Good One

Back in Season 2, Jesse got to speak with actor, writer, and director Taika Waititi about his remarkably comedic take on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor: Ragnarok. The interview touches on Taika's New Zealand style of comedy, and how he approached changing a historically serious protagonist like Thor into the goofy, muscly, laugh-inducing character that he is in Ragnarok. Jesse and Taika talk pre and post production, as well as what role improvisation takes on set. Also included: eggs. Follow Taika on Twitter and see Jojo Rabbit while it's still in theaters. This episode originally aired on November 5th, 2017. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 2017, Jesse recorded a live episode of Good One with Roy Wood Jr. at the Just For Laughs Festival in Toronto. The bit that they discussed was "Black Patriotism?", from Roy's 2017 special Father Figure. Roy reveals the staggering amount of live comedy he watches in order to ensure his material is truly his own. He's a brilliant comedic strategist who understands that for a joke to truly be funny, it needs to be funny everywhere--even in front of the people it pokes fun at. Also included: Roy recounts working with Ron Jeremy. Watch Roy's latest special No One Loves You on Comedy Central. Follow Roy on Twitter. This episode originally aired on November 19, 2017. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tig Notaro has been one of the most requested Good One guests, so we're replaying our interview with her from Season 1. Tig and Jesse talk at her house about her breakthrough Taylor Dayne joke, in which Tig chronicles her various run-ins with singer/songwriter/actress Taylor Dayne. We walk through a few different performances of the joke, specifically from her album Good One (ha), her appearance on Conan, and a small, little-known indie podcast called This American Life. What was originally a 30 minute joke was whittled down to half that length for the album, with various encounters with Taylor Dayne (all of them true) shuffled in and out. Also included: Tig presses Jesse regarding the cuteness of her children. Follow Tig on Instagram. This episode originally aired on March 19, 2017. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Jesse's first "holy shit, I'm interviewing this person" interview, "Weird Al" Yankovic explains what went into his song "Word Crimes" from his 2014 album Mandatory Fun. Based on Robin Thicke's multiplatinum, misogynistic club theme "Blurred Lines", Al's parody goes the educational route and confronts the multitude of offenses committed against proper grammar and syntax. In true Good One fashion, Jesse breaks down "Word Crimes" to the syllable, having Al walk him through brainstorming the concept, navigating communication with Thicke's camp, and ultimately recording and releasing the parody. Also included: all of the parody ideas Al went through before landing on "Word Crimes". Follow Al on Twitter. Listen to "Weird Al" wherever you get music.Apple MusicSpotifyGoogle Play This episode originally aired on March 5, 2017. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Haven't bothered to check out the Good One back catalogue yet? Well, don't worry. We're digging out the classics to bring to you while you wait for our next season. In this proto-episode of Good One, hear the interview with Jerry Seinfeld that inspired this whole show. Recorded live at Vulturefest in 2015, Jesse was given the opportunity to interview Jerry in front of a live audience. The conversation is based around a clip from Jerry's series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (now on Netflix), but quickly branches out to include Jerry's history with his Seinfeld costars, his past and present material, and even the his feelings on filming a new special--something that wouldn't happen until two years later in 2017. Also included: Jerry really, really doesn't want to use a mic for Q&A. Follow Jerry on Twitter. This episode originally aired on May 14, 2017. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the Season 6 finale of Good One, we finally deconstruct the legendary joke "The Aristocrats" with the help of its most infamous teller, Gilbert Gottfried. This one's marked explicit for a reason, folks. You'll hear Gilbert's personal history with the joke, along with his retelling of his set the night of the Hugh Hefner roast, where he launched this joke into the public eye. Jesse asks Gilbert about the evolution of his onstage persona and his relationship with audiences. Also included: Jesse's Bubbe's favorite joke, and Gilbert's shortest version of "The Aristocrats". Follow Gilbert on Twitter and listen to Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast wherever you listen to your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nate Bargatze is one of the the few comedians whose funniness Jesse couldn't fully put his finger on. He wrote about Nate's Dead Horse joke in April 2018 after Nate performed a shortened version of it on Jimmy Fallon. It was an atypical joke for late night not only because of the length of the joke, but because it was a story about an actual dead horse. But Nate pulled it off, and he pulled it off again in his 2019 Netflix special The Tennessee Kid. Nate talks to Jesse about how he balances punchlines with a conversational joke-telling style, and what actually happened to make him want to turn a dead horse into a joke. They also touch on Nate's father being a clown and magician, and how that upbringing gave Nate the specific ability to make extraordinary and fantastic parts of life seem...regular. Also included: Nate's best heckler. Follow Nate on Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Whitney Cummings, a stand-up comedian and creator of the Netflix special Can I Touch It?, shares her insights on navigating sensitive topics like #MeToo and feminism in comedy. She discusses her intense writing process, which includes extensive research and feedback from peers. Whitney explores the evolution of feminist language and the importance of distinguishing true empowerment from entitlement. She also emphasizes the need for comedians to adapt their material thoughtfully in today's social media landscape.

Danny McBride walks Jesse through the opening scene of his new HBO series The Righteous Gemstones. Along the way, they also touch on the first scenes of his other series and films, including Eastbound & Down, The Foot Fist Way, and Vice Principals. Danny talks about where he wanted to go after Vice Principals ended, as well as the research that went into creating a show about Christian megachurches and superstar preachers. Jesse also asks Danny about how he constructs his antiheroes, and the different ways he utilizes the writers rooms on each of his projects. Also included: dick symbolism. The Righteous Gemstones premieres August 18th on HBO. Follow Danny on Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we're looking at the greatest joke of all: death. More specifically, the twenty-two deaths that occur over the course of the Netflix series Russian Doll. Jesse talks to Leslye Headland, the show's co-creator, writer and director, about the protagonist Nadia's (Natasha Lyonne) journey episode-by-episode, and the significance behind each death she experiences. The show uses death to explore overcoming trauma and self-destructive behaviors under a deeply dark yet comedic veil. Just a heads-up, this episode's going to spoil the entire plot of the show. So if you haven't seen it yet, we're recommending you go watch the show now. Also included: Natasha Lyonne says "cockroach" funny. Follow Leslye on social media. You can watch Vulture's supercut of all of Russian Doll's death scenes here. Watch Russian Doll on Netflix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices