an awesome episode. It was really fun to record and educational to edit. SEE LECLERC LIVE: He posts all his shows on his Instagram account. Listen to his podcast “Effin’ Up” with co-host Khalid Rahmaan: Apple – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/effn-up/id1439021224 Libsyn – http://effnup.libsyn.com/ FOLLOW HIM: – INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/LeClercAndre/ – TWITTER: https://twitter.com/iamleclerc – FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/IamLeclerc/ – WEBSITE: https://leclercandre.com/ Special thanks to Patrice O’Neals enduring legend and Moshe Kasher’s eidetic memory. AND A GARGANTUAN THANKS TO THE SHARP-AS-A-TACK AND ALWAYS RELIABLE MONAH AHMED!!! Seriously, Monnaahhh, you’re amazey-ballz. (She helps with research, organization, and communication; she makes the work that goes into this so much better. Anyone else who gets to work with her should count themselves lucky.) Thank you! And, as always, big thanks to Salt N’ Peppa. I made eggs. Now you’re all that’s missing. Let’s brunch!

CLEAN (part 2 of 2) In this second part of our CLEAN comedy interview of the pathologically nice Steven Rogers, we jump right into great material. We listen, laugh, and geek out over it through the lens of everything we explored about clean comedy in part one, so if you haven’t listened to the first installment, do that now. The bits we picked are fantastic–you’ll get some legendary Ray Romano, a taste of the genius Finish comic, Ismo Leikola, and some early hilarity from the brilliant buffoon that is Nate Bargatze. And we listen to Steven’s appearance on the The Late Show with Stephen Colbert! The episode touches on about how clean comedians get creative with curse-substitutes, how clean can be just making the audience fill in the filth themselves, “I know I look like” jokes, clean comedy and irony, logical absurdity, ya know, more things. [New feature–check out the chapters in your podcast app!] ABOUT THE GUEST COMIC Steven Rogers is a “real sweetie pants” of a guy, and I have to say this next thing or else it’ll hurt his feelings: he’s very, very funny, too. His disarming charm is only matched by his humility, which translates into a delightful sense of humor about himself. You can feel the good-heartedness wafting off of him like the pungent scent of New York City street in the summertime. Steven made his national TV debut in 2019 on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and has been featured in multiple comedy festivals such as Lucy Fest in Jamestown, NY and the Manhattan Comedy Festival where he was named “Funniest Clean Comedian.” He also has a popular anxiety themed podcast with Andrew Schiavone called, “Panic Attacking.” Steven’s comedic ability has established him as a feature act in comedy clubs and also a regular opener for Brian Regan in theaters across the country. FEATURED BITS ON THIS EPISODE – Steven Rogers – Steven’s New Girlfriend – Ismo Leikola – Chivalry Is Dead (2018) – Ray Romano – Becoming 40 (Live at Carnegie Hall, 2001) – Nate Bargatze – Cops (Laugh Factory, 2012) Thank you, Steven, for a damn good time. Yes, we accept Brian’s request to be on the show. We’ll see if we can fit him in sometime. SEE STEVEN LIVE: http://www.stevenrogerscomedy.com/shows Listen to his podcast “Panic Attacking”: Apple – https://open.spotify.com/show/6trZdCda1lC6f0U5B6m1dH Spotify – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/panic-attacking-podcast/id1464091051 FOLLOW HIM: – INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/notsteverogers/ – TWITTER: https://twitter.com/notsteverogers – FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/srcomedy/ – WEBSITE: http://www.stevenrogerscomedy.com/ Special thanks to Ray Romano, Ismo Leikola, and Nate Bargatze. AND A GARGANTUAN THANKS TO THE SHARP-AS-A-TACK AND ALWAYS RELIABLE MONAH AHMED!!! Seriously, Monnaahhh, you’re amazey-ballz. (She helps with research, organization, and communication; she makes the work that goes into this so much better. Anyone else who gets to work with her should count themselves lucky.) Thank you! And, as always, big thanks to Salt N’ Peppa. Would you like a pony ride? I bet you like ponies. C’mon…you know you want to. Oh, and we mention a podcast on “Parapraxis and Elvis” that is rather interesting. Here’s a link: http://revisionisthistory.com/episodes/30-analysis-parapraxis-elvis

CLEAN (part 1 of 2) It’s hard to say whether Steven Rogers is nicer than he is funny or vice-a-versa, but with Stephen Colbert and Brian Regan giving him their official thumbs up, the formula works. Steven will hate this description, but he’s so neighborly, let’s call him stand-up’s young Mr. Rogers. As such he joins us to discuss CLEAN as it relates to stand-up comedy. What the heck does clean even mean? Clean content? Clean presentation? Swears, innuendo, drugs, religion, politics, general meanness–all the fun stuff is off limits with clean comedy. But some of the greatest comedians of all time adhere to this standard. How does clean vary from place to place and time to time? Clean is usually an expression of the moral majority values, but clean on a liberal college campus may mean something very different. Is clean comedy superior? And is there a benefit of having to work clean? How does being clean affect writing and performing? We also cover how clean relates to bookers and working with headliners, and we get some great insights as Steven shares his experiences of opening for Brian Regan and doing The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. ABOUT THE GUEST COMIC Steven Rogers is a “real sweetie pants” of a guy, and I have to say this next thing or else it’ll hurt his feelings: he’s very, very funny, too. His disarming charm is only matched by his humility, which translates into a delightful sense of humor about himself. You can feel the good-heartedness wafting off of him like the pungent scent of New York City street in the summertime. Steven made his national TV debut in 2019 on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and has been featured in multiple comedy festivals such as Lucy Fest in Jamestown, NY and the Manhattan Comedy Festival where he was named “Funniest Clean Comedian.” He also has a popular anxiety themed podcast with Andrew Schiavone called, “Panic Attacking.” Steven’s comedic ability has established him as a feature act in comedy clubs and also a regular opener for Brian Regan in theaters across the country. FEATURED BITS ON THIS EPISODE – Brian Regan – excerpt from TV Shows (Standing Up, 2007) Thank you, Steven, for a damn good time. Yes, we accept Brian’s request to be on the show. We’ll see if we can fit him in sometime. SEE STEVEN LIVE: http://www.stevenrogerscomedy.com/shows Listen to his podcast “Panic Attacking”: Apple – https://open.spotify.com/show/6trZdCda1lC6f0U5B6m1dH Spotify – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/panic-attacking-podcast/id1464091051 FOLLOW HIM: – INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/notsteverogers/ – TWITTER: https://twitter.com/notsteverogers – FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/srcomedy/ – WEBSITE: http://www.stevenrogerscomedy.com/ Special thanks Brian Regan AGAIN for making us laugh and also for giving Steven a new dad. And, as always, big thanks to Salt N’ Peppa for keepin’ the law out of our relationship.

The way-too-likable, philosophically funny comic, Bret Raybould, explores the role of PRESENCE in stand-up from a makeshift recording studio inside Bret's private plane. We break this topic down into "being present" and "stage presence", touching on the stages of learning, flow state, body language, not giving a fuck, and knowing your act. Bret tells us how dealt successfully with following SNL's Leslie Jones after she brought down the house. We dig into these aspects of presence and a lot more via bits by Brody Stevens, Patrice O'Neal, and Dane Cook. All this while we eat gold-crusted caviar off the backs of Bret's devoted team of silent manservants.

