“As the Starz comedy makes an unlikely return to air, its creators look back on creating a unique inside-Hollywood workplace sitcom, scrapping through a difficult development period, and getting gold from Adam Scott, Ken Marino, and Jane Lynch.”
comedy
Posted inEditor's Pick
“Monorail!” How Conan O’Brien Came Up With an Iconic ‘Simpsons’ Episode
“Thirty years later, Conan O’Brien reflects on the making and legacy of ‘Marge vs. the Monorail,’ one of the best ‘Simpsons’—and sitcom—episodes of all time.”
Posted inNonfiction
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, our editors recommend notable features and essays by Katie Barnes, Rachel Handler, Alex Hawkins, Lila Shapiro, and Raksha Vasudevan.
Posted inEditor's Pick
Nathan Fielder Is Out of His Mind (and Inside Yours)
On the axis of cringe comedy, Nathan Fielder’s work on TV series Nathan For You ranks somewhere between Sasha Baron Cohen and Covering Your Eyes and Ears to Escape the Vicarious Embarrassment. But Lila Shapiro’s profile, coming just ahead of Fielder’s return to television, attempts to peel back the layers of artifice between man and world. […]
Posted inEssays & Criticism, Highlight, Nonfiction, Quotes
David Letterman Is Truly Sorry
Ten years after calling Letterman out for creating a hostile work environment for women, Nell Scovell gets to talk with him about it.
Posted inEditor's Pick
Ten Years Ago, I Called Out David Letterman. This Month, We Sat Down to Talk.
Comedy writer Nell Scovell — who quit her job on Late Night with David Letterman in 1990 after just five months because of sexism and “sexual favoritism,” and who called out Letterman in another Vanity Fair piece 10 years ago, following the revelation that he was cheating on his wife with various women who worked […]
Posted inEditor's Pick
How I Got Funny at 46
A personal essay in which author Michelle Tea writes about discovering, through stand-up, the potential for humor to heal trauma and bond people.
Posted inHighlight, Media, Quotes
Area Man Knows All About Fake News
But who’s Area Man? In an era of fake news crackdowns, satirical newspapers aren’t adding up.
Posted inReading List, Unapologetic Women
Wives, Queens, and Other Comedy Heroes: A Reading List
A reading list dedicated to queer and trans comedians, and comedians of color.
Posted inArts & Culture, Nonfiction, Quotes
The Making of ‘Meatballs’: Is Bill Murray Even Going to Show Up?
The 1979 summer camp comedy was Bill Murray’s breakout film. It also almost didn’t happen.