[00:00:00]

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Transition: Gentle, trilling music with a steady drumbeat plays under the dialogue.

Promo: Bullseye with Jesse Thorn is a production of MaximumFun.org and is distributed by NPR.

Music: “Huddle Formation” from the album Thunder, Lightning, Strike by The Go! Team—a fast, upbeat, peppy song. Music plays as Jesse speaks, then fades out.

Jesse Thorn: It’s Bullseye. I’m Jesse Thorn. As you probably know by now, every week on Bullseye, we interview a guest or two—usually actors or writers or artists or musicians who do cool and exciting things in culture. We’ve been doing it for 25 years. But this week we’ve got bad news for Jennifer Aniston or whoever I would’ve been interviewing. The only person I’m talking with is my family and my producer Kevin, who is recording me right now. Hi, Kevin. And they don’t really even count.

Instead of an interview, we’re playing back excerpts from some of the best standup comedy albums of 2025. First up is Liz Miele and her album Space Camp. A few things to know about Liz Miele. She is based in New York, raised in New Jersey. As a kid, she was pen pals with George Carlin. And she loves her cats. This is despite writing a book called—and we are going to bleep this—Why Cats Are (censor beep). And this is also despite, as you are about to hear, having traumatized one of the cats—a cat named Lunchbox.

 

Transition: A whooshing noise.

Clip:

Liz Miele (Space Camp): I wanna tell you a story, but I have to preface it with this: (beat) he’s fine.

(Laughter.)

Three weeks ago, I washed one of my cats in the washing machine. HE’S FINE! WHY WOULD I TELL THIS STORY IF HE WASN’T—?! (Calming down.) He’s the long-haired one. He probably needed it. Here we go. Alright, alright, alright.

(Laughter.)

I have two cats. They’re brothers. But for some reason, one is long-haired and one is short-haired; and one is really smart and one is really dumb. I don’t have kids. Does the DNA run out? I don’t understand how one can be so smart and one can be— Dude. One’s gonna go to college. If the other one eats and doesn’t choke, we’re gonna be proud of him.

(Laughter.)

Who did you wash, Liz? I washed Lunchbox. He’s the dumb one. So. Um. I get that you guys all live here, so I feel like we’re all on the same page when I say this. A couple of months ago I moved to a new apartment, and I now have a washing machine in my apartment.

(Cheers and applause.)

YEAH! Yeah! Thank you so much! Yeah, Brooklyn! Dude, you don’t even understand. I’ve been going all across the nation saying this. Nobody’s clapped. I don’t think they understand. There’s seven of us in the entire city. I am one of the elite! Alright?

(Cheers and applause.)

I love my— Dude, every time I do a load of wash, I sit in front of it, and I watch it like it’s the ocean. I am obsessed with my washing machine. You know who’s also obsessed? Lunchbox. Every time I try to do a load of wash, he goes in. I pull him out, he goes in, I pull him out. I don’t know if the steel feels good on his toe beans, but it’s the only place on my apartment that doesn’t have fur. You can’t go in there, bud!

So, my best friend’s coming to stay with me, and I’m cleaning my apartment. So, I throw the sheets in the wash, and then I did that move. I did the little loopty-loop to see if there’s anything else I need to clean. But I have a tiny apartment. It took 20 seconds. There was nothing else. I shut the door, and then I went into the other room, ’cause I was gonna put on music, and I was gonna rock out as I cleaned my apartment. And I start to hear faint meows. And I’m gonna be honest, I didn’t do anything right away.

(Laughter.)

Come on! If you have pets, you know they’re always getting trapped in closets, and (censor beep)! And sometimes I leave them in there for a second! Sometimes I make them stay there as punishment for what I know they’re absolutely gonna do in the future. Who is murdering plants and breaking glasses?! Why don’t you stay in there for a second and think about it next time?

So, I don’t do anything right away, but then I start to hear the meows again. And when I look over, Ghost is staring at the washing machine.

(Laughter and “ohhh”s from the audience.)

And it feels spooky. And I start to see his eyes following something.

(Laughter.)

I realize what’s happening; I rip open the door; he bolts out! Ghost looks back like, “He’s a kitten. You’re a monster.” He was in there for two minutes. Water never touched his body. But he got… tussled around a bit. I think he thinks I sent him to space camp, and he’s too fat to go to space camp! He would’ve never survived space camp. So, I call up my dad. I’m like, “Dad, I washed Lunchbox in the washing machine.”

He’s like, (casually) “Okay.”

(Laughter.)

Unfazed. Have you ever talked to your veterinarian?

[00:05:00]

My dad’s been a veterinarian for almost 40 years. Anything that could go wrong with an animal, he’s experienced. Anything you can find in a cat’s stomach, he’s found in a cat’s stomach. He’s found weed in a cat’s stomach. He’s found condoms in a cat’s stomach. He’s found weed in condoms in a cat’s stomach.

(Laughter.)

Is that a cat mule?! I didn’t even know they made ‘em that small!

So, I was like, “Dad, I washed him in the washing machine!”

He’s like, “I’m sure he is fine.”

I was like, “Dad, I think he thinks I sent him to space camp.”

He’s like, “He’s too fat to go to space camp.”

I was like, “I know!”

(Laughter.)

He’s like, “Fine, let’s check him out.” So, he goes, “Check his eyes.” I check his eyes. They’re fine. He goes, “Check his gums.” I check his gums. They’re fine. He’s like, “He’s fine.”

I was like, “Dad, he’s not fine.”

He goes, “Liz, I think you just traumatized him.”

(Laughter.)

That’s that meanest thing my father’s ever said to me! Because essentially what he’s saying is if this was my child, this would be the first memory he shares with his therapist. “When I was seven months old, my mom washed me in a washing machine, and now every time a billionaire goes to space, I have a panic attack.”

(Laughter.)

I know you’re wondering. Have I learned from my mistakes? I have. We now have a washing machine safety protocol. Essentially, I printed out a picture of Lunchbox. I taped it to the washing machine. And it just says, “Have you seen Lunchbox?” That’s not good enough. You turn around. There’s a bigger picture of him, and it says, “No, really. Are you holding Lunchbox?” And then I took a scan of his paw; I taped it to the start button. He’s the only one legally allowed to start the washing machine.

(Laughter.)

It’s been 21 days since I washed a cat, everybody!

(Cheers and applause.)

Transition: A whooshing noise.

 

Jesse Thorn: Liz Miele from her album, Space Camp.

Transition: Thumpy synth with a syncopated beat.

