June 25, 2026

W. Kamau Bell Slams Nate Bargatze, Mencia Bail Fight, and Letterman’s Archive Expands

Show Notes
Transcript

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 felony tax case, arguing prosecutors staged an excessive raid and that jail is causing major financial harm. Roy Wood Jr. discusses Pittsburgh plans and his Daily Show experience; Michael Che teases a new standup special and asks what promo platforms matter now. Johnny Mac critiques Bob Iger’s claim Kimmel’s post–Charlie Kirk joke was removed for “bad taste,” not politics. Worldwide Pants expands Letterman’s 6,000-episode archive distribution, Colbert’s writers make their own Emmy FYC video, Canal+ develops a French SNL special, and Jemaine Clement says more Flight of the Conchords is unlikely though a film idea lingers.

00:23 Bargatze UFC Backlash
01:43 Rogan Backstage Story
02:07 Carlos Mencia Bail Fight
03:22 Roy Wood Jr Weekend Plans
03:55 Michael Che Special Tease
04:31 Iger Kimmel Controversy
06:34 Letterman Archive Expansion
07:33 Colbert Writers Emmy Push
08:25 French SNL Attempt
09:54 Conchords Future Update

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/daily-comedy-news-with-johnny-mac-a-daily-briefing-on-comedians-and-the-comedy-industry--4522158/support.

Daily Comedy News with Johnny Mac is a daily podcast covering comedians, stand-up comedy, late night television, and the comedy industry. New episodes every morning. Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Part of the Caloroga Shark Media network.

Contact John at John@thesharkdeck dot com

For Uninterrupted Listening, use the Apple Podcast App and click the banner that says Uninterrupted Listening. $4.99/month

John's Substack about media is free.

This is the animal sanctuary mentioned in the February 10 episode.

WEBVTT

1
00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:12.119
Callaroga Shark Media. I love when a show comes together.

2
00:00:12.199 --> 00:00:14.599
I thought at one point I had nothing for today,

3
00:00:14.599 --> 00:00:17.120
and boy, did this come together. I've even got a

4
00:00:17.160 --> 00:00:19.440
story that's got me all fired up for the second half.

5
00:00:19.440 --> 00:00:23.000
And Hello, I'm Johnny Mack with your daily comedy news.

6
00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:25.839
Let's start with the headline I love this one. Comic

7
00:00:25.920 --> 00:00:30.359
rips nice guy Nateperghatzy for partying with fascists. It's w

8
00:00:30.519 --> 00:00:33.320
come out Bell, and he is among the people not

9
00:00:33.399 --> 00:00:36.880
happy with Nate Berghatzy. Belle put out a substack post

10
00:00:36.920 --> 00:00:39.520
on Monday with the title it is so easy not

11
00:00:39.679 --> 00:00:42.679
to do this. It comes with a suggested list of

12
00:00:42.799 --> 00:00:45.960
rules to follow for those who are quote confused when

13
00:00:45.960 --> 00:00:48.799
they are judged for their own actions. Bell writes, the

14
00:00:48.880 --> 00:00:51.560
rules are so simple, people seem to forget them so often,

15
00:00:51.600 --> 00:00:54.200
so I've decided to write them out. The easiest way

16
00:00:54.280 --> 00:00:57.079
to not be photographed with fascists is not to go

17
00:00:57.119 --> 00:00:59.880
to places where fascists coagulate. If you do go to

18
00:01:00.039 --> 00:01:02.240
out to a place where fascists are coagulating, then you

19
00:01:02.320 --> 00:01:04.400
better have a good reason, like a John Brown and

20
00:01:04.439 --> 00:01:07.560
Glorious Bastard's good reason. Bell writes, no one cares on

21
00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:09.480
much you wanted to see the fights at the White House.

22
00:01:09.519 --> 00:01:11.640
The White House is currently registered as the home of

23
00:01:11.680 --> 00:01:14.040
a fascist. Again, send your letters to w comeout. Bell.

24
00:01:14.280 --> 00:01:16.760
The only reason Donald Trump loves the UFC is because

25
00:01:16.879 --> 00:01:19.359
UFC CEO Dana White runs the UFC just like Trump

26
00:01:19.400 --> 00:01:22.840
wants to run the country like a dictatorship. Bell continues,

27
00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:25.120
Stop being surprised when people who think you are a

28
00:01:25.200 --> 00:01:27.560
nice person are totally mummed out when you reveal yourself

29
00:01:27.599 --> 00:01:30.560
to be team fascism. You were smarter than that. If not,

30
00:01:30.719 --> 00:01:32.920
then go back to the top and reread this list again.

31
00:01:33.439 --> 00:01:35.200
Bell continues, Look, I get it. I've been in some

32
00:01:35.239 --> 00:01:38.400
pictures with people I regret. The difference is I regret

33
00:01:38.439 --> 00:01:41.599
being in those pictures. He then shared a photo with

34
00:01:41.799 --> 00:01:45.159
Joe Rogan from twenty fourteen. Speaking of Rogan, Rogan tell

35
00:01:45.239 --> 00:01:49.400
the story from backstage at the UFC event. Rogan was

36
00:01:49.400 --> 00:01:51.760
a little stressed there could be some terror at the event.

37
00:01:52.799 --> 00:01:54.640
Quoting Rogan, I said to Trump, I go, I hope

38
00:01:54.640 --> 00:01:56.560
we don't die in a terrorist attack, and he goes,

39
00:01:56.640 --> 00:01:59.640
we gotta go somehow, Rogan said, I go, what the

40
00:01:59.719 --> 00:02:06.480
f do Carlos Mencia his attorneys demanded his immediate release

41
00:02:06.519 --> 00:02:10.439
from bail. They fired an emergency motion. You may recall

42
00:02:10.479 --> 00:02:14.400
Carlo Simancia was arrested at his home. LA County District

43
00:02:14.439 --> 00:02:17.800
Attorney Nathan Hotchman had announced a twelve count felony tax

44
00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:21.599
emission against Carlos Mencia and branded him quote one of

45
00:02:21.639 --> 00:02:25.719
California's biggest tax scoff laws. In a motion file to

46
00:02:25.800 --> 00:02:28.759
set bail, the defense accused the prosecutors of turning a

47
00:02:28.800 --> 00:02:32.400
financial dispute into a publicity stunt designers showcase the district

48
00:02:32.439 --> 00:02:36.080
Attorney's new unit. The motion was obtained by the California

49
00:02:36.120 --> 00:02:38.479
Post that's the West Coast spinoff of the New York Post,

50
00:02:39.039 --> 00:02:41.520
and apparently it reads that no one argues against the

51
00:02:41.560 --> 00:02:44.000
obligation to pay taxes, but the raid at his home

52
00:02:44.120 --> 00:02:47.039
with multiple law enforcement agents screaming search warrant with a

53
00:02:47.039 --> 00:02:49.759
bullhorn and drawing guns was an absurd show of force

54
00:02:49.800 --> 00:02:52.319
for the alleged offenses that do not involve weapons, drugs,

55
00:02:52.400 --> 00:02:56.719
or violence. They also said that Mencia's incarceration was inflicting

56
00:02:56.759 --> 00:02:59.919
severe financial Harmy had to cancel a few comedy shows

57
00:03:00.120 --> 00:03:02.000
that may have cost him as much as forty thousand

58
00:03:02.039 --> 00:03:05.360
dollars in lost income. They argued that Carlos Mencia is

59
00:03:05.400 --> 00:03:08.879
not a flight risk. They submitted character letters from longtime friends,

60
00:03:08.919 --> 00:03:11.680
one of which is Nicole Nicky Rosensen, who worked with

61
00:03:11.719 --> 00:03:16.039
Carlos Mencia on the comedy Central Mind of Mencia. Rosenson wrote,

62
00:03:16.039 --> 00:03:18.120
it is important to me that Carlos's character is not

63
00:03:18.199 --> 00:03:20.280
reduced to a singular thing. He's a loving father and

64
00:03:20.360 --> 00:03:23.800
a loyal, kind friend. Roywood Junior will be in Pittsburgh

65
00:03:23.879 --> 00:03:27.560
this weekend at the Dve Comedy Festival. He's hoping to

66
00:03:27.599 --> 00:03:30.800
catch the first four innings of the Saturday four o'clock

67
00:03:30.879 --> 00:03:34.319
Pirates game before his eight o'clock comedy show. He said,

68
00:03:34.360 --> 00:03:36.560
the plans to catch a few innings even if Skeens

69
00:03:36.639 --> 00:03:39.759
isn't pitching. My debate in Pittsburgh is always rested versus recreation.

