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

Johnny Mac previews Bill Maher receiving the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center on Sunday, June 28, filmed for Netflix, with participants including Louis C.K., Jay Leno, Stephen A. Smith, Whitney Cummings, Woody Harrelson, Arianna Huffington, and John Mellencamp, and notes past winners. He highlights Zarna Garg’s comments on the Breakdown podcast about performing at the Riyadh Comedy Festival to inspire women who watch her in secret, saying money wasn’t her motivation, and mentions The Hollywood Reporter’s note that Jessica Kirson donated her Riyadh fee to the Human Rights Campaign. The episode jokes about Knicks chatter and Jimmy Kimmel’s bit on Trump possibly attending a New York game, then covers a White House lawn UFC event invite list and reports Adam Sandler won’t attend. It spotlights Patton Oswalt’s new YouTube special “Tea and Scotch,” his thoughts on George Carlin, Lenny Bruce, and hecklers, plus discussion of his Star Trek Strange New Worlds role.  

00:00 Mark Twain Prize Preview
01:12 Zarna Garg Riyadh Debate
03:39 Knicks Trump Jokes
04:37 UFC White House Guestlist
06:44 Patton Oswalt Carlin Talk
09:44 Star Trek Rant Escalates
10:57 Lucas Shovel Bit
12:58 New Specials Spotlight
 

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Daily Comedy News is the number one comedy news podcast, delivering daily coverage of standup comedy, late night television, comedy specials, tours, and the business of comedy.

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

Johnny Mac recaps comedy and entertainment news, led by Kevin Hart on Jimmy Kimmel Live discussing the Roast of Kevin Hart, saying he stayed comfortable, nothing hurt, and highlighting Dwayne Johnson surprising him with an unflattering mugshot photo of Hart’s father; Hart suggests LeBron James as a future roast subject and rejects Oprah as “spray painting the Sistine Chapel.” The episode notes Hart developing a movie about rival spies in a Lamaze class co-starring Henry Cavill. Late-night ratings show Kimmel leading total viewers (2.43M vs. Fallon 1.41M) while Fallon edges adults 18–49; Mac questions Kimmel taking the summer off. CBS denies rumors Joe Rogan is joining 60 Minutes. Nate Bargatze’s The Breadwinner is described as a box-office bust. Dave Chappelle announces June 2026 arena dates. Other items include Shane Gillis’s Chili’s shirt, a Hulu Cable Guy-inspired pilot, a NYC PSA promoting filming with tax breaks, Jay Leno auctioning a Big Dog Garage tour for a UMass Lowell scholarship, and the Chiefs launching a Spanish scripted comedy series El Offseason.
 
00:12 Kevin Hart Roast Talk
01:57 Who Should Get Roasted
02:23 Hart New Spy Comedy
02:44 Late Night Ratings Shakeup
04:02 Rogan 60 Minutes Rumor
04:58 Nate Bargatze Movie Flops
05:47 Chappelle 2026 Tour Dates
06:04 Shane Gillis Chili's Shirt
06:47 Cable Guy Hulu Reboot
07:33 NYC Filming PSA Stars
08:38 Jay Leno Charity Auction
09:37 Chiefs Spanish Sitcom
10:53 Wrap Up Go Knicks

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Daily Comedy News is the number one comedy news podcast, delivering daily coverage of standup comedy, late night television, comedy specials, tours, and the business of comedy.

COMEDY SURVIVOR in the facebook group.

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 covers comedy news, starting with spoilers from PokerGO’s High Stakes Poker Season 16 featuring Kevin Hart, who had nearly $1 million, rebought for $500,000, and saw losses eclipse $1.4 million after two major pots. Jim Gaffigan tells Goldenglobes.com that streaming and social media transformed stand-up into a healthier part of entertainment and says comedy is about listening to evolving social norms. For Forbes, Jerry Seinfeld and Nate Bargatze discuss aging jokes, accepting getting older, wearing the same thing daily, and Bargatze’s experience writing and starring in a movie and his belief in theaters. Bert Kreischer previews Free Bert Season 2 and balancing fan expectations. Nikki Glaser recommends meditation apps and 12-step programs and recounts awkwardly meeting Dave Matthews. David Cross says stand-up and dance may be safe from AI. The Toronto Guardian profiles comedian Kendell LaBella and her influences and favorite bit.

