logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2024
46m 55s

How To!: Be Funny (5th Anniversary Editi...

Slate Podcasts
About this episode

How do you learn to tell the perfect joke? In this special edition of How To!, founding host Charles Duhigg joins Courtney and Carvell to mark five years of life-changing advice with a look back at our very first episode. It features a pastor from Oklahoma who wants to spice up his sermons. We introduce him to Gary Gulman, a New York standup comedian who makes jokes about his clinical depression. They workshop the pastor’s new joke about the New Testament, and Gary reveals “what might be the most important rule of being funny.”


Do you have a problem that needs solving? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Subscribe for free on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen. 


How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer. The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis and Sara McCrae.


Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up next
Today
What Next: TBD | Trump Vs. Cancer Research
President Trump has proposed cutting $2.5 billion from the National Cancer Institute, which in addition to cuts to the National Institutes of Health and research universities almost makes you wonder: whose side is he on in the fight against cancer? Guest: Angus Chen, cancer repor ... Show More
30m 18s
Yesterday
Slate Money | ATM Scam Summer School
This week: We got more details on the ATM scam that swept New York City thanks to a teen summer job program and an infinite money glitch last month. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck discuss the mechanics of the scam, the fallout for the many parties involved, and th ... Show More
57m 42s
Yesterday
ICYMI | ChatGPT Has Ruined the Em Dash
Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay get into the war between em dashes and artificial intelligence. Back in 2024, what started as a developer question became an all-out grammar war, with the use of em dashes becoming a possible indicator that something was written using ChatGPT. In the ... Show More
36m 10s
Recommended Episodes
May 2024
How To Flirt With Confidence
When Allen’s gym crush asked him—point blank—if he liked someone, he panicked. Should he tell her? What should he do if she wasn’t actually flirting with him? On this episode of How To!: Courtney Martin finds out what happened and brings in Jeff Guenther, therapist and author of ... Show More
40m 12s
Aug 12
John Oliver
This week on Reclaiming, we sit down with comedian, writer, and host John Oliver for a candid and thoughtful conversation about comedy, shame, and the power of laughter. John reflects on his interview with Monica in 2019 for Last Week Tonight and how that moment became part of he ... Show More
1h 12m
Mar 2024
How To Say What You’re Thinking
Shannon is set to become an ordained minister—but she has always struggled with public speaking. Here’s the thing: She’s fine in front of large gatherings. In smaller gatherings, however, she mentally “freezes up” and rambles until she regains her train of thought. As Shannon pre ... Show More
37m 39s
Mar 2022
Who Are You Beefing With? (feat. Axel Webber)
Axel Webber charms us with his humor and sensitivity on this episode. The three discuss their career goals, their mutual love for New York City, what love looks like in modern relationships. Listener's apparently have beef with Larray, and call in to tell us why. Want to be featu ... Show More
1h 8m
Mar 2022
Markell Washington
You've probably already seen Markell Washington show off his dance moves, but today he joins Noah and Larray to show off his charming personality. Larray and Noah plan Markell's future as the host of game show, and the trio take call-in stories about "worst date experiences" and ... Show More
1h 10m
May 30
Stephen Presents: Suleika Jaouad (Extended)
Stephen Colbert is on the podcast again talking about his relationship to journaling, and one very special journal he keeps around at all times. All this and more for a very special introduction to his interview with friend of the show and bestselling author Suleika Jaouad! In th ... Show More
25m 27s
Oct 2024
Dave Annable, Rachael Ray & Greg Mathis Jr.?
TICKETS ARE ON SALE FOR OUR FALL TOUR! REMAINING DATES: BOSTON, PHILADELPHIA, DC, AND NEW YORK CITY! GET 'EM AT WHOWEEKLY.US/LIVE. BREAKING: Lots of people in NYC look like Timothée Chalamet — but a lookalike contest may have just proved his Themdom... Halloween (weekend #1) is u ... Show More
1h 23m
Dec 2020
Ep235 - How Did This Get Made
Well we learned something this week, all of us podcasters have a common enemy. How did it take 235 episodes to figure this out? HDTGM is a very popular and successful podcast hosted by a guy named Jason who has a very sore back. Doug from Good Times Great Movies talks about movie ... Show More
2h 28m