Joel is Depressed and Joined the Heaven's Gate Cult on Conan (1997-04-04)

Joel is depressed again and reveals that he was a follower of the Heaven's Gate cult. From Late Night, February 4, 1997.

[@DC.....]

I miss Joel he was brilliant shame he wasn't taken with them after late night

[@joshuadramsey]

I don't think there was a single time that I didn't yelp in glee once Conan would start in on a bit and it was clear he was leading into a "Depressed Joel" or "Joel Photo Album" segment.

[@noahlsmith2488]

I miss him and Max. The best Of Conan was Joel Godard, Max Weinberg and Conan. And Labamba. I like Andy Ritchier too but the best and funniest was with the Four I mentioned. I mean Joe Godard was the happiest that gave Conan a run for his money. But if you ever look at Conan pictures and thankfully NBC is not blocking all things but it is hard to get a full hour of Conan on KZbin. But you can go to Conan bits and find quite a bit. But Conan, Weinberg and Godard seemed like best friends during skits and the picture ones. Like the 3 musketeers of Comedy. Andy said he was not a fan of the work he did on Conan. That is when I lost respect for him. He was like I was never close to Conan. Which I thought was weird you did a show for 5 years. Max Weinberg and Joel Gardard didn't act like that. I think it was because Andy was hoping for his own show which is understandable but you don't piss on the show that helped you. This was in 2004 when Andy said this and Conan was doing great. Maybe part of him felt like the show got better when he left which strangely it did. I think he left too soon. Or The biggest reason was after Andy left It became more about Max And Joe And Conan. Max and Joel had to feel in and they got along better with Conan then Andy. But then Max nor Joel went to The Tonight Show with Conan which I think hurt the show. But Andy was back. 6 years before he was talking trash about how he hated it but when all else failed he came back. Sorry for long comment. Joel was said to have not been invited to The Tonight Show and Max I can't remember if he was on any of the Tonight show but I didn't remember him being there. Found out the reason Joel didn't move was he was just buying a house. But has since sold that house because New York was too cold. And the reason Max didn't continue was he had heart issues around the time of the move. But he is doing better then ever. Even Joel and Max showed up on one episode off Conan on CBS to clear up if there was anything negative and they are still good friends. They just don't get to see each other much because they lived away from each other.

[@baconatorrodriguez4651]

He retired and decided not to go.

[@pr0jectSkyneT]

@@noahlsmith2488 I'd add Brian McCan skits to that list.

[@Losrandir]

He went the Hale-Bopp way

[@callmeshaggy5166]

Here in late 2023 to report that Joel Godard is still alive and kicking. The should try to get him on the podcast if he's able.

[@hartantoanggoro]

Conan really needs more old friends from the late night show.

[@eatmyass]

hes dead jim

[@eatmyass]

wow hes not dead i dont think Whoa mandella effect I looked that up years ago and im sure i saw a tribute to his death

[@lard_lad_AU]

I like how Joel ended every sentence with an grin / smile no matter how dark the subject

[@KulDeeSak]

Yeah, that's the joke Einstein.

[@lard_lad_AU]

@@KulDeeSakwell duh

[@HisshouBuraiKen]

I still remember seeing these skits with Joel when they aired, I can't believe it's been 20 years.

[@SunsetKetch]

Hey friend. Happy to have you along for the ride in our time on Earth. We love Goddard and late night 90s tv viewing. I was a transition kiddle to high schooler. Needed his smartguy idiot humor. Self degridation is the key to enlightenment. Love you man

[@robertshonk518]

They did this bit a lot, and each installment was darker than the last. I remember the final one when Joel was near suicide over his estrangement from his daughter. It was almost too much.

[@ColorsBright]

Damn, I had forgot about Joel.. his sketch's with Conan and Max were so freaking funny. I remember the summer BBQ sketch that was really funny.

[@virg0_lem0nade]

I love the BBQ and golfing ones lol, all of those "party photos" sketches were so good

[@metalfacemartinez]

Joel should have been part of the show earlier on. He killed it every time

[@RyanB1987]

Joel is a comedic genius, amazing that he was just an announcer when the show started.

[@Eno22921]

The whole fact that joel got excluded from the cult because he wasnt good with computers is fucking hysterical because they set aside two people to live to keep up a website thats as old as this clip. Classic conan killing it

[@Whoknowsuknow]

Actually I think it’s because they ran a web design company for income. They had a few very smart people that joined, including computer experts.

[@JayDub6975]

Well if he was bad with computers, he’d join anyway and be dead lol

[@southfloridaarcheryguy114]

Not for nuthin’ but that Heaven’s Gate thing sounded pretty damn convincing!!!!! It’s a shame it’s too late to join.

[@SmugSuspenders]

Can we start it up again?

