How To!

How To Be Funny (5th Anniversary Edition)


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How do you learn to tell the perfect joke? In this special edition of How To!, founding host Charles Duhigg joins Courtney and Carvell to mark five years of life-changing advice with a look back at our very first episode. It features a pastor from Oklahoma who wants to spice up his sermons. We introduce him to Gary Gulman, a New York standup comedian who makes jokes about his clinical depression. They workshop the pastor’s new joke about the New Testament, and Gary reveals “what might be the most important rule of being funny.”

Charles Duhigg's favorite episode: How To Stop Being Anxious

Courtney Martin's favorite episode: How To Be Lonely

Carvell Wallace's favorite episode: How To Grieve an Estranged Parent

Do you have a problem that needs solving? Send us a note at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Subscribe for free on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen. 


How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer. The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis and Sara McCrae.


Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus.

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