70
00:03:40.159 --> 00:03:42.840
There's so much fun stuff to do there. Talked about

71
00:03:42.840 --> 00:03:44.520
his time at the Daily Show. It was a good time.

72
00:03:44.560 --> 00:03:46.199
I didn't get the pleasure of getting to work under

73
00:03:46.240 --> 00:03:48.319
John Stewart, so I can't speak to whatever the workflow

74
00:03:48.360 --> 00:03:50.159
is over there now, but just to be able to

75
00:03:50.159 --> 00:03:52.080
be part of building some degree of awareness of what's

76
00:03:52.080 --> 00:03:53.759
happening in the world and try to inform people. I

77
00:03:53.800 --> 00:03:57.240
think you take that a little seriously. Michael Jay announced

78
00:03:57.280 --> 00:04:00.800
a new stand up special he posted on Instagram. He

79
00:04:00.879 --> 00:04:03.280
told his followers He'll be promoting a stand up special

80
00:04:03.319 --> 00:04:05.719
in like two months. But I don't really do a

81
00:04:05.719 --> 00:04:07.840
lot of press. So what are the platforms that people

82
00:04:08.400 --> 00:04:11.599
f with now? Late Nier says. Then came a process

83
00:04:11.599 --> 00:04:14.719
of elimination, with Chay writing Rogan's finish right, Shannon Sharp

84
00:04:14.759 --> 00:04:18.000
probably just gonna ask me about other people the train one,

85
00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:21.439
I already did hot ones. What's the new hot platform

86
00:04:21.439 --> 00:04:25.879
pairaphrasing there. This would be Michael Cha's first special since

87
00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:29.120
twenty twenty one's Michael Cha Shamed the Devil, which, if

88
00:04:29.160 --> 00:04:33.519
I remember correctly, was Okay, okay, this is the one

89
00:04:33.519 --> 00:04:35.720
that's got me a little fired up. Johnny Max's gonna

90
00:04:35.720 --> 00:04:38.920
get a little political here. Send your letters to Johnny Mack.

91
00:04:39.439 --> 00:04:43.240
In an interview with The Financial Times, former Disney CEO

92
00:04:43.839 --> 00:04:47.879
Bob Iger commented about when they took Jimmy Kimmel off

93
00:04:47.920 --> 00:04:51.720
the air after the murder of Charlie Kirk. Was that

94
00:04:51.759 --> 00:04:54.839
move politically motivated? Iiger says that was not the case.

95
00:04:55.560 --> 00:04:58.519
We thought it was in bad taste. Johnny Mack says, sure,

96
00:04:58.680 --> 00:05:01.399
Jan okay, let me set up the table for you.

97
00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:04.120
I'm going to replay what Kimmel actually said, but let

98
00:05:04.199 --> 00:05:06.199
me set up the table for you. Let me remind

99
00:05:06.240 --> 00:05:10.839
everybody on September tenth, Charlie Kirk was murdered. On September eleventh,

100
00:05:10.959 --> 00:05:13.600
The New York Daily News quotes Elon Musk, who you

101
00:05:13.680 --> 00:05:18.000
may recall, was working on something called douge. Elon Musk tweeted,

102
00:05:18.160 --> 00:05:22.319
the left is the party of murder. ABC News September

103
00:05:22.319 --> 00:05:27.000
fourteenth reported on Republican Senator Lindsey Graham appearing on Meet

104
00:05:27.040 --> 00:05:30.240
the Press. They quote Graham is saying he saw Kirk's

105
00:05:30.279 --> 00:05:33.240
murder as quote, an effort by the radical left to

106
00:05:33.279 --> 00:05:36.560
dehumanize the Mega movement. Now, in this new piece, Bob

107
00:05:36.600 --> 00:05:39.240
Iger says, of Jimmy Kimmel, we just wanted him to

108
00:05:39.240 --> 00:05:42.120
acknowledge that it was an ill timed and probably inappropriate comment.

