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Caloroga Shark Media. Hi there, I’m Johnny Mack with your Daily Comedy News, a daily briefing on stand up comedy, comedians and the comedy industry. A sentence the algorithm really likes. Pete Davidson’s got a new thing on Netflix. They’re calling a podcast.
Johnny Mack says, in no way, whatsoever is that a podcast. Vulture has weighed in on this. They write, though, build as a Netflix podcast, the Pete Davison Show doesn’t feel like a podcast in any conventional sense, and they go on to write, you know, it’s got some stuff in common with a podcast, as a host and a guest and their chairs are vaguely facing each other and they’re just having a conversation. Some people think that’s what a podcast is. Culture writes, but is the Pete Davidson Show actually a podcast?
I’ll answer no, But they say, well, it’s podcast ish in that it nominally invokes the medium’s familiar tropes, But that doesn’t answer the ques question. A simple thought experiment helps. If the Pete Davidson Show had been produced by a different entity and distributed elsewhere, it would register as a good looking, high end celebrity podcast. But as a show produced by and distributed exclusively on Netflix, it’s difficult to beat the chargers. The Pete Davison Show is less a podcast than a piece of cheap television, and it should be judged on those terms.
But here’s the crux, and here’s where this is going to get interesting. Forget about what Johnny Mackfield’s a podcast is or not. And you could read my substack it’s free link in the notes. I write about this every week. But Vulture gets to the point.
As cheap television, the Pete Davidson Show offers Netflix a path towards producing more content at a far lower cost. Okay, fine, but stay with me. Largely independent of the entrenched Hollywood systems that have developed over time to protect the below the line workers who traditionally work on talk shows that compete in this space, it’s hard not to view the Pete Davidson Show as some kind of trial ballunacy. If anyone notices or cares Vulture rights for what it’s worth, Netflix’s shenanigans with the original podcast labels not going completely unnoticed. According to this article, a union rep told Pucks at Matt Beloney sag Netflix continue to have discussions regarding the Pete Davidson project.
Vulture calls that a notably diplomatic way of saying the Union is working to figure out what this thing is. Whether Netflix is using the podcast designation to sidestep obligations it would otherwise have for a talk show built around a Hollywood talent who makes movies and series with Union labor. Very very interesting. We’ll keep an eye on that. Are you familiar with the musicians the Red clay Strays.
A lot of comedians are into them. They went on social media and let people know that something is coming soon, and the something has something to do with Matt Rife. There’s a teaser and we see Matt Rife sitting on a bus. Everyone’s like, what’s Matt Rife doing on the bus? In the teaser?
Fans are mixed. One wrote Matt Rife and the Red clay Stras I’m in. Someone else wrote I love the Red craz Strays but not sure what to make of Matt Rife. Why him? No one knows?
Will it be your music video that features Matt Rife? Stay tuned. Craig Ferguson is going to tour the United States of America he’ll be working with CNN celebrating the USA’s two hundred and fiftieth birthday. Boy, time goes fast. I remember Crystal clearly sitting in Battery Park, New York City with my mother on July fourth, seventeen cent not seventeen seventy six.
I’m leaving that in nineteen seventy six. I’m not that old. I’m leaving that in nineteen seventy six, me and Mom July fourth, nineteen seventy six. I had my July fourth frisbee, which sadly I lost in the eighties, lost at the Sherton Pool and I don’t know what happened to it. Wish I still had it.
But anyway, Mom and the cute kid with the frisbee, we were on the local WCBS Channel two news. I digress. That’s fifty years ago, that story John, and it wasn’t that good. I know. Craig Ferguson he’ll be hosting America on Purpose, in which Craig Ferguson unpacks the country’s chaotic triumph and controversial two hundred and fifty year journey of independence.
We’re told Craig Ferguson exploits the identity of the country he now calls home after becoming a proud citizen in two thousand and eight, digging into its freedoms, contradictions, and cultural quirks. The journey takes him from monster truck rallies to Ellis Island and beyond, combining American history with his signature wit and playfulness. To meet the moment of the nation’s two hundred and fiftieth anniversary, Craig said, any chance I get to remind my fellow Americans that we are still the best idea for a country anyone has ever had, I’m going to take it. My eagle is still bald and my banner is still spangled with stars from Fox News, comedian Steve Trevino thinks Hollywood has turned its back on him because of his conservative values, including his promotion of family, faith, and country. With all due respect to mister Travino, I think you’re wrong here, but let’s hear him out.
He was on The Like a former podcast. Steve Travino questioned why he was not offered another Netflix deal after his twenty twenty four special Steve Travigno Simple Man. Steve said, Hollywood not like us. Hollywood does not want anything to do with us, and it’s unfortunate, right, I was top five numbers wise, I beat thirty five of them. I believe that refers to thirty five other comedy specials.
All the ones I beat are getting offers. Again, I did not get another one. Travino were called in experience with Amazon Prime Video. He claimed in that he was asked to remove a moment from a project in which he thanked US military members. According to Steve, they said, can Steve not thank the troops at the end?
It’s too political? And I’m like, how is thanking the men and women who serve political? See after water? Is it because I’m conservative? Is it because I love this country?
Is it because I promote family? Is it because I promote God? Now I’ve been in the media for thirty How long is it now? Thirty four years? Professionally?
Cheez, I’m old. I’ve never ever run into anyone who said you can’t thank the troops. In fact, I was talking about this with my friend Bill at the brewery the other night during trivia and I we finished fourth. By the way, you know why, hey at trivia guys, you guys listening, you know why we did well, you guys didn’t have those Ariana grande questions. You asked a lot of old man questions.
It was like history questions in there. That’s why the old guys did. Okay, we would have finished third, but Johnny Mack said, let’s gamble on one of the answers in the fifth round there, and we got it wrong, so we didn’t win. Plastic sunglasses or whatever. I digress.
