Jay smothers Weird Al with love and appreciation for Al’s perfection in his parody. We talk about Mad Magazine, Looney Tunes, pizza, travel, doing what you want, the power of an orchestra, the two pulls of being a comic vs a musician, how a true showman can come out of Linwood, and giving up architecture for being a professional goofball/genius. Bio: FEW WOULD HAVE GUESSED that “Weird Al” Yankovic – who as a shy, accordion-playing teenager got his start sending in homemade tapes to the Dr. Demento Radio Show– would go on to become a pop culture icon and the biggest-selling comedy recording artist of all time, with classic song and music video parodies such as“Eat It,” “Like a Surgeon,” “Smells Like Nirvana,” “Amish Paradise,” “White & Nerdy” and “Word Crimes.”  Now in his fourth decade as America’s foremost song parodist, he has been the recipient of numerous awards, including five Grammys® (out of sixteen total nominations) and a string of Gold and Platinum albums.In 2015 and 2016, Weird Al’s Mandatory World Tour encompassed 200 shows throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia, including two nights at the Hollywood Bowl and a sold-out gig at New York’s Radio City Music Hall.  In the spring of 2018, Al performed 77 shows as part of his Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour, where he and his bandmates of over 35 years played setlists composed almost entirely of his original (non-parody) material, and without any of their signature over-the-top theatrics (no costumes, props or video screens). And in 2019 Weird Al followed up his most bare-bones tour with his most extravagant tour ever – Strings Attached – where he and his band were backed for each of their 67 shows by female singers and a full symphony orchestra.Weird Al’s 14th studio album, the Grammy® award-winning Mandatory Fun (2014), became the first comedy album in history to debut at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, and the first to even reach the top of that chart since 1963.  Yankovic set the U.S. record on Spotify for having the most tracks from one album in the viral top 10 at one time, taking the top four spots.  In addition, “Word Crimes” debuted in the Billboard Top 40, making Al one of only four artists to have had Top 40 singles in each of the last four decades (the other three being Michael Jackson, Madonna and U2).Al has remained active as a recording artist.  June 2017 saw the release of Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (Dreamworks), for which Al co-wrote and performed the film’s theme song.  In August 2017, Al wrote and performed “The North Korea Polka (Please Don’t Nuke Us)” for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO). In November 2017 Legacy Recordings released Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of “Weird Al” Yankovic, a remastered 15-disc box set (including a rarities album) plus a 120-page book of archival photos, all housed in a replica of Weird Al’s trademark accordion. Al also recorded cover versions of the Squidbillies theme for Adult Swim and the Ramones’ “Beat on the Brat” for a Dr. Demento compilation album, and produced remixes of two hit singles for Portugal. The Man (“Feel It Still” and “Live in the Moment”).  And March 2018 brought us “The Hamilton Polka,” a frantic tour de force mash-up of 14 songs from the Broadway smash, commissioned by Lin-Manuel Miranda himself and released as part of his “Hamildrops” series.In addition to his cult-hit feature film UHF (1989), his late ‘90s CBS Saturday morning series The Weird Al Show and numerous AL-TV specials he has made for MTV and VH1 over the years, Yankovic has remained a staple of film and television, from appearances on The Simpsons, 30 Rock, The Goldbergs and How I Met Your Mother to performing live on the Primetime Emmy Awards and starring in his own concert specials for Disney, VH1 and Comedy Central.  In 2015 Yankovic took over as co-host and bandleader for the fifth season of IFC’s Comedy Bang! Bang!  