Jesse Thorn: It’s Bullseye. I’m Jesse Thorn. Next up on our 2025 standup comedy spectacular: Andy Woodhull. Andy is a podcast host as well as a standup. He hosts a show reviewing snacks called Andy Woodhull’s Snack Show. A to-the-point name. He hits the road a lot. As you’re about to hear, he is never one to turn down a fun time after the show—even if it means his fingers might get bitten off.

 

Transition: A whooshing noise.

Clip:

Andy Woodhull (Beach Brain): I was in Oklahoma. And in Oklahoma, some people after the show, they said, “Hey, we work at the zoo. And if you’d like, we’ll give you a behind the scenes tour of the zoo.

And I said, “Yes, I would looove a behind the scenes tour of the zoo. I’ve only seen the front of the scenes of the zoo up until now, and I’m not impressed, to be honest with you. The animals are cool, but they’re not doing a lot of show stuff. I wanna see some action, get me behind the scenes.”

So, I’m in the Penguin exhibit, and they’re very cute. And then the penguin lady, she says, “Watch out! I think that one’s about to bite you!”

And I said, “I wish he would. I wish a penguin would try to start something right now. I feel a little squirrely.” I could use some action, and I don’t think there’s a lot of animals in the zoo I could win in a fight against, but all the flightless birds are on my list. I would ruin a penguin in a fight. I would definitely win.

(Laughter.)

I did three years of JV soccer in high school. You don’t think I could deliver a kick to a penguin that would make him wish his daddy never carried that pebble around for his mama?! I would ruin a penguin. He’s the exact colors of the ball that I’m most familiar with. I would win! Plus, it’d be a cool story if I ever got to meet Batman, and I could say, “I also got into it with a penguin and came out the better man. One of the many things we have in common, Bruce.”

(Laughter.)

And then the penguin lady, she holds up one gnarled, half bitten off index finger, and says, “I’m serious. They bite really hard.”

Oh my god! A penguin bit your finger off?! Are you kidding me?! Now I’m terrified of penguins. Now I have a penguin phobia. I can never watch Happy Feet again. Morgan Freeman’s voice makes me nervous. I also have unlimited respect for this woman who had her finger bitten off and kept going back to work. That’s love of a career right there. That is love. That is passion. That is drive. I’ve been doing standup for 21 years, and I thought that I loved it. And I gotta tell you: every second I’m onstage telling jokes is a joy for me, and I feel like I tricked the universe that I’ve gotten to do this for most of my adult life. But! Tonight, if one of you ate some of me, I’d quit. I’d never do it again.

(Laughter.)

I would be done.

“Why’d you quit?”

“The crowds in Minneapolis are too hungry. That’s why I quit. They bit my finger off, took it to the fair, deep fried it. They’re selling it! People are washing it down with unlimited milk. It’s disgusting.”

(Laughter.)

They asked me if I wanted to pet a penguin. I said, “Of course, I would love to pet a penguin.”

And they scooped one up, put him in a headlock, and then she said, “Go ahead.” That’s not how I like to pet animals! I don’t wanna pet a penguin against its will. There’s no joy in that!

[00:10:00]

I don’t wanna be a reason the penguins on a fake iceberg later today, rocking back and forth. “That man touched me! I’m gonna bite his finger off if I ever see him again.”

(Laughter.)

Transition: A whooshing noise.

 

Jesse Thorn: Andy Woodhull from his album, Beach Brain.

Transition: Thumpy synth with light vocalizations.

Jesse Thorn: It’s the Bullseye best of 2025 standup comedy special. Next up, Gianmarco Soresi. Soresi lives in New York City, like a lot of comedians featured on today’s program. But unlike a lot of them, Gianmarco Soresi has over a million and a half followers on TikTok, where he is very funny. It turns out he is also very funny on the stage. From his great album, Thief of Joy, live in San Francisco, here’s Gianmarco.

 

Transition: A whooshing noise.

Clip:

Gianmarco Soresi (Thief of Joy): I wanna build a life with my girlfriend. She’s made it better in every conceivable way. Except for sleep.

(Laughter.)

Sleep, not so much. Because my girlfriend has night terrors.

(Knowing “ooooh”s from the crowd.)

Real thing. She was diagnosed with chronic night terrors after she was mugged at knife point. That’s how we met.

(Laughter.)

Oh, it’s brutal! If you’ve never shared a bed with someone who has chronic night terrors, what it means is that—you know—we’ll both be asleep, and then in the middle of the night, my girlfriend will just be like, “(Breathing hard.) Someone’s breaking in!”

And I’m like, “(Gasp.) Where?!”

And she’s like (snores loudly). She falls right back to sleep! But I have chronic anxiety! So, I’m awake the rest of the night, making me the only victim of both our mental disorders.

(Laughter and scattered applause.)

And she’s been to doctors. She’s tried medication, sleep studies, hypnosis. Nothing works. I just have to accept the fact that I share a bed with a malfunctioning police scanner every night of my life.

(Laughter.)

And I’ve gotten pretty good. I’ve actually gotten quite good at kind of—I can kind of recognize, oh, she’s just having a night terror. And if I ignore it, most of the time she just goes back to sleep on her own. But then once in the middle of the night, my girlfriend literally got out of the bed and started packing her things in a suitcase.

(Laughter.)

I looked at my phone. It was four in the morning. I was like, “(Yawning.) Baby, you’re having a night terror.”

She was like, “NO! I’m not having a night terror! I just got a text that my dad is in the hospital! I need to go to the airport right (censor beep) now.”

So, of course I got my phone. I was like, “Which airport?!”

She was like (snores loudly).

I was like, “(Censor beep)!”

(Laughter.)

Transition: A whooshing noise.

 

Jesse Thorn: Gianmarco Soresi, everyone. His album is called Thief of Joy.

Transition: Bright chiming synth with a syncopated beat.

Jesse Thorn: It’s Bullseye. I’m Jesse Thorn. Next up on our special, a friend of ours, a favorite of our program: Josh Gondelman. You know Josh because he has been on the show several times before. In fact, he just performed at our live show in New York City a couple months ago. His new album and special is called Positive Reinforcement. Let’s listen.

 

Transition: A whooshing noise.

Clip:

Josh Gondelman (Positive Reinforcement): I’m not trying to stay young or be cool. That’s humiliating.

(Laughter.)

I’m 39. I’m bald. I’m white. I can’t be wearing ripped jeans calling everybody “fam.” Bad look for me. I’m just trying to stay flexible. Not physically, obviously.

(Laughter.)

