Pete Davidson is ready to start 2024 with laughs. On Friday, Netflix announced that the Saturday Night Live alum will premiere his stand-up special Turbo Fonzarelli on the platform on Jan. 9. The Jason Orley-directed special “delivers on what it means to grow up and turn 30, discussing love, life, …
Read More »Adam Driver Is One of the Best SNL Hosts Ever
Adam Driver cemented his status as one of the all-time great Saturday Night Live hosts this week. During his fourth hosting stint, accompanied by musical guest Olivia Rodrigo, the Oscar-nominated star of Marriage Story and the upcoming Ferrari kicked things off with an opening monologue behind the piano, wherein the …
Read More »Norman Lear Showed Us the Reality of Abortion
When I heard the news about Norman Lear’s death, I was sitting with my writing team at Abortion Access Front. We had just finished writing this social post when the notification came in on Slack: “Norman Lear died.” It hit me harder than I thought it would. All my gratitude …
Read More »How Norman Lear Changed Television Forever
Norman Lear was a man of modest physical stature, standing a trim 5’7″ on a good day. In terms of his impact on television — comedy primarily, but the medium as a whole — he was a giant, who belongs on any Mt. Rushmore of showrunners. He dominated an entire …
Read More »I Helped Create 'The Daily Show': Now, I'm Fighting for Abortion Access
My first act toward shedding myself of fucks to give was sharing my abortion story on Comedy Central back in 1992. That was the first and last time I was asked to do that on television. That’s when I learned that corporate media, no matter how open-minded, is not a …
Read More »The State Break Down Their 'Ball-Dipping' Reunion Tour: 'There's a Gen X Nostalgia Wave'
Over the past three decades, sketch comedy group The State has created an MTV series, a comedy album, a book, and a CBS special in addition to several spinoff projects like Reno 911!, Viva Variety, Stella, Wet Hot American Summer, RISK!, and Children’s Hospital. But the logistics of bringing the …
Read More »Matthew Perry Was the Sarcastic Soul of 'Friends'
There’s not a lot of Matthew Perry in the pilot episode of Friends, but he gets to deliver one of its funniest jokes. As the gang sits around Central Perk, a newly-divorced Ross admits that he just wants to be married again. A second later, Rachel wanders into the coffee …
Read More »Heather McMahan Turned Death and IVF Into Beautiful Comedy
This week, comedian Heather McMahan’s first comedy special Son I Never Had debuted on Netflix and according to McMahan, it all started with an edible and a vision board. A few years back, McMahan says she was hungover on New Year’s Day and as corny as it might sound, she …
Read More »How Ziwe Got Tender on Her Own Terms in Her First Book
Ziwe Fumudoh is not performing at BKLYN Clay, but glimpses of the eponymous character she took from buzzy Instagram Lives to a late-night premium cable show emerge as soon as she arrives. She’s direct, clear that she wants to immediately start our lesson at this hip New York ceramic studio. …
Read More »Roy Wood Jr. Is Looking Beyond 'The Daily Show'
W hen I reach Roy Wood Jr. by phone, he’s resting in a hotel room in Napa, California, where he’s in town for a corporate gig. The comedian relishes these quiet moments in between jobs, where he’s able to turn his mind off and “not do shit.” He’s been going …
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