Currently Al can be heard as the voice of the title character in Disney Channel’s animated series Milo Murphy’s Law (his other voice acting work includes appearances on Bojack Horseman, Gravity Falls, Adventure Time, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Wander Over Yonder, and the DC animated feature Batman vs. Robin). Yankovic added “New York Times bestselling author” to his resumé in 2011 with the release of his children’s book, When I Grow Up (HarperCollins), followed two years later by My New Teacher and Me!  An animated series based on his children’s books is currently being developed in partnership with the Jim Henson Company.   2012 saw the release of Weird Al: The Book (Abrams), an illustrated hardcover on Al’s life and career, and in 2015 Yankovic became not only MAD Magazine’s cover boy, but the first guest editor in their 63-year history.In 2017 NECA Toys released the second in its line of retro-clothed Weird Al action figures, and in 2018 Funko released two of its own POP! vinyl figures.  On August 27, 2018, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce awarded “Weird Al” Yankovic with the 2,643rd star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Tony and Jay meet for the first time. We talk about the depth of his character, Primo, in “The Big Night” and why Jay can’t find that depth in real like. We also chat about growing up the 9th of 10 kids, the acting scene in Green Bay, WI., tailoring Monk for Tony, auditioning, the struggles of being an actor, & Tony’s biggest mistake which lead to his greatest joy, acting in Italian, being a creative producer, the magic of connection in live performance, and why we both wish we were Richard Kind.Bio: Tony Shalhoub is a Tony Award, Golden Globe Award and four-time Emmy Award winning actor with a diverse and extensive resume. Most recently, he returned to the iconic role of the beloved obsessive-compulsive detective Adrian Monk in Peacock’s critically acclaimed Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie receiving ‘Best Actor’ in a ‘Limited Series or Television Movie’ nominations from the SAG and Critics Choice Awards. Shalhoub was born and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin. His father emigrated from Lebanon to the United States as an orphan at age eight. Shalhoub's mother was also Lebanese. Tony spent most of his early acting career in the theater, after graduating from Yale Drama School in 1980. From 1980-1984 Tony was part of the company with the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, before moving to New York. He met his wife Brooke Adams in 1990 while working together in The Heidi Chronicles. Prior to the Monk movie, Shalhoub portrayed Abe Weissman on Amazon Prime Video’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, for which he has won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and two SAG awards for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series. Most recently he received his third Primetime Emmy nomination for his role in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. On the Broadway stage, Shalhoub most recently starred in David Cromer’s The Band's Visit at The Ethel Barrymore Theater, winning a Tony for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical. Prior to that, Tony starred in Terry Kinney’s revival of Arthur Miller’s The Price opposite Mark Ruffalo and Danny DeVito. Tony’s other theater work includes starring in the Broadway productions of Act One, Golden Boy and Conversation With My Father, receiving Tony Award nominations for each performance. Tony also appeared opposite Diane Lane in Lincoln Center’s Off-Broadway production of The Mystery of Love & Sex. Tony Shalhoub is perhaps best known for his work as Adrian Monk in the hit USA Network television series Monk where he was Emmy-nominated for ‘Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series’ for eight consecutive years (2003 to 2010), winning in 2003, 2005 and 2006. Additionally, Shalhoub won a Golden Globe Award and two SAG Awards for his work on the show. Other notable TV credits include ‘Antonio Scarpacci’ in Wings, Braindead, Stark Raving Mad, Too Big Too Fail and Nurse Jackie, Shalhoub’s film credits include Eva Longoria’s Flamin’ Hot, The Assignment, Pain & Gain, The Men In Black franchise, Galaxy Quest, The Siege, The Man Who Wasn’t There, Big Night, Barton Fink as well as voicing the character of ‘Luigi’ in the CARS franchise and ‘Master Splinter’ in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.

