Episode 37 | Liana Spiro

Episode 37 | Liana Spiro

Author: Scott Dikkers December 6, 2019 Duration: 50:58

Scott talks with Harvard Lampoon President about the nation's oldest college humor magazine's humor, pranks, and castle, and how to lead a band of misfit comedy writers.


Ever wonder how the people who make you laugh actually do it? How To Write Funny pulls back the curtain on the craft, hosted by Scott Dikkers. As the founder of TheOnion.com and its longtime editor-in-chief, Scott has spent decades at the heart of satirical writing. In this podcast, he sits down with a range of voices from the comedy world-celebrated performers, seasoned writers, and behind-the-scenes creators-for conversations that go much deeper than just trading jokes. Each episode explores the guest’s unique path into comedy, the principles that guide their work, and the often messy, personal process of generating humor. You’ll hear about the doubts, the breakthroughs, and the specific techniques used to turn an idea into something that genuinely connects with an audience. It’s less a formal tutorial and more a series of revealing workshops, offering a rare look at the discipline and thought hiding behind the punchlines. Whether you're an aspiring writer, a comedy fan, or just curious about the mechanics of what makes something funny, this podcast provides a sustained, insightful listen into an art form that is often taken for granted.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 49

How To Write Funny
Podcast Episodes
Episode 18 | Jermaine Affonso [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:36
Scott talks with Jermaine Affonso, a former writer for The Onion who's now the Editor in Chief of Clickhole, which many have called the funniest site on the Internet.
Episode 17 | Jerry Rocha [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:05
Jerry Rocha, from Dallas, TX, has been performing stand-up for 20 years. He's appeared on Conan. Last Comic Standing, and his TV special, The Gentleman Jerry Rocha, presented by Gabriel Iglesias, premiered this month on…
Episode 16 | Beth Newell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:02
Beth Newell founded, with Sarah Pappalardo, the women's news parody website Reductress.
Episode 15 | Louie Anderson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:04
Louie Anderson is one of the most successful stand-up comics of the last 30 years. He created and starred in the animated TV series Life With Louie. He's written several books, including Dear Dad: Letters from an Adult C…
Episode 14 | Daniel Greenberg [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:04
With the worst audio quality yet, Scott talks via wax cylinder and copper wire with literary agent Daniel Greenberg, who represents humor writers, comedians, and comedy celebrities. He also discovers new talent in the hu…
Episode 13 | Andy Borowitz [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:22:31
Scott and Andy Borowitz take a ride through his varied career, from being President of the Harvard Lampoon, creating the hit TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, stand-up and lecturing, to having his homegrown humor emai…
Episode 12 | Bob Einstein [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:46
Scott picks up the phone and talks with master comedy actor, writer and producer Bob Einstein, the man behind Super Dave Osborne.
Episode 11 | Todd Rosenberg [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:23
Todd Rosernberg created one of the first viral online cartoon series, Odd Todd.
Episode 10 | Anna Lefler [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:43
Scott talks with Anna Lefler, a humor author who got started as a Mommy blogger. Her first comic novel, Preschooled, comes out this fall. Her previous book was The Chicktionary: From A-Line to Z-Snap, The Words Every Wom…
Episode 9 | Rich Dahm [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:50
Scott chats with Rich Dahm, a two-time Emmy winner who's written for Da Ali G Show, Dennis Miller Live, The Onion, and was co-executive producer of The Colbert Report for 6 years. He currently writes for ABC-TV's The Mid…