The Daily Show: Ears Edition - The Stand-Up & Late-Night Connection: Daily Show Writers Roundtable | Behind the Show

Episode Date: June 24, 2024

TDS Correspondent Josh Johnson chats with writers Kat Radley and David Angelo about writing for The Daily Show as stand-up comics. They discuss what it’s like adjusting to a topical late night show ...compared to writing and performing for themselves onstage, as well as their approach to pitching jokes in the writer’s room and writing for different guest hosts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey everybody, John Stewart here. I am here to tell you about my new podcast, the weekly show. It's going to be coming out every Thursday. So exciting. You'll be saying to yourself, TGID. Thank God it's Thursday. We're going to be talking about all the things that hopefully obsess you in the same way that they obsess me. The election. Economics. Earnings calls. What are they talking about on these earnings calls? We're going to be talking about ingredient to bread ratio on sandwiches. And I know that I listed that fourth, but in importance it's probably second. I know you have a lot of options as far as podcasts go, but how many of them come out on Thursday?
Starting point is 00:00:50 I mean, talk about innovative. Listen to the weekly show with John Stewart, wherever you get your podcast. You're listening to Comedy Central. I'm Josh Johnson, correspondent for the Daily Show. I'm here with Cat Radley and David Angelo, writers for the Daily Show. Hello and wrenthear's show. We're also all stand-up comedian. So, I'm Josh Johnson, correspondent for the Daily Show. I'm here with Kat Radley and David Angelo, writers for the Daily Show.
Starting point is 00:01:23 So today we're going to be talking about to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be writing to to be writing to to to to to be writing to to come to come to come to come the the to come to come to come to co, to come to come to the to come to come to come to come to come to come to come to come, the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the Daily Show. We're also all stand comedians. So today we're going to be talking about writing for the Daily Show as stand-up comics and let's get into it. Thanks for having us, Josh. Really great to be here. And thanks everyone at home for listening and those of you in the car, eyes on the road. Yeah. People in New York, a car is what your Uber is for the the person who owns it. That thing you sit in the back the back the back the back the back the back the back the back the back the back the back the back the back. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. to. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. I. I. I. I. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. the. the. the the person who owns it. It's a thing you sit in the back of. Yeah. So I guess starting off, we all started when Trevor was here. So what do you think the biggest adjustment was for each of us having done stand-up to a late-night show like this? Well for me it was my first writers' room before that I was teaching, tutoring, driving, lift, Uber, all that random
Starting point is 00:02:05 stuff. I was just like pumped to be in a writer's room and then talking to people like you had been in other writers room, you guys were like, this one's great. So for me, I was excited to have my job be writing, writing, thrown thea to thea. thee tha-o'l-in' th. th. th. thr-in, thr-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-s, thr-s, thr-n-n-n-n-n-n-a. thr-a-n-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-n-n-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, thr-a-a-a-a-n't-n't-n't-n't-n't-n't-n't-n't-nate-nate-nate-nate-nate-nate-nate-na-s. thauuuuuua-na-na-na-na-auaua-auauaua-aua-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-na in doing stand-up, you're trying to like squeeze in the joke writing whenever you can and it just felt pretty awesome just be like I get to write jokes all day. Like that's what I am supposed to do. This is it top to bottom. So it was I was pumped. It was great. What about you David? Well you know I came from some other shows we both worked at Jimmy Fallon at different times. A lot of the other shows I worked at, they would get canceled before they started airing. Which I don't know, like if you get an e-talk show, do you remember the channel E-exclamation point? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:02:53 They would keep bringing me in and be like, we got a new talk show. I'm like, okay, okay, what is it this time? It's like, it's going to be th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. Like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, if you, if you, if you you. Like, if you you. Like, if you you. Like, if you you. Like, if you you. Like, if you you th. Like, if you th there for three weeks and then before the first episode they'd be like, okay, guys, you did great work, we're canceling this, we're gonna air those three episodes you're working on and then it was just kind of that kind of cycle. So this is one of just like, this is absolutely getting canceled. Like the new ones. It's impossible. Yeah, there's no way this will last more than six weeks. Yeah, I mean when I started, I got hired by Trevor and coming from stand-up, I had hoped it would be a little
Starting point is 00:03:37 bit similar because I knew Duolse already and I feel like there was one other person I knew before I got here. And they were kind of talking about how. Yeah, yeah, it. Yeah, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it's th, it's th, it's th, they, th, th, there's there's there's, there's, there's, there's, there's, there's, there, there's, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, there, the their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their their their their their their the, their there's the is no the, there's no there's no there's no there's no there's no there's there's there's there's there's there was one other person I knew before I got here and they were kind of talking about how, yeah, you just sort of pitch to the room and everything and pitch everything out loud and there'll be a time to just write later but you mostly pitch in the room which I remember I was terrified by because I was like yeah I'm gonna pitch a joke it's gonna bomb and then everyone will be like, yeah, I'm going to pitch a joke. It's going to bomb. And then everyone will be like, all right, we gave the new guy a chance. I do remember, because it's for people don't know, you know, we have a big morning meeting, first thing in the morning.
Starting point is 00:04:14 And we're encouraged to just, you know, we watched clips the to. We're supposed to kind of pitch any to kind of to kind of any to kind of any the idea, to kind of to pitch any the idea, to pitch, their, to pitch, to pitch, their, to pitch, their, their, to kind of, their, their, to kind of, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their flowing, figure out what the show might be. And I remember I was also scared my first day, Josh, because I just had no idea what to expect. And Joubin Perang, our head writer at the time now, one of the producers, I remember he was one who like met me at the beginning of the day and gave me a tour of the building and stuff before the workday started. And he told me something that I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I that I the the the their their their their their told me told me something. told me something. told me something. told me something. told me something. told me something. told me told me something. their their told me told me tolde, their their their their their their their their told. their tolde, their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their told. And I was told. And I was told. And I was told. And I was told. And told. And tolde, tolde, tolde, tolde, tolde, tolde, tolde, their told to this day and I tell other new writers in case they don't hear it, but he was like pitch jokes in the room, be vocal, Trevor loves just hearing people's ideas and he was like, don't be afraid to bomb, that's okay. We'd rather you pitch and say something and boar, then sit there quietly. And I believed he meant it, so I took it and I, but it helped me because I, he, he to be meant, the the the they...... they. they. to to to be told, told, told, told, told, told, told, told, told, told, told, told, told, toe, toe, toe, told, told, toe, to to be, to be to be to be, to be, told, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to be, to be, to be, to, to, to be, the, the, the, the, they.... they. they. they. they. they. they. their, their, toe, toe, toe, toe, toe, toe, toe, toe, toe, toe, toe, toe, toe, toe, toe, toe, toe, to. to, sometimes you pitch and it goes nowhere. But it helped me because I still believe it to this day jubin, so hopefully you still mean it.
Starting point is 00:05:09 But it was good for me because I was like, okay, good. I won't be afraid and I really kind of forced. And I really kind of forced, I'd really kind of to try to to their tea. I had an idea to throw it out out out out out a blood test after this. Yeah. I don't know what he didn't. Yeah, no, I remember my first laugh in the room. And it was because there was an election happening in a country that has like elections, right? That doesn't really have them. And so the police ran into the polling station and just started beating everybody. And I was like, they did hit a lot of people without asking who the the the the the polling station and just started beating everybody. And I was like, they did hit a lot of people without asking who they were voting for.
Starting point is 00:05:49 They could have been voting the right way, you know what I mean? And I remember from like Trevor and everyone laughing at that, I was like, oh, okay, this is kind of like when you are just riffing with your friends in the green room. It's in that same vein where nothing's going to make people be like you should leave, you know? Yeah, no one's going to like boo you if you tell a bad joke too. And sometimes your joke will lead to someone else thinking of the better joke. So it's all about the riffing or what terrible thing you might say will inspire the good thing and someone else.
Starting point is 00:06:18 Yeah. I guess I just never cared if a joke didn't do well. Yeah. As you will hear throughout the length of this episode, people at home, for some reason I did, that's not my fear. Yeah, yeah. I don't know why. Maybe it should be. Cat, you had a joke yesterday that killed me. Oh, in the morning when we were going over that story of the Turks and Cacos. Oh, yeah. It might be on the show tonight, but we could, I mean, we's, we don't, we don't, we don't, we don't, we don't, we don't, we don't, we don't, we don't, we don't, we don't, we don't, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, the the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. that, th. th. that's, that, that, that, that, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that, that, th. th show tonight, but we could, I mean... No, no, I mean, we don't, we don't have to say it now. And I didn't want to do it poorly in front of you, but I just wanted to shout out that that was very, I thought about it the rest of the day. Oh, well, thanks. We can tell them the show will have aired by now, and you guys will know if the show luggage that they didn't know, which is illegal, Turks and Kekos, and they can get 12 years, and they can get 12 years, and they're try,
Starting point is 00:07:06 like America's trying to get these Americans out and not serving 12 years of prison in Turks and Kekos. The joke was just something like, I can imagine trying to call to get the prisoners out and you're like, hey, Turks, you're to to tak, to release, to release, to release, to release, to release, to release, to release, to release, to release, to release, to release, to release, to release, to release, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, t. to Kekos. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And if this were up to me, I'd have those Americans back in a second. It just takes one simple phone call. Hey, Turks, hey, can you release the prisoners, please? No? All right, let me talk to Kekos. And it's funny, you say that because it was a joke, you know, like,
Starting point is 00:07:40 we'll think of a joke right after we've moved on. And you're like, I can't go back and dig up this story that we've already moved on from. But it was, sometimes if you have a joke, you're like, I want to to tho. tho, though, so it was a very end of the meeting, they were about have been like, well I'm glad I prolonged this meeting for this. Yeah, yeah. It also, there's a nice little like boom in the room and you can tell everyone is laughing at your joke when you when you pitch it and every once a while I'll have the like, uh-huh, you know what I mean? Like the breath and then there's a difference between like the breath and like the boom of like everyone at once being like that is funny I like that. I think we all three have good hit rates like a lot of us will pitch a joke in the morning meeting that gets a big laugh or I have a good hit rate at calling out my own bad jokes. Which also is great for a laugh. Yeah sometimes I'll pitch something I know it'll say anything I'll be like y'all are right. Y' all are right. I thi all that's I that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's th. Yeah, th. Yeah, th. Yeah, th. I have th. I have th. I have th. I'll th. I'll th. I'll th. I'll th. I'll th. I'll th. I'll th. I'll th. I'll th. I'll th. I'll th. I'll th. I'll th. I'll th. I'll th. I'll th. I'll th. I'll the the th. I'll th. I'll th. I'll th. I'll th. I'll th. I'll th. I'll th. I'll th. I'll th. I'll th. I'll th. I'll th. I'll th th th th th th th th thi thi thi thi thi thee thee the theeeeeee the the the the the the the thi the the the that was y'all are right I think that's where standup comes in because that works in stand-up shows too if you do
Starting point is 00:08:46 something new or something that bombs in a stand-up show yeah just like all right well fuck me I guess or something like that that would usually get a laugh that's kind of a similar skill yeah I mean okay so with with the differences between stand up and working on the show do you feel like like the th. th. th. th. th. th. the th. the th. th. the th. the th. the th. th. the th. th. the th. th. th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to say. I to to to to to to say. I to say. I to to to say I to say. I to to say. I I to to th. I I I to th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm the. I'm the. the. I the. the. I'm to to to to to to to to to to to to to feel like, because I know, I don't almost, I almost don't care as much about when a new joke bombs in stand-up, because I know I'll have like an infinite amount of times to make the joke better and work on it, but when a joke that I really believe at bombs in the room,
Starting point is 00:09:22 I get genuinely upset with myself. I'm like, because there's no, there's no going back and rewording it for new people. We all work together all the time. That was your shot, man. Yeah. So sometimes you've burned the joke by now pitching right. Because you don't always craft it perfectly in your head. The first time you're usually sitting in the meeting kind of thinking it might come to you right away Or sometimes you're gonna like oh I have a joke here
Starting point is 00:09:45 But I don't have the wording rights. I can't say it out loud yet Yeah, yeah, really it's taking a risk and you got to time it Yeah, yeah, because then that's the other thing of like have we moved on or is the is it winding down or? Sometimes someone will not have the joke. I'm the the the the the to to to to to to to to to the the the to the to the to the the the the joke. the joke. the joke. the joke. the joke. to the joke. to to to the joke. their. to to their. the joke. their. their. their. their. their. the word. the word. the word. the word. the word. the word. the word. the word. the word. the word. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. kind of making the same joke. Totally. And I'm like, it's almost better to just let them hang their hat on that one. And then I can pitch mine when we write. Because for anyone listening, basically the way the day works out is that we all have the morning meeting. At the morning meeting we listen and watch different off of all of those news clips in like real time too. Because a lot of times we haven't seen the thing beforehand. Right. And so then after that we usually go and we gang out which is... That's something you got to explain to
Starting point is 00:10:37 people. Yeah. So ganging is basically all of us working on the same set of jokes or the same topic at the same time. So they just call it ganging out an idea or ganging jokes. And throughout the script, we get told, hey, we need a joke for this, we need a joke for this, does anybody have a take for this? And then we are writing that stuff all day. Then we go to rehearsal. is a rewrite and within rewrite, we'll basically do the process over again, keeping all the things from rehearsal that worked and replacing things that we feel like we can beat,
Starting point is 00:11:10 and then you see the show, which is the end product of all that work, minus whatever time the network says we don't have to do these things. And I guess for me, when you look at that whole process, with stand up, it's like, because, because it's, because it's, because it's, because it's, because it's the th, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thin, theeeeeeeeei.aaa, theeeiiiiiiiiiii.a, theeeeee is a thi, thi, you look at that whole process, with stand-up, it's like, because it's like a new group of people every time that don't know how you worded it before, you do get a clean slate. And I feel like, not only is there no clean slate within the day, but it just becomes a harder battle to fight if you really believe in a joke,
Starting point is 00:11:42 and you've botched it once or even twice. What is this joke? Tell us the joke that didn't work. It's so many. Let's work shopping out. You know it's funny because what you're saying is true but it's also like we have a new show every single day and usually the topics are so disposable like, I mean topical. Yeah, it's not like you can like, that didn't work here. It's. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. they. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. tho. their, their, their the their their their their the the joke, the joke, the joke, the joke, the joke, the joke, the joke, the joke, the joke, the joke, the joke, the joke. the joke. the joke. the joke. the joke. the joke. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the their their their their, their thi. thi. thi. thi. toge. telle. telle. telle. telle. telle. tell, telle. telle. tell us, telle. tell us, tell us, tell be like, oh, well, that didn't work here at the show, but I'll go do it in my, like, your Turks and Caicos, it's very hard to go out on the road and be like, did you guys hear about this story? Five months ago with a guy who had bullets in his, you know, you have to explain like the whole thing and they're work, then it's like, okay, well, tomorrow, there'll be like a whole new set of stories. It's not like that traumatic maybe, I guess to me. Yeah, yeah, I mean, well, I wouldn't say traumatic.
Starting point is 00:12:31 It's more just like the frustration of like, I really think something's happening. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Can't you rework it if it's a premise. I. I. I. I. tha. I. tha. tha. tha. tha. tha. tha. tha. tha. tha. tha. tha. tha. tha. tha. trame. I trame. I tra. I tha. I tha. I thra. I tha. I tha. I that. I that that that that that that that that that that that that. I that. I that. I that. I that. I that. I that. I that. I that. I that. I that. I that. I that. I that. I that. I tra. I tra. I tra. I tra. I tra. I tra. I tra. I tha. I tha. I tha. I tha. I try. I wouldn't try. I wouldn't try. I wouldn't try. I wouldn't try. I wouldn't tha. I wouldn't tha. I wouldn up. Because usually one thing you notice when you work in like a topical talk show is like the news just repeats itself. It's like, you know, history is, it's like, there's only like 500 events that ever happen, and then they keep happening over and over again. Yeah. Like, there will be some other person who gets arrested in the Caribbean for something funny. Yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 00:13:06 I think it's more, I had a certain paranoia when I first started of like, oh I really want to like have a good showing of a strong perspective, right? Because in my mind, if I have enough perspective, then it's like, oh, okay, this guy's pretty good, even if he doesn't have the best hit rate or whatever. And so I'm more speaking that's that that that that that that th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th, I'm more, I'm more, I'm more, I'm more, I'm more, I'm more, I'm more, I'm more, I'm more, I think, I think, I think, I think, I think, I think it's more, I think it's thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I's more it's more it's more it's more it's more it's more it's more it's more it's more it's more it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's th, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thin, I thin, I thin, I thin, I have enough perspective, then it's like, oh, okay, this guy's pretty good, even if he doesn't have the best hit rate or whatever. And so I'm more speaking to that sort of thing, which is very old. Like, you know, that's been, I think, the change for me now is that I do miss writing, because I don't know. I also, like, thatheed to be in the writer's wing when I was writing. Now I do feel like I'm bothering y'all. Oh yeah, people need understand, Josh was a writer,
Starting point is 00:13:48 so you didn't see him for a long time. Yeah. And now he's on TV. Yeah. He's in a different, you know, you're in a higher cast system now. I mean, is that the way to say? I'm just in a different office. So, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so. the, so. the, so. the, so. the, so. the, so. the, so. the, so. the, so. the, so. the, so. the, so. the, so. the, so. the, so. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to know it's kind of a bigger deal. He gave his permission to make eye contact
Starting point is 00:14:06 during this I guess. I so now you know you're your higher level higher status but you don't write anymore on the show unless it's for you I guess. Yeah yeah So I'm I'm still will pitch for myself and stuff but I don't know yeah so we used to just write for Trevor and then there was a whole year where we wrote for a th for a th for a th for a th for a th for a th. th. th. th. th. th. th. to th. th. th. to th. the th. to the to to the to th. to to to to th. th. th. th. I the the the th. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. the the the the th. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. I. I. So we used to just write for Trevor and then there was a whole year where we wrote for a bunch of guest hosts and now it's a little bit of a rotation where we have John on Mondays and then we have whichever of the correspondence on the rest of the days of that week. I don't know about y'all but because I started writing for Trevor and then switched over to that guest host year, I actually felt pretty prepared to write for the correspondence in those alternating weeks, but I'm interested in what y'all felt while it was happening. Yeah, I think
Starting point is 00:14:57 what's unique about our show too is we were always writing for Trevor, but we always had correspondence, right? We would do chats or segments, even like, you know, Louis the the the their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their, their, their, their, t. t. t. t. today, tri. And, today, and then, and then, and then, and tod, and tri. And, and t. And, and t. And, and t. And, and t. And, and t. and t. and t. and then, and t. and t. and then, and t., t., t., t., t., t. t. And, t. And, t. And, t. And, t. I, t. I, t. I, t. I, t. I, t. I, te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. today, today, today, today, do chats or segments, even like, you know, Louis Black coming in to do a whole segment in Act 2 sometimes. So I think we all had the skill of being able to switch from one voice to another because we would write for correspondence on any given day in addition to writing for Trevor. And so I feel like that really served us well in the guest hosting era because we all had fine-tune those skills of writing for different voices and not to toot our own horn but I think a lot of the guest hosts even commented like wow you guys are really good to write for me you gave me so many good jokes that I love there for me
Starting point is 00:15:35 they're in my voice and we did it in just that four-day period they were hosting. So I think that's something that we are particularly good at and that I really love doing too, not that I don't love writing for one host but it is kind of fun to challenge yourself, stimulates your joke writing brain a little bit more to adapt the types of jokes you can and can't tell for different people. Yeah, I mean I don't know that like I'm not like a big voice shifter person. I feel like there's, that usually is to me in like a setup or just the wording of whatever the joke is, but I feel like you could package any joke into anyone's voice kind of, at least that's what I'm doing.
Starting point is 00:16:17 Maybe I'm bad. I should be doing something different. No, I think you're right. Yeah, I just kind of, I just kind of, I, kind to kind to kind of, I, kind of, I, the, kind of, to, to, th, the, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, the, th, th, the, I, I, I, I, the, I, I, I, I, the, I, the, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, the, the, the, the, the, the, I, the, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, the, the, the, the, the, the, th, th..... th. th. th. th. th. th. thus, th. th. th. th. thus, th. thus, th. thus, th. I, th. I, Yeah, I just kind of shoehorn it. Like I kind of know like, oh, well, Ronnie would do, he'd be more like upset or something, you know, you have a concept of a joke. You can kind of just like finesse it and like, you know, whatever. To me, it's not that hard. I feel like you've described it perfectly. To me, voice, it's so rare for a comic or really any performer to have a the. And I feel like in all of entertainment
Starting point is 00:16:47 that I've ever watched, of all of stand-up, there's only a few people that I'm like, this on paper I could recognize as this person's joke. I think that most people, their voice, quote unquote, is the funniest joke in the way they want to say it, but I think a lot of people think a voice as only only only only only only only thi thi their thi to to to to to to to their to to to to to to to to told, told, told, their told, told, their told, to to told, to to to to their their told, to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to their their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their their their their their their their their their the the the the the the the the theoooooooooome theoooome to the the to say it, but I think a lot of people think a voice as only this person could tell this joke, which I think is only true of a few people ever. Right, well it might be like, if you had someone like, if Rodney Dangerfield was hosting,
Starting point is 00:17:14 then I'd have to sit down and be like, okay's a show about current events coming out of clips, it's like that's what the jokes are going to be and then the voice is just sort of like, how would this person say it? But that's kind of the less hard part than the joke. Yeah. To a point where it's like I don't even really think about it that much. I think I might just do it naturally if I know who I know who th who I know who I'm only really thinking of jokes I think I imagine them telling and then maybe if I had the same story with a different host I am curious what I come
Starting point is 00:17:49 up with the same joke but in a different way. Because for me I do think of voice a lot like I remember when I was like doing late night packets submitting for stuff and when I submitted for the Daily Show I just like kind of binge trever stand-up specials and binge some episodes at the Daily Show. So it's almost like when you get like a song in your head, I would kind of just have Trevor's voice and rhythm in my head as I was going in to write the packets. I do think of it a lot as like voice and rhythm. At least it helps me to kind of be thinking like that person as I'm trying to write
Starting point is 00:18:19 the person as I'm trying to write for to write for to write for to write for to write for to write for to write for to write to write to write for to write to write to write probably is like I mean yeah we're writing about Turks and Kekos for this person but it could be any person who knows it might end up being the same joke. We're gonna take a quick break we'll be right back. Hey everybody John Stewart here I am here to tell you about my new podcast the weekly show it's gonna be coming out every Thursday. So exciting you'll you'll be saying yourself TGIT. The weekly show, it's going to be coming out every Thursday. So exciting, you'll be saying to yourself, TGID, thank God it's Thursday. We're going to be talking about all the things that hopefully obsess you in the same way that they obsess me. The election. Economics. Earnings calls. What are they talking about on these earnings calls? We're going to be
Starting point is 00:19:05 talking about ingredient to bread ratio on sandwiches. And I know that I listed that fourth, but in importance it's probably second. I know you have a lot of options as far as podcasts go, but how many of them come out on Thursday? I mean, talk about innovative. Listen to the weekly show with John Stewart, wherever you get your podcast. Welcome back. So, Cat, do you think that as you've settled in, because we've all been at the show for years now, do you think that there's anything that you've learned at the show that you brought back
Starting point is 00:19:55 to stand up? I think just knowing that you can write a lot of good jokes in a short amount of time, because I think before I would imagine we probably spent more time living like, oh what is this bit? How do I write it? And now I have the confidence to know like, oh I want to do a joke about that thing that happened to me on Saturday. I can sit down, treat it like an assignment that we would have for work and I can actually like come up with, here's the the punch the thin. And I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. that. that. that. that, I that, I that, I that, throwne, throwne, thr-I the confidence, I their, thr-s, I'm thr-s, I have the confidence, the confidence, the confidence, the confidence, the confidence, the confidence, the confidence, the confidence, the confidence confidence confidence, the confidence, the confidence, the confidence, the confidence, the confidence, the confidence, the confidence, the confidence, thi. thi. thi. thi. thrown. thrown. thrown. thrown. throwne. throwne. throwne. throwne. I throwne. I'm throwne. I'm throwne. I'm throwne, I'm throwne. I'm throwne. I'm thrown, I'm-up and my joke writing ability to be able to produce that content more quickly and kind of being less precious about it, knowing that it's a skill that I have been honing over the past seven years.
Starting point is 00:20:32 Yeah, I think for me, I really did when I start working here, and really it was being around y'all as well, like being around other standups who were writing for the show who were kind of in a way going through the same thing that I was. I feel like what it made me really good at is knowing what to sort of chuck and what to keep like being a little bit more ruthless with what's really worth it and then also just that clarity of like am I even making sense in this joke because if I'm not then no amount of saving myself on stage is going to make up for the fact that the joke actually isn't that funny. Yeah, and just a general work ethic too, you know, like, I mean, being in the show and
Starting point is 00:21:13 it's during the workday right now, I think it's rehearsals happening, I don't know, we've been hanging out. Yeah. I don't know what's going on actually at the show right now. Our phones are blowing up right now they're like, we need you out of the sideboard. What are you talking? Yeah, but I don't know. How about you? How about going from to correspondent?
Starting point is 00:21:34 Now you're on camera. Now you're an on-camera TV person, but you still have to go do, you're still doing club stuff. What's the difference there? I I I I I I I I I the the the the the the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to th. What are th. What are the. What are the. What are the. What are the. What are the. the. the. Wea. thea. the tooooooooooo.a. Wea. to. to. to. toe. toea. toea. What are toe. What's the difference there? I think for me, I definitely now understand why some stuff that I wrote for other people got cut. Because now that I have to say everything, I am like, oh, this is what sounds like what I say it. Like, like, because the joke, just writing, is funny in my head and it'll have a good reaction,
Starting point is 00:22:01 because I am doing it in their in their sort of quote-unquote voice and so I think all of this stuff is going to line up. But there's still a person that has to say this thing and has to deal with people coming for them after they make the joke. Yeah, yeah, and it's like right that that runner about Taylor Swift's a fraud. That's you cut that. That was never. You cut that. Because you said, I don't believe that. You said, I don't believe that. And I thought that was a good choice you made. I appreciate you. I appreciate you. It is fun when you're writing for other people,
Starting point is 00:22:33 you write a joke in your head. You're like, I would never t well. Sometimes there's a perspective that I have that doesn't feel like it'll ring true coming from me, but if I were to write it for Desi or for Dulce back in the day, it made a little bit more sense and I think would have been better received from them, you know what I mean? And so for me, I think that that's the biggest difference, is now having to say every joke that I think of and that is written for me with other writers. And then the other thing is, I really thought that my days would be a little bit lighter
Starting point is 00:23:21 going from writing to correspondent, and they're busier now. Because I think that I, in a weird way, I get to say to say to say to say to say to say to say to say to say to say to say to say to say to say to say to say to say to say to say to say to say to say to say to say to say to say to say to say to say to say to say to say to say that I to say to say, to say, that I to say, that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that the the the their their their their their th. th. th. th. th. thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi their their their their their their their their their that's that's that's that's that that's that that that that that that they're busier now because I think that I in a weird way I get pulled in a couple different directions that I didn't have when I was writing. Yeah. So, Cat, you are a new mom. Which congratulations, I've seen pictures and they are adorable. Thank you and just want to know, he said they because I had fucking twins. Yeah, yeah. I, wow, wow. I mean, the adjustment, both like you coming back after your leave and you doing stand-up again, do you feel like because that's such a world-shifting thing of what's of what's happened
Starting point is 00:24:05 now like it I'm I'm always blown away when people that I know become parents because I'm like I know you before and after one of the biggest things and you don't usually get that with people yeah usually meet them and they're sort of who they are you know the whole And so... Do I seem different? I wouldn't say that you seem different, but there is like, in earnest, there really is like, it's a slightly different presence that you have and there's a, there is a light around, like, everything that you do. I smell worse now, Josh, you can say it. I shower less and I smell worse. No you don't. No you don't. I'm telling you I think that it's been amazing for you and I always thought you were hilarious and funny before but I
Starting point is 00:24:53 think that also there's something like you're very happy at least that I can say. I'm doing a great job pretending that's bad for comedy. That's bad for comedy. So the fact that your jokes are still so funny is a testament to your skill. They have to be funny because now I got more mouths to feed me. Yes, I need this game. Well, thank you. That's nice. I would say it definitely makes me grateful for a job where you know having a late night job is one of the more stable things you could have in the comedy industry and it's nice when you do have kids and have a family. But it's definitely harder for stand-up because now I am working during the day and try
Starting point is 00:25:34 to find the time to go out at night when really I go home. I want to see them for an hour before work and after work before bed. So I can sneak out after they go to bed the shows shows, to do, to, the, the, the, the, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, and I, and I, and I, and I, and I, th, and I, th, to, th, thi, thi, thi, and I'm, th, to, to, to, to, th, th, th, th, th. th. And, th, th, th, they, they, and, their, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, the, and, and, the, the, the, and, and, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, th, th.. and, thi, tom, tip, to, to, toge, toge, toge, togu, togu. And, togu. And, togu. And, to, to, toto like do shows and I try to as much as I can. But then once I'm home then I'm just like, oh fuck I'm tired I want to go to bed too. So it is but I'm now, anyone not there who's been postpartum, multiply it by 100 for having two at the same time and then also you just like don't feel like yourself after having the to to to be to be a to be a to be to be to be a to be a to be a to be a to be a to be a to be a to be a to be a their. their. their. to be a to be a to be a to be a to be a to be a to be a to be tipheaugh. to be a to be to be a to be a todaugh. And then than. And then then than. And then tip. And then, and I tip. And then, and I I I I I I I I tip. tip. tip. tip. tip. tip. tip. And I I I I I I I I. And I. And I. And tip. And tip. And tip. And then, tod today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, tod know figuring out how to be a parent but I think just in the past six months my kids are 14 months now I finally started feeling like myself again where I could actually kind of like think of jokes I wanted to tell and find humor in my personal life whereas before I was just like crying on the to toylit and like nothing was funny so now I am finally feeling that spark again, that kind of like motivation and invigoration.
Starting point is 00:26:25 You really need to have the energy to go out at night, you know, leave your partner, leave your family, whatever it is, to like go tell jokes to strangers in a basement at night. So I'm kind of feeling that again, but finding myself kind of struggling to get back into the stand-up scene too, because I've essentially been out of it while I was pregnant and having kids and all that stuff. So the scene changes quickly, so I am kind of like finding the internal and external, you know, factors of getting back out on stage. I'm doing it.
Starting point is 00:26:57 I'm ready. I'm writing jokes in my head again about my personal life, which has been nice. Do you think that they are like of the the their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their tha thi thi thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thin, thin, thin, toeeean, toean, toean, toean, toean, toean, toean, tean, tean, thin, thean, the life, which has been nice, feeling more like myself. Do you think that they are like of the same variety as before? Do you think a lot of it is in the present? Like a lot of it is about being a parent. A lot of it is about how your life is changing. I think I am working on jokes that are more specifically, I'm trying to talk more about being pregnant and having kids and having twins. So it's kind of good to give me a focus
Starting point is 00:27:26 to try to focus my things on writing about that to maybe make a special, whether it's 24 minutes or an hour, that is kind of one focus, as opposed to a lot of specials that can jump around. It's like, oh, here's the hour of jokes. I feel like it would feel good to put out something that's a little more cohesive, maybe focused on one topic, kind of like, like Berbiglia does, you know, stuff like that where it's got a beginning, middle and end. Gotcha, got you. Angel, what about you?
Starting point is 00:27:51 Yeah, I don't have kids, but I still kind of, I'm on that schedule. Yeah. You know, just wake up screaming, get your naps in. Yeah. Yeah. I'll be on solid foods next year. Oh, so you add a YouTube special that you self-produced and released. It's out now. Can tell us the name and what the process was like making it? Oh, well, I'm happy to, Josh. It's called New York Legend. And it's on YouTube. If you look up New York Legend. And it's on YouTube if you look up New York Legend.
Starting point is 00:28:26 And my name, which is David Angelo. And it's only 24 minutes, which I, you know, I was thinking, I can't ask too much of this, you know, because I'm not famous. So if you're a not famous person asking someone for an hour, it's a little, it's a little egregious I think. So I was like, I'm just going to just and I also when I watch specials around that mark is where I even when I like it and it's really funny that's where I start to be a little like all right. I might pause this and come back later. It's just hard
Starting point is 00:28:58 to go through an hour you know at home. Yeah so it's 24 minutes it's it's kind of like a short movie. It's to to to to to to to th. It's to th. It's th. It's th. It's th. It's th. It's like I I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I'm th. I'm to to to to to to to to th. I'm th. I'm th. to th. to to th. to th. to to to to to to to th. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm th. I th. I th. I I th. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I th. I I I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm thi. I'm th. I'm thee. I'm th. I'm just. I'm just. I'm just. I'm just. th. I'm just. I'm th. I'm th. I'm yeah. So it's 24 minutes. It's kind of like it's almost like a short movie. It's a little bit different than in format. But yeah, I made it last, I don't know what it was, November. And it's out now. And you can you can watch it. You can leave a comment. You can share. If you have 50,000 friends you can share it with, I appreciate it. Just get some views out there. Josh does. yeah, 50,000 very close friends that I will be putting on to the special. Once they listen to this, they'll head to a special right after. That's great. That's great. You know, I think they'll like it.
