Listen "Episode 34 — John Mulaney: Cadence, Craft & the Comeback Kid"
Episode Synopsis
pplpod Episode 34 tracks John Mulaney’s clean-lined joke architecture—from Chicago stages and SNL’s writers’ room to arena tours with precision punchlines and that unmistakable cadence. We revisit breakout specials (New in Town, The Comeback Kid, the Emmy-winning Kid Gorgeous) and the sharp left turn of Baby J, where confessional storytelling meets clockwork structure. Along the way: the Kroll partnership and Oh, Hello, voice work from Big Mouth to Spider-Ham, hosting gigs that double as master classes, and the short-lived Mulaney sitcom that taught the right lessons. We unpack persona vs. personal life, Catholic-schoolboy formality vs. chaos, and how rhythm, recall, and restraint make jokes feel inevitable—and brand new.
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