Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

Miranda July is a multi-disciplinary artist and filmmaker. She's directed movies like Kajlillionaire and Me, You and Everyone We Know. She's designed apps and even recorded a spoken word album. She also just published her second novel, All Fours. In it, July covers marriage, middle age, and perimenopause. Miranda joins Bullseye to talk about her book, her career and the wild new soda flavor she helped make.

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David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker – together they created some truly classic comedies: Airplane!, Top Secret, and The Naked Gun. They recently wrote a book called Surely You Can't Be Serious: The True Story of Airplane!. We've got Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker on the latest episodes to talk about the book and the rules of comedy. They also dive into why they cast Leslie Nielsen in their projects and what it was like to work with him.

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Lisa Ann Walter has been in show business for a long time and has seen a lot. You may have seen her most recently as Ms. Schemmenti on the ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary. When we asked her about the craziest day of her career, she took us back to 2010, to the set of the Ashton Kutcher action/comedy film Killers.

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Actor and comedian Cole Escola has written and starred in some of the funniest TV comedies: Difficult People, Hacks, and At Home with Amy Sedaris. Cole's recently taken their writing from the small screen to the stage with Oh, Mary!, a one act play that examines the forgotten life and dreams of Mary Todd Lincoln, like you've never seen before. The play makes its Broadway debut this summer. Cole joins Bullseye to talk about Oh, Mary!, gender, and all things Mary Todd Lincoln.

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Isabella Rossellini is probably best known as an actor, having acclaimed parts in movies like Blue Velvet, Death Becomes Her, and Big Night. She's also a model, a performance artist, an accomplished singer and even an academic. When Isabella Rossellini joined Bullseye in 2022, she'd just starred alongside Jenny Slate in the animated film Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. She spoke with guest host Louis Virtel about her role in Marcel the Shell with Shoes On and why she is attracted to working in experimental film.

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Throughout his nearly fifty year music career, Raffi has fought for kids. He's done it with beautiful, fun, and funny music. He's also done it as an activist. Raffi is on the really short list of children's performers who connect directly with the youngest people. When we last chatted with Raffi, he had just released his 2014 album Love Bug. He talked to us about the album, his early childhood in Egypt, his social activism and why he's dedicated his life to entertaining children.

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[r] Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham, creators of the TV show Playing House, talk about their real-life friendship and the marathon improv sessions that produce the show's jokes. Plus comedian Hari Kondablou on how he fits into the "alternative" comedy scene and on graciously accepting his audience's suggestions for jokes.

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Keegan-Michael Key pulls the curtain back on writing and performing for Key & Peele. Then, Tituss Burgess from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt tells about growing up in Georgia and why Titus Andromedon is such a special character on TV (he'll also talk about the show's breakout hit, Peeno Noir).

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Comedians David Wain and Michael Showalter join Jesse to talk about their new series Wet Hot American Summer: First Day Of Camp. Plus 30 Rock's Toofer, Keith Powell on the 1976 satire Network and Jesse recommends the new season of Andy Daly's comedy show, Review.

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Director Liz Garbus joins Jesse to talk about her new Nina Simone documentary, What Happened, Miss Simone? Later Oliver Wang talks to Jesse about his new book: Legions Of Boom: Filipino American Mobile DJ Crews in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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Jesse talks to singer-songwriter Shamir about high school, musical genres and his new album Ratchet, plus hip-hop producer Pete Rock discusses his best loved collaborations and how he breathes new life into classic records by sampling.

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[r] Actress Judy Greer joins Jesse Thorn to talk about her roles in Archer and Arrested Development. Her book I Don't Know What You Know Me From: Confessions of a Co-Star charts life as a talented and prolific performer who's figured out you get to be funnier playing the best friend than the lead. Greer co-stars in the FX series Married, which returns for its second season this week. Later Jesse sits down with musician Ishmael Butler of Shabazz Palaces and Digable Planets, plus he'll explain the genius of Orson Welles' Touch of Evil.

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Jesse talks to movie director, Penelope Spheeris. She directed Wayne's World, but before that was best known for her music documentary series, The Decline of Western Civilization. Jesse also sits down with singer-songwriter Bhi Bhiman.

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Jesse talks to acclaimed filmmaker Spike Lee. Spike tells us about his new movie, Da Sweet Blood of Jesus, how he really feels about Larry Bird and about his own very serious addiction.... to Air Jordans. Later Jesse sits down with Katja Blichfeld and Ben Sinclair. The couple created the series High Maintenance, a "not on television" show that follows a New York City marijuana delivery guy as he visits his various clients. Plus, Jesse tells us about the best satire of the last ten years, MTV 2's Wonder Showzen.

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Writer/director Dan Gilroy and star Rene Russo of 'Nightcrawler' talk about exploring the seedy business of TV news, collaborating as a married couple, and working with Jake Gyllenhaal. Nightcrawler is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Screenplay.

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[r] Two late night hosts and Daily Show alums! Jesse talks to John Oliver about why it's sometimes weird to make jokes about American politics when you're a Brit and then with the new Nightly Show host Larry Wilmore about how being a Daily Show correspondent is the perfect prep for hosting one's own show. Plus, the brothers from My Brother, My Brother and Me proffer advice on solo concert-going and playing video games with your boss, and Jesse tells us about the greatest pop song ever (sorry, there's no question about it).

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Steve Buscemi! The best ever. The actor, director and producer joins Bullseye to talk about dying on screen dozens of times, and how his father shaped his career in the civil services and encouraged him to pursue acting. We'll look back on the first ever movie he acted in – one that ended up being a pivotal moment in the history of American queer cinema. Plus, he'll talk to us about trying his hand at stand-up as an eighteen year old kid from Long Island.

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DJ Quik is one of the most prolific figures in West Coast hip-hop. He's a great rapper, but he's always considered himself a producer first, crafting some of the most inventive samples and beats of the genre. This summer, DJ Quik joins fellow legends Warren G and Snoop Dogg for a tour across that great nation to the North on the Cali to Canada Tour. When Quik joined Bullseye in 2014, he talked about the method behind his sampling and his awesome, awesome hairstyles over the years.

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Keita Takahashi is a video game creator and designer. He's responsible for the classic genre defining puzzle game Katamari Damacy. Keita Takahashi has a new game coming out soon. It's called to a T and it's about a child whose arms stick straight out like a "T". We talked with Keita Takahashi about how he got into designing video games and how he pitched the idea for Katamari Damacy to the folks at Namco. He also talks with us about his new game, to a T.

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Alison Brie is the star of beloved television shows Community, Mad Men and BoJack Horseman. She joins us on the latest episode of Bullseye to talk about her latest: Apples Never Fall. We get into her time growing up in South Pasadena and what she learned about herself while working on the physically demanding wrestling tv series GLOW. Does she think the long-awaited Community movie is actually happening? Only one way to find out!

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Paula Pell spent 18 years behind the scenes as a writer on Saturday Night Live. These days, you can see her on Girls5Eva–a sitcom about a 90s girl group that reunites today. She plays Gloria, the queer elder of the group making the most of their second wind. When she joined the show back in 2019, Pell starred in Wine Country alongside a few SNL legends. She also gave us an insider's view on some of her more controversial work on the late-night comedy staple.

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Shabaka Hutchings makes brilliant, beautiful genre blending songs. His music is vivid, complex and hypnotic. He recently hung up his saxophone and is playing the flute these days. When Shabaka joined the show back in 2021, his band Sons of Kemet had just put out a record called Black to the Future. He talked with us about making the new record during quarantine. He also discussed being an only child, the first instrument he learned to play and his love of old school gangster rap.

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On the latest episode, R&B singer SiR joins us to talk about his new record Heavy, growing up in Inglewood and his musical family. Plus, he gets vulnerable and frank about his path to sobriety. Right now is the best time to support Bullseye and the MaxFun podcasts you love by starting a monthly membership or upgrading your existing one! Learn more athttps://maximumfun.org/join/

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Jenny Slate has starred in films like Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, Obvious Childand Everything Everywhere All at Once. She's also a standup - she just released her second special! Jenny Slate: Seasoned Professional.Slate joins us to talk all about it. The MaxFunDrive is still going strong – right now is the best time to support Bullseye and the MaxFun podcasts you love by starting a monthly membership or upgrading your existing one! Learn more at https://maximumfun.org/join/

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There aren't many actors who can straddle the worlds of high art and blockbusters as deftly as John Malkovich. His latest project is The New Look, a TV show on Apple TV +. The series takes place in Nazi-occupied France and tells the story of how France's fashion industry navigated a terrifying, inhuman reality. John Malkovich joins us to chat about The New Look and his love of fashion. He also talks to us about his upbringing and early years as a performer. Plus, we also get into one of our most favorite scenes of his from the film Burn After Reading.

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Movie stars, writers, artists: these are the typical fare for Bullseye interviewees. For our production company's annual MaxFunDrive, though, Jesse talks with Bullseye listeners. He asks them the same question: Hey, what's your job? We're presenting a sneak peek at one such interview with Joe - an apprentice an electrician in South Boston.

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Peter Dinklage joins us on the latest episode to talk about his new film American Dreamerand working alongside Shirley MacLaine. We also get into Game of Thrones and his time breaking into the industry. Plus, he talks about his time as a singer in a pop-punk band and getting a scar at the legendary venue CBGB's! TheMaxFunDrivekicks off this week. Right now is the best time to support Bullseye by starting a monthly membership or upgrading your existing membership! Learn more athttps://maximumfun.org/join.

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Kali Reis is a boxer, with two championships in two weight classes. She's also an actor. She first starred in the indie film Catch the Fair One, and her latest role is in HBO's True Detective: Night Country. Kali Reis joins the show to talk about the new season of True Detective, what it's been like to break into acting and more.

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Bill Bradley is a two-time NBA champion and hall of famer, Olympic gold medalist, and former U.S. Senator. He recounts all of this and more in his one-man show, Rolling Along: An American Story.Bill joins Bullseye to talk about his theatrical performance, his 2000 run for President of the United States, and so much more.

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Musician Laura Jane Grace fronts the punk band Against Me. On the latest , episode Jordan Morris chats with Laura about her early days playing shows in laundromats, her love of Guns N' Roses, and what it's like to record an album while in quarantine. Laura Jane Grace's latest album Hole in my Headis out now and available on her Bandcamp. Jordan Morris co-hosts a new podcast with Emily Fleming on Maximum Fun called Free with Ads.

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Bob Edwards died last month. He was 76. Edwards was the original host of Morning Edition when the program launched in 1979 – a legend in the public radio game. To commemorate his passing, we're replaying Jesse's 2007 interview with Edwards - back when the show was broadcast out of the woods in Santa Cruz, CA.

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Corb Lund is a country and western musician from Alberta, Canada. He's been recording music since the nineties and just released a new record called El Viejo. Like his earlier work, it's clever, plain spoken and beautifully produced.When Jesse first talked to Lund, back in 2010, it was at a folk festival up in Calgary – his hometown. Now, he joins us in the studio with his guitar to talk about the new album and play a few songs.

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Catherine Opie's photographs have been shown in museums all over the world. Her career spans nearly four decades. Breathtaking photographs of queer and fetish communities, street photography in Los Angeles, portraits of surfers, her friends and families. She joins us to talk about her latest exhibit — a retrospective at Regen Projects. Plus, she tells us about the time she made her own dark room in her childhood bathroom, and also some of the incredible historical items she collects.

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Sacha Jenkins has chronicled hip-hop culture for decades now. He is one of the founders of the legendary magazine Ego Trip and has produced documentaries on Wu-Tang Clan and Cypress Hill. His new documentary, All Up In The Biz, highlights the life and rhymes of the late rapper Biz Markie, known for his 1989 hit "Just A Friend." Sacha Jenkins sits down with us to talk about Markie's legacy and unconventional approach to life and music.

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Ten years ago Seth Meyers hosted the NBC show Late Night for the first time. Taking on a gig like that might seem a bit daunting, but Seth was up for the challenge. He's since gone on to interview hundreds of guests, create thousands of regular segments and navigate a pandemic-induced lockdown. Seth Meyers joins us on the show to talk about all things Late Night. He shares what ideas he had when first starting the show, what he loves about hosting it, how it's evolved over the years and much more.

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Chloë Sevigny is known for a lot of things in showbiz – but she is perhaps best known for being cool. She has an impeccable fashion sense and makes waves in that world. She's an Oscar nominated actor for her role in Boys Don't Cry. An indie darling in films like The Last Days of Disco and Broken Flowers. Chloë talks with Jesse about how she kept it cool after all these years. We'll also geek out with Chloë about her making own clothes.

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Meshell Ndegeocello has made a career as a bassist, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. She's been performing professionally for over thirty years now and has recorded albums spanning folk, rap, rock, blues, you name it. Just a few weeks ago she earned a Grammy for her album The Omnichord Real Book. When we had Meshell on the show back in 2009, she'd recently released her album The World Has Made Me The Man of My Dreams. She talked with us about the album, coming up in DC's go-go scene, imagining the sound of the bass and more.

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The Nancy comic strip is one of the most iconic and influential strips out there. It's a comic snob's favorite, but you also don't have to be a super fan to love it. Cartoonist Bill Griffith is a comic nerd who loves Nancy. Last year he released a graphic biography about the creator of Nancy. It's called Three Rocks: The Story of Ernie Bushmiller. It's a beautiful appreciation of Bushmiller's work. Bill Griffith joins the show to talk about the book and the long-lasting impact that Nancy has had on comics.

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We must break him! Dolph Lundgren's performance in Rocky IV features two of the most memorable pieces of dialogue in the storied franchise. Dolph stops by to chat about his time dating Grace Jones, the Rocky audition that almost never happened and his new movie: Wanted Man.

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Bob Mortimer is a comic and author, renowned for his work in the British comedy double act Vic and Bob. These days, Mortimer is also a novelist. We talk with Mortimer about his mystery novel The Clementine Complex, his debut in the U.S., loosely based on Mortimer's time as a lawyer.

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Trace Lysette is an actor, rapper and former drag performer. Last year, she had her first lead role in a film called Monica. It is a wonderful, quiet, haunting drama about a trans woman caring for her estranged mother who is terminally ill. We talk with Trace about her work in the film and about how her years as a drag performer helped her find her gender identity. Plus, we also take a listen to a few of her rap tracks.

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Jo Firestone's comedy special Good Timing is the culmination of months of work from her and a group of senior citizens who wanted to learn stand-up comedy. Jo joins us to talk about the special, and what she learned from her students. She also talks about researching her role as a doomsday prepper on one of our favorite TV shows: Joe Pera Talks With You. A version of this interview originally aired in October of 2021.

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Prodigy formed Mobb Deep alongside his partner Havoc when they were teens. Together the duo basically started gangster rap for the East Coast. When he joined the show back in 2011, Prodigy had just written a biography called My Infamous Life. He talked with us about the book and also his lifelong battle with sickle cell anemia. In 2017, he was hospitalized for his anemia and died while in care. Late last year, the FDA approved a new therapy to treat and almost eliminate symptoms of sickle cell disease. Had it been available to Prodigy when he was alive, there's a good chance he'd still be here today.

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Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (now X) aren't what they used to be. Some of those social media platforms have changed beyond recognition, many others have just become harder to use. In 2022, Cory Doctorow put a word to it: ens**tification. Cory joins us to talk about his book The Internet Con: How to Seize the Means of Computation, and what we can do when platforms change. Plus, how the internet can become a better, more rewarding place.

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Craig Robinson is likely in some of your favorite shows. The Office. Pineapple Express. And of course, Brooklyn Nine-Nine. These days, he's got a series of his own. It's called Killing It. On Bullseye, Robinson stops by to chat about the show's second season. We ask him about his character Craig and whether or not he's a fool for chasing the American Dream. Plus, Robinson gets real about his own career and whether or not he thinks he's made it.

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Benny Safdie has done work on both sides of the camera. He's starred in movies like Oppenheimer and co-written and directed films like Uncut Gems. Recently, he co-created and starred in a new series called The Curse. It's a very intense show that runs from stomach-flipping cringe to stomach-flipping actual genuine terror. Benny joins us to talk about The Curse and how it all came together. Plus, we get into his time as a stand-up comedian.

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Paul Dooley is a legend of showbiz. He's played some iconic dads in films like Sixteen Candles, Runaway Bride and Breaking Away. His book Movie Dad: Finding Myself and My Family, On-Screen and Off is about his seven decades in the business. Paul joins us to talk about his memoir and dives into his lengthy career including some more unusual gigs. He also gets into what it was like to portray dads on the big screen while his own family was falling apart.

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Sonia Manzano is a legend of kids TV. She played Maria on Sesame Street for four decades and changed what children's media looked like. In 2021, she premiered a children's cartoon of her own called Alma's Way. On Bullseye, we're looking back at our conversation with Sonia: she talked with us about the show's first season and her childhood in the Bronx. Plus, what it's like when she meets fans in real life. Turns out: lots of tears!

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Norman Lear died last month. He was 101. He was a writer and showrunner for some of the biggest, most influential sitcoms of all time. He's responsible for shows like Sanford and Son, All in the Family, The Jeffersons and many more. When Lear was on Bullseye back in 2016, he was the subject of a PBS American Masters film — Norman Lear: Another Version of You. He talked with us about his childhood, working on so many sitcoms, and writing for an all Black cast.

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Each year, Bullseye looks back on the year in stand-up comedy by presenting listeners with an annual end of year stand-up comedy showcase! The Bullseye team combed through dozens and dozens of albums to bring you some of the best comedy of 2023. That includes stand-up from: Maria Bamford, Marc Maron, Hari Kondabolu, John Mulaney, Sasheer Zamata and more!

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It's the Bullseye Holiday Special! We've got Lil Rel Howery on what it was like to play Santa Claus in Dashing Through the Snow. Plus: Gregg Turkington, of Neil Hamburger fame on the "holiday" song that changed his life. By the Bee Gees, of all bands. Plus, director Henry Selick on the legacy of The Nightmare Before Christmas. Is it a Christmas movie or a Halloween movie? Listen to find out!

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Our guest this week doesn't need much introduction. We're talking with the one and only Patrick Stewart. Patrick joins us on the latest episode of Bullseye to talk about his memoir Making It So and what it was like to audition for Star Trek: The Next Generation. He also gets into his time as a newspaper reporter, his underrated weirdo comedy masterpiece Blunt Talk, what happens when you try to feed a squirrel a walnut and so much more.

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Ira Kaplan has played guitar and co-fronted the band Yo La Tengo for almost forty years. He founded Yo La Tengo with his wife Georgia Hubley back in 1984. They've put out over a dozen albums since then. Their latest is This Stupid World. On Bullseye, Kaplan talks about Yo La Tengo's latest album, the band's early influences and the story behind their name. Plus, Jesse and Ira discuss the kind of "old guy" musician Ira wants to be as he settles into the back half of middle age.

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If you ask just about any alternative comic from the last twenty years to name their influences, one name you're sure to see come up is Steven Wright. Lately, though, Wright's been changing things up a little. He just wrote his first novel. It's called Harold. He joins us to talk about the new book and how much coffee he needed to drink to write it. Plus, he gets into his comedy career and how he landed his first stand-up spot on the Tonight Show.

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Rebecca Sugar is behind some of the most magical shows on Cartoon Network. They started as a storyboard artist on Adventure Time. And went on to create the acclaimed cartoon Steven Universein 2013. This year is the show's 10th anniversary! We're celebrating by revisiting our interview with Rebecca in 2019. They chatted with us about the process behind making Steven Universe and their favorite cartoons as a kid. Plus, how they deal with feedback from fans.

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Nile Rodgers has been in the game for over fifty years. He's a founding member of the band Chic, and he's produced songs for some of the biggest names in music like Madonna, David Bowie and Daft Punk. On Bullseye, we're looking back at our interview with Rodgers in 2011. He joined us to talk about his book, Le Freak: An Upside Down Story of Family, Disco and Destiny. Plus, his religious experience watching the band Roxy Music live for the first time.

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Singer-songwriter Devendra Banhart tells us about a beautiful, cinematic, heartbreaking song performed by the legendary Venezuelan singer Simón Díaz. He talks about the songs impact on him as a writer, performer, and a Venezuelan-American.

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George Wallace has been doing stand-up for almost 50 years. He came up in New York – his roommate was Jerry Seinfeld. Wallace's humor, like Seinfeld's, is observational. The stakes are usually pretty low, the punchlines and wordplay pretty frequent. Which is to say, a George Wallace joke from the '80s can still kill today. The man is a legend and he joins us to talk about his decades long career as a stand-up comedian.

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Jillian and Mariko Tamaki are talented graphic novelists. And if you didn't already know, the two are also cousins. They've collaborated on three projects so far that cover themes like sexual expression and queerness. Their latest is Roaming. On Bullseye, they chat about the project and the art of under-explaining in comics. Plus, they reflect on what it was like to be thrust into a heated national censorship debate with the launch of their indie graphic novel, This One Summer.

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Daniel Clowes is an award-winning writer and comics artist. He penned the Eight-Ball series and Ghost World,among others. This year, he released a graphic novel inspired by his attempts to learn about the life of his late, largely absent mother. It's called Monica. On Bullseye, he chats about the novel and the time he spent researching his family history. Plus, the things he learned about his mom that he can't unlearn.

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His name is Will Oldham. You might know him better, though, as Bonnie "Prince" Billy or Palace or as half of the folk rock group Superwolves. His work has spanned three decades now and earlier this year he released his twenty-first Bonnie "Prince" Billy album. It's called Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You. When we asked Oldham about the song that changed his life, he picked a spare, interior, haunting song. One that, we'll admit, we hadn't heard before - "Horses" by Sally Timms.

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Yes, Jack Handey is his real name. He's one of the best to ever write for Saturday Night Live:Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer, Giant Businessman, Toonces the Driving Cat, Deep Thoughts. In his post SNL career, Handey's written more for the page. There's his countless columns in the New Yorker and now, his latest novel: Escape from Hawaii: A Tropical Sequel. He talks about all that, plus we ask him (very nicely) about why he initially declined to come back on the show.

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Carla Fernández is a Mexico City based fashion designer who creates new clothes inspired by traditional, indigenous garments of Latin America. Her work is a revolutionary approach to fashion and is absolutely breathtaking. Carla joins us on Bullseye to talk about her "Manifesto de moda Mexicana," thrift shopping and so much more.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a stock car racing legend. He's won more than two dozen races and has been inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. He's since (mostly) retired from racing and recently gotten into writing. His latest release is a children's book called Buster Gets Back on Track. Dale Jr. joins the show to talk his racing career, about writing, and about why he collects wrecked cars from races.

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Bettye LaVette is a singer with over 60 years in the game. She's recorded dozens of albums. And earned multiple Grammy nominations for her work in the blues and R&B genre. Her latest album LaVette!was released earlier this year. Bettye stops by the show to chat about the album. She let us in on how she chooses the songs she wants to record. Plus, she gets into her childhood and her long, tumultuous path to music.

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Bob Odenkirk is an alt-comedy legend. He wrote for Saturday Night Live in the 90s. Then he got the part in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul as Saul Goodman. And he went from the funny-guy behind the scenes to the main screen. He's also a writer. On Bullseye, he stops by to talk about how he turned his worn notebook into a book of poetry with the help of his children. Plus, he gets into how he's embraced his transition from funny guy to serious actor.

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Major League Baseball is in its Postseason. This week we're joined by a great – former Cubs, Rays and Angels manager Joe Maddon. The Book of Joe: Trying Not to Suck at Baseball and Life. was written by Maddon and Tom VerducciIt. The book is part memoir, part inspirational text, part practical guide on how to build better baseball teams.

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Maria Bamford is a brilliant stand-up comic. She's also now an author. She recently wrote her first book. It's a memoir called Sure, I'll Join Your Cult. In it, she writes about her experience with mental illness and efforts to overcome it. She joins the show to talk about the new book and the lessons she learned from writing it. She'll also read a bit of the new memoir to us.

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Sean Doolittle played a decade in the major leagues. He was a beloved weirdo and all-star with the Oakland A's. Then, a World Series champion with the Washington Nationals. Last month, Doolittle announced his retirement from baseball. We're celebrating his extraordinary, thrilling career by throwing it back to our conversation with Doolittle in 2017.

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Sam Richardson's breakthrough role came in HBO's Veep. Sam is also a writer. With the help of SNL alum Tim Robinson, they co-created and starred in Detroiters.These days, you can catch Sam in The Afterparty on Apple TV+. Sam joins Jesse to talk about his career in film and TV, and what it was like growing up between the United States and Ghana. A version of this interview originally aired in August of 2021.

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We're concluding Rap Month with Buffalo MC Benny the Butcher. Alongside Conway the Machine and Westside Gunn, he's a member of the hip-hop collective Griselda. He's an incredibly prolific rapper. Benny's not even forty yet and he's got dozens of LPs, mixtapes and other releases to his name. He joins Bullseye to talk about his upbringings in Buffalo, New York and how he got into rapping. Plus he breaks down his track "10 More Commandments" – a response to a classic Biggie Smalls song.

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John Leguizamo is a super-famous actor who's been in well over 100 movies and TV shows. He's also a writer whose created and starred in a handful of powerful, hilarious one-man shows over his career. His latest, A Latin History for Morons, is now on tour across the country. John talks to Bullseye about creating works of art from a sometimes painful past, about fighting for Latinx representation in Hollywood and about the comedians who've inspired his craft.

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There's no one else on the planet quite like Jeff Goldblum. He came onto the scene over four decades ago with the role of "Freak #1" in the 1974 revenge fantasy Death Wish. Since then, he's appeared in countless films, television and theater productions including; Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Portlandia, The Fly and as everyone's favorite chaos mathematician in Jurassic Park. Chances are, he's a part of one of your favorite movies. Jeff joins us to talk about his new film, The Mountain, his iconic past roles and his latest role as a new father.

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Baseball week at Bullseye continues with filmmaker Aviva Kempner. She'll talk to us about her documentary The Spy Behind Home Plate. The film follows the life of catcher-turned-World War II spy Moe Berg, quite possibly the smartest man to play baseball. Moe played baseball back in the era of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, learned Sanskrit at the Sorbonne, and took some of the earliest known photos of Tokyo.

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Guest Host Shereen Marisol Meraji, host of NPR's Code Switch, chats with actor Garcia. Garcia plays Jake Rodriguez on 'Tales of the City' on Netflix, a part-remake part-sequel to the TV miniseries you might remember from the 90's. Garcia and Shereen discuss their first breakout role, being pigeonholed as a trans character in Hollywood and how their chosen family led them to acting.

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In the story of Master P, there's plenty of success. He's launched careers and sold millions of dollars in records. His label, No Limit Records, was home to a phalanx of stars like Silkk the Shocker and even Snoop Dogg. Master P gets candid about the many triumphs and challenges in his life: millions of records sold, careers launched, a failed professional basketball career, multiple close family deaths. Plus: his newfound passion for breakfast cereal.

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Bun B and his partner Pimp C put Port Arthur, Texas on the map when they founded one of the most influential Southern rap groups of all time. UGK crafted a genre on their own terms. Whether you call it country rap or chopped and screwed music, their influence is undeniable. Bun B talks about his friendship and collaboration with Pimp C. He shares the story behind his verse on UGK's iconic track "Murder." Plus, he gets real about what he wants his grandchildren to remember about him.

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Many of you may know Angie Stone as a soul-singer. But before her singing career took off, Angie was an MC in a rap group called The Sequence, one of the first ever all-women rap groups. Angie Stone joins us for Rap Month to talk about her early years as a rapper. She also gets into how The Sequence was discovered backstage at a Sugar Hill Gang concert. Plus, she talks about having her first hit solo records later on in her career.

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Next up on Rap Month is viral rap star CHIKA. CHIKA's never been afraid to keep it real, especially online. The Alabama-born rapper went viral for the first time at 19 years old. Since then, she's been steadily building her career as a rapper. Earlier this summer, she dropped her debut LP: Samson: The Album. On Bullseye, CHIKA stops by to chat about her latest project and her journey to making music.

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Rap month continues here at Bullseye. Next up, the trap pioneer Jeezy. On his major label debut in the mid-aughts, he called himself Young Jeezy. And, also "your favorite rapper's favorite rapper." Jeezy, alongside T.I. and Gucci Mane helped bring trap music into the mainstream. Jeezy recently published a book: Adversity for Sale: Ya Gotta Believe.

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In 2018, the Chicago rapper Saba released the critically acclaimed Care for Me. A frenetic, beautiful album recorded after the loss of his cousin Walter. It brought Saba a lot of attention, and changed his life in ways he couldn't process. Saba joins Bullseye to talk about living up to those expectations, collaborating with No I.D. and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and finding peace in self reflection. Plus, he shares some music gear recommendations!

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This September is Rap Month at Bullseye - we're celebrating 50 years of hip-hop with a full month rappers. First up: Rakim! He changed the rap game forever. He's one half of the groundbreaking hip-hop duo, Eric B. and Rakim. And a legendary solo rapper in his own right. On Bullseye, Rakim kicks off Rap Month by looking back at his almost 40 years in hip-hop. He gets into how he met Eric B. and his mentorship with Marley Marl. Plus, how his career has changed now that he's in his 50s.

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John Wilson is the host and creator of the HBO series How To with John Wilson. Each episode of the show makes a simple, straightforward promise to the viewer: to teach them how to do something. Then, each episode inevitably veers off course when interviews and found footage take him in different directions. When we asked John about the thing he wishes he'd made, he picked a classic documentary: 2003's Los Angeles Plays Itself.

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It's almost impossible to be in a bad mood after hearing a song by Brenton Wood. His music has a sweetness and lightness with a bounce that conveys coolness. His music has helped define, what these days are called, Lowrider Oldies. Brenton Wood is now in his 80s, and he's absolutely still got it. If you can, you should go see him live. He is currently wrapping up his farewell tour. It's called the Catch You On The Rebound Tour. Brenton Wood joins Bullseye to talk about his career in music and what keeps him performing. Plus, we'll listen to some of his classic tracks from over the years.

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Along with fronting the Talking Heads, David Byrne has collaborated with Brian Eno, St. Vincent, Philip Glass, Selena and so many more. He's written books and scored soundtracks. He even wrote and directed his own movie. In this interview from 2021, he talks about his Broadway debut: American Utopia an immersive live show based on his album of the same name. Plus: Stop Making Sense, the legendary concert film just turned 40!

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There's an art to the perfect prank. This week, we're joined by Johnny Knoxville, an expert prankster. He's been at the center of the Jackass universe for more than two decades and has performed stunts in all its iterations. His new show is called The Prank Panel. Knoxville reflects on his time making Jackass, and what it's been like to age into the dangerous world of stunt performing. NOTE: This interview was conducted prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike and contains references to bodily harm.

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Paul Reubens was the man behind one of the country's most beloved household names. "Pee-wee Herman" was born out of Reubens' time at The Groundlings in the 1970s. But, his stand-up act grew into something so much bigger. His character became a cult figure, spawning a series of films and television shows in his honor. This week on Bullseye, we're looking back at the life and work of Paul Reubens by revisiting our conversation with him back in 2014. He stopped by the show to trace the trajectory of his life and career as Pee-Wee Herman. Plus, we get into the last thing Paul would ever work on as Pee-Wee Herman — thePee-Wee Herman Radio Hour.

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There's no other way to put it, Smokey Robinson is a legend. The Motown great and former frontman of The Miracles is responsible for some of the greatest pop hits of the 20th century – "You've really got ahold of me," "Tears of a clown," "I Second That Emotion," "Crusin'" and many others. In 1960, The Miracles released "Shop Around." The song became a huge success. It became Motown's first million-selling hit record. Robinson eventually became Motown Records vice president and helped turn the label into a household name. Smokey Robinson is now 83. He's still recording. He is still writing. Earlier this year, he released Gasms. We'll talk with the Motown legend about his time with The Miracles, his solo career, his songwriting process and his brand new erotic concept album.

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Geezer Butler is patient zero for heavy metal bass riffs. He played bass for Black Sabbath. One of the greatest rock bands of all time and true pioneers in the heavy metal genre. Along with playing bass, Butler was also a songwriter for the group. He wrote or co-wrote so many of Sabbath's greatest tunes: Iron Man, Paranoid, The Wizard, After Forever. Butler recently released a memoir. It's called Into the Void: From Birth to Black Sabbath―And Beyond. Geezer Butler joins Bullseye to talk about his new memoir. He also looks back and shares some stories from his time in Black Sabbath. Plus, he'll get into what it was like to write songs for Ozzy Osborne to sing.

