Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

Jesse Thorn talks to journalist, Ray Suarez and musician Dan Deacon, plus stand-up comedy from Phoebe Robinson. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience in NPR's Studio One in Washington DC. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Jesse talks to Aya Cash from the TV comedy show You're the Worst and to New Yorker writer and editor, Roger Angell. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Jesse sits down with creator of Mystery Science Theatre 3000, Joel Hodgson and is experimented upon by director of Philadelphia's Mütter Museum, Dr Robert Hicks. Plus stand-up from Hari Kondabolu and music from Spraynard. This show was recorded in front of a live audience at Johnny Brenda's in Philadelphia. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for spons...

Kaitlin Olson plays Sweet Dee on It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. She'll talk about morally broken comedy characters and whether it's a good idea to fall in love with the creator of your TV show. Later Jesse talks to Jeff Chang. About 10 years ago he wrote Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation. It won the American Book Award in 2005. His new book is called Who We Be: The Col...

Jesse talks with singer-songwriter, Neko Case and to bandleader and record label founder, Herb Alpert. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Our selection of the greatest comedy albums from the last year with stand-up from veterans, newcomers and even a set recorded live in the woods at MaxFunCon. Featuring: Kyle Kinane, Emily Heller, Ron Funches, Sara Schaefer, Hampton Yount, Karen Kilgariff and Drennon Davis, Mike O'Brien (with Jason Sudeikis and Bill Hader), Eddie Pepitone, Sheng Wang, Guy Branum, Aziz Ansari, Eugene Mirman, Eliza S...

Former congressman Barney Frank and punk band, Mission of Burma, plus comedy from Lamont Price. Recorded in front of a live audience at Oberon in Cambridge, Massachusetts. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Bullseye Holiday Special with Judas Priest's Rob Halford and Ronnie Spector from the Ronnettes. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Interviews with David Cross of Mr. Show and W/Bob & David and Tavi Gevinson of Rookie Magazine, plus comedy from Aparna Nancherla and music from Pharoahe Monch and DJ Boogie Blind. This show was recorded at The Bell House in Brooklyn, New York. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR P...

[r] Jesse Thorn talks with John Cleese of Monty Python and Dum Dum Girls founder Dee Dee Penny. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Jesse Thorn talks to William H Macy, Brian Huskey and Matt Walsh, plus comedy from Baron Vaughn and music from Chicano Batman. Recorded live at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

[r] Actor Allison Janney and musician Ishmael Butler of Digable Planets and Shabazz Palaces join Jesse Thorn to talk about their work. Plus director Michel Gondry on the song that changed his life. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Jesse sits down with the actor and novelist Ethan Hawke to talk about playing a divorced dad on-screen, and being one in real life. Hawke's experiences with parenting inspired his new book Rules For a Knight. Then Jesse talks with actress Michaela Watkins about relationships and her new show, Casual. Plus, Jesse describes how Rakim came in and changed the MC game for good. See pcm.adswizz.com for...

Comedian Matt Braunger sits down with Jesse Thorn to talk about class clowning as a kid, why it's important to try and fail and... his teenage rap career. Plus, Guy Branum interviews Canadian author Margaret Atwood about sex in novels, her childhood growing up in the woods of Quebec, and her favorite Shakespeare. Lastly, Jesse talks about when "Two Sevens Clash" - an apocalyptic album out of Jamai...

Singer/songwriter Elvis Costello shares his musical influences, which include his father, an accomplished singer and performer. Plus Elizabeth Banks talks about deciding to work on the biopic Love and Mercy, about Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NP...

Jesse Thorn talks to director of The Iron Giant and The Incredibles, Brad Bird, and to Ernie Isley of the Isley Brothers. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

[r] Jesse Thorn talks to comedian, Tig Notaro about the worst few months of her life and how stand up helped her get through them. Later he sits down with musician and author John Darnielle, to talk about his band the Mountain Goats and new novel, Wolf in White Van. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsors...

Guest host Guy Branum talks to Constance Wu from Fresh Off the Boat and to the Academy Award-nominated screenwriter behind Philadelphia and the new movie Freeheld, Ron Nyswaner. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

[r] Jesse Thorn talks to co-founder of Def Jam Records, Russell Simmons about the early days of hip-hop and discovering meditation. He also sits down with music journalist Carl Wilson to talk about why Celine Dion is one of the most loved and also most disparaged musicians of our time. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage y...

Jesse Thorn talks to the singer/songwriter Bill Withers, of Lean on Me and Just the Two of Us fame, about making it in the music business and then retiring from performance. Plus comedy writer Joe Randazzo shares his secrets to an "unpredictable career in comedy" as outlined in his new book Funny On Purpose, and Jesse explains why his great American hero is one of the kid spellers from the 2002 do...

Jesse talks to Academy Award-nominated actor and now also short fiction writer, Jesse Eisenberg about acting and writing. Eisenberg also reveals his insecurities as an artist. Plus, stand up comedian Brian Regan talks about the process of honing jokes and musician Sara Watkins shares a song that will make you feel ferocious. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of perso...

[r] Jesse talks to comedian Andy Daly about his Comedy Central show Review and to rapper Jean Grae. Plus the greatest bootleg tape of all time - and it's not music. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Star of 12 Years a Slave and the new movie Z for Zachiarah, Chiwetel Ejiofor talks to Jesse about dealing with creative ambition and getting into a Jiu Jitsu ring with David Mamet. Later, casting director Allison Jones talks about finding talented new actors and pushing to get them on screen. Plus Jesse considers what jump blues singer Jimmy Witherspoon can add to the discussion around race in Ame...

[r] Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham, creators of the TV show Playing House, talk about their real-life friendship and the marathon improv sessions that produce the show's jokes. Plus comedian Hari Kondablou on how he fits into the "alternative" comedy scene and on graciously accepting his audience's suggestions for jokes. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of pers...

Keegan-Michael Key pulls the curtain back on writing and performing for Key & Peele. Then, Tituss Burgess from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt tells about growing up in Georgia and why Titus Andromedon is such a special character on TV (he'll also talk about the show's breakout hit, Peeno Noir). See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to mana...