Todd Barry | The Inventor of Crowdwork | Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out

On the heels of the release of his new special “Domestic Shorthair,” Todd Barry sits down with Mike this week for a conversation about his 35 years in comedy. The two talk about whether or not Todd invented crowdwork, if Bill Burr was right when he said Mike was “doing” Todd when Mike was first starting out, and why Todd can never do another prom show. Plus, Todd reveals the problem he has with Mike’s cat, Mr. Moustache.
Watch Todd Barry's special "Domestic Shorthair" here:
• Todd Barry: Domestic S...
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Find Mike:
Website: birbigs.com/
Instagram: / birbigs
Facebook: / birbigfans
TikTok: / mikebirbiglia
Find Todd Barry:
Website: www.toddbarry.com/
Instagram: / toddbarry
Hosted and Produced by Mike Birbiglia
Producers: Peter Salomone and Joseph Birbiglia
Associate Producer: Mabel Lewis
Consulting Producer: Seth Barrish
Assistant Producer: Gary Simons
Video Consultant: Graham Willoughby
Special Thanks: Marissa Hurwitz, Josh Upfal, David Raphael, Nina Cwik, J. Hope Stein, Oona
Music: Jack Antonoff and Bleachers

[@stikkinixx]

Heck yes! Happy to see Todd on a podcast with someone his own speed 😂 This publicity run for his new special has had some painfully awkward moments hahaha Todd is the legend of legends, to me. No, he never got huge, but he's been strong and consistent from the jump. All of this specials are solid as hell. His cadence has really slowed down over the years. He's gotten a bit more quiet, as well, and it suits him so much better. He's a master. He deserves more success, for sure. A comedian's comedian, I guess.

[@kristinlanett2406]

I love Todd Barry. I got to see him in Chicago a few years back. It was awesome. There's just something about his delivery.

[@13calde]

Mike thanks!!! That's all i want from KZbin, Todo Barry talking to a friend of his. He is awesome.

[@Zernebogus]

Well said

[@ronaldbolton7338]

Just to let Todd know.... Brian Regan does a whole bit about cutting the line. He does it on one of his specials. Great interview Mike!

[@TrumbullComic]

When Mike asked Todd what songs made him cry, I thought of an R.E.M. song just before Todd named two other R.E.M. songs. ("The Flowers of Guatemala" from Life's Rich Pageant, BTW.)

[@richardclegg5853]

So cool when amazing comics like Mike and Todd recognize my all time favorite, Doug Stanhope, truly the most underrated comic of all time. Great interview...

[@conradthefourth]

This is the best way to start a week. Mike and Todd what a delight

[@MrJom139]

Love Todd. Thanks for having him Mike.

[@gigaha]

“Lightning, ya, y’know, from the sky.”

[@Zernebogus]

The great Todd Barry. What an excellent conversation.

[@dkarahtee5340]

Just remembering Todd's "character" on Louie and how I believed he was really like that.

[@user-do2qe4cj2v]

I hope Todd comes to Tampa

[@largepimping]

I just wanna hear Spiral.

[@HoneyWindbutton]

Fug yeah, Todd Barry, Fables Of The Reconstruction 🙌🏽.

[@j.d.7050]

We're always learning.

[@rd0dave]

The fucking drug addict in me was thinking something completely different when he said " people are forgiving except when you're cutting a line" and I was still on board with the premise 🤣🤣

[@kamshafty]

Best guest!

[@deltax1204]

I first heard of Todd through a David letterman bit where Todd wrote to Dave and Dave read the letter live. unlike today's comedians who have the luxury of appearing on JRE and getting the Bump! it's so easy for hacks to get unjust recognition. When I see comedians on stage and they have to scream and make crazy facial expressions to mask the lack of substance for the act, I am done. Todd is the truest form of what a real Comedian should be. Todd is the GOAT.

[@EricIvanovich]

TODD!!! 🧜🏻‍♂️

[@LaughAtNate]

22:00 is painfully delightful 🤣topping the list of post set comments #SoundCheck

[@analogandroid420]

Great podcast, Mr Big! Todd's deadpan style kinda reminds me of Steven Wright. Great acting in The Wrestler. I'd write more, but my private jet is low on fuel, so we have to parachute onto a desert island with an active volcano. No big deal...

[@Andlovethebomb]

18:35 Meeting People Is Easy is the Radiohead Documentary

[@AckeyJopes]

I'm actually baffled by Burr's comment because there are definitely comics who have a similar cadence as Barry, but Birbiglia is not among them. I love them both, but Barry's style is colder & far more guarded. Birbiglia's like a teddy bear & his act tends to veer into one-man-show territory. I mean, they're practically polar opposites from eachother...

[@johnwarring2337]

Do a few shows in Geneva Ohio. 2-3 shows in 2 days. You'll get a lot of repeat audience members. But they'll buy tickets.

[@kathrynaston6841]

What about doing shows at military bases? Maybe get a group of up and coming comics to put on a show for troops in or near the bass. Even if they arent open mic per se, the guys are always looking for something to do or some light hearted stuff. You would just need a karaoke machine and someone to record it and put it on a KZbin channel. Also food places around universities.

[@ValerieCH1]

Paula Poundstone DID invent crowd work, back in the 1980s.

[@tarico4436]

Whether hack or not, I laughed loudly at your not exactly having "... a weight problem, but you're the guy who could really put the brakes on an orgy" bit. A while back while sitting on my throne, I devised a game where I counted the number of UPC codes I could see while maintaining a sitting position in my bathroom. Or a friend's bathroom. I remember counting to over twenty in one sitting. New game: how many times I can see the word Birbiglia on your screen. Now is this hack? I realize that the definitions of our words are constantly evolving, but what is this thing hack?

[@Spicy-James-Comedy]

Todd Barry is looking up Andrew Shultz net worth now because of your crazy commentating😂😂.

[@richsackett3423]

I like how some modern comics imagine they invented crowd work when Vaughan Meader was destroying in character in 1962. Get over yourself. You ain't half of all that.

[@MagnumDB]

Oh man…. Second Todd Barry interview I’ve seen where his right hand never really stops shaking. Really hope it’s not an essential tremor or Parkinson's.