109
00:05:42.480 --> 00:05:46.279
Let's listen to what Jimmy Kimmel actually said, and remember

110
00:05:46.319 --> 00:05:48.639
the two quotes that I just read to you. And

111
00:05:48.680 --> 00:05:51.759
here is a longer clip from Jimmy Kimmel that puts

112
00:05:51.800 --> 00:05:53.439
the line in context.

113
00:05:54.279 --> 00:05:56.639
We hit some new lows over the weekend with the

114
00:05:56.800 --> 00:06:00.600
Maga gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered

115
00:06:00.639 --> 00:06:03.040
Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and

116
00:06:03.120 --> 00:06:06.480
do everything they can to score political points from and

117
00:06:06.519 --> 00:06:09.759
in between the finger pointing, there was grieving. On Friday,

118
00:06:09.759 --> 00:06:12.160
the White House flew the flags at half staff, which

119
00:06:12.199 --> 00:06:15.480
got some criticism, but on a human level, you can

120
00:06:15.639 --> 00:06:18.600
see how hard the President is taking this back.

121
00:06:18.639 --> 00:06:20.800
Indulge it down a lot of your friend Charlie Kirk

122
00:06:20.879 --> 00:06:23.839
mans Sir, personally, how are you holding up over the

123
00:06:23.920 --> 00:06:25.920
last day and a half, sir, I think very good.

124
00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:28.319
And by the way, right there you see all the trucks.

125
00:06:28.720 --> 00:06:31.480
They've just started construction of the new borrel for the

126
00:06:31.519 --> 00:06:35.480
White House. Send your letters to Johnny Mac David Letterman fans,

127
00:06:35.600 --> 00:06:39.399
we are excited. Worldwide Pants is teaming up with NBC

128
00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:43.319
Universal and whatever mrzigo is to expand distribution of more

129
00:06:43.360 --> 00:06:47.000
than six thousand episodes of Letterman on YouTube, Facebook and

130
00:06:47.079 --> 00:06:50.680
other platforms. Whoever Merzigo is. They are going to optimize

131
00:06:50.759 --> 00:06:54.439
Letterman's archive of late night shows, starting with The greats

132
00:06:54.560 --> 00:06:57.000
Late Night with David Letterman and The Okay, The Late

133
00:06:57.040 --> 00:06:59.879
show with David Letterman, How do we get the morning shows?

134
00:07:00.560 --> 00:07:02.759
Somebody's gotta have the morning shows. Put the morning shows out.

135
00:07:03.279 --> 00:07:07.439
Walter Kim is Worldwide Pants executive producer for Digital and

136
00:07:07.519 --> 00:07:10.759
Walter Kim said, David Letterman's unparalleled run in late night

137
00:07:10.759 --> 00:07:13.480
across four decades from his shows on NBC and CBS,

138
00:07:13.600 --> 00:07:15.920
contained six thousand hours of some of the most memorable

139
00:07:15.959 --> 00:07:19.160
television content in pop culture history. Johnny Mack will say

140
00:07:19.439 --> 00:07:22.319
most of that from the Late night years, Walter Kim said,

141
00:07:22.319 --> 00:07:25.120
As we continue to expand our distribution from these iconic

142
00:07:25.240 --> 00:07:28.920
moments on YouTube and Facebook, partnering with Mrzigo will enable

143
00:07:29.000 --> 00:07:30.879
us to better reach fans and new viewers across every

144
00:07:30.920 --> 00:07:34.639
platform and device, etc. Et cetera, et cetera. Meanwhile, remember

145
00:07:34.759 --> 00:07:36.680
Stephen Colbert had a show Do you miss it? You

146
00:07:36.800 --> 00:07:39.920
don't be honest, You don't be honest, Just be honest.

