What's So Funny?

Gerry Swallow makes his triumphant return to What's So Funny? after a 7.5 year absence. The former stand-up comic has been busy in the interim penning novels and screenplays. On the episode we talk about them, as well as about a confrontation with Roger Ebert, homosexual simians, and Marisa Tomei's underpants.

Kyle Jones joins us in studio half-cut after eight hours of hosting a Super Bowl party. The Little Engine That Couldn't, as he describes himself, talks about being called fat, being one of Vancouver's most eligible bachelors, working with strippers, and his love of Jon Secada.

Monica Hamburg is a vulgarian. Of that there is no doubt. She's also the host of the Dazed and Convicted podcast. In this episode, we learn about her job as a projectionist in a porn theatre/bakery in Montreal. It's no wonder she describes herself as a weirdo magnet. We also listen to snippets from her show. It's big in Australia, you know.

Shirley Gnome has got the voice of an angel with the thoughts of a devilish, well, gnome. The c*untry singer brings her boyfriend Martin to the studio and sings some of the sweetest, filthiest songs you'll ever hear all without the benefit of auto-tune. Amongst the chit-chat, she plays three live songs and we listen to one off her latest album.

Paul Hooper, sans duck, managed to leave his hotel room and take public transportation to join us in studio for this revealing look inside his fragile existence. We talk about his love of Kenny Loggins, his hate of Pitbull, his refusal to pander, sharing a dressing room with a mime, the beauty of A-Rod's bod, performing with food poisoning, and parading around in public in his pyjamas.

Nate Bargatze pulls back the curtain on his act, revealing what's true and what's exaggerated. The Nashville native also lauds Lasik surgery, stews over being cut from his high school basketball team, and shows some well-deserved love for Sinbad.

Richard Lett has visited us many, many times, with varying degrees of sobriety. We thought this was his sixth appearance with us, but further digging has revealed it's actually his seventh. Either way, it may be the best one yet. At least the most lucid. Richard talks about his obsession with quitting things, his move to Toronto, and making amends. Along the way, he recites an original poem, deconstructs a fart joke, and itemizes his beefs with me over the years.

Brent Butt got the seven-year itch and finally made a return visit to What's So Funny? and he was on top of his game, as usual. Besides reminiscing about Corner Gas and Hiccups, Butt talks about his new feature film, No Clue. Plus we discuss bad corporate gigs, the best acting direction he ever received, getting soft comedically, his dreams of doing an adult-oriented stand-up tour, his love of portmanteaus and we learn if there's a future for the Butt Pod.

Kevin Banner makes his What's So Funny? debut and tells us about his lady-soft hands, travelling with giant novelty cheques, going undefeated between the ropes, and being snubbed by his comedy hero. This episode brought to you by Sooke Tourism.

Lori Gibbs returns to her hometown to talk about hugs, her big head, judging comedy, gardening, a lack of hockey knowledge, Iliza Shlesinger, piano training, motivational speaking, and weight loss. Plus I offer a revolutionary approach to fighting depression at no extra cost.

Myq Kaplan lives on the other side of the continent, but provides a lesson in the immediacy of the internet. Turns out even New York comics can read snarky blogs based in little old Vancouver. Who knew?! Myq (pronounced Mai-k) also talks about his oddly spelled name, the merits of veganism, the necessity of free speech, and the beauty of podcasts.

Gerald Gerald Geraldson was particularly creepy on this visit to the What's So Funny? studios, and that ain't easy. He talked about rolling a woman up in a carpet, eating human flesh and lifting weights with severed heads. Add to that, the horror comic was ornery all hour long but we got through it.

Lynn Shawcroft is more than just the widow of Mitch Hedberg. She's also a comic in her own right. Who knew she got a development deal from an American network long before she met Mitch? I didn't. She reveals that, plus lots of talk about the great Hedberg. In fact, she opens up about him more than she ever has before.

Tim Rykert comes out of semi-retirement to join us in studio. He talks about walking a room on a cruise ship, dishes dirt on his buddy Michael Buble, waxes poetic about Canadian television, and opines on comedy competitions.

Iliza Shlesinger is no relationship expert, but she plays one on TV. Well, she hosts a dating show. We talk with her about that, what she looks for in a guy, why women are sometimes nutso, and if she'll ever be not known for winning Last Comic Standing. Listen to this or you'll be Excused.

Steve Bays shatters the What's So Funny? record recently set with Norm Macdonald's 90-minute extravaganza by doing him 15 minutes better. This 1 hour 45 minute epic was even cut down by 15 minutes from the radio version. We talked mood lighting, McLean Stevenson, bum shots, roadies, 'fros, being ripped off by Russian pop stars, karaoke, and play an episode of Defending Your iPod.

Sean Patrick Shaul suffers from crippling stage fright. So what to do about it? Why, get up on stage in Los Angeles and give stand-up comedy a whirl, of course. And film it. Along the way, he spoke to about 40 comics from all over North America about what it means be a stand-up in his film, Alone Up There (available for digital download at thestandupcomedians.com). Sean gives us the skinny on what he learned and explains why he'll never do it again.

The Comic Strippers flaunt their physiques all over this episode. You'll have to use your imagination, though, as Roman Danylo, Ken Lawson and Chris Casillan talk about shower scenes, Ping-Pong balls and lap dances while performing improv comedy. But they have depth, too, as they prove when they reflect on what Labour Day means to them.

Graham Clark makes his 11th appearance on What's So Funny?, fresh off (well, six days, anyway) a nine-hour plane ride for a single gig. He passes along some rules for facial hair, regales us with tales from jolly old England, and reveals how handy he is with an axe. This episode is brought to you by Dr. McGillicuddy's Miracle Beard Conditioning Tonic.

Lee Camp is a political animal. But he takes his comedy very seriously. In this episode, he tells us he was a stand-up comic long before he got a social conscience. It's an hour of clarity from the preeminent political comedian of his generation.