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Boots Riley is known nowadays for his work as a writer, but he's been making waves as an artist for years. In his early 20s, he was the frontman and founder of the Coup, a fiercely political hip-hop group from the Bay Area. But in recent years, Boots has made his way over to film-making. In 2018, he wrote and directed his first ever feature film: Sorry To Bother You. If you saw it, you know it is hilarious and scary and insightful and generally very bonkers. And then Boots had another idea. His new show I'm A Virgo takes the word bonkers to new heights, literally. It's a story about a 13-ft-tall giant, a Black teenager living in the Bay Area. But the show's not about his super powers. It's about how he sees himself, and the little personal things about him — like his star sign. I'm a Virgo is a great show, but this isn't an interview about I'm a Virgo.Boots Riley is a writer. And his union, the Writers Guild of America, has been on strike since May. On Bullseye, we'll talk about what is at stake in the dispute between the WGA and the studio heads - represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). Plus, we'll get into his early career as a rapper and his roots in activism.

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Chris Estrada is a stand-up comedian and co-creator of the TV comedy, This Fool. Estrada also stars as the show's main character: Julio. Julio lives in South Central Los Angeles, where Chris grew up, but the show isn't autobiographical. Julio works at a local nonprofit that helps former gang members adjust to life on the outside. The show follows the misadventures of Julio and his cousin Luis who has finished up a lengthy prison sentence. The show is funny, human, unexpected and at times, surprisingly sweet. We talk with Chris about co-creating This Fool, his love of hardcore punk music and his late start as a stand-up comedian. The latest season of This Fool comes out July 26th on Hulu. A version of this interview originally aired in September of 2022.

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Christine Baranski is an actor with an impressive resume. She attended Juilliard and went on to perform on Broadway. She's also an Emmy award winning actor, who's starred on shows like The Good Fight and The Good Wife. You'll soon be able to watch Christine Baranski in the animated sitcom Praise Petey. The show premieres July 21 on Freeform. When she joined us on Bullseye last year, she reflected on her time portraying Diane on The Good Fight. Plus, she talked about being one of the early graduates of Juilliard, and her long-time collaborated relationship with Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim.

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Kool & the Gang have made some of the biggest hits of all time. We're talking about some of the greatest party songs ever: "Get Down On It," "Celebration," "Ladies Night." But, we're also talking about a lot more than just dance floor fillers. Kool & the Gang hit the music scene in the mid-60s and took off running. By the time they started recording in 1968, they were one of the baddest bands in the country. Now, it's been a half-century since Kool & the Gang started making music, and they're still at it. They have a new album dropping on July 14th called People Just Wanna Have Fun. On Bullseye, Robert "Kool" Bell stops by to chat about the new album and his long career with Kool & the Gang. Plus, the stories behind the group's hit songs and what motivates them to keep recording after more than 50 years.

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It's a strange thing, to be famous, right? Like, really really famous. Famous like Khalid, the singer. He deals with it in stride, though: making brilliant music that tries to touch the heart of every fan at his shows. He's sold millions of albums. Billions of plays on streaming apps. He plays to huge crowds. Madison Square Garden. MGM Grand Garden. He's currently on a stadium tour with Ed Sheeran. When we spoke a few years back he had just released Free Spirit. He talked with Jesse about growing up an army brat, and acclimating to that fame. Plus, we know Khalid can sing, but can he rap? We'll get him to freestyle some bars. A version of this interview was released in April of 2019.

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Nick Kroll is a comedian, actor and writer. Nick starred on the FX show The League, created the sketch comedy series Kroll Show. And if you watched VH1 in the early 2000s, you probably saw him making jokes about pop culture on Best Week Ever. But lately, Nick's focused more on the animation world. In 2017, he co-created the show Big Mouth on Netflix. It was an instant hit. And last year, Nick launched a new show in the same universe called Human Resources. The show centers around those same monsters from Big Mouth. But, it takes a look at their workplaces, along with the adult feelings they represent. Its second season just hit Netflix. Nick Kroll joined us to talk about his work on Big Mouth and Human Resources. Plus, why he's traded in his on-screen roles for voice acting gigs and a seat behind the scenes. He also gets into the lessons he's learned since becoming a father.

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The podcast Think Twice examines one of the toughest subjects in American pop culture: Michael Jackson. Not just his biography or his art, but what he means. The greatest pop music icon ever. An avatar of the complexity of race in America. And of course, an accused child molester. How do we deal with all these things? How should we? What do we remember? What have we forgotten? Think Twice asks these questions. The show is hosted by journalist Leon Neyfakh and writer Jay Smooth. Leon and Jay join us to talk about Think Twice and the complicated legacy of Michael Jackson. Content Warning: This interview discusses the allegations that Michael Jackson abused children. If you or someone you're listening with might be sensitive to that, we wanted to give you a heads up.

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