Episode #3 and I’m looking at America’s current favorite podcast guest, TIM DILLON! Currently one of my favorite comedians. (Currently a lot of people’s favorite comedians.)
Listen to this here, or click below to watch this, You Tube, X, Spotify, and Standupworld. Also by COINCIDENCE, he’s also the subject of STANDUPWORLD #90 out this week.
Tim also has a great new Netflix special ‘I AM YOUR MOTHER’ that I loved.
Here’s the Nuggets is my new podcast. It’s my take at digging for the gold in the best episodes of the best podcasts out there. Sifting through the two to three hours for you, giving you the cliff notes with a little humor so you can decide if you want to listen to the whole episode. Episode #2 is a fun one. My buddy Stevie Baldwin has a new podcast out called One Bad Movie and his guest on this episode is his brother Alec and his sister, Beth. A fun episode that we dug for a few nuggets for you.
Also, if you want to watch the whole episode of One Bad Movie, which I suggest you do because it’s a lot of fun, here it is.
Thanks,
Mike
Also, as always, if you’re in LA: Monday’s at the Laugh Factory!
Adam Rowe is the hottest new comic in Britain. I may be a day or so and a dollar or two late on this statement but over here we’re behind so it’s good to get it out. He’s on fire over there with his stand up tours and his hit podcast Have A Word. Born and raised in Liverpool which you get the minute he opens his mouth. He’s just a lot of laughs and very clever as a writer. A dead pan performer who’s prolific and always growing in style and stature on stage. I love his stuff.
I met him when he opened for Burr at the Royal Albert when we shot Paper Tiger. Just a good guy. Check out his special and his podcast.
ONE MORE THING, JOIN OUR MAILING LIST FOR WEEKLY EPISODES AND BLOG POSTS AND LINKS TO ALL OF YOUR FAVORITE COMEDIANS SOCIAL SITES, AND GET A FREE COPY OF MY BOOK
STANDUPWORLD
A Night of Laughter and Legends: Jeff Ross’s “Torching 2024: A Roast of the Year”
If you haven’t watched Jeff Ross’s latest Netflix special, “Torching 2024: A Roast of the Year,” you’re missing out on one of the most memorable comedy shows of the year.Actually he’s 2-0 after producing and co-hosting the Tom Brady roast earlier.
Jeff is my buddy and I’ve had the pleasure of working with him on various projects over the years, opening for him, and Bumping Mics, so seeing him in his glory on this roast, was like watching a master painter work his brush.
The setting was perfect—recorded at The Bellwether in Los Angeles, the stage was set for Jeff to do what he does best: roast with love, precision, and an unapologetic bite of humor. From the moment the show opened you knew you were in for a roller coaster of emotions, from shock to big laughs, to pathos and more laughs..
This roast wasn’t just about the big names they targetedbut it was also a reflection on the year that was 2024. Jeff has a unique way of weaving current events into his comedy, making you laugh about things you might have been cringing at just months before. His take on the year’s most talked-about moments was savage and mostly right on, showing why he’s not just a comedian but a true commentator of our times.
What made this special stand out for me was Jeff’s personal touch. Having shared stages and laughs with him, I know Jeff’s comedy isn’t just about the punchline; it’s about connecting with the audience, making them part of the moment. His opening bit, where he humorously lamented his own aging while roasting the year, was a perfect blend of self-deprecation and sharp wit and health problems.
The guest lineup was stellar, featuring comedians like Tim Dillon, Hannah Berner, Sam Morrill, and Mark Normand, among others. Each brought their unique flavor to the roast, but under Jeff’s direction, it was like watching a symphony where every note was perfectly placed. Tim Dillon’s take on the year, especially his bit about playing the ghost of a CEO, was both dark and hilariously on-point.
Hannah Berner’s media blow up was weird. If it was genuine, I can’t see Blake Lively even caring about it.
But what I loved the most was the camaraderie. Here we were, a group of comedians who, in one way or another, have crossed paths before obviously, all coming together to celebrate the end of a tumultuous year. The mutual respect, the jabs, and the laughs—it was like a family reunion where everyone’s there to make fun of each other out of love.
Jeff’s roasts have always had this feel of a comedic gladiator match, but with “Torching 2024,” there was an added layer of storytelling. He took us through the highs and lows, making us laugh at the absurdity of it all. What really stood out was his ability to make it universally funny, not just for one side of the political aisle.
The special ended on a note that was both reflective and forward-looking. Jeff’s closing remarks weren’t just about saying goodbye to 2024 but about looking forward to what comedy could bring in the new year. It was a poignant reminder of why we do what we do as comedians—to find humor in the chaos, to bring light to the dark, and to make people feel a little less alone in their laughter.
So, if you’re looking for a way to close out the year with a bang, or if you just need a good laugh, do yourself a favor and check out “Torching 2024: A Roast of the Year.” On Netflix. It’s not just comedy; it’s a cultural moment captured through the lens of one of the best in the business.
ANTHONY JESELNIK PROVES HOW HARD IT IS TO SUSTAIN A ONE NOTE ACT.
…..OKAY. HOLD UP. WRONG! WRONG! TAKE 2….
This is what I wanted to write. Damn it. I was pissed. My ego almost got the best of me. I was good and fired up when I was sent a copy of a recent Magazine article with an interview with Anthony Jeselnik, who I thought was my friend, trashing me along with several other comedians.
First off, if you’re wondering what he said about me to piss me off, here it is:
Nikki Glaser recalls seeing Jeselnik perform early in his career. “He had his notes onstage and said, ‘I don’t have these notes because I don’t know my jokes. I brought these notes because I don’t respect any of you.’ That was a formative moment for me,” she says.
Jeselnik comments on this “That’s one of my favorite jokes. I always do it when I’m trying out jokes, and then in the Showtime documentary about the Comedy Store that Mike Binder fucked up, he used it without my permission. He put it in there. And listen, no one saw that thing, so I can still do it.”
For the record, I’m pretty sure Jeselnik did in fact know I was using it. I remember it that he told me he wasn’t thrilled but said he was fine with it. I thought it was a great comedy club moment, and he agreed. The Comedy Store documentary did well on Showtime, Hulu, Amazon, Sky, and around the world. Maybe Anthony thinks it didn’t because we only included one or two of his interview segments in the entire five-hour documentary. Why? Because all he wanted to talk about was how much better he was than everyone else at the Store during his time there and even before, which pretty much matches what he says in the Vulture interview.
He’s brutally honest about his views on the state of stand-up comedy: “I would guess that most of my comic friends think I’m a better comic—that I’m more pure, that I do things they would not try to do.”
On Matt Rife, a comedian with growing popularity, Jeselnik says, “I truly believe all roads lead to me. I also take exception to the idea that the country prefers Matt Rife over me. I just don’t know why you’d eat steak and then want cow shit.”
Does it bother him that audiences are drawn to Rife? “I’m sure Gordon Ramsay doesn’t lose sleep at night because McDonald’s sells billions of hamburgers.”
When asked about Tony Hinchcliffe, Jeselnik doesn’t hold back: “He thought the Brady roast was his big moment, even though I think those jokes were hack as hell. He’s a troll, basking in the shadow of Joe Rogan.”
I GOT WAY BENT OUT OF SHAPE
Like I’m want to do, and I thought, well, fine, as a rule, I’ve been only writing about specials that I’m genuinely nuts over. I haven’t wanted to waste any time writing about specials unless I loved them, or thought I truly got something out of them. Then I thought, good, here’s a chance to trash the shit out of someone’s special.I’m gonna write a hate letter to Jeselnik’s new fucking hour. Let’s go!
So I sat down in a bitch squat and wrote a hissy fit of a review about what a one-note comic the guy is and how his tired mean boy one liners are brilliant, yeah, okay, but they’re all the same and it’s now just one retreaded special after another. I went after him. Compared him positively to my friend Steven Wright but I cleverly pointed out that Steve knew the limits to the form of what’s basically stand up pointillism, was smart enough not to milk it by doing too many specials, bla, bla, bla,…
Then I just wrote lots of more real whiny ass shit and basically proclaimed in what I was sure was a witty and clever way that it was a lame, waste of a special, and Netflix needs to wise up and move on from this wafer thin talent of a nobody.
Then, right before I posted it, I thought. Hmmm. Maybe I should at least watch a little of it.
So I did. I went onto Netflix. Watched the special that I had already reviewed.
AH FUCK!
This asshole made another brilliant special. God damn it!!!! And he’s not anywhere close to one note. Number one, it’s funny as hell. Flat out hysterical. Number two, maybe more important, I think he may be the best living joke writer there is right now. I really believe that. Nikki Glasser is correct. You just don’t know where he’s going. And he’s not doing one liner sixty second Wright, Mitch Hedberg style jokes. That’s not what he does anymore. Really hasn’t for awhile, but this show is much more story-telling, more chunks and themes that all piece together in a unique way. It’s a fast hour. So fast.
A great hour. I was so pissed off. Was beside myself. He is in fact high end steak. I mean, honestly, I don’t know what he’s doing slagging off other comedians in articles, that doesn’t seem to be the side of him I’ve seen, but maybe when you’re that good you can do that shit.
