Episodes

Nine years after a New York Times report and his own direct admission ended his career almost overnight, Louis C.K. is back on Netflix on June 30 with a new special called Ridiculous. Johnny Mac lays out the full, sourced timeline — the allegations, the statement, the uncomfortable Comedy Cellar return — but also the parts of the story that get skipped: the 2011 five-dollar Beacon Theater experiment that invented his independent model years before he needed it, his own on-camera tribute creditin...

Johnny Mac covers Jimmy Fallon posting more political jokes about Trump, suggesting Fallon is taking advantage of Colbert being off the air and Jimmy Kimmel’s summer break (guest hosts start July 6 with Tiffany Haddish). He reacts to Megyn Kelly criticizing Kimmel’s two-month vacation and discusses her reported real estate and private flying. Leslie Jones says she confronted SNL writers about being typecast as angry, loved the show but not the mental toll. Robbie Hoffman recounts storming out of...

Johnny Mac covers comedy news including W. Kamau Bell’s Substack criticism of Nate Bargatze for being photographed “partying with fascists,” plus Bell’s comments about avoiding places where “fascists coagulate” and his sharing a 2014 photo with Joe Rogan. Rogan recounts telling Donald Trump backstage at a UFC event he hoped they wouldn’t die in a terrorist attack, to which Trump replied, “We gotta go somehow.” Carlos Mencia’s lawyers file an emergency motion seeking release from bail in his felo...

Johnny Mac reports that Moshe Kasher revealed on Instagram he was diagnosed with HPV-positive tonsil cancer, underwent a procedure in Los Angeles, expects a high cure rate around 95%, is awaiting news on whether he needs radiation, and urged followers to get checked and vaccinate kids; he and Natasha Leggero recorded an Endless Honeymoon podcast episode right before surgery. Sebastian Maniscalco told The Wall Street Journal he blew out both calves during performances and discussed his current ro...

Johnny Mac delivers comedy news, starting with Dave Chappelle speaking at the opening of the Obama Presidential Center, calling it “medicine” amid dark political times and joking that people miss scandals as small as Obama’s tan suit, noting multiple ex-presidents smiling together. He covers a US State Department–funded public-diplomacy series of untitled “Pratt shorts” pairing Chris Pratt with historian Doris Kearns Goodwin to teach constitutional values through short live-action/animation epis...

Johnny Mac recaps comedy and late-night news, spotlighting Jay Leno’s Deadline interview. Leno says podcasts are the new talk shows and calls Joe Rogan the new Johnny Carson, arguing late night lost swagger due to excessive commercials, fragmented segments, and the end of appointment viewing as audiences move to YouTube and streaming; he also recounts being dropped by an agent, negotiating for himself, and getting a call from Jeff Zucker saying he made a mistake during the Tonight Show/Conan era...

Johnny Mac covers Netflix’s announcement of season two of Kevin Hart’s comedy competition series Funny AF with Kevin Hart, noting Hart returns as host, the show and Hart have Emmy nominations, and the new season won’t arrive until 2027. Chris Tucker revealed during a Las Vegas set that he has been celibate for more than three years while focusing on finding lasting love and marriage. Marc Maron discusses his special Panicked as his best work, describing its arc, editing process to 73 minutes, an...

Kill Tony fills arenas. Tony Hinchcliffe hosts. Open micers do one minute. How did this become the most important comedy show in America? Johnny Mac explains. Kill Tony fills arenas. A show where strangers do one minute of standup in front of thousands of people somehow became one of the most watched comedy properties in the country. Johnny Mac looks at how Tony Hinchcliffe built it, what Joe Rogan's Austin move actually did and didn't do for the show, why the arena format works when it shouldn'...