147
00:07:40.079 --> 00:07:42.399
I know we all like Stephen Colbert, but be honest,

148
00:07:43.279 --> 00:07:47.120
you be honest. May Recalla was canceled. Well, the writing

149
00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:49.480
team is trying to get an Emmy now CBS isn't

150
00:07:49.519 --> 00:07:53.000
gonna help them, apparently, so they posted a homemade four

151
00:07:53.079 --> 00:07:56.360
year consideration video. In it it says CBS is not

152
00:07:56.480 --> 00:07:59.519
doing an Emmy's campaign for US so for strictly financial reasons.

153
00:08:00.079 --> 00:08:02.639
The Colbert Late Show writers made our own four year

154
00:08:02.680 --> 00:08:06.800
consideration video. Late Nighter points out that CBS has aired

155
00:08:07.000 --> 00:08:09.480
fyc ads in New York in LA supporting the show

156
00:08:09.519 --> 00:08:12.759
in general. Plus, CBS took out a fear consideration ad

157
00:08:12.800 --> 00:08:14.879
for The Late Show on the Hollywood Reporter site, with

158
00:08:14.959 --> 00:08:17.079
a link going of a page that listed all the writers.

159
00:08:17.759 --> 00:08:20.720
Colbert's team has been nominated for Outstanding Writing for a

160
00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:23.439
Variety Series nearly every year of its run, says Late Nighter,

161
00:08:23.480 --> 00:08:26.639
but has not won. Can I interest you in French

162
00:08:26.959 --> 00:08:30.920
Saturday Night Live? Canal Plus is readying now this again

163
00:08:30.959 --> 00:08:34.360
from Late Nighter Lay Saturday Night Live. Franseis, we don't

164
00:08:34.360 --> 00:08:37.480
even translate the Saturday Night Live part like their actual

165
00:08:37.600 --> 00:08:41.879
title is like John mangling French Lay Saturday Night Live, Francie. Really,

166
00:08:42.559 --> 00:08:46.440
it is an official adaptation of NBC's Saturday Night Live.

167
00:08:47.000 --> 00:08:49.840
Late Nighter reports the project is expected to launch as

168
00:08:49.879 --> 00:08:53.600
a single special rather than a full episode order. Francis

169
00:08:53.639 --> 00:08:56.759
tried this before. The previous attempt ended after one night

170
00:08:56.879 --> 00:09:00.240
that was in twenty seventeen. They even did a French

171
00:09:00.360 --> 00:09:04.039
language version of More Cowbell. Really hold On, somebody is

172
00:09:04.080 --> 00:09:05.840
gonna pause the recording and find that.

173
00:09:07.360 --> 00:09:49.559
Chat something. Who's that films.

174
00:09:54.960 --> 00:09:59.000
And from Deadline, Jermaine Clement says they might not be

175
00:09:59.120 --> 00:10:01.399
more Flight of the con Chords. He says, we haven't

176
00:10:01.399 --> 00:10:03.360
been talking about making the TV show, but we just

177
00:10:03.440 --> 00:10:05.240
did some live shows for the first time in eight

178
00:10:05.320 --> 00:10:07.240
years at the Greek Theater. It was really fun. I

179
00:10:07.320 --> 00:10:09.720
loved it. The idea of doing a film hangs around still,

180
00:10:09.840 --> 00:10:12.480
but we're getting old now and that is your comedy

181
00:10:12.559 --> 00:10:15.399
news for today. It is June. So you're gonna share

182
00:10:15.440 --> 00:10:16.879
the show. You're gonna be like, hey, did you guys

183
00:10:16.919 --> 00:10:19.120
know there was French Cowbell and you're gonna share the

184
00:10:19.159 --> 00:10:20.600
show with somebody. I don't know how it works. You

185
00:10:20.960 --> 00:10:23.039
tell me, because if you don't do it, I'm going

186
00:10:23.159 --> 00:10:25.919
to play Amy Schumer singing and none of us want that.

187
00:10:26.519 --> 00:10:27.080
See tomorrow.