PATREON LINK: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkaboutsets SEE JEFF (MCBRIDE) ON TOUR (6/2/19-July)! DETAILS AND TICKETS: http://www.jeffmcbride.com/shows COMEDIC STORYTELLING (AGAIN) The loquacious, award-winning raconteur and NYC stand-up comic, Jeff Simmermon, hopped on the mic for the show’s second foray into COMEDIC STORYTELLING. He explains his own simplified version of Dan Harmon’s simplified version of Christopher Vogler’s simplified version of Joseph Campbell’s “The Hero With A Thousand Faces.” I’ve created my own simplified version that follows the that has zero quadrants or phases. It’s indescribable. They may be a problem with my version. Referencing the articles he’s written on the subject, we talk about the “North Star” of the story, the dreaded “Wonder Years Moment,” and many other aspects of comedic storytelling. What’s the best way to determine when you need an act out? How do you identify what’s wrong with a story that doesn’t hit, and how might you fix it? What’s the real difference between a story and an anecdote? How do you determine what truths to abandon for a good story that still rings true? We bat around these questions and uncover a bucketful of tips along the way via a story by Gastor Almonte, who Simmermon helped prepare for Comedy Central’s “This Is Not Happening,” through some of Simmermon’s own material off his album and from a performance of his at The Moth Grand SLAM. Simmermon’s articles on storytelling: This Is A Boring Shark Attack: 8 Rules for Fascinating Storytelling How to Structure a Funny Story This Ice Cream Will Heal Your Heartbreak: How to Find Your Story’s ‘North Star’ How to Tell a Funny Story That Turns Desire Into Action ABOUT THE GUEST COMIC Jeff Simmermon is an accomplished storyteller come stand-up comic. He also teaches comedic storytelling on the side. He’s lived a colorful life, and it shows in his work. From his apparently love of hot pink vinyl to his time spent in a band that featured chickens pecking an instrument, Jeff is a genuine hipster without pretense–he’s earned it as the real deal. His conversation is colorful and sprinkled with metaphors, clearly demonstrating his chutzpah as a writer. He’s the producer/performer behind ‘And I Am Not Lying,‘ a variety show that combines stand-up, storytelling, burlesque, sideshow and music on the second Friday of every month at UCB East. In 2017, he recorded his first album for Comedy Dynamics. Jeff has won multiple Moth StorySLAMS, including a GrandSLAM in March of 2014. His stories have appeared on This American Life, The Moth’s podcast, and in written form on The Paris Review Daily. HE also teaches a semi-private storytelling class. FEATURED BITS ON THIS EPISODE – Gastor Almonte – Brooklyn Batman (Comedy Central – This Is Not Happening, , 2017) – Jeff Simmermon – Empathetic Screaming Match on NYC Subway (‘Making Waves’ Moth GrandSLAM, 2015) – Jeff Simmermon – ‘Roo shooter (And I Am Not Lying, 2017) THANKS TO OUR ADMIN AND RESEARCH ASSISTANT: Monnnaaah Singe And thank you, Jeff Simmermon. We bald, funny guys have to band together. GUEST PLUGS: – Jeff is doing a half hour at QED on May 24th, 7:30 PM – https://bit.ly/2TYRTnu – Jeff’s album, “And I Am Not Lying,” is available wherever you hear digital music and also on hot pink vinyl from Dischord Records: https://bit.ly/2UF0iAI – If you’re interested in taking one of his storytelling classes, go here: http://jeffsimmermon.com/teaching FOLLOW OUR GUEST: – INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/jeff.simmermon/ – TWITTER: https://twitter.com/jeffsimmermon – FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/jeffsimmermon – WEBSITE: http://www.jeffsimmermon.com SUPPORT “Let’s Talk About Sets!

50 EPISODES AND >100K DOWNLOADS! Thank you to everyone who supports and listens to our show! And thank you to all of our guests and interns who’ve contributed their time and expertise! And thank you SOOOO much to our Patreons and the listeners who’ve sent us tips to help support what we do! CONTRAST Former NYC comedy wunderkind, now a full grown rocket-to-the-top funny manchild, Usama Siddiquee, returns to the show to explore the central pillar of laughter, CONTRAST. The foundation of humor, contrast can be traced through every level of stand-up, from the overarching contrast between the audience reality and the comedian’s subversion of it–all the way down to contrasting something as simple as the speed with which the comedian delivers the material. When two things seem the same, and then they’re revealed to be different–humans love that! Suddenly experiencing differences in meaning, morality, scope, delivery, intensity, gravity, truth, etc. in a surprising way gives us the giggles. We talk about how to employ it, how it functions, and we laugh a bunch. Usama joyfully magics contrast into his material and into our recording. This is a funny one. ABOUT THE GUEST COMIC Texas-raised Usama Siddiquee is a stand-up comic, actor, podcaster, and light-speed comedy host. His high-energy comedy style and turbo-riffing can be seen all over the U.S., and since he was last on the show, Usama was passed at the prestigious Comedy Cellar comedy club here in Manhattan. He most recently traveled to Montreal as one of the New Faces at Just For Laughs in 2018. He made his standup television debut on BET’s 50 Central. He was a finalist for the 2017 NY’s Funniest Competition at Caroline’s; a finalist in the 2017 NBC Standup Competition; 1st place winner of the 2016 Laughing Devil Cup Comedy Festival in New York; the 1st place winner of the 2015 Yonkers Comedy Festival as well as the 1st place winner of the 2015 Make Me Laugh Albany Comedy Festival. Usama was also featured this year on videos for NBC, Buzzfeed, Refinery29, The Scene, Mic.com, FusionTV, and Huffington Post. FEATURED BITS ON THIS EPISODE – Nate Bargatze – Global Warming (2019, Tennessee Kid) – Usama Siddiquee – Islam Is The One True Religion (2017, Gotham Comedy Club) – Andrew Shulz – Trannies (2019, The Andrew Shulz – YouTube Channel) – Demetri Martin – Yep (2012, Standup Comedian) Thank you, Eli DiSabato, our new Executive Producer in training! And thank you, Usama, I guess. CHECK OUT USAMA’S PODCAST (Hassan Minaj was a recent guest!): Mango Bae hosted with Pranav Bahary: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy6bxCzM7NDY252Ci7QPDkA SEE USAMA’S LIVE SHOW: Easy Buckets @ Rebecca’s in Brooklyn: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/usama-siddiquee-and-talib-babb-15233873846 FOLLOW USAMA: – INSTAGRAM.com/usamabinlaughin – TWITTER.com/usamabinlaughin – FACEBOOK.com/usamabinlaughin – WEBSITE: http://www.usamastandsup.com/bio-encore SUPPORT “Let’s Talk About Sets!”: If you’re feeling grateful, consider sponsoring us on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/letstalkaboutsets Or, if you want to send us a one-time tip say thanks: Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/Jeff-McBride Paypal: jeff@letstalkaboutsets.com AND PLEASE DO SHARE US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: https://www.facebook.com/letstalkaboutsets https://www.twitter.com/letstalksets https://www.instagram.com/letstalkaboutsets Lastly, CHECK OUT OUR LIVE COMEDY AT OUR NEWLY RENOVATED SPACE: https://www.brickspotcomedy.com Special thanks Nate Bargatze’s brilliant moronism, Andrew Schulz’s progressive unwokeness, and Demetri Martin’s adult whimsy. And, as always, who’s my favorite hip-hop girl group, huh?!

FAMILY The hilarious and legendary Jackie Kashian joined us to talk about FAMILY in stand-up comedy. Everyone has a family, and everyone has family dysfunction, so this topic is one of the most fundamental, relatable, and powerful elements of stand-up. By its nature, making jokes about one’s roots involves talking about the problems, the disappointments, and the tragedies. But how do you make fun of your family without ruining your relationships? When does it work, and when doesn’t it? Some comedians use an fictional version of their spouse or their parents, but much of Jackie’s best material is about her family in a very real and specific way. How does she do it, and how does she do it so well? We sifted through her vast published work to find our favorite bits of hers on family, and she generously shared the details of what really happened in her family life and how she so masterfully adapted that to her act. We couldn’t be more grateful! ABOUT THE GUEST COMIC Jackie Kashian has been doing comedy for 33 years! We found her to be an absolute delight, showering us with tips on how to navigate the stand-up industry and making us laugh with her quick and gentle wit. In addition to solo headlining around the country, she regularly performs with Brian Regan and her good friend, Maria Bamford. Jackie is the creator and host of one of the longest and most successful podcasts around, The Dork Forest, where she talks with people about what they love to do, think about, and collect. In addition to her four albums, she has multiple late night appearances under her belt and an impressive acting resume. Her current album, I Am Not The Hero Of This Story, was #1 comedy album on iTunes and Amazon and is critically acclaimed. She also has a podcast with Laurie Kilmartin where they complain and celebrate stand-up comedy. It is called The Jackie and Laurie Show. FEATURED BITS ON THIS EPISODE – Jackie Kashian – Origin Story (2010, It’s Never Gonna Be Bread) – Jackie Kashian – Genocide (2017, I Am Not The Hero Of This Story) – Jackie Kashian – Monkey’s Paw (2017, I Am Not The Hero Of This Story) – Jackie Kashian – Tap That Mana (2014, This Would Make An Excellent Horcrux) – Jackie Kashian – Spoiler Alert:He Live (2017, I Am Not The Hero Of This Story) And a huge thanks to to our guest, Jackie Kashian! GET HER BEST-SELLING ALBUM: – ITUNES: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/i-am-not-the-hero-of-this-story/1204088090 – SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/album/3wjdaTH8rm4R0DsGma6vRQ ENJOY HER PODCASTS: https://www.jackiekashian.com/#podcasts – The Jackie And Laurie Show: itms://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jackie-and-laurie-show/id107173136 – The Dork Forest: itms://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dork-forest/id210939624 FOLLOW OUR GUEST: INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/jackiekashian/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/jackiekashian FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/jackie.kashian WEBSITE: https://www.jackiekashian.com/ SEE HER LIVE: https://www.jackiekashian.com/#tour Oh Salt N’ Peppa, the sun rises and sets in your collective eyes. SUPPORT “Let’s Talk About Sets!”: If you’re feeling grateful, consider sponsoring us on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/letstalkaboutsets Or, if you want to send us a one-time tip say thanks: Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/Jeff-McBride Paypal: jeff@letstalkaboutsets.com AND PLEASE DO SHARE US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: https://www.facebook.com/letstalkaboutsets https://www.twitter.com/letstalksets https://www.instagram.com/letstalkaboutsets Lastly, CHECK OUT OUR LIVE COMEDY AT OUR NEWLY RENOVATED SPACE: https://www.brickspotcomedy.com

Undeniably funny, whitely awkward Geoffrey Asmus joins us to explore THE SETUP in stand-up comedy. Like most things in life, most of the work goes into setting up. If the punchline is the slide, and the setup is the stairs to the top. What is a setup? How can you rework a setup to fix a joke? And even more comedy nerd questions! We also have a great time listening to and frog-dissecting material from two opposite ends of the stand-up spectrum: Rodney Dangerfield and Ari Shaffir.

Harrison Greenbaum shows how he actually applies all his theories from part 1 of JOKE THEORY to his stand-up writing and performance. We go step-by-step through some of his best material, laughing and geeking out the whole way. It's fucking awesome, so just listen to it. But make sure you've heard part 1 first, ok? (I'm so cranky, I've been working through technical fuckery on this second half for days.)

The magically funny, super accomplished, and hyper-analytical Comedy Cellar comic, Harrison Greenbaum, delivers a masterclass on JOKE THEORY! He enthusiastically shares his favorite joke theories he's learned from others, and he generously outlines his own original theories. These are, truly, some of the best and most actionable approaches to jokes we've ever heard!

Nationally touring, Brooklyn based comic Brian Enck examines COURAGE in stand-up comedy. It takes courage to start and to keep going. It takes courages to speak your "truth" or to speak candidly about your flaws, mistakes, or personal weirdness. It takes courage to look the fool. Yet it's that vulnerability that can yield some of the most powerfully funny comedy experiences. What are some tricks performers use to get the courage to act despite those fears? We cover this and a lot more via bits by Dave Chappelle, Tig Nataro, Brian Enck, and Jeff McBride.

NYC comedian, actor, & writer Sally Ann Hall explores the role of CONFIDENCE in stand-up comedy & and life via bits by Jerry Seinfeld, Sarah Silverman, and Mike Birbiglia. This one's a delicious ear treat!

Newly-minted Netflix "specialist" Kate Willett gets down and dirty with us on stand-up ANECDOTES. Anecdotes are distinct from storytelling, usually lacking the storytelling framework--beginning, middle, and end. They're "pointless." There's no emotional journey. Lives are not changed by an anecdotal incident. Yet these flimsy, insubstantial retellings of inconsequential events are the backbone of a lot of the best stand-up comedy. We explore this and more via bits by Brian Regan, Maria Bamford, and Kate herself.

Jacob Williams (MTV's Wild 'N Out, Colbert, America's Got Talent, & a lot more) KILLED it in this episode! We absolutely could not stay on topic, and so what? This conversation was UNDENIABLY funny! Between all the goofing around, we hit every angle we could think of on SELF-DEPRECATION in stand-up comedy via bits by Adam Sandler, Demetri Martin, Tom Segura, David Cross, and Jacob Williams himself.

Fresh from a set on the Late Late Show with James Corden and just two days after dropping his new Comedy Central Records album, “Innocence,” the highly credited and ridiculously funny Joe Zimmerman graced us with a wide-ranging discussion loosely focused on PACING in stand-up comedy. Also of note, Joe responded to John Mulaney’s fervent public wish that he could steal one of Joe’s bits.

Award-winning comedy writer and stand-up comic, Dan Perlman, shares his perspective on PERSPECTIVE in stand-up comedy by geeking out with us on great material from Roy Wood Jr., Joe Rogan, and John Mulaney.

Carolines Breakout Artist Series headliner, Norlex Belma, breaks down THE ROOM in stand-up comedy. When comedians talk about the room, they're referring to a lot of performance parameters: the feel of the crowd, the kind of venue, the demographics, the kind of comedy scene, and the setup of the performance space itself, plus a lot about how he constructed his hour. Lots of comedy craft!