Jacob Samuel has had a great year, Covid be damned. His album, Horse Power, was nominated for a Juno Award. We talk to him about it, jokes, Zoom, cats and dogs, and Larry Sanders. Plus we play a track from his album – it's legit funny.
What's So Funny?
A radio show/podcast about comedy – on the air and in your ears since 2004. That's a long time. Nominated for the 2013 Canadian Comedy Awards, Best Podcast and the 2018 Vancouver Comedy Awards, Best Comedy Podcast. Hosted by Georgia Straight comedy writer Guy MacPherson.
Thursday, April 1, 2021
Monday, March 8, 2021
Podcast episode 594ish: Jackie Kashian
Jackie Kashian has us in the palm of her hand in this episode. The former Wisconite comedian and host of two podcasts dorks out on The Dork Forest, extols the benefits of Zoom standup, talks of Kinison, Rickles, Burr and Bamford, and tells us where she got her optimism from.
Thursday, February 18, 2021
Podcast episode 593ish: Michael Teigen
Michael Teigen joins us from his cabin but it was the host's computer in civilization that wonked out for half the show. Still, we get unfiltered Teigen, which is always fun. He's an actor with 94 (count 'em... I did) imdb credits and a couple more coming soon. And he's a mainstay on the Vancouver improv scene. We talk about life without social media, William Shatner, Luke Perry, Bruno Kirby, and donating a kidney.
Monday, February 8, 2021
Podcast episode 592ish: Jimmy Pardo
Jimmy Pardo lives up to his long-running podcast's name. The guy really is never not funny. In this episode, we relive his glory days doing community theatre, debate the term 'yacht rock', inform him on some great Canadian bands, draw a connection between Woody Allen and Chekov, discuss the proper way to hold a bass, and talk about his smart mouth in high school.
Monday, February 1, 2021
Podcast episode 591ish: Sean Lecomber
Sean Lecomber has been with us from his hotel room, the host's car, and now from the comfort of his home in Alberta. He doesn't care how you pronounce his name. The stay-at-home dad talks about what he has in common with Ricky Gervais, Derek Edwards, and Amy Schumer, and why he prefers doing a podcast to doing standup. And more, of course.
Monday, January 25, 2021
Podcast episode 590ish: Peter Kelamis
Peter Kelamis was last with us in 2010. We know him mostly as a standup comic but most of his work these days comes from acting. We talk about how Greek he is, Hallmark movies, voice acting, cosplay, Robin Williams, and Dane Cook.
Saturday, January 16, 2021
Podcast episode 589ish: Jon Dore
Jon Dore becomes the first guest of 2021 (we're a little late getting started). And what a great guest he is. He speaks with us from his home in Juneau, Alaska. He's here to shill his new TV program called Humour Resources with Jon Dore on CBC, but we also talk about his job in a butcher shop, his best memory at the Ottawa Bluesfest, his similarities to Chris Elliott, and we relive an old tweet of his.
Monday, January 11, 2021
Crunching the numbers: 2020 edition
Well, here we are. A couple weeks into 2021. So far it hasn't looked much different from most of 2020, unfortunately. We haven't recorded a new show in ages, but we haven't gone away. We'll ease into the new year soon. Meanwhile, as is our tradition, we look back at our guests from the last year. We haven't done this since our first year in 2004, but we have records for the last 12 years. Here's what it boils down to:
- in 2009, we did 42 shows
- in 2010, we slipped to 38 shows
- in 2011, we leapt to 44 shows with 53 guests
- in 2012, we did 41 shows with 47 guests
- in 2013, we did 35 shows with 37 guests
- in 2014, we did 36 shows with 39 guests
- in 2015, we did 36 shows with 40 guests
- in 2016, we did 32 shows with 33 guests
- in 2017, we did 36 shows with 37 guests
- in 2018, we did 37 shows with 39 guests
- in 2019, we clocked in at 35 shows with 37 guests.
It's perhaps no surprise that 2020 was on the low end in shows and guests, but it wasn't the lowest. So that's good news, considering the challenges. Drum roll, please:
- in 2020, we did 34 shows with a total of 35 guests.
As you can see, 2016 was the low.
For you math nerds: Our mean is 37 shows. Our mode is 36. Our median is 36.5.
Thanks to the following guests we welcomed either in person or through the wonders of modern technology:
- Jimmy Shubert
- Jon Bryant
- Lars Callieou
- Andrea Jin
- Eddie Ifft
- Ed Hill
- Paul Myrehaug
- Damonde Tschritter
- Carl Turnbull
- Eddie Brill
- Dwight Slade
- Marcus Ryan
- Michael Gelbart
- Colin Mochrie
- Bonnie McFarlane
- Lachlan Patterson
- Darren Frost
- Ellyn Marie Marsh
- Ron James
- Dave Hill
- Sugar Sammy
- Derek Edwards
- bbno$
- Jeremy Hotz
- Shirley Gnome
- Ian Bagg
- Bob Saget
- Mike Wilmot
- Blaine Thurier
- Stuart Jones
- Kenny Robinson
- Dylan Rheimer
- Brian Aylward
- Todd Van Allen
Monday, November 16, 2020
Podcast episode 588ish: Todd Van Allen
Todd Van Allen isn't above any pub in this episode. Todd is the host of one of the longest-running podcasts in the country, but we clear up that it isn't THE longest-running (ahem). We talk about butterflies, magic, cable access stardom, math, ICQ, voice-over work, and approaching celebrities.
Monday, November 9, 2020
Podcast episode 587ish: Brian Aylward
Brian Aylward is big in Asia. But at 6-3 and 260 pounds, he's pretty big in all 28 countries he performed in. We speak to him from his home in Bangkok where he is convalescing from a scary motorcycle accident. The Newfoundlander and former Canadian Comedy Award winner has a new special, aptly titled Big in Asia, which he filmed in front of locals in Mongolia.
Check out the trailer for his special on YouTube.