Toby and Jay talked about art and trying to see art (and life) from unique perspectives. Jay calls Toby a weirdo. And, like a weirdo, he accepts it as the compliment which is what it was actually meant to be. We talk about failing at school, meeting a guy called Magic who makes pipes out of antlers, and working as a janitor in a church and 10000 other blue collar jobs before he became a great actor and artist. We also talk about his love affair with creativity and imagining he’s Frank Sinatra’s bastard son. Bio: Toby Huss is from Marshalltown Iowa and paints and acts in movies sometimes and streaming or tv shows at others and has a photobook, American Sugargristle, coming out this fall. Also most likely a record of original songs and some covers. This is his third time appearing on the Jay Kogen Celebrity Cook-Off.

Entertainment Journalist and all around funny guy Kliph Nesteroff talks about a Canadian kid who got into collecting stories of strange and eccentric show business events. We both talk about our short lived stand-up days. Capturing worthwhile memories, and how Milton Berle was a jerk. I also stump Kliph when I ask him what else he would care about if I took show business stories away.Bio: Kliph Nesteroff is an author and comedy historian, best known for his 2015 history of stand-up, The Comedians. His latest book, just released, is titled Outrageous: A History of Showbiz and the Culture Wars.

David, fresh off of a weekend with Donny Osmond talks about a lifetime of celebrities. Idolizing them, meeting them, interviewing them, befriending them and eventually making them stars once again on his grammy specials. We also talk Neil Diamond, Joni Mitchell, Frank Sinatra, and Phil Rosenthal plus a special surprise call from Brad Paisley! Bio: David Wild is a Peabody and Emmy-winning television writer and producer, a New York Times best-selling author and prominent pop culture commentator. Wild was a College Scholar graduate of Cornell University who then worked at Esquire and Rolling Stone where he served as Music Editor and wrote numerous cover stories for over two decades. Since 2000, Wild has also been writing and producing well over a hundred high profile TV specials including all of The Grammy Awards since 2001, working with Grammy hosts from Jon Stewart to Queen Latifah to LL Cool J to James Corden to Trevor Noah, as well as countless other award shows and network specials including The Academy Awards and The Emmy Awards. Wild has received numerous Emmy nominations for his work, and was most recently nominated in 2021 as a producer for The Grammy Awards, that same year winning a Daytime Emmy that same year as a writer for The Independent Film Spirit Awards. In 2021, Wild was also an Executive Producer for Shine A Light, CNN's acclaimed 9/11 tribute special hosted by Jake Tapper, marking 20 years since Wild received his first-ever Emmy nomination as Head Writer for 2001's Peabody and Emmy-winning America: A Tribute To Heroes.  Since 2022, Wild has co-hosted the “Naked Lunch” podcast with Phil Rosenthal — their “Lunch” guests have included Jimmy Kimmel, Jane Fonda and Keanu Reeves, to name just a few. And just before the WGA Strike of 2023, Wild served as Head Writer for hosts Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks on the ACM Awards. Wild has written numerous best-selling books both as an author and co-author, including New York Times best-sellers with the cast of "Friends" and Brad Paisley, as well as penning liner notes for artists including The Rolling Stones, Ringo Starr, Hall & Oates, Fleetwood Mac, LL Cool J, Aerosmith and Stevie Wonder. Wild lives in Los Angeles with his wife Fran and their two sons.From Straw Hut Media

Eugene Garcia-Cross talks about growing up in Pennsylvania, losing his dad early, and becoming a literature professeur only to give it all up to be a Hollywood comedy writer. Only to wind up writing books on the side. He also talks about struggling as a 35-year-old assistant, how to be patient for the next job. making the most out of the writers room and having good times even on bad shows.Bio:  Eugene Garcia-Cross despite being born in Pennsylvania is an optimist. He received an MFA in fiction from the University of Pittsburgh, became a teacher and then threw it all away to pursue his dream of throwing it all away which forced him to find something else and that was becoming a professional writer. The author of the story collection Fires of Our Choosing, he lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two sons. As a TV writer, Eugene has written for NBC, the Disney Channel, and NBC’s Peacock streaming service.  His new novel, “Miss Me Forever” is on sale now.

Nicole talks about the difference between creation and nervous activity and how hard it is to distinguish between the two. We also talk about procrastination, Elvis Costello, the need to let ideas simmer, collaborating on a show, making an album, the meaning of music, the tricks to productivity, and the joy of baby steps. Bio: For two decades, Nicole Atkins has created her own brand of spectral American rock & roll. She's an old-school torch singer for the modern world, funneling her award-winning songwriting chops and genre-spanning influences — including psychedelic rock, Muscle Shoals soul, the pop grandeur of Roy Orbison, and the dark drama of Nick Cave — into six albums that have earned a global audience. Regularly featured on year-end "best of" lists by Rolling Stone, NPR, and The New York Times, Atkins has collaborated with artists from across the musical spectrum, including David Byrne, Chris Isaak, Spoon, Elvis Costello, Tommy Stinson, and the Old 97's. The title track of her major-label debut album won The ASCAP Foundation Sammy Cahn Award, and her songs have appeared in prime-time TV shows like Dexter, national ad campaigns for American Express, and on the Billboard charts, with tracks like "Domino" becoming Top 40 AAA hits. A road warrior who has performed everywhere from Carnegie Hall to Late Night With David Letterman, Atkins is also a professional illustrator and painter whose work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal and No Depression.