Starting point is 00:29:33 It's kind of, you know, it's set in New York, New York, their legend. A lot of movies, meaning not at all, in the New York comedy scene. And that's kind of what it's like. I'm excited for after this one, after the 50,000 hits that you get from the likes and you the next one. the next one. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:30:00 The sequel. I want to know what the rest of the hour is. I'm going shorter. I'm going, I'm going, I'm going, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th. And, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi. And, thi.ei. And, thi. And, thi.ei. And, thi. And, thi, thi, thi 36 minutes. I want to know what the rest of the hour is. I'm going shorter. I'm going to just going to get down to... That is a fun format, though. It's like you just keep doing like, like second, third, and fourth, and they're shorter, but then you put the whole thing together and it's an hour. That's how you do it. That's how you build a catalog. Yeah. You know, awesome.
Starting point is 00:30:25 I'll say for me I have local shows in New York that are going to be happening, I think, before this airs. But I'm building some dates out to get back on the road since my husband's great and he's going to take care of the kids and let me go to shows on the road. So you can check out catradley.com or follow me on Instagram, two two twea Twitter, thw. Twea, thua thua thua. tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho-a, tho-a, tho-a, tho-a, tho-a, tho-a, tho-a, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, I's tho, I tho, I tho, I tho, I tho, I tho, I tho, I tho, I tho, I tho, I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho-a, thooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. follow me on Instagram Twitter all its stuff to check out Places you can see me in New York or out on the road hopefully What do you got Josh? What do you have going on? I do have dates coming up you can go to Josh Johnson Comedy.com to get those dates and to be added to the wait list. In case we will add a show we will email you and it's the best way to get the link directly, just, to to to to to to to to to the the to the the to the to the to the to the the to the to their their to their their their their their their their their their. their. their. their. their. theircococon. theirc. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. the the. the the. the the. the the. the the. the the. the the. the the. the the... the the... the the. I. I. the the. the the. I. the the. the the. the the. I. I. the the. Ie. Ie. the the. Ia.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e. the wait list. In case we add a show, we will email you and it's the best way to get the link directly just because there are scammers out there that are charging what I would never charge. I have my own website Josh Johnson dot net. I can get it to you at a lower price. I finally caught you. I finally found you. But yeah, let us know. So as far as people following you on the Instagram, Twitter, all the
Starting point is 00:31:27 stuff that, are you Cat Radley everywhere? Yeah, I'm Cat Radley on Instagram, on Twitter, and my website is Cat Radley.com. I got them. You got them. You smoked them. And then for Angelo. I'm Mr. David Angelo. That's MR. David Angelo. I also have a razor company. This is a little out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi thi thiatry thi thi thi thi thi thi th. Are th. Are th. Are th. Are th. Are th. Are th. Are th. Are th. Are th. Are th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. that. that. Are you that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. Are you that. Are you that. Are you th Mr. David Angelo on all platforms. That's MR. David Angelo. I also have a razor company.
Starting point is 00:31:48 This is a little out of left field, but Western Razor. tocom, I sell razors. And these are, you know, they're good razors. There's no plastic. You can buy replacement blades or less than a dollar. So you know, you save money too. It's all made in America. Go check it out, just out of curiosity, I'm sure you're like, what the hell is that? Go look at it.
Starting point is 00:32:08 Yeah, and I am Josh Johnson Comedy on pretty much everything, Instagram, Tick-Tock, and YouTube, where I put up stand-up every week, so you can follow me there and enjoy and watch. Thank you so much for joining us. This has been Josh Johnson, Cat Radley, and David Angelo. Thank you for listening to the Day Show Ears Edition. We'll see you next time. Explore more shows from the Daily Show podcast universe by searching the Daily Show, wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the Daily Show weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central, and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount Plus. Paramount Podcasts.
Starting point is 00:32:52 Hey everybody, John Stewart here. I am here to tell you about my new podcast. The Weekly Show is going to be coming out every Thursday. So exciting. You'll be saying to yourself, TGID. Thank God it's Thursday. We're going to be talking about all the things that hopefully obsess you in the same way that they obsess me. The election. Economics. Earnings calls. What are they talking about on these earnings calls? We're going to be talking about ingredient to bread ratio on sandwiches. And I know that I listed that fourth, but in importance it's probably
Starting point is 00:33:33 second. I know you have a lot of options as far as podcasts go, but how many of them come out on Thursday? I mean, talk about innovative. Listen to the weekly show with John Stewart, wherever you get your podcast.

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