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The Gist

Funny You Should Mention: Jena Friedman

The Gist

Peach Fish Productions

Daily News, News

4.53.7K Ratings

🗓️ 6 March 2026

⏱️ 55 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Today on The Gist, A jet-lagged yet very gracious comedian and writer Jena Friedman joins the show to discuss her new stand-up special, Motherfucker. She talks with Mike about why writing abortion jokes is harder than ever in a post-Roe reality, the challenges of making dark topics funny on her true crime series Indefensible, and the current landscape of risky political comedy. Jena also opens up about the vulnerability of tackling grief on stage after losing her mother while eight months pregnant.  Produced by Corey Wara Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠thegist@mikepesca.com For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/⁠ For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/ Follow us on Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/ X https://x.com/pescami TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠ad-sales@libsyn.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

One great podcast that talks about everything we're going through in our democracy through a constitutional lens is the oath in the office.

0:07.8

I've been on it.

0:08.6

I listen to it.

0:09.3

It's hosted by bona fide constitutional scholar Corey Brechtnyder, past Just Guest.

0:14.7

And SiriusXM host John Fugel saying, here's a tip, future just guest.

0:19.3

And the show, which always ranks in Apple's top five in government,

0:22.5

has featured guests like Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and journalist Dahlia Lithwick

0:26.7

and Justice Stephen Breyer and me, Mike Peska, in that company.

0:30.1

Smart, accessible, focused on power.

0:33.3

Listen to The Oath in the Office wherever you get your podcast.

0:35.8

Also on YouTube with full video episodes. It's Friday, March 6th, 2026 from Peachfish Productions. It's the gist. I'm Mike Peska. Funny you should mention, it's an episode of Funny You Should Mention. And we have on Funny Lady. The female comedians hate that. I think male comedians hate that.

0:55.9

In fact, it's so hated that it's kind of fun today. Funny Lady, Jenna Friedman. Jenna has been on

1:01.2

the show before. She was talking then about her memoir, which, as you will hear me mentioned, had one of

1:07.4

those titles that immediately insists on disclaimers.

1:11.6

And no, that wasn't true, it's called Not Funny, Essays on Life, Comedy, Culture, etc.

1:15.6

That was an author interview.

1:17.5

This is a comic interview.

1:19.8

Jenna does comedy.

1:21.3

She is in demand to be a writer on so many shows because she is one of the people who,

1:28.8

with a daily show background, and then having her own show soft focus and another show called True Crime Story Indefensible.

1:36.5

She has shown that she has skill in the language and vocabulary of those kind of comedy shows.

1:43.6

And she also picks up a mic and does stand-up, her first stand-up special.

...

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