We talk about how to pronounce Bowie, the love of Monty Python, Elvis Costello, growing up in New York, the Ramones. John’s new play, Brushstroke, my love of John’s wife, Jamie Denbo, John’s possible love of Jay’s wife if he ever meets her, John Cleese, John’s dad who wanted to be an actor but never did it but then turned John on to great movies, the freedom of giving up on expectations, and how they should be friends but weren’t… yet.Bio:John Ross Bowie is an actor and writer originally from New York City. TV: “The Big Bang Theory,” “Speechless,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” two “CSIs,” “Feel Good” (Netflix), “Brooklyn 99,” “Generation,” “Reno911,” and others. FILM: Jumanji: The Next Level, The Heat, He’s Just Not That Into You, and What the Bleep Do We Know? THEATER: Inherit the Wind (Pasadena Playhouse) Life Sucks (Interact Theatre Company) Laughter on the 23rd Floor (Garry Marshall Theater), Bad Person (Riot Act) John’s memoir No Job for a Man was published in 2022 by Pegasus Books. If you must: @johnrossbowie on Instagram.

Paul and Jay discuss looking like losers and feeling like winners, and wearing clothes to match your goals and garner respect, being authentic, Mt. Clemens, Michigan, directing, collaborations, why Paul prefers dinners with girls, why I’ll have to fly to London to see him again, his next movie, his wife Laurie, drinking Artingstall Gin, Paul’s “Cocktail Time!” booze recipe book, and what made us think we could ever be funny.

We talk about trying to stay positive in a down comedy market, how Jay did or didn’t fit in writing a pilot with much younger people, what started the desire to perform, inspirations, Boy Meets World, and the trick to showbiz is just never leaving. Bios: Lucy Blehar is an actor, writer, and musician from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (home of Heinz Ketchup). She received her BFA in acting from DePaul University in Chicago where she made her TV debut as a murdered sex worker on NBC’s Chicago P.D. Since moving to LA in 2016, Lucy has studied and performed at The Groundlings, co-hosted a popular comedy show called "Titty Committee," and performed in various independent films and series. Lucy co-created and starred in the live show “Dickmatized,” with Mary and Kyle which had a sold out run at UCB before the global pancetta. Lucy plans to sort out her stomach issues this year once and for all.Kyle Kasabian is an LA based actor, writer & director who has been performing live comedy in Los Angeles since 2013. He is a regular writer/performer at the Upright Citizen's Brigade Theatre for shows such as Maude Night, Characters Welcome, Dickmatized, and the wildly popular Dynasty Typewriter show, Bad Drag Race. As an actor, Kyle has been seen on Peacock's "Girls5Eva" and has written for Nickelodeon, CBS, and BYUtv. His most recent project, "Oversharing" is being developed as a TV series by Merman, Naomi Odenkirk, & Jay Kogen, along with a webseries that has appearances from Sarah Silverman, Kate Flannery, and other comedy talents.Mary Ryan is an actress, writer, and producer from the second smallest state in the US, Delaware. After pursuing a BFA in Acting from Ithaca College, she studied improv and sketch at The Upright Citizen’s Brigade. Mary has worked on numerous projects, including, co-writing and starring in her first feature, "Mary Tyler Millennial."  Mary co-wrote and performed the stage show “Dickmatized,” with Lucy and Kyle, with a sold out two year run at UCB. By day, you can find her hustling as a personal assistant, but by night she is frantically writing silly sketches and performing comedy to make her dreams come true!From Straw Hut Media

