Josh Johnson On Timelessness, Topicality, Greedy Thinking & New Beginnings

Josh Johnson On Timelessness, Topicality, Greedy Thinking & New Beginnings

Comedian Josh Johnson joins Matt Grobar to discuss Symphony, his first HBO special, and how it represents the beginning of a new creative chapter, reflecting his longtime interest in juxtaposing music and comedy in his work, and his interest in crafting timeless art. As someone who has built something genuinely singular in comedy — pairing the mainstream credibility of work on The Daily Show with a massive YouTube viewership built on the back of weekly, hour-long topical sets — he delves into his creative process and how he keeps the machine running. Elsewhere, he discusses community building, scalpers, Ticketmaster, how the attention economy has become its own gatekeeper, why he refuses to think greedy, and the philosophy at the heart of his output: if you're in the world, you must be worth the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Eric André Talks Jackie Chan, Mob-Run Stand-Up Venues, New Netflix Comedy Little Brother

Eric André joins Comedy Means Business to discuss the making of his new Netflix comedy Little Brother —which he describes as What About Bob? meets Parasite — and the discipline with which he’s cultivated his singular brand of raunchy chaos, on and offscreen. In conversation with Matt Grobar, he also delves into mob-run comedy venues, his punk rock ethos, his admiration of Jackie Chan and new album Film Scores for Films That Don’t Exist, late night’s evolution, getting concussed by Little Brother co-star John Cena, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Sarah Sherman Talks Maximalist HBO Special, Awkward SNL Dynamics, Bombing Like Oppenheimer

Sarah Sherman joins Comedy Means Business to discuss the crafting of her gonzo, body-horror variety hour, Sarah Squirm: Live and in the Flesh (HBO), and the building of one of the most singular brands of anyone at SNL. We get into the craft and cost of making a tactile, visually ambitious hour, the challenge of scaling weirdness without sanding off its edges, and what it takes to tour material this production-heavy. Sherman also reflects on her path to 30 Rock from Chicago’s underground alt-comedy scene, her steep learning curve at SNL, and how she’s thinking about the future of her career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Inside Ben Gleib’s At-Home YouTube Late-Night Show

As traditional late-night contracts under the weight of collapsing linear economics, Ben Gleib is making a bet on what comes next. In this episode of Comedy Means Business, the comedian, host, and entrepreneur breaks down the launch of Good Night with Ben Gleib, a late-night show built natively for YouTube — which he’s taping at his house. He reflects on what YouTube offers that network TV can’t, and how he’s thinking about everything from guests and episode cadence to monetization and platform risk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Atsuko Okatsuka On Emulating Lucille Ball, Embracing Inner Weirdo

Atsuko Okatsuka joins host Matt Grobar to discuss her latest special, Father, and the long journey toward trusting what she had to offer as a stand-up. She also talks growing up undocumented in Los Angeles, learning stand-up in a class off Craigslist, performing at the ocean and to the trees in her backyard, her appreciation of recent performances from Justin Bieber that prove “it’s ok to go small,” and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]