Good One: A Podcast About Jokes

Welcome back to Good One. We missed you dearly. For our Season 5 premiere, comedian, actress, and improviser Nicole Byer invited Jesse over to talk about the opening jokes of her new Netflix special, Aggressively Adorable.  For more Nicole check out Comedians of the World and Nailed It! on Netflix and listen to her on What the Tuck? A RuPaul's Drag Race Podcast and Why Won't You Date Me? wherever you listen to podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse talks to comedian Sebastian Maniscalco about the creation of one of his most well-known jokes, “Doorbell”. Not only does Sebastian have a new Netflix special out, but at the time of the interview he was days away from headlining a weekend of stand-up shows at Madison Square Garden. Listen to how Sebastian refined his act-outs, and how nostalgia and disbelief came to shape his comedy. Watch Sebastian’s act outs to get a full picture of "Doorbell"...

Jesse talks to actor, comedian, writer, and friend Julie Klausner about a seemingly random joke from her Hulu series Difficult People. Recorded live at Union Hall in Brooklyn, the two talk about equal treatment of male and female genitalia in comedy, Julie’s writing process on Difficult People, and much, much, much more. ALSO: a super secret surprise guest. ALSO ALSO: get ready to find out if your favorite sketch comedians are dogs or cats. Watch Difficult People on Hulu...

It’s sequel time! Sort of. On a Good One episode from way back in the year 2018, Jesse asked Vanessa Bayer about Saturday Night Live's series of ad parodies for Totino’s pizza rolls. What started as a take on gender stereotypes in advertising evolved over the next two years into a surreal X-Files promo, and ultimately a triumphant, French romance film trailer. Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider are the former SNL head writers behind the Totino’s Trilogy...

Ray Romano sits down with Jesse to talk about his new Netflix special, Right Here, Around the Corner. The two go over Ray’s jokes about his son Joe, why he continues to see his family as a source of new material, and what made the Comedy Cellar the right place to tape his new special. Also, Ray does an impression of an impression of Ray Romano.  Watch Ray’s new special on Netflix.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse’s back in the Late Night with Seth Meyers conference room with—wait for it—Seth Meyers! While there's plenty to talk about, the conversation centers around Seth writing the Documentary Now! episode Juan Likes Rice and Chicken. The two touch on Seth's parodies from when he was Head Writer at Saturday Night Live, along with his semi-autobiographical ties to Juan and Arturo.  Also included: Seth is unable to make Jesse’s tweets any better than they already are...

Kenny and Keith Lucas, aka comedy duo The Lucas Brothers, sit down with Jesse to discuss a joke-in-progress about Bertrand Russell's A History of Western Philosophy. The two reflect on their relationship as brothers, identical twins, writing partners, travel companions, and performers while musing on the intersection of comedy and philosophy. Watch the Lucas Brothers' special on Netflix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse speaks with actor, comedian, writer and producer Lil Rel Howery live at Vulturefest in October 2018. The conversation centers around a joke Rel told on Martin Lawrence's 1st Amendment Stand Up in 2010, and ties into material from his 2015 stand-up special RELevent. Rel discusses family, his hometown Chicago, and the comedians that shaped him, like Bernie Mac and Robin Harris. Watch Rel in Rel on FOX. Follow Rel on Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices...

Jesse speaks to standup comic, actor, and writer Rhea Butcher about two versions of their joke about being misgendered. The first iteration comes from Rhea's album Butcher, and the second was performed on one of Jessica Williams and Phoebe Robinson's 2 Dope Queens HBO specials. Rhea goes over the similarities and differences between each telling, along with how their identity and experiences shaped the joke's evolution...

In Fall 2018, we recorded a live panel discussion with the writers of The Good Place at Vulturefest LA. Moderated by Marc Evan Jackson, the panel guests reveal what comedy inspired them, how their writers room was formed, and offer advice to aspiring writers. Watch The Good Place on NBC, Hulu, Netflix, or a bunch of other places on the internet. Listen to The Good Place: The Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts...