Tight Five

My guest is former Late Show writer Jen Spyra (@jenspyra). Jen is so funny and in addition to The Late Show, has written for The New Yorker, McSweeney’s and The Onion. She also has a new short story collection coming out on Tuesday, March 16th called Big Time. We talk about how she got her start in comedy through improv, the reasons to pursue a graduate degree in the arts, what it was like writing for The Onion and Colbert, and her process for writing her book. Go buy Big Time on Amazon!

I talk with Naima Pearce (@naimapearce) about her unconventional path to comedy, starting out working in cable news. This is hands down one of my favorite episodes. It was so fascinating to hear Naima talk about the frustrations and flaws of cable news and how she's able to satirize them at Tooning Out The News. We talk about how she slowly made her way over to comedy, working on shows like Patriot Act as a researcher before getting to her current job. We talk about the behind-the-scenes of TOTN and some of the most memorable moments during her time there. 

I talk with Jocelyn (@jocelynrichard) about her first internship in late night at Craig Ferguson, how she got her foot in the door at The Onion, what she learned at The Onion and advice on packets. We also talked about her many incredible professional experiences working @midnight and often being paired with Tiffany Haddish and Doug Benson, what it was like working with Sarah Silverman, and working with her comedy hero David Letterman.

I talk with clickhole editor Steve Etheridge (@stetheridge). We talk about how he got his start in comedy freelancing as a high school student, how he got his foot in the door at The Onion, and how he got started at Clickhole. Steve talks about how the site has evolved over the years, how they've gone about covering politics in the Trump era, and how Clickhole has changed after being bought by Cards Against Humanity. 

I talk to Moss Perricone (IG @mossperricone) about his time working on Patriot Act. We talk about how he got his job on Patriot Act, his favorite memories from the show, working with Hasan Minhaj, favorite bits that never made it to air, and what it was like when the show was cancelled. He also talks about working on the Beavis and Butthead reboot and general advice on how to break into the comedy industry. 

I talk with senior Onion writer Matt Spina about his academic background in history, how he got started in comedy, practicing writing in The Onion's voice, covering Trump, some of his favorite headlines, and what he's learned throughout his years at The Onion. Follow him on twitter @MR_spina. 

I talk to Grace Perry, a super hilarious satire writer and author. I talk with Grace about her love of 30 rock, how she got started in comedy, freelancing for satire sites, writing about identity, and what she learned writing her very first book. Follow her on twitter @perryjetaime.

Follow the podcast on twitter @tight5comedypod and on Instagram @tightfivecomedypodcast. 

I talk with Liz Anderson about her time working on the Howard Stern show and how she got her start in comedy in the Chicago comedy scene. Liz talks about the importance of making connections when trying to pursue a career in comedy. We also talk about her time in The Onion writers room and her work at Jackbox Games. 

I talk with Shelby Enlow about how she got her start in comedy through improv, navigating the voice of satirical publications like Reductress and Clickhole, and her time working as an assistant on shows like The Good Place and Sunnyside. 

I talk with Maureen Monahan about her time working at the animated satirical show Tooning Out The News. She talks about what it was like developing the characters of the animated news anchors who host the show, what it was like to interview prominent guests like Rudy Giuliani, and the challenges of tackling Trump and COVID. She talks about her time working at The Onion and headlines she wrote that drew the attention of famous people like Clay Aiken and even Monica Lewinsky.  We also discuss how she started out in comedy at Second City and her sketch duo Spooky Dooky, which she performs in with Claire McFadden.