Comedy After 9/11: What Happened When the Laughing Stopped

On September 17, 2001, David Letterman came back and didn't do a monologue. Jon Stewart came back the same night and cried on camera before becoming recognizably himself again. SNL came back September 29 with Lorne Michaels asking Rudy Giuliani if it was okay to be funny, and Giuliani delivering the best line of the night. Bill Maher said something true at the wrong moment and lost his show. Gilbert Gottfried made a 9/11 joke at the Friar's Club three weeks later, got booed, and pivoted into the Aristocrats and won the room back. Johnny Mac — a New Yorker who was there — traces how comedy came back after the attacks, what it cost the people who pushed too early, and what the whole episode tells you about what comedy is actually for.


What did David Letterman say when he came back after 9/11?"
– "What did Jon Stewart say on The Daily Show after 9/11?"
– "What was the SNL cold open after 9/11?"
– "Why was Bill Maher fired after 9/11?"
– "What did Gilbert Gottfried do at the Friar's Club after 9/11?"
– "When did late night shows come back after 9/11?"
– "What did Rudy Giuliani say on SNL after 9/11?"
– "How did comedy change after 9/11?"
– "What was the first 9/11 joke told by a comedian?"
– "Did the Comedy Cellar stay open after 9/11?"



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Daily Comedy News is hosted by Johnny Mac and releases every weekday. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite app. Part of the Caloroga Shark Media network. For transcripts and show notes visit www.dailycomedynews.com

Daily Comedy News with Johnny Mac is a daily podcast covering comedians, stand-up comedy, late night television, and the comedy industry. New episodes every morning. Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.  

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