That ship has sailed. That ship sailed in the late 1900s. That ship was James Cameron’s Titanic, yes. I’m just trying to take in the new stuff. ‘Cause it used to be if you got very old, maybe you’d start having a diminished capacity to take in the new information. And it’s always the same topic that gets ‘em. It’s always the same issue that makes him let go of the rope, and it’s always gender-neutral pronouns.

(Laughter.)

Every time, some dude hears the word “they” and goes, (mockingly) “This world is no longer for me.” Every time. And I’m not criticizing or making fun of people who hear something new and have to roll it around in their head a few times before it feels natural. That’s how we grow and change when we grow and change. What I’m talking about are the guys who argue with the future, like they can turn it back into the past through the art of debate. You’ve heard ’em, right? The guys that are like, (dopily) “I just can’t refer to one person as “they or them,” because those are plural pronouns, and that’s a singular person. I can’t refer to a singular person with plural pronouns. That’s grammatically incorrect!”

It’s like, “Oh, thank you for the refresher on The Elements of Style. I didn’t realize you were such a big Strunk-and-White-head. Let me ask you this. Are you into Strunk’s solo stuff too? Because I know he’s kind of the Garfunkel of the group, but I love that dirty Strunk funk, if you know what I’m talking about!”

(Laughter and scattered applause.)

[00:15:00]

(Dismissively.) Can’t refer to a singular person with plural pronouns. Let me ask you this. How come that argument always comes from the type of dude who uses the pronoun “we” to refer to a professional sports team he’s never played for? Why is that?

(Cheers and applause.)

Why is it always that guy?! I’m just asking questions! Us twerps can do it too. Why is it always the guy who once a week picks up a landline telephone to call the radio and complain about the job performance of 12 dudes he’ll never meet in real life?

(In a gravely Boston accent.) “If we don’t stop playing defense, we are not gonna make the playoffs!”

Okay, buddy. How about you stop criticizing other people’s pronoun use ‘til you can quit identifying as the New York Giants? How about that?

(Laughter and cheers.)

It’s both or it’s neither (nee-ther). Or neither (nye-ther). I don’t know. It’s been a while since I’ve read The Elements of Style.

(Laughter.)

Transition: A whooshing noise.

 

Jesse Thorn: Josh Gondelman from his new album, Positive Reinforcement. You can also catch Josh as an occasional panelist on Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me.

Transition: Thumpy synth with a syncopated beat.

Jesse Thorn: I’m Jesse Thorn. You’re listening to Bullseye. We’re listening to some of our favorite standup comedy from 2025. Next up, Mohanad Elshieky. Mohanad might be the first comic we featured on the show with a stronger journalism resume than me. He was a news photographer in Libya during its civil war. He hosted a political call-in show there too. In the States, he has written for Full Frontal with Samantha Bee and for Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me. Is some of his comedy political? Yes, of course. But some of it is also very dumb, very observational, and very funny. Let’s listen.

 

Transition: A whooshing noise.

Clip:

Mohanad Elshieky (No Need to Address Me): Speaking of trauma, my dad growing up would make us food sometimes. And, uh, it was disgusting. It was bad. It was—

(Laughter.)

My mom, an amazing cook. My dad, mm-mm. No. And whenever my mom got sick, he’d be like— He’d step in and be like, “Guys, I got you.”

And I was like, “You never got us.”

(Laughter.)

And he knew how to cook one thing. And that dish is called shakshuka. And if you’re familiar with shakshuka, it is eggs and tomatoes. You think you can’t mess that up. My dad can, and that’s a talent in itself. He made it so bad. And I— You know, and he made us the food, and it tasted so bad that it’s felt like he made it with like hate in his heart or something.

(Laughter.)

And I remember, we’d get to eating, and he’d be like, “Hey guys, remember this. You know, make sure that you don’t eat with your left hand. You have to eat with your right hand. Because if you eat with your left hand, the devil eats with you.”

And I was like, “You have so much confidence. The devil is not touching this (censor beep), alright?”

(Laughter.)

Like, he’s not stupid. Like, he’s the devil. Okay? If anything, let him have some. You know? Maybe he’ll get food poisoning. Did you think about that? That’s a good deed!

I also don’t really cook that much. I don’t cook that much. And when I don’t cook, I would get food delivered to my place and. The other day I got a text message from my food delivery person, and he was like, “Hey man, the door is closed. Can you come downstairs and pick your food up?”

So, I was like, “Sure, I’ll do that.”

I go downstairs and, you know, New York delivery people are always on the run. They’re always busy. So, I’m like, “I’m gonna take my stuff and let this man go.” I see a man behind the glass door that was closed, and he was like waving at me, and he was like holding multiple bags. So, I went to him. You know, I opened the door. I took the first bag out of his hand like, “Thank you so much, man.” And I closed the door, and then I just walked back. And then I look back again. That same man was still like waving at me. And I was like, “Oh, I think we bonded or something!” Like, he’s saying bye, you know? So, I just stood there. I started waving back. I was like, “What a city! You know? I’m making friends every day.”

(Laughter.)

And then I went back to my apartment. And I was excited, ’cause I was hungry. And I opened the bag. And all I find inside is a bunch of ingredients as if I was supposed to make this from scratch or something. I was like, “Do you think this is cute? Like it’s not. It’s not quirky. Like, are they making me cook? That’s why we’re trying to avoid here.” And I didn’t know what to do. So, I went and I sat on the couch, you know, to think about it.

(Laughter.)

And I did. And a minute later it finally hit me. I was like, “Ohhh, okay. I don’t think this is my food delivery. This is what we commonly refer to as groceries.” And the guy downstairs was not my delivery person; it was my neighbor. I’ve seen him around.

(Laughter.)

He just forgot his keys. And he was waving at me to open the door for him. And I thought I was getting my food delivered, and I was just doing crime. I went downstairs to look for him. I couldn’t find him. And I was like, you know, I’m not gonna continue looking. That’s fine. And I found my food delivery by the way, sitting there. And I was like, “I won.” Like, survival of the fittest.

[00:20:00]

And I took it, and then I went back to my apartment. And then two weeks later I saw the same man in the elevator. And of course, I was gonna explain to him what happened, but that man will not make eye contact with me at all.

(Laughter.)

And I was like, “That makes so much sense.”

Because in his head he’s like, “This is the most dangerous man in America.”

(Laughter.)

Transition: A whooshing noise.

 

Jesse Thorn: Mohanad Elshieky from his album, No Need to Address Me.

Transition: Thumpy synth with light vocalizations.

Jesse Thorn: We’ve got so much more to get into still on this year’s best of 2025 standup special. Still to come: Robby Hoffman, Dana Gould, and more. It’s Bullseye from MaximumFun.org and NPR.

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(Music ends.)

 

Transition: Thumpy synth with light vocalizations.

Jesse Thorn: Welcome back to Bullseye. I’m Jesse Thorn. This week we are doing something a little different: looking back on some of the best standup comedy albums of 2025. Next up, we have Robby Hoffman. Robby’s had a big year. Her special, I’m Nervous, has been featured on countless top ten lists in 2025. She also had a terrific role on the most recent season of Hacks. Robby also moved from Toronto to Los Angeles, which—you know—what could possibly go wrong there? Let’s listen.

 

Transition: A whooshing noise.

Clip:

Robby Hoffman (I’m Nervous): We moved here in March, and there was a snowstorm. Canada. And we got to the border in March, and because of the snowstorm, there was no traffic at the border. Is this a Chaibis miracle?!

(Laughter.)

This is what makes my day. This is like— I was like, “Babe, no traffic. We’re gonna get right through.” We pulled the van in. Border patrol agent has us roll down the window, looks through the car, and goes, “Yeah, I don’t see you getting in tonight.”

(Laughter.)

Not exactly the American homecoming I was expecting. But I think it’s important to remember these are damaged people. It’s really very sad. Often from broken homes. Often from broken homes. It’s really very sad. Often the father, gone. It’s very, very terrible. I can relate. I can relate. And to think the state of where they’re at, that they didn’t excel so far through the police academy to end up as these glorified mall cops of sorts. So, my heart goes out.

Anyway, he says, “Keys on the dash, head inside.” We put the keys on the dash. We head inside to meet the second border patrol agent. Not any nicer! Not any nicer than the one outdoors. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Related, actually. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Brothers, in fact. Yeah, the father gone, from a particularly young age. It’s very sad. I can relate. It’s very sad.

(Laughter.)

[00:25:00]

He looks at us, then he looks back at our packed van. Then he looks back at us and goes, “How do I know you ain’t got a dead body in the back of that van?”

(Laughter and applause.)

Listen, bro, just one of those things. You’re gonna have to use a little professional judgment! A little sechel! And explore the possibility of this. But then I thought, “Many times I have thought of killing a man.”

(Laughter.)

But never quite thought I had it in me to follow through. But here was a stranger, a man who saw a fire in me—

(Laughter and raucous applause.)

—that I had not yet seen in myself! And I thought, “Hell, say I did kill a man! Is my next move to drive it over the border?!”

(Laughter and applause.)

Is this what these brainiac murderers are doing now!? “We killed a man. But his mother, she’s in Missouri. We thought the least we could do, least we could, do is bring the body back for a proper burial. Let her pay her respects.” We’re Canadian murderers, after all. We’re not animals.

Transition: A whooshing noise.

 

Jesse Thorn: Robby Hoffman, from her latest album, I’m Nervous.

Transition: Thumpy synth with light vocalizations.

Jesse Thorn: It is Bullseye. I’m Jesse Thorn. We’ve got a legend on deck: Dana Gould. Along with being a standup. Dana has written on The Simpsons, The Ben Stiller Show, Parks and Recreation, and more. His latest album, Perfectly Normal, is loaded with perfect jokes, just like all his work. Let’s listen.

 

Transition: A whooshing noise.

Clip:

Dana Gould (Perfectly Normal): When we were growing up, my mother, she would smoke; she would drink; she would take any pill she could get her hands on—unless! (beat)—it was prescribed by her doctor. Then she had biiig problems. Could have been prescribed by your doctor! We could have been at your house, and she found some pills. Those would be down like Skittles!

(Laughter.)

But god forbid he goes, “I really think you should take a—”

(Interrupting.) “Slow down, big pharma! I found some mushrooms growing under the bridge that I read about in a witchcraft magazine. I’m gonna give those six to eight months, see if they work. And if not, I’ll set my leg the way you think I should.”

(Laughter.)

(Somewhere between desperation and hilarity.) And you know who is just like my mother? (Beat.)

(Whispered.) My wife.

(Laughter and applause.)

It’s true! I can’t get away from this personality type! I am going to be dealing with this for the rest of my life! I’m a comedy writer. I am a very cynical person. My home is full of crystals.

(Laughter and scattered applause.)

And my wife will approach me with a crystal and say, “Sweetheart, whisper a manifestation into this crystal!”

I understand that marriage requires compromise. Mine is I have to pretend I’m a wizard.

(Laughter and applause.)

But if manifestations worked. We wouldn’t have any crystals. Because that’s all I ask of them when we speak!

[00:30:00]

Who’s—? Are you guys a couple down here? No. Who’s a couple? Anybody in the—? No one? No couples? That’s my draw!

(Laughter and applause.)

A lot of guys my age who walk without moving their arms! (Adding a subtle lisp.) “Well, to begin with, Voyager isn’t in the Kelvin timeline, so I can’t believe you’re so stupid too!”

Transition: A whooshing noise.

 

Jesse Thorn: Dana Gould, everyone. One time I went to his house, and he had a totem pole from one of the Planet of the Apes movies in his backyard. It had up-lights on it and everything. A special guy. He also owns one of the flying saucers from Plan 9 from Outer Space. (Chuckling.) I just saw that on his Instagram.

Transition: Bright, chiming synth with a syncopated beat.

Jesse Thorn: It’s Bullseye. I’m Jesse Thorn. Next up on our best of 2025 standup comedy album spectacular, Preacher Lawson. Preacher has been writing jokes since he was 16 years old. Earlier this year he released his debut album, My Name is Preacher, which—as you might guess—has a good bit about his given name.

 

Transition: A whooshing noise.

Clip:

Preacher Lawson (My Name is Preacher): Yeah, I was— My mom named me Preacher. She called me Preacher. I didn’t think of it. People think I thought of it. I didn’t. When I was two weeks old, a bunch of people kept telling my mom, “It’s like when he gets older, he’s gonna be a preacher! He’s gonna be a pastor!” That’s what they seen in me at two weeks old. I don’t know what I was saying—

(Laughter.)

s—at two weeks old to give the impression I was going to be a— What could I say?! “Goo-goo-ga-ga! Goo! Can I get a weh!?” You know? I don’t know. I don’t know if I was changing my mom’s milk into wine. I don’t remember, you know?

(Laughter.)

But I’ll tell people my name is Preacher. Everyone hears Preacher, and they’re like, “There’s no way he just said Preacher,” so they start to think of different names on their own. They’re like, “What’s your name?”

I’m like, “Preacher.”

They’re like, “Richard?”

