Talking Comedy and Politics with Former Obama Speechwriter David Litt

Not many people can claim that they landed their first post-college job as a 24-year-old speechwriter and joke writer for the President of the United States, which is just part of what makes David Litt’s new book Thanks, Obama: My Hopey, Changey White House Years, out today, so fascinating. Now head writer at Funny or Die’s new DC […]

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Open Mike Eagle on His Latest Album and Upcoming Comedy Central Show ‘The New Negroes’

Open Mike Eagle wants to expand the world’s concept of blackness. As a rapper who has earned critical and cult accolades with his self-described Art Rap, he’s mastered the craft of not fitting into any pre-established outlines of what a hip-hop artist “should” be. His newest album Brick Body Kids Still Daydream is a perfect […]

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The Gospel of Yamaneika Saunders

Growing up in the church, Yamaneika Saunders was told by others that she had a calling. “When I was growing up people would single me out and say that I would be a preacher. I had no idea how to be a preacher, nor did I want to be. Maybe the gift that they saw […]

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How a Three-Year Goal Led to Chris Redd’s Comedy Central Standup Debut

Comedy Central’s half hours are back this week, rebranded as Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents. The first in this season’s lineup of emerging comics is Chicago native Chris Redd. Redd got his start over eight years ago by simultaneously taking on improv, sketch, and standup. Since then he’s used his combined skills on the stage and […]

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Pamela Adlon on ‘Better Things’ and the Power of Staying Personal

From Louie to Californication to King of the Hill to her critically acclaimed FX series Better Things, Pamela Adlon has been expertly casting a wide net as an actor, writer, director, and producer. “People have a Where’s Waldo thing with me because of all the weird shit I’ve done. There’s something for everybody.” All the […]

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Talking True Crime Satire with ‘American Vandal’ Showrunner Dan Lagana

From Serial to binge-demanding TV series like The Jinx and Making a Murderer, the true crime doc format has become a national phenomenon that immediately sucks us in and then spits us out eight hours later with endless debates about whodunit. Though these are serious topics that would often demand a fictionalized version, it wouldn’t […]

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Meet Donwill, the Indie Hip-Hop Star Cultivating His Own Space in Comedy

Hip-hop indie star-turned-MC comedic DJ, Donwill, has become a sought-after figure in comedy. One half of the critically acclaimed hip-hop group Tanya Morgan, Donwill made a name for himself in comedy as Wyatt Cenac’s DJ for the widely popular weekly standup show Night Train featured on Seeso and as creator of the “Make Trump Drumpf […]

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Rob Corddry on ‘Ballers,’ His ‘Childrens Hospital’ Spin-Off, and Playing Second Banana

Season 3 of HBO’s Ballers comes to a close in just a few weeks. Rob Corddry, who stars as financial advisor Joe Krutel on the series, has officially “made it.” But this isn’t the first time he’s made it in the course of his career. For Corddry, success in acting has been a series of […]

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Inside Season 4 of ‘You’re the Worst’ with Chris Geere

A common trait shared among successful writers and performers is an awareness that everything they have worked for could be gone in an instant. Chris Geere spent years building his career, acting in the Royal Shakespeare Company and eventually landing a lead role in FXX’s You’re The Worst, which now enters its fourth season. It’s […]

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Getting ‘Too Real’ with Marc Maron

“I can’t take it.” Those are the opening words of Marc Maron’s new special Too Real, which premieres today on Netflix. True to his cantankerous brand of humor, there’s a lot that he can’t take. But as he ages, there’s even more that he’s learning to come to terms with because, as he puts it, […]

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