This is the Last Laugh.

I'm Matt Wilstein from The Daily Beast, and there's a reason they call the comedian on today's show,

the best comedy podcast guest of all time.

Paul F. Tompkins has spent hundreds and hundreds of hours improvising on podcasts like

Comedy Bang Bang and its various spin-offs, sometimes as himself, but more often in character,

as real-life figures like Andrew Lloyd Weber and Werner Herzog, or his own fully developed

creations like the vigilante fanboat operator J.W. Stillwater, or, of course, the

reluctant children's clown, big chunky bubbles. You might also know him as the voice of the lovably

dim golden retriever, Mr. Peanut Butter, on Netflix's BoJack Horseman. All of this might sound

completely ridiculous to anyone who hasn't spent just as many hours listening to Paul as I have.

But in this interview, I think you will find that he is a seriously deep thinker about the comedy world and his place in it,

from getting his start on the iconic sketch series Mr. Show to his unfortunate year working alongside Bill Maher, to learning

to be comfortable with what has turned out to be a pretty perfect level of fame and respect.

We ended up getting into some heavy stuff in this episode about the big political divide in

comedy right now and what it's like to watch your comedy partner become a full-blown

insurrectionist. But at heart, Paul has always embraced pure silliness on stage, as evidenced by

perhaps his most famous stand-up bit about Peanut Brittle.

Love Ken Peanut Brittle, love it. I love it because you can get it anywhere.

You just see it all over the place.

You can buy it at the gas station.

You can buy it at a greeting card shop.

You can buy it by the side of the highway.

...