I’ve never run into the media conspiracies. I’ve never had Hey, you can’t talk about that. I’ve never seen the great conservative conspiracy. I’ve never seen the great liberal conspiracy. I’ve never run into the don’t thank the troops people.
Maybe I’ve just been fortunate. Anyway, Steve Trevino says, stand up, pay us the bills, and if Netflix doesn’t want to give us another offer, we’ll figure it out. We always do.
Speaking of the troops.
Gableglesias was just over in Japan. He did a series of shows for the US OH Army. Dot Mill tells us. During his hour long set, gab Iglesias rifted on familiar topics like family and food, but he also had humorous, slightly off color bits tailored to his host nation. Audience, whether expressing his amazement and how nice Japanese toilets are or counting his memorable experience says at airport customs and local Roman spots.
Gab Iglesias used his loud and energetic delivery to punctuate each story with his signature brand of punchlines. Sergeant Gage Casino is a self professed comedy enthusiast. He said, I’ve been watching him since I was a kid. To see him live as an honor, and I think everyone can agree he was a good time with good laughs. Sergeant Casino, he’s with the nine oh one Military Police Detachment.
I thank you for your service, both genuinely and to prove there’s no conspiracy against thanking the military for their service. Sergeant Ramar Downer, who I will also think, called the show hilarious. Sergeant Downer said, I really appreciate that they put on shows like this for us because it’s great for the troops. Sergeant Downer is assigned to the eighty eighth MP Detachment. It shows that they support the soldiers.
Was also great to hear the comics thanking us throughout the show. Gab Iglacias said, I’m here because I want to be here. I love performing for the military and look forward to coming back. Oh my voice is wearing out. At that Super Bowl preview, that long episod so from Saturday.
I did that one right before this one. And I still have to record Comedy Survivor, which is coming up at noon eastern today. We will find out who was voted off the island. I don’t know. I haven’t recorded it yet, but the Comedy Survivor elimination show will be in this very feed at noon Eastern today.
I also have to record The Weekly Comedy Thing, which is a show I host on the Live one app. The app is free, the show is free. That show is kind of like this, except I can play stand up comedian bits like in full like I can go here’s a story about Gabe Iglesias, and then I could play at Gabe Glaciers clip. You know. I can do that kind of thing over there.
So I still have to record that. It’s called The Weekly Comedy Thing. It’s on the Live one app if you want to check that out. Matt Friend has a new gig. He’ll be on the red carpet for the Academy Awards.
He’s very excited about it he’ll have a spot for talent interviews. Matt Rif’s career seems to be going okay, just like his impressions. Ron Funches was a part of the cast of this season of Traders. I’m going to spoil Traders. If you’re not caught up, you might want to bail here.
Ron Funches has been sharing some stories about Traders during his stand up shows. Okay, everybody who’s still here, you’re going to be spoiled. He explains, I approached the game as if I was a detective. I wanted to come from a data driven approach. Once I arrived, I realized I only knew one or two people, which I thought to be a detriment socially, but as far as being impartial is the best way to be.
Because I didn’t have any knowledge or love for any of the people, I’d look for things that look like inconsistencies in their work. I then thought about being more direct with people who I would try to accuse of being the trader, But after that point it became more of defending myself. Any accusations I had were based off people being like, prove to us that you’re not the trader. Who do you think it is, and I’d be like, well, I heard light footsteps, so it might be the smallest girl here me myself. I wouldn’t have considered that enough evidence.
But if you guys are going to force me to say something, I’ll say something. Ron Funch has said. The only thing I would have done differently is I wish I hadn’t cursed Eugene Merman. He’s part of that Bob’s Burger’s conspiracy. You know this one where people pretend Bob’s Burger’s is a show.
If you’re new to the show I’ll quickly explain it to you here. Let me ask you, new listener, have you ever seen Bob’s Burgers? The answer is no, right, yeah, Okay, I understand there’s artwork. I understand there’s merge. I understand that Kevin Burkhart will say after this football game, it’s an all new Bob’s Burgers.
But Kevin Burkhart and Fox and Eugene Merman and everyone else in this conspiracy knows we don’t stay on Fox. We switch over and watch Sunday night football. This is all just a gag, and they’ve been doing this for over a decade and a half. But What does exist is Eugene Merman’s new comedy album, Here Comes the Whimsy, that’s out on PGF Records. There’s also a special on Veeps.
Here Comes the Whimsy was recorded live in Summerville. Merman shares a series of mild grievances through anecdotes from fatherhood, insights from travel, dress code trauma, rental car disputes, and more. And I’m seeing a lot of good buzz on Jury Duty too. Remember Jury Duty a couple of years ago, the guy thought he was on jury duty, but it was all fake. They’ve made a new season of that, but this one is called Jury Duty Presents Company Retreat.
Three episodes will be out on March twentieth on Prime Video. Company Retreat will follow a corporate offside event at a family owned hot sauce company from the perspective of Anthony, a recently hired temporary worker. Unbeknownst to Anthony, the entire experience of staged. Every colleague around him is performing a role in each moment, whether in conference rooms during downtime, has been meticulously orchestrated. Sounds like a lot of fun.
Now, speaking of jury Duty, I’ve been invited to be on jury that’s coming up in a couple weeks. That’s not good. I have podcasts to record. Kind of stressed about that one, and it’s district court. I have to call like two weeks in a row, guys.
I got stuff to do, So let’s hope the jury duty guts are cunnd to Johnny Mack and that is your comedy news for today. Back at noon Eastern for Comedy Survivor, which I’m about to record right now, so I gotta save my voice. I’ll see you guys in a couple minutes, I guess