00:00 Poker Spoiler  
00:22 Kevin Hart High Stakes Losses
01:28 Jim Gaffigan on Stand Up Evolution
02:25 Seinfeld and Bargatze Talk Aging
03:45 Nate Bargatze Movie Chat
04:54 Bert Kreischer Freebert Season Two
05:39 Nikki Glaser Mental Health Tips
05:56 Nikki Glaser Celebrity Fan Panic
06:51 David Cross on AI and Comedy
08:02 Wrap Up and Subscribe

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 is the number one comedy news podcast, delivering daily coverage of standup comedy, late night television, comedy specials, tours, and the business of comedy.

COMEDY SURVIVOR in the facebook group.

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 reports a first post-Colbert late-night ratings snapshot from Nielsen live-plus-same-day data for Monday June 1, 2026: Jimmy Kimmel leads with 2.185M viewers and 295K adults 18–49 (up 53% total viewers and 178% in 18–49 vs June 2, 2025), followed by Jimmy Fallon at 1.3M; Comics Unleashed draws 628K, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 612K at 11:00, Late Night with Seth Meyers 790K at 12:37, Byron Allen’s new 12:30 show 419K, and Nightline wins that slot with 819K. From The Hollywood Reporter roundtable, Nikki Glaser discusses wanting to be liked while saying “awful things,” and Marc Maron defines his audience and being both progressive and “dirty,” while Leanne Morgan avoids politics. Harlan Williams talks about stand-up immediacy and staying away from politics, Tim Hawkins and Jeff Foxworthy discuss clean comedy and club work, Brian Stack reflects on influences, Conan characters, and adapting to political satire, and Toronto comedian Olena Fox shares influences and rituals.

00:00 Late Night Ratings Update
01:52 Nikki Glaser on Being Liked
02:57 Maron and Morgan Talk Audiences
03:41 Harlan Williams on Silly Comedy
04:24 Clean Comedy and Club Life
05:21 Foxworthy on Small Clubs
06:14 Brian Stack on Conan and Colbert
08:17 Toronto Comic Olena Fox Spotlight
09:06 Wrap Up and Share the Show

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 is the number one comedy news podcast, delivering daily coverage of standup comedy, late night television, comedy specials, tours, and the business of comedy.

COMEDY SURVIVOR in the facebook group.

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 recaps The Hollywood Reporter’s comedians roundtable recorded in May at the Georgian Hotel with Marc Maron, Nikki Glaser, Wanda Sykes, Leanne Morgan, and Julio Torres, focusing on fears like complacency and cancellation and quoting Maron on talking to himself and Glaser comparing standup to sex and discussing pressure to work clean from bookers, agents, and TV; Maron jokes he stays a little dirty to keep success away and notes he can do clean sets. He notes Hannah Berner’s new Hulu special, None of My Business, and her comments about making specials, confidence, and wanting the special to be a comfort watch. Bert Kreischer tells Fox News about blood clots that forced him to stop drinking and how it may have saved him in the tour bus fire. Other items: Lori Kilmartin on Gen Z not hanging out in person, Michael Che wanting to write for WWE, Patton Oswalt criticizing food “bowls,” comedy stock picks (buy Tracy Morgan, sell Nate Berkus), Guy Branum on trivia, and OpenMicX data on open mic nights and top states.
 
00:22 THR Comedians Roundtable
01:37 Maron And Glaser Quotes
02:31 Clean Versus Dirty
03:35 Hannah Berner Special
04:49 Bert Kreischer Health Scare
05:44 Lori Kilmartin On Gen Z
06:08 Michael Che Loves WWE
06:45 Patton Oswalt Food Bowl Rant
07:23 Comedy Stock Market Picks
08:35 Guy Branum Loves Trivia
09:47 Open Mic Data Deep Dive
 

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 is the number one comedy news podcast, delivering daily coverage of standup comedy, late night television, comedy specials, tours, and the business of comedy.

COMEDY SURVIVOR in the facebook group.

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.