But damn. I can’t recommend his new special enough.
Go to Netflix and watch this thing. You’re going to love it. FUCK!!! FUCK!!!!!
ALSO, if you’re in LA, come out tomorrow, Mon, Dec 2nd to the Laugh Factory for another great show.
JOIN OUR MAILING LIST FOR WEEKLY EPISODES AND BLOG POSTS AND LINKS TO ALL OF YOUR FAVORITE COMEDIANS SOCIAL SITES, AND GET A FREE COPY OF MY BOOK
STANDUPWORLD
Raanan Hershberg, pound for pound, is truly one of my favorite comedians right now. (No, that’s not a fat joke, I live in a glass house, I don’t throw stones.) The reason I think he’s so great is because he has a solid ten bits, or more, I wish I had written. To me that’s the real test if you really love a comic. Do you wish you could do a lot of their act and get away with it? There’s not a lot of comics with that many bits I covet. Maybe Louis C.K. , maybe Burr, Ricky Gervais. Chris Rock. Chappelle? A few others.
There are a lot of comics who are funny as hell, killing it, selling seats, who make me laugh hard, and are monsters, because they’re monsters on stage. Sebastian is a monster. One of the best performers out there. He has amazing bits, but they’re Sebastian bits. I couldn’t take them and make them work. Very few people other than Sebastian could. I can’t tell you one of Bert Kreischer’s jokes I could make work anywhere near the level Bert pulls them off.
There are fifteen or twenty jokes Ricky Gervais has written that I could win with if it weren’t for the fact this British ass-wipe has beaten me to it and written them first. That to me is the sign of a master. Woody Allen wrote jokes you could easily steal if you were looking to be a genius in a room full of people that didn’t know any better.
That’s the truth though, the combination of great performing and great writing is the difference between good and stellar in stand up comedy, and it’s damn rare. That’s why I think this Raanan Hershberg is pretty amazing. Check out the episode with him on the pod this week,
Fun talk with a major talent.@Raanancomedy Raanan Hershberg. He has a new special out on YOUTUBE BRAVE that is so funny. Love it. Love his stuff. I wish I wrote so much of it. He's next level. Check him out and check out this episode, right here.
He’s got some world class bits. He’s got the best bit there is on transgender bathrooms.
He’s got a perfect bit on Joe Rogan, which actually is a bit on himself and all comics.
He has a great bit on being a liberal,
“I have mixed feelings being a liberal. I was mugged a few years ago here in New York. I was so relieved the guy was white. The cops were like ‘what did he look like?’, I was all smug, ‘Uhm, he was white!’.
He also has a perfect character. Him. A Jewish guy with a lisp, that’s just totally, Raanan 360 degrees. That’s as important as strong material. A top notch character that isn’t a character you’ve made up. One you’ve lived. An authentic comic voice. He has that in thpades. (sorry.)
Truthfully though, he’s coming from a one hundred and ten percent unique place which top comics do. He’s a fantastic performer with wild energy, loads of confidence, and comedic honesty concerning his foibles and his flaws. The final check in the box is that he’s damn prolific. He’s got that thing that the greats have, that Carlin, and Klein, and modern killers like, Sarah Silverman, Patton Oswald, Whitney Cummings have, he can reinvent his hour time and time again and each one seems mostly to be just as good if not better.
BRAVE (YOU TUBE)
If you’re already a fan you know I’m not overselling, if you aren’t, trust me I’m not. This guy really is a lot of fun. He’s way up on a list of the top, about to hit hard, comedians to watch, which includes, Carmen Lynch, Vinny Fasline, Dov Davidoff, Adrienne Iapalucci, Dave Murphy, J.B. Ball, Josh Wolf, Greg Warren, and a few others.
Watch his new special, Brave, his other specials up on his You Tube channel, and the films he’s made. He’s another guy like, Sam Rubinoff, who’s also a filmmaker, out there making smart little films. (*Also with Joe List.)
I love this new world of Stand up. It’s great to see how many strong voices there are. The world needs it. We need to keep laughing.
P.S. Here’s a sharp set he did four years ago on James Corden. I know talk show sets aren’t a big deal anymore, but this is strong and has a lot of the stuff I think that makes him special.
Get tickets to his upcoming shows, and more info on his website.
That’s it, thanks again! Have a great week.
PLEASE SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER TO HEAR MORE ABOUT STANDWORLD, WHAT WE’RE DOING, THE WORLD, THE ART, AND THE CRAFT OF THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF STAND-UP.
