I think it's worth noting that if you asked any of the people that did these specials,

none of them would be like, because it'd be wild to be like, look, I needed to sell it,

and I needed to be more prestige for HBO to buy it or for Netflix to buy it.

I mean, I've talked to some of these people, and they all had completely genuine self-inspired

reasons to do it.

Hello, and welcome to Good One, a podcast about jokes on your host, Jesse David Fox.

This is one of those episodes in which I talked to Catherine Van Erndon, my colleague at Vulture,

and my co-host on the Stand Up Special review Patreon podcast The Specials,

to check that out, go to patreon.com slash The Specials.

This episode started because there was a phenomenon happening in comedy that was getting

Catherine really cheesed off. Those are my words, not hers. At its most basic, the idea is

about how documentary footage is currently being used in stand-up specials.

Catherine has written extensively about the rise of the docuseries, and she saw something

happening with stand-up specials that was similar. I know this seems small, but this one

kernel of a gripe then ballooned in so many directions about the fundamentals of where stand-up

is right now, and I had fun, and I hope you have fun. I hope Catherine had fun.

Most of all, she's a guest, and I hope I was hospitable. The conversation was born out of

articles that Catherine wrote and that you should read on Vulture.com. So here is Catherine

Van Erndon.

Okay, focus. Me. I had a culber before this. I'm amped to listen.

I am here with Catherine Van Erndon. Nice to see you. Hello.

Hey Jesse, how you doing? Oh great. I had a culber and I am ready to listen.

...