Johnny Mac covers backlash over Nate Bargatze attending a UFC event after photos surfaced with RFK Jr., Cheryl Hines, Bettina Trump, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Mike Johnson, and Joe Rogan, while noting Bargatze’s Esquire comments about avoiding voting opinions and sharing Rogan’s take that the fight isn’t partisan. He pivots to Will Ferrell joking about his burdens as an LA World Cup ambassador, late-night World Cup jokes, and Nielsen ratings showing Jimmy Fallon boosted by Knicks-related episodes ...

Johnny Mac reports that Watertown, NY police arrested a man after he allegedly pointed a BB gun at a scooter rider who told dispatch the suspect looked like Shane Gillis, though Gillis was not involved. John Mulaney became the first comedian to sell out Wrigley Field (July 11) and joked to Deadline about watching Mark Grace. Nikki Glaser joins Netflix Animation’s Cinderella reimagining Steps as villain Priscilla alongside Ali Wong and Bette Midler. Mike Myers told Trevor Noah “Yes” about Austin ...

Johnny Mac covers Netflix’s trailer for Louis C.K.’s new stand-up special “Ridiculous,” out June 30, his first Netflix special in nine years, noting his post-2017 self-released work and 2022 Grammy win; Mac reacts to the trailer clip about placing C.K.’s father in a home and cites The A.V. Club saying the special appears to avoid controversy. He then discusses Nate Bargatze drawing backlash after being photographed at a UFC event with Robert F. Kennedy and Cheryl Hines, with a source saying Nate...

Johnny Mac recaps comedy news including Jimmy Kimmel’s Instagram birthday post for the U.S. president’s 80th, using a card resembling an alleged Trump note to Jeffrey Epstein, and a UFC event held on the White House lawn streamed on Paramount Plus, with Joe Rogan mocked for a short tie and celebrities like Nate Bargatze and Shane Gillis attending; Gillis is heard criticizing a UFC fighter’s comment about Michelle Obama. On the other “side,” Jay Leno’s Garage features former President Joe Biden d...

Johnny Mac recounts an online report claiming Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, and Shane Gillis did impromptu sets at the Comedy Cellar after a Knicks game, then reacts to a “top 25 stand-ups of the 2000s” list that ranks Louis CK #1 and Chappelle #3, calling placements like Colin Quinn at #5 and Norm Macdonald at #2 too high. He shares Us Weekly “fun facts” about David Cross (morning person due to his daughter, signature chili, estimating temperature, phone contact Bob Odenkirk, sports starstruck mo...

Johnny Mac covers comedy news, starting with Guy Fieri’s four-episode series “Guy’s Feast Club,” featuring comedians including Andrew Santino, Bert Kreischer, and Bobby Lee while they eat dishes like an Italian feast and a tomahawk rib eye sandwich. He notes Netflix will debut “Adam Ray: Dr. Phil Live” on June 19 as a cheaply produced TV show mislabeled as a podcast, with four episodes and guests such as Michael Bublé, Dave Matthews, Nikki Glaser, and Santino, plus future guests including Hasan ...

Most people tell the Shane Gillis story backwards — starting with the SNL firing and working forward. Johnny Mac flips it. The real story starts with a podcast from Pennsylvania that almost nobody was listening to, and ends with one of the most interesting career architectures in comedy right now. This one's about why comedians pay attention to Shane Gillis, what his success says about gatekeepers, and why the Tuesday he recorded a slightly above-average podcast episode might matter more than th...

Johnny Mac opens Daily Comedy News reacting to the amazing New York Knicks game and notes comedians and celebrities in attendance including Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld, Jimmy Fallon, Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock, Amy Schumer, Rainn Wilson, and Taylor Swift. He mentions a viral clip of Seinfeld telling a pro-Palestinian streamer “It doesn’t exist.” He recounts Tracy Morgan’s controversial comments about teachers during a CNN/Variety Actors on Actors chat with Marcelo Hernandez. Variety interviews Ma...

Johnny Mac covers Knicks driven comedy news, highlighting Jamie Foxx’s impressions of Inside the NBA personalities and noting Knicks fan Tracy Morgan will receive the inaugural Flip Wilson Award at the 8th annual AAFCA TV Honors on August 8 at City Club LA. He previews “FIFA World Cup on Fox After Hours with James Corden,” airing nightly at midnight with Rio Ferdinand and Ian Karmel, while doubting the show will address issues like New Jersey Transit problems, overpriced tickets, and half-empty ...

Johnny Mac covers comedy news and jokes about the Knicks’ loss, noting Michael Che’s Instagram post blaming Trump. Conan O’Brien partners with Adaptive Security to star in a 15-part AI-age cybersecurity training series; the firm has reportedly raised over $140 million. Dave Chappelle announces 2026 “Summer Camp” shows in Yellow Springs, Ohio with multiple July and August dates, strict phone restrictions, and tickets on sale. Marc Maron promotes “In Memorium,” about a comedian with six months to ...

Johnny Mac previews Bill Maher receiving the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center on Sunday, June 28, filmed for Netflix, with participants including Louis C.K., Jay Leno, Stephen A. Smith, Whitney Cummings, Woody Harrelson, Arianna Huffington, and John Mellencamp, and notes past winners. He highlights Zarna Garg’s comments on the Breakdown podcast about performing at the Riyadh Comedy Festival to inspire women who watch her in secret, saying money wasn’t her motivation, and...

Johnny Mac recaps comedy and entertainment news, led by Kevin Hart on Jimmy Kimmel Live discussing the Roast of Kevin Hart, saying he stayed comfortable, nothing hurt, and highlighting Dwayne Johnson surprising him with an unflattering mugshot photo of Hart’s father; Hart suggests LeBron James as a future roast subject and rejects Oprah as “spray painting the Sistine Chapel.” The episode notes Hart developing a movie about rival spies in a Lamaze class co-starring Henry Cavill. Late-night rating...

Johnny Mac covers comedy news, starting with spoilers from PokerGO’s High Stakes Poker Season 16 featuring Kevin Hart, who had nearly $1 million, rebought for $500,000, and saw losses eclipse $1.4 million after two major pots. Jim Gaffigan tells Goldenglobes.com that streaming and social media transformed stand-up into a healthier part of entertainment and says comedy is about listening to evolving social norms. For Forbes, Jerry Seinfeld and Nate Bargatze discuss aging jokes, accepting getting ...

Johnny Mac reports a first post-Colbert late-night ratings snapshot from Nielsen live-plus-same-day data for Monday June 1, 2026: Jimmy Kimmel leads with 2.185M viewers and 295K adults 18–49 (up 53% total viewers and 178% in 18–49 vs June 2, 2025), followed by Jimmy Fallon at 1.3M; Comics Unleashed draws 628K, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 612K at 11:00, Late Night with Seth Meyers 790K at 12:37, Byron Allen’s new 12:30 show 419K, and Nightline wins that slot with 819K. From The Hollywood Repo...

Johnny Mac recaps The Hollywood Reporter’s comedians roundtable recorded in May at the Georgian Hotel with Marc Maron, Nikki Glaser, Wanda Sykes, Leanne Morgan, and Julio Torres, focusing on fears like complacency and cancellation and quoting Maron on talking to himself and Glaser comparing standup to sex and discussing pressure to work clean from bookers, agents, and TV; Maron jokes he stays a little dirty to keep success away and notes he can do clean sets. He notes Hannah Berner’s new Hulu sp...

Johnny Mac reviews early YouTube performance for “Good Night with Ben Gleib,” noting 21,000 views for the premiere (guest Kevin Smith) and 308 views for a clip, and compares it to Netflix’s teaser for Tony Hinchcliffe’s “Man of the People,” discussed via a Daily Beast critique and cited at 20,000 views. He reports Marcello Hernandez will host the ESPYs July 15 as the show returns to New York at Lincoln Center. Brooks Wheelan discusses opening for Seth Meyers and John Oliver at the Beacon Theatre...