Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen

Emmy Award-winning producer/writer Al Jean has worked on THE SIMPSONS since it became a series in 1989. He has a credit on over 600 episodes and been showrunner for 22 seasons. In addition to nine Emmy Awards, he has won two coveted Peabody Awards and was nominated for two Golden Globes. Currently he serves as executive producer and showrunner. He also served as writer and producer on "THE SIMPSONS MOVIE" (which took in over $525 million worldwide), working heavily on the film throughout its entire four-year production and was producer and writer on the Oscar-nominated short film “THE LONGEST DAYCARE” and 2020 short “PLAYDATE WITH DESTINY”. In 2021 he wrote and produced the Disney+ shorts “The Force Awakens From Its Nap” (nominated for an Emmy) and “The Good, the Bart and the Loki.”  Jean co-created “The Critic” and “Teen Angel” and served as producer of “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show,” for which he won three CableACE Awards. Other television credits include “The PJ’s,” “Alf” and “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.”  Episodes of THE SIMPSONS Jean has written or co-written include “Moaning Lisa,” “The Way We Was,” “Treehouse of Horror II & III,” “Stark Raving Dad,” “Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala (annoyed grunt) cious,” “Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder,” “Day of the Jackanapes,” “I Won’t Be Home for Christmas”, “Mr. Lisa’s Opus”, “Daddicus Finch” and the Emmy-winning “HOMR.” Al also co-wrote Funny or Die’s “SNL Presidential Reunion Video” which is credited with helping establish the Consumer Financial Protection Agency. A graduate of Harvard University, Jean served as vice president of the college’s humor magazine, “The Harvard Lampoon.”  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author David Wolinsky talks about whether the internet is helping or hurting more, AI destroying movies and TV, dopamine addiction, The Onion, going cold turkey on social media, the email monster, and the idea that asking questions without having the answers is better than trying to figure it out. Bio: He's a former Onion editor best known for once interviewing the watermelon-smashing comedian Gallagher turned oral historian, author, and documentary researcher. Now, he's very much in the "serious" business. His journey into oral history began with an independent initiative following Gamergate in 2014, where he recognized a gap in traditional journalism's ability to address emerging issues in digital communities. In response, he conducted interviews, launched a website, and began publishing these conversations online to highlight diverse perspectives on serious issues facing media, workers in "cool" industries, and fan subcultures. He's not an academic, but Stanford wound up stepping in to preserve all the 500+ hours of interviews this entailed. This continuum of work has resulted in a book, The Hivemind Swarmed, which will be published August 2024 by Beacon Press. The oral history, which received advance praise by Ken Burns, exemplifies his ability to take initiative, conduct in-depth research, and produce insightful interviews without external funding or institutional support. (And also, his ability to get household names to take the work of a non-household name—me—seriously.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Edelman is an outstanding stand-up, writer, and creator of Just For Us talks about making his acclaimed broadway triumph, the death of his friend and collaborator - Adam, retiring the show, loving that others can do it, always being a student, staying curious even when you know alot, being an introvert on stage, being miserable does not equate to quality, jokes that don’t quite work, me winning an Emmy, the power of greeting the fan after the show, how funny is his Rabbi, valuing religion even when you question it, the value of nuance, Jesus vs David Blaine, how do you keep your fans, known vs famous, wanting to be on The Amazing Race, reality television is not real, John Cena’s last match, and dumb conspiracy theorists. Bio: ALEX EDELMAN - One of the most critically hailed comedians of his generation, Alex Edelman is best known for solo shows that blur the line between his stand-up comedy roots and narrative-driven storytelling. His last offering, JUST FOR US, played more than 500 performances all over the world - including acclaimed runs off- and on-Broadway. It premiered as an HBO original comedy special in April of 2024, earning him a place on the Time 100 list, a Tony Award, and an Emmy Award for Best Writing for a Variety Special. Edelman appeared in Jerry Seinfeld’s directorial debut for Netflix, UNFROSTED. Beyond stand-up, he writes regularly for TV and can next be seen starring in Peacock’s The Paper, a Greg Daniels-helmed spiritual successor to The Office. He also writes on the show as a Consulting Producer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comic Writer Debbie Kasper discusses her tumultuous life and what it would take for Jay to make his one woman show. Bio: Debbie Kasper is a multiple Emmy-nominated writer and an award-winning solo performer. After touring the country a few times over as a comedian and also with several theatrical shows she wrote & starred in, Debbie turned to television writing (Roseanne and The Rosie O'Donnell Show). She has written a few books, (You're Not That Pretty & Everything Else My Parents Told me) and contributed to several websites and anthology books. Monkeys on My Back & Everywhere Else is her fourth one-woman show. She's won awards for two of the earlier ones. After a personal tragedy, she stepped away from showbiz for almost a decade...but now she's back...in the format she loves most, and she's talking about all of it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Edelman is an outstanding stand-up, writer, and creator of Just For Us talks about trying to be an artist, how Greg Daniels is the best writer/showrunner/teacher, The Paper, the strength he gets from friends, the music in dialogue, meeting at UnCaberet, the greatest sitcom jokes of all time, camera awareness in a mock documentary, how everyone is a director now, AI, and how Alex refuses to use it even for sex. Bio: ALEX EDELMAN - One of the most critically hailed comedians of his generation, Alex Edelman is best known for solo shows that blur the line between his stand-up comedy roots and narrative-driven storytelling. His last offering, JUST FOR US, played more than 500 performances all over the world - including acclaimed runs off- and on-Broadway. It premiered as an HBO original comedy special in April of 2024, earning him a place on the Time 100 list, a Tony Award, and an Emmy Award for Best Writing for a Variety Special. Edelman appeared in Jerry Seinfeld’s directorial debut for Netflix, UNFROSTED. Beyond stand-up, he writes regularly for TV and can next be seen starring in Peacock’s The Paper, a Greg Daniels-helmed spiritual successor to The Office. He also writes on the show as a Consulting Producer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices