3 Things: Bill Wurtz, Laurel Braitman, and Terry Gross by Chris Duffy

Hi friends,

It's Saturday! Every week, I send out an email with one thing I think is great, one thing that made me laugh, and one thing I found interesting. Feel free to spread the word and share these emails with friends. If you're checking this out for the first time, you can see the archive and sign up to get these emails here.

 Upcoming shows

EVERYWHERE:
Jeff Goldblum is back again as host on this week's National Geographic Explorer. Monday at 10 p.m. Eastern. Link

Antonia Cereijido and I learn how to be better with money on The Payoff, new episode out this Wednesday.  Link

Three comedians try to guess what a leading scientist does all day and then find out why their research is important and exciting on You're the Expert.  Link

NYC:
Living Room Comedy Club: Over the next two months, I'm doing a comedy tour of NYC's living rooms. I'll be performing at birthday parties, in a "boudoir photography" studio, for an apartment full of senior citizens, and at several homes where I truly have no clue what to expect. If you want to join in the adventure, tickets are free, but the shows are selling out fast. A limited number of tickets are still available by signing up here: Link

SOMERVILLE, MA:
Sunday, June 4th at 4:00 p.m. at The Rockwell. You're the Expert is taping an episode and you can be in the live audience. Link

CAMBRIDGE, MA:
Sunday, June 4th at 7:30 p.m. at ImprovBoston. Come join me for an hour of standup and surprises. Link

SAN FRANCISCO:
Wednesday, July 19 at 8:30 p.m. at The Lost Church. I'm coming back to the Bay Area with my variety show You Get A Spoon! Comedy, music, prizes, and the world's greatest cutlery. Mark your calendars! Tickets will go live in about a week.

My full calendar with all upcoming shows is online here.

 

 This week's list
1 Thing I Think Is Great:


Bill Wurtz is the mysterious genius behind History of Japan. His website is out of this world and everything he puts on social media is inexplicable and amazing. I don't think there's anyone whose work I enjoy more. I've been waiting for months for him to finish a new video and he just released one this week. It was worth the wait. History of the Entire World, I Guess
 

1 Thing That Made Me Laugh:


I saw Laurel Braitman at a Pop-up Magazine show and her story about a fishing town in Alaska that's completely overrun by bald eagles brought down the house. It's hilarious and fascinating and the photos and video she captured are unbelievable. "In a community of just over 4,700 permanent residents, there live an estimated 500 to 800 eagles. They stare judgily down from light posts, peer intently in people's windows, eat foxes and seagulls while perched in the trees next to the high school, and sit on rooflines like living weather vanes." She interviews one teenager who had an eagle steal his pepperoni pizza and a woman who keeps getting attacked by eagles when she goes to the post office. I won't give too much more away, I'll just say you have to click this one for the photos and videos alone.Dirty Birds


1 Interesting Thing:

NPR's Fresh Air turned 30 this week. Radio producer Mooj Zadie put together the "Terry Gross Question Generator" to show off some of Terry's best work. An example, when she was interviewing Jay-Z: "Can I ask you a question you might find weird - but since part of your goal in the book is to kind of explain your generation and explain the music to people. You know how a lot of hip-hop artists, when they're on stage, they kind of like, grab their crotch? How did that start? Like, who started that, and why is that?"

Mooj wrote that he put together the generator to celebrate Terry, but also as a reminder to never forget to be human during an interview, and that following your genuine curiosity often leads to the best surprising questions and moments. The Terry Gross Question Generator


Have a great day,
Chris

3 Things: Kumail Nanjiani, Sarah Tollemache, and The Oatmeal by Chris Duffy

Hi friends,

It's Saturday! Every week, I send out an email with one thing I think is great, one thing that made me laugh, and one thing I found interesting. Feel free to spread the word and share these emails with friends. If you're checking this out for the first time, you can see the archive and sign up to get these emails here.

 Upcoming shows

EVERYWHERE:
Jeff Goldblum is the guest host of this week's National Geographic Explorer. Getting to work with him was so crazy and fun. He is even more Goldblum than I ever imagined. Watch the results on Monday at 10 p.m. ET . Link

On the new episode of The Payoff, my co-host Antonia Cereijido and I interviewed Rep. Barney Frank about Dodd-Frank, consumer protections, and what's happening with new financial regulations.  Link

Comedians learn about cutting-edge science on You're the Expert. All episodes are online and available to stream or download.  Link

NYC:
HOME SHOWS:
In May/June I'm going to be doing a ton of standup shows in people's living rooms. So far, I'm performing at several strangers' birthday parties, in a studio that's also used to shoot "boudoir photography," and for a group of teenagers. The audiences for these shows are mostly the host's friends and family, but there are a few spots reserved each time for my fans/friends too. Come join the adventure by signing up here: Link

Thursday, May 11th at 9:00 p.m. at UCB East. I'm telling jokes on Fresh Out at the Upright Citizens Brigade East. Link

CAMBRIDGE, MA:
Sunday, June 4th at 7:30 p.m. at ImprovBoston. Come join me for an hour of standup and surprises. Link

My full calendar with all upcoming shows is online here.

