Deez Interviews: Jesse David Fox on getting into comedy journalism, interviewing comics, and what he’s watching during quarantine
Happy Friday, Deezers! Today’s interview is with Vulture senior editor Jesse David Fox, whose iconic 100 Jokes That Shaped Modern Comedy roundup is something you should Pocket, stat, if you haven’t read. We talked about his newly relaunched podcast, Good One, his path from commenter-to-editor at Vulture, and tons more. Enjoy!
How did you get into both comedy and journalism? Did one interest come before the other?
From a really young age, I was watching In Living Color and The Simpsons. I dealt with some tragedy when I was young, but comedy made me feel better. When something is funny, there is an undeniable quality to it — you laugh even if you’re not in a funny fun mood. I am forever grateful to comedy for that.
Later in high school, I’d use a fake ID to go to shows at the Comedy Cellar. That was the first place I saw comedians working on new material, and I loved that. One night, at the end of a late show, it was about 1:30 a.m., and the host asked if we wanted to see one more act. We were like, “Ok, sure.” It was Dave Chappelle! He did two and half hours of just hanging out and smoking cigarettes.
Eventually, I got a little tired of the repetitiveness of the comedy I was seeing. But things changed when I moved to LA in 2009 and a friend of mine took me to see a weekly stand-up show at the UCB called Comedy Death Ray (It eventually became a podcast that changed its name to Comedy Bang! Bang!). It was incredible. The first week, Hannibal Buress performed and I couldn’t believe someone was so funny. I was hooked. I wanted to know everything about this scene, which was a byproduct of the first Alternative Comedy Wave. 2009 is the year, at least according to me, that the current Comedy Boom started, so it was good timing.
In terms of how I got into “comedy journalism,” I will say that was never the plan. When I decided I really wanted to make a push to write, comedy was just one of the things I covered.
Even when I got hired at Vulture, I was not hired to be the comedy person. I just wrote some things about comedy, in between trying to do silly shit like quizzes about how Paul Rudd doesn’t age or how Carly Rae Jepsen's pants looked like bed sheets. However, those comedy things were popular, so I was asked to do that more and more often. Eventually, I realized that comparatively, there was a lack of writing and especially thinking about comedy in the history of journalism. That inspired me and continues to do so.
Tell me about that path to Vulture — I heard you started out as an avid commenter on the site!
I had old roommates who joked my gravestone would read “NYMag enthusiast” because of how much I loved the websites. I loved NYMag.com as soon as it launched. And then when they launched Vulture... OMG. It was everything I ever wanted in a friend — people who loved pop culture so much and talked about it with such humor and fluency. I read it constantly.
I was able to because my first big job out of college was in the mailroom at the talent agency William Morris (which is now WME). “Mailroom” isn’t a euphemism for anything. I, and a bunch of people who went to better colleges than I, worked in the mailroom, in the basement of the building Elaine worked at on Seinfeld. Four times a day we’d deliver mail to the agents upstairs. That was the job. You could do other little projects if you wanted to, but I didn’t want to. I wanted to read Vulture.
Journalism was very much not on the table then, as William Morris made me promise I’d never write again. A year and half into working there, around the time I went to Comedy Death Ray, I realized I didn’t care if I got fired. I started a blog. No one read it, but I spent all of my weekends working on it. And, essentially, all I would write were Vulture-style blog posts and recaps.
Around this time two things happened. First, Vulture would have these posts where they shared the best “Recap” commenters of the week. And I thought, If I get on this every week, eventually someone will notice me and give me a job.
After not too long, they stopped the contest. Second, I got let go by the agency. After a short jaunt living with 11 people in San Francisco, being young for the only time in my life, I moved back to New York with the dream of writing for Vulture by the time I was 30.
No connections, I wrote for free for anyone who would let me. My “big break” came when I had the idea of making funny graphs. Seriously. I made funny graphs for Jewcy.com and my editor at Splitsider.com asked me to make funny graphs to recap 30 Rock for them.
Soon after, an editor at Vulture asked me to make funny graphs for Vulture. I nearly died. Thankfully, I didn’t! Funny graphs lead to getting asked to interview for a blogger job. I nearly died. Thankfully, I didn’t! I got hired in September 2012. Three years ahead of schedule!
You spend a lot of time interviewing comedians at the top of their game between your writing, your podcast “Good One,” and Vulture Festival, which you helped launch. Are there any unique quirks to having comedians as interview subjects?
For years, I found it difficult because comedians don’t like seeming self-serious, so they’d either just make jokes or give nonanswers.
However, for the most part this has changed. I think it’s partly that comedians are more comfortable taking their work seriously. It might also be, more comedians know me or have heard about me (or their publicists have) that they trust me not to make them look stupid.
That said, having read interviews with other sorts of artists, I find comedians preferable, if only because comedians talk (often about themselves) for a living, unlike say a guitar player. They are good talkers.
I'm also curious about using podcasting as a format for interviewing comics to unpack the craft behind jokes. Why pick audio over, say, a regular print feature or video series?
The biggest factor is time. For whatever reason, audio, especially with comedy podcasts, allow you to stretch out. This was super important to me because I think people give different answers when they don’t feel like there is a time limit.
Also, I spend so much time obsessing and thinking about my subjects that I just have so much I want to talk about. And then, as I’ve done “Good One,” I realized the longform audio really lends itself to a narrative interview. I approach my interviews with a story in mind that I will help my guests tell about themselves through my questions. Podcasts because of their pacing, allows you to really build to a point. And they allow a listener to really settle in with a person. The hope is I’m able to paint a really complete picture of the guest as an artist.
I knew print wouldn’t really work for Good One because I wanted to be able to play the comedy I’d be talking to the person about. Despite this being my job, I find every explanation of a joke to fail to really capture the magic of a person. Video would solve that last problem, but at the time “Good One” was conceived there weren’t long web series. Also, by the time I was 30, I started to not be super excited about looking at my hairline on camera.
That said, I very much believe there can be a filmed show that captures “Good One’s” essence.
Finally, what's something you've been listening/watching/rewatching during the quarantine that makes you laugh?
I listen to the funny podcasts I always listen to — Hollywood Handbook, The Flagrant Ones, Doughboys, etc. Lauren Lapkus and Nicole Byer have a new podcast called The Newcomers, where they watch all the Star Wars movies for the first time that I’ve really enjoyed.
I am DESPERATE for new funny shit to watch. So, I’ve been devouring any new Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Bob’s Burgers I can. I started to give Black Monday a shot, when I saw someone mention that it’s much more like Happy Endings than maybe the marketing made it seem. I thought it was a “Showtime comedy,” which isn’t like jokes-funny, but just like a lightish mood. But nope. There are like a ton of jokes!
I also hope to make my way through Always Sunny. A decade ago I decided to skip it, as I assumed it was going to end soon. BOY WAS I WRONG. This last season of Curb Your Enthusiasm was so funny at parts it’s unbelievable. I can make myself laugh just thinking about scenes. And when I really need a pick-me-up, I’ll rewatch an episode of Detroiters, which is like comedy chicken soup.
—> Don’t forget to follow @JesseDavidFox and have a good weekend! Below, I got today’s signal boosted “classifieds;” reach out to ‘em directly if you can help!
Signal Boost:
—Writers—
Abigail Koffler: Abigail is a Brooklyn based freelance writer specializing in food and drink. She also has experience in content marketing, creative strategy, food and beverage marketing, and travel writing. She also writes This Needs Hot Sauce, a weekly food newsletter. Hire Abigail to improve your newsletters, plan your marketing emails, report stories, and answer cooking questions. Contact abigail.koffler@gmail.com.
Izzie Ramirez: I typically do city and climate reporting, centered around service journalism, but I also do content marketing! Happy to write anything environment, culture or politics-related! izziermrz@gmail.com!
JP Chigne: I’m a reporter who most recently worked writing about technology but have written about business, politics, and science as well. I’m looking for a writing gig but can wear a variety of hats. My email is jpchigne@gmail.com
Jonathan Higgins: I’m a freelance entertainment writer who lost a column with VICE. Would love any type of help. Jon@DoctorJonPaul.com is my email!
Nikhil Merchant: I’m a food and beverage writer from India but stuck in USA (LA), have just managed to extend my stay to 3 years last month and now am here without work from India and its publications. If there’s any opening to write food stories / food trend stories (ethnic cuisine aka Indian amongst others I hear is big anyway, or stories from LA) I am keen on those angles. nik.merc@gmail.com / IG : @nonchalantgourmand / +1-626-413-0493
—Marketing/Communications—
AJ Cooper: I was just laid off from my job but looking to get into Adventure Sports/Traditional Sports media/comms (brands like a North Face, Red Bull, Huckberry, Bleacher Report, etc). I'm a year out of college but have some good experience! You can reach me at 813-943-6548 or email at ajcooper11@gmail.com, anything helps. I have experience w brand marketing, athlete comms, and content storytelling.
Kerry Swartz: Looking for press secretary/ press assistant positions. Contact: kerryswartz1@gmail.com
—Social Media—
Rachel Beeman: I work in Social Media & Sales Development / Media Partnerships. Contact info: rachelabeeman@gmail.com / 5672088210!
Scott Popescu: I run a digital agency and we focus primarily on twitter. We helped clients like TikTok and others drive millions of views on their videos. Most clients have stopped due to budget cuts so definitely looking to take on more work :) appreciate anything you have and stay safe!
Lauren Thomas: I'm a Sydney-based editor, writer and social media manager. I'm looking for branded content writing or social media gigs since having my hours cut. I've got experience in creating digital content for fashion and beauty brands and would love to be included in your listing. My LinkedIn profile has links to my work linkedin.com/in/laurenkimthomas and my email address is laurenthomas.freelancer@gmail.com
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