We discuss our friendship since 1985, teaching at USC, the graphic novel “Defiant” about slave Robert Smalls who stole a southern ship and gave it to the north, Rob’s analytical brain, being teamed with a monster, being fooled by a first meeting, insane show runners with guns on the table, being a black writer, the sunk cost fallacy, making The Princess & The Frog, Will Smith vs Martin Lawrence vs Chris Rock and the slap, AI asking, “What is art?”, wine lessons, and oxtail fried rice! Bio: ROB EDWARDS is a veteran of movies and television who wrote and produced shows including "The Fresh Prince", "Full House", and "In Living Color" before writing two classic animated films for WALT DISNEY FEATURE ANIMATION, the Academy Award, and Golden Globe-nominated THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG, and the Academy Award-nominated TREASURE PLANET. He consulted on TANGLED, WRECK-IT RALPH, and FROZEN. He also wrote and directed the award-winning animated short film THE PARK BENCH and is currently writing projects for LEGION M, SHOWTIME, SONY, MOFAC, Chris Rock, Lengi, and MARVEL STUDIOS. He is an adjunct professor of screenwriting at the Newhouse School at Syracuse University and the School of Cinematic Arts at USC.

Comedian Kevin Nealon talks about being an older dad, and the butt of all jokes, bad impressions, secret to stand-up comedy, stumbling into SNL and making Weekend Update and how good Germany smells. Bio:Emmy and SAG-nominated actor, comedian, and author Kevin Nealon is best known for his nine-year stint as a cast member of NBC's Saturday Night Live, and has received critical acclaim for his roles in Weeds, Man With A Plan, Glenn Martin DDS. He has two stand-up specials and produces and hosts digital series Hiking with Kevin, and tours his stand-up globally. He’s also an artist, an author, and probably an inventor although no one’s ever asked him. Currently, Kevin resides in Los Angeles with his wife and son.

On this episode we talk about making art for artsake. Suzy convinces Jay to start a second career as an actor and demands I put myself in my own show. We also talk about Chicago, Crate and Barrel, reliving one year, old people holding tissues all the time, and the greatest show about masturbation ever created.Bio: Born and raised in Chicago, Suzy moved to Los Angeles where she began guest starring on television. She now has over 100 credits, including series regular roles on Go On, Help Me Help You, Dr. Ken and HBO’s Avenue 5. In addition to her guest star roles, she has recurred on numerous episodics including The West Wing, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Goldbergs, Black-ish, Veep, Modern Family, Snowfall, and Dead to Me. After finishing a successful run of POTUS on Broadway, she starred with Michael Keaton in Knox Goes Away, and lent her voice to the soon-to-be-released animated series Exploding Kittens on Netflix.From Straw Hut Media

Comedian/Author Gary Gulman and Jay compare their latchkey childhoods with memories of being alone, watching endless TV and worrying about whether the real world would have more channels. We also talk about needing to be funny, the excitement of being on a soundstage for the first time, how one of us was built to play basketball, and how we owe our parents nothing but do a million things for them anyway.Bio: Gary Lewis Weston Gulman is a comedian’s comedian. His legendary routine about State Abbreviations went viral on Conan a few years ago. His special The Great Depresh about his bout with severe depression broke new ground comedy and his new special “Born on Third” and his book “Misfit” look back on his childhood as a very poor Jew in the Boston area. Gary lives in New York with his wife Sade (not that one) and plays basketball everywhere he goes.From Straw Hut Media

Bryan talks about commiting to craft and giving up on whether you get the gig. We compare notes about growing up in the valley without adult supervision, writing, why celebrities feel better with other celebrities, the difference between Tequila and Mezcal, having kids in the arts, getting your heart broken in 5th grade, the lessons of struggling, and only doing what you are passionate about. Also we chat about the fact that, sometimes, you have to play a character just to get through real life.Bio: Bryan Cranston is an Academy Award nominee, and an Emmy, Screen Actors Guild, Tony, and Olivier Award winner. He most recently starred on the second season of Showtime’s hit drama series, Your Honor, which he also executive produced. On the big screen, Cranston re-teamed with Wes Anderson and starred in his ensemble feature, Asteroid City - which premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and was released by Focus Features and Universal Pictures globally. Additionally, Cranston stars in Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle which will be released by Apple TV+ on February 2. Cranston made his Broadway debut as President Lyndon B. Johnson in All the Way and produced the HBO film adaptation through his production company, Moonshot Entertainment. In 2018, Cranston starred as the iconic Howard Beale in Ivo van Hove’s Network on London’s West End and on Broadway. Cranston is best known for his portrayal of two very different characters - Hal on the sit-com Malcolm in the Middle, and Walter White on the drama series, Breaking Bad. Cranston is a New York Times bestselling author of A Life in Parts, where he revisits the many parts he’s played on and off camera. In 2019, Cranston and his Breaking Bad co-star, Aaron Paul, released an artisanal Mezcal, “Dos Hombres”, which has grown to become the 5th bestselling mezcal in the United States.From Straw Hut Media

Rizwan how he got from Calgary to Hollywood, how he stopped playing terrorists and started playing himself, how serious actors who have the knack for funny can make it, and how Jay needs to reconsider acting as a profession.Bio: Rizwan Manji is one of Hollywood’s most respected TV and screen actors. He received a Best Guest Actor nomination for his portrayal of Ray Butani, Schitt’s Creek. Manji is perhaps best known for playing the hysterically officious, scheming assistant manager of a call center in the NBC comedy Outsourced. His film Mustache, a Pakistani-American, coming-of-age comedy-drama won the Audience Award in the Narrative Feature competition at SXSW. He will be seen next in Sony Affirm’s Journey to Bethlehem, a live-action, Christmas musical adventure. Other credits include: The Magicians, Mr. Robot, Arrested Development, Charlie Wilson's War, The Tiger Hunter, and Paterson.From Straw Hut Media

Writer/comic Lew Schnieder and Jay talk about the jokes they aren’t allowed to tell and how important being “funny” is to them both. Bio: Lew Schneider is a youthful 62 year old man.From Straw Hut Media

The talented Kevin Nealon comes in for a quick visit in between painting, writing, stand up, acting and being a renaissance man, while Jay… isn’t. They discuss what’s normal and why Jay can’t be. Bio: Emmy and SAG-nominated actor, comedian, and author Kevin Nealon is best known for his nine-year stint as a cast member of NBC's Saturday Night Live, and has received critical acclaim for his roles Weeds, Man With A Plan, Glenn Martin DDS. He has two stand-up specials and produces and hosts digital series Hiking with Kevin, and tours his stand-up globally. He’s also an artist, an author, and probably an inventor although no one’s ever asked him. Currently, Kevin resides in Los Angeles with his wife and son.From Straw Hut Media

Stephen Root is a genius actor who brought humanity to the character of the outsider. Jay and Stephen share the feeling of being on the outside and how that makes being an artist more insightful but being a guy at a party more of a drag. Stephen talks about the art of acting and auditioning and what it’s like to finally be able to tell the producers “no” when it’s not something he wants to do. Jay, on the other hand, talks about whoring himself out for just about anything which explains why he’s on a podcast in the first place.Bio: Yeah, Stephen Root will be in the business about 47 years this year. He started out in 1976 doing a lot of theater, touring, New York off Broadway, finally Broadway stuff, then some movies and stuff, commercials, what have you. He will probably be remembered for the first half of his career for a couple of Mike Judge projects, Office Space, and King of the HIll. In the second half he did lots of television, some movies and a lot of animation. Probably best remembered in that half for the movie Get Out, and a lot of HBO shows, the last of which was Barry, with Bill Hader and Henry Winkler. That was good, we think. He can be seen recently in the sci-fi show epic called Beacon 23 for MGM plus. Good luck finding that. Still working occasionally he does lots of animation projects, and again some TV and movie stuff. I think that’s it, it’s all we can remember anyway, as Harry Nilsson says, nobody cares about the railroads anymore.From Straw Hut Media

Comedian/Actor Andy Richter shares stories of fame, fans, and family and being a regular guy in an irregular world. Bio: Andy Richter has been working in television comedy for over 30 years as an actor, writer, host and producer.He’s best known as Conan O’Brien’s sidekick, but has been in numerous movies and tv series.He hosts the podcast The Three Questions, which is in its fourth season. He’s married, has 3 children, and lives in Pasadena, California.