Paula Poundstone may have essentially invented “crowd work,” as the process of turning conversations with members of an audience into comedy is known today. But she still hates the term. “If I’m  walking down the street and I say hi to somebody, is that street work?” she asks. In this episode, Poundstone opens up about her unlikely path to becoming a comedy icon in the 1980s and ‘90s and how it all nearly came crashing down after her arrest in 2001. She also reflects on her frosty relationship with Johnny Carson, reveals what her own early brush with “cancel culture” made her think about second chances and a lot more. 
Follow Paula Poundstone on Twitter @paulapoundstone and Instagram @paulapoundstone Follow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilstein Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod
Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast 
 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paula Poundstone: Stand-Up Legend

Welcome to ‘The Last Laugh’: Real conversations with really funny people. Every Wednesday, The Daily Beast’s Matt Wilstein interviews some of the biggest names in comedy—as well as the new voices crashing the party—about what it’s like to make people laugh during this current cultural and political moment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

TV & Film

Comedy

Comedy Interviews

The massive, sprawling Netflix Is a Joke Festival kicks off in Los Angeles today and host Matt Wilstein is joined by The Daily Beast’s Allegra Frank and Sean L. McCarthy to preview what comedy fans can expect—including a starry roast of Tom Brady, a live Katt Williams stand-up special, a John Mulaney-hosted late-night show and a lot more. They also delve into how Netflix came to dominate the streaming comedy world—for better and, occasionally, for worse. 
Come to a live taping of The Last Laugh podcast with special guest Mae Martin at Netflix Is a Joke Fest on May 8.
Follow Matt Wilstein on Threads @mattwilstein Follow Allegra Frank on Twitter @LegsFrank Follow Sean L. McCarthy on Instagram @thecomicscomic Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod and Threads @lastlaughpod
Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast 
 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Netflix Is a Joke Fest + The State of Stand-Up on Streaming

Laura Benanti has been nominated for five Tony Awards (with one win) and appeared in dozens of TV shows and movies since making her Broadway debut at 19 years old as Maria in ‘The Sound of Music.’ But as the title of her new solo stage show attests, she still reminds herself on a daily basis that ‘Nobody Cares’ about her many accomplishments. In this episode, Benanti talks about mining her most embarrassing life stories for musical comedy in her new show, which returns to the New York stage and premieres on Audible next month. She also reveals how playing Melania Trump on ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ finally made people take her “seriously” as a comedic actress and what she thinks is going through the former first lady’s head as her husband stands trial for paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels.
But first, Matt and Allegra break down Conan O’Brien’s triumphant (or is it?) streaming premiere after his decades-long run on late-night TV with the new travel series ‘Conan O’Brien Must Go’ on Max. 
Come to a live taping of The Last Laugh podcast with special guest Mae Martin at Netflix Is a Joke Fest on May 8.
Get tickets for Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares at Audible.com
Follow Laura Benanti on Instagram @laurabenanti Follow Matt Wilstein on Threads @mattwilstein Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod and Threads @lastlaughpod
Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast 
 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura Benanti Tells All! | Plus: ‘Conan O’Brien Must Go’

Demetri Martin just put out his first new stand-up hour in six years. But when he sits down for this interview with The Last Laugh podcast, he’s about to tape the second of what will be a trilogy of specials for Netflix. It’s quite a comeback moment for the (shockingly) 50-year-old comedian, who has remained mostly out of the spotlight in recent years as provocative, autobiographical stand-up comedy has overtaken the one-liner “joke machine” style that he has been honing for more than half of his life. In this episode, Martin breaks down the meta-concept behind his new ‘Demetri Deconstructed’ special, reveals why he started bringing drawings on stage, shares his take on some of the more concerning comedy trends and a lot more. 
Plus, Matt and Allegra take on the state of ‘Saturday Night Live’ and why this past weekend’s Ryan Gosling-hosted episode was the show at its very best. 
Follow Demetri Martin on Twitter @DemetriMartin and Instagram @demetrimartinofficial Follow Matt Wilstein on Threads @mattwilstein Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod and Threads @lastlaughpod
Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast 
 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Demetri Martin ‘Deconstructed’ | Plus, What’s Up With SNL?

Alex Edelman was having a hectic week before an unexpected earthquake briefly knocked out the internet in his New York apartment just before our podcast taping. “I feel crazy every day,” Edelman admits on the eve of his solo show, ‘Just for Us,’ premiering on HBO. “But also, this is what a comedian wants for his work. I’m very verklempt.” In this episode, the 35-year-old Jewish comic shares the unique challenges of bringing his story about attending a white supremacist meeting in Queens to the stage and screen, including the sudden death of his director just before opening on Broadway and how performing a show about antisemitism changed after October 7th. Edelman also discusses the surreal experience of getting notes from comedy heroes like Steve Martin, Jerry Seinfeld and Billy Crystal, tells a story about the time he baffled Mel Brooks by calling him “woke” to his face, and teases his next stand-up hour on the Israel-Gaza war. 
But first, Matt and Allegra break down the series finale of ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm,’ including an unsentimental goodbye to Richard Lewis and a surprising twist on the infamous ‘Seinfeld’ ending.
Follow Alex Edelman on Twitter @alexedelman and Instagram @alexedelman Follow Matt Wilstein on Threads @mattwilstein Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod and Threads @lastlaughpod
Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alex Edelman on ‘Just for Us’ | Plus, ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ Series Finale!

It’s been six years since W. Kamau Bell’s last special ‘Private School Negro’ premiered on Netflix. And after hosting CNN’s ‘United Shades of America’ for seven seasons and directing two hit documentaries, he’s not totally sure that he should still be considered a stand-up comedian. In his third appearance on the podcast—taped in-studio in his native Oakland—Bell speaks frankly about his ambivalence around pursuing the life of a comic right now and why he keeps finding himself on stage, especially as the 2024 election heats up. Bell discusses comedy’s role in the Biden vs. Trump rematch, why comedians like Joe Rogan have embraced third-party spoiler RFK Jr., the fallout from his ‘We Need to Talk About Cosby’ docuseries and a lot more. 
But first, The Daily Beast’s Allegra Frank joins host Matt Wilstein to answer some burning questions about the first episode of ‘Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show.’ How real is it? Is the identity of the anonymous masked man supposed to be so obvious? And why do we find this deeply sad show so funny? 
Follow W. Kamau Bell on Twitter @wkamaubell and Instagram @wkamaubell Follow Matt Wilstein on Threads @mattwilstein Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod and Threads @lastlaughpod
Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast 
 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paula Poundstone: Stand-Up Legend

Download our free app to listen on your phone