Obsessed: The Podcast

Comedian Robby Hoffman is having a moment. This month alone, she appears in prominent, memorable roles on two critically acclaimed TV shows—‘Hacks’ and ‘Dying for Sex.’ And, as Hoffman reveals in this episode, she is on the verge of some very big announcements regarding the future of a comedy pilot about her life and a high profile stand-up special. Of course, all of this comes after what has become her biggest claim to fame as one half of a queer power couple with reality TV star Gabby Windey, who she secretly married earlier this year. During our conversation, Hoffman breaks down how she went from a Hasidic Jewish family of 10 siblings to the alt-comedy world, why she has rejected the opportunity to perform stand-up on late-night TV, and why she would never follow in her wife’s footsteps to compete on ‘The Traitors.’ Listen to ‘Too Far with Robby Hoffman’ on PatreonFollow Robby Hoffman on Instagram @robbyhoffmanFollow Matt Wilstein on Bluesky @mattwilstein Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘The Daily Show’ has undergone a lot of turmoil in the two and half years since Trevor Noah shocked even his closest colleagues by giving up the host chair. And even Michael Kosta can’t quite believe that he has emerged as one of four rotating hosts—along with Jon Stewart on Monday nights. In his return to the podcast, Kosta talks about his experience taking the reins of the long-running political late-night show every few weeks and how he’s striving to make it more than just a mouthpiece for the #Resistance. Kosta also discusses learning Jon Stewart, the backlash to his recent appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast, and his new memoir ‘Lucky Loser,’ which tells the story of how he went from a semi-successful professional tennis player to achieving his wildest comedy dreams. But Michael Kosta’s ‘Lucky Loser: Adventures in Tennis and Comedy’Follow Michael Kosta on Instagram @michaelkostaFollow Matt Wilstein on Bluesky @mattwilstein Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Riki Lindhome spent her 20s and 30s as one half of the musical comedy duo Garfunkel and Oates. Now that she is solidly in her 40s the comedian is finally going solo with a debut album ‘No Worries if Not,’ which tackles the unique challenges of being a “middle aged” woman, as she put it. In this episode, Lindhome breaks down the process of turning real-life struggles into comedy songs and shares what it has been like to perform music for the first time without her longtime bandmate Kate Micucci. She also talks about the surreal experience of attending ‘SNL50’ as a “plus one” with husband Fred Armisen, the moment in her career where she had to choose between pursuing ‘SNL’ or sticking with Garfunkel and Oates, and how bizarre it was when the first movie she ever appeared in won the Oscar for Best Picture. Follow Riki Lindhome on Instagram @rikilindhomeFollow Matt Wilstein on Bluesky @mattwilstein Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Last Laugh listeners, please enjoy this excerpt from the latest episode of The Daily Beast Podcast! Comedian Amber Ruffin joined hosts Joanna Coles and Samantha Bee to talk about how she planned to pregame for comedy’s toughest gig and least receptive audience, and the challenge of roasting both sides in D.C. Shortly after this interview dropped, the White House Correspondents’ Association fired Ruffin as host of its annual dinner—and now won’t be having a comedian performer at all. Subscribe now to The Daily Beast PodcastFollow Amber Ruffin on Instagram @amberruffinFollow Matt Wilstein on Bluesky @mattwilstein Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political commentator Sam Seder, known for his progressive views and for hosting 'The Majority Report', recounts a surreal debate where he faced off against 20 young Trump supporters. He dives into topics like Social Security, DEI, and the implications of a potential American theocracy. Seder also critiques Governor Gavin Newsom's engagement strategies and shares his journey from Air America to his voice role on 'Bob's Burgers', showcasing the blend of comedy and political commentary in his career.