I’m like, “Nope! Clearly started with a P.”

(Laughter.)

And they’re like, “Preston?”

And I’m like, “I’m Black. Okay? You know my name isn’t Preston.” There’s no such thing as a Black Preston! And if there is one, there’s one, and he’s probably called Black Preston. Because that’s how it works. I don’t make the rules! That’s like a White dude named Jamal. He White Jamal. Everybody know that.

(Laughter.)

People get mad at my name. (Cartoonishly upset.) “Are you an actual pastor!?” No, I’m not a pastor. “Well, I’m not calling you that. (Winding up.) Wh-wh-why would I call you that if you not even—!? Bleh, bleh, bleh-bleh?!” Alright, don’t call me that then. But I got news for you. You know Jesus? He ain’t actually Jesus. Okay?

(Laughter and applause.)

Dr. Drake? Not a doctor. Surprise! Everybody knows that the Rock is a human. I don’t know why we’re doing this. Preacher’s not a weird name. I met some kid named Thevin with a T-H. He was like, (gutturally) “Oh, I’m Thevin.”

I was like, “Your mom has a lisp. Okay? There’s no such thing as a Thevin. It’s either her or the doctor’s fault. I don’t know who said it first.”

“What’s his name?”

“Thevin!”

“How many pounds he weigh?”

“Theven! (Seven.)”

You don’t see the coincidence?

(Laughter.)

I don’t wanna go to hell; I wanna go to Theaven! Like, clearly she got braces. You can tell that she spit when she talked. Because I used to have braces. It flies out your mouth. You can’t help it, you know? You’d be like, “Whathhs up?” You know? People get mad at you. “I was looking at something earlier!” I can’t help it; I got braces! You know? I had Invisalign braces, ’cause my teeth were jacked up. I mean, I had a regular amount of jacked up. Like, I had gaps. Like, one time I was eating cereal, and my spoon went missing.

(Laughter.)

I was like, “Wait a second. This the third time.” So, I decided to get some braces. I got Invisalign braces, which are great ’cause you can’t see them. But then you had some people that had regular braces growing up. They get mad at me, as if I invented Invisalign braces. Like, (angrily) “You didn’t go through the struggle! My lips were bleeding!” Nobody cares, bro! If you had braces growing up, you probably had money. So, I don’t feel bad for you looking weird at 11. You’re supposed to. I just stopped looking like a Pokémon three years ago!

(Laughter and applause.)

Let me be happy, man. People trying to catch me. “I choose you, Preacherchu.” Leave me alone! I’m trying to live my life.

(Laughter.)

You guys laughed at that, but you honestly should have laughed harder. But whatever! It’s fine! It’s cool. Just gonna—it could ruin my special. That was hilarious, man!

(Laughter.)

You ever see a meme, and you’re laughing—you’re like dying laughing at it—then you show your friend; they’re not laughing? That’s how I felt just now when y’all didn’t laugh at my joke. And I just try so hard. None of y’all gimme the CREDIT I DESERVE! (Angry sounds.) (Laughs.)

Transition: A whooshing noise.

 

Jesse Thorn: Preacher Lawson, from his album, My Name is Preacher.

Transition: Bright, chiming synth with a syncopated beat.

Jesse Thorn: Next up on the Bullseye Standup special: Aaron Weber.

[00:35:00]

Aaron’s based in Nashville, Tennessee. His album and special, Signature Dish, was released on Nate Bargatze’s Imprint, Nateland. As you’re about to hear, Aaron Weber—like any rational person—prefers hot showers to cold.

 

Transition: A whooshing noise.

Clip:

Aaron Weber (Signature Dish): Could be these health trends. I can’t keep up. I have friends taking cold showers now! Anybody here do that? Take cold showers? Yeah, I don’t know, man. They have hot water. They choose to go cold. My buddy’s very into it. He goes, “You know what it is, dude? It’s a mental thing. That’s what it is, man. It’s a little hurdle you gotta jump, dude. When’s the last time you woke up and did something you don’t want to do? That’s what it is. It’s about doing something you don’t want to do. When’s the last time (struggling not to laugh) you did something that you don’t want to do?”

(Laughter.)

I was like, “I’m having this conversation right now.” But I said, “I’ll try it.” I tried a cold shower. It was not long. It was the shortest shower of my life. I went back to my friend and I said, “I can’t do a cold shower, man.”

He goes, “Well, your mind is weak. I hate to tell you that, dude. If you can’t do a cold shower, you got a weak mind.”

And I was like, “Man, I think my mind’s the strongest, (chuckles) ’cause I can’t convince it we need to do this. Right?” I’m in the shower; I make it cold. My brain’s like, “Dude, nobody’s in here checking on this! Just lie and say you did it later!”

(Laughter.)

I’m like, “That’s a pretty good point. I will do that.”

So, I’m not doing cold showers. I do take care of myself. I try. I’ve been trying. I eat a lot of Tums.

(Laughter.)

(Laughing.) They’re very good. Tums are very good. I don’t know if you’ve had Tum’s lately. They’ve gotten—the last ten years have been special. It’s borderline top five candy in the country right now. I give it out on Halloween! It’s gotten so good. They just came out with orange cream. I don’t know if y’all get the same emails. I do.

(Laughter.)

But a new flavor just dropped. It’s orange cream Tums. Half of them are orange; half of them are, uh, cream. And then you can kind of mix and match. That’s what Tums does. They let you decide how strong do you want to go. Right? You can go all orange today! Live it up. But at some point you gotta go all cream. (Chuckles.) Is this relatable? What I do, I got a system. I do two orange, one cream, I put some M&Ms in there, shake it up.

(Laughter.)

It’s good! It’s tearing me up, but I’m enjoying the ride. And they could have made Tums a pill. Remember that. You know, there are antacid pills. Tums could have been a pill, but they were like, “Nah, our customers are gonna want to chew something! So, we might as well make it delicious.” Which they did, and I appreciate that. You know?

Transition: A whooshing noise.

 

Jesse Thorn: Aaron Weber from his album, Signature Dish. You can find tour dates for Aaron on his website, AaronWeberComedy.com, which you should check out. We don’t normally get this excited about comedian’s websites in 2025, but it is a very, very faithful recreation of a Myspace page from roughly 2005. It even says he’s in my extended network!

Transition: Bright, chiming synth with a syncopated beat.

Jesse Thorn: It’s the Bullseye best of 2025 standup comedy spectacular. I am Jesse Thorn. Next up on the show, Gabby Gutierrez-Reed. Gabby is from Denver, Colorado, where she Salma Zaky and Kate Strobel co-host the Firecracker Comedy Show. The three of them also released a rare split standup album under that name. Here’s a bit of Gabby’s set.

 

Transition: A whooshing noise.

Clip:

Gabby Gutierrez-Reed (Firecracker Comedy): I am watching dating shows. Make some noise if you watch dating shows.

(Cheers and applause.)

Yes! They’re stupid. (Chuckles.) They’re so dumb. But I’m addicted to them. I love them. I love how ridiculous they get. I love thinking about what they’re gonna do next. Like, I just think they’re mixing everything together. I think like the next one could be like, “I could find the love of my life. All I have to do is talk to men through a wall. And if I’m in their top three, we go out to sea for four weeks! On a raft.”

(Laughter.)

It’s called Love Raft. “I’m Nick Lachey, and this is Love Raft.”

It’s gonna get more ridiculous. They’re gonna be like, “I could find the love of my life. All I have to do is start a small business, make a product for that business, go onto to reality TV and sell it to three business executives. And if they like it, we get married on the spot! And ride sharks to Mexicooo! It’s called Love Tank. I’m Nick Lachey, dressed as Mark Cuban, and this is Love Tank.” So ridiculous!

What’s even more over the top with those shows is the music that’s on those shows. (Chuckles.) It’s so crazy. It’s always like (beatboxing), “(gutturally) Run into the devil with a horse, (unclear)! Whooooa!”

[00:40:00]

(Laughter.)

It makes me ANGRYYY! Ugh! It’s always to heighten the situations, like make it more dramatic. There’s some girl that’s like, “Yeah, I know he has a girlfriend at home, but I still wanna (censor beep) him.”

(Singing.) “Whooooa!”

What?!

“You guys, I’m just trying to figure out how to love myself!”

(Singing.) “Whooooa!”

“Yeah. I do like pineapple on pizza!”

(Singing.) “Whooooa!”

I’m also bisexual, and I’ve always been bi. But not a lot of my friends know that. I don’t talk about it that much. So, I did do a soft launch.

(Laughter.)

Just a soft launch by slowly wearing more sweater vests and overalls. Just to let them know the company’s going in a different direction. It’s going in both directions.

(Laughter.)

The net worth has doubled. So. (Chuckles.) Alright. Some business-minded people in the crowd tonight. Alright! Okay. Alright. Would anyone like to inveeest?

(Laughter.)

Transition: A whooshing noise.

 

Jesse Thorn: Gabby Gutierrez-Reed from her split album, Firecracker Comedy. You can find out more about Firecracker Comedy, which also does shows in New York, at Firecracker Comedy on social media.

Transition: Thumpy synth with a syncopated beat.

Jesse Thorn: We’ve got so much more still to come from the Bullseye best of 2025 standup spectacular. Back in a minute. It’s Bullseye from MaximumFun.org and NPR.

(ADVERTISEMENT)

 

Promo:

Ella Hubber: Alright, we’re over 70 episodes into our show, Let’s Learn Everything. So, let’s do a quick progress check. Have we learned about quantum physics?

Tom Lum: Yes, episode 59.

(Pencil scratching.)

Ella: We haven’t learned about the history of gossip yet, have we?

Caroline Roper: Yes, we have! Same episode, actually.

Ella: Have we talked to Tom Scott about his love of roller coasters?

Caroline & Tom: (In unison.) Episode 64.

Ella: So, how close are we to learning everything?

Caroline: Bad news. We still haven’t learned everything yet.

Ella: Awww!

Tom: WE’RE RUINED!

Music: Playful synth fades in.

Ella: No, no, no! It’s good news as well. There is still a lot to learn!

(They cheer.)

I’m Dr. Ella Hubber.

Tom: I’m Regular Tom Lum.

Caroline: I’m Caroline Roper, and on Let’s Learn Everything, we learn about science and a bit of everything else, too.

Ella: And although we haven’t learned everything yet, I’ve got a pretty good feeling about this next episode.

Tom: Join us every other Thursday on Maximum Fun.

(Music ends.)

 

Transition: Bright, chiming synth with a syncopated beat.

Jesse Thorn: Welcome back to Bullseye. I’m Jesse Thorn. We’re breaking format this week, changing things up. We have gone and listened to dozens of standup comedy albums to bring you some of 2025’s best. Next up is Ian Edwards. He’s a veteran standup comic who has written for The Keenan Ivory Wayans Show and Blackish. He acted in the acclaimed indie drama Tangerine. As you’re about to hear, he has a dark and surprising secret. Here from his standup album, Untitled, is Ian Edwards.

 

Transition: A whooshing noise.

Clip:

Ian Edwards (Untitled): And I know I talk about race, you know. But it doesn’t matter what your religious beliefs are, your political beliefs, or what color you are; it’s no excuse for all of us not to love each other. You know what I’m saying?

(Cheers and applause.)

Right. Right? Yes! And I say this because I have a confession to make.

(Laughter.)

I have an Android.

(Laughter and applause.)

Thank you. Thank you, Androiders. You got one too? That’s good. You see how happy they were?

(A singular voice in the crowd gives a loud “yes!” as the others laugh.)

Because that’s the persecution they’ve been dealing with. You know what’s wrong with having an Android? The (censor beep) you get from people for having an Android. You know what I’m saying?

(The same audience person cheers “yeah” while others hoot and clap.)

Yes. I used to think it was tough being Black—

(Laughter.)

—but that ain’t got on (censor beep) being a vegan with a Samsung.

(Continued loud agreement from the audience member.)

That’s a whole ‘nother level of racism right there! Like, everybody’s mad cool with you until they get that green bubble text in their phone. Right? That’s when all racism breaks loose. (Snootily.) “We don’t text your kiiind around heeere, green bubble mother(censor beep).”

(Laughter.)

[00:45:00]

I’m like, “Damn, I was just trying to tell you happy birthday, ma’am.”

White people, you wanna know what it feels like to be Black? Get an Android. Get an Android, and after one month you’ll be like, “Man, we gotta end this racism.”

(Laughter and applause.)

Transition: A whooshing noise.

 

Jesse Thorn: Ian Edwards from his album, Untitled. I do wanna point out: this segment put together with the help of Bullseye producer Richard Robey, who also uses Android and shares the same feelings. He just wanted to put in a ditto. We love Richard still.

Transition: Bright, chiming synth with a syncopated beat.

Jesse Thorn: Next up on our standup spectacular, Ian Karmel. This is our first two-Ian episode! (Chuckling.) We’re making history! Anyway, along with being an Ian, he is also the host of the popular podcast, All Fantasy Everything—one of the funniest podcasts out there. His 2025 special and album is called Comfort Beyond God’s Foresight. And as you’re about to hear, it is very funny.

