Daily Comedy News with Johnny Mac - a daily briefing on comedians, and the comedy industry

Johnny Mac delivers Daily Comedy News, leading with Kathy Griffin claiming she is banned from Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show and criticizing Fallon for booking Conor McGregor, citing a civil jury finding of rape and a rejected appeal. The episode covers Digital Spy’s critique that Ricky Gervais’ new material feels repetitive, notes a BBC Office UK 25th-anniversary documentary filmed without Gervais, and highlights his separate YouTube documentary and a limited-edition David Brent Dutch Barn vodka release. Leslie David Baker (Stanley from The Office US) co-owns a new HoneyBaked Ham store in Sherman Oaks. Kam Patterson defends Tony Hinchcliffe after backlash over a George Floyd joke. Hannah Berner says Dysport injections for TMJ left her unable to smile. Other items include a Colbert Late Show sign bought for $102,100, Billboard’s May comedy box office led by Nate Bargatze, and previews of Just for Laughs Montreal acts.
 
00:28 Kathy Griffin vs. Jimmy Fallon
03:10 Ricky Gervais Critique
04:21 Office Anniversary Drama
04:56 Office Vodka Promo
06:02 Stanley Opens Ham Shop
06:45 Kam Patterson Defends Tony
08:01 Hannah Berner Smile Scare
09:00 Comics On A Flight
09:31 Colbert Sign
10:14 Top Touring Comics
11:18 Just For Laughs Preview
 

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Daily Comedy News with Johnny Mac is a daily podcast covering comedians, stand-up comedy, late night television, and the comedy industry. New episodes every morning. Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Part of the Caloroga Shark Media network.

Contact John at John@thesharkdeck dot com 

For Uninterrupted Listening, use the Apple Podcast App and click the banner that says Uninterrupted Listening.  $4.99/month 

John's Substack about media is free.

This is the animal sanctuary mentioned in the February 10 episode.

Johnny Mac delivers a bonus rant about reports that Taylor Swift married Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden with Adam Sandler officiating, citing coverage from The New York Times and other outlets. He mocks the celebrity spectacle, noting details like Austin Swift as man of honor, Jason Kelce as best man, and Sandler’s purported marriage advice via Andy Reid to “keep kissing,” plus comments attributed to the AMC Theatres CEO, Joseph Kahn, and a critical Slate piece questioning Sandler as the choice. Mac speculates about how guest lists are shaped by Hollywood networking rather than real friendships, naming attendees such as Paul McCartney, Charlie Day, Conan O’Brien, Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, Donald Glover, Chris Rock, and Nikki Glaser. He also recounts Dave Chappelle joking on CNN that he wasn’t invited, then closes with brief personal updates about losing internet and upcoming episodes.
 
00:39 Sandler Officiates Shock
01:31 Marriage Advice Buzz
02:05 Media Reactions Roast
03:25 Guest List Confusion
04:05 How Celeb Invites Work
04:59 Comedians at the Wedding
05:51 Chappelle Bachelor Party Bit
06:28 Quick Wrap and Congrats

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/daily-comedy-news-with-johnny-mac-a-daily-briefing-on-comedians-and-the-comedy-industry--4522158/support.

Daily Comedy News with Johnny Mac is a daily podcast covering comedians, stand-up comedy, late night television, and the comedy industry. New episodes every morning. Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Part of the Caloroga Shark Media network.

Contact John at John@thesharkdeck dot com 

For Uninterrupted Listening, use the Apple Podcast App and click the banner that says Uninterrupted Listening.  $4.99/month 

John's Substack about media is free.

This is the animal sanctuary mentioned in the February 10 episode.

Johnny Mac delivers Daily Comedy News featuring Dave Chappelle joking to PBS about automation, AI, and people not reading books anymore, then noting he was kidding. Michelle Wolf recounts leaving Bear Stearns-era finance for improv, open mics, and eventually writing for Seth Meyers, Hannibal Buress, and Chris Rock, discussing how “off the table” topics require extraordinary joke craft. Patton Oswalt and David Cross describe developing material on stage and the pressure of constant social-media “authenticity,” with Cross sharing reactions to work-in-progress bits in Brooklyn. Pete Holmes talks about parenting talk, show times, and loving a 2 p.m. talk-show schedule. Gossip Corner covers Sam Harris buying David Spade’s former $32.3M estate and Spade’s TV earnings. The episode also spotlights new specials, Isabel Hagen’s film run, Comedy vs Cancer fundraising.

