Obsessed: The Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Chris Perfetti, the stealth MVP of ‘Abbott Elementary,’ joins Kevin Fallon for a funny, smart, surprisingly heartfelt conversation about his character Jacob Hill. In our first episode of ‘Obsessed: The Podcast,’ Kevin (Editor at Large at the Daily Beast’s Obsessed) and editorial director Matt Wilstein also dive into the buzziest movie of the moment: ‘Marty Supreme.’ From Timothée Chalamet’s wild performance, the unwieldy Safdie energy, and that ping-pong paddle scene everyone is talking about, it’s safe to say you can’t miss this movie. Welcome to your favorite Sunday-night group chat in podcast form. Think brunch gossip, but about TV, movies, and the celebrities who make them. So listen, subscribe, and come hang out with us right here, three times a week.

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New episodes every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday; early drops on YouTube.

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Obsessed: The Podcast is for those who like their culture pop and their pleasures guilty. Entertainment guru Kevin Fallon and a rotating cast of brilliant critics, including late night TV expert Matt Wilstein, bring you the most dramatic news and interview the biggest celebrities from TV, movies, and that not-so-guilty pleasure you love to binge. Whether it’s a steamy-beyond-steamy kiss, just-dropped trailer, or unhinged social media meltdown: if you love it, we’re Obsessed.

Follow Kevin Fallon on Instagram @kpfallon 

Follow Matt Wilstein on Instagram @mattjwilstein

New episodes every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday; early drops on YouTube.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people probably don’t realize Alex Borstein is the same actress who broke out on ‘MADtv,’ has been voicing Lois Griffin on ‘Family Guy’ for 25 years, and won two Emmys for her role as Susie Myerson on ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.’ And yet, while she may still not be a household name, she has slowly but surely put together a more accomplished and steady career than she ever could have imagined. In this episode, the comedian talks about returning to her stand-up roots for her latest one-woman show, ‘Alex Borstein Is Thirsty,’ and looks back on the twists and turns of her unlikely Hollywood journey. That includes her misgivings about how her iconic character Ms. Swan went from a loving impression of her grandmother to an unfortunate racist caricature and how she landed the lucrative ‘Family Guy’ gig over some much bigger names. Borstein also gets into her beloved HBO cult classic series ‘Getting On’ and why she decided to deliver an anti-fascist call to arms when she accepted her second Emmy Award for ‘Maisel.’ And finally, a deeply embarrassing story about the time she appeared opposite Halle Berry in ‘Catwoman.’ 

Get tickets to see Alex Borstein live

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Watch full episodes of The Last Laugh podcast on the Daily Beast’s YouTube channel

Highlights from this episode and others at TheDailyBeast.com

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Laura Benanti has been nominated for five Tony Awards (with one win) and appeared in dozens of TV shows and movies since making her Broadway debut at 19 years old as Maria in ‘The Sound of Music.’ But as the title of her new solo stage show attests, she still reminds herself on a daily basis that ‘Nobody Cares’ about her many accomplishments. In this episode, Benanti talks about mining her most embarrassing life stories for musical comedy in her new show, which returns to the New York stage and premieres on Audible next month. She also reveals how playing Melania Trump on ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ finally made people take her “seriously” as a comedic actress and what she thinks is going through the former first lady’s head as her husband stands trial for paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels.

But first, Matt and Allegra break down Conan O’Brien’s triumphant (or is it?) streaming premiere after his decades-long run on late-night TV with the new travel series ‘Conan O’Brien Must Go’ on Max. 

Come to a live taping of The Last Laugh podcast with special guest Mae Martin at Netflix Is a Joke Fest on May 8.

Get tickets for Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares at Audible.com

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Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast

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Demetri Martin just put out his first new stand-up hour in six years. But when he sits down for this interview with The Last Laugh podcast, he’s about to tape the second of what will be a trilogy of specials for Netflix. It’s quite a comeback moment for the (shockingly) 50-year-old comedian, who has remained mostly out of the spotlight in recent years as provocative, autobiographical stand-up comedy has overtaken the one-liner “joke machine” style that he has been honing for more than half of his life. In this episode, Martin breaks down the meta-concept behind his new ‘Demetri Deconstructed’ special, reveals why he started bringing drawings on stage, shares his take on some of the more concerning comedy trends and a lot more. 

Plus, Matt and Allegra take on the state of ‘Saturday Night Live’ and why this past weekend’s Ryan Gosling-hosted episode was the show at its very best. 