 

Transition: A whooshing noise.

Clip:

Ian Karmel (Comfort Beyond God’s Foresight): I’m getting old. And you never know how you’re going to find out that you’re getting old, but it comes for all of us.

(Scattered knowing chuckling.)

I heard a Vampire Weekend song in a blood pressure commercial.

(Raucous laughter and applause.)

And I used to do cocaine to that Vampire Weekend song! And I am currently on that blood pressure medication!

(Laughter and applause.)

I DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO ME! I used to be beautiful. I used to be young and beautiful. My body was perfect. I could eat Taco Bell and then go to the gym, and I was fine. I could do that. I could do these things. I could drink until I was blacking out. And then I would do a bump of cocaine just so I could stay awake and keep drinking. And the entire time?! I’d be on two molly. And now?! If I eat a piece of pizza, I can’t read.

(Loud laughter.)

And I anticipated this! I understood that I couldn’t keep doing drugs and drinking the way I was forever. And even certain food, I was like, “Alright, well, you should eat less of that as you get older.” But I went to the doctor recently. And my doctor told me that I can no longer even sleep safely!

(Laughter.)

He did! My doctor told me that I have a condition called sleep apnea.

(Laughter and a single enthused cheer.)

And this is after every woman I’ve ever slept with telling me that I have sleep apnea.

(Laughter.)

Sleep apnea is a condition where you snore so bad that not enough oxygen gets into your brain. Basically, I have a condition where, when I fall asleep, I turn into a pug. I can’t even sleep unsupervised! The one thing we let babies do unsupervised! And this makes me sad. It depresses me. But also, if you think about it, it’s a story of human triumph.

(Laughter.)

It is, right? Because I’ve become such a chubby little guy that I broke the system. I have become comfortable beyond God’s foresight.

(Laughter and scattered hoots.)

Right? God was up in heaven like, “I will create a creature that sustains itself on an equal measure of eating and sleeping.”

And one of the angels is like, “But God! What if they get so good at eating… that they can no longer sleep?!”

And God was like, “Spare me your philosophical riddles, angel! I have created perfect balance. Yes, I’ve created plentiful food, but I have also created famine and war and winter and wolves!”

[00:50:00]

And the entire time we were down here on Earth like, “WHAT ELSE can we put in a pizza crust?! Om-nom-nom-nomnomnom!”

(Laughter and applause.)

Jesse Thorn: Ian Karmel from his special, Comfort Beyond God’s Foresight. It’s on video as well as audio.

Transition: Bright, chiming synth with a syncopated beat.

Jesse Thorn: It’s Bullseye. I’m Jesse Thorn. We’re playing back some of the best standup comedy albums of 2025. Here’s a question. What’s the most embarrassing thing you have ever paid for? Maybe like an intimate photo portrait that didn’t quite turn out how you planned? Maybe you went to a renaissance fair, and you got roasted by a guy wearing like jousting gloves. Or maybe, like Beth Stelling—our next comic—you jumped into a giant, vertical wind tunnel to pretend to skydive.

 

Transition: A whooshing noise.

Clip:

Beth Stelling (The Landlord Special): I do not feel like I get embarrassed often. But I did go fake skydiving at the mall a couple months ago.

(Laughter.)

You know those places? They’re called iFly. It’s like a clear silo in the middle of a mall that sort of answers the question what do alcoholics do during the day?

(Laughter.)

Just adults in a tube getting fully blasted over an air machine. (Makes wind noises.) With a Margaritaville behind them. Just shot up like an old bank deposit. You know? Fffft!

(Laughter.)

Honestly, I would’ve rather that. (Chuckles.) Sucked up in a tube and land in a pile of money and some dum-dums like, “Ow! Let’s do it again.” (Chuckles.) I don’t know what the most embarrassing part is. I think it’s that I paid extra to get blown higher?

(Laughter.)

I think that’s it. Well, when I paid the extra, they said I would get two extra minutes. And I thought, “Two minutes?! That’s robbery! For this price?” And then the second I was in there, I wanted out. (Laughs.) You know, the only benefit to paying extra is you do—you get a video of your time in the tube. You know when you can watch a video just over and over again to the point where you’re just like crying tears of laughter? You guys, picture me: flight suit, bald cap, goggles. I climb into this silo. The stream’s already blasted like 200 miles an hour. That seems high. I think 200 might take the skin off the bone.

(Laughter.)

It probably closer to 120. And it wasn’t fresh air. Okay? It was the type of air that like gets displaced when you shove your foot in a sneaker. Like, (puffs out a blast of air). You know.

(Laughter.)

So, I climb in. The stream’s already blasting. I’ve assumed the position that I’ve been taught in my rigorous ten-minute training course. My face skin is getting taken to places it’s never been. And the minute the video starts, you see me—I start reaching for the exit. And then the guy in there with me just guides my body back over the stream.

(Laughter.)

And once I’m back, I start reaching for the exit again. And then the guy guides my body back. I’m growing weaker by the second. And I’m beginning to drool, because I’m trying to speak, but it’s like (makes wind-garbled noises).

Transition: A whooshing noise.

 

Jesse Thorn: Beth Stelling from her album, The Landlord Special. You can catch Beth on tour in early 2026. We will have a link to her website for dates on the Bullseye page at MaximumFun.org.

Transition: Bright, chiming synth with a syncopated beat.

Jesse Thorn: It’s the Bullseye best of 2025 standup comedy special. Next up, Jim Tews. Jim is a standup comic based in New York City. He has a very cute dog named Rou, and he has one request. Do not ask him if she is pure bread.

 

Transition: A whooshing noise.

Clip:

Jim Tews (With Pictures): We adopted her. You know, she’s a rescue. I dunno if you’ve been through this process, but you just—you know, you submit applications to all these adoption agencies, and then eventually one will contact you. And that’s what happened with us. And this place called us, and they were like, “Hey, we have seized a litter of Pekinese puppies from an irresponsible breeder. Would you like one?”

And I was like, “Uh, yeah, I guess.”

[00:55:00]

I was not familiar with the term “irresponsible breeder” though. I mean, I’ve used the term.

(Surprised laughter.)

But I didn’t know what it meant with dogs, you know? And basically, the short version is: my dog’s inbred. (Chuckles.) She’s a purebred, but she’s like a little too pure. You know?

(Laughter.)

