Comedy History 101

Our special guest is Wayne Federman author of the new book: The History of Stand-Up: From Mark Twain to Dave Chappelle. Wayne's impressive creds include Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Larry Sanders Show, Silicon Valley - as well as head monologue writer for The Tonight Show. We do some serious deep cuts into the history of stand-up comedy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adch...

From Our Archives: Remember in Goodfellas when mobster Henry Hill took his date, Karen, to The Copacabana? That was pretty true to form. The mob actually owned the legendary club. We saw this recently in the movie The Irishman - when Don Rickles was on stage performing for Crazy Joe Gallo. We dive into the mob’s connection with The Copacabana - where you’ll learn such interesting tidbits as what h...

From the Archives: Since the beginning of the 20th century, slipping on a banana peel has been a comedy trope. We’ve seen such legendary silent comedians as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, and Laurel and Hardy - all do a variation of the slipping on a banana peel gag. But how did the “slipping on a banana peel” gag come into our lexicon? And why don’t we see people slipping on banana...

We conclude our 4-part series on John Belushi - with his sad final years. This involves the film disaster, Neighbors - and what happened the night he died at the Chateau Marmont. Ending on a good note - Belushi is ranked #1 by Rolling Stone - as the best sketch performer on SNL. He also has an Albanian stamp with his likeness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Blues Brothers is one of the most iconic screen comedies of all time. The movie held the record for the amount of cars destroyed - and actually had a budget for cocaine. That's why production was a nightmare - largely due to John Belushi and his proclivity for drugs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John Belushi, at the height of his fame - was on top-rated TV show, SNL, had the #1 movie with Animal House, and had the #1 album with his band, the Blues Brothers. Belushi created iconic comedy characters while on SNL - but backstage, he was kind of turning into a mess. We cover all this and more in Part 2 - of the History of John Belushi. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.co...

In this episode we cover the John Belushi origin story. From his early days growing up in Wheaton, IL - to his stint in Second City and starring in National Lampoon's Lemmings. Plus, all the other theatrical twists-and-turns Belushi took before being cast on SNL - and changing the face of comedy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In celebration of the end of a shitshow era - we bring this CH!01 Select: From mocking a disabled reporter to making fun of a sexual assault victim - Donald J. Trump has proven there is a vastly different sense of presidential humor coming from the White House. I interviewed David Litt - head joke writer for President Obama - for a story in the NY Observer, to get his take on Trump as a purveyor o...

Part Two of our episode on the Richard Pryor comedy origin story. We cover his time underground in Berkeley, CA and discovering his true comedic voice. We also talk about the time that Richard Pryor guest starred on The Partridge Family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the early 60s, Richard Pryor was a clean cut, mainstream comedian who appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. Then he had a meltdown in Las Vegas. Retreating from showbiz, he moved to Berkeley, California and began hanging out with The Black Panthers, the counterculture movement, and African American intellectuals. The experience changed the face of Richard Pryor's comedy. Learn more about your ad ch...

Showtime has a new series on the History of the Comedy Store. Comedian Freddie Prinze was the first big breakout star of The Store. At 19, he appeared on The Tonight Show - and shortly after he got his own sitcom, Chico and the Man. Prinze seemed to have everything in the world. But it was all too much, too fast for Freddie Prinze... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adcho...

Sasha Baron Cohen is back - with his new movie: Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm. This time the confused Kazakhstan journalist takes on the pandemic and Trump America. In this episode we dive into both the Borat and Sasha Baron Cohen origin story. Where did they both come from and how did they get here? From the early days performing in the Cambridge Footlights - to international stardom and duping int...

Sasha Baron Cohen plays activist Abbie Hoffman in the new Netflix film, The Trial of the Chicago 7. As seen in the film, by day, Hoffman was in the courtroom - fighting conspiracy charges. By night, he would regularly perform at The Second City theater. Hoffman's stage appearance marked a transition at the theater - from a bunch of squares doing sketches; to progressive radicals that changed the f...

