When an American exchange student discovered that the Germans never lose anything.
humor
The Moment Jon Stewart’s ‘Daily Show’ Changed Course
The internal battles and the decisions Jon Stewart made after taking over The Daily Show from Craig Kilborn.
(Wo)Man vs. Mozzarella: What Happens When You Commit to ‘Endless Appetizers’
My first plate arrives. The mozzarella sticks are golden, dense, and huge. Each one is greater than the width of two of my index fingers.
Home for the Holidays
As soon as we’re finished, Thad shuffles to the garage to grab two 150-or-so-gallon black garbage bags. We stuff all of the presents inside, double-knot the bags at the top, and drag them to the front door, confident that the next morning, not one of our kids — not even the nine-year-old — will wonder […]
Joan Rivers on Humor and Loss
GROSS: What are some of the most painful things that have happened to you that you’ve ended up making jokes about on stage? Ms. RIVERS: Oh, where do you start? My husband’s suicide. GROSS: Right. Ms. RIVERS: Some man, 60 years old, that couldn’t take the business and went and killed himself. How do you […]
Gary Shteyngart on the Highest Form of Tragedy
The funnier you are, the more I think there’s a tragic undercurrent. … I think humor is one of the highest forms of tragedy there is. People talk about the serious novel and these sort of hallowed tones and how important it is, but I think a lot of humorous stuff — books by writers […]
“Getting Stuffed: A Tale of Love and Taxidermy,” David Sedaris, The Guardian.