It’s like a little King Joffrey kind of thing. She’s got show dog DNA. Like, you can see it when she walks. But that DNA has a little extra twist at the end of the strand. My dog has an underbite like this. Rrrah. Right? And then her eyes are crossed. But not this way. They’re crossed that way.

(Laughter.)

She’s cute! Honestly. She rides that very fine line between, “Oh my god, that’s adorable” and (nervously) “Oh my god, can that thing breathe?”

(Laughter.)

But people will laugh at her when I walk her. And honestly, I don’t like it. I don’t think— It shouldn’t bother me. It’s not my DNA, what do I care? But I get— It hits me. They’ll just point. “Ah-ha-ha!”

And I’m like, “What the (censor beep)? Do you think—? She’s not in on this joke? Okay?”

And then they’ll always be like, “Oh, is that a purebred?”

And I’m like, “What’s with that question, Hitler?”

(Scattered cackling and clapping.)

“She’s got Pomeranian in her. What are you gonna do? Okay? Just get away from us. Walk around. You gotta walk far. You gotta go across the street. She can see you from both sides.”

(Laughter.)

Leave me and my dog alone.

Any other Pekinese owners in the house?

(No audience response.)

Didn’t think so. No one’s ever said yes. I didn’t care what the breed was. I just wanted a little dog, you know? But then I started like researching, and I found out they have a pretty cool backstory. Like, they’re dogs from Ancient China, from the Peking Dynasty, right? And the legend goes that a lion fell in love with a butterfly, and then—for obvious reasons—could not consummate the relationship.

(Laughter.)

So, the lion went to the Buddha and then was like, “Hey, can you do me a solid and shrink me down?”

And the Buddha was of course like, “I got you,” and then shrunk the lion down to a little 10-pound creature. And that’s the Pekinese. That’s my dog.

So, when people are like, “What’s the Pekinese like?”, I tell them, “Oh, she’s got the heart of a lion that wants to (censor beep) a butterfly.”

(Laughter.)

It’s a pretty solid summation. I also read that they actually were used for protection. Like, the Peking dynasty emperors would like have a bunch of them, and they would like put them under their robes or whatever. And then if an attacker would approach, it was like, “HA!” Like that.

(Laughter.)

And I heard that. I was like, “Can we get a couple more of these things? Get that irresponsible breeder back on the phone! I’ll see if I can pick up the rest of this litter.” Imagine me walking down the street.

(Laughter.)

I don’t need a gun. I just need a robe to hide a pack of tiny dogs. Go ahead, try and mug me. HA! Like that. They’re coming at you lower jaw first.

(Laughter.)

Transition: A whooshing noise.

 

Jesse Thorn: Jim Tews. His album is called With Pictures. You can follow him and his dog on Instagram, YouTube, and more.

Transition: Thumpy synth with light vocalizations.

Jesse Thorn: It’s the Bullseye best of 2025 standup spectacular. We have one more guest before we go. It’s Fortune Feimster. Fortune is probably best known as a regular on The Mindy Project, where she played Colette, the nurse. In her latest special and album, Good Fortune, she talks about some hard truths she faced during the pandemic.

 

Transition: A whooshing noise.

Clip:

Fortune Feimster (Good Fortune): A lot has transpired in the last couple years, right? The world has dealt with some crazy stuff. It felt like the end of times!

[01:00:00]

And I thought lesbians would be built for that. You know? Put us in a bunker with some canned hams. We’re good.

(Laughter.)

But things went south, and I learned a lot about myself. I found out I have zero survival skills. None. All I had to do was stay home! I got nothing accomplished. No sourdough was started in my house. I didn’t learn how to make cold brew. Nothing. It was my partner, Jacks, who surprised me. She was the one outside painting our fence, rewired our electricity, fixed our plumbing. I was the one on the couch every night just watching documentaries about old people in love. Ugh! Just crying in my Ugg boots. I found out y’all! I’m not butch.

(Laughter, cheers, and applause.)

Yeah. I’m not butch! Which is shocking, I know, ’cause I have these broad shoulders, and my favorite color is plaid. But this is a preview to a whole different movie than what you think you’re about to watch. As they say, the carpet does not match the drapes—two things that I do not know how to install.

(Laughter and applause that builds into cheering and whistling.)

I look very handy though! I do. I look handy! If you saw me, and your car was broken down, you might assume I can fix your car. I got that look about me, ’cause that is what a butch lady can do. She can literally put your car on her back and walk it to a service station. (Breathes heavily.) She can actually just spit in your gas tank (spitting sound), and your car will start. Oh, magical. But that is not me. And men are the most mystified by this information. They come up to me constantly at like a Home Depot, because they assume I work there.

(Laughter.)

They’re like, “What’s up dude? Where are the nails?”

I’m like, “Oooh, I’m here for a potted plant. I do know they sell M&Ms at the check ooout!”

(Laughter and applause.)

Transition: A whooshing noise.

 

Jesse Thorn: Fortune Feimster, folks. Her album is called Good Fortune. More like great fortune, though! ‘Cause it’s great! She also hosts the very funny podcast Handsome with our friend Tig Notaro.

Transition: Relaxed, chiming synth.

Jesse Thorn: That’s the end of another episode of Bullseye. Bullseye is created in the homes of me and the staff of Maximum Fun, as well as at Maximum Fun HQ in the historic jewelry district in downtown Los Angeles, California—where I don’t have to walk 12 steps to access pupusas anytime I want. I am very happy about this. My doctor? Probably not so much.

Our show is produced by speaking into microphones. Our senior producer is Kevin Ferguson. Our producers are Jesus Ambrosio and Richard Robey. Our production fellow at Maximum Fun is Hannah Moroz. Our video producer is Daniel Speer. We get booking help from Mara Davis. Special thanks this week to everybody who helped us listen to standup comedy albums! That is the entire Bullseye team, plus a bunch of other folks at MaxFun: Danny Baruela, Christian Dueñas, Marissa Flaxbart, Kira Gowan, Gabe Mara, Jennifer Marmor, Stacey Molski, and Laura Swisher. Our thanks to all those pals.

Our interstitial music comes from our friend Dan Wally, also known as DJW. You can find his music at DWJsounds.bandcamp.com. Our theme music, written and recorded by The Go! Team. It is called “Huddle Formation”. Thanks to The Go! Team. Thanks to their label, Memphis Industries. You can follow Bullseye on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, where you’ll find video from just about all our interviews—including the ones you heard this week.

And I think that’s about it. Just remember, all great radio hosts have a signature signoff.

Promo: Bullseye with Jesse Thorn is a production of MaximumFun.org and is distributed by NPR.

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[01:05:00]

 

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