Neal Brennan | How to Be 3% Funnier | Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out Podcast

This week Neal Brennan returns to Working It Out in celebration of his new Netflix special, “Crazy Good.” Neal and Mike go deep on what to do when friendship isn’t reciprocated, what all comics have in common with Seinfeld, and the irrelevance of the question “Is Kevin Hart humble?” All that, plus the listener email Mike received in response to his joke about joining a cult.
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Website: birbigs.com/
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Facebook: / birbigfans
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Hosted and Produced by Mike Birbiglia
Producers: Peter Salomone, Joseph Birbiglia, Mabel Lewis
Associate Producer: Gary Simons
Consulting Producer: Seth Barrish
Video Consultant: Graham Willoughby
Special Thanks: Marissa Hurwitz, Josh Upfal, David Raphael, Nina Cwik, J. Hope Stein, Oona
Music: Jack Antonoff and Bleachers

[@WulfenF0x]

"I find hollow relationships dispiriting and depleting, whereas I used to tell myself 'they were enriching!' " I felt that

[@mkmstillstackin]

"A lot of life is being a shitty detective for yourself" 😂 Had me in stitches!

[@kristenhammond1029]

My therapist was complimenting my ability to keep my sense of humor while I go through a health issue and I told her “if anything I think I’ve gotten funnier” and then I got to watch this and it was some wonderful serendipity. Great episode with two of my favorite comedians.

[@markaddison7058]

Love Neal, love Birbigs. My only wish was that this episode had more "working it out". Two comedians giving each other feedback on jokes is WAY more interesting than Mike asking his "What do people hate about you?" questions.

[@jglassdude]

That felt like a speed round podcast. Needs to be at least an hour

[@brittanycarriger]

Neal Brennan helps me become a better person: I'm angrier, pettier and more self involved than ever, and I'm better for it. Big up to Neal. ☝🏾 He's the fucking man.

[@testpm-il7qq]

Had no idea this happened. Great ep. Promote the Pod Mike!

[@patriotclips5648]

A Neal Brennan who found God - I can finally get on board. Love it!

[@ThatDudeLou2023]

"You heard the list" 😂 awesome love this episode

[@Adamjmckay]

I have been living through the darkest timeline of my life for the last year or so. This conversation has provided some amount of light. Thank you.

[@MattAndImprov]

"We literally derived our movie from another movie, Trainspotting" Minutes later: "Some kid had an idea for a movie, but it was derivative"

[@iamjoshmudge]

"Great to have ya buddy..." Neal just got 3% funnier 🤓

[@bimiup1]

I totally forgot that these two shared a theater space for Thank God for Jokes and Three Mics. They are so funny!

[@kathrynaston6841]

Thanks for coming!

[@Bgknees]

Great show guys. Love you Neal!

[@Jjgarcia365]

Roberto makes a nice quiche

[@cedarandsound]

Way to start off the pod, very funny guest. Still remember that first COVID online standup comedy event you did Mike.

[@LogoSmith87]

Little Kev the b*stard, that's what I'll call him from now on, I don't know him but I'll never meet him or Ellen so I'm not worried about how nice they aren't. Thanks Mike and Neal😄

[@alwkw3783]

Excellent interview :)

[@daisychain4096]

Loved ya since bob and tom mike❤

[@carahowell4260]

❤

[@squeekydog8468]

The two best hosts in podcasting…it’s a host-off…umm, they’re hostoffing?

[@brandonthebass]

There are times where Neal Brennan has a look in his eye like he’s definitely done DMT, ayahuasca, MDMA.

[@adellaaverill5670]

🎉

[@MrDanharmon]

7:05 - you're a story teller who is funny. You can't just tell a joke without the incredibly important setup.

[@Moutarde-o2z]

"I'm like, so like, and like, and like." This juvenile affectation spoils what would otherwise be an interesting chat.

[@THill-nu6bz]

The overuse of it by a host or guest on anything (pods, Hot Ones) is too grating for me to keep listening.

[@nathanwood8721]

“A lot of life is like, being a shitty detective of yourself” ❤️‍🩹 classic

[@prairietan]

I strongly disagree. In a matter of fact it solidifies the theory they have to be depressed to be good at comedy. only knowing happiness, Can you truly experience suffering and through suffering? Do you experience happiness.... come on? Is this amateur hour?

[@DichotomousRex]

Except they are two incredibly experienced people, speaking wisely on a topic they know much more than you about, so if you disagree (especially without anything to back up your opinion) you may want to consider learning something from them, since no. No this isn't amateur hour. But your opinion is.

[@btarczy5067]

Not being depressed doesn’t mean not experiencing suffering. I‘ll be honest, I can’t quite decipher what you’re trying to say but part of it seems to juxtapose only knowing happiness with depression which is BS. If anything depression limits the perception of feelings and different states of mind.

[@TabethaAurochs]

I would suggest that great art can be fueled by suffering-grief, rage, loss, terror, the immensitu of safness-but by definition, it is impossible to create anything from a state of true depression. Suffering is an intense experience of something. Depression is the void of experiencing nothing. To be human is to experience suffering. The agony of suffering induced by the most painful feelings imaginable is ubiquitous to human experience and ultimately impermanent. Depression is not the same as suffering. "I am depressed" is short for "My ability to access the full range of human emotions through feeling is significantly impaired; literally diminished, lowered. Depression is the absence of feeling: empty, numb, unreal, dissociative, disconnected, less than human. It is nothingness.