The Other Side

The search for the funniest president continues! Richard Nixon wasn't a cut-up, but few people inspired more laughs. Does he deserve a shot at the title?

This week's guest is Patric Verrone, a writer/producer for "Futurama," the TV show that made Nixon's head the president of Earth. We're talking about Nixon's second life as a cartoon, the qualities that made Nixon such an easy target, and Nixon's role in changing the very nature of presidential humor. To quote Zapp Brannigan, "Baby, it'll blow your mind."

PLUS: Patric's  amazing presidential hobby!

Music: Hail Columbia, "California Here I Come" by Eddie Condon and His Band, "An Orange Grove in California" by the Golden Gate Orchestra

At one point, Ms. Pat was a drug-dealing teen mother of two. Now she's a nationally touring comedian, and her amazing real life stories are the foundation of her act. A few weeks before she headlines the DC Improv for the first time (February 18-21) she calls in to introduce herself and explain how she turned her life around.

Our 17th president had a tough act to follow, and let's just say he didn't exactly crush it.

The quest for the funniest POTUS continues with a look at Andrew Johnson, a man who overcame crippling poverty to become ... well, the first impeached president. Did Johnson laugh in the face of adversity? Did his humor (or lack thereof) help or hurt him during his presidency? And should he get credit for one of the funniest ceremonies in American political history?

Our expert is David O. Stewart, the author of "Impeached" (and several other excellent books). A former constitutional lawyer, David has studied the impeachment saga from several angles -- including the ways that Johnson's personality affected his relationships and inspired his enemies.

Music: "Hail Columbia," "Tennessee Twilight" by the Eddie Condon Orchestra, "Johnson Rag" by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra

"This is a guy who's exceptionally smart and exceptionally confident ..." But is he funny?

The quest to find the funniest president continues with James "Father of the Constitution" Madison! Christian Cotz, the director of education and visitor engagement at Montpelier -- Madison's awesome home in Orange County, Virginia -- helps us answer all the big questions. Could Madison work a room? Was he a straight man for Dolley? And did he ever get tired of the short jokes?

It's a fun and fascinating look at possibly the most important figure in the shaping of the America we know and love.

Music: Hail Columbia, "State and Madison" by Joe Herlihy and his Orchestra, "Dolly Mine" by Luis Russell's Hot Six

The quest to find the funniest president continues! This week, we're traveling to Fredericksburg to talk about president No. 5, James Monroe.

Our guide is Daniel Preston of the University of Mary Washington -- the man in charge of editing Monroe's papers. We're talking about JM's personality, "public personas" in the 19th century, and how exactly you can get to know a guy who's been dead for 185 years. 

For more on Dan and Mary Washington:

Next week: We head to the OC to chat about James Madison! This series is made possible by Telegraph Giraffe.

MUSIC: I'm Comin' Virginia (Frankie Trumbauer and his Orchestra), Wintergreen for President (Hal Kemp and his Orchestra), Hail Columbia

John Heffron (headlining January 14-17) is a great stand-up, but did you know that he's also an R&B music mogul in his spare time? In the summer of 2015, he wrote and released "Let's Have a Date Night" -- with vocals by DC's own Elan Noelle. And now we're all gonna learn how to become DIY record producers. A very fun chat for our first headliner interview of 2016.

In 2016, America chooses its next president - and the DC Improv chooses the funniest president of all time.

For our debut, speechwriter and humorist Mark Katz helps us look at Bill Clinton. Mark was the writer / editor / coordinator for Clinton's speeches at the "Silly Season" dinners: the White House Correspondents Association, the Gridiron Club, and so forth. His memoir about those years, "Clinton and Me," has fantastic insights into Clinton's personality, the art of speechwriting and humor in general.

More on Mark Katz:

This podcast is made possible by Telegraph Giraffe. Next week: Dan Preston of Mary Washington helps us with James Monroe.

MUSIC:

Finesse Mitchell is making his DC Improv debut this weekend (December 18-20), and we've got him on the latest episode of The Other Side.

We're talking about his new project with JJ Abrams and Cameron Crowe, his connection with Donald Trump, playing football at the University of Miami, his Atlanta roots and more. Get to know our newest headliner in this jam-packed interview!

Adam is back to headline the club December 10-13! He stops in before his Thursday show to chat about the holidays in an Italian home, the new season of "Top Gear," how his wife helps him refine material and lots more. Enjoy the conversation, then come out to see Adam on our stage.

Two fun interviews this week! First up, Adam Ferrara of "Top Gear" chats about comedy, history and some of his inspirations. Adam headlines the Improv December 10-13.

Then Sarah Fraser and Samy K stop in to tell us about the new Hey Frase podcast, which is recording on stage at the DC Improv. We talk about the big plans for their new project, their ties to the comedy world and the secret to being a high-energy media personality. Check 'em out at heyfrase.com.