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comedy

Posted inEditor's Pick

Are We Having Fun Yet?!: The Oral History of ‘Party Down’

by Seyward Darby February 28, 2023February 28, 2023

“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.”

Posted inEditor's Pick

“Monorail!” How Conan O’Brien Came Up With an Iconic ‘Simpsons’ Episode

by Peter Rubin January 17, 2023January 17, 2023

“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.”

An empty chair sits in a room against a purple wall
Posted inNonfiction

The Top 5 Longreads of the Week

by Longreads July 8, 2022January 25, 2023

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)

by Peter Rubin July 5, 2022January 25, 2023

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

by Sari Botton October 31, 2019October 19, 2022

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.

by Sari Botton October 30, 2019October 19, 2022

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

by Sari Botton May 10, 2018October 19, 2022

A personal essay in which author Michelle Tea writes about discovering, through stand-up, the potential for humor to heal trauma and bond people.

Bodybuilder reading the Paper Upside Down
Posted inHighlight, Media, Quotes

Area Man Knows All About Fake News

by Catherine Cusick March 27, 2018October 19, 2022

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

by Emily Perper September 23, 2017October 19, 2022

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?

by Aaron Gilbreath July 12, 2017October 19, 2022

The 1979 summer camp comedy was Bill Murray’s breakout film. It also almost didn’t happen.

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