humor

The U’Niquely Charming Actress Mo’Nique

Bill Thompson

Are you a skinny woman? If you said yes, some other women apparently consider you to be evil.

Not really, of course. It’s simply an exaggeration that once fueled the standup comedy of the performer known professionally as Mo’Nique.

Mo’Nique is a plus-sized woman, and makes no apologies for it. She has used her size as an asset, taking advice she says she once got from Martin Lawrence, to ignore people who would tell her what she couldn’t have.

As a result, Mo’Nique has won an Academy Award, and has been nominated for many honors, including Emmys and Grammys.

She’s been seen in dozens of movies, she starred as Nikki Parker in the TV series “The Parkers,” she had her own talk show, and in 2003 she wrote a book called Skinny Women Are Evil.

She and I met 1 day that spring to talk about her book.

So here now, from 2003, Mo’Nique.

Mo’Nique will be 58 next month. Her most recent movie role was in the supernatural horror film “The Deliverance” in 2024.

No, Getting There Is Not Half the Fun, At Least As Far As Comedian David Brenner Was Concerned

Bill Thompson

You’ve heard it said that “getting there is half the fun.” Well, the people who say that never met David Brenner.

Get your copy of David Brenner’s book

Now here was a guy who was a well-regarded documentary producer for many years before turning to comedy in the late 1960s.

His standup career thrived for over three decades, as he became a hugely popular guest on TV talk shows including “The Tonight Show” where he made over 150 appearances.

So David Brenner did a lot of traveling, accumulating hundreds of hilarious stories that eventually formed the basis for his 1990 book If God Wanted Us To Travel….

I’d been a big fan for years so I jumped at the chance to talk with him when he was on the book tour.

So here now, from 1990, David Brenner.

David Brenner died from cancer in 2014. He was 78.

How Spoiled Are We? Comedian Larry Miller Said America is Spoiled Rotten

Bill Thompson

Some things in life just are not meant to be taken so seriously. Especially American life in the 21st century.

We get irritated over long lines at Starbucks. We get mad in traffic.Heck, we get upset when it rains.

Actor and comedian Larry Miller says we’re just spoiled. We have it so good we forget how good we have it. And we let those little irritations become our lives.

Get your copy of Larry Miller’s book

Almost 20 years ago, in 2006,Miller wrote a book that he called Spoiled Rotten America. And yes it was meant to be funny and it is.But it makes some really serious points.

Larry and I got together 1 day in October that year, actually almost exactly 19 years ago now, to talk about the book.

So here now, from 2006, Larry Miller..

Larry Miller will be 72 the day after tomorrow.

History With a Comic Touch, As Told by Paula Poundstone

Bill Thompson

There are many hundreds of thousands of biographies and history books, but probably very very few of them have been written by a comedian.

And, few comedians who write a memoir do so with the help of historical figures.

That’s where the popular stand-up comic Paula Poundstone comes in.

When publishers invited her to write a memoir, she hesitated, until she had a brainstorm.

And the result, in 2006, was her first book, which she called There’s Nothing in This Book That I Meant to Say.

More below video:

But the road from concept to publication was bumpy. A few years into the writing process she faced legal charges, including felony endangerment of a child.

Get your copy of Paula Poundstone’s book

But instead of abandoning the book Poundstone Incorporated her legal troubles into the narrative.

I met her in the spring of 2007 when she was on a book tour.

So here now, from 2007, Paula Poundstone.

Paula Poundstone is 65 now. She continues to tour the country, and she hosts the podcast “Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone.”

No One Has Ever Turned 50 Better Than Dave Barry

Bill Thompson

Reaching the age of 50 is one of those life milestones that makes a lot of people uncomfortable and unsettled.

And perhaps no generation was more traumatized by turning 50 than the forever-young Baby Boomers.

One Boomer faced the half-century mark with the same wry humor that made him one of America’s favorite humor columnists.

Get your copy of Dave Barry’s book

The forever-young Dave Barry did what he does best” he wrote about the challenges of reaching the 5-0. His 1998 book was called Dave Barry Turns 50.

Now Dave’s a little older than I am, but I’ve learned from years of interviewing him that we share many of the same experiences – and we’ve both found that Memory Lane can be full of potholes.

So here now, from 1998, Dave Barry.

Dave Barry is 77 now. His most recent book was a novel, Swamp Story, published in 2023.

Wendy Wasserstein’s Guide to Slothful Living

Bill Thompson

About 20 years ago, the New York public library assembled a list of books on the seven deadly sins.

One of which, of course, is sloth.

But if you’ve always been a little fuzzy about exactly what sloth is playwright essayist and satirist Wendy wasserstein to the rescue.

You may remember wasserstein best for her 1989 play The Heidi Chronicles, which won a Tony award and a Pulitzer prize.

Her 2005 book Sloth is a parody of self-help books, with detailed instructions on how you too can acquire sloth.

I interviewed Wendy several times, but this was the most fun one. So here now from 2005. Wendy Wasserstein.

Wendy Wasserstein died in 2006, She was 55.

Jill Conner Browne

Bill Thompson

A 41-year tradition continues this weekend in Jackson, Mississippi, with the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade, featuring the sweet potato queens.

It all started when Jill Connor Browne and a few of her friends formed the Queens.

And in the years since then, it has become an honored tradition — and has spawned several bestselling books.

I first met Jill Conner Browne in 2001, after publication of her second book, God Save The Sweet Potato Queens.

So here now, from 2001, Jill Conner Browne.

Jill Conner Browne still reigns as the Queen Bee of the Sweet Potato Queens.

The Sweet Pottato Queens have chapters in over twenty countries.

You may also like these episodes:

Karen Salmansohn
Rita Rudner

Buy Books / Media from Amazon

Karen Salmansohn

Bill Thompson

It’s Valentine’s Day. And we could have done the usual mushy, romantic stuff, but instead I wanted to go more tongue in cheek .

Back in 1994 I interviewed the popular self-help author Karen Salmansohn. She had just written a book called how to make your man behave in 21 days or less using the secrets of professional dog trainers.

Really, how much more romantic can you get?

But you know, as much as I hate to admit it, behind every incisive piece of humor. There is a nugget of truth. As I think you’ll find out right now.

So here now, from 1994, Karen Salmansohn/

Karen Salmansohn’s most recent book, Instant Calm, was published in 2019.

You may also like these episodes:

Cesar Millan
Phyllis Diller

Buy Books / Media from Amazon

Dave Barry

Bill Thompson

If he had wanted to, Dave Berry probably could have been a successful stand-up comedian.

Instead, he wrote a humor column. And wrote books. Lots and lots of books.

Over about a 20-year period, I think I interviewed Dave almost 20 times.

Two of those interviews stand out, including the one you’re about to hear. It was for his book Dave Barry Turns 40. I thought it was an appropriate interview to run, because tomorrow, July 3rd, is David’s birthday.

So here now, from 1990, Dave Barry.

Dave Barry is a little older than 40 now in fact tomorrow and will be his 74th birthday. His last book was published in 2019.

You may also like these episodes:
Lewis BlackJim GaffiganTracey Ullman

Bob Dole

Bill Thompson

Tomorrow is the presidential election. It’s been a tough campaign, with not a lot of humor.

But politicians, and their constituents, need a good sense of humor. In 1998, Bob Dole, the unsuccessful GOP nominee in 1996, compiled a book of presidential and political humor.

Now, Dole himself was hardly known for his comic genius. But when I interviewed him in 1998, I found out how funny even conservative Republicans can be.

So here now, from 1998, Bob Dole.

Bob Dole is 97.

He was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal iun 2017.