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One man's odyssey into the weird world of religious satire
Episodes
Friday May 29, 2020
Friday May 29, 2020
This episode features my interview John Fugelsang! John is a Drama League nominated actor, comedian & broadcaster who hosts the acclaimed "Tell Me Everything" series on SiriusXM Insight. Bill Maher called him "One of my favorite comedians." As 1/3 of 'Stephanie Miller's Sexy Liberal Comedy Tour' he's played to sold-out houses around the country, including The Chicago Theater, LA's Pantages Theater & New York's Beacon Theater. We discuss satire, parody, religion, propaganda as well as getting some background into John's life and career. This episode also includes an update from the rabbit hutch and my rant about how a whistleblower has accused the Mormon Church of being tax cheats! Plus, more details about upcoming performances of the Comical Heathen Live Show.
John’s website: http://www.johnfugelsang.com/
John’s TedTalk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fh1Sv3JbKSs&feature=emb_logo
John on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnFugelsang?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Newsweek article of Mormon whistleblowers: "Mormon Church Stockpiled $100 Billion Intended for Charities and Misled LDS Members, Whistleblower Says". BY PAUL GLADER
Video on controversy produced by Lars Nielsen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXOWRN19i-4
Wikipedia entry on the Parable of the Talents: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_talents_or_minas
Kansas City Fringe website: https://kcfringe.org/
Donations are humbly accepted through the website of my other podcast, Gold Star Classroom: https://www.goldstarclassroom.com/
Email us at: comicalheathen@gmail.com
Sunday Apr 26, 2020
Sunday Apr 26, 2020
Had a great time Skyping with Alice Fraser, comedian and podcast. From Australia, but based in London, she is a regular panelist on The Bugle podcast, hosts her own daily news satire podcast called The Last Post, and just released a new special on Amazon Prime called Savage. In addition to discussing satire, religion, and all fo her projects, she describes how comedy has shifted over the years be more concerned about comedy might be affecting some people negatively and also we discuss the difference between American style comedy club comedy and Festival style solo show comedy (like Edinburgh Fringe, where she regularly appears). This episode also includes an update from the rabbit hutch and my rant about how different religious groups are responding to the coronavirus by either not meeting (faith healers) or meeting anyway (some evangelicals). Plus, more details about upcoming performances of the Comical Heathen Live Show.
Alice’s website: http://www.alicecomedyfraser.com/
Alice’s TedTalk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=M4MlaRGcFHI&feature=emb_logo
Trailer for Savage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2fb0InQS1I
Faith Healers cancel meeting: https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2020/03/17/faith-healers-had-to-postpone-an-event-due-to-the-coronavirus/
Solid Rock Church story: https://www.journal-news.com/news/local/solid-rock-church-continues-public-worship-services-during-coronavirus-outbreak/SmzNNNAitDfm2oetMWJRpI/
Email us at: comicalheathen@gmail.com
Monday Mar 23, 2020
Monday Mar 23, 2020
In this special Q&A edition of the podcast, with the help of guest co-host Gaz Simmons, I answer some of the questions I've been hearing at my live shows (which includes a Q&A session). Some of the questions tackled include: 1) Is Jedi a religion? 2) What is the worst defense of believing in god you've ever heard? 3) As a person from a Jewish family, how does your family feel about you being an atheist? 4) Can I tie you to a spinning table and throw knives at you? And many more! Join in on the fun.
This was also our first ever-live show, originally broadcast March 22 2020.
If you have a question you'd like me tackle on a future edition, email us at:
Find this podcast on ITunes, Stitcher, and now Spotify.
As mentioned in this episode, you can support this podcast with donations using the donate button on this website (which is for my other podcast, GOLD STAR CLASSROOM!): http://www.goldstarclassroom.com/
Follow Jerry and Gaz on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Friday Dec 13, 2019
Friday Dec 13, 2019
Hanging with Curtis Cook while he headlined the 2019 Cleveland Comedy Fest. We started comedy at approximately the same time, 10 years ago in Cleveland. Since then, he has written for the Jim Jefferies Show and Crank Yankers, while appearing on Portlandia. We talk satire, writing, and I awkwardly explain his jokes back to him, like the giant dork I am. This episode includes an update from the rabbit hutch, my rant about the phony “War on Christmas” and an extra treat—my explanation of the song “Winter Wonderland.” Plus, more details about upcoming performances of the Comical Heathen Live Show.
Find out more about Curtis on his website: https://www.curtiscookcomedy.com/
Follow Curtis on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Curtis_Cook
Email us at: comicalheathen@gmail.com
Tuesday Oct 15, 2019
Tuesday Oct 15, 2019
For today’s episode I travel to the WMMS 100.7 studios in Cleveland Ohio to interview Bill Squire. Bill is co-host of The Alan Cox Show and a popular stand up comedian. He appears regularly at Hilarities and The Funny Stop as well as touring all over headlining. In this interview we discuss him being raised Mormon and his now historic missionary work. He describes his approach to religious satire, which is to disarm the audience and his approach to joking about religion on air, which is to mess with people! This episode includes my rant about evangelical preachers and an update from the rabbit hutch—Oct 13 is Kelvin’s gotcha day!
Bill’s website: https://billsquire.com/
Bill’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/billsquire/
The Comical Heathen live show: https://www.clevelandcomedyfestival.com/product/the-comical-heathen/
Email us at: comicalheathen@gmail.com
Tuesday Sep 03, 2019
Tuesday Sep 03, 2019
Today’s weird and wonderful odyssey takes me to meet Dr. Peter McGraw, author of The Humor Code and host of the podcast I’m Not Joking. Director of the Humor Research Lab, McGraw is very influential in the field of comedy studies, in particular for the theory of Benign Violation! All of this will be explained—if you listen to the podcast!! As an influential humor researcher, Prof McGraw’s work is an important Lego block in my own research, and I was thrilled and delighted to speak with him.
This episode includes my rant about hypnotherapy, including a personal story of the time I was part of a stage hypnotist’s act, an important announcement about some upcoming live shows, and an update from the rabbit hutch!
The Humor Code website: https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/lance/correspondent/Couple-makes-printing-business-a-success-481947501.html
The Humor Research Lab: http://humorresearchlab.org/
Prof McGraw’s TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysSgG5V-R3U
Prof McGraw’s podcast, I’m Not Joking: https://www.petermcgraw.org/im-not-joking-podcast/
Article on Hypnotherapist: https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/lance/correspondent/Hypnotherapist-helps-clients-make-changes-513349251.html
Same journalist, same woman, different “at-home” business, one year earlier: https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/lance/correspondent/Couple-makes-printing-business-a-success-481947501.html
The Comical Heathen Live Show tickets: https://www.clevelandcomedyfestival.com/
The Comical heathen Live Show press release: https://comicalheathen.podbean.com/p/live-shows-1567482285/
Email us at: comicalheathen@gmail.com
Wednesday Jul 24, 2019
Wednesday Jul 24, 2019
I have been a fan of the science blog Pharyngula for many years, so it is with great pleasure that I was able to interview its host P.Z. Myers. P.Z. is a biology professor at the University of Minnesota-Morris campus and he is also the author of the book The Happy Atheist. We chat about science education, spiders, Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, Atheism versus New Atheism, and the role of humor in the atheism debate. He describes meeting Tim Minchin at the 2012 Reason Rally (Jealous!). This episode also includes an update from the rabbit hutch and my rant about the flooding at the replica Ark at the Creation Museum (irony much!).