00:00 Daily Comedy News Intro
00:12 Chappelle on AI Future
00:41 Michelle Wolf Origin Story
01:52 Wolf on Edgy Jokes
02:09 Oswalt on Authenticity
02:46 Old School Joke Writing
03:16 David Cross Live Risks
04:13 Pete Holmes Parenting Bits
04:51 Gossip Corner Spade Money
06:10 New Comedy Specials Today
06:28 Joke Zero Isabel Hagen
07:03 Comedy vs Cancer Update
08:23 Wrap Up and Subscribing
09:06 Ad Free Listening Pitch
 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/daily-comedy-news-with-johnny-mac-a-daily-briefing-on-comedians-and-the-comedy-industry--4522158/support.

Daily Comedy News with Johnny Mac is a daily podcast covering comedians, stand-up comedy, late night television, and the comedy industry. New episodes every morning. Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Part of the Caloroga Shark Media network.

Contact John at John@thesharkdeck dot com 

For Uninterrupted Listening, use the Apple Podcast App and click the banner that says Uninterrupted Listening.  $4.99/month 

John's Substack about media is free.

This is the animal sanctuary mentioned in the February 10 episode.

Johnny Mac reviews his midyear picks for the best comedy specials of 2026, ranking Chris Fleming’s HBO debut “Live at the Palace” as his clear #1, followed by Ryan Hamilton’s bus-accident-themed special, Trevor Noah’s Netflix “Joy in the Trenches,” Katt Williams’ Netflix “The Last Report,” and Pete Holmes’ YouTube “Silly, Silly Fun Boy,” while also highlighting Derek Streep’s “Nostalgic,” Ramy Youssef’s HBO “In Love,” and Jackie Kashian’s YouTube “Altercation.” He then names a “good” tier including Sheng Wang’s “Purple,” Aaron Chen’s “Life in Questions,” Netflix’s “Roast of Kevin Hart,” Tony Hinchcliffe’s “Man of the People,” and Des Bishop’s Hulu “Bridge and Tunnel.” He lists several “pass” titles (including Louis C.K., Taylor Tomlinson, Josh Johnson, Marcelo Hernandez, Mark Normand, Nikki Glaser, Julio Torres) and notes Vulture’s recommended specials and the show’s Facebook group list.

00:26 Top Pick Chris Fleming
01:25 Number Two Ryan Hamilton
03:19 Trevor Noah and Katt Williams
03:52 Pete Holmes at Five

06:08 Tier Two The Good Pile
07:25 Watchable Picks and Hulu

08:22 Pass List Starts Louis C K
10:00 More Passes and Nikki Glaser
11:54 Vulture Recommendations
 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/daily-comedy-news-with-johnny-mac-a-daily-briefing-on-comedians-and-the-comedy-industry--4522158/support.

Daily Comedy News with Johnny Mac is a daily podcast covering comedians, stand-up comedy, late night television, and the comedy industry. New episodes every morning. Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Part of the Caloroga Shark Media network.

Contact John at John@thesharkdeck dot com 

For Uninterrupted Listening, use the Apple Podcast App and click the banner that says Uninterrupted Listening.  $4.99/month 

John's Substack about media is free.

This is the animal sanctuary mentioned in the February 10 episode.

On July 4, Johnny Mac discusses why George Carlin’s late-career material feels freshly relevant and calls him “America’s great prophet,” revising his own past view that Carlin had grown merely angry. He warns that many quotes attributed to Carlin online are fake, citing the misattributed “paradox of our time” (by pastor Bob Moorehead) and noting Carlin wanted only verified sources used. Mac centers on Carlin’s 2005 HBO special Life Is Worth Losing (“Dumb Americans”), emphasizing Carlin’s structural argument about willful ignorance, consumerism, and “owners” controlling politics, media, and education, including the “American Dream” line. He traces the “Nike sneakers and smiley shirts” fascism quote to a Sept. 9, 2005 Real Time with Bill Maher appearance after Katrina, and highlights Carlin’s 1992 Jammin’ in New York bit about environmental arrogance, arguing Carlin’s system-focused critiques outlast news cycles.
 
00:40 Carlin War Rant
01:39 Fake Quotes Warning
02:17 Dumb Americans Context
04:16 American Dream Owners
04:58 Education By Design
06:06 Big Club Power
07:54 Why It Still Hits
08:21 Fascism Nike Quote
09:58 Planet Vs People
11:13 Endangered Species Bit
12:08 Why Carlin Endures
 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/daily-comedy-news-with-johnny-mac-a-daily-briefing-on-comedians-and-the-comedy-industry--4522158/support.

Daily Comedy News with Johnny Mac is a daily podcast covering comedians, stand-up comedy, late night television, and the comedy industry. New episodes every morning. Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Part of the Caloroga Shark Media network.

Contact John at John@thesharkdeck dot com 

For Uninterrupted Listening, use the Apple Podcast App and click the banner that says Uninterrupted Listening.  $4.99/month 

John's Substack about media is free.

This is the animal sanctuary mentioned in the February 10 episode.