the great bits
Jan. 22, 2024
Dwayne Kennedy’s Uncomfortable Truths Revisiting the comedian’s incredible 2002 Letterman stand-up set.
the great bits
Aug. 30, 2023
the great bits
Jan. 19, 2023
The Comedy Perfection of Richard Pryor’s ‘Heart Attacks’ The legendary stand-up’s five-minute bit is a master class in vulnerability, physicality, and reckoning with death.
The Comedy Mask A comedian’s suicide sets in motion a recognizable pattern of events and painful attempts to understand fellow performers’ despair.
in memoriam
Sept. 15, 2021
The Unique Genius of Norm Macdonald He delivered jokes in a way no one else did before him.
the great bits
June 29, 2021
Jon Dore and Rory Scovel’s Fortunate Conan Double-Booking Looking back at the risky, innovative late-night stand-up set, ten years later.
the great bits
Feb. 2, 2021
Nick Vatterott’s Late-Night Debut Brilliantly Tests the Audience’s Comfort Revisiting a 2010 Fallon set that’s a master class in manipulating tension.
the great bits
Mar. 18, 2020
Norm Macdonald Delivered the First Great Set on Coronavirus Before the comedy clubs closed, the stand-up pinpointed all our anxieties perfectly.
the great bits
Nov. 21, 2019
The Musical Brilliance of John Mulaney’s Stand-up Revisiting one of the comedian’s best jokes, “The Salt and Pepper Diner.”
the great bits
Aug. 27, 2019
Michelle Wolf Is a Master of the Period Joke Revisiting an excellent bit from the comedian’s 2017 HBO special.
remembrances
Mar. 1, 2019
There Will Never Be Another Brody Stevens “I defy you to name another comedian, who when you saw him onstage, whether he was killing or bombing, made you as happy and proud to be a comedian.”
the great bits
Jan. 16, 2019
In Maria Bamford’s Stand-up, Facing Nightmares Is Unusually Fun No comedian provides a more riveting portrayal of their own fear, doubt, and despair.
the great bits
Sept. 11, 2018
Why Roy Wood Jr.’s ‘Black Patriotism’ Bit Is Olympic-Level Stand-up “Every time the comedy beach ball starts to lose altitude, Wood smacks it back into the sky.”
the great bits
Jan. 5, 2018
The Great Bits: Paul F. Tompkins’s “Peanut Brittle” The writing in “Peanut Brittle” is as surprising as the subject matter.
the great bits
May 10, 2017
The Great Bits: Patton Oswalt’s ‘Steak’ The best bits stay in your mind years after hundreds of other bits disappear. One such bit is Patton Oswalt’s ‘Steak’.
Why Chicago Is the Best City in America for Young Standups
A comedian I know just moved to Chicago after two years in Los Angeles. Hearing the news, another comic asked “Are they nuts? If you’re […]
Why Standups Should Embrace, Not Revile, Improv
“I hate improv.”
Hang around standup comedians enough and you will hear it. This may be confusing. Many don’t know there’s a difference […]