PZ Myer’s Blog Pharyngula: https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/
His Book: The Happy Atheist: https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Atheist-PZ-Myers/dp/0307739805
Ark Park Rain damage:
Florida charter schools teaching creationism: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/education/os-voucher-school-curriculum-20180503-story.html
Friday May 03, 2019
Friday May 03, 2019
Welcome to another episode of the Comical Heathen, one man's odyssey into the wild and weird world of religious satire. Today's guest interview is Brian Malow, Science Comedian. Almost sounds like a superhero, doesn't it! In addition to over 20 years experience as a stand up comedian, Brian has created science videos for Time.com and contributed to Neil deGrasse Tyson’s StarTalk. This episode also includes my rant about Polish priests who recently held a book burning with Harry Potter books and an update form the rabbit hutch where you learn about what a sweet bunny-whisperer I am (if thumping counts as whispering!)
From today's episode:
Brian's website: http://www.sciencecomedian.com/
Brian’s Tedx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziv9BG61k-M
Polish Priests burning Harry Potter: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/harry-potter-twilight-books-priests-burn-poland-a8849846.html
Contact us at: comicalheathen@gmail.com
Rate us on iTunes and Stitcher
Monday Mar 18, 2019
Monday Mar 18, 2019
In this episode of the Comical Heathen your host Jerry interviews A.J. Jacobs. A.J. is the author of numerous New York Time's Bestsellers, including The Year of Living Biblically (which was the basis for the short-lived CBS sitcom of the same name). We discuss his motivations for writing the book, his opus of immersion memoirs, his influences as a humour writer, and his thoughts on how September 11 affected his work.
This episode includes an update from the rabbit hutch and Jerry's rant about psychics!!
Here is A.J.'s website: https://ajjacobs.com/
Here is A.J.'s author page at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/A.-J.-Jacobs/e/B000APL8HO?ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_sims_vu00_r0_c0
Tweet at A.J. @ajjacobs
Two articles about psychics:
Psychics getting arrested: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/29/nyregion/the-secret-to-the-psychic-trade-its-in-the-parole-board-transcripts.html?_r=1&fbclid=IwAR3lHwv3okfCIkxFG6UfPk2X5myYPwpsckQsI17Kv4NAhdua_qmveE41O4I
Skeptics busting Psychics: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/26/magazine/psychics-skeptics-facebook.html
email us at: comicalheathen@gmail.com
Your host is Dr. Jerry Jaffe, tweet at him: @jerryclarkjaffe
Sunday Jan 13, 2019
Sunday Jan 13, 2019
Greetings from me, Kelvin and Newton! Our latest episode features my interview with Ian Harris, the Skeptic Comedian! A 25+ year pro, Ian has recently released his second comedy special, ExtraOrdinary. He also appeared at the second Reason Rally. We talk about both experiences as well as his approach to creating skeptical satire. He talks about the San Francisco comedy scene of the 90s as well as why LA is such a dismal place to do stand up. He explains how Richard Pryor is a role model for his writing. I also ask him if he fears freezing or splitting an audience by doing religious satire and he explains his approach to that situation.
Meanwhile, I update you about Kelvin and Newton’s new pen, and then go off on a rant about the billion dollars Florida tax payers give to private religious schools that have ridiculous curricula (you know, dinosaurs on Noah’s Ark and that sort of “science”).
Interesting links:
Ian’s website: http://ianharriscomedian.com/
A trailer to Ian’s special ExtraOrdinary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu2yNNFCOvA
Info about Ian’s podcast, Critical & Thinking: https://www.comedypopupla.com/critical?fbclid=IwAR13dBkP_Z_4BPtWNo5NfuuUKq7pdL_H4GLtnjXjcA8odm9ZEN3jWA2ti90
Orlando Sentinel article: “Schools Without Rules: Private schools' curriculum downplays slavery, says humans and dinosaurs lived together
“https://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/school-zone/os-voucher-school-curriculum-20180503-story.html
Please email the Comical Heathen if you find any hilarious or frightening articles about religious misinformation: comicalheathen@gmail.com