Follow Demetri Martin on Twitter @DemetriMartin and Instagram @demetrimartinofficial

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Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast

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Alex Edelman was having a hectic week before an unexpected earthquake briefly knocked out the internet in his New York apartment just before our podcast taping. “I feel crazy every day,” Edelman admits on the eve of his solo show, ‘Just for Us,’ premiering on HBO. “But also, this is what a comedian wants for his work. I’m very verklempt.” In this episode, the 35-year-old Jewish comic shares the unique challenges of bringing his story about attending a white supremacist meeting in Queens to the stage and screen, including the sudden death of his director just before opening on Broadway and how performing a show about antisemitism changed after October 7th. Edelman also discusses the surreal experience of getting notes from comedy heroes like Steve Martin, Jerry Seinfeld and Billy Crystal, tells a story about the time he baffled Mel Brooks by calling him “woke” to his face, and teases his next stand-up hour on the Israel-Gaza war. 

But first, Matt and Allegra break down the series finale of ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm,’ including an unsentimental goodbye to Richard Lewis and a surprising twist on the infamous ‘Seinfeld’ ending.

Follow Alex Edelman on Twitter @alexedelman and Instagram @alexedelman

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Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast

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It’s been six years since W. Kamau Bell’s last special ‘Private School Negro’ premiered on Netflix. And after hosting CNN’s ‘United Shades of America’ for seven seasons and directing two hit documentaries, he’s not totally sure that he should still be considered a stand-up comedian. In his third appearance on the podcast—taped in-studio in his native Oakland—Bell speaks frankly about his ambivalence around pursuing the life of a comic right now and why he keeps finding himself on stage, especially as the 2024 election heats up. Bell discusses comedy’s role in the Biden vs. Trump rematch, why comedians like Joe Rogan have embraced third-party spoiler RFK Jr., the fallout from his ‘We Need to Talk About Cosby’ docuseries and a lot more. 

But first, The Daily Beast’s Allegra Frank joins host Matt Wilstein to answer some burning questions about the first episode of ‘Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show.’ How real is it? Is the identity of the anonymous masked man supposed to be so obvious? And why do we find this deeply sad show so funny? 

Follow W. Kamau Bell on Twitter @wkamaubell and Instagram @wkamaubell

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Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast

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It’s been more than a decade since Tig Notaro broke through in a big way by walking onto the stand-up stage in Los Angeles and telling her audience, “Hello, I have cancer.” And for better or worse, she has even more medical scares to joke about in her latest special ‘Hello Again,’ streaming now on Amazon Prime Video. In this episode, which marks the five year anniversary of The Last Laugh, Notaro returns to the podcast to discuss how she manages to keep finding humor in these terrifying life experiences. The comedian also opens up about collaborating with her wife Stephanie Allyne, who directed the new special, getting heckled by her twin boys at a charity event, mining her awkward interactions with celebrity friends for comedy and a lot more. 

Stream Tig Notaro’s ‘Hello Again’ on Amazon Prime Video

Pre-order David E. Low’s ‘Transgressive Humor in Classrooms’ (20% off with code EFLY01)

Follow Tig Notaro on Twitter @TigNotaro and Instagram @therealfluffnotaro

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Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast

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It’s genuinely disorienting to see Kyle Kinane without the signature beard that has become his comedy brand over the past 15 years or so when his clean-shaved face pops up on Zoom. “God, I hate brands so much,” he says. “I love nothing more than exploding personal brands.” In this episode, Kinane opens up about his decision to leave Los Angeles for Portland after losing his coveted gig as the official voice of Comedy Central and why he no longer feels like he needs the corporate structure that has kept so many of his fellow comedians tethered to the center of the entertainment industry. He also discusses why his comedy seems to appeal to both sides of the political aisle—for better or worse—and why he has no respect for any comedian who embellishes the truth on stage in an effort to “garner sympathy.”

Stream/download Kyle Kinane’s new special ‘Dirt Nap’

Follow Kyle Kinane on Twitter @kylekinane and Instagram @kylekinane

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Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast

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Despite never really doing comedy before ‘Girls5eva,’ Renée Elise Goldsberry has managed to steal nearly every scene she’s been in over the two seasons of that show’s initial run on Peacock and third, which arrives with a splash on Netflix this week. In this episode, the Tony and Grammy Award winning actor reveals what it was like to find her comedic voice as the self-obsessed diva Wickie Roy, including how the character has inspired her to become more ambitious in her own career and the parallels between mastering Tina Fey’s brand of rapid-fire jokes and learning to rap for her role as Angelica Schyuler in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s ‘Hamilton.’ Goldsberry talks about getting cut out of Fey and Amy Poehler’s movie ‘Sisters,’ meeting co-star Paula Pell in their musical episode ‘Documentary Now’ and why she would be “shocked” if there wasn’t a fourth season of ‘Girls5eva’ coming to Netflix in the near future. 

Follow Renée Elise Goldsberry on Twitter @reneegoldsberry and Instagram @reneeelisegoldsberry

Follow Matt Wilstein on Threads @mattwilstein

Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod and Threads @lastlaughpod

Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast

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