Showtime has a new documentary series on the legendary Comedy Store in Las Angeles. That's why we're bringing back a CH101 Select on the history of the 1979 Comedy Store strike - which was lead by comedians David Letterman, Tom Dressen, and Jay Leno. It was a pinnacle moment in comedy history, when comedians walked out of the Comedy Store and demanded that they get paid for performing; changing th...

What a week. Within the last seven days, Trump's tax returns have been revealed, there was an unhinged presidential debate, and now the president has tested positive for coronavirus - after spending months mocking people who wear masks. But back in 2011, Comedy Central decided to send up Trump in a televised roasts. Trump only agreed to doing the roast if jokes about his hair, bankruptcies, and as...

In 2005, Pepe the Frog was created by cartoonist Matt Furie And then his lovable creation got coopted by the alt-right. Ugh! Coinciding with the release of the new documentary, Feels Good Man - we chronicle the crazed, insane journey of Pepe the Frog. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Party Records were albums that people would play at night after the kids went to bed. Known for its XXX humor - Party Records helped launch the careers of Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx, LaWanda Page, Skillet & Leroy, and numerous other classic comedians. You couldn't find these albums on the shelves at record stores; they were sold under the counter in paper bags. Learn more about your ad choices. Visi...

Animal House starred John Belushi - and was a game changer in movie history. So less than a year after its release, ABC tried to cash in on the film's success with the sitcom: Delta House. Despite having some of the original cast members, and episodes written by the likes of John Hughes, Harold Ramis, and Doug Kenney - the show was a huge flop. It featured a laugh track, Josh Mostel filling in for...

The Chevy Chase Show premiered in 1993. It starred Chevy Chase - and was FOX's talk show answer to The Late Show with David Letterman. The former SNL star looked lost, uncomfortable, and out of his element. Not only did the show only last 5 weeks - but this late night disaster is also ranked as the one of the worst TV shows of all time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/ad...

From the archives: The Comedy Store in Los Angeles is home to a zillion famous (and not so famous) comedians. The condo, directly behind The Store - was literally home to numerous comedians who went on to change the face of comedy. Sam Kinison, Andrew Dice Clay, Robin Williams, Yakov Smirnoff, Marc Maron, and more... This comedy frat house was both a humor incubator and a dark den of drugs and des...

In 1975, Warner Brothers filmed a sitcom spinoff of the hit movie, Blazing Saddles, called: Black Bart. The sitcom starred Lou Gossett Jr., featured pale imitations of the original cast, and had a canned laugh track. The only reason Warner Bros filmed the sitcom was due to a clause in Mel Brooks' contract - with the intent of producing a Blazing Saddles film franchise. Four seasons were filmed - a...

The Unknown Comic skyrocketed to fame - from his appearances on The Gong Show in the 70's. His schtick was to perform with a paper bag on his head - and rattle off a series of paper bag-related puns. But did you know that Murray Langston - the man behind the bag - got his start on Laugh-In and was a series regular on the Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour? Well, he was. In this episode, we'll dive into the...

The late George Martin will always be best remembered for his legendary work as the producer of The Beatles. Did you know that the man who made the Fab Four sound amazing got his start as a producer of comedy albums? Yes, the man behind creating the soundscape for A Day in the Life - also produced comedy albums for Peter Sellers, The Goon Show, and Beyond the Fringe (featuring Dudley Moore). Produ...

Let’s salute Carl Reiner! The comedy legend passed away this week at the age of 98. Here’s a man responsible for kickstarting the film career of Steve Martin, was a comedy partner of Mel Brooks, and created the iconic television sitcom, The Dick Van Dyke Show. It doesn’t get anymore comedy legend than the work of Carl Reiner! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1961, Dick Gregory was the first African American comedian to perform at a white club. A pioneer in the world of stand-up comedy, Gregory's material mocked the bigotry and racism of the time. Gregory is equally known for his activism as well as his comedy. He's one of the most influential comedians in comedy history; inspiring the likes of Dave Chappelle, Eddie Murphy, and Chris Rock. Learn mor...