[@wilfordwarfstach8224]

PutinWithAnimals shut the fuck up

[@pazuzuwiki1460]

PutinWithAnimals Still exists

[@pazuzuwiki1460]

Wilford Warfstach Massive pussy = You

[@YodatheHobbit]

@@pazuzuwiki1460 stop exhibiting childish behavior

[@SavageHand]

Joel is who made me a fan of Conan years ago

[@joshuadramsey]

I don't think any of Joel's segments ever bombed. That's saying a lot for any late-night American TV recurring bit, let alone one that was so transgressive.

[@lizziedrucker9586]

Conan is ending on TBS// officially depressed enough to join a Heaven's Gate knock off cult

[@extantpoet9331]

The older I get, the closer I get to becoming Joel.

[@nomine4027]

Missing Joel 💔

[@johnnynbk]

Andy plays this so deadpan and earnestly, it's painful

[@giampaolofini1535]

now I want to see that starring contest segment

[@shards0fwords]

Anyone remember when they did the show during a NYC black out? Conan had Joel on as a guest.

[@strats991]

@@justacup8676 /watch?v=jnNof3C1MVU

[@Jebu911]

Love it how they could back then make a joke about 39 peoples suicide so quickly

[@troylowe814]

Wasn't Lt. Uhura's brother one of these poor delusional folks who had themselves castrated then did the Jonestown thing?

[@wvu05]

I'm not sure if it was her brother, but it was definitely a relative

[@sojournersunrise2290]

" i dont think im goinna worry about him anymore..."

[@dangallagher256]

No young Asian men, wtf?!

[@SmugSuspenders]

It was the castration

[@GGRRIITTZZ]

Erie, the fact that they are actually talking about a real cult is erie man.

[@Dulcimerist]

They broke the chair? Is this one of the shows where Amy Poehler is Andy Richter's kid sister and she tackles him on stage and flips him backwards in his chair?

[@arrowguy173]

The time Joel brought out the asian dancer with the "winning envelope" over his....ahem....privates and Joel was the winner lmao

[@cricketg98b98]

Well shit, Joel is convincing me with Heaven’s Gate

[@edwarddubois7046]

Joel lol These segments and party photos were amazing

[@ramirezannette0]

😂😆 God bless joel,,

[@Mike-fu9hu]

Peas and ussies are a delicious treat

[@dylaninpieces2]

This is obviously satire. Seriously.

[@Kasparoscar]

Is this the very first Joel moment?

[@Dulcimerist]

Joel had a sketch around Christmas of 1996. I'm unsure if he had any prior to that one.

[@nickt1295]

Kwanza rejoiner rules

[@uselessagent7342]

nostalgia maybe the lie we tell ourselves to romanticize our pasts but I KNOW for a fact TV WAS BETTER!!

[@zoperxplex]

He should feel lucky he wasn't in that stinker of a movie.

[@buzman1985]

*4/4/1997

[@virg0_lem0nade]

That's what they already wrote

[@buzman1985]

@@virg0_lem0nadeThey did not. The date format is screwed up.

[@kittywampusdrums4963]

666 likes when I saw this 🤣😅

[@hootiehootheblowphish4109]

Bahahahahaha

[@felicity4711]

The audio is out of sync

[@strats991]

No, it's not.

[@booradley3400]

Shut the fuck up

[@felicity4711]

@@booradley3400 FOAD

[@virg0_lem0nade]

@@felicity4711 - lmfao what?? Why did you get so angry about it??

[@felicity4711]

@@virg0_lem0nade It looks like the person I addressed that reply to deleted the comment that prompted that reply

[@noahlsmith2488]

I am surprised they did this bit. I am sure many didn't like it. Mass suicide isn't a funny thing but usually I like their bits. Proves Joel Godard was doing bits earlier then when I remember. Unless they were saying Joel looked like Applewhite because he kind of did. It was just too soon. About a week after it happened. If my family was part of a cult suicide I would not find this funny.

[@baconatorrodriguez4651]

Didn't realise it was winter again as the snowflakes have arrived. Now we can't make fun of the morons who were influenced into cults. #bluewave #BLM #grabthembythep #paytheteachers #savethewhales #Biden2020

[@purplegorilla9592]

They did the bit because back at this time we didn't have morally outraged lunatics such as yourself whining on a near constant basis about what supposedly is or isn't acceptable. It would be nice to return to that time period, and for the endlessly offended to return to under their rock.

[@paschallehany369]

@@purplegorilla9592 Sincerely though, is it not okay for people to just find things you find funny to be in poor taste? People have different opinions and that's okay.

[@virg0_lem0nade]

@@purplegorilla9592-- Their comment wasn't "outraged", it was nuanced and reflective. Yours, ironically, WAS outraged and unhinged.

[@fivebaloney7492]

Oh, please… People are still laughing at this sketch almost 20 years after it aired. Of course it’s funny. Differing opinions about comedy are fine until someone starts claiming some arbitrary moral high ground.

[@josephcarroll6356]

4:29 cryptos cipher.

[@KashetiesWarrior8923V]

My ex hung herself this is pretty funny.