xoxo

Trump is acting out...the Epstein Files

I love that the awards circuit employs many comedians I know and love, but we need to put a stop to all of this unnecessary banter from presenters.

Today I realized that Marco Rubio's end goal in taking a Trump cabinet job ---> becoming the prodigal son who brings democracy to Cuba by installing himself as its future president

Customs guy at Miami, upon hearing I’ve returned from Cuba: We should take that over next, don’t you think? Me: —- Customs guy: We’ve already taken over Venezuela. Plus Cuba would be a great resort destination. Me: Let’s give it a day, at least

My choices for the best comedy specials of 2025. My top pick might surprise you only if you’re limiting yourself! decider.com/2025/12/30/b...

Here's my first take on Chappelle's surprise drop on Netflix, fashioning himself as his town's Potter living his wonderful life is quite a choice this Christmas! decider.com/2025/12/22/d...

Drake Maye-nia!

From 2022: www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

Please update your pop culture records to reflect that the 1959 French New Wave film, Breathless, includes a high-five documented on film

MLB teams are just waiting for the Japanese guys before signing all the other big free agents next week, right?

The Epstein Files killed themselves

Just checked something on my Apple Music, and it turns out they actually do keep updating my Replay '25 while it's still 2025, so I'll be sure to check again in a couple of weeks to see what my June-December listening really was!

"The newspaper industry served as a feeder for our entire news media ecosystem. So when we lose those newspapers, we've lost that journalism. In the early 2000s, we had 40 journalists per 100,000 people. We're now down to 8 journalists per 100,000 people," says @victorpickard.bsky.social.

The run that Rob Reiner went on between 1984 and 1992 is one of the most amazing hot streaks any director has ever had. Legendary stuff

I know good things happened for good people somewhere sometime in 2025, but all of this bad news sure makes it tough to remember that

Could you imagine if Paramount+ actually let you pick which CBS NFL feed you wanted to watch?

Sunday morning snow and the fresh disappointment knowing you’ll be forced once again to choose between watching the Jets or the Giants. Only in New York!

I worked at the Boston Herald during perhaps the heyday of the Dig, and this just makes me nostalgic for a time when even the alt-weeklies had alts

Emma Mackey as Ella McCay feels like a prank

Launching a newsletter in 2019, you had few options, especially if you hoped to attract paid subscribers. As 2025 begets 2026, you have options! I moved my paid one to WordPress, my free one to Buttondown. Others like Ghost or Beehiiv. And then there's Patreon. www.niemanlab.org/2025/10/top-...

This entire grift relies on convincing people that they don't know how to do the things they have always known how to do, and ironically, if it works, we will, in a very short amount of time, forget how to do all the things we have always known how to do.

College football always loves chaos in the final two weeks before playoffs

FX on Hulu walked so HBO on Netflix could …

I listened to mostly new music this year. Apparently I’m a big fan of New Zealand indie rock!? Apple might not be the best alternative, but at least it’s not Spotify.

You, a dangerous radical: We have to change the system so cartoon villains can't wreck the country again Me, a wise pragmatist: What if we simply rebranded the system? Welcome to America Premium+

At least sports and broadcasting aren’t in cahoots with gambling. Could you imagine how that might impact calls on the field and in the booth?

I’m Bluesky years old to become increasingly annoyed listening to broadcasters refer to inferior versions of Wink Martindale and Bo Jackson

It’s infuriating to me that I need to evaluate media to determine whether it’s AI generated now. The great “time saver” technology wastes incalculable time and energy for people who want to retain their grasp on reality

My new favorite stunt casting: The young man who plays the actor playing Hamlet is the older brother of the kid who played Hamnet.

Those timeline maps comparing Israel’s conquest of Palestine to the United States really let the colonial empires of Spain and France off the hook

Not for nothing, putting eyeballs and mouths on Dunkin munchkins for a TV commercial makes me much less likely to ever want to eat a munchkin

Rolling Stone better watch out, because Variety is coming for their rage bait list making crown

The last Stand Up and Clown of 2025 really went for it @ifycomedy.com @scrambieggs.bsky.social

If you’re a journalist who’s still on Twitter, from now on in your writing you have to replace “the American people want” with “troll bots in Eastern Europe demand” Being there makes your judgment suspect. I don’t care how savvy you think you are, you’re marinating in a disinformation campaign.

Listen, I spent years telling you all that Substack was evil. *Now* do you believe me?

i promise i don’t mean to high horse this but if you’re thinking about giving lizza ten bucks there are a lot of good independent journalists whose work you could subscribe to for a month instead

All of the huzzahs for @thelilyallen.bsky.social for looking and sounding so amazing in this moment

My friend and colleague @jasonzinoman.bsky.social told me he’d seen Louis CK, so I was eager to see his take on what it’s like now (gift link) www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/a...

Everything and everyone is exhausting now, so we need to lift each other up, and I type that to remind myself as much as to remind you

“Stand-up comedy is for vagabonds and people incapable of keeping inappropriate remark to themselves. It’s for malcontents and weirdos. I’m no longer any of those things.” michaelianblack.substack.com/p/goodnight-...

The good, the bad and the ugly of the comedy industry all rearing their cerberus dog heads to bark away this fall. Here's a roundup of comedy news you might need to know right now... fromthecomicscomic.com/2025/11/20/i...

Scotland has qualified for the World Cup for the first time in almost 30 years!

Please let the news be true that Bill Maher has declared he's stopped doing stand-up

each day i see something thought through get paid dust while somebody in y'all rogues gallery rules engagement. it's easier to get eyes on some chaos and it really boils my blood pals.

johnoliversjunk.com to make your bid on some of the choicest props from @lastweektonight.com history, as well as a Bob Ross painting and other gifts, all to help support America's local Public Media outlets

“Look, I am clearly no stranger to sharing upsetting numbers with my audience, but please do kill me if I ever start doing pedophile math.” www.thedailybeast.com/john-oliver-...

Jesus Mary and Joseph! Ireland 🇮🇪 actually beat Portugal and now Hungary in stoppage time to qualify for the World Cup playoffs!

We used to live in a constitutional republic