Andrew Schulz knows that hosting Donald Trump on his Flagrant podcast would make everyone think he’s a “right-wing MAGA lunatic.” But, as he makes clear in this episode, his politics are more complicated than what meets the eye. Schulz, who just put out a surprisingly vulnerable Netflix stand-up special called ‘Life’ about his experience with fertility and fatherhood, opens up in this conversation about the backlash he has received for being part of the Joe Rogan-led podcast manosphere, how he thinks this new Trump era could actually be bad for comedy, why he believes his triumphant set at the ‘Roast of Tom Brady’ marked the night “wokeness died”—and his inspired idea for which “GOAT” Netflix should roast next. We also go deep on his controversial Trump interview, the “Rorschach test” reactions from the two ends of political spectrum, why he declined an invitation to attend Trump’s inauguration, his biggest disappointment in the administration so far, and a lot more. Follow Andrew Schulz on Instagram @andrewschulz and TikTok @theandrewschulz Follow Matt Wilstein on Bluesky @mattwilstein Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There’s a stunning transformation that happens to Edi Patterson when she puts on the aggressively curly haired wig for her character on ‘The Righteous Gemstones.’ “Something different happens to the makeup of my atoms, once I get Judy’s hair on,” Patterson says in this week’s episode. “Because I do really feel like she’s a living person who’s inside of me, and I just get to unleash her and turn it up.” Without the wig, the Groundlings alum is nearly unrecognizable—and her real-life persona is far less unhinged than the sex-crazed evangelical Christian she plays on ‘The Righteous Gemstones,’ which just began its fourth and final season on HBO. Patterson, who also writes for ‘Righteous Gemstones,’ discusses keeping the season premiere’s massive cameo a secret, her alternative casting idea for that episode, getting “weird” with guest star Megan Mullally later in the season, and how Judy and her on-screen siblings—series creator Danny McBride and Adam Devine—have evolved over time. She also looks back on her very brief experience as a writer on ‘Saturday Night Live,’ the shocking line she ad-libbed during her original audition with McBride for their previous show ‘Vice Principals,’ and what it’s really like to improvise opposite Larry David on ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm.’ Follow Edi Patterson on Instagram @edipattersonhiFollow Matt Wilstein on Bluesky @mattwilstein Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod and Threads @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comedian George Wallace has finally become the lead of his own sitcom at 72. And all it took was convincing Norman Lear to reimagine ‘Sanford and Son’ with Laverne Cox as his character’s trans daughter in the TV legend’s final project. In this episode, Wallace talks about everything that went into making his new series ‘Clean Slate’ happen—and what he hopes it teaches the most ignorant members of MAGA nation. The stand-up comedian also looks back at his more than 50 year career in show business, from the racist undertones of his early appearances on Johnny Carson’s ‘Tonight Show’ to his lifelong friendship with Jerry Seinfeld, who he says he still competes with for laughs to this day. The prolific tweeter also takes time to sound off on Elon Musk, who he believes should “go to jail just for creating that Cybertruck.”Follow George Wallace on X @MrGeorgeWallace and Instagram @therealgeorgewallace Follow Matt Wilstein on Bluesky @mattwilstein Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod and Threads @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bruce Vilanch has written monologues for Oscars hosts like Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Martin, Ellen DeGeneres, David Letterman, and more. And in this episode, he not only shares some of his favorite jokes, but also reveals which of the many hosts he worked with over more than two decades gave him the most trouble. As the 97th annual Academy Awards approach this weekend, Vilanch walks through the highs and lows of his illustrious Oscars career, from nearly blowing it his first time out with the disastrous Rob Lowe and Snow White opening, through the game-changing Billy Crystal years, to the Anne Hathaway and James Franco-hosted year that marked the unfortunate end of his long run. Along the way, he also shares some shocking stories about Oscar presenters, including his jaw-dropping theory about the origins of that Richard Gere gerbil rumor—and reveals why he turned down the opportunity to write for the very first season of ‘Saturday Night Live.’ And Vilanch, whose new book ‘It Seemed Like a Bad Idea at the Time’ chronicles his biggest failures as a writer, takes us inside the most infamous bomb of his career: ‘The Star Wars Holiday Special.’ ‘It Seemed Like a Bad Idea at the Time’ on AmazonFollow Matt Wilstein on Bluesky @mattwilstein Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod and Threads @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comedian Rosebud Baker has gone through intense tragedy, grief and addiction in her life. But for her, nothing has been more viscerally “traumatic” than the experience of becoming a mother. Baker—who grew up traditionally conservative as the granddaughter of George H.W. Bush’s secretary of state James Baker—finds a way to turn that trauma into super dark comedy in her new Netflix special ‘The Mother Lode,’ half of which she recorded while pregnant and the other half after giving birth. In this episode, Baker discusses how her political upbringing has influenced her approach to both parenting and comedy and how becoming a mother has only made her more ambitious to succeed as a comedian. She also discusses the unique challenges of her role as “Weekend Update” writer on ‘Saturday Night Live,’ what makes a great joke for Colin Jost and Michael Che, why she thinks her viral comments about ‘SNL’ host Travis Kelce “practicing reading” were misconstrued, and why she’s “dying” to perform at a celebrity roast. Follow Rosebud Baker on Instagram @rosebudbaker and TikTok @rosebudbaker Follow Matt Wilstein on Bluesky @mattwilstein Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod and Threads @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.