 This week's list

1 Thing I Think Is Great:


Kumail Nanjiani is great in HBO's Silicon Valley, his standup is amazing, and he's an all-around good person. I'm very excited to see his first feature film, The Big Sick. This profile of Kumail in the New Yorker is fantastic. It's writen by Andrew Marantz, who just gets comedy in a way that very few journalists do. One of my favorite comedians profiled by one of my favorite writers. Kumail Nanjiani's Culture-Clash Comedy
 

1 Thing That Made Me Laugh:


Sarah Tollemache made her late-night debut on Colbert this week. Over the past year, I've been on show after show with Sarah where she just destroyed. It's no surprise that Colbert's audience loved her too. Sarah Tollemache Counts Every Step Aloud In Lieu Of A Fitbit


1 Interesting Thing:

Matthew Inman makes internet cartoons that range from the absurd to the profound. He's just as likely to draw a bear telling some terrible knock-knock jokes as he is to educate you about why Nikola Tesla is the greatest inventor of all time. His most recent piece is about a psychological phenomenon known as "The Backfire Effect," and it's fascinating and surprisingly moving. It's also hilarious. I don't want to ruin too much, but let me just say that it involves everything from George Washington's teeth to why we hate cable news. You're not going to believe what I'm about to tell you


Have a great weekend,
Chris

3 Things: John Wilson, Vir Das, and Claudia O'Doherty by Chris Duffy

Hi friends,

It's Saturday! Every week, I send out an email with one thing I think is great, one thing that made me laugh, and one thing I found interesting. Feel free to spread the word and share these emails with friends. If you're checking this out for the first time, you can see the archive and sign up to get these emails here.

 Upcoming shows

EVERYWHERE:
This Monday on the National Geographic Channel, a new episode of Explorer features a story I pitched about the surprising rise of cattle-rustling. Guest hosted by Aasif Mandvi and featuring an interview with Mandy Patinkin. Link

On The Payoff, my co-host Antonia Cereijido and I learn about money and how the news affects our finances.  Link

Comedians learn about cutting-edge science on You're the Expert. All episodes are online and available to stream or download.  Link

NYC:
TONIGHT Saturday, April 29th at 7:30 p.m. at The Magnet Theater.  I'm the monologuist for The Armando Diaz Experience. I tell stories and then NYC's funniest improvisers make up scenes based on them. This show is always incredible and you should come. Link

Thursday, May 11th at 9:00 p.m. at UCB East. I'm telling jokes on Fresh Out! a great standup show hosted by the hilarious Ashley Brooke Roberts and Jim Tews. (NOTE: I had incorrectly listed this as May 4th last week) Link

CAMBRIDGE, MA:
Sunday, June 4th at 7:30 p.m. at ImprovBoston. I'm headlining my favorite comedy theater in the country. Come join me for an hour of jokes and surprises. Tickets just went on sale today. Link

My full calendar with all upcoming shows is online here.

 This week's list

1 Thing I Think Is Great:


John Wilson is a former private investigator turned filmmaker. His movies are hilarious lo-fi masterpieces.  "How to Keep Smoking," "How to Remain Single," and "How to Act on Reality TV " are three of Wilson's most popular movies. But my favorite is the short Wilson made when Vimeo sent him to cover Sundance. It's so so so funny to see him resentfully cover behind-the-scenes at a festival he's been rejected from. Escape from Park City 

You can find the rest of John Wilson's movies here. (h/t Bianca Giaever)
 

1 Thing That Made Me Laugh:


Vir Das is an Indian comic who made his US late night debut on Conan this week. He destroyed. Das' set about religion, breakfast cereal, and Donald Trump is hilarious and he got multiple applause breaks from the audience to prove it. Vir Das: Donald Trump is America's Arranged Marriage


1 Interesting Thing:

Claudia O'Doherty is one of the stars of Netflix's Love but she's also a top-notch comedian and storyteller. She's just instantly likeable. I could listen to her talk about growing up in Australia all day. This is a great story about her celebrity encounters at age fifteen, including the time when Ewan McGregor came to her house and she completely ignored him. Claudia O'Doherty

Have a great weekend,
Chris