Feb. 15, 2025

Somehow, Letterman returned. Also SNL 50 - with guest Mike Chisholm from The Letterman Podcast

Show Notes
Transcript

In this episode of the Daily Comedy News podcast, host Johnny Mac sits down with Mike Chisholm from the Letterman Podcast to discuss a range of topics centered around the recent appearance of David Letterman on Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show. The conversation delves into potential comedians for Super Bowl halftime performances, drawing from a Vulture article that sparked debate in their Facebook group. The duo also explores the hypothetical return of Letterman to late-night TV, the impact of SNL's 50th anniversary, and the dynamics of comedy award shows. Johnny shares insights into his podcasting process and reflects on the supportive and professional relationships within the comedy world.

00:43 Discussing the Daily Comedy News Podcast
01:43 Super Bowl Halftime Show Debate
02:38 Adam Sandler and Bill Burr for Super Bowl
05:46 David Letterman's Appearance on Fallon
06:44 Letterman's Vintage Style and Impact
13:43 Speculations on Letterman's Future Projects
20:23 SNL 50th Anniversary Excitement
28:50 Sarah Sherman: The Right Kind of Weird
29:05 The Formula of the Show
29:19 Subscription Break and Promotions
30:13 John Oliver's Monarchy Commentary
31:12 Strike Force Five and Late Night Shows
32:05 The Late Night Rivalries
33:07 Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien: A Fantasy Moment
36:12 Trevor Noah Hosting the Grammys
39:53 Amy Schumer's Oscar Hosting and Promotions
44:07 Daily Comedy News Podcast: Behind the Scenes

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Callaroga Shark Media.

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Hey there, I'm Johnny Mack. I'm a human and this

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is a silly throwaway bonus episode. Earlier today, I was

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listening to another podcast that's called The New Media Show,

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and the two hosts we're having a conversation about AI.

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I'm very pro AI. One of the hosts not so much.

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And their discussion was, well, why don't you go interview

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an AI then? And I decided challenge accepted. So I

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got my AI friend here, Spruce, and I decided to

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ask Spruce about comedy. All right, Spruce, and I was curious,

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who do you think are the best stand up comedians

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of the twenty first century?

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There are so many great ones. Dave Chappelle is definitely

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up there with a sharp social commentary. Then you got

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someone like John mulaney who's a master of storytelling. And

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Ali Wong has really made her mark with her unique

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perspective and hilarious takes. She blends personal stories with sharp

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social commentary, and her delivery is just spot on.

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I mean, she's fine, But I asked you the top

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comedians of the twenty first century and you had her

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at number three. That seems a little high. You know

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what about somebody like Gaffigan or c K. Bill Burr.

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Absolutely. Bill Burr is a powerhouse in comedy, has no nonsense,

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brutally honest style, resonates with a lot of people. He's

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definitely up there with the best of this century. And

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Gaffigan's got that family friendly, observational humor that's hard to beat.

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Both are definitely top tier in their own right. The

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comedy world is big enough for all these different styles.

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Now that's a non answer. Give me a ranking here.

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Who are the top five?

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All right? Top five of the twenty first century. Let's

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go with Dave Chappelle, John Mulaney, Bill Burr, Ali Wong,

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and Louis c K. Who would you add or switch out?

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I'd switch out Ali Wong. I just I don't see

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why you have her up there so high bare enough.

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Comedy is subjective and everyone has their preferences. If you're

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leaning more towards classic stand up styles, someone like Jim

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Gaffigan or Patton Oswalt might fit better in that top five.

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Both have consistently delivered and have a huge following. The

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beauty of comedy is there's something for everyone.

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Yeah, but again, the entire century where Dane Cook is

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not on your list, That guy was a monster.

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Dane Cook definitely had a huge impact in the two thousands.

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His energetic style and ability to engage audiences were undeniable,

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and he sold out arenas, which was pretty rare for

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a comedian at the time. While he's not always in

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everyone's top five list these days, his influence and popularity

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in the early twenty first century can't be denied. Any

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up and comers that you're into, for sure, keep an

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eye on Atsuko o Katska. She's got a fresh, quirky

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style and her bits are super relatable. Also, Caleb Hearn

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has a great mix of sharp wit and hilarious observations

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that really stand out. Definitely worth checking out their sins.

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There's been a lot of buzz on Caleb lately.

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Yeah, Caleb's definitely on the rise. His humor is sharp,

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and he's got a knack for turning everyday situations into

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comedy gold. It's exciting to see new voices making waves

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in the comedy scene.

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What do you think about Amy Schumer? She's been in

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the news a lot lately.

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Amy Schumer has definitely made a name for herself with

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her bold unapologetic style. She's got a knack for blending

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personal stories with social commentary, and she's not afraid to

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tackle tough topics. Whether you love her or not, she's

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definitely left a mark on the comedy scene.

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Who's your favorite late night host these days?

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Right now? I'm a big fan of Seth Myers. His

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Closer Look segments are sharp, insightful, and always hilarious. He's

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got that perfect mix of wit and charm, and his

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monologues are consistently on point.

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How about you, I'd have to pick Kimmel, you know,

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unless we get into John Oliver in late night, but

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in traditional eleven thirty, I'd have to say Kimmel. I

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do like what Jimmy Fallon is trying to do. I

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think Jimmy understands the mission. I think Jimmy catches a

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lot of grief for doing a very vanilla show, but

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that's what the Tonight Show is, and I think he

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understands why he's there.

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That's a solid take. Kiml's got that blend of humor

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and heart, and he's not afraid to tackle serious topics

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with the comedic twist. Fallon definitely knows how to bring

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the fun and keep things light, which is perfect for

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the tonight shows. Vibe and John Oliver. He's in a

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league of his own with that deep dive style. It's

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great to have such a variety of late night hosts,

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each bringing their own flavor to the table.

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Who are your top five all time?

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Picking a top five all time is tough, but I

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go with Richard Pryor for his groundbreaking style and honesty,

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George Carlin for his sharp wit and social commentary, Joan

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Rivers for her fearless humor and longevity, Eddie Murphy for

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his incredible range and influence, and Robin Williams for his

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unmatched energy and versatility. Those legends really shape the comedy landscape.

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So nobody from this century. Those are all older than

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most of them are dead.

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Fare point For more recent legends, I'd add names like

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Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock. They've had a huge impact

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on modern comedy and continue to shape the scene with

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their unique perspectives and fearless humor. The comedy landscape is

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always evolving, and these guys have definitely left their mark.

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Now. I love Eddie because of how old I am,

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But isn't Eddie just doing Richard Pryor's act top to bottom.

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Eddie Murphy was definitely influenced by Richard Pryor, but he

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brought his own union style and energy to the game.

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Eddie's ability to blend impressions, physical comedy and storytelling set

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him apart. So while Pryor paved the way, Eddie definitely

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carved out his own space in comedy history.

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All right, fair enough, appreciate you coming on the show today.

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Anything else you want to tell the folks.

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Thanks for having me. Just keep exploring comedy and finding

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what makes you laugh. There's so much great talent out there,

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so enjoyed the journey.

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Thanks, Bruce. I appreciate you coming out. That was silly,

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all right. Let me know what you guys thought of

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that in the Facebook group Daily Comedy News Podcast Group.

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I just had to get this out of my system

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and put it out as a boat to sea tomorrow.