speaking as a comedian lou perez

Ep 297: Speaking as a Comedian, with Lou Perez

In this episode, Doug Stuart chats with Lou Perez, speaking as a comedian, about his new book, That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore: On the Death and Rebirth of Comedy. Perez offers a “behind-the-scenes” of the creative journey for his new book, as well as experiences in the life of professional comedy – especially in today’s highly charged and political climate.

Summary – Speaking as a Comedian, with Lou Perez

Lou Perez is author of That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore: On the Death and Rebirth of Comedy. He was the Head Writer and Producer of the Webby Award-winning comedy channel We the Internet TV. During his tenure at WTI, he made the kind of comedy that gets you put on lists and your words in the Wall Street Journal: “How I Became a ‘Far-Right Radical.” In addition to producing sketch comedy, stand-up, and opinion writing, he’s also host The Lou Perez Podcast.

Perez details some of the back story to his book. He remarks about how his publisher gave him complete creative freedom to “write the book you want.” Perez saw this is a unique opportunity to write about things important to him and the problems he saw brewing about community. He also commented about his experience in 2020 and 2021 when several big names in comedy passed away and the effect that had on him.

Don’t miss all this and more in our latest episode

Main Points of Discussion

00:00 Introduction
03:25 Perez’s intrigue with the connection between anarchism and Christianity
05:54 What was the purpose of writing That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore
09:35 Creative, Editing, and Publication process
14:25 The mutual respect and community among fellow comedians.
17:26 What’s it like to “bomb” a show?
20:40 What’s going wrong with comedy today?
23:46 At what point do you old back from? (Dark humor)
32:51 Is Donald Trump funny?
34:45 Do your kids understand your humor?
36:53 What other things have you done besides stand up?
39:11 The fight you had on Twitter
42:30 Concluding Remarks

Resources Mentioned

  • Lou’s website: https://www.thelouperez.com/
  • Lou’s Wallstreet Journal Article: https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-i-became-a-far-right-radical-11609370135
  • Buy the Book! https://www.amazon.com/dp/1637582455

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The Christians for Liberty Network is a project of the Libertarian Christian Institute consisting of shows and hosts offering various perspectives on the intersection of Christianity and libertarianism. Views expressed by hosts and guests do not necessarily reflect the view of the organization, its staff, board members, donors, or any other affiliates (including other hosts or guests on the network). Guest appearances or interviews of any incumbents, officials, or candidates for any political, party, or government office should not be construed as endorsements. The Libertarian Christian Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and does not endorse any political party or candidate for any political, government, or party office. For information about the Libertarian Christian Institute’s core values, please visit this page.

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