Let's Talk About Sets! Episode 056 MORALITY – Roy Wood Jr: “It’s fun to juggle dynamite”
Dec 10, 2019
Roy Wood Jr., Daily Show correspondent and stand-up comic, shares how he researches and builds risky, perspective-driven jokes. He talks about flipping morals for laughs, pacing complex premises, turning confrontation into material, and the roadcraft of testing and organizing sets. Expect stories about courting outrage carefully and creative hacks he used to get ahead.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Pace Complex Premises Slowly
- Slow the setup when the premise is complex so the audience has time to process it.
- Use measured pacing before the punch to make controversial ideas land more reliably.
Developing The 'Pay Cops To Snitch' Bit
- Roy tried an early version of the "pay cops to snitch" bit on stage and developed it into a full premise.
- He escalates the idea into making snitching a glamorous family tradition to flip the stigma.
Money Rewrites Professional Morality
- Money changes loyalty and can reshape moral codes within professions.
- Roy compares cops, teachers, and doctors to show currency often trumps fraternity.
