Obsessed: The Podcast

As we get to the end of the year, host Matt Wilstein is joined by The Daily Beast’s Laura Bradley to share their lists of the funniest performances of 2021, including previous podcast guests (Busy Philipps! Nicole Byer!) and more of the biggest names in comedy who made us laugh the hardest this year.See our full list of the 20 funniest performances of 2021 at The Daily Beast.Follow Laura Bradley on Twitter @lpbradley Follow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod ‘Succession’ clip via @jga41agher Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As a Palestinian refugee who grew up in Houston, Mo Amer has one of the most unique stories in the stand-up comedy scene. With his latest Netflix special ‘Mohammed in Texas,’ the comedian is proving himself as one of the most talented as well. In this episode, Amer talks about how a summer spent performing in the Ohio cornfield of his friend and mentor Dave Chappelle prepared him to put out his best material yet. He also shares stories about making David Letterman a fan, finding himself seated next to Eric Trump in business class and why he doesn’t believe Chappelle is actually “canceled” after his own controversial Netflix hour. Follow Mo Amer on Twitter @realmoamer and Instagram @realmoamerFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During the three years they overlapped in the cast of ‘Saturday Night Live,’ Rachel Dratch and Ana Gasteyer didn’t have “some big sketch together.” But they always made each other laugh and ever since they left the show have kept looking for new ways to collaborate. Now, they have reunited in a big way to co-write and co-star in ‘A Clüsterfünke Christmas,’ their new parody of those guilty pleasure Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas movies for Comedy Central. In this episode, Dratch and Gasteyer break down how they pulled off their spot-on send-up and reminisce about the highs and lows of their time on SNL—from behind-the-scenes antics to wild after parties to the struggles they faced in the entertainment industry when they each decided to move on. Follow Rachel Dratch on Twitter @TheRealDratch and Instagram @raedratchFollow Ana Gasteyer on Twitter @AnaGasteyer and Instagram @anagasteyerFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Susie Essman made a name for herself cursing out Larry David as her alter-ego Susie Greene on ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm.’ But as she reveals in this episode, in the 21 years since the show premiered—and the 35 years since she met David in the New York comedy clubs—they have never once gotten into an actual fight. Essman opens up about David’s unique “genius” as a comedian, how ‘Curb’ gets away with being so politically incorrect, the unconscious inspiration for her character and the bizarro world in which she could have played Elaine on ‘Seinfeld.’Follow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ahead of this week’s season two premiere, the mysterious New York filmmaker behind HBO’s ‘How To With John Wilson’ breaks down how he made the most fascinating TV show of 2020. John Wilson reveals how ‘Nathan for You’ creator Nathan Fielder helped pitch the show to Hollywood executives, why he considers himself “completely different” from Sacha Baron Cohen, how the COVID-19 pandemic transformed the season one finale and what fans can expect from season two. This episode was originally published on November 26, 2020.Follow John Wilson on Twitter @howtojohnwilson and Instagram @peepingjohnFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Natasha Rothwell has had a very big year, from facing off with Jennifer Coolidge in ‘The White Lotus’ to stealing scenes in the final season of ‘Insecure.’ And things are only looking up from here, with two new shows in development at HBO, a third in the works with Disney-ABC and a mysterious role in the upcoming ‘Wonka’ movie starring Timothée Chalamet. In this episode, Rothwell opens up about auditioning for ‘Saturday Night Live’ as part of that show’s “clunky” search for a Black female cast member and ending up as a writer instead, getting hired as a writer on ‘Insecure’ before landing her breakout role as Kelli and returning to her dramatic roots as Belinda in ‘The White Lotus,’ a role that became very different after she was cast.   Follow Natasha Rothwell on Twitter @natasharothwell and Instagram @natasharothwellFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When they first started performing stand-up in the early 1980s, Bobcat Goldthwait and Dana Gould could not have been more different. And as they reveal in their new documentary ‘Joy Ride,’ they “hated” each other’s comedy. But over the years, their styles converged and now they tour the country together, telling hilarious stories from their wild pasts and making each other laugh as hard as their audiences do. In this episode, Goldthwait and Gould open up about their contentious past and reveal how a harrowing car accident on tour nearly cut their lives and careers short. They also share the truth behind Goldthwait’s decades-long feud with Jerry Seinfeld, what Robin Williams was really like when the cameras weren’t rolling, Gould’s favorite jokes he wrote for ‘The Simpsons’ and a lot more. Stream ‘Joy Ride’ on Amazon Prime VideoFollow Bobcat Goldthwait on Instagram @bobcatgoldthwaitFollow Dana Gould on Twitter @danagould and Instagram @danagouldFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adam Pally has a special knack for making hilarious but little-seen comedy that only gets rediscovered by a wider audience years later. There was his beloved cult hit ‘Happy Endings,’ which struggled to find viewers when it ran on ABC from 2011 to 2013, but is now finding new relevance on Netflix. There was his legendary guest-hosting trainwreck on ‘The Late Late Show’ that has since become an internet obsession. And now there’s ‘Champaign ILL,’ an alternate universe ‘Entourage’ that came and went without much fanfare when it debuted as a YouTube Original three years ago but is now making a splash on Hulu. In this episode, Pally opens up about how the gay character that launched his comedy career might look less “progressive” in hindsight and tells hilarious stories about Regis Philbin introducing him to Donald Trump, how he ended up impersonating Don Jr. on ‘The President Show’ and a lot more.Follow Adam Pally on Twitter @adampally and Instagram @adam.pallyFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Comedian Roy Wood Jr. tells us what his year of ‘Daily Show’ correspondent appearances from home was like and the many ways in which the show has changed since Trump left office. He also talks about his podcast ‘Roy’s Job Fair,’ previews his new stand-up special on Comedy Central, breaks down how his trans jokes differ from Dave Chappelle’s and explains why his first ‘Daily Show’ audition didn’t go as planned.This episode was originally published on March 23rd, 2021.Follow Roy Wood Jr. on Twitter @roywoodjr and Instagram @roywoodjrFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For the last several years of his career, comedian Ricky Velez has been best known as Pete Davidson’s best friend, both in real life on on-screen in ‘The King of Staten Island.’ Now, he is grabbing the spotlight for himself in his new hour-long HBO special called ‘Here’s Everything.’ It’s his first time ever performing stand-up on TV and, as the title suggests, he holds nothing back. In this episode, Velez talks about how growing up half-Irish, half-Puerto Rican in Queens made racism a foreign concept, how his gig as a contributor on Larry Wilmore’s ‘Nightly Show’ led to beef with Bill Nye the Science Guy, and what he’s learned about fame and unwanted attention from SNL’s Davidson. Follow Ricky Velez on Instagram @rickyvelezFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices